Life In The Limelight : I Married A Gamer Girl-Chapter 61: Just Living

The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow over Kazuma and Masako as they lay wrapped in each other's arms. The room was filled with a comforting silence, broken only by the occasional sound of their breathing and the distant hum of the city outside their apartment window.

Masako lay on her side, her golden eyes half-lidded with sleepiness as she traced slow circles on Kazuma's chest. "Mmm... I love mornings like this," she murmured.

Kazuma, his blue eyes still hazy with drowsiness, let out a soft chuckle. "Me too, sweetie." He kissed the top of her head, savoring the warmth of their embrace.

They had everything—a successful game, a devoted fanbase, and enough money to never worry again. Yet, despite their wealth, they had remained in the same cozy apartment where their journey began.

But today felt... different.

Masako stretched slightly, her leg sliding over Kazuma's as she sighed. "Dear... don't you think it's time we move?"

Kazuma blinked, tilting his head. "Move? You mean... out of the apartment?"

Masako nodded, looking up at him with a soft smile. "We've been here for years, even after we made our first few million. But honestly, I think we held off on moving because we were too busy with work."

Kazuma hummed, thinking about it. She wasn't wrong. They had the financial freedom to buy a dream house long ago, but neither of them ever stopped to seriously consider it. Their focus had always been on creating, growing, and chasing their dreams together.

Masako's expression turned mischievous as she slid her hands down his chest. "Besides... I'm tired of holding back whenever I want to show you how much I love you."

Kazuma froze.

Masako leaned up, her lips dangerously close to his ear as she whispered, "Our neighbors hear everything, dear. And I really, really want to love you without interruptions."

Kazuma gulped. "Y-You've been thinking about this for a while, huh?"

Masako giggled, pressing a kiss against his cheek. "Oh, you have no idea."

Kazuma exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. Of course, this was the real reason she wanted to move. Not because of the luxury, not because of the space—but because she wanted the freedom to love him without restraint.

She wasn't wrong, though.

How many nights had they held back, muffling their voices, being careful to avoid making too much noise? How many times had they paused, remembering that their walls were thin and that their nosy neighbors could hear?

Kazuma sighed in defeat. "Okay. Let's do it."

Masako's eyes sparkled. "Really?"

Kazuma smirked. "Yeah. Let's buy a house."

Masako beamed, throwing her arms around him. "Yes! Finally!"

Kazuma chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer. "But let's do it properly. No ridiculous mansions or anything. Just something perfect for us."

Masako nodded, her fingers running through his hair. "Agreed. I don't need a massive estate. I just want privacy and space to be with you completely."

Kazuma smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "We're only 26. We've got a lot of life left to live. I want to spend every second of it making you happy."

Masako's heart melted. She cupped his cheeks, pressing her forehead against his. "Dear... you already make me the happiest woman in the world."

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the moment, knowing that soon, they'd be starting a new Chapter in their lives.

And this time, they'd be able to love each other to the max—no interruptions, no holding back. Just the two of them, in a place they could call home.

The next day, Kazuma sat on the couch, scrolling through the latest reviews for Morin Rock on his laptop. Their previous game had resurged in popularity, with many fans praising its combat system, environmental design, and unique mechanics. He smirked, proud of the work he and Masako had put into it.

But as he stretched his fingers and reached for his drink, his heart nearly stopped.

His wedding ring was gone.

Kazuma immediately sat up, his blue eyes widening. He looked at his left hand, turning it over, hoping it had just slipped to another finger.

No luck.

His wedding ring was missing.

Masako, who was sitting at her desk drawing new character designs for their next game, turned when she noticed Kazuma's sudden panic. "Dear? What's wrong?"

Kazuma hesitated before exhaling sharply. "Sweetie... I think I lost my wedding ring."

Masako blinked, setting down her stylus. "What?"

Kazuma showed his bare finger. "It was here this morning, but now... it's just gone."

Masako's golden eyes widened slightly before she quickly stood up. "Wait, when was the last time you remember having it?"

Kazuma rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know. I was wearing it while I was working earlier, I'm sure of that."

Masako clapped her hands together. "Alright, then we're not stopping until we find it."

Kazuma smiled despite his worry. "You're not mad?"

Masako smirked, walking over and flicking his forehead lightly. "Why would I be mad? It's not like you lost me."

Kazuma chuckled. "Fair point."

Masako placed her hands on her hips. "Now, let's retrace your steps. Did you take it off for anything?"

Kazuma shook his head. "Not that I remember."

Masako nodded. "Okay, then it must've slipped off somewhere. We'll check everywhere."

And so, the search began.

Step One: The Office

The first place they searched was their home office, where Kazuma had been reading reviews earlier.

Masako checked under his desk while Kazuma rummaged through his keyboard, hoping it had slipped between the keys.

Nothing.

Masako peeked behind the game consoles, moving around controllers. "Maybe it rolled under something?"

Kazuma sighed. "If I dropped it here, wouldn't we have heard it hit the floor?"

Masako raised an eyebrow. "Kazuma, you zone out harder than anyone I know. You wouldn't hear an explosion if you were deep in game dev mode."

Kazuma huffed. "That's fair."

No ring in the office.

Step Two: The Kitchen

Next, they checked the kitchen.

Masako dug through the sink, just in case he had taken it off while washing his hands. Kazuma even checked inside the fridge, though Masako gave him an incredulous look.

"Dear, are you really checking the fridge?"

Kazuma sighed. "I don't know anymore, sweetie."

No ring in the kitchen.

Step Three: The Living Room

The next area was the living room, where Kazuma had last been before realizing the ring was missing.

Masako got on all fours, checking under the couch. Kazuma moved furniture, shaking out cushions and rugs.

Nothing.

Kazuma groaned. "This is ridiculous. How far could it have gone?"

Masako sighed, sitting back. "It's gotta be somewhere we're not thinking of."

Then she paused.

"...Wait a minute."

Kazuma blinked. "Sweetie?"

Masako suddenly stood up and grabbed his wrist, pulling him toward their bedroom.

Kazuma stumbled behind her. "W-Wait, what are you thinking?"

Masako dragged him over to the bed. She leaned down, lifted the covers, and started patting around the sheets.

A second later—

Clink.

Kazuma's eyes widened.

Masako grinned triumphantly, pulling out the missing wedding ring from under the blankets.

Kazuma gawked. "It was in our bed?!"

Masako giggled, holding up the ring. "You must've taken a nap and it slipped off."

Kazuma exhaled in relief as Masako gently slid the ring back onto his finger.

"There." She smiled warmly. "Now everything's right again."

Kazuma stared at her for a moment before suddenly pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, sweetie," he murmured, burying his face in her shoulder.

Masako chuckled, hugging him back. "Always, dear."

Kazuma pulled back slightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Masako smirked, tapping his chest. "Well, you'd definitely lose a lot more things."

Kazuma sighed. "Yeah, probably."

Masako kissed him softly. "Good thing you have me."

Kazuma smiled, intertwining their fingers. "Yeah. Good thing."

With the ring back where it belonged, the couple returned to their day, their love stronger than ever.