Tokyo: To reiterate, this is not a dating system.

[Asahi Yuko's revision progress changed]

Please check your progress and claim your reward in time.

Warm water dripped from the showerhead as Genji Aoyama showered while checking his system rewards.

The pop-up window had been there since he found Yuko Asahi, but he only had the chance to check it now.

[Yuko Asahi, correction progress -20%]

[Because the host is in a relationship with Yuko Asahi, and dating requires funds, you have received 1000000 yen.]

At 11:31 PM on April 14th, Asahi Yuuko thought the host's singing was very nice. She tried searching for it but got no results. The thought that the host was the lead singer of an original band flashed through her mind, and she gained the skill "Mastery of Music Theory".

Genji Aoyama blinked and looked at the system interface again in disbelief.

It's great that it can generate gold coins, and it would be even better if it gave you skills.

But there was one thing he couldn't understand—

-20%?

Can the correction progress be negative?

He didn't understand at all.

Does this mean I'm disliked?

The idea flashed through his mind for a moment, but he immediately dismissed it. However, this was not a romance system.

If the progress becomes negative, it probably means that the problem has become more serious.

However, with the reward, Genji Aoyama didn't know whether this change was right or wrong.

Turning off the shower and pulling himself out of his thoughts, Genji Aoyama dried himself off in the shower before returning to the locker room to change into his workout clothes.

As a top-tier private high school, Hakuho High School is well-equipped, with each student having both a basic shoe cabinet and a wardrobe.

In his wardrobe, there is always a clean set of sportswear.

"You've been a huge help."

Otherwise, he would have had to go back wearing his wet and sticky school uniform.

After packing his almost soaked school uniform and towel, Genji Aoyama left the gymnasium with an umbrella.

◇

School clinic.

A faint smell of disinfectant lingered around Yuko Asahi's nose. Although it wasn't a pleasant smell, it always made her feel at ease.

After her reminder, Genji Aoyama eventually sent her here.

She leaned against the bed, her fingers constantly stroking the back of her phone, while her other hand swiped up and down the LINE chat interface.

[Aoyama: I just arrived at the station. It's very crowded. I thought about it and decided to wait for you at a coffee shop near the station.]

[Qingshan: Trevo Cafe - Location]

[Aoyama: But please don't overthink it. I just feel that it's because of me that I've taken up your time.]

[Qingshan: Please contact me when you arrive]

There are all sorts of reasons.

Yuko Asahi recalled the scene at the train station that morning.

At the time, I just didn't feel the resistance I had imagined, but now I feel somewhat at ease.

wow-

The curtain that had been partially drawn around the hospital bed was pulled back, and a soft voice sounded from the side.

"Fifteen minutes have passed, let me check your blood sugar."

The infirmary teacher was a woman in her thirties, wearing a white coat, who looked very gentle, and had a name tag on her chest that read "Shizuka Yoda".

"Ms. Yoda, I'm sorry to have troubled you." Asahi Yuko put down her phone.

"Taking care of students is what I should do," Shizuka Yoda smiled. "Are you afraid of pain? The blood draw process might be a little painful."

"No problem." Asahi Yuko shook her head.

The needle pierced her skin, and a brief, sharp pain spread from between her fingers, causing her to wince slightly.

"Did your boyfriend bring you here just now?" Shizuka Yoda asked Yuko Asahi while drawing blood.

"...I guess so."

"Hmm—" Shizuka Yoda picked up the blood glucose meter, a mischievous smile on her face, "You're both still young, so you should be careful when you're dating. If you're going to do it, make sure to take precautions."

"what?"

What...what are you going to do?

Yuko Asahi knew exactly what she was talking about, but she never expected to hear such words from her teacher.

"As a healthcare teacher, guiding teenagers to engage in healthy and wholesome interactions is also part of caring for students."

