With the charging complete, Umi placed her hands on her waist and muttered, "I wish I could just lie down and get stronger too. So far, I haven't gotten any skills. I must really have bad luck."
Amamiya, while putting on his clothes, responded casually, "How many blind boxes have you opened by now?"
"Hmm..." Umi tilted her head thoughtfully for a few seconds before holding up a finger. "About six or seven game blind boxes."
No wonder, Amamiya thought. With so few attempts, it's no surprise you haven't found anything good! Some games guarantee a decent reward after 90 tries, and most people find something around 70, so you're not unlucky—you're just average.
"Oh!" Umi's eyes brightened as an idea hit her. "I've got a few game coins left—enough to open a blind box. Want to open one with me, Amamiya-kun?"
"Sure," Amamiya agreed.
Since the game's update, the store now offered two modes. One was the daily surprise blind box, which required only ten game coins. It was accessible to everyone, but the contents were purely down to luck—most often something as useless as a box of tissues.
The other option was buying directly from the store, where items were clearly priced but rotated daily. These items could range from simple stat boosts to more unique items. Each purchase could permanently boost a basic stat by 10%—things like stamina, endurance, speed, or strength. There was even an option to boost "kidney capacity," which made Amamiya briefly consider, though he ultimately passed.
If you were lucky, you might get some powerful items or skills. For example, just a few days ago, Amamiya had spotted a replica of Kamen Rider Kuuga's transformation belt. While it wasn't as powerful as the original and had limited uses, it was also prohibitively expensive.
On the skill side, Amamiya had seen a player in a mutual aid group mention finding a powerful ability from 'Yu Yu Hakusho'—the "Evil King Flame Killing Purgatory" skill. Unfortunately, it was also out of his price range.
It seemed the game had only been recently launched, and there weren't any top-tier players yet—unless you were one of those incredibly lucky people.
Opening the game store, Amamiya scrolled through the day's selection.
[Item: Stamina]
[Price: 40 game coins]
[Description: Permanently increases your endurance by 10%]
[Note: The last layer of armor will take the hardest hit]
With an expressionless face, Amamiya passed over the item.
Becoming stronger by lying down worked, though it was slow. But boosting basic stats wasn't urgent.
As he continued scrolling, the remaining items were equally unappealing, and the daily surprise blind boxes weren't offering anything exciting either.
Suddenly, Umi let out a surprised exclamation. "Hey, I got something!"
Amamiya glanced over to see Umi holding an orange cloak.
"This looks pretty cool!" Umi said, displaying the cloak's attributes.
[Item: Hamster Cape]
[Origin: Confidential]
[Attribute: Wearing this cloak significantly reduces your presence]
[Note: Lowering your presence does not make you invisible. Stay curious but cautious.]
"Amamiya-kun, how about this cloak?" Umi asked with a hopeful smile.
"It's nice," Amamiya nodded approvingly. "You should store it away."
"..."
With their small talk over, the three of them headed back to the living room.
"It's only nine o'clock, and the sun is shining brightly outside," Umi said cheerfully, her hands clasped behind her back. "How about we all go out and have some fun?"
Amamiya, without much enthusiasm, replied, "I just want to play with my game."
Miko, on the other hand, had a different plan. "I'll go home, do the laundry, read for a bit, and then head to my part-time job at the convenience store this afternoon."
"What? You can't be serious!" The blonde girl's excitement deflated instantly. "It's Golden Week! It only comes once a year! Isn't it a total waste to stay home playing games?"
Amamiya, already making his way to the TV, sat down casually. "I don't think it's a waste at all."
Desperate for support, Umi turned to Miko. "What do you think, Miko-chan?"
"Well..." Miko hesitated, brushing the hair that had fallen across her chest behind her ear with a delicate motion. "Isn't it fine either way?"
But Umi wasn't ready to give up. Placing her right hand firmly on her waist, she declared with conviction, "You never know what comes first—tomorrow or an accident—so you have to enjoy life while you can! Tomorrow could be the end of the world!"
That's enough! The first part was reasonable, but what's this about the world ending tomorrow? The logic jump was too much!
"For instance..." Umi snapped her fingers and looked at Miko. "How many planets are in the solar system?"
Caught off guard, Miko responded reflexively, "Nine planets?"
