The empty soda bottle sat in the center of their circle, innocent and terrible all at once.
Yuki stared at it, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat. Everyone was settling into position, rearranging cushions, laughing and joking about who they hoped the bottle would land on. The atmosphere was light, playful. No one seemed nervous except him.
Why did I agree to this?
The quest timer pulsed in the corner of his vision: [42:11:33]
"Okay, ground rules!" Kenji announced, picking up the bottle. "Spin lands on you, you kiss. Cheek is fine if you're shy, lips if you're brave. No pressure, no judging. It's all in good fun, yeah?"
Murmurs of agreement around the circle.
"And if anyone's really uncomfortable, just say so," Hana added, looking around. "We're not trying to make anyone miserable."
Several people nodded. Yuki tried to nod too, but his neck felt stiff.
They were sitting in a circle now—eight of them total. Kenji, Tanaka, Ryota, Daichi, Mizuki, Hana, Takeshi, and Yuki. The girls had naturally positioned themselves across from the guys, probably to increase the chances of cross-gender spins. Yuki had ended up between Tanaka and Daichi, which felt slightly safer than being near the girls.
Slightly.
"I'll go first!" Kenji set the bottle down and spun it hard.
Everyone watched as it whirled around, slowing gradually. It stopped pointing at Hana.
"Ooh, starting strong!" Ryota laughed.
Kenji crawled across the circle. Hana met him halfway, both of them grinning. They kissed—quick, friendly, on the lips for maybe two seconds. They returned to their spots, both looking pleased.
"My turn!" Hana grabbed the bottle and spun.
It landed on Takeshi. Another quick kiss. The atmosphere was light, fun. Everyone seemed relaxed.
Why can't I relax?
Takeshi spun next. It pointed at Mizuki.
"Lucky!" someone called out.
Mizuki smiled and leaned in. They kissed—a bit longer than the previous ones, maybe four seconds. Takeshi looked dazed when they pulled apart. Mizuki just smiled sweetly and returned to her spot.
Yuki's hands were fisted in his lap. His palms were sweating.
Mizuki spun the bottle. It whirled around, around, around—
And stopped pointing directly at Yuki.
His breath caught.
"Ooh, Nakamura-kun's first spin!" Tanaka nudged him encouragingly. "Go on!"
Everyone was looking at him. Waiting. Mizuki was already starting to lean forward, a soft smile on her face.
Yuki's mind went blank. Pure white static.
I can't. I can't do this. Everyone's watching. They're all staring. I can't—
"Um..." His voice came out barely audible. "I... can we do cheek?"
"Of course!" Mizuki's smile didn't falter. She crawled over gracefully.
Yuki sat frozen as she got closer. She was really pretty up close. Her eyes were kind. She smelled like vanilla.
She leaned in and kissed his cheek—soft, quick, gentle and then The bottle was pushed toward Yuki.
"Your turn to spin, Nakamura-kun!"
Yuki's hand trembled as he reached for the bottle. He spun it weakly. It barely made two full rotations before stopping at Daichi.
"Dude, you gotta spin it harder than that!" Ryota laughed. "That's like a pity spin!"
"Do over!" someone called out.
"No, no, it counts!" Daichi was grinning. "Come here, Nakamura-kun. I don't bite."
Yuki forced himself to move across the circle. His whole face felt hot. Daichi met him halfway, still grinning in a friendly way.
"Cheek's fine," Daichi said quietly, probably sensing Yuki's anxiety.
Yuki nodded gratefully and leaned in. Quick peck on the cheek. Yuki scrambled back to his spot.
One down. That wasn't so bad. Just... don't think about it.
Daichi spun next. It landed on Tanaka.
"Bro!" Tanaka laughed. "Seriously?"
"Rules are rules!" Kenji called out.
They kissed on the cheek, both making exaggerated faces of pure and utter disgust afterward. Everyone laughed. The tension eased a bit.
The game continued. Tanaka's spin landed on Hana. Ryota's spin landed on Mizuki. The bottle went around, laughter and cheers filling the room.
Then Ryota spun, and it landed on Yuki again.
"Nakamura-kun is popular tonight!" Mizuki teased.
Yuki's stomach dropped. Ryota crawled over, grinning.
