Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 36 The system is finally starting to exert its power!

As soon as Shiina Maki asked the question, she saw Akizuki Makoto's expression turn to astonishment.

"Uh...no...no...that's not what I meant!"

She immediately realized there was something wrong with her statement, so she hurriedly explained, "I just...want...no...I don't want to...that's not right either..."

So flustered was she that Shiina Maki didn't even know what she was saying. Her heart was filled with anxiety and frustration, and she couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

Seeing this, Akizuki Makoto put his hand on her shoulder, patted her back, and comforted her, "Wait a minute, Shiina-san, calm down and don't rush."

When Shiina Maki suddenly asked him so loudly if he was free, he was indeed taken aback for a moment, because this question is usually used pejoratively to mock the other person for being nosy.

But Shiina Maki would never be sarcastic towards him, so he quickly understood what she meant.

I guess I just wanted to ask him if he was really free.

"Okay, okay..."

Shiina Maki patted her ample chest, took deep breaths to calm herself, and then whispered, "I... I mean... if Akizuki-kun is free... could you... have a meal with me... my treat..."

"of course can."

Akizuki Makoto smiled and agreed, then said, "But this time, I'll treat you."

Both out of courtesy and reason, he should treat Shiina Maki to a meal, after all, she was the one who saved him from dire straits at a crucial moment.

At that moment, he almost shouted out in excitement, feeling like a father who thought, "Wow, he's grown up."

"No no no!"

Shiina Maki quickly shook her head and waved her hands, appearing very resistant: "I can't let Akizuki-kun spend money. I invited Akizuki-kun, so I should pay!"

"Okay, what would you like to eat?"

Seeing that Shiina Maki's attitude was so firm, Akizuki Makoto didn't press the issue and compromised immediately.

Treating someone to a meal is a small matter; there's no need to agonize over who should pay.

"I...I want to eat ramen, is that okay?"

Shiina Maki asked him this question cautiously, her small hands fidgeting nervously beneath her.

She was a little worried that Akizuki Makoto would find it strange that he was treating a man and a woman to such a low-class meal as ramen.

Akizuki Makoto nodded and asked curiously, "Sure, but why do you want to eat ramen?"

"Well... everyone says girls shouldn't go to ramen shops, but I've always wanted to try it, so..."

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Shiina-kun, you're so cute."

"Eh eh eh?!"

"Where did you hear that? The reason why girls can't go to ramen shops is probably because of their image. Eating ramen is hot and you'll sweat, which will ruin your carefully applied makeup and make you look a little unrefined."

“Is that so…?”

Shiina Maki was somewhat confused, but more than that, she felt a surge of nervousness, her heart pounding wildly.

Just now, didn't Akizuki Makoto praise her for being cute?
Although I think she's adorably silly, that's still a compliment!

"I'm so happy, I love it, I love it, I love Akizuki-kun the most..."

Shiina Maki cupped her flushed, burning cheeks in her hands, squirming her body as she silently expressed the overflowing love she felt for Akizuki Makoto.

"Do you have a restaurant you'd like to go to? If not, I happen to know a good one nearby."

"Let's go to the shop that Akizuki-kun recommended!"

Shiina Maki answered almost instantly, and Akizuki Makoto nodded slightly and set off with her.

They walked in silence, mainly because Shiina Maki was still unable to calm down. The thought of being praised for being cute made her feel incredibly sweet.

Akizuki Makoto wasn't a talkative person, and besides, he had been quite exhausted lately.

I thought I wouldn't have to see any abnormal women for the next couple of days, but I was slapped in the face the next second. Who can stand this?

His head would start to ache whenever he thought of Ji Yexue, and he didn't know what to do with her.

You have triggered a new temporary quest.

Should we try to approach Ji Yexue and dispel her jealousy and hatred towards you?

[yes/no]

[Note: Given the high level of difficulty of this mission, additional mission funding will be provided out of basic humanitarian considerations.]

Just as Akizuki Makoto was secretly troubled, a pitch-black panel suddenly popped up.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly felt a surge of excitement.

The gutter system, which has been constantly criticized, is finally starting to show some effectiveness.

This mission came at the perfect time. In any case, he had to dispel Ji Yexue's negative opinion of him, otherwise he would really be forced to return to his hometown.

But for this setback to force him to flee back to his hometown in disgrace was certainly not his style. "Let me see what this mission funding is all about..."

