"Scram."
The single word left Riku's lips like a verdict.
Yamashita Tōya fled like a stray dog tucking its tail between its legs, scrambling away as fast as his battered body could carry him.
Behind Riku, Nahiro Yukikami stood motionless.
Ever since hearing what Yamashita had said, her head had stayed lowered, her eyes hollow and unfocused.
The blow had clearly hit hard.
In Nahiro's world, being unwanted was nothing new. It was something she had lived with for as long as she could remenber.
She'd always been the kind of person people found reasons to reject—whether at school or at home.
She'd learned to endure it.
After all, it had always been this way. She'd grown numb to it.
But this time… her stepmother and father had actually sold her. Like merchandise. Like something to be traded.
Not that it matters, she told herself. It's not like…
It doesn't matter who it is.
Right?
"Nahiro ..."
"Nahiro..."
Riku's voice called her back from the edge of that dark spiral.
She lifted her gaze and saw him. The first thing to register was his face.
"Riku-kun," she murmured softly.
[You notice that Nahiro Yukikami's mental state is somewhat unstable. Not that it matters—you can just lead her into the bushes nearby and—]
Riku pulled her into his arms.
He didn't say anything. He simply patted her back gently, a slow, steady rhythm.
He knew something was wrong with her.
For a fallen girl like Nahiro, once she fell into self-doubt, she'd be trapped in that darkness for a long time. It was the kind of loop that could swallow her whole.
And if she spiraled too deep, how was he supposed to raise her affection
Pressed against Riku's chest, Nahiro seemed to register the warmth there. Slowly, her body began to tremble.
A quiet sob escaped her.
Finally, the dam broke.
She cried.
Even then, she tried to stifle the sound, pressing it down like she'd learned to do with everything else. But the more she held back, the more the tears spilled—like a river breaking through a levee, unstoppable.
After a while, her crying subsided to soft, uneven breaths.
Riku spoke, his voice casual, almost offhand.
"I'm getting hungry. You?"
Nahiro looked up, her eyes red and swollen.
Before she could answer, her stomach answered for her—a soft, unmistakable growl.
Riku ruffled her hair.
"Come on. Let's go eat something good."
Nahiro Yukikami, Affection: 85.
Ten million yen. All he had to do was max out her affection, then spend a million yen on her—the system would double it. Easy money.
Nahiro Yukikami was his now. No question about it.
..................
After they'd eaten, Nahiro didn't let go of his hand.
She walked beside him, her fingers loosely intertwined with his, as if afraid he might disappear if she let go.
The cold, indifferent mask she'd worn before was gone. In its place was something fragile, something that clung to him without quite knowing why.
When they reached the street outside Riku's apartment building, the glow of the streetlights stretched their shadows across the pavement.
Nahiro looked up at the building in the distance.
She remembered this place. This was where he'd brought her before.
"Riku-kun," she said quietly, "you're home."
Her fingers began to loosen, slipping away from his.
Riku caught her hand before she could pull free.
"I'm home," he said evenly. "And so are you. Where else would you go?"
[Your smooth talk earns top marks. Nahiro Yukikami is struck by your words. All you have to do now is lead her into the apartment, into the bedroom, close the door, and push her onto the bed…]
Nahiro froze, her eyes widening as the meaning of his words sank in.
"Come on."
Her heart was a mess. The carefully cultivated numbness she'd wrapped around herself like armor had been shattered, and she didn't know what to replace it with.
"Riku-kun… thank you."
She let him lead her up the stairs, her feet moving on their own.
She'd already accepted it, whether she realized it or not.
Inside the apartment, Nahiro stood by the entrance, hesitant. It was her second time here,
Riku poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.
"Thanks."
She took it, her gaze flickering toward him, then away, then back again.
She raised the glass to her lips, took a small sip, then set it down on the table.
Then she walked over to where Riku stood.
"Riku-kun."
Her face was flushed—a deep, burning red that crept from her cheeks down to her neck.
Slowly, her fingers moved to the buttons of her blouse.
One by one.
Riku's eyes widened.
She undid the last button and let the fabric part, revealing the soft curve of her chest.
Her hands moved to the hem of her skirt, lifting it just enough to expose the waistband of her panties.
A small, childish pattern. The kind that felt almost deliberately at odds with the rest of her.
"Riku-kun…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Do you want to…?"
She'd asked this before, back at the hospital. But this time was different.
Now, her voice trembled with a mixture of shyness and something raw, something desperate.
She wanted him to say yes. If they did it, then she'd have a reason to stay. A real reason.
But at the same time, she was terrified he'd refuse. Because maybe he wasn't that kind of person. Maybe he'd see her differently if she pushed too hard.
Her thoughts tangled into knots, twisting tighter with each passing second.
She closed her eyes, her body trembling faintly.
Like a prisoner awaiting a verdict.
Riku looked at her.
The sight before him sent a rush of heat straight through him. Her figure was soft, curved in all the right places—pear-shaped, the kind that drew the eye and held it. And with her blouse hanging open like that, half-covering what it was supposed to conceal…
It was nearly impossible to look away.
[You made the right choice bringing her back. She's asking you to do it again. There's no reason to refuse. You decide to take her to the bedroom…]
Nahiro kept her eyes shut, waiting.
But nothing happened.
She was about to open her eyes when she felt something warm against her cheek—a hand, gentle
Her whole body jolted at the contact.
Riku's hands framed her face, holding her with surprising tenderness.
Then he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
It was soft. Simple. Just a kiss.
Nothing more.
When he pulled back, Nahiro slowly opened her eyes.
His face was the first thing she saw—close enough that she could see the way the light caught in his dark eyes.
She'd imagined so many possible responses, but not this. Never this.
"Riku-kun..."
He spoke quietly, his voice steady.
"Call it interest on letting you stay here. That's enough."
"Riku-kun…" Her voice cracked. "You don't want to…?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he reached for her blouse and began fastening the buttons, one by one, the same way she'd undone them moments ago.
When he was done, he placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
"It's cold in here. Don't want you catching another cold. Get some rest. I'll be around."
A tiny red heart materialized above her head—or at least, that's what the system showed.
Nahiro Yukikami, Affection: 95.
Riku let out a slow, controlled breath.
She was too much. Far too much.
But the move had paid off. Her affection had jumped
Nahiro's gaze dropped, and she noticed the unmistakable tent in his pants.
A soft laugh escaped her—quiet, almost surprised.
So Riku had been holding back too.
She stepped closer, reaching for him.
Then she lowered herself slowly, sinking to her knees in front of him.
Her hands came up to rest on his waistband, fingers hooking around the fabric.
"Riku-kun," she said softly, looking up at him through her lashes. "You've been holding back too, haven't you?"
A faint blush still colored her cheeks, but her voice had steadied.
"Let me do something for you."