Ryuu limped into school like a defeated NPC — sore, half-awake, and still mentally processing the glitch dungeon from last night.
His legs ached from dodging corrupted spike traps. His right shoulder still twitched from that time-loop corridor. Even his Luck stat felt bruised.
He reached his locker, hoping for peace.
Instead, he found a folded note.
"Meet me on the roof. – Hinami"
He blinked.
The roof?
This wasn't a training mission. Or a trap. The handwriting was neat, with a tiny heart in the corner. Definitely not from the System.
Ten minutes later, Ryuu stepped onto the rooftop. The wind was light. Clouds drifted lazily above. And Hinami stood near the edge, holding something behind her back like a secret weapon.
She turned, jumped slightly. "Oh—! You came."
"You summoned me," Ryuu said, brushing his hair back. "I obey."
Hinami rolled her eyes but smiled. "Here."
She held out a cloth-wrapped bento, hands fidgeting.
"I… made this."
Ryuu stared like it was a divine artifact.
"Wait—really?"
She nodded, cheeks going pink. "You looked dead yesterday. I figured you'd forget to eat again."
Before he could reply—
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[ROMANCE SUBSYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[Affection Meter: 15%]
[Emotion Sync Trait: Passive XP boost when near target]
Pink sparkles bloomed in the corner of his HUD. Hearts. Actual animated hearts.
"...Is this serious?" he muttered under his breath.
System Voice: "Love now grants bonus experience. Proceed carefully."
He unwrapped the bento like a bomb technician. Inside: rice balls shaped like dice, golden tamagoyaki, tiny sausage octopi. It looked unfairly good.
"This is amazing," he whispered.
"I watched six hours of bento tutorials," she admitted, face red. "Don't die."
He picked up the chopsticks and fumbled instantly.
System Tooltip: -3 points: Clumsy grip. Chopstick efficiency 42%.
Hinami giggled softly. "Need help?"
"I'm fine," Ryuu lied, correcting his grip while mentally threatening the System with uninstall.
As he ate, the silence between them settled into something gentle. Not awkward. Not tense. Just… calm.
She tilted her head. "You've changed a little."
Ryuu paused mid-bite. "Changed how?"
"You glow," she said simply. "Like you've been fighting something invisible. And winning."
He snorted. "More like dying slightly less."
Hinami smiled but didn't argue.
A gust of wind passed between them.
Then softly, just above a whisper, she said, "You're different lately… but it's not bad."
Ryuu blinked. He didn't have a comeback for that.
And for once, the System stayed quiet.
The sun was warm, the breeze light, and Ryuu had just taken a bite of a rice ball shaped like a six-sided die when everything—glitched
The world around him froze.
The rooftop pixelated.
Sound cut out.
Then—
FLASH-VISION
A battlefield. Ruins. Smoke. The sky cracked open like broken code.
Older Hinami knelt in the wreckage, armor scorched, hair longer and tangled. Her hands were bloodied, clutching something—someone.
Ryuu.
His body lay motionless in her arms. His jacket torn. The glow in his eyes—gone.
Tears streaked her face, but her voice was steady. Soft. Crushed.
"If only you'd lived… I would've told you everything."
The world around her burned. She didn't move.
The System screamed in red text across Ryuu's HUD:
[POTENTIAL OUTCOME DETECTED – ROUTE: "Hinami's Last Wish"]
[Warning: Current Survival Rate – 12%]
Then—just as suddenly—
SNAP.
He was back on the rooftop. Rice ball still in hand.
The wind blew, and birds chirped like nothing had happened.
But Ryuu didn't hear any of it.
He stared at the bento like it had come from a tombstone.
Hinami looked up at him. "Something wrong?"
He forced a smile. "Nah. Just… the rice hit harder than expected."
She chuckled softly, unaware of the storm he'd just seen.
Inside, Ryuu's hands clenched.
That future wasn't just sad. It was a warning.
