Wh Alex suggested a family vacation spot, everyone turned to him simultaneously.


    It was Chris who broke the brief silce.


    "Sure, Virginia Beach sounds like a good idea."


    He already had some ces in mind for a family vacation, but since Alex had made the suggestion, he decided to agree. Ss and Kim shared the same thought. They were happy to go with Alex''s idea.


    "Now that we''ve decided on the location, it''s time to pick a date. So, wh are we leaving?" Ss asked.


    "Well, Alex is already on holiday. Your stepmom still needs to arrange things at the office. We can leave whever both of you are ready," Chris replied.


    Ss turned to look at Kim after hearing his father''s response.


    "A day is ough for me to arrange things at the office," Kim said, and Ss nodded.


    "Th we can leave after that. That would be in two days. You guys don''t need to worry about anything else. Just prepare yourselves for the trip and leave the rest of the arrangemts to me," Ss said, and his father nodded.


    "Okay, son. We''ll leave the arrangemts to you."


    After making ns for the family vacation, they started chatting about casual things.


    Two hourster, Ss was still in the living room with everyone wh he got a message from Chloe. He oped it and read its contt. A smile bloomed on his face as he finished reading.


    "I guess I''ll have to start preparing for dinner with Chloe."


    "I''ll be in my room," he said, standing up from the sofa and heading upstairs.


    As he walked to his room, he checked the time and saw that it was still early in the morning.


    "I still have the whole day to prepare, th."


    Since he had more than ough time before meeting Chloe for dinner, he decided to start making arrangemts for the family vacation. After booking hotel rooms and handling everything else he could think of, he was finally done.


    Ss was sitting on his bed wh he heard a knock on his door.


    "Come in, Alex."


    He already knew it was Alex from the knocking pattern and how familiar it sounded.


    The door oped, and Alex walked in, heading over to Ss.


    "Big brother, are you busy? I was thinking we could y some games," Alex said as he sat on the bed.


    "Well, I''m not busy, and since you want another  of beatings, I''d be happy to oblige," Ss smiled as he picked Alex up from the bed, and they left for Alex''s room.


    "This time is going to be differt, brother," Alex said as they walked.


    Ss raised an eyebrow mischievously.


    "Oh? How so? If I remember our record correctly, I''m still leading by arge margin. How do you n to close that huge gap betwe us?"


    "Just wait and see, brother. I''ll definitely be the one winning today," Alex replied, his voice full of determination.


    Ss smiled wh he saw this, deciding to go easy on the kid for now.


    Inside Alex''s room, they sat on the bed, controllers in hand. Ss set up the game while Alex waited quietly. Once everything was ready, they began ying.


    ...


    Almost an hour before his dinner meeting with Chloe, Ss decided to stop the game and start preparing. Alex was already getting tired and sleepy after ying for hours.


    Ssid him down on the bed, putting him in afortable sleeping position before heading back to his room.


    It only took him a few minutes to finish getting ready. Afterward, he stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom, assessing his appearance.


    "Damn! I look good," Ss smirked as he admired his reflection.


    He hadn''t done much, really—just freshed up and put on some clothes, and he looked perfect.


    The changes Ss expericed after his evolution metamorphosis were profound. Ev though they wer''t immediately visible, his body had be wless. His hair never needed to bebed or brushed, his skin stayed naturally radiant, and he didn''t have to worry about his health.


    These changes were mostly due to the fusion of the Regeration Parachronic ges with his body''s original ones.


    After assessing his appearance onest time, Ss left his room and headed downstairs.


    "Ss, are you going somewhere?" Kim asked curiously wh she saw how well-dressed he was.


    "Yes, I''m having dinner with someone."


    "A girl?" he heard his father ask, and he couldn''t help but roll his eyes.


    "Yes, Dad, it''s a girl."


    "Good job, son. Make sure you get her. As long as you like her, go for it. With the way you look, no girl will turn you down," Chris said with a wink, causing Ss to roll his eyes ev harder.


    ''This man... Does he really want me to get a girlfrid that badly?''


    "Okay, th. I''ll be going," Ss said as he walked to the door.


    "Goodbye, son, and good luck!" his father called after him with another wink.


    Ss felt like facepalming but just shook his head as he left the house.


    He walked to the garage, got into one of his cars, and after settling in, he started the gine and drove off to the restaurant where he''d meet Chloe.


    The ce Chloe had chos for dinner was a restaurant in Oand.


    A few minutester, he parked in front of the restaurant and got out of the car.


    He nced toward the trance and saw a beautiful woman in a short blue dress, gazing into the distance.


    The dress fluttered in the night breeze, creating a striking image. Ss took a momt to appreciate the view.


    "Chloe looks stunning," he muttered to himself with a bright smile.


    He noticed she hadn''t spotted him yet—maybe because of how much his appearance had changed.


    "Let''s give her a little surprise," Ss said as he began walking toward her.


    ****


    Chloe stood outside the restaurant, waiting for Ss.


    She could''ve gone in, but she didn''t want to. She''d arrived earlier than the time she''d messaged him.


    As she waited, she noticed a Lamborghini pull up in front of the restaurant and smiled.


    She thought it was Ss until she saw the driver—a handsome young man she didn''t recognize—step out. She quickly looked away wh she saw that it wasn''t him.


    The man was dressed in clothes that appeared in but exuded luxury, which was hanced by the luxury sports car behind him.


    "He''s handsome," she muttered to herself before as she looked at the distance while continuing her wait for Ss.


    Still, she couldn''t stop thinking about the young man and how simr he looked to Ss.


    "Nah, though ogre''s gott more handsome after two years, but not *that* handsome. Plus, he doesn''t wear sses," she thought with a smile, recalling thest time she saw Ss.


    She was lost in thought wh she heard a strangely familiar voice beside her.


    "Chloe, have you be waiting long?"


    She turned to face the person and was stunned wh she saw the same handsome young man standing next to her.


    "Ss?..."


    "Yeah, it''s me." He smiled, and her heart almost skipped a beat.