With an air of knowing what she'd been through, Shizuka Yoda patted Yuko Asahi on the shoulder: "Your blood sugar has returned to normal, so there shouldn't be any problems. Remember to eat well from now on, and it's best to keep some candy with you at all times."

"Thank you, teacher. I will."

Yuko Asahi finished bowing on the bed and prepared to get out of bed.

"You can rest a little longer and wait for your boyfriend to arrive before you leave," Shizuka Yoda said with a smile. "When you're not feeling well, it's okay to rely on your partner a little. This can trigger their protective instincts. It's a little trick."

After sharing her clever idea, Shizuka Yoda returned to her seat.

"..."

Yuko Asahi didn't know what to say.

She agreed with Shizuka Yoda's words, but felt conflicted—her relationship with Genji Aoyama was only superficial, and she probably also thought that she didn't have much expectation for romantic love.

Thoughts, like creeping vines, spread uncontrollably through my mind.

Then there was a knock on the door of the infirmary, accompanied by the boy's voice saying, "Excuse me."

"Your boyfriend's here, Asahi-kun." Shizuka Yoda winked at Yuko Asahi on the hospital bed, then loudly responded to Genji Aoyama's knock on the door, "Come in."

"Are you feeling better?"

When Genji Aoyama came in, Yuko Asahi had already gotten out of bed.

"Yes, I feel much better. Thank you very much," Yuko Asahi said, bowing again to Shizuka Yoda. "Thank you again for taking care of me, teacher."

"It's alright," Shizuka Yoda smiled gently, "You should take good care of your lovely girlfriend, young man."

"Yes, I will."

Genji Aoyama nodded, then said goodbye.

On the way to the tram station, the two barely spoke a word to each other.

Genji Aoyama simply began to study the system.

A new skill, "Music Theory Mastery," appeared on the panel, and the system notification also hinted at a crucial piece of information.

This island nation is different from the one in his previous life.

As Aoyama Genji just confirmed, the song he sang in the bathroom last night cannot be found online, even though the singer is quite well-known.

After learning about this situation, Genji Aoyama had a general idea in mind.

There was another thing that concerned him.

The system's explanation for what it means when the correction progress turns negative is very vague.

It took Genji Aoyama a long time to come up with an example, and it was probably only a superficial understanding.

Like a girl who seems gentle on the surface but has a complicated mind, she may develop into a feminist or even a yandere, or she may develop into a caring older sister who can speak her mind and tolerate everything.

What a hassle!

Genji Aoyama sighed inwardly.

It would be better to give him a dating system, allowing him to transform into a scumbag, a human bulldozer, and wade through a battlefield of love and hate. That would be much more satisfying.

Just kidding, Genji Aoyama isn't the kind of person who plays with women's feelings.

"Even if it's just to know where the problem girl's problem lies, that would be fine."

He looked at the girl with the problem through the transparent umbrella. She was staring intently at the road, seemingly lost in thought because of a small puddle filled with water.

Swallowing the words he wanted to ask, Genji Aoyama continued walking towards the train station.

Mother?

He was pondering the name, and when the call connected, Asahi Yuko accidentally called out to him.

Is the problem rooted in one's family of origin?

Genji Aoyama found it even more troublesome.

You can't ask these kinds of questions lightly. Even if you do, the other person might not answer, and even if they do answer, they might not tell you everything.

Humans are such complex creatures; even with the closest of friends, there are some things that cannot be spoken aloud.

If you want to fleece young girls, you can only do it slowly.

While they were thinking, the two arrived at Hongo 3-chome Station.

It wasn't quite what Genji Aoyama had expected. Perhaps it was because there were more people with umbrellas, or perhaps it was because some workers hadn't finished get off work by six o'clock.

The evening rush hour in island nations is significantly less intense than the morning rush hour.

There was no more crowding like in the morning, and naturally there was no physical contact between the two.

After the two of them clarified things, that situation shouldn't happen again.

Genji Aoyama thought so.