At Roland's home.
After the System locked his Aunt Yukio as his target, Roland had no choice but to resign himself to his fate, pack his bags, and head to her house.
It was winter break, and his mother had tasked him with completing the "Affection Breakthrough Mission" before the break ended, preferably with a grandson in tow.
Roland completely ignored his mother's unreasonable demand.
What the hell? A grandson? I'm only eighteen! She wants me to become a dad while I'm still in second year of high school?
Besides, who says it has to be a grandson? I want a cute little daughter, okay?
Despite his inner turmoil, Roland dutifully arrived at Aunt Yukio's house, a japanese style traditional three-story house and unlocked the door with his key.
That's right, Roland had a key to Yukio's house. She had personally given it to him, encouraging him to visit whenever he had time.
This clearly showed how fond Yukio was of him.
"Aunt Yukio, I'm here!" Roland called out as he stepped into the house. He glanced around the modern living room, its sleek furnishings feeling oddly out of place in the otherwise traditional Japanese-style home. Not spotting her anywhere in sight, he made his way to her bedroom and gently knocked on the door.
"Roland, come in quickly!" Yukio's slightly urgent voice came from inside the room.
"Alright," Roland replied, pushing open the door and stepping inside.
His eyes immediately landed on Aunt Yukio, who was gracefully reclining against the headboard of the bed. Her elegant figure exuded both poise and warmth as she rested. A Japanese woman of striking beauty, her long black hair was neatly tied into a traditional bun, and she wore a flowing kimono that accentuated her timeless charm.
Though this wasn't his first time seeing her, Roland couldn't help but marvel at her beauty each time. Aunt Yukio truly seemed ageless, as if time had left no trace on her face.
Her figure remained voluptuous and alluring, unchanged over decades, still radiating mature charm. How could anyone guess she had borne two children?
Combined with her preference for traditional kimonos, Aunt Yukio exuded the aura of a dignified noblewoman steeped in tradition.
No, she was a dignified noblewoman!
The thought of spending the next while trying to win over such a mature beauty stirred an audacious impulse within Roland mind—a reckless desire to test his limits. A desire to possess this woman.
Damn it, we've barely met! What happened to my resolve not to pursue her? How could my filial devotion crumble so quickly?
It must be that damn System's fault. He must have been corrupted by it; otherwise, how could someone as pure as him have such blasphemous thoughts?
Yes, it's all that accursed System's fault—that wicked Mother!
"Aunt Yukio, are you feeling better?" Roland approached Yukio, his heart racing. He realized he could no longer see her simply as an elder.
"Don't worry, I'm much better now," Yukio said quickly, patting the edge of the bed and gesturing for Roland to sit closer. "Come here, let Aunt Yukio get a good look at you."
"Okay, Aunt Yukio," Roland replied, his heart skipping a beat as he quickly sat down beside her.
As he settled onto the bed, their bodies inevitably pressed close together.
His arm felt the soft warmth of Yukio's body against his, and he could almost catch the mature fragrance that naturally emanated from her.
It was a scent distilled by years of experience, a fragrance that could only be cultivated by a seasoned woman who had weathered life's storms.
Enveloped in this aura, Roland felt as if he were deeply immersed in Yukio's embrace, unable to extricate himself, utterly intoxicated.
Damn it, could he really be into older women?
She's his mother age!
"Now that you're here, stay longer," Yukio said, unconcerned about their close proximity. She even took Roland's hand and held it tenderly, her gaze full of affection. "And make sure you win Haruno over, okay? Aunt Yukio is just waiting for us to become family."
Roland glanced at his hand clasped tightly in Yukio's and nodded inwardly with secret delight.
Ahem, of course, his delight wasn't due to the soft feel of Yukio's hand, nor did he secretly squeeze it twice.
Roland's joy stemmed from the fact that he had been fretting about how to justify holding Yukio's hand.
After all, he still had the "Affection Breakthrough Mission 1: Hold Hands" to complete.
If he failed to complete the mission on time, who knew what kind of punishment his mother would devise? Best to finish it quickly while it was still manageable.
The only difficulty lay in whether he had the courage.
Given Yukio's doting affection for him, even if he impulsively took her hand for no reason, she likely wouldn't mind.
But the problem was, he simply didn't have the nerve...
Think about it: if you were visiting a relative's house, would you dare to take their mother's hand unprompted?