"Don't worry, I'm a gentleman," Ryota said, tapping his own cheek.
Another cheek kiss. Yuki's face was burning hot now. How many times was he going to have to do this?
The game progressed. Fifteen minutes passed. Twenty. The kisses got slightly bolder as people loosened up—longer pecks, a few on the lips, though still friendly and quick. No one was making it weird.
Except Yuki felt like everything was weird.
Hana spun and it landed on Yuki for the third time.
"The bottle loves you tonight!" she laughed, crawling over.
Yuki's heart was racing again. Hana was nice. Pretty. She wouldn't make it awkward.
She leaned in for a cheek kiss, but at the last second someone jostled her cushion and she stumbled forward slightly. Her lips brushed the corner of his mouth instead of his cheek.
Everyone went "Oooh!"
"Sorry!" Hana pulled back quickly, her face red. "I didn't mean—that was an accident—"
"It's okay," Yuki managed, but his whole body felt like it was on fire.
The quest timer flickered: [41:47:22]
The game continued, but Yuki was barely paying attention now. His mind was spiraling.
That almost counted as a real kiss. Almost. But not quite. The quest wants a real kiss. Intentional. But how am I supposed to do that in front of everyone? What if it lands on me and someone wants to kiss on the lips? What if I mess it up? What if—
"Nakamura-kun? You okay?" Tanaka was looking at him with concern. "You look kind of pale."
"I'm fine," Yuki lied. "Just... warm in here."
"Want some air?"
"No, I'm okay."
But he wasn't okay. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. His breathing felt too fast. The room suddenly felt too small, too crowded, too loud.
Kenji spun the bottle. It went around, around, slowing—
Pointing at Yuki again.
No. No, not again.
"Alright, Nakamura-kun!" Kenji started to move toward him.
"Wait—" Yuki's voice cracked. "Can I... can we do cheek?"
"Sure, man. Whatever you're comfortable with."
But as Kenji got closer, Yuki felt his chest tighten. He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe?
"Actually, I—" Yuki stood up abruptly. "I need the bathroom. Sorry. Just... give me a minute."
He stumbled toward the hallway before anyone could respond. Found the bathroom, locked himself inside, and leaned against the door.
His reflection in the mirror looked panicked. Face flushed, eyes wide, breathing too fast.
What is wrong with me? It's just a game. Just a stupid party game. Why can't I do this?
The quest timer mocked him: [41:45:11]
Forty-one hours left. Plenty of time. Except he'd had the perfect opportunity and he'd run away. Again.
A soft knock on the door. "Nakamura-kun? You okay in there?"
Mizuki's voice.
"I'm fine!" he called back, trying to sound normal. "Just... needed a minute."
"Take your time. No rush."
Her footsteps retreated.
Yuki splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm down. He stared at himself in the mirror.
You can do this. It's just a kiss. People do it all the time. It's not a big deal.
But it felt like a big deal. It felt huge and terrifying and impossible.
He took several deep breaths, counted to ten, and finally unlocked the door.
When he returned to the living room, the game had continued without him. Takeshi and Hana were currently kissing—looked like the bottle had been kind to Takeshi tonight. Everyone was laughing and teasing them.
Yuki slipped back to his spot. Tanaka gave him a concerned look but didn't say anything.
"Welcome back!" Kenji said cheerfully. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"No worries! Your turn to spin."
The bottle was pushed toward him. Yuki spun it with trembling hands.
It landed on Mizuki.
"Again!" Ryota laughed. "The bottle really wants you two together!"
Mizuki smiled and started to crawl toward him. Yuki's breath caught. She was halfway across the circle when his mind just... shut down.
I can't do this. I can't. Too many people watching. Everyone's staring. What if I mess up? What if it's weird? What if she thinks I'm bad at it? What if—
"Actually," Yuki heard himself say, his voice barely above a whisper, "I think I need more air. I'm really sorry. I just..."
He stood up again, more carefully this time. Everyone was looking at him with varying expressions of concern and confusion.
"Are you feeling sick?" Hana asked. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I just... I think I need to head home, actually." The words came out in a rush. "I'm really sorry. This was fun, I just... I'm not feeling great. Thank you for inviting me."