"Wrong!" Umi tilted her chin up, brimming with pride, and then turned to Amamiya. "What do you say, Amamiya-kun?"
Without even looking up from the TV, Amamiya replied, "Eight planets."
"Eh?" Umi took a step back, genuinely surprised. "Amamiya-kun knows?"
"It'd be odd if a middle school student didn't know basic geography."
"Wait a second," Miko interjected, confused. "Why eight?"
Amamiya explained, "Over a decade ago, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet, so it's no longer counted."
Miko rubbed her forehead, feeling slightly dizzy. "There are only eight planets now? I don't even remember that happening."
Umi, deep in thought for a moment, quickly bounced back with another question. "Alright then, how tall is Mount Everest?"
Miko nearly blurted out, "8,848 meters," but after what had happened with Pluto, she held her tongue.
Amamiya answered for her, "The current height is 8,844 meters."
Miko was speechless. "..." How had it suddenly become four meters shorter? Wasn't Mount Everest supposed to grow taller every year?
Undeterred, Umi continued with another trivia question. "What's the official currency of France?"
Amamiya, still focused on his game, answered, "The euro. The franc hasn't been in use for years."
Determined to stump him, Umi asked one last, philosophical question. "If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die in the evening. What does that mean now?"
Amamiya turned around, deadpan, and answered, "It means if I learn where you live in the morning, I'll come beat you to death by evening."
Umi tried again, "What about 'riding the tiger across the river'?"
"That's what a true warrior does," Amamiya quipped without missing a beat.
Miko could only sigh, feeling exasperated.
"Wow, you got them all right!" Umi exclaimed, genuinely impressed, holding her hand to her chest.
"What are you so impressed about?" Miko couldn't help but protest. "'Riding a tiger across the river' doesn't mean that at all!"
After chatting for a while longer, Miko excused herself. "I should get going. I've got housework to do."
Since her father's passing, her mother had been working tirelessly, leaving most of the household chores to Miko.
In short, despite Miko's lazy tendencies, she really would make a good wife.
As Miko left, Amamiya continued playing 'Elden Ring'. Umi sat on the sofa next to him, her chin propped in her hands, watching with keen interest.
"If you don't enjoy games, you don't need to force yourself," Amamiya said, glancing at her.
"There's no forcing it!" Umi's voice was bright, full of energy as always. This bubbly girl seemed to overflow with enthusiasm. "I love manga, light novels, and games! They're all great!"
"I've heard of 'Elden Ring', but it's tough. Dying repeatedly sounds super frustrating."
"I prefer galgames, though..." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke about her preferences.
"Wait." Amamiya raised an eyebrow and gave her a sidelong look. "What kind of game did you just mention?"
"Galgames," Umi repeated without any hint of embarrassment, her bright smile unfaltering. "I played one recently, and Shizuku-chan was super, super, 'super' cute!"
She pulled out her phone, scooted closer to Amamiya, and held it up for him to see.
"Here, take a look."
Amamiya, curious, glanced at the screen. Displayed on it was a girl with short hair, dressed in a dark Gothic-style dress. He had to admit, she was indeed cute.
But...
"Why does she look familiar?" he asked.
"Shizuku was really popular a while back," Umi explained excitedly. "She's from the game 'Wet Girls' High School: The Beautiful Life of the Young Lady in the Shameful Club'. They've released two parts already, and she's the most beloved character from the second game."
"What's with the ridiculously long and awful title?" Amamiya couldn't help but ask. "Is this an 18+ game?"
"It's a bit over 18," Umi replied nonchalantly.
Is it really okay for a sixteen-year-old high school girl to be playing 18+ games?
Unfazed, Umi defended herself. "A truly good game shouldn't limit its players by age!"
Actually, it should.
After all, young people can be quite impulsive, and if they get into R-rated games, it might lead to... undesirable consequences.
Umi continued enthusiastically, "I'm playing it for the story. The plot is super exciting! I highly recommend it."
Amamiya wasn't convinced. Galgames without solid plotlines are usually shallow or downright terrible.
"It just so happens I've got one route left to complete," she said. "I'll bring the game over this afternoon when I go home to change clothes. Want to try it, Amamiya-kun?"
