The game was brief.
Natsuki tried hard to restrain himself and eventually let secretary Chika go to the next room to soak in the hot spring, because if she really didn't go for an hour, someone would definitely come looking.
If they were caught red-handed, Natsuki would be fine, but Chika might very well cry…
"I'm really too kind."
Natsuki sighed regretfully, closed his eyes, and continued to soak in the hot spring.
The break ended.
After Natsuki reunited with the girls, they arrived at the main hall, where various staff members were already waiting.
Professional doctors and nurses to check the players' physical condition, psychological counselors, and so on; the emphasis was on comprehensive service, and it was entirely free with excellent service attitude.
Everyone in the park had not suffered any abuse or beatings, but they had been working with countless evil spirits and living cautiously every day, so their mental state was inevitably a bit poor, but all within an acceptable range.
After checks inside and out, the sky had unknowingly grown dark.
Afterward, Mitsui stepped forward and led everyone to the Hotel restaurant to begin the celebration banquet. Although the food in the park was not bad, compared to the various exquisite dishes at the celebration banquet, it was far inferior, so everyone naturally ate their fill and enjoyed the delicious food.
Having eaten and drunk their fill.
Natsuki and the girls left the Hotel, then went their separate ways home.
"Phew…"
Natsuki took a deep breath.
As summer vacation neared its end, the temperature finally quietly dropped. After a rain, the cool evening breeze was pleasant.
On the streets, pedestrians hurried along, countless vehicles drove orderly, people on the roadside laughed, and the air was filled with the aroma of various ingredients and dishes… The scent of human life wafted over.
It was just a pity that the number of evil spirits mixed in the crowd seemed to have increased again.
"This is life."
Natsuki ignored a few evil spirits walking towards him, sighed, and turned to walk towards the train station.
The journey was uneventful.
Twenty minutes later.
Natsuki appeared at Marin's doorstep and raised his hand to press the doorbell.
Go home?
Go home for what, to toss and turn in bed?!
Moreover, he had already accepted Marin and Sayu's invitation to come over and play tonight when he was at the Hotel earlier. As a person, he naturally had to be true to his word and do what he said.
Thump-thump-thump.
Footsteps quickly sounded from behind the door.
Immediately after, the door opened with a 'click', and a blonde girl peeked out half her pretty face. After seeing Natsuki at the door, her face immediately bloomed into a bright smile, as if making the lights in the hallway brighter.
It was Marin.
"Natsuki, come in, come in!"
Marin happily opened the door.
"I'm home."
Natsuki also smiled, stepping into the entryway. Before he could even change his slippers, Marin jumped directly into Natsuki's arms, then rubbed against him like a kitten.
Natsuki held Marin back, inhaling Marin's sweet scent, and said softly:
"Only one day has passed in reality, right?"
"One day apart feels like three autumns." Marin rubbed back and forth, stating confidently, "And yesterday was one day, plus today, that's already two days."
Natsuki reached out to support Marin, took off his shoes, and walked towards the living room, asking curiously:
"Where's Sayu?"
"Master!"
Before he finished speaking, a black-haired girl ran out of the bathroom, happily hugging Natsuki's arm. It was Sayu.
"I was just filling the bathtub in the bathroom." Sayu looked up, her pretty face sparkling with anticipation, and asked, "Master, do you want to take a bath first, or eat us first?"
Natsuki pondered for two seconds, followed his heart, and made a decision:
"Of course… I want them all!"
"…"
An hour later, the three finally finished bathing and came out.
Natsuki sat on the sofa, Marin on his left, Sayu on his right, watching TV and talking to the two girls about what happened in the instance.
Although he had sent messages before, the space was limited, and the content was naturally not detailed enough; many things were glossed over.
"To actually stay in the instance for five days…" The tears in Marin's eyes hadn't dried yet, and she lazily held Natsuki's arm, "No wonder Natsuki was super… today."
Before she could finish, Natsuki quickly reached out and covered Marin's mouth, saying seriously:
"Some things cannot be said."
