Love's Gentle Breeze

Shin felt his body burning, yet he simultaneously experienced a chilling sensation.

As he slowly opened his eyes, Shin thought, "I'm so fatigued..." Only to find himself in an unfamiliar place.

"Where... Am I?" Shin muttered, lying on a soft bed, quite different from his old apartment's.

"You're awake."

A female voice reached his ears, and he turned to see Mira sitting beside him.

"Where are we?" Shin asked with confusion evident on his face.

Mira sighed in relief and inquired, "You don't remember what happened?" seeing Shin's bewildered expression.

Furrowing his brows, Shin asked, "What happened?" while scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.

Mira sighed helplessly and said, "After you finished programming your game, Mario, you fainted while shouting, 'I want to become a Game Tycoon King,' remember?"

She chuckled at the memory.

Blushing a little, Shin finally remembered that before succumbing to fatigue, he had indeed shouted those words and then fell into a deep slumber. He recollected pushing himself to the limit to complete the game that day.

"I remember now..." Shin nodded and attempted to get up, but Mira stopped him.

"Don't move. The doctor said you need some rest," she insisted, gently pushing him back onto the bed.

"Don't worry about me; I'm fine now," Shin tried to convince Mira.

"No! You need to rest for a few days," Mira firmly asserted.

Shin hesitated, whispering to Mira's ear, "Listen, Mira, we won't be able to afford the hospital fees here. Let's go."

Blushing and flustered by their proximity, Mira created some distance, saying, "Don't worry; you can deduct it from my salary."

Surprised by her words, Shin quickly shook his head, saying, "No, I can't let my one and only employee suffer," though her words warmed his heart.

Mira wanted to persuade him further, but Shin's next words convinced her.

"My sickness shouldn't be too bad. I'm just fatigued. I can rest at our company office," Shin smiled.

Mira sighed and stopped persuading, "Alright," even though she knew that the so-called 'Company Office' was simply his old apartment. 'This guy is so pretentious as always,' she thought.

She helped Shin stand up, and when they got close, both Mira and Shin blushed and felt flustered.

Afterward, they informed the doctor of Shin's leave and received a prescription for his medication.

...

Upon returning to the apartment, Shin rushed to the computer.

"I thought you were going to rest here?" Mira felt annoyed and betrayed by Shin's stubbornness.

"Don't worry too much. I just want to check if the game was saved," Shin reassured her, his voice tinged with worry that his days of hard work might go to waste if it wasn't saved on the memory cartridge.

"Don't worry; the game is already saved on the cartridge," Mira said as she handed it to him.

Shin inserted it into the game console cartridge slot while Mira shook her head at his impatience.

"Can you also plug in the TV?" Shin asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Ugh, alright," Mira sighed and plugged in the TV.

"And the Seikatsu too," Shin added.

Mira let out a sigh, feeling helpless as she realized she had to comply. Not only was she Shin's employee, but Shin was also battling an illness, so she reluctantly went along with it.

The television screen flickered to life, displaying the KiShin logo.

Nostalgic and familiar to Shin's ears, the simple audio of Mario filled the room.

Sitting on the floor by the bed, Mira watched the game with a curious expression.

"Did you hear that? I've added sound effects and music to our company's game too!" Shin proudly exclaimed, to which Mira responded with an eye roll.

On the screen, Mario leaped, accompanied by the jumping sound effects, while catchy music played in the background.

Mira had to admit that she enjoyed watching the game; she was captivated by the sound effects and music too. "So, this is what you've been working on for days..." Mira gazed at Shin with a smile.

Her heart raced, and she felt herself falling for Shin. 'No! You can't... Shin is like my younger brother...' She tried to shift her thoughts by focusing on the game screen, but the idea of a future with Shin kept invading her mind. Her gaze returned to Shin's face, and the more she looked, the deeper she fell. Her heart pounded, and her cheeks turned as red as a tomato. 'Shin...' she thought as her eyes remained locked on his face.

Satisfied with the results, Shin muttered, "Good," but he sensed someone staring at him. He turned to find Mira gazing at him with a dazed expression, her face blushing like a ripe tomato. This distraction caused Shin to lose in Mario.

Several seconds passed, and Mira snapped out of her thoughts. She finally realized that Shin was staring back at her with dreamy eyes. 'Oh no...' she became flustered and turned away from Shin.

"Umm..." Shin struggled to find words, and the situation grew increasingly awkward.

'It's so embarrassing! I wish I could hide! I'd rather dig a hole and bury myself alive!' Mira thought, her hands touching her burning cheeks, which felt hot to the touch.

Shin didn't know how to handle the situation. He had been a loner in his previous life, never experiencing close relationships with women, ultimately dying alone.

Now, in this new life, he had a chance at a different experience, but his shyness made the situation even more awkward.

No! This is his new life now! He has to be braver and bolder!

Shin gulped nervously and resolved to be more resolute.

So, he decided to initiate a conversation first. "So... Our first company product is officially complete," Shin changed the topic, which Mira also appreciated. She smiled and made an effort to meet Shin's gaze. They exchanged smiles.

"Pffttt... Hehe, hahaha." Shin couldn't control his laughter as he recalled Mira's captivated expression. He pointed at Mira and said, "Looks like you've fallen for me? Haha! I thought you were the older and more mature one!? Hahaha..."

Mira's smile turned into a pout as she exclaimed, "Who would ever fall for you!? You're dirty, silly, and downright boring!" She then wrapped herself in a blanket that still bore Shin's scent, getting lost in her fantasy again before quickly shaking off the distracting thoughts.

"Hahaha, come on, admit it. You've already fallen for me!" Shin laughed, teasing Mira, though he was actually mostly serious, with just a touch of humor.

From the moment he laid eyes on her, he had taken a liking to Mira.

Yet fate has a curious way of working. He was smitten at first sight, but little did he know that she would fall even deeper once they got to know each other.

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Word counts : 1128