Ultimate Spin System: Ero Spin?-Chapter 23 - DING... DING...

DING... DING...

The apartment doorbell rang sharply, breaking the lingering tension between Lena and Lucas. Lena, her cheeks flushed and her head spinning with confusion, quickly walked to the door without glancing back at Lucas.

When she opened it, a petite figure with short brown hair and a bright smile stood at the doorway. Kimmy held Lena’s phone in her hand, grinning widely.

"Hi! Here’s your phone. You left it at my apartment earlier when you were checking out the rooms," Kimmy said cheerfully.

Lena froze, embarrassed by her carelessness. "Oh... gosh. Thank you so much, I totally forgot."

Kimmy gave a small nod. However, before the conversation could continue, Lucas walked over with furrowed brows and a confused expression.

"Uh... Lena, who’s this kid? Is she lost?" Lucas asked, looking Kimmy up and down.

The air went still. Kimmy’s eyes widened, while Lena covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back a laugh that was threatening to burst out. Kimmy, who had been all smiles before, now stared at Lucas with sharp eyes, her hands on her hips.

"Kid?!" Kimmy’s voice rose, almost shrill. "Hey, Mister! I’m 20, okay?! I’m not lost, I came here to return Lena’s phone!"

Lucas stepped back, his face stunned. "W-Wait... 20? Seriously? I thought... I mean... you look like... like..."

"Like a middle schooler, huh?!" Kimmy snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. "You think I came here to ask for allowance money, huh?!"

Lena finally couldn’t hold it in and let out a small laugh, though she quickly covered her mouth when Kimmy turned to her with an annoyed glare.

"And you too, Lena! Don’t laugh! He just made me so mad!" Kimmy grumbled, glaring at Lucas again.

Lucas scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly feeling guilty. "I... I’m sorry, really. I honestly thought... well, you look really young..."

Kimmy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Wow, this is the first time someone’s treated me like a kid in a stranger’s apartment!"

Lena quickly tried to smooth things over. "Kimmy, this is Lucas... my stepbrother. Lucas, this is Kimmy, my soon-to-be neighbor in this apartment."

Kimmy rolled her eyes. "Oh, so this is your stepbrother, Lena? Huh, great first impression."

Lucas could only offer a stiff smile, while Lena tried to stifle her lingering laughter.

Kimmy finally handed Lena her phone with a quick motion. "Here, Lena. Don’t lose it again. I just wanted to return this, and now I’ve been mistaken for a kid. What a perfect day!"

Lena accepted the phone with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Kimmy. And... sorry about the misunderstanding."

Kimmy let out a small huff but eventually smiled. "Yeah, it’s fine. But next time, Lucas, don’t just jump to conclusions. Not everyone small is a kid, you know!"

Lucas nodded quickly. "Yeah, I’m really sorry."

Kimmy waved her small hand as she walked toward the door. "Alright, I’m heading back. See you later, Lena. Lucas... try not to cause more trouble."

Once Kimmy left and the door clicked shut, Lena leaned against it, covering her face with her hands, her body trembling with suppressed laughter.

Lucas let out a long sigh, scratching his head. "I really messed up, didn’t I?"

Lena peeked through her fingers, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Lucas, you really... ah, forget it. That was hilarious."

They both shared a small laugh, though the shadow of the earlier tension still hung in the air. For a moment, however, the mood felt lighter.

Lena cleared her throat, trying to break the silence. "Uh... well, at least I got my phone back."

Lucas nodded slowly. "Yeah... and I managed to make an amazing first impression on your future neighbor."

They both chuckled lightly, though a hint of awkwardness lingered between them. Lena walked over to the table to set down her phone, and Lucas moved in the same direction. But in mid-step, their hands accidentally brushed against each other.

Both froze instantly.

Lena felt the warmth from Lucas’s hand, and flashes of what had happened earlier—when their faces had almost touched—played back in her mind. Her cheeks turned bright red, and Lucas looked equally flustered.

"E-Er... sorry!" Lena quickly pulled her hand back and turned away, her eyes glued to the floor.

"No... I should be the one apologizing," Lucas replied, his voice rough and unsteady.

The silence returned, broken only by the faint hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Lena bit her lower lip, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Earlier, before Kimmy arrived, she had almost... almost kissed Lucas. And now, that feeling was like a storm raging inside her.

’Why did I almost do that?!’ Lena thought in panic. ’What’s wrong with me?! What came over me?!’

Lucas’s passive skill, which had previously made Lena feel an intense desire for intimacy with him, had been deactivated due to Kimmy’s sudden arrival. Without the influence of that skill, Lena began to question herself. Were those feelings just an illusion? Or was there something deeper there?

Lucas, on the other hand, was trying to appear as calm as possible. He shoved his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. "Y-You should probably get some rest in your room."

Lena nodded quickly, still avoiding direct eye contact with Lucas. "Yeah... yeah, that’s probably a good idea."

Lena turned and walked towards her room, her cheeks still glowing red. Her head was filled with chaotic thoughts.

"Oh god, this is so embarrassing!" she muttered, holding her cheeks with both hands. "I just want to disappear... or become a houseplant... anything to not be seen..."

She rushed to her bed and flopped onto it, burying her face in a pillow, hoping the world would forget she existed. But deep down, amidst her embarrassment, there was a faint, fluttering feeling in her chest—an unfamiliar warmth that was slowly taking root.

Lucas slumped onto the couch, his body feeling heavy. One hand covered his face while the other reached into his pocket for his phone. He turned on the screen and let out a long sigh, trying to distract himself from the earlier awkwardness.

But then, a notification popped up on his screen. When he open the notification, his eyes suddenly widened, and his body instinctively sat upright.