Conflicted

[Affinity: 70]

[Intimacy: 30/100]

[Relationship: Neighbours, trusted friends.]

[Status: Nervous, excited, fearful.]

'70 affinity, 30 intimacy and she is feeling… excited too? All this is because of my compliment?' He thought, pleasantly surprised him. 

'So, it's true that women like it when you compliment them.' 

He nodded to himself, confirming the piece of information he had picked up from the internet a few years ago when he was looking for the ways to impress women because he had met a woman and she became his crush at first sight. Of course, he never had the courage or opportunity to approach or talk to her.

Taking a breath, Siddharth walked toward her, which made her flinch. She opened her mouth to say something but before she could, he gently touched her right cheek and asked, a look of concern on his face, he asked, 

"Are you feeling alright? Your face is red."

Flustered, Shweta took a step back and mumbled, "I-I'm alright. D-Don't worry." 

Then, with her head lowered to hide her flustered and blushed face, she pointed toward the dining table in the living room, she said, "P-Please sit there. I… I will serve the food."

Finish saying this, she rushed toward the kitchen.

Watching her become so flustered from just a touch amused him. Smiling, he walked over to the dining table and sat down.

Inside the kitchen, Shweta was taking deep breaths, her hands placed on her heaving chest.

'Why did I react like that? And, most importantly, why did he do that?' She thought and then, her face reddened once more as she realised, 'He… is interested in me.'

As the realisation struck her, a look of disbelief covered her face. A moment later, she sighed, looking disappointed. 'No wonder he was being so nice to me.'

'I should go out and tell him clearly that I'm not interest…' Even as she was thinking this, another realisation, which shocked her stunned, hit her.

"I… I don't want to tell him and push him away." She mumbled dazedly. She couldn't believe what she was feeling.

Slap!

She suddenly slapped her cheeks and said, "Come to your senses, Shweta. You are married and have two grown up kids. You can't feel this way. You should clear things with him. It would be good if he still wants to become your friend, and if he doesn't, that's good as well."

Right as she said this, she remembered how her husband hasn't touched her in years and has been cheating on her with some other woman, perhaps multiple women.

This made her angry, and she mumbled, "Do I still have to be loyal when that bastard is fucking around with other women? I wasn't the only one who took those oaths of loyalty."

These conflicted thoughts continued to escalate, more than half an hour passed.

After five minutes had passed, Siddharth became a little impatient, but continued to wait. He could guess she must be feeling conflicted right now and need some alone time. However, as half an hour passed, his patient ran out.

He stood up and walked toward the kitchen. When he entered the kitchen, he saw her standing there with a blank look on her face while tears trickled down her cheeks. From how her eyes were red, she must have been crying for a long while.

Seeing her like this, he felt a pain in his heart and thought if he should've done what he did, which made her feel so conflicted. The answer he got was—yes.

'These tears are worth it if I can save her life and also make her mine and get the system's rewards.' He thought. Of course, if it was only for the sake of completing the mission, he might not have made a move on her seeing how much pain she was in right now.

Feeling another person's presence in the kitchen, she turned her head toward Siddharth and her silent crying turned into uncontrollable sobs, her shoulders shaking revealing how vulnerable she was right now.

With no hesitation, Siddharth took a few hurried steps toward her and under her shocked and confused gaze, he put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.

"M-Mr. Siddharth, y-you…" Shweta instinctively resisted, but this made Siddharth hug her even tighter, and say, "Shhh! Don't say anything. I'm here for you. Don't hold back and cry all you want, but remember, this will be the last time you'll cry."

Hearing this, she didn't know what exactly she felt, but it wasn't a bad feeling so she stopped resisting and the feeling of his warm and protective embrace made her heart warm which she hadn't felt in years and this caused her tears to flow down her eyes once more.

She cried for a long time—almost ten minutes before she became silent. 

Just when Siddharth thought she would pull away from him, she surprised him by putting her head on his shoulder. She also tried to put her hands around his waist, but his fat belly made it difficult for her to do it, so she put them around his back.

Siddharth couldn't help but raise his head and look at her information panel.

[Affinity: 80]

[Intimacy: 50/100]

[Relationship: Neighbours, trusted friends.]

[Status: Nervous, comfortable, slightly conflicted, and excited.]

Pleasantly surprised by the 10 point increase in affinity, 20 point increase in the intimacy and positive change in her status, Siddharth tightened his hug and in a bold attempt to check the limits of current intimacy level, he put his face in her neck and hair, inhaling her shampoo's pleasant scent.

Shweta flinched a little but didn't show any reluctance. In fact, she tightened her hands around his back.

Feeling confident yet a little nervous since it was his first time being so close to a woman, he slowly brought his face near and gently put his lips on her nape, kissing lightly.

 "Mm~" Shweta shivered, her heart racing and a subdued moan escaped her lips.