A.N.: You ever had a moment where you suddenly get the urge to do something, start doing it and keep doing it until it's finished?

Yeah, that's what happened here.

Hopefully it's still enjoyable.

Looking into a mirror, the Crimson Demon known as Yunyun, smiled as she looked herself over.

It had been over two months since she began helping Kazuma farm experience points to increase his level and the two had gotten closer than Yunyun had ever thought she could be with anyone.

Outside of a few close calls, the little routine the two had settled in had somehow managed to remain under the adventurer's party members' radar, a fact both Kazuma and Yunyun were happy about.

Though in the case of the young Archwizard, it wasn't just because it meant they both managed to avoid dealing with the complaints and antics of the Crusader, the Archpriest and, especially, her fellow Crimson Demon.

But also because it let her get much closer to Kazuma without anyone getting in the way.

The young Crimson Demon had enjoyed the time the two got to spent together, more than she initially thought she would, even more so when the Adventurer introduced her to some friends of his, and she couldn't be happier that she finally got to have a real friend to call her own.

'Well, I guess that's not exactly true' She thought with a small giggle, a small blush dusting her cheeks.

At some point during their little outings, Yunyun had realized her feelings towards the young man had grown into something she never thought she would get to experience for a long time.

Love.

It had started small at first, she started to look forward to their quests together with even more eagerness than before, and her heart would flutter slightly whenever she saw him approach her.

Physical contact had also increased over time, her hugs of happiness began lasting longer and becoming more frequent as time went on and she would also occasionally bump her arm into his.

She even grabbed his hand on a few occasions!

(Granted it was because they were going through difficult terrain, but still.)

She also began noticing more and more the looks he snuck at her chest and skirt, but unlike before where she would just get embarrassed and uncomfortable, and try to avoid his gaze, she instead found herself feeling a small sense of happiness and satisfaction, as if she enjoyed the way he looked at her body and liked what he saw.

She even found herself wanting him to do more than just look, much to her consternation.

The moment she had fully registered those thoughts, was when she realized something was off about her.

It had taken her quite a while, she really couldn't understand why she suddenly felt herself wanting Kazuma's attention and touch so much more, or why her chest felt warmer and her heart fluttered whenever she saw him, was alone with him, ate with him, hugged him.

She had initially chalked it up to her simply being elated at having a real friend, but, as time passed, she quickly realized that there was more to the whole thing, even more so when she caught herself feeling upset whenever he went on a quest with Megumin and the others and not herself.

Due to that, she had eventually sought Rin (one of the friends Kazuma had helped her make) out, hoping the more outgoing girl could help her make sense of the newfound feelings she was experiencing.

It hadn't been easy, despite the two of them growing fairly close in recent times, Yunyun still felt embarrassed and uncomfortable talking with her fellow magic user about her situation.

Luckily, Rin had been understanding and patient with her, waiting for her to gather the courage to talk and listening as she explained everything.

Rin's eyes had slowly grown larger the more the Crimson Demon spoke, and by the end of her explanation, the young woman had moved into a contemplating pose, eyes closed and face thoughtful.

"...Yunyun," she had said after a few minutes of quiet thinking, "maybe I'm a bit off-base, but… the way you talk about this entire thing… it sounds like you have a crush on Kazuma." She had finished, looking off into space as she seemed confused by her own words.

Yunyun meanwhile…

The poor Archwizard had blushed furiously, arms moving up and down in an embarrassed panic as she stammered denials and pleads for Rin to take things seriously.

She eventually calmed down with some help from Rin, and, as she thought about what her fellow magic user told her, Yunyun slowly started to realize that maybe the brown haired girl wasn't wrong in her assumption.

The sole thought of that made the young Crimson Demon blush to the tips of her ears, but at the same time, made her feel warm and happy in a way she couldn't really explain.

'Could I really be in love with Kazuma?' She had thought, her mind starting to conjure images of her and Kazuma.

Of the two walking around town while holding hands, of the two going out on more and more quests, just the two of them, of her laying her head on his shoulder as they sat side by side, of them sharing a picnic, eating delicious food the two prepared together and holding each other close while they sat and looked at the sunset.

Of the two sharing sweet kisses.

The mere thought had made her face light up in a blush so bright, she was sure she could double as a lamp.

And yet, much to her surprise, she had found herself liking those ideas and a longing feeling had shown up within herself.

That realization had left the young girl feeling lost and conflicted, not entirely sure what to do about her newfound feelings or what they meant for hers and Kazuma's relationship.

Rin had tried to help and reassure her, but despite her attempts the young Archwizard still found herself feeling lost.

After making the girl with the raccoon tail promise she wouldn't tell anyone about this, Yunyun had left on a little walk in an attempt at clearing her mind.

Fast Forward to today, a week after her talk with Rin, and Yunyun felt a mix of anxiety and eagerness as she readied herself to go to the guild.

