Kazuki's life had taken a bizarre turn since the system had activated, and despite the ever-increasing absurdity of the situations he found himself in, he couldn't shake the feeling that things were only getting weirder. But where he saw impending doom, Haruka saw something else—something that didn't sit right with her at all.
Haruka had always been the observant type, the kind of person who noticed when something was off long before others did. Lately, Kazuki had been acting stranger than usual. He had always been quiet and reserved, but now he was practically a ghost, floating through his days with a distracted look in his eyes. He would jump at the slightest sound, avoid eye contact, and seemed to be permanently lost in thought. It was worrying, to say the least.
But what really caught Haruka's attention was his odd behavior the other day after class. She had seen him talking to himself—well, more like arguing with someone who wasn't there. She had approached him, only to have him wave her off with some flimsy excuse about being tired. Kazuki had never been good at lying, and Haruka could see right through his attempt.
Still, what bothered Haruka the most was something that had happened just a few nights ago. She had been coming back to the dormitory after a late study session when she had seen a shadowy figure lurking near the entrance. The figure had darted away the moment she noticed it, but she had caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette—Kazuki's.
At first, she had dismissed it as her imagination, but now, with everything that was happening, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. Was Kazuki involved in the strange incidents that had been happening on campus? The thought made her stomach churn. It didn't fit with the Kazuki she knew, but then again, she wasn't sure if she really knew him anymore.
Determined to get to the bottom of things, Haruka decided to confront Kazuki directly. She found him the next day sitting alone in a secluded corner of the campus, looking more lost than ever. His lunch sat untouched beside him, and he was staring off into the distance with a vacant expression.
"Kazuki," Haruka called out as she approached, her tone firm yet gentle.
Kazuki snapped out of his daze and looked up, his eyes widening slightly when he saw her. "Haruka… Hey," he replied, trying to muster a smile, but it came off more as a grimace.
Haruka sat down next to him, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. "You've been acting really weird lately. What's going on with you?"
Kazuki tensed, clearly caught off guard by her directness. "I-I'm fine. Just… a lot on my mind, that's all," he stammered, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
"Don't give me that," Haruka said, crossing her arms. "I know something's wrong. You've been avoiding everyone, and you look like you haven't slept in days. And…" She hesitated, unsure if she should bring up what she had seen the other night. But she had to know. "I saw you near the girls' dormitory the other night. What were you doing there?"
Kazuki's heart skipped a beat. His mind raced, trying to come up with an excuse, but his brain was too foggy from the stress and guilt he'd been carrying. "I-I was just… taking a walk," he blurted out, knowing it sounded lame even as he said it.
Haruka raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "At midnight? Near the girls' dormitory? You've got to do better than that, Kazuki."
Kazuki looked down at his hands, feeling a sinking sensation in his gut. Haruka was too sharp; she wasn't going to let this go. But what could he say? He couldn't tell her the truth—that he was being blackmailed by a perverted, loli-voiced system that forced him to do increasingly ridiculous and embarrassing tasks. She'd think he'd lost his mind. Or worse, she'd think he was some kind of creep.
"I'm just… stressed out," Kazuki mumbled, which wasn't entirely a lie. "It's been a rough few days. I didn't mean to worry you."
Haruka sighed, her expression softening slightly. "Look, Kazuki, I'm your friend. You can talk to me, you know? If something's bothering you, I want to help."
Kazuki felt a pang in his chest at her words. He wanted to confide in her, to tell her everything that was going on, but the fear of her reaction held him back. The last thing he wanted was for Haruka to see him as a pathetic loser who couldn't even control his own life.
"I appreciate it, Haruka," he said quietly. "But it's something I have to deal with on my own."
Haruka frowned, clearly not satisfied with his answer. "You're not alone, Kazuki. Whatever it is, we can figure it out together."
Kazuki forced another smile, trying to ease her concern. "Really, it's okay. I just need some time."
Haruka looked at him for a long moment, then sighed in defeat. "Fine. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."
Kazuki nodded, grateful that she was letting it go, at least for now. But as Haruka got up to leave, he couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't going to give up so easily. She was too perceptive for her own good, and Kazuki knew it was only a matter of time before she pieced together more than he wanted her to.
As soon as Haruka was out of sight, Kazuki slumped back against the bench, exhaling heavily. His heart was pounding, and his palms were sweaty. The conversation had been too close for comfort, and now he was even more on edge than before.
His thoughts were interrupted by the all-too-familiar voice of the system chiming in his head. "You're going to have to be more careful, Kazuki," the system's voice said, sounding almost amused. "Haruka's getting suspicious."
Kazuki groaned inwardly. "Tell me something I don't know."
The system ignored his sarcasm. "You need to stay focused. You can't afford to let your emotions get in the way. If you do, you'll never complete the tasks."
Kazuki's frustration bubbled over. "You think I don't know that? You think I want to be doing this?"
The system's tone remained annoyingly cheerful. "Whether you want to or not doesn't matter. You're in this now, Kazuki, and you need to keep going if you want to survive. Besides, if you complete the next task, there's a reward in it for you."
Kazuki grimaced, the idea of a reward from the system doing little to lift his spirits. Every "reward" so far had come with a price—one that seemed to chip away at his dignity and sanity bit by bit.
"And what's the next task?" Kazuki asked, dreading the answer.
"It's a simple one," the system replied. "You need to gather some… intimate information about one of the girls on campus."
Kazuki's stomach churned. "What kind of information?"
"Nothing too invasive," the system said breezily. "Just a few personal details. Something that would make the next task a bit more interesting."
Kazuki groaned, rubbing his temples. "You've got to be kidding me."
The system's tone turned slightly more serious. "I'm not. And you don't have much time. So you better get started."
Kazuki sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him once again. He had no idea how he was going to pull this off without arousing even more suspicion, especially now that Haruka was already on high alert. But he knew he didn't have a choice. The system had him trapped, and the only way out was to keep playing its twisted game.
As Kazuki dragged himself back to his dorm room, he couldn't help but feel like he was sinking deeper into a pit that he'd never be able to climb out of. Every task was more humiliating than the last, and the toll it was taking on his conscience was becoming harder to ignore.
But for now, all he could do was keep moving forward, one ridiculous task at a time, and hope that somehow, some way, he'd find a way out of this mess.