Splash.
In the bathroom.
The water in the bathtub overflowed as Kitahara Minakaze lay down in it.
Haa.
Kitahara Minakaze let out a long breath.
“Brother, I left your clothes outside and made your bed. You still remember where your room is, right?”
Natsume Mio’s voice drifted in faintly from outside.
“I know,” Minakaze replied.
“Okay~”
Outside, Natsume Mio didn’t say anything else, her footsteps gradually fading away.
Minakaze adjusted his posture, shifting into a more comfortable position, and focused his gaze on the translucent text that appeared whenever he concentrated.
[Tutorial Quest Completed!]
[Quest Completion Summary: As expected, no one can resist the whispers of an evil god.]
[Quest Rewards: The System, a stepsister who has opened her heart to a certain extent, and… love from the System.]
“Eat shit. Who wants your love?”
Minakaze didn’t know why, but he suddenly blurted out the retort loudly, feeling a sudden urge to obliterate the system and maybe even himself.
Especially when he remembered how long he had been subjected to those whispers.
But the translucent text before his eyes did not bend to his will.
The text continued to display.
[System: Host: Ah Yue / Kitahara Minakaze Strength: 9 Agility: 9 Endurance: 7 Luck: 0 (You will have a fatal attraction to monsters and demons) Supernatural Abilities: None Special Status: None Comprehensive Assessment, Tier 8 An unlucky and ordinary high school student, though with reasonably well-developed limbs.]
“Motherfucker, I’m really going to obliterate you. What does Luck 0 mean? I’m gonna fucking—”
[Are you happy?]
Just as Minakaze was about to unleash a string of profanities.
All the panels, descriptions, and other text completely vanished.
A very simple question appeared before his eyes.
His words caught in his throat.
But before he could think too deeply about it, the simple question lingered briefly before slowly turning into particles and dissipating into the void.
[Congratulations! You have received the reward ‘Love from the System’ and acquired the supernatural ability—Insight! Insight: You will possess the ability to look directly at the gods. Hopefully, you won’t just use it to look at girls.]
Soon after.
After lingering for a moment, this line of text also gradually turned into particles and vanished into the void.
The murmurs in his ears urging him to complete the tutorial quest disappeared as well.
Aside from his eyes feeling a little itchy, Minakaze felt no discomfort whatsoever.
He tested it out; if he concentrated, he could still see the attribute panel.
“Are you happy…?” Minakaze stared at the bathwater, frowning as he repeated the words that had abruptly appeared before him.
His subconscious told him something was wrong.
Over half an hour later.
Knock, knock.
A gentle knocking sounded once again.
It interrupted Minakaze’s thoughts.
“Brother, you’ve been in there for almost an hour. Are you okay?”
Only then did Minakaze realize the bathwater had gone cold.
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside, stood up, stretched his body, and replied, “I’m fine.”
…
“You scared me to death. I was wondering what you were doing in there. I got so scared I went to check on the underwear I just changed out of. Thank goodness it’s all still there…”
Holding a dry towel, Natsume Mio stood next to Minakaze—who had just put his clothes on but still had dripping wet hair—and calmly delivered a deadpan line that sounded suspiciously like a dirty joke.
“High school girls these days are truly terrifying.” Minakaze looked as if his face had just been run over by a truck.
Mio defended herself, “It’s just because you haven’t been to school in so long. The topics my classmates talk about are way bolder. The breadth and audacity of high school girls’ discussions are beyond your imagination.” You are reading on novelping . com, the official source.
“Yeah, I can see that now.”
“So…”
“So?”
“So you’re going to school tomorrow, right? Brother, if you don’t go soon, you’ll fall behind. You won’t be able to get a girlfriend in high school.”
Minakaze was stunned.
“You built up to that for so long, even resorting to dirty jokes, just for this?”
“…”
Mio’s face immediately flushed red.
She looked left and right before finally fixing her gaze on the towel in her hands, changing the subject.
“Let me dry your hair.”
With that, she raised the towel and reached for Minakaze’s head.
However, he was quite tall; even standing on her tiptoes as hard as she could, she could only reach the back of his head…
She struggled on her tiptoes for a moment.
Finally, she gave up.
Lowering her hands, she said helplessly, “Brother, you should just sit down…”
Hearing this, Minakaze turned to look at her, paused for a second, and then sat down.
He had discovered how to use Insight.