"That's right." Sayu said from the side, "Marin-chan, don't talk nonsense. I just felt something terrifying watching us."
"Got it~" Marin stuck out her pink tongue, covering her mouth with both hands, "Not saying anything, not saying anything."
"It's a pity I wasn't there." Sayu said regretfully, "If I had entered the instance with you, I definitely wouldn't have let Master sleep alone."
Natsuki retorted:
"If you were there, it would only make me more uncomfortable."
Sayu tilted her head:
"Eh?"
The dormitory's soundproofing was terrible; you could hear a sneeze from next door clearly. If you were in the instance, you wouldn't be able to do anything either, so it would only make things worse!
"I forgot to mention just now, I've already thought of a way."
Marin suddenly sat up straight, speaking with great interest.
"What way?"
Natsuki looked at Marin, not understanding for a moment.
"It's a way to get Juju to join us." Marin put her hands on her hips, raising her chin proudly.
Hey, hey, that's too much!
I thought you were just talking, but I didn't expect you to actually plan to drag Juju into this. She's your good friend!
"What way?"
Natsuki couldn't help but ask.
"The simplest way is, of course, for Master to plant a Sin Mushroom on Juju." Sayu said from the side, "But that method is too obvious, Juju might get angry."
Remove 'might'; with Juju's tsundere personality, she would definitely get angry afterward.
"So planting a Sin Mushroom won't work." Marin took over the topic and continued, "Sayu and I decided to go to a cosplay event and invite Juju along. Then Natsuki can openly apply the Possession Skill to Juju, and then… and also…"
Achoo—
Tens of kilometers away.
Juju, wearing pajamas and lying on her bed reading manga, suddenly sneezed three times.
"Hmm…" Juju rubbed her nose, "Two sneezes mean someone is thinking of you, three sneezes mean someone is talking about you… Could someone be talking about me behind my back?"
"Juju is your friend." Natsuki retorted, "Don't your consciences hurt when you plot against her behind her back?"
"Hmph~"
Marin raised her chin and lightly snorted:
"Since Natsuki is unwilling, then Sayu and I will cancel the plan?"
Natsuki's expression turned serious, and he said:
"Please, by all means, carry it out!"
"…"
The night passed without a word.
The next day.
Natsuki woke up from his soft bed, washed up, prepared breakfast for Marin and Sayu, and after they ate together, they went out to handle official business.
After clearing the instance, there were several important matters to deal with.
First was the Strange Tales Management Bureau.
The number of Strange Tale incidents in reality was increasing, and to improve the survival rate of investigator players, the Strange Tales Management Bureau often asked Natsuki to come and help investigators apply skills.
To date, the number of players registered with the Strange Tales Management Bureau was almost ten thousand, and the skills players possessed were bizarre, but the ability to grant others temporary skills was unique to Natsuki alone.
After a busy half-day at the Strange Tales Management Bureau, it was almost noon when he came out.
The second important matter was a female university student who had long been impatient.
"Natsuki-kun~"
A bright, pleasant call drifted into his ears with the wind.
As Natsuki walked out of the Strange Tales Management Bureau, he saw a bright girl with short black hair on the opposite side of the road, standing on tiptoe and waving. Passersby, regardless of gender, couldn't help but glance over.
The reason was simple: whether in appearance or fashion sense, Haruno was a top-tier existence.
"Haruno-nee, morning."
Natsuki crossed the road and walked up to Haruno.
Haruno, completely disregarding the stares of passersby, extended her arms and tightly hugged Natsuki's arm, rubbing against him like a kitten.
"Mmm~ It's Natsuki's scent."
Hey, hey, you're a university student, at least show some restraint. Don't act so spoiled towards a high school student in public!
Noticing the gazes of the surrounding passersby, Natsuki reminded her speechlessly:
"Haruno-nee, this is on the street."
"What about being on the street?" Haruno looked up, her pretty face, "I can't stay calm when I unexpectedly meet a boy I like on the street."
What do you mean, an unexpected street encounter? You were clearly waiting downstairs!
"I'm hungry." Natsuki said softly, "Let's go eat first and talk while we eat."
