Gotoh Hitori dreamed of her future.
Her guitar playing never quite took off—lukewarm at best. She failed exams, couldn't find a job. Even though she eventually married her childhood friend, Gotoh Shin, her crippling social anxiety never changed. In the end, she lived a small, suffocating life, shrinking into herself day after day.
After marriage, Shin treated her with endless patience. From beginning to end, he was unfailingly gentle.
And then—
Her husband was stolen away by a woman whose face she couldn't see.
Right in front of her, that woman did things that went far beyond what should ever be allowed. Shin reached out to her, desperately asking for help—yet Hitori realized, in horror, that she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything at all.
"Gah—don't mess with my husband!!"
Hitori screamed as she jolted awake.
What greeted her was a clean, refreshing face.
The boy wasn't the type you'd call strikingly handsome, but the aura he carried lingered in your mind long after you looked away.
This was Gotoh Shin—the boy Hitori had liked ever since they were little.
And today, just like always, he had come to wake her up.
"Why are you screaming? Nightmare?"Shin reached out and gently patted her head.
"Come on, get up and eat breakfast. You'll be late for school."
His voice, as always, was soft and warm.
Still shaken, Hitori patted her chest, then subconsciously reached out and grabbed the hem of Shin's clothes.
"Hm? What's wrong?"Shin asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"It's nothing."The words reached her lips, but no matter what, she couldn't say what she really meant.
She wanted to confess. To make things official between them.
But she was terrified of being rejected.
If her relationship with Shin were to break—even imagining it made her feel like she wouldn't be able to go on living.
"Shin onii-chan, you should eat too!"
Little Futari waved cheerfully at Shin, while Hitori timidly followed behind him.
Shin smiled and rubbed Futari's head.
"I'm going to marry Shin onii-chan someday."Futari narrowed her eyes, clearly enjoying the head pats.
"No! Absolutely not!"Hitori jumped out in a panic and yanked Shin away from her sister.
"Big sis, your hair's a mess. Lame."Futari muttered, then trotted off after finishing her meal.
Shin found a comb and began fixing Hitori's hair for her. Her face grew redder by the second, and she ate breakfast in a complete daze.
At that moment, the television was broadcasting the morning news.
"Cases of 'Apathy Syndrome' continue to rise. If this trend continues, where exactly is our society headed?"
"Under current pressures, a brand-new bill is still being drafted, though it has already sparked widespread controversy."
"Is the one-husband–multiple-wives system truly reasonable?"
Watching the broadcast, Shin frowned.
"One husband, multiple wives… sharing your husband with other women?"
Hitori's expression turned pale as she remembered the nightmare she'd just had.
"This is ridiculous."Shin shook his head, his voice cold. To him, the proposed legislation was nothing short of a bad joke.
"There's no way this will ever be implemented. Absolutely impossible."
He spoke with firm certainty.
"Shin… you think one-on-one is better too, right?"Hitori said with a nervous little laugh.
Of course. What she and Shin had was pure love.
The nightmare slipped from her mind. There was no reason to worry about something like that.
"Multiple partners for one man is actually incredibly painful,"Shin said with a sigh, sounding oddly emotional.
He'd seen certain… provocative videos online before. In a matriarchal world, even that kind of content had naturally flipped its roles.
He vividly remembered watching a man flailing around like Tom from Tom and Jerry trying to play music—his body never getting a second's rest, eyes rolling back, face twisted in unmistakable agony.
If that ever happened to him… that would be a complete disaster.
"By the way, Hitori," Shin said casually, suddenly leaning closer, admiring the way her pink-tinted face flushed even deeper."What did you think of the song I sent you yesterday?"
"I—I think it was really good…"Her gaze darted away, her voice trembling slightly.
"Good. Then practice it properly, and upload it directly using the 'Guitar Hero' account."
Shin had already made up his mind about the pink-haired girl in front of him.
Soft personality. Cute face. Great figure.
Once the two of them finished school, they'd get married right away.
He'd been copying and rewriting novels for a while now, and recently he'd started studying music composition as well—those songs were copied too, of course.
Later, he'd look for a chance to make a small investment or two. Life would be smooth sailing.
"Huh? That song… you're really letting me use it?"Hitori's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"Hitori, have you ever thought about your future?""Academics aren't your strong suit, and with your social anxiety, adapting to society will be really hard."
"But your guitar skills are amazing. So just keep walking down that path. I'll support you with everything I've got."
As he spoke, Shin reached out and grabbed Hitori's hand.
Her face instantly turned scarlet.
Those words struck straight into the softest, most vulnerable part of her heart.
Her eyes widened, pupils trembling slightly.
Hitori's heart had already been stolen by Shin. For the rest of her life, there might be nothing else but joy and sorrow tied to him.
"W–waaah, Shin~!"
She let out a strange cry and suddenly threw her arms around him.
Her soft body was warm—almost burning—and Shin's heart clenched hard in his chest.
And then—
A mysterious voice echoed inside his mind.
[Close contact with a female detected. Physical constitution enhanced. Copying related skills.][Skill acquired: Guitar Technique (Level 1).]
"…Huh?"
That single hug had forcibly triggered Shin's isekai cheat ability.