[Name: Natsume Mio Strength: 3 Agility: 4 Endurance: 2 Luck: 9 Supernatural Abilities: Familiar Special Status: [Dependent], Description: Between life and death, in a moment of despair, you saved her. Your status as her nominal older brother, combined with past experiences, has caused her to develop an extremely high sense of dependency on you. Staying by your side gives her a great sense of security. PS: Ah, the heart of a maiden) Comprehensive Assessment, Tier 9]
“The heart of a maiden, my ass. You’ve got issues.”
Minakaze grumbled.
Mio, who was holding the towel and softly humming a song while drying his hair, paused her movements.
“Huh?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself.”
Minakaze shook his head, focusing his attention on Mio’s stats and her final Tier value.
He didn’t know what a normal person’s stats looked like, but Mio’s current numbers were probably those of an ordinary girl.
After all, they looked so trash that he felt like he could take on ten of her…
But with such trash stats, her final Tier was 8.
It was probably because of her supernatural ability.
As for her Luck…
Motherfucker!
“You’re going to school tomorrow, right? Brother.”
Just as Minakaze was studying the data panel.
Mio suddenly asked again.
Minakaze shifted his gaze away from the translucent text in front of him.
The text gradually turned into particles and dissipated into the void.
“Yeah, I’ll go.”
“That’s great. I’ll make a bento for you tomorrow too.” Mio rubbed his hair vigorously, seemingly very happy.
“Thanks.”
Minakaze nodded.
“Don’t move your head around.” Mio straightened his head using a posture that looked like she was about to press F to perform a stealth takedown.
“By the way, we have a hairdryer at home. Drying it like this is such a hassle.”
“I’m part of the natural air-dry faction.”
“Well, air-drying is pretty comfortable. I’d like to do it too, but it’s not convenient with long hair.”
“Mhm.”
“…What a half-hearted response. Whatever, I’m done drying it. It should be completely dry if you wait a little longer. But if you’re going to sleep like this, remember not to set the AC too low, or you’ll catch a cold.” Visit NovelPing for the full chapter.
“Got it.”
“I’m going back to my room to sleep then. If you’re not tired, you can watch some TV. I’ll pour you a glass of water.”
Mio handed the towel back to Minakaze, then trotted over to the kitchen and poured him a glass of water.
Minakaze took the water and said, “Thanks.”
“Then… I’m going to sleep.”
Mio hesitated for a moment before turning to leave, but her steps were slow, as if she were reluctant.
Watching her back, Minakaze inexplicably recalled the special status he had just seen.
He thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Don’t worry, I’m home, and my room is right next to yours, isn’t it? Even if something happens, I’ll help you. I won’t play dead this time.”
“In that kind of situation, if possible, I’d still prefer it if you played dead…”
Mio turned around.
Even though she clearly looked relieved, she still put up a brave front.
“Alright then, I’ll listen to you. If anyone comes, I’ll play dead.”
Mio: “…”
“I’m joking. You were the one trying to act tough just now, but now you look like you’re about to cry…”
Minakaze couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Don’t worry, I won’t play dead. Go to sleep.”
“Who’s about to cry…”
Mio awkwardly turned her head away, ruffled her hair, and jogged off.
Only her voice drifted back from afar, carrying a sense of relief.
“Oyasumi.”
…
Minakaze sat alone in the living room.
After watching Mio leave, he took a sip of water.
In the end, he still hadn’t gotten a clear answer.
He had only received a vague one.
Mio was obviously unwilling to say more.
It wasn’t impossible to press her further; in fact, that was exactly what Minakaze had planned to do just a moment ago.
However, after seeing her special status, he changed his mind.
Ah, this damn kindness.
Minakaze mocked himself with a bit of inner melodrama.
Then, he looked at the water in his cup.
Suddenly, he felt that this was pretty good too.
Even though the situation was still unclear.
He had been given a new lease on life.
So he might as well live it well.
Minakaze smiled, set down the cup, turned off the living room lights, and returned to his own room.
Lying on the unfamiliar bed, he felt slightly uncomfortable.
But this discomfort was quickly overcome.
After letting his thoughts wander for a while.
Exhaustion gradually washed over him.
Minakaze closed his eyes.
Just as his breathing gradually steadied…
[Ding. Emergency Quest: Please save Natsume Mio]
In his daze, a piercing notification chime suddenly rang out in his mind.
Minakaze shot up like a dying man jolting awake from his deathbed.
He violently threw off the covers and sat up.
“Motherfucker…”