So...
I know I told her I would bring her home with me, but the problem is that I have no clue where "home" is. Since I have no memories of this world from before my arrival, I can't really go home.
'I guess I should check if I'm the Amane I'm thinking of. Status?'
I took a guess on how to bring up the main panel of the system. Thankfully, it seemed my guess was correct.
[Amane Fujimiya]
- Age: 16
- Condition: Healthy; Confused
- Physical Grade: 20 (peak human)
- Mental Grade: 30 (Lower supernatural)
- Abilties: N/A
- Contracts: Yuuko Kanoe
[...]
'Wait a damn second.'
My eyes focused on two interesting parts of the system panel. One, the "Lower Supernatural" of my mental grade, and two, the "Abilities" part.
'System. System!'
[H-Hmm? What's up, Host?]
'Just a quick question. Will I be dealing with dangerous supernatural beings?'
[To be frank, yes. But that's only temporary. Once you reach a certain level of ability, you won't be able to stay in this specific world.]
'Why? Is it similar to that one thing where a lower being can't interact with a higher being?'
[Correct. You'll phase out of sync with this world. To fix that, I'll transport you to a new world where you fit in again unless you get unlucky with the spawn point.]
'Okay. Thanks. Sleep well.'
[See ya.]
"Ama-!"
"Amane~!"
My eyes snapped to attention as a blur of black fabric filled my vision. Yuuko leaned in close, the red scarf of her sailor uniform swaying gently against her chest with the sudden movement.
"Yes, Yuuko?"
"Can you buy me that!"
She bounced on her heels, causing her dark, pleated skirt to swish rhythmically around her legs. My eyes traced the line of her pale arm, extending from the crisp cuff of her long sleeve, to where her finger was pointing. It was a cake shop, and I didn't even realize we had traveled so far in such a short amount of time.
"Sure."
The two of us walked into the normal bakery, though to anyone else, I definitely looked alone.
"Good Evening! What can I get for you today?" A dyed blonde-haired woman greeted me with smiles, a customary thing for customer service. Her appearance, though, looked vaguely familiar.
"You... aren't you Tsumugi-san's Mom?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.
The whole place went silent for a moment aside from the faint noise of the kitchen behind her.
"You know Rintaro?"
"Uh... not exactly? I've seen him around and heard a few things."
"Then, how'd you know I was his mom?"
"You two have the same look in your eyes, to say the least." My reason was complete bullshit, but what could I do.
Tsumugi's mom's eyes went wide with a warm smile. "Can I ask your opinion of him?"
"Mine?" My eyes glanced at Yuuko, who was drooling over the cakes in the clear display case. Her eyes stuck between two slices of strawberry and chocolate. A faint chuckle wanted to escape me, but I couldn't really afford to laugh lest I look crazy. "He's way too nice. It's absurd to me that people are scared of him."
"Pfft~, I know, right? Wait. If you don't know him, how can you tell?"
"I have an eye for people."
"Oh, yeah? Then your girlfriend here must love that about you."
"Girlfriend? Wait..."
"This girl right here is your girlfriend, right?"
Yuuko jumped. "Y-Y-You can see me?"
"Bahahaha~!" The woman laughed, wiping a counter. "Why wouldn't I be able to see you, dear? You're standing right in front of me."
"No way..." Yuuko's voice trembled, a mix of terror and hope. She leaned over the counter, getting right in the woman's face. "How do I look to you? Tell me!"
"Hm?" The woman blinked at the sudden intensity but smiled. "Long, straight black hair. Striking red contacts. And a very cute, if slightly old-fashioned, sailor uniform? You're quite the beauty."
"Amane! Amane!"
Yuuko's shock shattered instantly into pure, unadulterated joy. Yuuko squealed, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently. She was practically vibrating, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a child who had just been told Christmas came early.
I smiled watching her jump up and down; Tsumugi's mom, on the other hand, looked at Yuuko bewildered. She didn't comment on Yuuko's strong reaction though.
"Here, you two." Tsumugi's mom grabbed the two slices of cake that Yuuko was drooling over, handing them to us. "On the house. You two better hurry along; it's about to get dark. Get your girlfriend home safely, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am."
I didn't question the free slices. My mind was more occupied with the fact Yuuko was visible.
'I wonder why she is visible?'
[Hm? Oh, I guess I should answer.]
'Weren't you asleep?'
[Yeah, but I got bored.]
'Fair enough.'
[The reason she is visible is because of how you two signed the contract. She wanted to be with you and you wanted to bring the "her" you see to "your" world, aka the world of the living. As such, the contract fulfilled both wishes even though you two didn't explicitly say things like that.]
'Damn, that's pretty cool.'
[Yeah, pretty much she is "alive" to the world as long as she's around you.]
'Awesome!'
"Yuuko, about what she said. You aren't going to deny it?"
"About what?"
The two of us walked side by side as the sun began to fully set.
"About you being my girlfriend? I for sure don't mind at all since having you is a blessing, but I just want to make sure you don't feel uncomfortable."
"Hehe~, no need to worry. I've wanted that for a while now, Amane."
"I see. Then, will you go out with me?"
"My~ My~!"
Yuuko hugged my right arm tightly, her full chest wrapping it with their warmth. I didn't feel nervous or embarrassed at all. Unfortunately for her, I've always been good at controlling my reactions.
Smiling, I freed my arm and snatched her slender hand. "Let's go find somewhere to eat these before we head home."
"Okay, Amane dear~"
"Guh. That's actually more deadly than I thought."
"Pfft~, you're really adorable, you know that?"
I lied. My face was fully lit up now.
[Your affection for Yuuko has increased to: Girlfriend]
[Yuuko's affection has increased to: Pseudo-Soulmate]
'It seems my subconscious has caught up.'
This system notification proved to me all I needed. My mind finally caught up with reality, and that its ratings aren't based off conscious but subconscious desires.
[Rewards Acquired]
- 1,000 USD (Close Friends Reward)
- Eternal Recovery (Yuuko) (Girlfriend Reward)
'Sweet!'
The rewards this time were even better at a glance.
[Eternal Recovery (Yuuko): As long as you are alive, Yuuko can return to her peak state. Do keep in mind that it's whatever state she was in at the day's change.]
I let go of Yuuko's hand. Instead, I pulled her close by her waist while continuing to walk. She let out a happy sound, but I couldn't be pulled to look. If I did right now, I wouldn't be able to not flirt. I couldn't do too much in public, but once I figured out where home was, I definitely would love to flirt more.