After saying goodbye to that lively family, Fujiwara Ai walked alone along the road home.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long across the pavement, dyeing the streets of Yokohama in warm orange light.
Although he had appeared calm and composed inside the Goto household, only he understood how exhausting that kind of high-intensity social interaction was for someone still undergoing soul fusion after transmigration.
That familiar stinging sensation gradually spread through the depths of his brain again, like countless ants gnawing at his nerves.
“Phew…”
Fujiwara Ai let out a slow breath and found an empty bench in a nearby park before sitting down quietly.
“System.”
He called out in his mind.
[Ding!
Your exclusive Romance Strategy System is online.]
[Host performance evaluation today: S-rank.
Successfully infiltrated the Goto Family, gained the approval of the future father and mother-in-law (mistake), and further strengthened the bond with Goto Hitori.
Affection Value gain: +50.]
[Current Affection Value balance: 380.]
Looking at the balance that had finally escaped double digits, Fujiwara Ai felt a small sense of relief.
So this is the so-called corporate slave mentality.
Exhausting, but seeing the paycheck somehow makes it worthwhile.
Unfortunately, now was not the time for sentimentality.
He still had to deal with that troublesome soul rejection problem.
Although the increase in charm value had strengthened his body and reduced some of the pain, the hidden danger still existed like a ticking time bomb.
If he failed to resolve it completely, then one day he might actually collapse in the middle of some ridiculous Shuraba situation.
“Open the shop.”
“Search for soul-related items.”
The pink interface expanded before his eyes, rows of products appearing one after another.
Fujiwara Ai skillfully ignored all the flashy romance-oriented items such as aphrodisiacs and X-ray glasses.
Tempting, but not useful right now.
His attention locked onto the functional section.
[Item: Soul Stabilizer (Basic)]
[Effect: Temporarily suppresses soul rejection reactions for 24 hours.
Price: 50 Affection Value.]
Too expensive for a temporary solution.
Treats the symptoms, not the cause.
Pass.
[Item: Soul Fusion Acceleration Card (One-time use)]
[Effect: Significantly increases compatibility between soul and body, permanently alleviating rejection reactions.
After use, the host will unlock additional micro-expressions, and pain tolerance will increase.]
[Price: 300 Affection Value.]
Fujiwara Ai’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Three hundred points.
Painful, but acceptable.
Even if buying it would reduce him back to near poverty, it was still worth it for the sake of his future survival and quality of life.
“Purchase.”
He gave the order without hesitation.
[Ding!
Purchase successful.
Consumed 300 Affection Value.]
[Item “Soul Fusion Acceleration Card” has automatically activated…]
In the next instant, a cool sensation poured down from the top of his head and spread rapidly through his spine and entire body.
It felt like drinking ice-cold soda during midsummer or soaking in a hot spring after being tense for an entire day.
The lingering pain deep within his mind faded at astonishing speed.
His body suddenly felt lighter, as though some invisible burden weighing thousands of pounds had finally been lifted.
Most importantly, his facial muscles seemed to…
awaken.
Fujiwara Ai walked toward the sink in the park and looked at his reflection through his phone screen.
He tried moving the corners of his mouth.
There was no sharp pain anymore.
Only a slight soreness from muscles that had not moved naturally for a very long time.
Then he tried to smile.
This time, it was no longer that stiff and dangerous sneer that made him look like a villain preparing to kill someone.
It was a real smile.
Subtle, restrained, but unmistakably genuine.
Combined with his charm value of 85, the effect was devastating.
The youth reflected on the screen had slightly curved eyes, and the coldness surrounding him instantly softened into something indescribably gentle.
“Finally…”
Fujiwara Ai touched his own face.
“Finally, I don’t have to look like a poker-faced psychopath all the time.”
Although he still intended to maintain his cool and aloof image most of the time, at least now he could express genuine emotions toward the people important to him.
His mood immediately improved.