Kazuma and his party had been off on some quest that took them to a town a couple of days away from Axel, something she had been very thankful for after her talk with Rin and the realization of her feelings, and had returned just the other day, and while she knew Kazuma wouldn't want to go on another quest so soon, she was still hoping she could talk to him.

Rin had said to give herself some time to think things well and organize her feelings, advice she followed, spending the last few days thinking things over, trying to untangle the web of feelings and thoughts that swirled within her, and figure out what to do going forward.

In the end, her success in those endeavors had been… lackluster.

While she had eventually accepted the fact that she had a crush on Kazuma, she had no idea what to do now, she simply didn't.

This whole thing was completely new territory for her, even more so than actually having a friend that accepted being her friend, and she simply had no idea what to do now?

Sure, she had read many books and stories about romance, but she knew well enough that those stories weren't the most realistic in their depiction of such matters in real life and she didn't know any people that were in relationships, and even if she did, she doubted she would have the guts to ask them for advice.

As such, she was completely on her own.

Sighing as she walked in the direction of the Guild, she had half a mind to go somewhere else, not really wanting to risk the chance of encountering Kazuma, but, at the same time, she really didn't want to avoid him, if anything a part of her longed to hang out with him again.

'What am I going to do?' She thought worriedly, 'Will I even be able to look at him now? Speak with him? Ugh, why did I have to speak with Rin? This would be a lot easier if I had remained oblivious to my feelings…'

"Yunyun?" She heard someone say.

Jolting from her thoughts, the poor Archwizard almost fell to the ground as she hurriedly turned to the familiar voice, eyes widening as her eyes locked into familiar green ones and nervousness and anxiety sprouted inside her.

Kazuma looked at her with a curious but amused smile as he watched her stumble over her feet and her words.

"Sorry, did I scare you? You looked a little out of it and I figured I should ask if everything was okay." He said, voice still carrying some amusement under the worried tones of his words.

Flushing, Yunyun waved her hands in front of her face quickly.

"I-I'm fine! I was just, ehm, thinking about… what to do today, hehe." She said hurriedly in a panicked tone.

Chuckling, the Adventurer approached her a little more and put a hand on her shoulder, the contact making her relax and tense up at the same time, face set in a concerned look despite the grin still struggling to remain on his lips.

"Hey, hey, calm down Yunyun, I'm gone for a week and suddenly you are acting all jittery and panicky again, did you go back to being a loner again while I was gone? Ahh, to think my efforts would be unmade so easily." He said in a faux lamenting tone, the grin on his face showing just how amused he was actually.

"! I-I'm not! You just caught me by surprise you meanie!" She said, "I will have you know that I hung out with Rin and even Chris several times this week! I'm a very sociable person now, you know!" She said heatedly, pouting up at him, yet the twitching at the corners of her lips told a very different story.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, before devolving into a mess of giggles and chuckles.

Her worry and anxiety quickly faded away as she giggled, to think that one day she would actually be capable of bantering friendly with someone else, moments like these used to be simple fantasies her mind conjured up as she imagined herself having close friends, but thanks to Kazuma they were a reality now.

And for that she was immensely thankful to him.

As the two calmed down from their laughing fits, she smiled at him, the warmth in her chest she had become so aware of recently, appearing as she did.

"Hah, anyway, in all seriousness, wanna hang out a bit? I need a break from my party right now, but I'm out of ideas on what to do to entertain myself right now." He asked, rubbing the back of his head a little.

"Sure! I don't have much to do today either!" She accepted, beaming as he grinned at her and turned around, walking in a random direction as the two began talking.

Before she realized, whatever worry and apprehension remained still banished as she listened to his recounting of his latest misadventure with his party, occasionally interrupting him to comment on particular moments.

As the two walked, Yunyun couldn't help but smile as she thought about how happy she was right now, her heart beating happily as she basked in the feeling of being with the one that was not only her first friend, but also her first crush.

It was… interesting for the Crimson Demon, how her previous worries and anxiety washed away as she spent time with Kazuma, she had spent so much time worrying about how her having feelings for him would affect their friendship.

Yet, here she was, walking alongside him, talking, joking, like nothing had changed.

'No, that's not quite correct' She thought with a smile, a hand raising to where her heart was, 'Something did change, but it wasn't a bad thing at all, it didn't make things awkward or anything, it just made me enjoy these moments between us even more, it made them better, made them more special.'

A small smile bloomed on her face as she thought, feeling the warmth within her chest spread to the rest of her body as her heart beat happily.

"-And then Aqua almost purified the whole stash of alcohol just as we finally managed to take those things to the bar, all because she couldn't drink any, I swear that girl is hopele-hmm? Oi, Yunyun, you okay?" Kazuma said, noticing that Yunyun seemed to have her mind elsewhere, stopping for a bit.

Blinking, said Archwizard stopped walking and realized that she had been spacing out, her face flushing as she muttered an apology to her companion.

