"Ugh—who's texting me at this hour—"
Miura Yumiko, having just woken up and already planning to go back to sleep, was shaken out of it by her phone buzzing. She grabbed it, squinted at the screen—and felt the sleepiness evaporate on the spot.
It was Mio.
She unlocked the phone.
"Yumiko—do you have anything particular in mind for a birthday present? Anything you'd want?"
Yumiko blinked. It took a moment to register that her birthday really was coming up—next Wednesday.
She didn't recall ever mentioning that to Mio. Yui must have told her.
She had no idea how to respond.
Who asked someone what they wanted as a birthday gift? The whole point was to surprise them, wasn't it?
…Although. She and Mio weren't dating. There was no particular reason for a surprise.
While she was still thinking it over, another message came through.
"I know you'd be happy with pretty much anything, given your personality—but I still want to give you something you'll actually use."
Yumiko stared at those words.
A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.
Just then, her sister pushed open the bedroom door to check if she was up—and found her bundled in her blanket, rolling gently back and forth with a dopey expression on her face.
In the interest of personal safety, her sister quietly eased the door shut and walked back to the living room.
"Yumiko's… still asleep," she reported.
(The giggling-while-rolling-in-a-blanket scenario was, technically, not inconsistent with being asleep.)
She sighed. It wasn't fair. She wanted to be in a relationship too. It would be really nice to have a girlfriend like Mio—
Across town, Yui stood in the middle of the shopping center plaza, surrounded by storefronts, looking a little lost.
She glanced over at Mio, who was looking down at her phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Texting Yumiko. Asking what she'd want for her birthday."
"Eh?!"
Yui's brain momentarily stalled. "…Is that really okay?"
"Personally, I'd rather give her something she'll actually use."
"Okay, if you say so… has she replied yet?"
Mio checked her phone. "Not yet. Probably still thinking. Let's just browse for now."
"Okay."
Yui didn't hesitate. She stepped in beside Mio and looped their arms together, just as naturally as breathing. "Do you think anyone here will think we're a couple?"
Mio answered without thinking: "Probably."
Then she paused.
Wait. Hadn't she said that to Yui once before?
The System chimed in her ear:
"Since Yuigahama Yui has been so cooperative, why not meet her halfway? Before leaving the shopping center, have at least five people believe that you and Yuigahama Yui are a couple. Success will yield a possible Yuigahama Yui series card or item reward. Failure will result in a penalty card draw."
"A very simple task. Do your best~"
Easy. Under normal circumstances she could complete this in her sleep—especially with Yui already doing half the work. But Yui's conquest rating was sitting at 48 points. Dangerously close to the next threshold. She couldn't afford to let it climb.
She decided to let this one fail.
Her plan was simple: do nothing, coast, let the counter stay at zero.
What she hadn't counted on was Yui.
She hadn't done anything. They'd barely wandered through two stores. But the moment she glanced at the counter in her vision, it read: 2.
Just by walking around with Yui clinging to her arm—Yui, who was radiating the warm, blissful smile of someone very much in the middle of falling in love—strangers had started filling in their own conclusions.
3.
The counter ticked up while she was watching a display window. Three down, two to go.
Mio thought about creating some distance between them. She turned to look at Yui—who was smiling, softly, at nothing in particular. The words didn't come.
Yui turned at the same moment. "Mio, what do you think about getting Yumiko a scarf?"
"Yeah, that'd work well."
"Then I'll go with a scarf." She looked over. "Have you decided what you're getting?"
"She still hasn't replied, so I'll hold off for now. I'll ask around more tonight and figure it out." Mio kept her voice even. Somewhere in her peripheral vision, she was watching the number.
It hadn't moved.
She let out a quiet, internal breath of relief.
"In that case, should we keep browsing or head back?"
"Head back. We came here to study, remember?"
Casual. Relaxed. Nothing to see.
But Mio was very, very aware that if they stayed in this mall any longer, this task was going to complete itself without her lifting a finger.
The best move, by a mile, was to walk out the door. Once they left the premises, the task would fail automatically.
Get out. Now.
...