"The date is clearly over, yet the mission status still shows as 'in progress'... Could it be related to getting a perfect rating?"
Kitahara's mind raced, and he quickly hit upon a possibility.
As things stood, the mission remained incomplete; in all likelihood, he had failed to secure a perfect rating from Tomori.
"Do I need to get Tomori to explicitly give a perfect rating?"
Kitahara turned his head to look at theReiko beside him.
"Makoto-kun?"
Sensing Kitahara's gaze, Tomori tilted her face up to look at him; her eyes were clear, bright, and sparkling under the lights.
Kitahara spoke softly:
"If you were to rate today's date out of a hundred, what score would you give it, Tomori?"
"Hmm..." Tomori hesitated for a second, then lowered her eyes and answered softly, "Today's date was super fun—a hundred points."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Kitahara opened his mission panel and raised his eyebrows slightly.
"The mission still shows as 'in progress'?"
"Tomori clearly gave it a hundred points... Where is the problem?"
As he pondered this, Tomori's voice suddenly drifted over softly:
"Makoto-kun, I'm going to the restroom."
"Alright." Kitahara gathered his thoughts and stood up as well. "Let's go together; we can summon Hana afterwards and fast-travel home."
The two left the stargazing hall together and headed toward the restrooms.
After quickly taking care of business, Kitahara stepped into the hallway and took out his phone. Just as he was about to pass the time on his device while waiting for Tomori to come out, he suddenly heard a startled cry from inside the restroom.
"Ah..."
Kitahara's eyes sharpened; decisively activating the power of his Domain, he instantly flashed into the women's restroom.
On the restroom wall, a black substance was growing wildly, rapidly covering half the surface.
A closer look revealed that the black substance consisted of writhing, twisting strands of long black hair!
"An evil spirit?"
Kitahara furrowed his brows, quickly approached the door of the second stall, and decisively kicked it open.
Boom!
The stall door shattered instantly.
He saw Tomori, her face pale, pressed tightly against the partition wall. A woman's head was emerging from the toilet bowl, and a mass of black hair—resembling filthy sludge—was spreading frantically outward; two strands had already distorted into the shapes of venomous snakes and were coiling up around Tomori's legs.
"Disgusting thing."
Kitahara's face distorted in disgust as he decisively activated his ability, [HP Warrior].
"A wild evil spirit with thirty HP... truly pathetic."
Without a moment's hesitation, Kitahara stepped forward and delivered a straightforward punch.
The punch dealt "True Damage" exceeding the target's maximum HP; upon impact, the female spirit in the toilet let out a sudden shriek, and her entire body rapidly burned away, dissolving into ash in the air.
"It's okay now."
Kitahara opened his arms and pulled Tomori into an embrace.
As the invasion of the "Otherworld" intensified, evil spirits and monsters were appearing in endless succession. While Kitahara used to actively hunt them down, he now generally couldn't be bothered to act, often simply walking past them if he spotted one.
These things were like annoying mosquitoes and flies—there were simply too many to wipe them all out. Consequently, he only delivered the "gift" of total annihilation to spirits that actually disturbed the lives of himself and the girls.
"Thank you, Makoto-kun."
Tomori whispered her thanks. She hadn't panicked; aside from her pale complexion, she had remained remarkably composed.
"Why didn't you activate your Domain just now?"
Kitahara asked, looking down at her. Ever since discovering Shimizu Rin's identity as a spy, Kitahara had made a habit of sharing his abilities with the girls every day; today was no exception. Tomori possessed the power of a "Domain"—while it couldn't destroy evil spirits, it was perfectly suited for hiding.
"Because Makoto-kun was right outside," Tomori said, looking up with bright, shining eyes. "I knew you'd come to rescue me any moment."
"Remember to use your ability right away next time," Kitahara said, raising his right hand to ruffle her hair. "Safety comes first, after all."
"Okay."
"Let's go; we should leave."
Kitahara took Tomori by the hand and led her out of the stall.
"Makoto-kun, I'd like to wash my hands."
Tomori spoke softly.
Kitahara nodded and let her go to the sink.