Absolutely not, right?
Roland felt the same way.
But now that Yukio had taken his hand first, how could Roland help but feel secretly delighted?
This meant he wouldn't have to brazenly commit such an outrageous act himself.
That's what Roland had thought...
But after their hands had been touching for quite some time, and the System still hadn't registered the mission as completed, Roland began to sense something was amiss.
Just then, the System suddenly sent him a notification:
[Mission Upgrade: Interlock fingers with Aunt Yukio for ten minutes.]
Roland: "..."
Alright, he finally understood why the mission couldn't be completed. It wasn't enough to just hold hands; he had to go as far as interlocking their fingers in such an intimate way?
And for ten whole minutes?
You might as well just kill me now.
That was interlocking fingers for ten fukking minutes—something only couples and lovers would do!
If he did that, wouldn't it be like telling Aunt Yukio he was lusting after her?
There's no way I can bring myself to do that!
The corner of Roland's mouth twitched involuntarily again. What was he supposed to do now?
First, he had to complete the mission sooner or later. Besides, Yukio had initiated the hand-holding this time. If he couldn't act now, would he ever dare to take her hand himself in the future?
So he had to act. This was also a perfect opportunity to gauge Yukio's reaction to his intimacy.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Roland endured a fierce internal struggle. Finally, he steeled his resolve, gritted his teeth, and took that crucial step toward the "unforgivable."
Roland's hand, still held by Yukio, suddenly shifted its position. Under her astonished gaze, his fingers wriggled like mudfish seeking a burrow, forcing their way between her fingers. Then, with a decisive grip, he firmly clasped her soft palm in his own.
With their fingers interlaced, the System initiated a ten-minute countdown.
At that moment, Roland was like a pure, inexperienced virgin, his face flushed crimson as he lowered his head, too embarrassed to meet Yukio's gaze.
Even Yukio, who usually tolerated Roland's touch without complaint, was genuinely startled by his action, freezing in place for a moment.
She stared blankly at her hand, tightly gripped by Roland, nearly covering her mouth in surprise.
After all, this gesture was far too intimate. Not that she disliked intimacy—she longed to grow closer to Roland—but this particular form of closeness felt... inappropriate with his shy reactions.
This could almost be considered a romantic gesture.
If Roland had simply grabbed her hand casually, it would have been one thing. But the fact that he lowered his head in obvious shyness afterward... what did that mean?
Clearly, Roland hadn't viewed their interlaced fingers as mere contact, but rather as an ambiguous act.
Was he deliberately trying to do something suggestive?
This little rascal... did he actually harbor such sinful thoughts about her?
Did Roland... like her?
Yukio knew she was attractive, but she never imagined Roland's preference for older women would extend this far...
No, you silly child, Yukio thought. I'm already a mother of two, and I've watched you grow up. I can't possibly agree to something like this.
She would grant him any other request, but this... Even if she wanted to, his own mother would never allow it.
Yet, while Yukio knew she couldn't agree, outright rejection seemed inappropriate.
What would happen if she pulled her hand away now?
It wasn't about traumatizing Roland's tender heart, but it would undoubtedly create awkwardness between them in the future.
Above all, Yukio didn't want their relationship to become strained. That would be the beginning of a growing distance between them.
She had cherished this little guy for more than seventeen years. How could she let him drift away so easily?
So, she couldn't withdraw her hand. Instead, she had to acknowledge Roland's gesture.
Besides, it was just holding hands, right?
At its core, it was merely a way for their palms to touch. They had held hands before—why make a fuss about their fingers being intertwined?
None at all!
Having realized this, Yukio began to respond to Roland. Her fingers slowly closed around his, until their hands were tightly intertwined.
As long as she didn't make a big deal out of it, it was just an ordinary hand-holding!
But... even though they had agreed not to overthink it, the moment their fingers locked together, Yukio felt her heart pounding with unprecedented intensity.
She couldn't help but turn her face away, as if terrified Roland would see her flustered expression.
For a moment, both of them awkwardly averted their gazes, clearly embarrassed by their actions.
Yet even in this awkwardness, neither made any move to release their grip. They remained intertwined, letting time slip away unnoticed for over nine minutes.
It was only when a figure appeared that their incredibly ambiguous atmosphere was finally shattered.
"Mother, I'm back..."
"..."
Haruno walked into the room, then... froze in place.