"What the hell!!" Reiji screamed internally.
He was lying on a bed with Hina snuggled against his arm, sleeping peacefully. One of her legs was draped over his body, ever so close to his crotch. And his right hand was resting on Hina's ass.
Well, actually, he wasn't the one who had intentionally placed his hand there, but Hina herself had done it. Reiji couldn't reject it because Hina might suspect something, and he didn't want that. So he could only awkwardly and stiffly keep his hand on her soft ass while she cuddled him.
Reiji had already tried to pull away from the cuddle, just a little, after hours of confirming she was fast asleep.
That's how they had ended up in this weird position.
Right now, his mind was reeling with only one thought: To get the hell out of this bed.
Mainly because he needed more information about this world. The memories of the previous Reiji weren't enough.
He had spotted a laptop in the corner of the room. So he just needed to get there and learn more about this world.
Luckily for Reiji, Hina was a deep sleeper. If he was careful enough, he would be able to leave the bed without waking her up.
Reiji took in a long breath. He gently removed the arm on which Hina was resting her head, which was also touching her ass. As gently as he could, Reiji finally pulled his hand away.
"Now for the next difficult part," Reiji muttered inwardly with a long sigh.
If he wasn't careful, even if Hina was a deep sleeper, one wrong move and she would definitely send him to meet the previous Reiji.
"I really need to be careful. If she wakes up and sees me removing her body from mine... who knows what she might think?" The thought only made a headache start forming in Reiji's head.
Suppressing the anxious thought, Reiji carefully began to remove Hina's leg.
The pale amber light from the lamp overhead spilled across the room, illuminating Reiji's serious face. It was as if he was defusing a bomb.
There were even beads of sweat on his forehead.
Reiji lifted her leg gently and moved it away from his. Just when he removed his hands from her leg after placing it beside his, Hina's leg shot back to his thigh again, returning to its previous position.
Seeing this, Reiji didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He bit his lip, forcing down the anger and frustration welling up inside him, and started again. This time he was going to make sure to move his leg quickly.
A few seconds later, Reiji successfully moved her leg aside and placed it beside his. Then, as quickly as he could, he pulled his own leg away. Just as before, Hina's leg shot back instinctively to return to its previous position, but luckily for Reiji, he had already moved his leg out of the way.
A small smile played on his lips as he got off the bed. One could see his mood had improved a little.
Reiji hadn't even taken a full step forward when he heard her voice.
"Reiji-kun..."
Hina's cute and angelic voice sounded in the room like a cool, gentle night breeze, but to Reiji it was like a gun pointed straight at his head. All the hair on his body stood on end.
"I'm sorry. Please don't leave me."
Reiji swallowed hard as he heard her voice again. He slowly and stiffly turned his head, mentally preparing himself for what came next.
But to his surprise, Hina was still fast asleep.
Yes, she was only sleep-talking. Reiji let out a long breath of relief. But just in case, he he went in front of the sleeping beauty and waved a hand infront of her face. After several seconds with no reaction, it was clear that she was really sleeping.
Reiji tiptoed to the corner of the room where the laptop was set on top of a side table, with some books stacked near it. He quietly pulled the chair in front of the desk and sat down.
He powered the laptop on. It loaded, then showed the password screen. He swiftly entered Hina's birthday. Even without the previous Reiji's memories, he knew that would definitely be the password.
"Huh... what do you mean incorrect password?!"
Reiji muttered in frustration. Then it suddenly clicked. He had inputted the birthday of the Hina from his own world. So, doing the math, he changed the year by subtracting one.
After the laptop finally opened, Reiji went straight to the web. He clicked on the top trending searches because they matched exactly what he wanted to find out: The current situation of the world right now.
After it loaded, he went straight to the first webpage. He saw an article that drew his attention.
The article was titled "They Slowly Went Away As The Wind".
"At first, no one noticed.
The birth rate of females continued to rise, while that of males steadily declined. It was gradual, almost like a gentle breeze – easy to ignore.
But by April, the situation changed.
Strange events began to occur worldwide. Rifts, now referred to as 'Gates', started appearing without warning.
At the same time, some individuals began awakening abilities that surpassed normal human limits."
Reiji's brain couldn't comprehend what the hell he was reading. It sounded unbelievable, yet it was right there in front of him, slapping him directly in the face. 'Gates and awakened...?'
