Exit

It was now the morning after our date at the Venusphere. Brainy had knocked on my door earlier and told me to come to the hallway for an emergency meeting.

As I stood in the hallway, alongside Issei, my thoughts began to race through a plethora of scenarios, each crazier than the last.

"What do you think happened?" I look at Issei, who was standing in front of his door, seemingly lost in contemplation as well.

"I don't know, but it seemed important." He crosses his arms and glances at me. "By the way, you look stunning this morning." He smirks.

I roll my eyes at him while I can't help but let out a chuckle at his remark.

"It's the same dress as yesterday; you only noticed now?"

I didn't have time to change the patterns into something else because Brainy's announcement had caught me off guard.

"And it seems I am not the only one who is wearing the same outfit." I tease him back as I point my finger at his clothes.

"Oh, come on! Can't humanoid robots wear the same outfit twice without it being considered a crime against fashion?" Issei laughs.

"Back in the 2020s, you wouldn't see me with the same dress twice. But look how times have changed!" I laugh also while I look at my own outfit.

"It doesn't matter. You look stunning regardless." Issei smiles before he moves closer, not leaving me time to react.

"Even with this bed hair..." he laughs as he moves a strand of my hair.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, I blush and take a step backwards while trying to fix my messy hair. It's not like I actually slept, but I did spend last night relaxing in bed while my battery was charging.

"Allow me to guess." He chuckles as he continues to observe me. "Did the monsters under the bed do this to you? I told you I would help you with those pesky beings."

"Very funny!" I blush, yet I can't help but laugh along with him as I recall our lighthearted banter from the previous date at the Venusphere.

As I stood there, caught between embarrassment and laughter, I noticed a familiar duo approaching us. It was Brainy and Naomi.

"Now that we're all here," Brainy says with a solemn expression, her arms crossed across her chest, "I am going to officially announce that one of the Draxionex Brothers has been disqualified from the competition." The tiny humanoid then flies towards Naomi and rests on one of her shoulders.

"Is it Tomorandaliusrexon?" Issei's brow furrowed.

"Yes, that is correct." Naomi nods in confirmation.

"What did he do? Did he flirt with another woman while he was on the date or something?" Issei sighs, like he was expecting this outcome.

"No, he quit actually." Naomi laughs.

"Really?" Issei and I both reply at the same time.

"Yes, Tom told us he wanted to focus on his career." Naomi continues. "He actually has a message for you, Issei." The blonde woman then retrieves a small, triangular device from her white coat's pockets and projects a hologram of Tom, right in front of us.

"Hey Issei! First of all, thank you for everything." The green alien waves. "I won't elaborate because I don't want to disclose any unnecessary information, but you know what I'm talking about!" I glance at Issei, and he is smiling.

"You better take care of Airi, or I'll come get her!" Tom lets out a sound that mimics laughter.The green alien winks with his big, bulgy eyes, making Issei laugh out loud. I shake my head and let out a chuckle as I continue to listen to his message.

"I wanted to tell Airi more about our friendship and about how great of a man you are." Tom sighs, a sound that is surprisingly so human-like. "Maybe next time." He nods a few times.

"Oh, and Airi, if you're there, I just want to make some things clear. When we first met, I wanted to tell you something that Issei once confessed to me, but I had no idea that was against the rules. However, I'll try to make it somehow cryptic." The alien pauses for a few seconds, as if he was gathering his own thoughts.

"You two made me believe in destiny and fate."

"Huh?" I furrow my brows, feeling confused by Tom's statement.

"I'm not quite sure I understand what he's trying to say," I admit, glancing back at Issei for some kind of explanation. However, his shocked expression mirrors my own state of confusion.

And why does Tom care about the rules now anyway? He quit on his own, and he's not part of the dating show anymore. It doesn't make sense.

"Naomi, turn off that hologram." Brainy sighs. "That alien talks too much for his own good." Naomi laughs and follows the tiny humanoid's instructions.

And with that, the mystery surrounding Tom's parting words remained unresolved for now. The sudden mention of destiny and the rules of the show only deepens the enigma surrounding my current situation.

"Oh, and before I forget, today's date is officially cancelled," Brainy says as she jumps off the blonde woman's shoulder and flies closer towards us.

"You two are free to do whatever you want. I have to let the audience know about Tom's unexpected departure and make other additional changes." The tiny humanoid waves before she and Naomi head towards the basement once again.

Turning to Issei, I am met with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

"I suppose we've got an open schedule now." He has now an expression that suggests he has something up his sleeve. I am both intrigued and slightly concerned.

"Yes, we do have the entire day ahead of us..." I cross my arms. "Hey! Why are you looking at me like that, Issei?"

"How about we take this opportunity to do something spontaneous together?" Issei suggests, his dark eyes full of excitement.

Oh, uh! What is he plotting now?