They all have hidden attributes!

[Perception 600 points, reached Level B]

Your five senses are far beyond those of ordinary people; your intuition is accurate and keen.

[Gained Skill: Lv.Max Mind's Eye]

[Lv.Max Mind's Eye: Observation Haki? Biological radar? In any case, you now possess a sixth sense.]

[Charm Breakthrough A-Level]

[The power to bewitch hearts, all things become obsessed with you]

[Gained Skill: Lv.Max Mind Storm]

[Lv.Max Mind Storm: By unleashing charm, you can change the thoughts and beliefs of others; those of low character will become completely obedient to you.]

With his charm and perception abilities improved, Makoto Takahashi was in a good mood. He pinched the cheek of the person standing beside him, got up from the bed, and checked his personal panel while washing up.

[Character: Makoto Takahashi]

[Age: 18 years old]

[Constitution: Grade B. 751]

[Perception: Grade B. 602]

[Intelligence: C-level, 518]

[Persistence: C-grade. 530]

[Charm: A-level, 894]

[Skills: Concentrated Breathing Lv.2, Nervous Blade Lv.2, Greed Lv.4, Painting Lv.Max, Gatebreaker Lv.3...]

[Skill Points: 37]

[Level Bonuses: Lv.Max Stamina, Lv.Max Wind Chaser, Lv.Max Enhanced Senses, Lv.Max Talented, Lv.Max Rapid Recovery, Lv.Max Mind's Eye]

During this period, not only did my stats improve every day, but I also accumulated a lot of new skills and skill points. The feeling of moving towards my goal every day gave me a sense of security and groundedness.

After shutting down the system and changing into casual clothes, Makoto Takahashi tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the hallway, where he happened to run into Reiko Kashima, who lived next door, as she was leaving.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"..."

Kashima Reiko stared blankly at Takahashi Makoto for a moment, then raised her hands and gently patted her cheeks: "Good morning."

Recently, Makoto Takahashi has been staying at Yuki Tachimi's detached villa. Kashima Reiko's room is right next to the young lady's bedroom, and Makoto often sneaks over there.

Despite their frequent meetings and intimate relationship, Kashima Reiko would still lose herself in thought the moment she saw him.

"You don't need to prepare my breakfast anymore. I told my aunt last night that I'm moving back to my apartment starting today."

Makoto Takahashi hadn't realized that the excessively high numbers were causing her unusual mood. He casually waved his hand and headed for the stairs.

"I understand." Kashima Reiko shook her head vigorously, her turquoise eyes flashing with a complex meaning.

Stepping out of the villa, Makoto Takahashi didn't have his driver pick him up. Feeling the cold wind blowing through the sky, he yawned and walked out of the Tachimi family home.

The sky was clear, with the occasional thin layer of clouds drifting by.

As September draws to a close, temperatures are dropping every day.

After getting used to the chill of autumn, I only feel that the air is clear and bright, and the brisk autumn breeze makes me feel refreshed.

With the yellow leaves fallen from the roadside trees, and the low temperature and dim light creating a desolate atmosphere in the still-sleepy streets of Chiyoda Ward, the area felt rather bleak.

After boarding the early train, Makoto Takahashi dozed off on a bench in the subway, and arrived in Ikebukuro amidst the sounds of the subway passing by.

After walking for about 10 minutes from the east exit of Ikebukuro, crossing the pedestrian overpass, I returned to the front of the apartment building after a long absence.

He raised his wrist; the cobalt blue dial showed just past 7:30. He went to his usual convenience store for breakfast, trying to recapture that familiar feeling, before returning to his apartment.

I turned the key to open the door and stepped into the entryway. The dimly lit room had fresh air and was filled with a feminine scent.

Makoto Takahashi turned on the lights. The apartment was clean and tidy, looking like it had just been cleaned. On the living room sofa, Hanakawa Kaori was curled up in the blankets, peeking out her cute head, sleeping peacefully with her back to him.

She won't be staying here for a while, will she?

Makoto Takahashi approached quietly. Various snacks were laid out on the coffee table, and the TV screen connected to the game console was still on, displaying the map interface of a cyberpunk game.

Makoto Takahashi gently rubbed Hanakawa Kaori's head, his fingers stroking her smooth, long hair. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes, waiting for her brain to "recharge," before groggily asking, "Brother?"

“Go to your bedroom to sleep,” Makoto Takahashi said.

"Okay." She sat up from the sofa, the quilt slipped off, and her petite and youthful body was exposed to the air.

A white tank top revealed snow-white shoulders and slender arms with smooth skin, while white short pajama pants were wrinkled, revealing soft and supple thighs.

The temperature was unexpectedly low, and Hanakawa Kaori shivered slightly. She raised her hand to rub her eyes, picked up the canned drink on the coffee table, and swallowed a mouthful.

Under Makoto Takahashi's gaze, her expression visibly contorted.

"It tastes awful."

Hanakawa Kaori pouted, muttered softly, and held out her hand, saying, "I don't want to drink anymore."

