He wasn't a big believer of the supernatural, but neither a denier. Not at first. This was the proof presented to him in which revealed that the world is more mysterious than he thought.
Just then, there was a knock on his door. Only one person knew he existed in this apartment. Clyde shook his head. This couldn't be the cliché girl visiting to cook. The young man had his answer when he opened the door. Harumi smiled.
"Hi."
Harumi.
Level 1.
Type: gentle spirit.
Relationship: Friendly. Neighborly.
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Stats: Relationship isn't high enough.
Special abilities: Relationship isn't high enough.
Skills: how many times do I have to tell you, relationship isn't high enough, you dolt.
Magic abilities: see above.
Was that a…sassy prompt? No, just a fluke.
Clyde made sure there wasn't anything on the floor that could trip him and create the awkwardly impossible fall scene. He pocketed his hands. Her type, gentle spirit made him feel better about allowing her into his apartment.
He felt a little awkward having her cook. The damned girl wouldn't take no for an answer. He couldn't just tell her to fuck off. She was simply being nice. The gentle spirit. But come on. A total stranger…no. It's the friendly relationship.
Clyde remembered in some games, it took a while of grinding to raise relationship levels with NPCS. Not that he was thinking of conscious beings as NPCs. Giving back her wallet rather than keeping the girl's money jumped him right into friendly. Also…what if the girl was trying to raise her relationship with him? Can anyone else do that? Did they see stats? It was an anime world….so maybe. Clyde sighed.
"Are you feeling well?"
Clyde flinched. Harumi was right in his face, setting up the cliché. He felt annoyed with his secret inner thoughts. The thoughts that anime girls were ridiculously cute. It's preposterous to think that—but no one would know. No one could call him out on it.
"Just a little tired," Clyde said truthfully as he sat up. He wasn't going to do something as ridiculous as pullback fast while blushing. He wasn't some anime main character that lacked a spine. While he wasn't in any relationship now, he had his fair share. He thought… he wasn't a pervert but suddenly noticed that Harumi was one of those.
He almost spat out his tea at the size of them. The boobs would put nearly every…. He stopped the thought. It's not real. Well…yes, but no. He didn't have time to…holy shit, they were so jiggly. The physics didn't make even sense. Her back had to be reeling in pain at times.
After the meal, Harumi offered to walk with him in the morning. Clyde knew it was time to break the trope right there. So, he declined.
"It's okay, I do jogging in the morning, so don't worry about me," he said.
The girl looked crestfallen, but quickly covered it up. They were brand new neighbors. She'd try again. She smiled, bidding him a good night, then took off.
Clyde's face fell when she left. Why did he have to put up with this shit? He'd feel like scum of the earth if he took advantage of the poor girl. Also, he didn't want her to become the heroine.
He remembered what was on his stats page. Main character. If there was going to be a heroine, at least give him someone with a higher level. Someone who could help him defeat the Viper. He just hoped the Viper wasn't some other human or being existing from another world. Someone kidnapped and placed into this game.
He tossed a detergent pad into the dishwasher then after it was loaded and good to go, turned it on.
Clyde viewed his stat page after showering.
Name: Clyde
Level: 1.
Type: Main character/ Stone.
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Attack: 4.
Defense: 2.
Speed: 6.
Luck: 1.
Will: 4
Intellect: 9.
Form: 0.
Special: ???
Special Abilities: none.
Skills: Athlete: 10% bonus to speed and Will.
Magic: None learned.
Talent: Main character stuff.
Inventory:
110 dollars.
Map of Lot City, Satovia.
Smartphone.
Key.
Form had zero? What did that mean? At least his intelligence took the position as highest stat. He'd be insulted if it didn't. Special remained clouded in a mystery of question marks. Did that mean he'd have to gain a special ability first?
Clyde recognized Athlete as a passive skill. As long as he trained his body every morning, he'd keep the boost, right?
Perhaps the most insulting thing was his talent. Main character stuff? What in the hell—he tried to click on it, highlight—anything that could possibly make it elaborate. Nothing happened. The screen was there to display and vanish.
As Clyde drifted off the sleep, his brain racked on stats, the next anime trope, and so on. He decided if Harumi was going to be his neighbor anyway, he'd befriend her. He just couldn't get close in case she triggered something that would make her an impossibly avoidable nuisance.
Clyde shook off the douchebag thoughts. If someone's just trying to be nice, don't be an ass. He'd remember that.