Chapter 11: The Partners List
[Day 1]
Emerging from a revitalizing shower, Asahi donned his uniform and ventured into the kitchen. The alluring aroma of French toast paired with the rich scent of hot chocolate immediately captivated his senses. Yet, it was Shizuka’s graceful dance between the sizzling pans and steaming pots that truly caught his eye. Roasting fish seasoned to perfection, sautéing a vibrant medley of vegetables, and expertly whisking eggs for a fluffy omelet at the same time — her culinary prowess would have been wholly undeniable if not for the comical sight of toasted bread stuffed in her mouth.
(The power of an onee-san! Unlock her final form by putting a bun in her bakery.)
‘Did you… just suggest incest?’
(You already did it with your…)
‘Hey, speak louder. I can’t hear you.’
Klyscha coughed dramatically. (Legally it’s questionable. Morally it’s disgusting. Personally… I love it.)
It seemed Klyscha had learned about the culture of memes by stalking him. It also made her more accepting of the commonly frowned-upon topics such as incest. Or it could be the other way around, that she never cared about them to begin with.
‘Ahem, I’ll think about the Onee-san route later.’
He had to consider Shizuka’s feelings before everything. Right now, he was quite excited about the other girls in this world and how he’d make them fall for him.
(The Oyakodon of a Tsundere Princess and her Mature Mother, the Sadistic Kendoka and her—)
‘Shhh. Don’t spoil the fun.’
Just then, Shizuka pointed at his breakfast and spoke muffled words that nobody could understand.
He couldn’t help a chuckle. “Nee-san, no need to rush like that. We still have like an hour.”
Shizuka removed the melon bread from her mouth and stared at him for a good while. His liveliness, a far cry from his usual silent self, left her baffled. It was only when the fish on the stove began to sizzle a tad too enthusiastically that she snapped back to reality.
[–Shizuka Marikawa: Affection +2] |
She flipped the fish in a panic and took a sigh of relief. “Aa-kun, I want to take a shower at my place and change clothes. This one reeks of sweat.”
“You look pretty fine, actually.”
She gave a small smile as a small heart materialized above her head.
[–Shizuka Marikawa: Affection +3] |
“No, really, I don’t,” she protested softly, her fingers nervously adjusting her collar. “I didn’t expect the day to heat up so quickly.”
Asahi took a seat and began to savor the delectable breakfast while admiring her diligence in her cooking. His gaze occasionally drifted to her plump butt accentuated by her tight black skirt.
‘How does this cinnamon roll have no stalkers?’
A charming woman living alone would have at least three stalkers in his previous world.
(Anime logic, my love. Don’t question the absolute laws!)
After packing two multi-layered bentos, Shizuka devoured her melon bread and revealed a cheerful smile. “So tasty… Ahem, Aa-kun, I’ll be back in ten minutes. Don’t go anywhere!”
“Wait, I’ll come with you.”
Her apartment was two streets away from his, yet he didn’t feel safe letting her go alone. While the undead plague had yet to start, he couldn’t rule out some other danger lurking around.
“You don’t—”
“Nee-san, It’s hot outside. What if you faint from dizziness?” He asked while shoving the bentos in his backpack. “I won’t go in your room if that’s what you are worried about.”
Her cheeks flushed at the mention of her room. “T-There’s nothing in my room.”
Asahi’s gaze narrowed playfully, intrigued by her sudden bashfulness. “Nee-san…”
“Okay, come with me! I have nothing to hide.”
With his backpack in tow, Asahi followed her out the door and navigated the sunlit streets towards her apartment.
In another few seconds, they were standing before a cozy apartment on the second floor.
Shizuka hesitated at the doorway. With her hand lingering on the key, she cast a nervous glance back at Asahi. “Aa-kun, you promised you’d head back.”
“Then you said you don’t have anything to hide.” He shrugged. “Besides, the parking lot is closer from here than it is from my apartment.”
She bit her lip and conceded with a soft nod. “Well, there is one thing... something Rika left behind for me. Forget everything I said. Just come in.”
Stepping into the apartment, Asahi was enveloped by the pleasant scent that uniquely belonged to Shizuka. He had lived here until last year then she moved him to another apartment. She did it for the sake of giving him more privacy.
He remembered Rika saying, ‘Aa-chan is an adult now. Give him his own apartment to bang his future girlfriend.’
Rika even bought an apartment to make things easier for Shizuka since she had too much money in her bank account and not much time to spend on anything.