Her eyes sparkled with a kind of evangelical fervor. "I guarantee once you play it, you'll get hooked on the story and fall head over heels for Shizuku-tan."
The sweet, warm scent of her presence made Amamiya instinctively lean back, putting a little more space between them.
"And what if I don't like it?"
"Impossible," Umi declared with absolute certainty. Then, without a hint of hesitation, she added, "If you don't like it, I'll do whatever you asks me to."
You're really daring, making promises like that. Clearly, you're not too concerned about your own safety.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"Two people playing 'Elden Ring'..."
Hayasaka sat in front of her computer, hugging her knees as she continued to watch the two figures on her screen through the live video feed.
"They've stopped."
"They're chatting now."
"Looks like they're talking about something... pretty intense."
The spy maid frowned slightly.
Despite being a spy, Hayasaka couldn't read lips, so she had no idea what the pair was discussing.
"I'll need to go over there tonight to install some recording equipment. But for now... I should get some rest."
——
Before they knew it, lunchtime had arrived.
Amamiya had intended to go out for a meal, but Umi eagerly volunteered to handle lunch.
"I told you during breakfast, lunch is on me," she reminded him.
Amamiya glanced at her and asked, "What are you planning to make?"
Umi grinned brightly, making a playful scissor gesture with her fingers. "Hehe~"
What does that even mean?
"I mentioned this morning it's going to be some 'dark cuisine'," she teased, stretching casually. "Come on, let's head to the convenience store to get some ingredients."
After changing their shoes, they left the house together.
As they strolled down the street, Amamiya suddenly came to a stop, his eyes narrowing as he peered into a nearby alley.
"What is it?" Umi asked, following his gaze, her face suddenly tensing with apprehension.
"The scythe-wielding evil spirit... it's after us, just as I thought!"
In the dim alley, a Grim Reaper-like figure, holding a sickle, was busy slashing at smaller evil spirits. Amamiya noticed the Reaper's tattered cloak—specifically, a corner that was frayed. It was the same evil spirit he had encountered on the train the day before.
Oddly enough, the damaged section of its cloak had grown significantly in just one day, as though it were rapidly healing.
Sensing Amamiya's watchful gaze, the Grim Reaper turned toward them. From beneath its dark hood, two faint red lights glowed ominously—unlike the ordinary twisted spirits they had seen before.
Amamiya tried to approach the alley, but the Reaper backed away, refusing to let him get close.
"Well, that's not going to work."
With a slight frown, Amamiya gave up and said, "Let's just head to the supermarket."
"Oh," Umi replied, still a bit shaken. "Good thing I stayed with you last night, Amamiya-kun. Otherwise, who knows what would've happened."
"..."
They arrived at the supermarket and began picking out groceries. The Grim Reaper hadn't followed them and had seemingly vanished.
"Let's start with a bag of pasta…" Umi counted off the ingredients on her fingers. "Amamiya-kun, you push the cart."
"Sure."
They filled the cart with items: potato chips, bananas, tangerines, pasta, onions, carrots… Umi seemed to be stocking up for a feast.
"Amamiya-kun, wait here for a bit, don't move."
With that, Umi disappeared briefly, returning a moment later with a bag in hand, looking mischievous.
"What did you get?" Amamiya asked, curious.
Umi grinned and flashed the scissor gesture again. "It's a secret~ You'll find out when we get home."
After gathering everything, they headed to the checkout. As Amamiya pulled out his points card and watched the total rise, he remarked wistfully:
"Turns out it's pretty easy to make money these days."
"What do you mean by that?" Umi asked, tilting her head.
Amamiya answered dryly, "For example, the money we have is really easy for someone else to take from us."
"Huh?"
Umi blinked, then finally caught on, bursting into laughter.
Other shoppers in line turned to look.
"S-Sorry!" Umi apologized quickly, covering her pink lips with her hands, though her eyes were still sparkling with amusement. She playfully tapped Amamiya on the shoulder with her clenched fists.
"Don't make jokes while we're waiting in line!"
"It's not my fault you're easy to amuse."
"..."
Meanwhile, Hayasaka had slept in until noon. She yawned as she sat down in front of her computer to check the surveillance feed.
At first glance, the spy maid was stunned.
"Why do their lips look so dark all of a sudden—are they aliens?!"
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