"I'll listen to Natsuki-kun." Haruno's eyes curved into crescents, tightly holding Natsuki's arm. She and Yukino were clearly sisters, but in terms of acting spoiled, one was in heaven, the other on earth. "Today is date time, I'll follow Natsuki-kun's arrangements completely."
"…"
The two walked into a restaurant and sat in a corner.
After ordering, Natsuki looked at Haruno, who was sitting beside him, and asked in a low voice:
"Haruno-nee, Yukino has already given you the replication scroll?"
"Mm." Haruno nodded lightly, "She already gave it to me last night."
Natsuki asked curiously:
"Did you tell Yukino that you wanted to replicate the Succubus Skill?"
"Of course not." Haruno lightly twirled a strand of hair by her ear, her eyes sparkling, "If Yukino knew, she would definitely nag, and I don't want to hear it… What's wrong with being a Succubus? Anyway, with Natsuki-kun here, I'm happy, I'm willing."
"And the game coins aren't enough to spend, completely not enough." Haruno said pitifully, "Just yesterday, I saw a very good skill refreshed in the mall, but unfortunately, I couldn't afford it. Game coins are usually used to buy basic attribute points."
Natsuki took out a card and handed it over, saying:
"Use the Item Lock Card to lock the skill first."
"Oh, thank you, Natsuki-kun~" Haruno smiled brightly, taking it without hesitation, "My instance should be coming soon. I'll lock the skill first, work hard, and maybe I can buy it after clearing the instance."
In the Faceless Strange Tale, Natsuki delved into the Strange Tale space, rescued Haruno, and then cleared the Summer Time Rendering instance together. In the Nightmare Hotel's Strange Tale, they survived hunger together, and not long ago, they flew all over the world, completing the extreme challenges of the Ozaki Eight… At first, Haruno indeed had intentions of using him, but after experiencing so many things, genuine feelings had developed.
Because of this, taking the Item Lock Card required no excuses, not even talk of borrowing or returning—
The closer the relationship, the more casual the address and interaction.
Natsuki took out his phone and said:
"I'll text Shoko and set a time."
"…"
"Is Shoko home?"
The message was sent.
It quickly showed as read.
After a while, Komi carefully replied:
"I'm home."
Natsuki: "I miss Shoko. Should I visit your house, or do you want to come to my house to play?"
Komi: "…"
Sorry.
She didn't want to choose either.
It had been several days since they last met, and she truly missed him, but if the two of them were alone… Just imagining it, a blush involuntarily rose on the the timid girl's pretty face.
The terrible memory from last time was still vivid.
If they were alone, she would definitely be taken advantage of in various ways.
"Th-that…" Komi clutched her phone, stammering, "…How about we play outside?"
In short, no being alone!
As long as they weren't alone, she wouldn't be taken advantage of, right?
Natsuki: "Don't you need to replenish your magic today?"
Komi: "N-no need! I'm in great shape right now!"
Natsuki: "What a pity."
Komi: "…"
Not a pity at all!
"Actually, it's for a serious matter…"
Natsuki continued to send messages, explaining the situation.
"Eh?" Komi blinked, "Haruno-nee wants to learn the Succubus Skill?"
"That's right." Natsuki said, "And Haruno wants to learn it voluntarily; no one is forcing her."
"Hmm… I understand." Komi hesitated for a moment, then agreed, "Then I'll come to your house at two in the afternoon?"
In Komi's dictionary, the words "refuse others" simply did not exist. As long as someone made a request, Komi would usually agree.
Natsuki said, "Then it's settled. Haruno and I will wait for you. We won't leave until you arrive."
"..."
"It's done." Natsuki put down his phone and looked at Haruno, "At two o'clock in the afternoon, we'll go home after lunch, and Shoko will come over later."
"Natsuki-kun, you've worked hard." Haruno raised a spoon, offering a spoonful of dessert, "Ah~ open wide."
Feeding a high school student in public, couldn't you be a bit more reserved!
"Hurry up, Natsuki-kun." Haruno clearly didn't care about the onlookers' gazes, pouting, "My arm is getting sore from holding it up."