And now, affection wasn't just emotional.
It was tied to fate.
Something had shifted. Quietly, but completely.
Ryuu said nothing more.
But something inside him had decided.
He would not let her cry like that.
Not if he could help it.
Later that day, Ryuu found himself walking beside Hinami down a quiet street, the kind that only existed after school—golden sunlight, distant crows, and that weird in-between energy where anything felt possible.
She walked close. Not touching-close, but closer than usual.
Ryuu's heart was not prepared.
SYSTEM ALERT: Optional Side Quest Unlocked
"Initiate First Romantic Action"
Reward: +Luck Chip
Status: Optional, but encouraged.
Ryuu squinted. "Encouraged? Really?"
System Voice: "Rewards increase with risk. Bonus multiplier: Emotional Vulnerability."
He looked at Hinami.
She glanced up and smiled.
Cue panic.exe.
Attempt 1:
He tried the classic casual shoulder nudge. Like, Hey I'm a cool guy who nudges people platonically but also romantically.
Result: He bumped her a little too hard.
Hinami stumbled half a step.
"Oops—sorry," he said, voice cracking slightly.
She just giggled. "You okay?"
No. Definitely not.
Attempt 2:
Accidental hand bump. Easy, simple, light contact. He timed it carefully.
Their fingers brushed.
His brain exploded.
He flinched.
She blinked. "Did I shock you?"
He nodded. "Yes. With your… voltage."
Pause.
"Wait no I meant—"
Abort. Abort. Abort.
Attempt 3:
He reached deep into his anime brain and pulled out a line.
"You know… even if this was a simulation, I'd still choose to walk home with you."
She turned slowly. "…Was that from Digital Hearts II?"
"…No?"
"Ryuu," she said, amused. "That game's 15 years old."
"I was testing your culture level," he said, covering. "You passed."
By the time they reached her front gate, Ryuu was 0 for 3 and sweating emotionally.
But Hinami didn't look annoyed. If anything, she looked… expectant.
He swallowed hard.
Do it.
He leaned in — just slightly. Enough to say this is happening, but slow enough to abort if needed.
Her eyes widened.
And then—
SQUISH.
She stepped on his foot. Hard.
"AH—"
She gasped. "Ohmygosh—I didn't see—are you okay?!"
Ryuu tried to recover but was now mid-hop, clutching one foot, face twisted in noble pain.
The tension collapsed.
Hinami covered her mouth, then burst into laughter. "That was your big move?"
"I had a whole cinematic kiss moment lined up," he groaned.
She leaned in, teasingly. "Next time, maybe give me a little warning?"
He paused, straightened up.
"Next time?"
She smiled and walked toward her door.
SYSTEM UPDATE:
[Affection +5]
[First Kiss Attempt: FAIL – But Not Rejected]
[New Status: Almost Cute]
Ryuu stared at the sky, both feet sore now — one from glitch traps, one from love.
Totally worth it.
AT Night
Ryuu lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His room was dark, save for the soft blue glow of his HUD gently hovering above him.
His body still ached from the glitch dungeon.
His foot still hurt from being stepped on.
But his heart… his heart was doing that annoying fluttery thing.
SYSTEM ACTIVE…
Romance Subsystem: Calibrating...
Version 1.0 Installed
[New Passive Unlocked: Emotional Anchor]
> Motivation rises when near bonded targets.
The system's voice came in softer than usual—less robotic, more… human.
*"Love is optional. But meaning… isn't."*
Ryuu blinked.
Was that actual wisdom?
He exhaled slowly, watching the message fade from his vision. The world felt a little heavier now. Not in a bad way. Just more real.
Everything was changing. Hinami. Himself. The system. The story he thought he was in.
He rolled over, burying half his face into the pillow.
"I never thought I'd have a system judging my love life…"
No reply.
Just silence.
Warm. Comfortable and oddly pleasant
But for the first time, he didn't mind being judged.
Not if she was watching.