He was already backing toward the entryway, grabbing his shoes.
"Wait, Nakamura-kun—" Tanaka started to stand.
"I'm fine! Really! I just need to go. Sorry. Thank you. Bye."
He practically fled out the front door before anyone could stop him.
The cool night air hit his face like a slap. Yuki stood on the sidewalk in front of Kenji's house, his heart still racing, hands still shaking.
I failed. I completely failed. The quest is still active and I just ran away like a coward.
The quest timer glowed: [41:38:55]
Forty-one hours left. He could try again tomorrow. Find another opportunity. Except the thought of going through that again made him want to cry.
Behind him, the front door opened.
"Nakamura-kun?"
Yuki turned. Mizuki stood in the doorway, backlit by the warm light from inside. She'd grabbed a jacket and was pulling it on.
"Oh, I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly," Yuki said quickly, bowing slightly. "Please tell everyone thank you for me—"
"I'll walk you to the station," Mizuki interrupted gently. "It's late. Not safe to walk alone."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to." She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Come on."
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Yuki kept his eyes on the sidewalk, embarrassment burning in his chest. She probably thought he was so weird. Everyone probably thought he was weird.
"You know," Mizuki said after a while, her voice soft, "you didn't have to push yourself if you were uncomfortable."
"I wasn't uncomfortable, I just—"
"Nakamura-kun." She stopped walking and turned to face him. "It's okay. Some people don't like party games like that. There's nothing wrong with that."
Yuki couldn't meet her eyes. "Everyone else was fine with it. I'm the one who made it weird."
"You didn't make anything weird." Mizuki stepped a little closer. "Can I tell you something?"
He nodded, still not looking up.
"I think you're really sweet." Her voice was gentle, almost tender. "The way you helped me learn your created combo. How patient you were explaining chemistry to Yoshida-san even though she obviously just wanted an excuse to talk to you. How you genuinely thanked everyone for inviting you tonight even though parties aren't your thing."
Yuki's face felt hot again. "I'm not... I just..."
"You don't have to be like everyone else, you know." Mizuki's hand reached out, gently touching his arm. "It's okay to be shy. It's okay to need time. It's actually kind of... endearing."
She was standing very close now. Close enough that Yuki could smell her vanilla perfume again.
"Mizuki-san, I..." he started, but didn't know how to finish.
She smiled—soft, understanding. "The others will understand. Tanaka thinks you're the coolest person ever. Kenji was already saying we should have a smaller hangout next time, just games, no weird party stuff."
"They said that?"
"Mm-hm. Everyone likes you, Nakamura-kun. Even when you run away from spin the bottle." She laughed lightly.
Despite everything, Yuki felt his lips twitch into an almost-smile.
They started walking again. The train station was getting closer now—Yuki could see the lit sign ahead.
"Can I ask you something?" Mizuki said as they approached the station entrance.
"Sure."
"Why did you agree to come tonight if parties make you nervous?"
Yuki hesitated. He couldn't exactly say "because I have a supernatural quest system that requires me to kiss someone within 48 hours."
"I... wanted to try," he said finally. "To be more... normal, I guess."
"Normal is overrated." Mizuki stopped at the station entrance. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with you."
She was standing close again. Looking at him with those kind eyes. In the overhead lights of the station, she looked almost ethereal—pretty and sweet and understanding.( idk why i imagine jane doe when i think about mizuki :)
"Thank you for walking with me," Yuki said softly. "And for being nice about... everything."
"Of course." Mizuki smiled. Then, without warning, she leaned in, bending a little.
Yuki's breath caught. She was moving closer, her face tilted up toward his—
Her lips pressed against his lips. Soft. Warm. Lingering for just a moment before she pulled back.
"There," she said, her smile widening. "One proper thank you kiss. Since you ran away before I could give you one during the game."
Yuki stood frozen, his hand automatically rising to touch his lips where she'd kissed him.
And then the notification appeared:
[◈ QUEST COMPLETE ◈]
His eyes widened.
[QUEST 2: FIRST CONTACT - COMPLETED]
[Physical contact with another person achieved]
[Analyzing...]
