"...I wouldn't know if you don't tell me clearly!"
Lisbeth couldn't look Shido in the eyes as she was too embarrassed to meet his gaze. Still, her voice carried a slight tone of annoyance at his unclear meaning.
Seeing Lisbeth roll her eyes at him, Shido couldn't help but smile. But then, he assertively he lifted her chin to make her look at him directly.
"S-Setsuna, you…" Surprised by Shido's sudden forcefulness combined with his handsome face and his piercing eyes. Lisbeth could barely speak, stammering over her words. Their faces were only a few centimeters apart, and she could feel each other's breaths brushing against one another.
It was the first time Lisbeth had ever been this close to someone of the opposite sex. Even Kirito had only hugged her before, but nothing this close with Shido.
Watching how handsome and bold Shido was, Lisbeth couldn't help but gulp, feeling a sudden warmth spreading through her body. She felt weak and almost as if her body had forgotten how to resist as she had been completely captivated by Shido's domineering yet gentle gaze.
Shido was amused and let out a light chuckle at how cute Lisbeth's reaction was. Even though she was a little tomboyish, she had a charm of her own that made her very attractive in his eyes.
Still, seeing Shido chuckle, Lisbeth felt annoyed and pouted inwardly. She didn't back down and returned his gaze, looking at Shido with firm eyes.
A moment of silence hung between them, but neither Shido nor Lisbeth showed any sign of backing down, though Lisbeth was starting to feel shy again under Shido's charming gaze.
"Lisbeth, you're cute."
Shido suddenly broke the silence with those words, catching Lisbeth completely off guard and making her cheeks turn redder than a tomato.
"W-What are you suddenly sayi—"
She didn't even get to finish her sentence before Shido's next action left her completely stunned, embarrassed, yet undeniably happy.
Mmph!
The soft sound of their lips meeting froze Lisbeth in place. Her eyes widened in shock, her entire body trembling as Shido held the kiss gentle, yet undeniably firm. The warmth of his lips, the closeness of his breath, the sudden intimacy, everything crashed over her at once, making her heart thump almost painfully in her chest.
For a moment, she couldn't think. She couldn't speak. She could only see and feel Shido.
Slowly… very slowly… her lashes fluttered, then drifted shut as the surprise melted into a shy, blossoming happiness spreading warmly through her chest. Lisbeth's gaze grew hazy as she gently closed her eyes, letting herself be pulled into the moment.
'...Setsuna.'
"...Mm…"
Without realizing it, Lisbeth lifted her arms and slowly wrapped them around Shido's neck. She pulled herself closer, her face burning, yet she no longer tried to pull away. Instead, she kissed him back gently and timidly, letting herself sink into the moment with him.
In ALO, even though marriage wasn't available like in SAO, players could still share moments like this. Of course, there was a system option allowing female players to report any unwanted advances, which would give the male player a severe penalty.
After a brief pause, Shido and Lisbeth finally separated, their lips parting with a thin silver thread connecting them, until the delicate strand broke softly between them.
Shido lowered his head to glance at Lisbeth, who was still in his arms, gasping softly for breath. Her small mouth was slightly open, revealing her pink tongue, and her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of red. The sight made Shido unconsciously gulp as Lisbeth looked so lewd in that moment, but he shook the thought away and asked, "Does that answer the confusion in your heart?"
Seeing the annoying smile plastered on his face, Lisbeth could only roll her eyes, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into his chest, letting his arms stay around her.
"…Who wouldn't understand your intention after all that? Idiot."
Too embarrassed to look at him, Lisbeth buried her burning face against his chest, refusing to lift her head even for a second.
Watching Lisbeth's shyness, Shido shook his head, a smile still plastered on his face. He patted her back slowly, causing the girl to let out a strange, high-pitched sound.
"Ah~!"
"Hmm? Did you just… let out a moan, Lisbeth?"
"…I did not!"
"Haha, that's cute."
"…You—"
Lisbeth was annoyed and speechless at Shido's teasing, yet she felt that she didn't actually dislike it. In fact, she could now somehow understand the feeling Asuna must have when she and Kirito was flirting with each other.
It was a little annoying, but strangely… it made her heart bloom.
Looking at the man who had completely messed with her emotions, Lisbeth gazed at him with a sweet smile and gentle eyes full of affection.
After a brief moment of thought, she suddenly lifted her head, looking at Shido shyly yet with a hint of expectation, and whispered, "Setsuna."
"Hmm?"
Shido looked at Lisbeth and gently patted her pink hair, making her feel both shy and happy.
Although she felt a little hesitant, Lisbeth gathered her courage and asked softly, "Setsuna… what is our relationship now?"
Hearing her question, Shido was momentarily speechless. He had already shown her so much, even kissed her yet she still wanted him to say it aloud. Though, he couldn't really blame her, girls were like this sometimes, always wanting clarity from a guy to soothe their hearts.
Shido continued to pat her head and said, "We're lovers."
Lisbeth narrowed her eyes at his words and replied, "Just lovers?"
Amused by her reaction, Shido's smile faded into a serious expression. "If you want, we can go to the Ward Office right now and register for marriage."
Hearing the sudden proposal, spoken with such seriousness and sincerity, Lisbeth's eyes lit up, and a wave of happiness washed over her. Yet she shook her head gently and hugged Shido tightly, as if she wanted her scent to linger on him.
"Mm, I'm happy with your sentiments, but for now… I'm satisfied with just having a girlfriend-and-boyfriend relationship with you. We're still young, after all."
After finally answering his girlfriend's question, Shido let out a smile and embraced her petite body.
Then, he suddenly remembered something. "Lisbeth actually…"
"Yes?"
Lifting her head with a smile, Lisbeth looked at her boyfriend curiously.
"I'm actually just 17 years old, so even if we went to the Ward Office to register for marriage, I doubt they will approve it."
Hearing his confession, Lisbeth fell silent, her eyes widening as she stared at him in dumbfounded expression.
"You're actually just 17 years old?!"
Lisbeth was completly stunned, she didn't expect her boyfriend to be actually younger than her. But well, that makes her just like Asuna.