Tomori walked up to the washbasin and reached for the faucet, but the very next second, a water pipe in the wall suddenly burst, sending a spray of water gushing out.
"Huh?"
Surprised, Kitahara raised his eyebrows; he quickly stepped forward, scooped Tomori up in his arms, and retreated rapidly.
Despite his quick reflexes, most of their clothes still got soaked. Fortunately, it was early autumn and the weather wasn't cold, so there was no need to worry about catching a chill.
"To think a pipe would just burst like that... It seems your luck is a bit rotten today, Tomori."
Kitahara made the casual remark as he wiped the water droplets from his face.
"Luck, huh..."
Tomori blinked; for some reason, a look of guilty unease suddenly flitted across her face. "We need to get back and change clothes soon so you don't catch a cold." Kitahara looked down at Tomori; her shirt was soaked, and a hint of pink underneath was faintly visible—a tantalizing glimpse that was far more suggestive than a full view. "I'll have Hana take you back first."
Noticing the shift in Kitahara's gaze, Tomori felt her face heat up; she instinctively covered her chest with her hand and whispered:
"I want to go to the onsen."
"Huh?"
"I don't feel well... it feels like a strand of hair has burrowed into my body..."
"That's impossible."
That measly evil spirit—with a mere thirty HP—had been utterly obliterated; there was no way any lingering resentment remained. The sensation Tomori was describing was almost certainly psychological.
"It really is uncomfortable." Tomori looked up, her face flushed. "I'd like to ask Makoto-kun to check my body."
Kitahara: "..."
Go to a onsen alone with him for a body check?
You really have no concept of danger, do you?
"Tomori trusts me way too much..."
Kitahara took a deep breath, suppressing the urge rising within him; he didn't want to disappoint her.
"Let's go. We're heading to the onsen."
The light warped slightly, and the two figures vanished into thin air.
At the onsen.
"Tomori, go take a bath first," Kitahara said softly. "It's a bit chilly here, so you need to change out of those wet clothes quickly. Don't want you catching a cold."
"Makoto-kun's clothes are wet too." Tomori looked up, still covering her chest. "Let's bathe together."
Kitahara shook his head. "I'm fine..."
"No." Tomori's voice was quiet, but her tone brooked no refusal. "Even if you're healthy, Makoto-kun, there's still a chance you could catch a cold."
Kitahara: "..."
Faced with such an unyielding Tomori, Kitahara naturally agreed.
They had already tended to each other's bodies before, so bathing together wasn't an issue; as long as Tomori was willing, Kitahara certainly wouldn't object.
The two of them went to the bathroom together.
"Makoto-kun, hurry up and take off your clothes."
Tomori looked up and urged him softly. Kitahara: "..."
Wait a minute—aren't the roles reversed here?
I'm the one who's supposed to be using smooth talk to trick you into taking your clothes off!
"...Fine, I'll take them off."
Kitahara gave a faint, wry smile and quickly stripped off his clothes.
"Makoto-kun, go take your shower first." Tomori's face flushed slightly pink, and her gaze drifted away; she was too shy to stare openly the way Mutsumi did. "I'm going to undress now."
"Alright."
Kitahara sat on the small bamboo stool and began to shower, feeling a strange, indefinable sensation.
He had no concrete proof, but his intuition told him that Tomori was acting decidedly odd today.
He heard the sound of rustling fabric behind him, and moments later, he felt Tomori step up right behind him:
"Makoto-kun, let me wash your back."
"I'll leave it to you, then, Tomori." Kitahara naturally didn't refuse. "Are you still feeling unwell?"
"Yes." Tomori picked up a bar of soap and began washing his back, replying softly, "I still feel uncomfortable."
"It's probably just psychological," Kitahara said gently. "When we first entered the onsen resort, I used my [Deprivation] ability on you, but I didn't detect anything."
"That may be true, but it really does feel uncomfortable..." Tomori murmured. "I'll need you to check my body later, too."
"Alright."
"..."
Splash.
A ladle of clear water was poured over Kitahara's back—the temperature was perfect, and it felt incredibly soothing. Just as he thought the back-washing service had ended, Tomori suddenly wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"Hiss..."