Natsuki reluctantly opened his mouth and ate the dessert.
You're sisters, yet your personalities are too different.
After lunch.
Natsuki and Haruno left the restaurant and returned home.
After a quick shower and tidying up the room, there wasn't even time to tease Haruno. Before he knew it, it was already past two o'clock.
"The doorbell rang..." Haruno quickly got up from the sofa, "I'll get it."
The door opened.
A long-haired girl with straight black hair wearing pantyhose stood at the doorway. Her silky black hair fell to her waist. She was tall, with a delicate and lovely face. It was Komi.
"Shoko-chan, good afternoon." Haruno's face broke into a bright smile, "Come in, come in."
"G-good afternoon..."
Shoko and Haruno weren't very familiar with each other, so she struggled to respond softly.
"I'm counting on Shoko-chan today." Haruno put her hands together and said earnestly, "If my basic attributes are too low, I'll drag everyone down, and I don't have that many game coins, so I must work hard to improve myself, so I don't drag everyone down."
"Mmm..."
Komi parted her lips, wanting to comfort Haruno, but unfortunately, comforting words require a lot of speaking, and once they reached her lips, she couldn't utter a single word.
"Shoko, you've arrived just in time." Natsuki walked out of the kitchen, holding a freshly cut watermelon, "Come and eat some watermelon."
"Mm-hmm."
The the timid girl, as if granted a great pardon, quickly nodded and scurried over to Natsuki's side.
"Did Shoko miss me?"
Natsuki handed her a slice of watermelon and then asked casually.
Being asked such an embarrassing question in front of Haruno, the the timid girl's sense of shame instantly ignited. Her pretty face rapidly flushed red at a visible speed, and then she quickly shook her head.
When they were alone, she might have been able to muster the courage to admit it, but with others present, she couldn't admit it no matter what.
"You didn't miss me." Natsuki clutched his chest, a look of disappointment on his face, "I stayed in the dungeon for so many days, but I thought about Shoko day and night... Sure enough, love disappears, right?"
Komi: "..."
"Natsuki-kun, eat your watermelon properly." Haruno walked over and sat down on Natsuki's other side, "Shoko-chan is so cute, how can you bear to tease her?"
Komi couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and cast a grateful look at Haruno.
"It's precisely because Shoko is too cute that I can't help but want to tease her." Natsuki said self-righteously, "There's an effect in psychology called cute aggression. I've probably got cute aggression, which is why I always want to tease Shoko."
Komi: "...Shameless!"
Everyone is cute, but only she is being teased, so it's not cute aggression at all!
"What, Shoko, do you have something to say?"
Natsuki turned to look at the the timid girl.
"N-no..."
Komi quickly shook her head.
Natsuki took a bite of watermelon and then said:
"Since there are no objections, then hurry up and eat the watermelon."
"..."
After eating watermelon.
After quickly cleaning up the food waste, the three soon got down to business.
"Here, a coin." Natsuki took out the Coin of Destiny and handed it to Komi, "It was fully charged before entering the dungeon. I originally thought it would come in handy, but it wasn't used."
Copying skills has a certain chance of failure, and scrolls are single-use items that will be destroyed if copying fails. So, just in case, it's natural to add a lucky favor buff before copying.
Komi took the coin, nodded lightly, and then casually tossed it.
As expected, when the coin landed, it landed steadily face up.
"The buff... has been applied." Komi said softly.
"Shoko-chan, I'm counting on you."
Haruno took out the copy scroll and handed it over.
"It's no trouble..."
Komi responded softly, then placed her right hand on the scroll and began copying the skill.
A stream of light flowed over the copy scroll, flickering, appearing and disappearing. A moment later, the entire scroll suddenly emitted a faint purple glow, then returned to calm.
"Copy successful." Natsuki looked at Haruno, "Do you want to learn it now or later?"
Haruno reached out and picked up the scroll, a bright smile on her face as she said:
"Of course, I'm going to change professions now. I'm already impatient to charm Natsuki-kun."