‘I can’t wait to meet the sniper lady.’
(Slay her in bed, and she is yours.)
Asahi stepped into the bedroom and saw the thing Shizuka wanted to hide from him — her messy bedroom. Books, clothes, pens, and even panties were scattered on the study table, the ground, and even the bed.
On one hand she didn’t mind walking around him in just a towel. On the other hand, she felt extremely embarrassed about such a small thing.
‘I’ve gone on dates with a hundred plus women but I can never understand them.’
(She wants to appear reliable in front of you.)
‘Makes sense.’
Shizuka’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “I’m sorry, Aa-kun. I just couldn’t find time to organize my room. I’ll do it on Saturday—”
He placed a finger on her lips to silence her. “I know how busy you’ve been with your job and stuff. I’ll clean things up while you shower, okay?”
“Thanks—”
“No thanks or sorry between family members.”
She widened her eyes then cupped her cheeks, smiling giddily. “Rika-chan was right.”
[–Shizuka Marikawa: Affection +17] |
“Huh?”
He was baffled, partially by the massive increase and partially by her change.
“Rika-chan said Aa-kun will become reliable and mature in high school.”
He let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “There was a reason behind my… strange actions until now. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”
Justifying the silent behavior of his pseudo self and his decisive actions from now on were on his priority list. Otherwise, she might become estranged and grow distant from him.
“Aa-kun, what do you mean?”
He glanced at the clock. “Nee-san, we don’t have the time to stand around.”
“Oh shoot!” She hurriedly took her cosmetics and rushed to the bath.
He chuckled and began putting the things back in their places. His higher agility allowed him to achieve things at a far faster pace than usual. In one of the bed drawers, he found the ‘thing’ Rika left behind — a gracefully elongated violet shaft that arched with a gentle curve, its surface smooth and devoid of any imperfection as if it was crafted with meticulous effort.
(...)
He quietly put the dildo back in its place and dusted off his hands. “And done.”
The two reached a mutual understanding that it was better not to talk about the object of pleasure. They both understood the concept of everyone having physical needs, and his sister was no exception.
“Klyscha, show me status.”
The status showed up. He didn’t notice any changes from the last time.
‘Shouldn’t I have more skills?’
He had learned numerous languages, mastered the art of handling multiple enterprises, and even perfected his skills in bed. None of those showed up in the skill.
(Your achievements weren’t recorded by the System. I forgot to take that into account, my love…)
‘It’s fine.’
Asahi couldn't help but find amusement in the paradoxical nature of Klyscha; a being capable of crafting complex realities, yet prone to the simplest of errors. It was a charming flaw, one that made her more endearing, more human.
(Hehe, praise me more~.)
‘Not now. I wanna check the Partners function.’
[PARTNERS LIST] Shizuka Marikawa Klyscha Marikawa ???? ?????? |
(I took your last name as mine.)
‘That’s good and all. Can we talk about this mysterious admirer of mine first?’
He had a good hunch about the name hidden behind the question marks, but he wanted to hear Klyscha’s reasoning for putting it here in the first place.
(Uh…)
‘Klyscha Marikawa, my most beautiful wife. Are you keeping a yandere away from me?’
(Y-Yeah. That’s right! I censored her name so my love don’t stress over her.)
‘Does her name start with Aimi and end with Akane?’
(...Yes. I rescued her soul with yours. Her soul is currently in stasis. I can unseal her at any moment if you want to meet her?)
He shook his head. Before meeting the bodyguard with a screw loose, he had to become stronger than her and guarantee a way to prevent her from harming him or his future lovers.
As much as he owed Aimi, he couldn’t trust her after that incident.
(Thanks, my love… for giving her a chance. I really don’t want her love to end because of her mistake…)
‘She stabbed me two dozen times. That’s not what you classify as a mistake.’
(Hehe.)
He put the matter behind him and first tapped Klyscha’s name on the list. Her status really made him curious.
[Klyscha Marikawa (Level ∞)] Personal information: Your lovable Goddess of Dreams who always watches over you~. Current Relationship: Eternal Wife Affection points: ∞ Affection Type: Romantic (80%), Maternal (20%) [STATUS] Age: 17 Race: High Human Class: Goddess of Dreams (Divine), The Devoted Housewife (Legendary) [ATTRIBUTES] Strength: ∞ Dexterity: ∞ Constitution: ∞ Defense: ∞ Charm: ∞ Magic: ∞ [SKILLS] (Omitted due to limitations) |
“What the fuck…”