It was half past seven in the morning.
"Good morning, Amamiya-kun~"
Umi sat up, her voice soft and drowsy from just waking up.
"The straps of your pajamas are slipping off," Amamiya pointed out.
Although she didn't toss the covers in her sleep, her behavior was far from composed. When she woke up, her pajamas would always be disheveled, her hair messy and unkempt.
"Hmm…"
Umi glanced at her half-exposed shoulders before looking at Chika, who was still fast asleep. A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips.
"I don't know why, but my pajama straps always seem to fall down."
Why, you ask? Well, it's because your shoulders are so smooth!
"Hey, hey~" The gyaru girl playfully hooked her fingers around the slipping straps and tugged them further down, lowering her voice to a teasing whisper. "Since you've mentioned it, Amamiya-kun, it wouldn't hurt to let them slide a little more, right?"
As the straps slipped lower, the delicate mole beneath her collarbone became visible.
Amamiya remained unfazed, his expression serious as he stared directly ahead.
"You underestimate me."
"Huh?"
"One shoulder slipping is nothing. Obviously, you should let both fall at the same time."
I've seen the finest of flowers bloom amidst snow; what makes you think a glimpse of your shoulder is a challenge? Which man can't handle such a minor temptation?
"Both straps together…"
Umi blinked, realizing what he meant. If both straps fell, the entire nightgown would come undone, leaving her completely exposed!
Quickly, she hooked her fingers around the straps, pulling them back into place. She crossed her arms over her chest, cheeks puffing out in a mock pout.
"Amamiya-kun, you're such a pervert!"
"So perverted!"
"You should at least act embarrassed, but you don't even flinch… It's no fun at all!"
Amamiya remained calm, immune to her teasing. He intertwined his fingers, speaking in a composed tone.
"As a perfectly normal high school guy, being curious about a girl's body is natural, right?"
"There's no way to argue with that," Umi huffed. "But that's bad in so many ways."
"Hmph." Amamiya smirked, pushing his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "One should have the courage to acknowledge their desires as a human being."
"Don't use your courage for weird things!"
"…"
Their playful banter had gotten a bit loud, and it unintentionally woke the pink-haired girl next to them.
Chika groggily sat up, covering her mouth as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Good morning, Umi-chan~"
"Good morning, Chika-chan."
Still half-asleep, Chika turned toward Amamiya, her voice groggy. "Good morning, Amamiya-kun."
"Good morning."
Amamiya nodded, somewhat surprised. She greeted him so nonchalantly, without a hint of blush or awkwardness. Could it be that she was so tired she forgot to process their earlier interactions?
But then, as Umi wasn't paying attention, Chika shot him a sneaky, playful expression.
So, she didn't forget after all.
She was merely playing it cool to avoid making Umi suspicious... Girls really are natural actresses.
For a moment, Amamiya couldn't tell if this pink-haired girl was genuinely clueless or a hidden mastermind pretending to be oblivious.
After washing up, the three of them had a simple breakfast. By the time they finished, it was already nine o'clock in the morning.
The doorbell rang right on schedule.
"That should be Kaguya-chan," Chika said as she quickly got up. "I'll get the door."
As expected, it was none other than Kaguya, accompanied by her maid.
"Good morning, Kaguya-chan!" Chika called out brightly.
"Morning," Kaguya replied as she stepped into the entryway. Her gaze met Amamiya's for a brief moment before she quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact.
That was certainly a normal reaction.
"Good morning," Amamiya greeted calmly, his eyes then drifting toward the maid accompanying Kaguya. She looked unusually fatigued today.
After some brief pleasantries, Amamiya cut straight to the point.
"How's your 'ability' doing?"
Mastering a new skill didn't mean understanding every nuance right away. The casting time, duration, and effects still needed testing and verification. Kaguya's visit this morning wasn't just to continue to hang out; she was also there to provide intel.
"Once the Evil Spirit Repel is activated, it can't be turned off," Kaguya said softly, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "The effect lasts for sixty minutes."
Umi raised her hand. "I haven't used 'Evil Spirits Repel' yet, but the icon's dimmed out. It feels like it'll disappear by noon."
Amamiya took out a notebook and pencil from his game storage, jotting down the information.
The ability to copy and paste skills seemed to have a natural expiration time. Even if not used, it would gradually fade away within a day.
The power of the halo could be toggled on or off and applied to others. However, once it was activated, there was no turning it off.
Yesterday afternoon, the skill from Outlaw Don had been transferred to Kaguya. The skill would disappear after a single use, essentially functioning like a one-time consumable ability.
Current available skills:
- The combination of "Sweep Away Gangsters and Eliminate Evil."
- The art of transforming into a sheep.
- Evil Spirits Repel.
- Becoming stronger even while lying down.
- A Touch of Destiny.
Additionally, two more skills had been obtained from Miko yesterday:
- Advanced Psychic Eyes.
- Psychic Physique.
Unfortunately, Kaguya and Umi hadn't acquired any new abilities thus far.
Amamiya had also managed to copy Miko's abilities yesterday, but since Miko didn't have a character panel, no active skills could be used, making it a false alarm.
"That's all for now," Amamiya said, closing the notebook and tossing it away, watching as it vanished into thin air. "I'm going out to walk the dog."
"I'll hold the leash!" Chika chimed in enthusiastically.
Amamiya then added, "Then let's head to the park and fly a kite."
"Huh?"
"…"
The night before, it had rained lightly with strong winds. But now, after the storm, the sky was exceptionally clear and blue, as if freshly scrubbed.
Amamiya held the kite while Chika took charge of the dog, and together they headed toward the park.
A gentle breeze swept along the road, making the carp streamers flutter beautifully in front of the houses they passed.
"So many carp streamers!" Chika exclaimed.
"Tomorrow is May 5th, Boys' Day," Amamiya explained. "Families with boys hang carp streamers for good luck."
"Ah, May…" Umi's voice echoed in his mind.
"Amamiya-kun, are you planning to hang a carp streamer while eating meat buns?" Umi's voice playfully reached his ears.
Amamiya turned to look at her, noticing the meat bun in her hand. "...Why eat a meat bun?"
"I don't know," Umi blinked in confusion, then added, "Maybe because May and meat buns just go well together?"
"…"
They continued chatting until they arrived at the park, which was bustling with activity. It was still Golden Week, and the weather was perfect — clear skies and soft breezes. Adults and children filled the park, making it lively.
Amamiya glanced at Kaguya and handed her the kite. "Go ahead, fly the kite."
"I…"
Hesitation flickered in Kaguya's eyes. She had always been the observer when it came to things like kite-flying, never the participant. Doing it now, with children around, felt a little odd.
"It's fine if you don't know how," Amamiya said calmly. "There's no shame in it."
Her expression froze. Feeling underestimated, Kaguya reached out and took the kite from him. "It seems you've misjudged me."
Now, watch me.
----
If you want more chapters, you can read 30+ advance chapters on my patre0n [patreon.com/Fanfic69]!
----