"So that's how you completed it? That's absolutely insane." The system's voice rang out, tinged with surprise.
"What else was I supposed to do? Ask her to spank me directly?" If time weren't frozen and she could actually move, Mio would've rolled her eyes at the system.
"According to my analysis, if Host had actually said that just now, there's a fifty-two percent chance Yukinoshita Haruno would've done it."
"Alright, enough with the armchair commentary. Hurry up already."
"Fine, fine. Congratulations on completing the task. Yukinoshita Haruno's conquest rating with Host has increased by 2 points. Please select your reward."
[Yukinoshita Haruno's Self-Defense Techniques]
Allows Host to grasp some Aikido techniques. Part of the Yukinoshita Haruno series.
[Yukinoshita Haruno's Thousand Cups Without Getting Drunk]
Increases Host's alcohol tolerance. Part of the Yukinoshita Haruno series.
[Nostalgia]
Slightly improves Host's memory, allowing you to recall more past experiences. Selecting this card multiple times will enhance its effect.
Mio wasn't old enough to drink yet, so the alcohol tolerance card was useless to her. As for self-defense techniques—sure, they'd be useful, but she still had that [Soft Body, Easy to Push Down] punishment card. The pepper spray and personal alarm in her bag were probably more practical.
So Mio ultimately chose [Nostalgia] as her reward.
This card combined with [Shiina Mashiro's Photographic Memory] could help her remember even more things.
As Mio made her choice, time resumed its flow.
Haruno, who was helping Mio clean her clothes, frowned slightly. This was something Mio could easily do herself, and Yumiko was right there too. Why ask her specifically for help?
As a girl who cared about her appearance, Mio worrying about missing a spot was understandable. But something still felt off.
Even someone like Haruno couldn't quite figure out what Mio was thinking.
Noticing Haruno's slightly furrowed brows, Mio could roughly guess what she was pondering. She figured Haruno could rack her brain all day and never guess that the purpose of all this was just to get spanked once.
Just as Mio was secretly feeling smug, she suddenly felt a firm pat on her behind. Haruno's voice followed: "My kouhai really does have a nice figure~"
Mio instinctively put distance between herself and Haruno, her face flushing as she looked at the other woman.
Under the influence of [Masochist Constitution], she'd almost asked Haruno to do it a few more times.
But in Haruno's eyes, Mio's blush was simply from being teased and feeling embarrassed.
Mio returned to her seat. After taking a moment to compose herself, she muttered under her breath, "Next time, I'm never looking at my phone while walking."
Right then, the waitress arrived with their coffees.
Haruno took a small sip, gazing at Mio through the rising steam. Though the girl had hidden it well, Haruno had still noticed—Mio had seemed conflicted about something earlier. But now, that feeling of conflict had disappeared, as if whatever was bothering her had been resolved.
Could Mio have been conflicted about... going to the bathroom?
No, that didn't make sense. What was there to be conflicted about?
Haruno mentally replayed what had just happened. Suddenly, she arrived at a rather absurd conclusion: Could Mio's goal have been to get her to help straighten her clothes?
Mio might have gone to the bathroom to handle some business, and she had been looking at her phone on the way back, like she was dealing with something.
But here's the thing—last time they met, Mio had deliberately kept her distance. Now she was voluntarily asking Haruno to help fix her clothes? No matter how you looked at it, something was off.
But what was her purpose?
Haruno licked her lips. She was growing more and more interested in Mio.
Mio, who was chatting with Yumiko about something, suddenly shivered. She immediately spotted Haruno watching her with a smile—a look that seemed to be appraising a favorite new toy, contemplating how to play with it.
"Do you have any plans later, kouhai?"
"I'll probably walk around with Yumiko a bit more."
Yumiko said quietly, "Mio, you don't have to worry about me."
Not caring that Haruno was right across from them, Mio leaned close to Yumiko's ear and whispered, "How can I do that? I'm your girlfriend today, remember~"
Hearing this, Yumiko wanted to say something, but catching sight of Haruno made her hold back. She felt like whatever she said next might cause an unnecessary misunderstanding.
Still, the faint blush coloring her cheeks betrayed her current feelings.
Haruno naturally noticed this too. Unfortunately, she had other plans coming up, or she really would've liked to continue sparring with Mio.
After finishing her coffee, Haruno stood. "In that case, I won't keep you two any longer. When I have some free time, I'll come mooch a meal at your place~"
"Remember to give me a heads up when you're coming, Senpai. I need time to prepare."
"Will do~"
Only after watching Haruno disappear from sight did Mio quietly let out a breath of relief. With Haruno around, she was constantly worried the system would pop up and cause trouble at any moment.
Normally, even facing someone like Haruno, she wouldn't be this nervous. The problem was the [Masochist Constitution]—tasks could take weird turns, and one wrong move meant social death. Nobody could handle that kind of pressure.
Pushing aside her scattered thoughts, Mio smiled sweetly and leaned against Yumiko. "Yumiko~ I'm hungry."
After half a day of training, Yumiko had grown completely comfortable with this version of Mio. She even found herself enjoying the feeling.
"I remember there's a pretty good crêpe shop around here. Let's go there."
"Okay~"
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