Kitahara sucked in a sharp breath.
That indescribable sensation... You're practically committing a crime on purpose here!
"Tomori? Did you slip?"
His first reaction was that Tomori had accidentally bumped into him, rather than offering this as a deliberate service; given her shy nature, something of this magnitude would be far too embarrassing for her. "I—I didn't slip..."
Tomori's breathing was slightly rapid, and her voice betrayed her clear embarrassment:
"Anon lent me a manga yesterday... and it said this is the ultimate gesture of respect when washing a boy's back..."
Kitahara: "..."
Damn it! Anon is clearly corrupting a young girl!
And that scenario sounds strangely familiar...
Wait... could it be one of those doujinshi we bought together?
You really shouldn't be lending Tomori such risqué stuff!
Then again... it is technically the ultimate gesture of respect...
"Makoto-kun, how does it feel?"
Tomori's back-scrubbing movements were incredibly clumsy, yet she still managed to ask about his experience despite her shyness.
Kitahara gave a soft cough; this was a moment to be honest rather than putting on a false, sanctimonious front:
"Ahem... It's great."
"..."
A quiet hush fell over the bathroom.
Yet, the temperature in the air began to rise, and the lighting subtly shifted to a soft pink hue.
A few moments later.
Tomori's back-scrubbing service finally came to an end.
"Phew..."
Kitahara let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"It's finally over..."
Is this the kind of test you use on a high-ranking officer?
Just as Kitahara was preparing to take a cold shower to cool off, Tomori suddenly made another move.
"Tomori... what are you doing?"
Kitahara's body instinctively tensed up.
Tomori's face was burning hot; her gaze darted about, and she lowered her head in shyness, unable to meet his eyes:
"The manga said you shouldn't give up halfway..."
You shouldn't force yourself to follow those weird manga—you need to throw that stuff away immediately!
Kitahara reached out and gently pulled Tomori into his arms, taking a deep breath:
"That's enough for now; let me check your body."
"...I'm counting on you, Makoto-kun."
Tomori's face flushed hot, and she shyly closed her eyes.
Naturally, there was nothing wrong with Tomori's body. After a thorough examination, Kitahara was just about to pull back and stop when the girl's voice, thick with bashfulness, murmured softly:
"Makoto-kun... please keep checking..."
Kitahara's breath hitched slightly:
"If I keep going, there's no turning back."
"Actually... I made a wish on a sticky note this morning..." Tomori looked up at him; her eyes were full of shyness, yet devoid of fear or reluctance—clear and bright. "The wish was to spend some time alone with you, Makoto-kun... and then..."
I see.
The evil spirit that suddenly appeared in the restroom, the water pipe that burst for no reason—it was all the work of that sticky note!
Kitahara was curious: "What made you suddenly make a wish like that, Tomori?"
"Because..." Tomori shyly averted her gaze. "Yesterday at the onsen resort, you and Anon secretly did that thing... I was a bit curious. Then Anon told me, 'You were the one who started it, after all; you wouldn't want Taki to beat you to it, right?'"
Kitahara: "..."
Once the Domain was activated, Tomori and Hitori—who were outside it—could neither see nor hear what was happening. However, humans are highly intelligent beings capable of deduction.
When Kitahara, Anon, and Kita suddenly vanished without a sound, a little bit of thought was all it took to guess they were off doing something illicit.
Tomori's gaze wavered, and her voice was shy:
"Anon was right. I was the one who started it; I'd be unhappy if Taki beat me to it..."
So much for being cool, calm, and uncompetitive.
It turns out you have a competitive side too!
"I understand your resolve, Tomori."
Kitahara exhaled softly, his gaze quickly turning firm. His voice was gentle, his tone earnest:
"Tomori, please entrust the rest of your life to me." Originally, he had thought he needed a special occasion to fully consummate the relationship with Tomori, but that turned out to be unnecessary; their mutual affection was already deep enough, and with both parties willing, it happened naturally.
Tomori shyly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Kitahara's neck:
"Makoto-kun, please take good care of me from now on."
"..."