Fujiwara Ai stood up and began walking home again.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
[Ryo: Boss, I heard you went to Bocchi’s house to meet the parents?]
[Ryo: Has the bride price been negotiated yet?
If not, I can help bargain.]
[Ryo: By the way, can I get an advance on this month’s living expenses?
I found an amazing effects pedal…]
Fujiwara Ai looked at the messages and could not help curling his lips slightly. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
This woman really is well-informed.
And she still dares ask for money after everything?
Looks like the previous lesson wasn’t memorable enough.
[Fujiwara Ai: Want money?]
[Fujiwara Ai: Come to my apartment.]
[Fujiwara Ai: The house happens to need someone to wash dishes.]
After sending the messages, Fujiwara Ai put away his phone and hummed a tuneless melody while walking home.
It sounded vaguely similar to Bocchi’s newest composition.
As for whether Ryo would actually come?
That was guaranteed.
After all, for that trash-tier bassist, dignity was valuable, freedom was valuable, but both could be sacrificed for the sake of money.
Back at the apartment, Fujiwara Ai opened the door and was immediately greeted by the familiar scent of dinner.
Yotsuya Miko was busy in the kitchen while wearing her dark blue apron.
Hearing the door open, she turned around with a smile that resembled a wife welcoming her husband home.
“Welcome back, Ai-kun.”
“How was it?
Did everything go smoothly?”
Fujiwara Ai changed his shoes and walked into the living room.
This time, instead of responding with his usual indifferent nod, he leaned casually against the kitchen doorway and revealed a faint but genuine smile.
“Yeah.
It went very smoothly.”
“I’m home.”
Clang.
The soup ladle in Miko’s hand slipped straight into the pot.
She stared blankly at Fujiwara Ai.
That just now…
Was that a smile?
Ai-kun…
smiled at her?
Not a fake smile.
Not a sarcastic one.
Not a polite expression.
A real smile.
At that moment, Miko felt as though her heart had been struck directly.
An overwhelming sense of happiness flooded through her body so suddenly that she even forgot to pick up the spoon.
“Ai…
Ai-kun…”
Her face instantly turned bright red, tears gathering uncontrollably in her eyes.
“I also…
missed you very much too!”
She rushed over recklessly and threw herself into Fujiwara Ai’s arms, wrapping both arms tightly around his waist.
Fujiwara Ai staggered back half a step from the impact but quickly steadied himself.
He wrapped an arm around her and gently patted her back.
There was no pain.
No rejection.
Only warmth.
“Careful.
The soup is about to boil over.”
He reminded her softly.
“Ah!
My soup!”
Miko finally snapped out of her daze and hurried back toward the stove in panic.
Watching her flustered figure, the smile on Fujiwara Ai’s face deepened slightly.
Those 300 Affection Value points really were worth it.
Just then, the doorbell rang again.
Ding-dong.
Miko immediately turned around with vigilance in her eyes.
“Who is it?”
Fujiwara Ai walked to the entrance and glanced through the peephole.
Outside stood a blue-haired girl leaning lazily against the wall with the expression of someone who clearly believed herself noble despite arriving to work.
Yamada Ryo.
“Someone’s here to work.”
Fujiwara Ai opened the door.
“Come in.
Change your shoes first.”
Ryo stepped inside, glanced toward Miko in the kitchen, then looked back at Fujiwara Ai and raised an eyebrow.
“Boss, your expression feels a little different today.”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Did you do something good?”
Fujiwara Ai ignored the question and simply pointed toward the pile of dishes stacked in the sink.
“Wash those and you’ll get five hundred thousand yen.”
“Deal!”
Ryo instantly abandoned all curiosity and sprinted into the kitchen while rolling up her sleeves.
“Out of the way!
She pushed Miko aside and began washing dishes with extremely questionable technique.
Fujiwara Ai silently shook his head.
Inside the kitchen, water splashed everywhere.
