The next morning, Aoyama found Aqua sprawled across his futon, snoring softly. Her blue hair fanned out around her, giving her an oddly serene appearance despite her ridiculous antics the day before. He hesitated, staring for a moment before shaking his head.
Get a grip. She's just a nuisance.
"Aqua, wake up," he called, nudging her shoulder. "We're going to be late."
"Five more minutes…" she mumbled, curling up under the thin blanket.
"Nope, not happening," Aoyama said, yanking the blanket away. "Get up!"
"Ugh, fine!" Aqua groaned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "You're so annoying."
---
By the time they arrived at school, the rumors about Aqua had only grown. Whispers followed them down the hallway as they made their way to class.
"Is she really a goddess?"
"I heard she purified her lunch water yesterday."
"Do you think she's dating Aoyama?"
That last comment made Aoyama's ears burn. He quickened his pace, pretending not to hear. Aqua, on the other hand, basked in the attention, waving at random students like she was royalty.
"Why are you encouraging them?" Aoyama hissed as they entered the classroom.
"What? They're just acknowledging my greatness," Aqua said with a grin.
---
The first half of the day passed without major incidents, much to Aoyama's relief. Aqua even managed to stay relatively quiet during homeroom. But by lunchtime, she was back to her usual antics.
Aoyama sighed as Aqua held court at their table, regaling a small group of curious classmates with exaggerated tales of her "divine exploits."
"…and that's how I saved an entire village from a plague," Aqua finished, leaning back with a satisfied smile.
"That's amazing!" one of the girls gushed. "You're so cool, Aqua!"
Aoyama rolled his eyes. "You didn't save a village. You probably caused the plague."
"What was that, Aoyama?" Aqua asked sweetly, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing," he muttered, stabbing his rice with his chopsticks.
Despite his annoyance, Aoyama couldn't help but notice how easily Aqua charmed the others. Her radiant smile and animated storytelling drew people in like moths to a flame. It was frustrating… and oddly impressive.
---
That evening, as they walked home, Aqua was unusually quiet. The sky was painted in shades of orange and pink, and the cool breeze rustled the leaves around them. Aoyama glanced at her, noticing the thoughtful look on her face.
"You okay?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine," Aqua said, her usual confidence wavering for a moment. "It's just… this whole 'school' thing is kind of weird, you know?"
"You mean being treated like a normal person?" Aoyama teased.
"Hey, I'm not normal!" Aqua snapped, but there was no real heat in her voice. She kicked a pebble down the road, her gaze distant. "It's just… different. People actually listen to me here. They don't… yell at me or tell me I'm useless."
Aoyama blinked, taken aback by her uncharacteristic vulnerability. "Wait… is this you being serious?"
"Don't get used to it," Aqua muttered, crossing her arms. "I'm just saying… maybe this whole harem system thing isn't the worst."
For a moment, they walked in companionable silence. Aoyama found himself smiling faintly.
"Well," he said finally, "if you keep this up, maybe I'll raise your affection level a bit."
Aqua stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing!" Aoyama said quickly, his face heating up. "Let's just get home!"
Aqua smirked, falling into step beside him. "Raising my affection level, huh? Is this your way of admitting you're starting to like me?"
"In your dreams," Aoyama muttered, speeding up.
Aqua laughed, the sound bright and genuine. For once, it didn't feel like she was laughing at him.
---
That night, Aoyama opened the harem system interface out of curiosity. He selected the Status option and looked at Aqua's profile.
---
Name: Aqua
Harem Affection Level: 5/100
---
"Five?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow. "I guess today wasn't a total disaster."
Closing the interface, he lay back on his futon, a small smile playing at his lips. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he wasn't completely alone.