"So that's it. No wonder you've been dragging them into card games lately."
The moment Chika pulled out the potion, Ren finally understood why she had been constantly pushing others to play cards recently.
"And then, during the acting, you got immersed in winning and gradually forgot you were supposed to be acting?"
Chika stiffened the instant her sore spot was hit. Her mind flashed back to her original intention and how, over time, she lost herself in the role.
One could only say that the Spectator pathway was perfectly suited to the games she excelled at.
Openly cheating was far too enjoyable. She had quickly forgotten her purpose and instead indulged in the thrill of manipulating the game.
"That was acting!"
Chika tilted her head defiantly, refusing to admit she had gotten carried away with the fun of cheating.
But her forced display of guilt was far too obvious. Even if Ren wasn't a master at reading people, it didn't mean he was blind.
He poked her forehead, and Chika winced, covering it with teary eyes. Ren sighed, sat beside her, and gently stroked her soft hair.
"Alright, alright, just be more careful from now on."
"Mhm mhm~"
Feeling his hand stroke her head, Chika's previously aggrieved expression vanished completely. She leaned sideways into Ren's body.
The smile on her face nearly overflowed. It was clear just how talented she was at acting, as she had claimed earlier.
That aggrieved look had been flawlessly performed.
Looking at the girl beside him, Ren smiled silently, letting the earlier topic pass.
"So, once I reminded you, you figured out the reason you'd been dragging everyone into card games?"
"Mhm mhm."
"You've already noticed the potion in your body has been fully digested?"
"Of course."
Chika lifted her head proudly, like a kitten eager for praise.
"After you pointed it out, Ren, I realized I was doing it as a form of practice. And after realizing that, I also noticed that I had already digested the Spectator potion."
Though she had only figured it out after being reminded.
Thinking about it, it was a little embarrassing.
She had casually used the Spectator's abilities to aid in her acting, but ended up falling into the exact pitfall Ren had warned her about.
She got completely lost in the convenience and pleasure of freely using the Spectator's power. She even started losing control.
Ren, of course, understood that her digestion of the potion was only discovered after that loss of control had been curbed.
"Chika, if I hadn't been by your side to manage it, do you realize you would have been completely consumed by the Spectator's identity?"
"Ugh…"
Chika had no comeback. She knew he was right.
Having gone through the baptism of contamination and losing control, she now deeply understood how dangerous that state truly was. Just thinking back to the distorted world she saw when she first drank the potion still made her shiver.
That world had looked like a giant paint palette. All the colors were smeared together, and her consciousness felt like it was being pulled in, dissolving into those swirling shades.
The sensation of gradually falling apart was anything but pleasant.
Her body trembled slightly at the memory.
But the next moment, she was enveloped in a firm embrace. That familiar and comforting scent instantly pulled her out of her fear.
Sniff, sniff. It's Ren's scent.
Taking a deep breath through her nose, Chika's eyes lit up again.
She tossed the potion onto the bed and threw her arms tightly around Ren, pressing her body closer to him.
"Your PTSD still isn't gone?"
A voice came from above, but it didn't disturb her thoughts at all.
"How could it be? PTSD doesn't go away that easily. But I've learned my lesson this time."
Just remembering how she'd lost herself while acting made her shudder. If Ren hadn't been there, she might have spiraled again.
"From now on, I'll control myself when acting. I won't let a game drag me into losing control again."
After speaking, she buried her face in Ren's chest, preparing herself for the lecture he was surely about to give.
But instead, she felt a warm hand affectionately ruffle her hair.
"Alright, alright. Just keep it under control in the future. I already told you once. I won't say it again."
"Mhm mhm~ Ren is the best~"
Chika tightened her hug around him. She just couldn't help but want to act spoiled.
When her heart felt like it was breaking, all she needed was Ren's comfort, his presence, and the overwhelming sense of safety he brought.
She recalled the night they had spent together on the cruise.
That night, her whole body had carried his scent.
And it had been the most peaceful night of her life.
Thinking of that, Chika looked up at Ren with expectant eyes, her voice soft and filled with hope.
"Can I stay tonight?"
Ren's hand paused in midair. He looked down at her with an expression that could only be described as conflicted.
"..."
"Chika, do you know what you just said?"
"Of course I know. Isn't it just—?!"
Mid-sentence, Chika suddenly realized the implications of her words. Her pale face turned beet red in an instant.
Her genius mind ran wild.
She understood very clearly what she had just said to Ren—that was practically a request for a home run.
Her brain buzzed with confusion.
"Wait, wait!"
Chika quickly pushed herself up from his arms. Her entire body flushed like a freshly steamed shrimp. Her efforts to hold back her embarrassment while trying to explain herself were downright comedic.
"I-I didn't mean it like that..."
"I meant, after drinking the potion, I might experience what happened last time."
"I just… just wanted to ask if I could stay by your side tonight..."
Of course, she knew she had feelings for Ren. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said something like that.
But she had no intention of becoming a god tonight.
She just wanted to feel safe, like that day.
Seeing her nearly overheat, Ren gently pulled the dazed Chika back into his arms.
"Alright, alright. I get what you mean."
"You're worried about losing control, right?"
Chika, still blushing, no longer had the panic from a moment ago.
"Yes, it's precisely to avoid losing control."
(To be continued.)