Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities

Martin looked up, and the greeting he had prepared vanished from his mind.

Alexandra stood in front of the bench, enjoying his reaction far too openly. She had left her champagne-gold hair loose, letting the soft waves fall over her shoulders and down her back. Her fitted black dress followed every curve before ending high above her knees, with deep red trim along the neckline and the slit on one side.

Even without armor or twin swords, she still looked every bit like the villainess she loved playing, and Martin’s gaze stayed on her thighs long enough to make pretending pointless.

"You can keep looking," Alexandra said.

"I was checking whether you followed the no-armor rule."

Her eyes followed his gaze. "By inspecting my thighs?"

"I checked both."

A pleased smile curved across her lips. "Honest already. We’re off to a promising start."

Martin rose from the bench and gave her another proper look.

"You look dangerous."

"That’s not usually what a woman wants to hear after dressing up for a man."

"It was a compliment."

"From you, maybe."

"It was definitely a compliment from me."

Alexandra stepped close enough that the front of her dress nearly brushed his shirt, then looked him over with none of the restraint he had tried and failed to show.

"You look good too," she said.

Martin waited for the joke that should have followed, but none came.

"Thanks."

His answer sounded so stiff that she laughed.

"Relax. I’ve already kissed you. You’re not applying for the position."

"That makes it worse."

"How?"

"Now I know what I’m trying not to ruin."

Her smile faded as she studied him more carefully. For a moment, she looked genuinely caught off guard.

"You haven’t ruined anything yet."

"It’s been less than a minute."

"A personal record."

"I said you looked dangerous."

"You called that a compliment."

"It was."

Alexandra held out her hand. "Then lead the way, Martin. You promised me a plan."

He took it, and her fingers slipped between his without hesitation. He had held her much closer during fights, yet this made him strangely more nervous.

No monster was attacking, and there was no skill to prepare. She was holding his hand because she wanted to, which somehow made it worse.

Alexandra noticed him glance down.

"Was this another part you forgot to prepare for?"

"I prepared for it."

"You did?"

"I thought about it."

"That isn’t the same thing."

"It’s the closest you’re getting."

"At least you’re consistently honest tonight."

Martin led her away from the bench and onto one of the quieter paths branching from the Light Tree. The calls of merchants and players faded behind them, leaving only the rustle of leaves and the creak of wooden boards beneath their feet.

A few academy workers greeted him as they passed. Some called out to him, while others gave him a quick nod before glancing curiously at Alexandra.

Once they were alone again, she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"You’re popular around here."

"I know people."

"You say that as if half the academy didn’t just recognize you."

"I’ve worked with them."

"You’ve cleared their dungeons, defended their territories, trained hunters, cooked for them, and brought them resources."

Martin glanced at her. "Are you trying to make me sound impressive?"

"I’m stating facts."

"You’re also enjoying how uncomfortable it makes me."

"That part is a bonus."

The path curved around a massive trunk and ended on a small platform built between two broad branches. From there, they could see the academy below without hearing much of the crowd.

Warm lantern light fell across a low wooden table and two cushions arranged opposite each other.

Alexandra stopped at the entrance. "You arranged this?"

"I asked one of the academy workers if we could use it."

"That sounded almost romantic until you explained it."

"I can make something up."

"No." She looked around the quiet platform again. "I like that you asked."

Martin removed a folded cloth from his inventory and spread it across the table. A covered basket followed, along with cups and a chilled bottle of fruit tea.

Alexandra lowered herself onto one of the cushions and watched him set everything out.

"You cooked?"

"Yeah. I haven’t had much time to cook in-game lately."

"So you used our date as an excuse."

"I needed one."

"And Samu?"

"He stopped me from ruining parts of it."

"That still counts."

Martin uncovered grilled meat, vegetables, and several small dishes they could eat without making a mess. One final item remained wrapped separately in a clean cloth, and Alexandra noticed it immediately.

"What’s in that one?"

"Wait."

"You know I hate waiting."

"I know."

He poured the tea first, taking his time simply because she kept staring at the bundle. Once the cups were ready, he placed it in front of her.

Alexandra unfolded the cloth and found a warm buttered pretzel inside, browned evenly and sprinkled with coarse salt. Martin had shaped it more carefully than the ones he usually made for dungeon buffs, although one side had still ended up slightly thicker than the other.

She looked from the pretzel to him.

"You made this."

"Yeah."

"For me?"

"There are only two of us here."

"That doesn’t explain why it’s a pretzel."

Martin sat across from her. "Before our first party run, I asked what snacks everyone liked. You said pretzels because they were quick to eat during your breaks and didn’t make a mess."

For several seconds, she only stared at him.

"That was weeks ago."

"I remember."

"I barely remember saying it."

"You typed it. I had plenty of time to read."

She turned the pretzel in her fingers, her thumb brushing over the uneven side.

"What buff does it give?"

"Nothing worth mentioning."

"Nothing?"

"I used regular ingredients. It might restore a little stamina, but I didn’t make it for a dungeon."

She tore off a piece and tasted it while Martin watched her chew.

"Well?"

Alexandra deliberately took another bite before answering. "I’m deciding whether complimenting you will make you unbearable."

"I cooked a pretzel for a date. I think my dignity is already at risk."

"It’s very good."

"Better than the ones you buy at work?"

She made him wait again, taking her time with the next piece.

"Yes."

Martin smiled. "That’s what I wanted to hear."

"You look ridiculously proud."

"I’ve defeated bosses with less preparation."

"That says more about your preparation for bosses than it does about this pretzel."

Between bites, Alexandra asked about his workday. Martin tried to keep the answer brief, but she caught the missing details before he reached the end.

"You sent your team home early because you had a date."

"They had finished everything."

"And then you took whatever remained."

"There were only a few late messages."

Resting her chin on one hand, she watched him over the table. "You dismissed an entire office because you couldn’t stop checking the clock."

"My team is not an entire office."

"That’s the part you’re correcting?"

"I also asked permission."

"You really were nervous."

Martin drank from his cup. "I wanted enough time to get ready."

"You showered twice, didn’t you?"

He said nothing, and Alexandra burst out laughing so suddenly that she nearly dropped the pretzel.

"You did."

"You can’t even smell me in the game."

"I know."

"I knew that too."

"And it made absolutely no difference."

Martin pointed toward her food. "Keep eating."

She took another bite, still smiling at him.

Their conversation wandered from his office to her filming schedule. Alexandra avoided naming the production or anyone involved, but she told him what she actually loved about acting.

For her, the best part came when a character stopped feeling borrowed. Eventually, she no longer had to ask herself how the character should move, look, or deliver a line. The right reaction simply came to her, especially when nobody else expected it.

"You like surprising people," Martin said.

"I like being right after nobody believed me."

"That sounds familiar."

"You enjoy proving people wrong too."

"Yeah, but nobody pays me millions to do it."

Alexandra lifted her cup. "Maybe someday."

"You’re that confident in me?"

"I wouldn’t be here otherwise."

Martin paused with the cup halfway to his mouth. She met his gaze without the slightest hint of teasing, then finished the last piece of pretzel and brushed a grain of salt from her thumb.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You’ve been asking me things all evening."

"Would we be sitting here if I hadn’t kissed you?"