His knees nearly buckled as his eyes widened. He fixed on her pink-fringed face, tracing every curve, every glint in her gaze. His fingers hovered, trembling, before brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, memorising the feel as if it could burn into him. Chest heaving, breath coming fast, he leaned closer, pressing his forehead to hers, hands tightening around her waist, pulling her in. His gaze never left her, drinking in the way she was—Alixia, alive, real, perfect.
Utterly, impossibly, in love.
Elise's heart hammered, breath caught, as his fingers tangled in her hair. Dazed, she let him pull her closer, eyes locked on his, her palms wandering, his gaze devouring her. She shivered.
Clutching Ava's arm, Luna whispered, "Look at how he's staring at her… like she's the only one in the world. It's… it's giving me shivers. Second-hand butterflies."
Eyes misty, Ava nodded. "Yeah… that look. Like she hung the stars. We never got that from him. It's… it's beautiful."
Leaning into Bibi, Vee's voice softened. "Sis… see his eyes? She's everything to him. The way he's holding her… I'm getting chills. We can't even be mad—it's too sweet."
Bibi smiled, hugging her sister. "Totally. That stare… like she's his universe. Shivers, right? He's all in."
Gum forgotten, Kandi sighed. "That gaze… like she's the only girl alive. Second-hand romance hitting hard. So happy for them."
Lowering her phone, Mila smiled. "His eyes… she's his world. Giving me goosebumps. They're perfect."
Crossing her arms, Kerry's soft grin broke through. "That look… like she's his forever. Shivers all over. Damn, it's real."
Jezabelle nudged Marissa. "See how he's holding her? Like she's his everything. Second-hand heart eyes. They're adorable."
Eyes sparkling, Marissa nodded. "Yeah… that stare. She's his only. Chills. He chose right."
Elise's shadows stilled, the stares warm and welcoming. She squeezed Chad's hand, whispering, "They're… happy for us."
Seraphina stepped forward, her voice soft, a smile tugging at her lips. "We can't compete with a guy and his waifu… we… never had a chance." She glanced at Elise, eyes warm. "When you get married and your waifu becomes your wife, please invite us to your wedding.
Chad turned away for a few seconds, eyes downcast, before speaking.
His heart soared, joy mingling with the awe in his gaze. Cradling her close, his voice became a reverent whisper. "Of course we will. I'd want you all there on the best day of my life—our day. The day I make the most incredible waifu into my wife."
"M-marry me?" She stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah… A waifu is already technically a wife. It's just another title," he said.
Hand in hand, they walked away, stepping into a world that suddenly felt brighter, lighter, and full of possibilities.
***
Their first adventures together were nothing short of chaotic fun. At a karaoke bar, they attempted K-pop songs with spectacularly awful results. Chad didn't know a single word, so he just sang, "du du du do," over and over, making Elise laugh until her cheeks ached.
Bubble tea came next, and it quickly turned into a comedy of errors. Bubbles shot straight up Chad's nose, and he contorted his face into every expression imaginable. Elise laughed so hard she had to clutch her stomach, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
Finally, they tried Dance Dance Revolution at the local arcade. Chad fell over repeatedly, tripping on the edge of the platform, tumbling like a clumsy cartoon character—until he finally realised he was supposed to hold the bar while dancing. Elise cheered him on, giggling uncontrollably, their laughter echoing through the arcade. It felt like the start of countless adventures together.
Later, Elise tugged at Chad's hand, her voice soft but tinged with nervous excitement. "So… I'm staying at your place tonight? I've… I've never been in a boy's bedroom before."
Shifting uncomfortably, he tugged her slightly closer. "Oh… you haven't?"
Stepping into his room, Elise froze. Posters of The Seraphim Protocol covered every wall, and a framed print of Alixia glowed under soft LED lights. It was like walking into a shrine… of herself.
Her eyes immediately found the waifu pillow propped on his bed. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips. "Oh… so this is your legendary waifu pillow?" she teased, stepping closer, her fingers brushing the edge of the plush.
He shifted, awkward and flustered. "Oh… that… yeah…"
Tilting her head, she studied it. "I do look a lot like her… I see the resemblance now. But… my boobs aren't even close to that big."
His face went bright red, stammering, "They aren't… I mean… I never notice. I never look. It doesn't… it doesn't matter."
A soft laugh escaped her as she shook her head. "Smooth. Really smooth."
Blushing deeper, he rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling sheepishly. "I… I'm not very smooth. I never know the right things to say around girls."
Elise leaned closer, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Oh, I think you're cute when you're awkward," she said, nudging his shoulder lightly.
His ears flushed red, and he scratched the back of his neck, mumbling, "I… I guess that's good…?"
Grinning mischievously, she dug into her bag. "Well, I brought my husbando pillow with me… Kage!" Holding it up triumphantly, she plopped it on top of his waifu pillow before he could react. "Look! They're kissing… they're in love… awwww, so cute!!"
Eyes widening, he shuffled backward slightly, hands flailing. "W-wait! Uh… you can't do that?"
Laughing, she asked, "And why not?"
Swallowing hard, his voice barely above a whisper, he explained, "B-because… Kage is Alixia's arch-rival in The Seraphim Protocol. He destroyed her family, stole the throne, cursed her kingdom… And every time they meet, it's chaos. Total, utter chaos. They hate each other—completely."
Her eyes sparkled as she pressed the pillows together, making them "kiss" while bouncing them up and down in a mock humping motion. "But she forgave him! And now… they're madly in love. The end!"
Frozen, a mix of horror and embarrassment on his face, he stammered, "I… I don't think it's supposed to… be like that!"
Collapsing against him, she laughed even harder. "Relax, it's just a pillow! But admit it—this is way more fun than the actual story!"
Elise's hand on the waifu pillow stirred something inside him… a fluttering heat he didn't understand. His chest tightened, his heart hammered, leaving him almost breathless. He couldn't look away—her eyes glimmered, her smile was soft, and her hair caught the light. Every movement, every glance seemed meant just for him.
Words failed him. He stood there, mesmerised, trembling under the quiet power of her beauty. He didn't know what to call the feeling, but it consumed him completely.
Noticing tiny static sparks leaping between the two pillows, he glanced at her.
"It looks like they're… getting into it," she said, teasingly, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
With heat creeping up his neck, his face went bright red. "Maybe… maybe we should leave them be… and go into the spare room… somewhere private… where we won't be disturbed. I… I think it's time. I don't want to put this off any longer…" His voice trembled slightly, betraying just how nervous he really was.
Elise bit her lip, twirling a strand of her pink hair around her finger as her other hand fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. A nervous smile tugged at her lips. "But… I don't have much experience."
Closing the distance, his voice dropped into something intimate and sincere. "Neither have I… but… we can make magic together."
Her eyes widened, a rush of determination shining through her nerves. She nodded slowly. "Let's do it."
Chad grinned, relief and excitement mixing in his voice. "Yeah!! Let's write that web novel together!!"
With a shared smile, they settled down on the spare bed, ready to explore the uncharted territory of their feelings and the story they'd weave together.