Thank you all so much for your support!!
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Before long.
Kai led Miko Yotsuya downstairs.
Sitting on the couch, Toko Yotsuya watched Miko follow step-by-step behind Kai like a perfectly obedient little wife. For a moment, she was completely at a loss for words.
"Good evening, ma'am. I'm Kai, Miko's classmate."
Taking a seat directly across from Toko, Kai introduced himself with natural, unforced confidence.
Looking at Toko's inherently "dangerous" anime-mom side-ponytail, an inexplicable glint flashed through his eyes.
"Just a classmate?"
Toko didn't seem to notice his fleeting look.
She just swept her gaze over Kai, then looked back at her daughter, her tone gradually shifting into something much more teasing.
"Mom!"
Miko let out a flustered, embarrassed whine.
"Alright, alright! I'll stop prying. It's Kai, right?"
"You can call me whatever you'd like, ma'am."
Kai smiled naturally, completely lacking the usual suffocating tension of meeting a future mother-in-law.
His open, confident demeanor actually made Toko think very highly of the young man sitting in front of her.
"I'm obviously thrilled that Miko found herself a boyfriend. But you two are still very young... you know what I mean, right?"
"You have absolutely nothing to worry about on that front, ma'am. I would never do anything to hurt Miko."
Kai said it with absolute sincerity.
But listening to this exchange only made Miko die even more of embarrassment.
"Mom, Kai-kun is a really good person. He didn't take advantage of me."
"..."
'So, I barely say two sentences, and you're already jumping to fiercely defend him?'
'They say a daughter's loyalty shifts when she gets married, but you aren't even engaged yet and you're already taking his side over mine?'
Seeing her daughter act so hopelessly smitten, Toko was once again completely left at a loss for words.
"Ahem! It's getting pretty late, so I should probably head home. I'll find some time to properly visit during the day later on."
"Then..."
Toko agreed that it really was way too late right now.
However.
"You're leaving already?"
Miko looked at him with incredibly reluctant eyes, clearly not wanting him to go.
Just as she was about to stand up and walk him to the door, Toko shot her daughter a completely deadpan look.
"..."
Even though she didn't say a single word, that look alone was enough to make Miko duck her head, absolutely terrified to meet her mother's gaze.
"Ahem. We've got plenty of time in the future. Don't worry, we go to the same school, so we can see each other whenever."
As he spoke.
Kai reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Miko's forehead. After exchanging a few more parting words, he finally took his leave.
Tonight's haul had been incredibly solid.
Not only had he bagged a Grade 3 Cursed Spirit, but he'd also cleared two quests. More importantly, it seemed he was only inches away from fully claiming the sweet little cake named Miko Yotsuya.
Miko's eyes tracked Kai's figure the entire time. Only after he was completely out of sight did she finally, reluctantly, pull her gaze back.
But the second she turned around, she was met with her mother's intensely knowing smirk.
"Um, Mom, it's getting really late, so I'm just going to head back up to my room!"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
Did she really think she could just slip away without explaining anything?
"Miko, we need to have a little chat!"
Even though Toko was usually an incredibly gentle and sweet mother, right now, Miko felt completely and utterly terrified.
"W-What is there to chat about? I still have school tomorrow."
Oh, so you actually remember you have school tomorrow!
"Relax, it won't take long."
————————————————————
"System, claim rewards."
Having already left the Yotsuya residence, Kai enjoyed the cool night breeze.
He smoothly cashed in the rewards for the two quests he had just completed.
[Congratulations, Host]
[Reward Acquired: 200,000 Yen in Cash]
[Congratulations, Host]
[Reward Acquired: Hado #4 — Byakurai (White Lightning)]
More cash was a great reward. It perfectly covered the dent from buying the laptop earlier.
But what genuinely caught Kai off guard was the reward for the second quest.
"Hado?"
As a massive anime fan in his past life, Kai had consumed countless series. Bleach was one of the undisputed titans of shonen manga, so he had obviously watched it.
And Hado—the Destructive Arts—was a core power system from the Bleach universe.
It was a classification of Kido (Demon Arts). Alongside Bakudo (Binding Arts) used for restraining, and Kaido (Healing Arts) used for recovery, Hado was exclusively designed for unleashing immense, devastating destructive power.
Even though Byakurai was only the fourth-ranked spell, if utilized correctly, it packed some seriously lethal firepower.
"Not bad at all."
He rolled his wrists, loosening his joints.
With this, he finally had an offensive method in his arsenal besides just relying on Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
It really seemed like today was his lucky day. The haul was absolutely insane.
This specific reward...
...put a noticeable bounce in his step as he walked the rest of the way home.
"Hmm?"
But the moment he walked up the stairs to his apartment complex and took a few steps down the hall, he spotted Sakiko Togawa standing right outside the door to the unit next to his.
Right now, Sakiko had her head bowed, just standing there blankly. Her pale blue hair hung limply, making her look completely drained and exhausted.
She's just now getting back? It's this late.
But thinking about it logically, juggling high school with multiple part-time jobs meant getting back at this hour was already a massive accomplishment for her.
"Good evening?"
Stopping outside his own door, Kai thought about it for a second before raising a hand to greet her.
"?"
She probably hadn't expected him to actually acknowledge her.
Sakiko shot him a fleeting look of surprise. Purely out of the aristocratic manners drilled into her since childhood, she gave a stiff nod.
"Good evening."
If Kai's physical specs hadn't been heavily upgraded, he practically wouldn't have even heard her.
After that, she didn't say another word. She just unlocked her door and slipped inside, projecting a heavy "Do Not Approach Me" aura.
Sakiko Togawa was currently at the absolute rock bottom of her life. She was in her most vulnerable, hyper-sensitive state, where anyone trying to get close or offer help just felt like they were pitying her with cheap charity.
It was an incredibly conflicting, twisted psychology.
Kai wasn't in any rush to hit on her. Having watched her anime, he knew exactly when the perfect window to approach her would open.
"Where's my alcohol?? Did you seriously not buy any booze again??"
The absolute second Kai stepped into his apartment, he heard a muffled yell from next door.
That was immediately followed by the sharp crash of shattering glass hitting the floor. The commotion only lasted for a brief moment before the apartment plunged back into complete silence.
"Tch."
'It really is tough on Sakiko.'
Judging by how things were going...
The day he finally made his move on Sakiko Togawa was definitely getting closer and closer.
Sitting back down at his computer, Kai was still in great spirits. He didn't rush to sleep—instead, he cranked out another chunk of his novel and chatted on his phone for a bit before finally calling it a night.
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