This was straight out of a novel. After pondering briefly, Reiji decided not to dwell on it too much before continuing the article.
"In those gates, monsters lurked within them, and where off different colors, a silent announcement of their ranks.
Then, just as this events appeared unceremoniously the unthinkable happened.
All males disappeared.
Regardless of age – newborns, those still in the womb, or even men on their deathbeds – every single one vanished without a trace."
"Say what?!... vanished!"
Reiji blurted out in shock, but quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, afraid that even another sound might wake up Hina sleeping on the bed.
Reiji was really confused. He thought that all males had just died over the year. He didn't expect things to be more complex.
For a moment, Reiji felt something cold crawl up his spine. It wasn't just shock it was the quiet realization that he was no longer just a person in this world, but something rare, something that could be taken, used or never allowed to exist freely again.
"This is definitely not normal. What kind of virus could just wipe away all males asif they never existed? And how come it never erased the previous Reiji?" It was really baffling, and it sounded very fictional.
Then something else came into his mind.
'No wonder Hina killed the previous Reiji. Maybe she too was surprised at the fact that all the males in the world were gone... except her precious Reiji.'
Reiji couldn't help but think of the look on her face when she realized that her beloved Reiji would be treated like a tool or a national treasure, and that other women, not just her, would carry his child.
Reiji chuckled, but the scene of Hina stabbing the previous Reiji played in his head and choked the laugh back. He stared at the figure sleeping peacefully on the bed like an innocent soul.
Reiji couldn't help but swallow. "This girl is really unhinged."
He shut down the laptop, already feeling too lazy to continue reading the article. After all, he had gotten some vital information, or so he thought.
Reiji stood up from the chair, stretching his arms as a yawn escaped his mouth. Since his hands were already occupied, he couldn't cover it, so his mouth stretched wide enough to fit an egg, and even tears slipped from both his eyes.
Ding!
[Main Quest: To Have The Dominion To Gain Bonds Unlocked!]
Reiji: "..."
He stared blankly at the glowing green screen that suddenly appeared again in front of him. 'What kind of Main Quest is this?'
As if answering his thoughts, the system chimed again.
Ding!
[Info: To have the dominion to gain bonds, or to have the power to gain bonds. The Host needs to have the power or looks to gain bonds. Bonds, which are relationship bonds, are vital for the Host's growth and can be obtained through the affection of the opposite or the same sex ;) ]
Reiji didn't know if he was seeing things. Was the system joking or what?
[This affection from the opposite or same sex is refined into bond points by the system. And from the system's analysis, you have neither the power nor the looks. Sooo sad. Does the Host wish to check his status? [Y/N]]
Reiji stared at the glowing screen in front of him with a weird expression before finally tapping on the yes option.
Ding!
_____
[Status]
[Host: Kurosawa Reiji Kage] – [LV1]
[Class: None]
[Skills: None]
___
[EXP: 100] [BP: 0]
[Fatigue: 40] [Mana: 100]
___
[STRENGTH: 5] (Vital for the accumulation of bond points through affection. Who doesn't love a strong, thick man ;) but sadly, you are not one.)
[SPEED: 4]
[STAMINA: 4]
[PERCEPTION: 6]
[INTELLIGENCE: 9]
[AESTHETICS: 3] (Also vital for the accumulation of bond points. Beauty and aesthetics appreciation are things you clearly lack.) :(
Free Stats: 0
_____
Reiji: "..."
Reiji couldn't be bothered with the system's taunts. He had stayed up for hours trying to remove himself from Hina's grip and hadn't even slept. He was both physically and mentally exhausted.
"I need to level up, because I have a feeling that being the only male in this world would be tough, especially if powerful women come to claim me and don't give me a chance to bargain!" Reiji gritted his teeth, his fist clenched.
He didn't want to admit it, but he knew very well that the system was right. In this new world where the power balance fell completely on females, he needed strength and power – enough to stand at their level or above – so he wouldn't turn into a tool they could use as they pleased.
Besides, he wasn't that handsome.
Which meant he couldn't rely on charm… only survival.
A cold thought crept into his mind. 'If I stay weak… I won't even get the chance to choose what happens to me.'
Reiji let out a quiet breath.
Powerless people don't get to say no.