Although Yamada Ryo had accepted enthusiastically, her actual skill level was catastrophic.
Clang!
A plate slipped from her soap-covered hands and slammed violently into the sink with a horrifying cracking sound.
Fortunately, it survived.
“Oops.
Hand slipped.”
Ryo apologized without any sincerity whatsoever before continuing to scrub dishes like she was polishing bass guitar parts.
Foam flew through the air and even splashed onto Miko’s apron.
Miko inhaled deeply.
As the self-appointed mistress of the home, she genuinely did not want to argue with a financially bankrupt bassist working to repay debts.
But watching the dishes she normally used with Ai-kun being abused so brutally caused her temples to twitch.
“Miss Ryo.”
Miko stepped forward and calmly lowered the faucet pressure.
“Dishes are not musical instruments.
You don’t need that much force.”
She smiled gently, but hidden beneath that smile were metaphorical knives.
“If they break…
Ai-kun will be unhappy.”
Hearing the name “Ai-kun,” Ryo paused briefly.
She glanced toward Fujiwara Ai, who sat leisurely reading in the living room, then back toward Miko, whose seemingly gentle appearance radiated unmistakable danger.
“Alright, alright.”
Ryo shrugged and finally became more careful.
“Seriously…
high school girls these days are terrifying.”
She muttered quietly while continuing obediently under Miko’s supervision.
Half an hour later, dinner was finally ready.
Although Ryo technically came only to wash dishes, the moment she saw the luxurious spread prepared mostly by Miko alongside soup enhanced by Fujiwara Ai’s God-Tier Cooking skill, she naturally found herself a seat and picked up spare chopsticks from somewhere.
“Boss…
does the dishwasher get employee meals?”
She looked at Fujiwara Ai with complete sincerity.
Fujiwara Ai lowered his book and stared at this woman determined to embody freeloading until the end of time.
“No.”
“Ehhhh…”
Ryo dragged out the sound dramatically before turning hopefully toward Miko.
“Beautiful Miko-san, surely the two of you can’t finish all this food alone, right?
Wasting food is shameful, and as a passionate environmentalist, I volunteer myself for sacrifice.”
Miko stared at her thick-skinned expression.
Honestly, she wanted to throw her out immediately.
But after another glance toward Fujiwara Ai, she noticed he made no move to stop Ryo.
He simply picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.
That silent permission told her everything.
“…Fine.”
Miko sighed and served Ryo a bowl of rice.
“Only one bowl.”
“Thank you!
You’re an angel!”
Ryo praised her shamelessly before immediately launching an all-out assault on the food.
To be fair, although she ate quickly, she was not crude about it.
Instead, she resembled a hamster stuffing its cheeks while eating.
The moment she tasted Fujiwara Ai’s miso soup, her normally lifeless eyes immediately lit up.
“This is incredible.”
“What kind of divine flavor is this?
It’s even better than the famous old shop in Shimokitazawa!”
The gaze she directed toward Fujiwara Ai now contained not only admiration for his money but also worship born from appetite.
“Boss, are you interested in adopting a pet that only eats, sleeps, and plays bass guitar?”
“No.”
Fujiwara Ai rejected her mercilessly once again.
Then he calmly picked up the best piece of fish belly and placed it into Miko’s bowl.
“Eat more.”
His tone was gentle and natural.
Miko’s previously gloomy mood instantly brightened.
She looked at the fish, then at Fujiwara Ai, happiness blooming across her face.
“Mhm!
Thank you, Ai-kun!”
She even shot Ryo a triumphant glance that clearly said: See?
This is the treatment reserved for the main heroine.
Ryo ignored it completely and continued eating.
To her, as long as there was food and money involved, public displays of affection were merely side dishes.
The night gradually deepened.
Moonlight streamed softly through the apartment windows while warmth filled the quiet room.
Though the future ahead was clearly destined to become chaotic, at least in this moment, the people gathered here still shared a fragile and peaceful warmth together.