'Wait, I'm Supposed to Become a Goddess?! But I'm a Guy!'

As he started to step out, Mize’s soft, almost embarrassed voice stopped him.

“I-I don’t know how to open this door,” Mize said, his eyes darting away as if too ashamed to meet Derek’s gaze.

His long, dark hair fell forward, hiding his face like a shield. 'And I was acting so cool and chic too just now! I ruined it!' Mize could only silently weep within...

Derek paused, chuckling softly to himself as he turned to look at her. “Oh, right. Let me get that for you,” he said.

He quickly rounded the car, his hands fidgeting nervously as he approached her side.

When he opened the door, his hand hovered there for a second, unsure if he should offer it to help her out.

The gesture felt old-fashioned, but before he could second-guess himself, Mize looked up at him from behind that curtain of hair, her cheeks tinged with a soft pink.

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and took his hand.

Derek’s breath caught. Her touch was light, almost delicate, and yet, something about it sent a jolt of electricity through him.

As she stepped down from the car, her hand in his, he tried not to let his nervousness show.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

The two of them started toward the mall entrance, their hands still loosely held together, neither of them willing to let go but too shy to acknowledge it.

For Mize, this was one hell of an experience...

kill me

Kill me

Kill me

[Host, stay calm. Weren't you the one who was so confident that mortal men are easy?]

'Shut up' Mize cursed directly.

'What am I doing here? Where am I? How did I get here?' It was a bunch of questions, and he was unsure of how to answer this.

But really, only he and he alone could answer these questions and no one else could.

As they passed through the automatic sliding doors, Derek was the first to break the silence, though his voice came out more flustered than he’d intended.

“S-so, um, what do you want to buy?” His eyes darted around, pretending to scan the aisles and store signs, though, in truth, he was just avoiding looking at her directly.

Mize had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze, the height difference between them almost laughable, him standing at 1.8 meters, and her barely reaching 1.5 meters.

'despite being a nerd, this guy sure is a tall one huh' Mize curled his lips at the thought of this.

She looked up, her chin lifted, and her hair fell to the side, revealing more of her face.

Something was mesmerizing in the way her hair framed her, like a wave parting to reveal a delicate shore.

“Just some daily stuff… a toothbrush, face wash, shampoo… I guess,” she said softly, her voice trailing off, each word deliberately hesitant as if testing the air before she spoke.

"Ah, right, that stuff,” Derek nodded, still scratching the back of his awkwardly while replying so,

He could handle that. “The aisle’s this way,” he said, holding her hand just a little more firmly as he started leading them deeper into the store.

He took larger strides at first, but quickly matched her pace, the two of them walking in quiet sync.

There was a strange harmony in it, his larger steps, her smaller ones, their hands locked together like they’d done this a hundred times before.

But Mize had sworn he had never done this before, each second was like a whole new world to him, and also...

'This is quite addictive... ' Alas, the slowly degrading goddess...

Every so often, Derek’d glance down at her, catching glimpses of that soft blush still staining her cheeks, and it sent a flutter through his chest each time.

As they turned down an aisle, the bright fluorescent lights overhead cast long shadows, and the rhythmic hum of the store’s ambiance filled the air.

“Do you… come here often?” Derek asked awkwardly, trying to break the silence.

His voice sounded stupid in his ears, but he was desperate to keep the conversation going.

Mize looked up at him, her lips curling into the smallest of smiles, the kind that barely reached the eyes but still felt genuine.

“Not really,” she said simply, her voice soft.

He wasn’t sure what to say next, so he just nodded, his thumb brushing against the back of her hand as they walked.

They reached the personal care aisle, and Mize’s eyes darted toward the shelves, her hand slipping from his as she moved to pick out the items she needed.

Derek hovered beside her, watching as she carefully selected a toothbrush, a small bottle of face wash, and a shampoo that smelled faintly of lavender.

As she dropped the items into the shopping basket, Derek couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll pay,” he said again, his voice a little steadier now.

She glanced up at him, and for a second, he thought she might argue, but instead, she just gave a small nod, her eyes softening.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

---

The car hummed softly as it glided through the stillness of the night, the streets washed in dim orange light.

Derek barely noticed the world outside, his mind was too wrapped in the silence that had settled between him and Mize.

The tall apartment building loomed ahead, a modern tower with hundreds of rooms.

The closer they got, the more his chest tightened, and by the time they pulled into the parking lot, he felt like the night was slipping away from him.

He glanced sideways as Mize started gathering her things, methodically placing her belongings into her bag.

She moved quickly, not wasting a single motion, but in Derek’s eyes, each second dragged on.

'Is this the end?'

He hesitated, his fingers tapping nervously on the leather of the steering wheel.

The light tapping sound filled the car, but Mize didn’t acknowledge it, didn’t look up, just packed in that strange, stifling silence.

Derek shifted, resting one hand on the gearshift, nudging it just enough that he felt the faint tension under his palm, but not enough to move the car.

His other hand fidgeted with the armrest, where a few crumpled wrappers of emergency chocolates lay hidden.

He glanced at Mize, opening his mouth to say something, anything, to stop her from leaving, but the words tangled up in his throat.

Instead, he just sat there, trying to act like the confident guy he wasn’t.

Her delicate movements seemed entirely unconcerned with whatever awkwardness he was radiating.

Mize was close to leaving, and Derek felt like he was losing something.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that when she left the car, she’d be gone from his life for good.

He coughed to fill the quiet, his eyes flicking toward her small, frail frame.

She seemed so fragile, bent over her bag, the light casting long shadows over her hands as she worked.

“M-Miss?” he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.

Mize paused, blinking as if surprised to hear him speak. “Yeah?” she answered, her tone calm as she placed a small bag on her lap.

She still had more things to pack, but for a moment, she turned her full attention to him, though her expression remained unreadable.

Derek swallowed, his fingers tightening around the gearshift. His mind raced, trying to form words that didn’t sound pathetic.

“I... I was just wondering if, uh, you’re okay walking to your room... alone, I mean.”

Mize’s ruby eyes flickered downwards for a moment, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulder like a cascade of ink in the dim light.

The shadows carved around her eyes made them glisten, almost like she was about to cry.

Derek’s heart skipped a beat.

It wasn’t that she was crying, but the way she looked at him reminded him of something small and vulnerable, like a kitten caught in the rain.

He laughed nervously, waving his hand like a fool. “I-I didn’t mean anything weird, hah... I’m just, you know, worried. Want to make sure you’re safe.”

Mize nodded, her gaze dropping back to her bag.

She clutched the string closer to her chest, her voice barely a whisper. “I-it’s fine... I can walk alone.”

Derek’s heart sank a little. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but the quiet rejection still stung.

He glanced away, trying to hide the disappointment creeping into his expression.

“Right, yeah... of course,” he muttered under his breath.

She opened the door, stepping out into the cool night air. “Goodnight then,” she said softly.

He watched her go, her slender form disappearing into the entrance of the apartment building.

For a second, he sat there, the car suddenly feeling a little too big and a little too empty.

As the door closed behind her, Derek let out a sigh, his fingers loosening their grip on the steering wheel.

He leaned back into the seat, staring at the empty passenger side where she had been just moments before.

He glanced at his phone, the faint glow of the number was still on the screen. A small smile crept onto his face.

Slow pacing, slow update, but a lot in stock...

Oh btw, this Derek guy is just an episode, don't dwell on him too much... or else I will kill him...

...

jk...

Maybe? Idk... let's see.