Sū ěr understood the cause and effect perfectly well without any reminders. But there is often a vast river between knowing a truth and practicing it. "Knowing better but doing it anyway" was exactly the case here.
They had faced life and death together, worked toward the same goal, and even paid a price. Letting go of either Think or Jibril would cause Sū ěr immense pain—pain that would magnify over a long life into an unbearable torture every time he remembered it.
If regrets could be avoided, why stand by and watch them happen?
"You're zoning out again!!"
An accusatory whisper came from beside him, sounding quite angry. The movie on the screen was nearing its end, depicting the protagonists' lives and individual developments after defeating a powerful enemy.
Only now, having finished focusing on the plot, did Jibril have time to turn and see Sū ěr reaction.
"...Jibril?"
Ignoring the Flügel's accusation, Sū ěr simply stared at her, then called out.
"Change back to your original form... I'd rather see the real you."
Jibril hadn't expected Sū ěr to suddenly make such a request, nor had she expected him to say those words. She silently watched Sū ěr face, which was somewhat dim under the screen's light, though his eyes remained as deep as ever.
"...Fine then~ It's not like pretending to be that weed is much fun anyway... so ugly, with those long ears... such a bad personality... to act like her, I have to force myself to say those shameless things she says... it's boring... I've wanted to change back for a while now..."
Sū ěr gaze wasn't burning or aggressive; he just looked at her calmly, like a quietly flowing stream. But this specific look made Jibril feel uncomfortable all over. She didn't have a human body, yet her skin was itching slightly, and even her bones felt out of place. No matter how she sat or posed, she couldn't find comfort.
She continued to mumble to herself as she wiped her hand across her face, using the gesture to shield herself from Sū ěr gaze and avoid facing his eyes directly.
When Jibril hand finally dropped, the face of Think she had conjured was gone. Sitting next to Sū ěr was simply Jibril herself. Even her golden hair had returned to her unique pink. Compared to the previous humanized Think image, this was Jibril humanization.
He smiled at her. There was no need for words. Sū ěr simply reached out his right hand to Jibril. Once she placed her palm in his, he interlaced their fingers and rested them on the seat.
And when Jibril pretended to glance over casually, she saw a translucent palm on Sū ěr left hand, interlaced with his just like her own.
"Hmph~"
Though there had been no prior agreement, both Think and Jibril let out a soft "hmph" in unison at that exact moment. Sū ěr almost wanted to laugh.
The movie's ending was uneventful. Just like all popular adventure stories, the hero and heroine lived happily ever after, while the second male lead lost an arm and went off to wander the world. A happy ending indeed.
As the white-on-black credits appeared, the theater lights came up, making the text on the screen look blurry. The other audience members began to discuss the plot while getting up to leave, occasionally casting strange looks toward Sū ěr.
Sū ěr remained in his seat, holding their hands. They had to wait for everyone else to leave before they could go; otherwise, he couldn't explain to the theater security why he walked in with a blonde beauty and came out with a pink-haired one.
High-profile people get noticed everywhere. On their way here, Sū ěr and Jibril were even mistaken for cosplayers, with several people coming up to ask for photos.
"Why not just use magic?" Jibril blurted out. "It would be easy to make them not notice us or change their thoughts and memories. We wouldn't be killing them; it's just a small thing."
"...Didn't we agree to experience the life of an ordinary human? If it hasn't reached the point where we must use magic to solve things, just bear with it for now," Sū ěr roasted her. "If you think of turning on a 'Cheat Engine' every time you run into trouble, will the game still be fun?"
"It's very fun!" Jibril perked up at the mention of this. "I am so powerful in reality; I can crush the enemies in this world with a wave of my hand. So why do I have to level up bit by bit in a game? Why can't I one-shot people even at max level?"
"It must be the game's fault!!"
Queen Jibril spoke with righteous indignation. Her convinced manner left Sū ěr temporarily unable to refute her.
Yes, Jibril was the type of person who cheated at games. After she learned to use the internet, Sū ěr had introduced her to online games to show her modern entertainment. He hadn't expected that while he wasn't looking, Jibril would teach herself how to use cheats—for the reason stated above.
[Why bother trying with someone whose brain isn't fully developed? I'm afraid she can't win a game without using such extraordinary means~]
Think arrived on the scene instantly to mock her.
"Ha? You, the person who directly attacked a game server and caused it to shut down, have the right to talk about me?" Sneering with disdain, Jibril unhesitatingly exposed Think secret to Sū ěr.
"That's called 'rational use of the rules'! Do you understand code?! Since the code exists, doing that is rational!" Think popped out to argue, not even using telepathy.
Sū ěr was dumbfounded—What is wrong with these two?!
He knew Jibril cheated for the thrill of the one-shot kill, but Think—when did she learn computer programming languages??
Wait, why would you attack a game server! And use such a "rational" excuse!
Think! When did you become like this!
No, weren't you always connected to my soul?! When did you sneak off to play games!
He never expected to learn such secrets now. Sū ěr felt the "always serious" image of Think cracking in his mind.