The night passed in silence.
Once Tomori had fallen into a deep sleep, Kitahara quietly slipped out of the onsen resort and returned to the real world.
With the "Silence Field" already active, he walked past two girls with a calm expression and casually exited the women's restroom.
"Let me check the mission progress..."
He walked over to a vending machine, bought a can of soda, and opened the mission panel while he drank.
[Daily Mission 4: Date Operation]
[Current Status: Completed]
[Mission Reward: Your Charisma stat has received a slight, permanent boost.]
"Charisma again..."
Kitahara sighed in exasperation.
The rewards from daily missions were usually minor, but they added up over time; his Charisma was already high enough—if it kept increasing, he'd practically turn into a succubus.
"But... the mission is complete?"
A thought crossed his mind, and he quickly realized the reason.
The reason the mission hadn't completed earlier had nothing to do with Tomori's satisfaction level; the real reason was simply that, in her mind, the most important part of the date hadn't happened yet—so naturally, the date wasn't considered finished.
"Time for the lucky draw."
Having secured today's draw attempt, Kitahara didn't hesitate to spin the ability roulette wheel.
A miracle from a single pull!
There was no way he'd ever save up enough for a ten-pull anyway!
Plop.
A glowing orb of ability materialized out of thin air and dropped into his palm.
"Finally got something good." Today's "drop" was essentially the bare minimum guarantee, so Kitahara wasn't particularly surprised. He applied a bit of pressure with his fingertips, crushing the glowing orb of ability; a spray of stardust quietly seeped into his body.
[Ability: Copy Ninja]
[Category: Active]
[Description: You can expend mental energy to copy one ability from another being. You can only possess one copied ability at a time.]
[Note 1: Copying consumes "Mana" continuously; please ensure you have sufficient reserves.]
[Note 2: Success depends on factors like affinity and cooperation; you must figure out the specific probabilities yourself.]
"This ability... it's basically describing the 'Chakra unit standard' Kakashi isn't it?"
Kitahara twitched the corner of his mouth, feeling a complex mix of emotions:
"As for the so-called 'Mana'—well, it certainly can't be chakra..."
Jokes aside, the ability was actually quite good. While he couldn't unlock hundreds of techniques all at once like Kakashi, quality always trumped quantity when it came to abilities.
"And as for the target to copy..."
Kitahara turned and walked into the men's restroom. Standing before the mirror, he summoned Hana in his mind:
"You're the one, Hana-chan."
Moments later, ripples spread across the mirror's surface, and a beast-eared girl with white hair and red eyes emerged.
Kitahara looked down at her. "Hana-chan, take me home first."
Hana remained expressionless; she reached out, grabbed Kitahara's wrist, and instantly transported him back home.
"Master, cupcake."
Hana held out her small hand, asking for her reward.
"Here." Kitahara had stocked up on plenty of cupcakes back at the onsen resort. After paying the "fare," he called out to the girl just as she was about to leave to watch anime: "Wait a sec—let me copy an ability from you first."
"Hmm?" Hana tilted her small face upward, her expression blank.
Without wasting words, Kitahara simply extended his right hand and placed it on Hana's head.
The copying process had a success rate influenced by various factors, though the underlying logic wasn't actually complex: the higher the affinity and the closer the relationship, the greater the chance of success; conversely, the lower the affinity, the lower the odds.
As his hand rested on the crown of her head, Kitahara quickly sensed the multiple abilities Hana possessed—Devour & Evolve, Mirror-World Urban Legend, Dream Weaving, Bad Neighbor, Suppressive Gaze, Imposter Transformation... It had to be said, her repertoire of abilities was quite extensive.
After a few seconds of brief consideration, Kitahara decisively chose the "Mirror-World Urban Legend" ability; it was the only one with truly high utility.
He dismissed "Devour & Evolve"—aside from food and beautiful girls, he had absolutely no desire to consume random evil spirits or monsters. "Dream Weaving" wasn't needed either; Hana was better suited to act as the "server" for that. As for the other abilities, they were either not urgently needed or completely useless to him.
[Copying initiated; please do not sever the connection...]