"Then why did you still buy it?" Takahashi Makoto took the drink, glanced down at it, and saw it was soda water.

"I'm looking for adult tastes."

"We haven't found it yet."

"No." Hanakawa Kaori looked disappointed.

Seeing the loneliness in her bright, moist purple eyes, Takahashi Makoto helped her wrap herself in the blanket and asked with concern, "You still haven't told me why you want to find adult tastes."

"Because I want to be an adult."

Hanakawa Kaori bit her lower lip, looking straight at him, her voice, not quite fully awake, filled with determination.

This wasn't the first time she'd said something like this. Takahashi Makoto pondered for a moment, then cautiously pressed, "Is there a particular reason? You seem to be in a bit too much of a hurry."

When they first met, Hanakawa Kaori said that she wanted to become an excellent adult, and that forcibly changing her tastes was a manifestation of her desires.

"I do not know either."

Hanakawa Kaori shook her head, pulling the blanket closer to him: "It's probably because I keep dreaming about the scene of my mother abandoning me, but I don't think I resent her to that terrible degree."

"For a long time, I didn't know why I played badminton, nor did I really want revenge, but I always felt that life was full of unpleasant things."

Her voice conveyed a sense of confusion and exhaustion, as if she had completely lost her way.

"Have you spoken to Aya and Sachi?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

"Mmm." Hanakawa Kaori nodded gently, her lips slightly bitter, and she suddenly wanted to drink something.

She reached out from under the covers, grabbed the can of soda, held it to her lips, closed her eyes as if making a decision, and took a big gulp.

"Cough, cough cough."

Hanakawa Kaori frowned, her features contorted adorably, and she coughed forcefully. Takahashi Makoto helped by gently patting her back through the blanket.

“If you don’t like it, don’t drink it. Forcing yourself is a stupid thing to do,” Makoto Takahashi said.

"Uesugi-nee said that I want to become an adult because I have low self-esteem, which seems to make sense."

Hanakawa Kaori handed the soda back to Takahashi Makoto, looked up at him with a slightly aggrieved expression, and said, "Sachi-neechan said that my mother abandoned me because I wasn't strong enough, so I want to become an excellent adult to prove myself."

"What do you think?" Makoto Takahashi put the canned soda back on the coffee table and met her gaze with a gentle look.

The hazy morning light shone through the balcony glass and fell between the two of them. In the quiet atmosphere, Hanakawa Kaori's clear voice was mixed with a hint of shyness.

"I think what they said makes some sense, but it's not entirely correct."

"Are you dissatisfied with who you are now?" Makoto Takahashi asked tentatively.

"Ah."

"I see."

Perhaps because of his talent, or because of his high [perception] attribute, he was able to understand Hanakawa Kaori's inexplicable feelings and her true thoughts buried deep in her heart.

Should we guide her to understand her own heart?

Takahashi hesitated for a moment, then turned his head to look at the deep sky with a thoughtful gaze and sighed softly.

Dilemmas, worries, concerns... all sorts of feelings surfaced one after another, making it difficult to make a decision.

Hanakawa Kaori has recently been into stories featuring younger sisters, and she's completely unguarded around him. Even though she doesn't do anything suspicious, Takahashi Makoto is still worried that her innocent feelings might fall on him.

It's not uncommon for teenagers to develop feelings for their understanding older brothers, and when it happens, it's troublesome for both of them.

Makoto Takahashi was well aware of his own stats, so he had no intention of comforting her.

But watching Hanakawa Kaori wander around searching for adult tastes, lost and unable to find her way forward, I felt a pang of guilt.

Besides, what if Uesugi Maya and Tatsumi Yuki really corrupt her if I don't take care of her?

Hanakawa Kaori's family environment is already bad enough. Without proper guidance, it will inevitably lead to disaster sooner or later, and may even ruin her life.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Makoto Takahashi turned back to meet her gaze. In Hanakawa Kaori's clear and beautiful purple eyes, he saw trust, dependence, and a gleam of longing for understanding and recognition.

As a precaution, Makoto Takahashi activated the system, turned on [Lv.Max Restricted Level], and locked his charm at the B-level limit.

"Hanaori, you don't actually dislike badminton, do you?" he asked softly.

"Yes." Hanakawa Kaori nodded in agreement.

"You didn't resent your mother either."

"Ah."

"And he didn't blame any other family members."

"..." Hanakawa Kaori looked down at the sofa fabric.

Makoto Takahashi sat down beside her and said in a gentle tone, "You are not jealous of Aya, me, or anyone else."

He paused briefly, noticing Hanakawa Kaori's expression tighten, before stating firmly:

"The person you hate, blame, and resent is yourself."

“It’s so cruel of me to say that, brother,” she said.

"It's not about badminton, but about the feeling of helplessness when your family breaks down and you can't intervene."

Makoto Takahashi saw right through Hanakawa Kaori's desire to become an excellent adult, causing her heart to pound nervously and her gaze to wander through the air.