Kazuma looked at her for a few moments, genuine worry starting to appear on his face.

"Are you okay Yunyun? You seem to be spacing out quite a bit today." He asked her, worry clear in his voice.

Blushing harder, the Crimson Demon was about to reassure him that she was okay, before she paused for a minute, her heart rate increasing as an idea popped up in her head suddenly.

"...A-Actually," she began, stuttering a little, before she took a deep breath and steeled herself, "There is something."

"Well, and what is it about? Did you get in trouble or something? I swear if Chris tried giving you bubbly again, I will-" He said, shaking a fist as he thought back on the last time the Thief convinced the younger girl to try out the beverage.

Needless to say, Luna was not happy about the new holes on the Guild's roof.

He was brought out from his thoughts by the feeling of small, soft hands grabbing his own, and he turned back to find Yunyun had put herself in front of him, head bowed down a little.

"It's nothing like that, it's nothing bad actually." She reassured the young man, making him relax a little.

Before he could ask her what was up then, she started speaking again, raising her head and locking eyes with him, the look on her crimson orbs making the reincarnated boy freeze.

"I, I know I have already said this, but," she started, voice soft and tender, "I'm really thankful for everything Kazuma-san has done for me lately, you have been so nice to me and have helped me just as much, no, a lot more than I have helped you, you became my first real friend, and helped me make more friends, you continue hanging out with me despite having already leveled up considerably, and I." She paused for a moment, head bowing down a little again as she thought for a second.

Kazuma swallowed, he had already heard these words before yes, but there was something about the way she said them now that made him feel nervous again.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, she raised her head again and smiled sweetly, making him close his mouth with a 'click'.

"Recently, I noticed that I was enjoying our time together much more than before, and just how much I truly treasured it," She continued, her voice starting to fill with more emotion as she kept going, "I-I began to desire to be with you more, to speak more with you, to hug you more, I wanted to hold your hand and never let it go…"

She paused for a second, taking a deep breath.

"I-I still don't fully understand just what it is that I feel for you, if I'm not just confusing things and making hasty decisions, but…"

Kazuma watched her wordlessly, face flushed and heart beating a mile a minute as Yunyun's words and their meaning crashed down on him.

Yunyun looked into his eyes once more and he almost lost himself in their crimson depths, the feeling of her hands squeezing his being the only thing keeping him from that.

"...What I do know is that I want to be with you Kazuma-san, I want to be a bigger part of your life and I want you to be a bigger part of mine, so please…"

"Keep taking care of me, ok?" She said, looking up at him with bright crimson eyes.

Kazuma gaped at her, mind running a mile a minute as he struggled to find words to say, his heart not helping as it almost felt like it was about to jump up his throat and out his mouth.

After a minute, he finally managed to grab a himself and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, stepping back a little as he turned his face away from Yunyun.

"O-Oi! W-What are you saying all of a sudden? Have those rumors about me gotten that bad? You are a friend of mine, aren't you? You think I will just leave you alone after I put so much time into helping you develop into a socially competent person? HA!" He laughed, barely managing to keep his facade and mostly just spouting whatever came to his mind.

"As if! What kind of person do you take me for? You are gonna be stuck with me for a long, long time Yunyun! Whether you want it or not!"

He finished with faux confidence, puffing his chest out as he continued to avoid her gaze.

A giggle caught his attention, and he chanced a look at the shorter girl for a moment, only to feel her put her hand on his cheek and push him towards her.

Before he could question her, a soft, warm feeling landed on his cheek, and his eyes widened as his mind slowly registered just what she had done, his heart starting to beat a mile per second now.

Yuyun leaned back again, letting go of his face as she did, smiling softly at him with a blush on her own cheeks.

"I know very well what kind of person Kazuma-san is, so I know you will make good on your word and stay by my side for a long time." She said happily.

"That's why I love you so much after all." She finished as she turned around and began walking away, leaving a catatonic Adventurer behind her.

It wouldn't be until hours later that Kazuma, mind going on auto-pilot, returned to his mansion, ignoring his party mates, picking Chomusuke up and going up to his room to lay down on his bed, stroking the purring cat as Yunyun's words repeated inside his mind.

A soft smile spread on his lips as sleep finally caught him after several hours.

'Guess this world really isn't that bad after all'

Meanwhile, Yunyun was wide awake in her room, rolled up on her own bed sheet as her face burned brightly, steam practically pouring out of her head.

'GAH! WHAT WAS I THINKING!? Why did I say all that stuff!? Why did I kiss him!? Why did I tell him I loved him!? AND WHY DID LEAVE SO QUICKLY AFTER THAT!? AAAHHHH!'

Needless to say, Yunyun didn't get much sleep that night, and in the morning she would be interrogated by the landlady about all the steam coming out of her room.

A.N.: If you reached here, thanks you sincerely, hope it was enjoyable, and as always, any criticism is welcome.