"Vroom—"
The discounted bento was heating up in the microwave.
Fujii Shu sat on the living room sofa, fiddling with his phone, waiting.
Shimizu Airi, like the head maid in a medieval European noble household, stood loyally beside him, occasionally asking if he needed anything.
"Onī-chan, are you thirsty? Should I get you a glass of water?"
"No, I'm afraid you'll poison in it."
"Then should I peel an apple for you?"
"No, I'm afraid you'll poison it like the evil witch in Snow White."
"Then how about I massage your legs and help you relax?"
"No, I'm afraid you'll…"
Fujii Shu raised his eyelids. "HU..Go ahead."
With his approval, Shimizu Airi immediately put on a sweet smile and sat close to Fujii Shu, gently tapping his thigh with her little fist.
「Very good, Airi has successfully taken the first step!」
「This zako is slowly letting down its guard against me!」
"Go ahead," Fujii Shu said, looking at his phone. He suddenly added,"What's going on?"
"Ah? What… what do you want me to say?"
The sudden question startled Shimizu Airi, and she hesitated, lightening her grip on his thigh.
"Didn't your teacher teach you this? 「何もないのに親切にするのは裏がある.」(When someone is overly kind without reason, they're either up to no good or have something to steal)!'"
Fujii Shu put his phone down and calmly looked at Shimizu Airi.
"What? Up to no good or stealing? Airi don't quite understand…"
Shimizu Airi's brain seemed to be running at hyper-speed, and in a flash, she said,"Isn't it because Onī-chan told me to serve as a slave to repay my debt? So I thought I'd show you how well I can behave, so you'll forgive me sooner."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Of course, Airi never lies."
To dispel Fujii Shu's doubts, Shimizu Airi forced a cute smile, giggling like an innocent child.
"When did you become so sensible?" Fujii Shu smirked, stretching out his hand to pinch her soft cheek, kneading it into various shapes like he was playing with a delicate doll.
He didn't know what game Shimizu Airi was playing, but he knew exactly what kind of person she was.
A little devil who was used to hiding her true nature in front of others—there's no way she'd bow her head to someone she once bullied.
This mesugaki definitely has an ulterior motive!
"Hehe, it's all thanks to Onī-chan's good education!"
Shimizu Airi smiled sweetly, raising her cute face, just like a well-behaved kitten asking for attention from its owner.
"Hmm, well said. I almost want to reward you with some pocket money," Fujii Shu smiled, gently ruffling her hair.
"Huh? Really?"
Shimizu Airi's eyes lit up, and her expression seemed far more genuine than before.
After all, without Fujii Shu as her steady ATM, she had no money of her own. By the time the end of the month came, her spending was all gone.
"Really, Really, just like real gold, but I'm holding back."
"Uh…"
Shimizu Airi stopped tapping his leg, her entire body freezing like someone had pressed the pause button. After a long pause, she forced a smile, saying,"Hehe, Onī-chan, you're such a joker. Airi almost believed you."
"Ding!"
Suddenly, a sound came from the microwave.
Fujii Shu walked into the kitchen, took out the steaming bento, and without a word to Shimizu Airi sitting by the sofa, he went upstairs.
Seeing this, Shimizu Airi, like a persistent plaster stuck to his back, hurriedly followed him up the stairs with quick little steps.
Back in the bedroom, Fujii Shu tossed his bag on the bed, sat at his desk, and started eating the bento.
"What are you following me for?" he glanced at Shimizu Airi, who was standing in the doorway.
"I… I came to see if Onī-chan needs any help, hehe…" Shimizu Airi's eyes were rolling around.
"Well, then go to the bathroom and fill the tub with hot water. I'll need to shower after I finish eating."
"Okay, Onī-chan!"
Shimizu Airi immediately straightened up and promised, then thoughtfully closed the door behind her as she left the room.
「I've already gained the trust of this zako!」
「The 'Tree Chopping Plan' is progressing rapidly. Airi has to keep up the good work!」("Shu" means "tree.")
Once Shimizu Airi left, Fujii Shu chewed on a big piece of char siu while checking his system panel.
His revenge points had accumulated to 700 points, but the driving and cooking skills in the system store were ones he already knew. Maybe if they were a bit higher-level, like "Intermediate," he might consider buying them to see how they worked.
Besides, he was too poor to own a car.
The only car in the house, a Honda, was always used by Momoaki Eiko.
As for cooking, he had already left everything to Shimizu Airi, so he would rarely need to cook himself in the future.
「I'll have to wait until Monday when the store refreshes to see if there's any useful skills.」
Fujii Shu thought to himself, then turned his attention to the only item in the store,"Iron Elixir."
The elixir greatly increases strength and defense for five minutes and also reduces pain sensitivity, but after the effects wear off, the user experiences weakness.
"This is just adrenaline…"
Fujii Shu rolled his eyes at the system's overly grandiose description.
"Buying it!"
He could complain all he wanted, but the purchase was still necessary. After all, it only cost 300 points, something he could afford.
Besides, the store was going to refresh soon, and who knew when he'd be able to get anything next time?
[Ding!]
The system prompt indicated that the exchange was successful, but Fujii Shu didn't receive a physical elixir. Instead, it was stored in his personal space like cash, ready to be used with a thought.
That was convenient—he wouldn't have to fumble around for a little bottle of medicine in case of danger.
After finishing his bento, Fujii Shu grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom on the second floor.
.............................
The next morning, Shimizu Airi was still the same—humble, obedient, and respectful, with her head lowered.
For a moment, Fujii Shu even wondered if she had lost her mind and developed some sort of delusional disorder.
Or perhaps she had Stockholm syndrome, given how unusually tolerant she was of his sarcastic remarks.
"Whatever…"
When trouble comes, he would deal with it. He wasn't afraid of a spoiled little devil like her.
Shoving his bento box into his bag, Fujii Shu walked to the entrance and put on his flat shoes.
"Onī-chan, Airi prepared breakfast for you. Don't you want to eat something?"
Shimizu Airi held up a boiled egg and a sandwich with a sweet smile.
"No need, I'm not hungry."
Fujii Shu glanced at her and then turned to open the door, walking out without another word.