[9] I love you too.

Shiki woke up surrounded by a sea of roses. When he rubbed his eyes, he discovered Lala sleeping peacefully next to him, hugging his arm as if he were a stuffed animal.

'How cute,' he thought, smiling as he removed his fiancée's pink hair and caressed her head tenderly.

Lala, still in her dreams, let out a soft and bubbling laugh. "Hehehe," she murmured, curling even closer to Shiki as if trying to prolong a pleasant sleep.

Shiki couldn't help laughing when he saw that expression of unconscious happiness on her face. His mood, which used to be at an acceptable level of 50 points, had now risen to a solid 100, just for having someone by his side.

The affection and warmth he felt were completely new to him, something he had never experienced in his previous life.

He decided not to interrupt that perfect moment. Stealthily, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom, avoiding making noise. As he undressed, his clothes faded into blue powders of spiritual energy.

The shower lit up with a soft murmur, and Shiki, while the water fell on him, began to hum a song from his previous life in a low voice, enjoying the moment of calm.

When he finished, he dried himself with a towel and got dressed.

Using his spiritual power, he gathered the energy in his body and, with a flash of light, built a comfortable t-shirt and simple pants, perfect for the day.

With his clothes ready and a smile on his face, he came out of the bathroom and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

While preparing breakfast, Shiki heard the tone of his cell phone resonate in the kitchen. Without haste, he took the device and saw the name of his editor, Machida, blinking on the screen.

He slid his finger to answer and took the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Can you hear me, Machida-san?" Shiki asked with his usual tone.

"Shiki-kun! How are you?" Machida answered with an animated voice while taking a sip of coffee. It was noticeable that she was already well awake, probably from early.

"I'm fine, thank you. I was preparing breakfast before you called. What about you? How are you? I guess this call isn't just to chat," Shiki replied, as if he didn't know that this call was probably due to the publication of his novel To Aru no Majutsu no Index.

A brief silence followed Shiki's comment, and he smiled, imagining Machida's expression on the other side.

"Aren't you nervous?" Machida's voice finally broke the silence, but now it sounded incredulous.

"Today is the big day, the publication of your light novel. The fans are looking forward to it, the expectations are very high... and you here as calm as if nothing had happened? Anyone would be a bundle of nerves!"

"Well, maybe I'm a little nervous, haha..." Shiki admitted with a light laugh, without taking his eyes off the frying pan. "But anyway, I will go to the store today and observe the reactions of the people who buy it."

"I see, that's a good idea," Machida said with a smile in her voice. "I remember that the novice novelist who signed a contract with me a few months ago also did that. She was so excited that she could barely contain herself."

Shiki smiled to himself, imagining the scene. "I suppose that each author has his own way of dealing with nerves. Although I don't think it will go to that extreme."

"But don't worry," Machida continued, her tone softened a little. "I'm sure it will sell well and that people will love it. Your writing is of a high level, the illustrations are impressive, and the plot is unique, with characters that really stand out. I'm also telling you as your fan. I hope you continue to write many more stories."

"Thank you..." Shiki responded, a little embarrassed.

After a brief conversation, they said goodbye, and Shiki finished preparing breakfast, placing it on the table that had two chairs.

With everything ready, he washed his hands and went to wake up Lala.

Upon entering the room, Shiki saw Lala sleeping soundly, hugging the pillow tightly while a thread of saliva ran down the corner of her mouth. The scene made him smile slightly; it was difficult not to feel relaxed when seeing it like this.

He approached carefully and, with a soft hand, began to wake her up. "Lala, wake up. Breakfast is ready."

"Hmmm..." Lala made a sleepy sound as she slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed her eyelids with a stunned expression, clearly still half asleep.

When she focused her view, the first thing she saw was Shiki's gentle expression, his face illuminated by the morning light. Her eyes met his, and Shiki's golden eye, with the watch inside, captured Lala's attention.

Lala smiled back, warm and cheerful. "Good morning, Shiki," she said as she stretched her arms, her sleepy expression beginning to disappear.

Before Shiki could say anything else, Lala looked at him with bright eyes and an expression so beautiful that it was impossible to resist.