[Tutorial standards met]
Yuki stared at the glowing text, his mind reeling. he could not think much right now
[REWARDS GRANTED:]
Desire Manifestation (Level 1) acquired
150 XP gained
75 LP earned
[LEVEL UP!]
[You are now Level 3]
[+2 Stat Points available for distribution]
[Next quest will be assigned within 24-48 hours]
"Nakamura-kun?" Mizuki was looking at him with concern now. "Are you okay? You're staring into space."
"I—" Yuki blinked, dismissing the notifications. "Sorry. I just... thank you. For the kiss. I mean—for walking me here. And everything."
She laughed. "You're welcome. For all of it." She pulled out her phone. "Here, let's exchange numbers? That way if you want to hang out sometime, just the two of us, you can text me. No pressure. No party games. Just... hanging out."
Yuki fumbled for his own phone with shaking hands. They exchanged contact information, Mizuki's name now sitting in his phone with a little heart emoji she'd added herself.
"Get home safe, okay?" she said, already backing away. "And Nakamura-kun?"
"Yes?"
"It's okay to be scared of new things. Everyone is, at first. But I think you're braver than you give yourself credit for. You showed up tonight even though you were nervous. That's courage."
Before he could respond, she waved and turned to walk back toward Kenji's house.
Yuki stood at the station entrance for a long moment, touching his cheek again where she'd kissed him.
The quest was complete.
He'd done it.
Sort of.
He pulled up the Status Window as he climbed the stairs to the platform:
[◈ STATUS WINDOW ◈]
NAME: Nakamura Yuki
AGE: 17
LEVEL: 3
TITLE: None
STATISTICS:
APPEAL: 12
STRENGTH: 4
DEXTERITY: 6
CONFIDENCE: 8
TECHNIQUE: 0
STAMINA: 10
CHARM: 14 (+5 from Charm Aura) = 19
ADAPTABILITY: 14
EXPERIENCE: 250 / 400 XP
LUST POINTS: 125 LP
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Charm Aura (Level 1) - Passive
Desire Manifestation (Level 1) - Active
QUESTS: 0 Active
UNALLOCATED STAT POINTS: 4
Yuki focused on the new skill:
[DESIRE MANIFESTATION (LEVEL 1)]
Description: Materialize small objects that you strongly desire. Current limitations: Non-living items only, maximum size 30cm, must be clearly visualized, costs 5 LP per manifestation. Items are permanent once created.
Examples at current level: Clothing, accessories, small tools, books, etc.
So he could... create things? Yuki tried to wrap his mind around it. The System was getting stranger.
The train arrived. Yuki boarded, found a seat by the window, and stared at his reflection in the dark glass.
His phone buzzed.
Mizuki: Got back safe! Everyone says hi and hopes you feel better!
Another buzz.
Tanaka: dude are you ok?? mizuki said you made it to the station
Another.
Kenji: Next time we'll just do games, no weird party stuff. You're always welcome!
Yuki stared at the messages, his chest feeling tight in a different way now. They were... being nice. Understanding. Not judging him for running away.
He typed out responses to each of them, thanking them, apologizing, promising he'd try again sometime.
When he got home, the apartment was still dark. His mother was still at the hospital. Yuki locked the door, went to his room, and collapsed onto his bed.
The quest was complete.
He'd kissed someone. Sort of. Mizuki had kissed him, technically. But the System had counted it.
His phone buzzed one more time.
Mizuki: Sleep well, Nakamura-kun. Sweet dreams :)
Yuki stared at the message for a long moment before typing back:
Yuki: You too. Thank you again for tonight.
He set his phone aside, took off his glasses, and stared at the ceiling.
Quest 2 complete. Only eight more tutorial quests to go.
And he'd barely survived this one.
What is the next quest going to be?
He wasn't sure he wanted to know.
But as he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but touch his lips one more time, where Mizuki's lips had been.
It hadn't been scary. Not with her. She'd been kind. Gentle. Understanding.
Maybe... maybe this wouldn't all be terrible.
Maybe some parts might even be nice.
Sleep claimed him with that small hope still flickering in his chest.
Tomorrow was Saturday. No school. He could rest, process everything, and prepare for whatever came next.
The Lust System had accepted his first kiss.
Now he just had to survive the other quests. how hard could they be