After Machiko imposed a forced sex ban on me, I wandered around to farm items, which had been my original goal.
Of course, I was in a terrible mood.
My item farming started near Souta's place, where I had the most memories from the game, and gradually expanded outward.
For reference, items weren't just found in boxes; they were scattered in various places—cracks in walls, under large rocks, and even beneath some middle-aged man's wig.
How long had I been farming items?
Just as my stomach started to rumble, I sat down on a newly installed park bench and checked what I'd collected.
[Aphrodisiac]
[Stamina Booster]
[Reverse Bunny Girl Outfit]
[Health Recovery Potion]
"Heh heh. Not bad," I muttered, a grin spreading across my face for the first time in what felt like forever.
The haul was pretty substantial for a day's work. I'd also gathered a decent amount of money from the random cash drops during the farming process.
But the real prize was something unexpected—a treasure that would make capturing Miyuki much easier.
That treasure was:
[Mini Camera & Mini Recorder]
These items would be crucial for my plans. Originally, I'd planned to break down Miyuki's defenses slowly, like in the game. But with these tools, I could skip all that.
'If I'm going to do it anyway, might as well get it over with quickly,' I thought, carefully tucking the mini camera and recorder into my pocket.
This was a game-changer. I had to keep it safe.
"Alright, time to grab some food," I said, standing up from the bench.
After all, we live to eat.
My destination was the convenience store Takuya remembered had opened a few days ago.
After sifting through Takuya's memories, I easily found the convenience store.
Beep. Beep.
"Thank you. Please come again."
I heated up my lunch box in the microwave and stepped outside.
As soon as the door closed behind me, I cursed under my breath, glaring at the lunch box in my hand.
"What the hell? They don't even let you eat inside?"
What kind of place was this? Even in Korea, where customer service was notoriously bad, they at least let you eat indoors.
After venting my frustration for a while, I sighed.
"Haa… Well, this is my life now."
Complaining wouldn't change anything. I'd just have to sneak back in later and eat inside, even if the part-timer gave me the stink eye.
With that resolution, I started looking for a decent spot to eat.
First, the area in front of the convenience store was a no-go. The ground was scorching hot—if I sat there, my lunch box would probably spoil before I finished. Hell, it might even melt.
Next, the nearby park was…
Clatter!
The first spot was under construction.
"Don't let go of my hand!"
The second spot was occupied by a drama filming.
"Aah♥ Do it rougher!"
"Of course, honey!"
'Great.'
The third spot? Instead of the moans of a man and a woman, I heard two men.
If it had been a woman, I might've enjoyed some 19+ ASMR, but two men? No thanks.
So, the park was out.
The problem was, if the park was off-limits, where else could I go?
'Isn't there a shrine nearby?'
A moderately sized shrine popped into my mind—a place I'd stumbled upon while digging through Takuya's memories. As far as I could recall, it was unmanaged, so it should be fine to eat there.
With that, my next destination was set.
Fortunately, the shrine wasn't far. It was located on a small hill in the plains, about a five-minute walk away. The path was a bit winding, but the shrine itself was in a great spot, surrounded by trees that provided plenty of shade.
I sat down on the shrine's veranda and opened my lunch box.
The smell was… acceptable. The aroma of rice and meat wafted up, though the pickled plum on top was a bit off-putting. But hey, this was Japan—I could live with it.
Now, how would it taste?
I rubbed the chopsticks together, eager to dig in.
To be honest, my expectations weren't high. This was 2009, after all—nearly 20 years behind the Japanese lunch boxes I knew from anime and YouTube videos. Still, I'd bought it hoping for a taste of that nostalgic praise.
If it disappointed me, I probably wouldn't touch another one for a decade.
With that thought, I broke the wooden chopsticks apart, scooped up a big bite of rice, and was about to take my first bite when—
Zzzzzing.
I felt an intense gaze from the side.
I paused, then shrugged and ate the rice anyway, followed by the egg roll and pickled plum. I wasn't the type to lose my appetite just because someone was staring.
After swallowing, I turned to see who was watching me.
"What is it, kid? You need something?"
It was a girl with long black hair and dark eyes, straight out of an anime flashback scene.
Sure, she was cute—like someone who'd get a lot of attention during Chuseok—but that didn't mean my "lolicon instincts" were kicking in.
I asked her why she was staring, and my question seemed to snap her out of her trance.
"I'm not a kid!" she protested.
Her reaction only proved she was one, but I didn't bother correcting her.
"Sure, kid."
At that, she glared at me, her face red.
"I'm all grown up!"
"You're a kid in my eyes."
"Is it all about height?!"
"Pretty much."
Huh. Sharp question for a kid.
"Well, I'm not short either. But something else is big."
"Liar! Prove it!"
"No."
I was a confident (former) member of society who could lie without hesitation.
My retort made her stomp her feet in frustration, but I kept teasing her, calling her a kid.
Maybe I pushed her too far.
"Ugh, you're so annoying…"
Her brow furrowed, and it was like I'd pressed a button I shouldn't have.
Suddenly, she started muttering something incomprehensible, and her eyes began to change color—from black to white.
I was baffled by the bizarre sight, but before I could react, she spoke in an eerie voice:
"[He's bullying me. Punish him!]"
It sounded like she was talking to someone—or something—I couldn't see.
I could feel it, though. Something was there.
Before I could figure out how to handle the situation, her expression shifted to one of confusion—and then fear.
"[What do you mean, no? You've always helped me before!]"
Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Hic, hic!"
She started crying.
I had no idea what was going on. One moment she was annoyed, the next she was scared, and now she was sobbing. What was I supposed to do?
My already bad mood was getting worse.
'Haa… Still, she's just a kid. Maybe I should try to comfort her.'
But as soon as I took a step closer, she wailed, "Waaah! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"
Her crying intensified, and I was at a complete loss.
After what felt like forever, I finally managed to calm her down and convince her I wasn't a threat. Only then did she stop crying.
"Sniff…"
She introduced herself as Misaki and explained why she'd freaked out.
"So, you're a spiritualist, and you saw a ghost behind me?"
"Yeah… sniff."
She claimed to have seen a ghost—the kind from legends and ghost stories.
I stared at her, dumbfounded.
"What are you, a shaman?"
"Sniff… Do you believe me?!"
"I don't know, kid."
It seemed I'd gotten tangled up with a strange girl.
***
[Among the farming items, there may be items necessary for the progression of the episode.]