Qiuyue Cheng, like a fly rubbing its hands together, chose "yes," hoping that something good would come his way.

Please eliminate Ji Yexue's jealousy and hatred towards you within the specified time limit of one week.

[Mission Bonus: During this week, your resistance to invisibility is increased by an additional 20%, and you have half an hour of invisibility time each day.]

Sorry, system, I was speaking too loudly before.

The moment he saw the mission funding, Akizuki Makoto immediately knelt down in front of the leader.

He vowed that he would never call it the God-Man System again, and that from now on the system would be his godfather!

With this extra 20% resistance and half an hour of invisibility every day, he was able to contend with Ji Yexue.

At least, it won't be like before, where she was allowed to do whatever she wanted without any room for resistance.

"I need to think carefully about how to get rid of the president's jealousy towards me..."

After making this decision, Akizuki Makoto put the idea aside for the time being.

Because without realizing it, he and Shiina Maki had arrived at the ramen shop he had recommended.

Although it was lunchtime, the restaurant wasn't very crowded. At first glance, only a few people were sitting at the very front of the counter, quietly eating their noodles.

Makoto Akizuki led Maki Shiina to a corner seat at the bar and asked, "Shiina-kun, can you eat spicy food? Are there any dietary restrictions?"

"I can handle spicy food! I have no dietary restrictions!"

Shiina Maki clenched her small fists and placed them in front of her, her eyes filled with a resolute determination as if she were facing certain death.

She had already heard that ramen is only truly delicious when it's spicy.

"real or fake?"

Akizuki Makoto was somewhat surprised, as he personally couldn't handle spicy food very well, so he admired people who could.

"Really! I want it extra spicy and numbing!"

"Okay, I'll grant your request."

Seeing that Shiina Maki was so certain, Akizuki Makoto smiled and nodded, then called the shopkeeper to take their order.

He ordered a mildly spicy ramen and a super spicy and numbing devil ramen.

"Okay, got it!"

The ramen chef responded with a strong voice and began preparations.

While waiting for the food, Shiina Maki started a conversation, saying softly, "Um... Akizuki-kun... I've been trying hard lately, you know?"

"Hmm? Really? What kind of efforts are you referring to?"

Akizuki Makoto rested his chin on his hand, wondering if Shiina Maki's efforts meant that she was suppressing her desires.

"It's about... trying to become brave... and rebelling against my mother..."

Shiina Maki lowered her head and spoke somewhat uneasily, her hands clasped tightly together.

"Oh... huh???"

Akizuki nodded, but suddenly realized something was wrong and abruptly turned his head to look at Shiina Maki.

What did he hear?
Did Shiina Maki actually muster the courage to fight back against her abusive mother?!
"It's because... I was thinking about what Akizuki-kun said... Didn't Akizuki-kun say that?"

At this point, Shiina Maki suddenly became a little nervous again, her voice trembling slightly.

"Akizuki-kun told me to be brave and confident, and then he told me to get a haircut so that I could change into my summer uniform once the bruises faded..."

"Because these are the words of Akizuki-kun, I have kept them in mind and have been thinking about them carefully, because... because... I want to work hard... to be praised by Akizuki-kun."

As she finished speaking, Maki Shiina's voice grew softer and softer, and her head drooped lower and lower.

In the end, she almost buried her head in the bar, and her voice was barely audible.

However, Akizuki Makoto was sitting right next to her, straining to listen, so he managed to hear what she said.

One by one
One by one
P.S.: I'd appreciate it if you guys could keep reading and give me your monthly votes these next couple of days, because I'll be relying on reading to get recommended on Monday and Tuesday.

This book has been written for half a month and has already been updated with 90,000 words, with more than 5,000 words every day, often 6,000 words.

This is a bit longer than other new books.

Generally, during the initial period of a new book, everyone updates 4,000 words a day. After all, it's a free period, so there's no money to be made, and writing too fast makes it harder to get recommendations.

Instead of writing more chapters, it's better to save up drafts and wait for them to be published. This is something some senior writers taught me.

However, I don't think my writing is very good, so I can only rely on my efforts. I hope that if I update more often, my brothers will follow my work and support me.

Alright, that's all for now. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my brothers for the donations, monthly tickets, recommendations, and continued reading. Please continue to support me with your strong support, and I will work harder and be more motivated to update.

Barley
(End of this chapter)