"Can you give me a hug?" she asked, bowing her head slightly.

Shiki, of course, didn't refuse. He approached her and hugged her gently. The hug began as something simple, but it soon became more intimate.

Lala tightened her embrace, sinking her face into his chest, and to Shiki's surprise, she seemed to be... smelling him?

'It feels good to hug Shiki,' Lala thought as she squeezed him tighter. The heat that emanated from his body and the feeling of security it gave her made her sigh with happiness.

But there was something else in that hug that made her remember the kiss they shared yesterday. Her heart began to beat faster when she remembered the softness of his lips and how she had felt when kissing the boy she was in love with.

"Shiki..." she murmured, looking up to meet his gaze. There was a special glow in her eyes, a mixture of desire and innocence that was almost irresistible.

Shiki, although normally serene, felt that his self-control was being put to the test.

Lala had a destructive power over him that he couldn't deny. If it weren't for his good self-control, the situation could have escalated quickly.

In fact, it was difficult for him to avoid the urge to push her toward the bed... But he contained himself, since it was too early for that, wasn't it?

"Can you kiss me?" Lala asked him, her begging eyes and soft voice.

"Of course," Shiki replied without hesitation.

Slowly, he leaned towards her, closing his eyes while his lips met hers. The kiss was sweet and deep, a silent confirmation of the feelings they both shared.

'It feels good,' Lala thought as she hugged him tighter, unable to resist the temptation to gently push Shiki to the bed.

With a soft laugh, they both fell on the sheets, their bodies intertwined in a more intimate embrace.

Shiki, surprised but without resisting, reciprocated the hug with the same intensity.

The kiss they had shared before began to climb, first testing each other's lips gently, but soon became more passionate.

Their lips intertwined, and the kiss transformed into an exchange of sighs and caresses, until their tongues began to explore and discover each other.

Shiki couldn't help but feel surprised by Lala. He had always seen her as an innocent and pure girl, but now he realized that there was a facet of her that tempted him in a way he had not anticipated.

That mixture of tenderness and passion left him speechless, while the kiss deepened and his hands held her firmly, but also with affection.

Time seemed to stop while they kissed, once, twice... getting lost in the moment. Finally, the two separated, breathing with difficulty, their hearts beating in unison.

Lala looked into his eyes, her cheeks slightly blushed, but with a smile on her face that radiated warmth.

"I love you..." she whispered, her voice soft but full of sincerity.

Although they had only spent one day together, she knew in the depths of her heart that what she felt was real, a different love than the one she had for her sisters or her parents.

This was a love that made her feel complete, that made her want to be next to Shiki, protecting him and being protected by him.

Shiki opened his eyes with surprise at those words.

He stared at Lala, looking into her eyes for some sign of doubt, but only found pure affection, sincere and genuine.

At that moment, all the barriers he had built around his heart began to crumble.

In his past life, Shiki had known loneliness in its cruelest way.

From a young age, he had watched other children play with their families while he stayed on the sidelines, with no one to hug or comfort him.

As a teenager, he saw his classmates enjoy life, laughing together, while he worked hard just to survive, to pay for his studies and his daily life.

And finally, at the age of 19, he had died in a hospital, completely alone. Nobody cried for him, no one would remember him, and no one was there to say goodbye to him.

He was born alone when he was abandoned by his parents and died alone when he had no loved ones.

Those words of Lala, so simple but so full of meaning, hit him with a force that he had never experienced before.

It was the first time in his entire existence, in this life or the previous one, that someone said "I love you" in such a pure way.

Unable to contain himself, Shiki hugged her tightly, as if he feared that if he let her go, everything would disappear.

The tears, which he had always kept under control, began to fall silently as he whispered in a trembling voice, "I love you too..."

Lala felt the warmth of his tears wetting her shoulder, and her heart squeezed when she understood how deep Shiki's pain was.

Tenderly, she stroked his head, running her fingers gently through his hair. She knew that Shiki was an orphan, that he didn't have anyone else in the world. But now, she was determined to be that person for him—his family, his support, and his love.

— — —

(A/N: I tried to correct the spelling errors with a page. How about now? Are there still many errors? Remember that I don't speak English, so I can't know).