"Wait, I'm Supposed to Become a Goddess?! But I'm a Guy!"

He stood poised, holding his bag with one arm while his free hand idly swiped through his phone.

The screen lit up his face in a cool blue glow, reflecting in his crimson ruby-like eyes as he scrolled through news articles, messages, and notifications he had little interest in.

His mind was elsewhere, seemingly to be lost in thought as he waited for the lift to come.

A couple of moments later, ding...

The lift finally arrived with a soft chime.

As the doors slid open, the bright overhead lights revealed a man standing inside.

He was average-looking—perhaps in his mid-twenties, with a casual shirt, shorts, and thick-framed glasses perched awkwardly on his nose. His hair, cut into a messy, almost nerdy style, did little to hide the nervous vibe evident in the air the moment he saw this beautiful girl who was standing still before the lift's entrance.

"Umm... miss, are you coming in?" The man's voice cracked, his hand inside both of his pockets fidgeted.

Mize's eyes lifted from his phone, locking onto the man without a word.

There was a momentary pause, the silence between them stretching long enough for discomfort to settle into the man's posture. His grip tightened inside the pocket, latched out in an instant onto the handrail inside the lift, his gaze flickering nervously between Mize's poised figure and the floor.

Mize stepped forward, his heels clicking softly against the concrete as he entered the lift, still not acknowledging the man's greeting.

His posture remained, his hips swayed ever so slightly, emphasizing the smooth lines of his black dress as he moved.

Once inside, he positioned himself against the wall, one hand casually resting on his hip, the other continuing to scroll through his phone as if the man beside him didn't exist.

The man shifted awkwardly, fidgeting as he stood next to her. His eyes darted from the lift panel to Mize's reflection in the mirror. The silence hung heavily between them, broken only by the soft hum of the elevator as it descended. Mize, however, remained in his world, entirely unaffected by the awkwardness surrounding him.

The man's reflection stared back at him from the mirrored wall of the lift.

The dress hugged his frame perfectly, its dark fabric contrasting with the soft glow of his pale skin. His collar gave him a touch of wild elegance, a strange fusion of style that only enhanced the overall look. His long and silky hair cascaded over his shoulders, framing his face perfectly as it went down to waist length—a rare one to be sighted, he must admit.

'But his eyes' tose deep, ruby-red eyes truly captivated him.

They sparkled in the dim light, drawing attention to the sharpness of his features, the high cheekbones, and the soft curve of his lips. She was beautiful, but more than that, she was magnetic, impossible to look away from.

The man beside him was struggling. He shifted nervously, his eyes occasionally flicking toward Mize before quickly looking away, as though he feared being caught staring. Mize smirked inwardly but continued to ignore him, letting the tension build. 

Mize wasn't planning on anything right now, more focused on the night walk itself, experimenting with some of the plans he had in mind and coming back as early as he could, after all... 'Tomorrow is Monday' He cursed.

The lift chimed again as they reached the ground floor. Mize stepped out first, his heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Without so much as a glance back at the man, he walked toward the exit, the cool night air awaiting him outside.

Mize smirked inwardly, his eyes still fixed on his phone, fingers idly swiping through the dating app as if he had no care in the world. The man beside him was practically radiating nervous energy, his subtle glances not going unnoticed by Mize. Despite the man's awkwardness, Mize found the situation mildly amusing.

The guy wasn't bad-looking—not by traditional standards—but he was wrapped in such a thick layer of self-doubt that it was almost painful to witness.

'He's not that bad,' Mize muttered to himself, his gaze flickering for a moment toward the man before shifting back to his phone. He scrolled through the dating app as though bored, not particularly invested in anyone he saw but keeping up appearances.

On the other side of the elevator, the man was mentally spiraling. His eyes darted toward Mize and then quickly away, only to return seconds later.

Each stolen glance added to the growing tension in the confined space.

'She's beautiful, but... Argh! Should I ask for her number? No, that'll make me look like a creep. I don't want to come off as weird'

The man's thoughts churned relentlessly. His fingers fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. He tugged at his collar, adjusted his glasses, and shifted from one foot to the other as if the very act of standing still was a challenge.

'But... I probably look creepy already. Who would even want to talk to someone like me? She's way out of my league, and I'm just... this '

Mize could sense the internal struggle, even without directly acknowledging it. The air in the elevator felt thick with the man's nervousness, and it amused him. He could practically hear the gears grinding in the guy's head, each thought spiraling into deeper insecurity.

It was fascinating, watching someone so caught up in their mind, especially when the solution was so simple.

'Confidence' Mize thought. 'That's all it takes. Most people don't realize how little it takes to tip the scale in their favor'

'Though I am one to say about this, I was myself before this the same as this guy, no?'

'Well... dressing differently makes up most of the confidence that I didn't have'

He wasn't exactly sure why he cared enough to even notice the guy's inner turmoil, but something about the situation tugged at him.

The lift began to slow, signaling that their descent was nearly over. The man's anxiety seemed to reach its peak, his breathing just slightly more erratic than it had been before. He swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he adjusted his glasses for the third time in the last minute.

Without thinking, Mize tapped a message to himself on the dating app, a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"I wouldn't overthink it if I were you," Mize said suddenly, his voice cutting through the thick silence.

The man jerked slightly, clearly startled that Mize had spoken at all, let alone directly to him.

"W-what do you mean?" the man stammered, his eyes wide and a little unsure.

Mize's eyes flicked up from his phone, locking onto the man's for the first time since they entered the lift. He tilted his head, a smile curling his lips.

"You keep looking over," Mize continued his tone light, almost teasing. "I'm not going to bite, you know. If you want to talk, just talk."

The man's face flushed a deep shade of red, his nervousness hitting a new level. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Mize chuckled softly, cutting him off before he could spiral further. "It's fine. Really. I'm just saying, you're overthinking it" He glanced at the man's flustered expression and then back at his phone. "You don't need to worry so much about how you come across. Confidence goes a long way."

The man blinked, clearly taken aback by the comment, as if he hadn't expected someone like Mize to offer such straightforward advice. For a moment, he seemed to be grappling with how to respond, his mind racing to process the conversation.

"I just... I didn't want to bother you," the man muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mize shrugged. "You're not. But hesitating like that—constantly second-guessing yourself—it shows. People pick up on that." He paused, his gaze softening slightly. "Just be more sure of yourself. It makes a difference."

The man nodded slowly, absorbing the words like a student listening to a teacher. His shoulders seemed to relax just a bit, the tightness in his posture loosening as he took in Mize's advice.

The lift dinged softly as it reached the ground floor. Mize stepped out first, his heels clicking against the tiled floor with a practiced grace. Before the man could exit, Mize turned back for a moment, a glint in his eyes.

"By the way," he said, "if you want my number, you could just ask."

The man froze, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly as Mize's words sunk in. But before he could say anything, Mize gave him a playful wink and continued walking, leaving the man standing dumbfounded in the lift as the doors began to close behind him.

A smile tugged at Mize's lips as he walked out into the cool night air. The city stretched out before him, bustling and alive.