"I'm digging in~"
After Kitahara Makoto was the first to pick up his chopsticks, the girls all started eating.
Lunch officially began.
"Mmm, super delicious."
"The texture of pufferfish is a bit like jellyfish, but much tastier than jellyfish."
"I would call it the ultimate delicacy; its deliciousness is only surpassed by the Eden Fruit."
"The pufferfish dishes I had in high-end restaurants before are completely not on the same level as Kitahara-kun's cooking."
"If a perfect score is one hundred, I'm willing to give Kitahara-kun two hundred."
"…"
For today's pufferfish dish, the girls all gave it full marks.
The meal was enjoyed by all.
With Tomori there, every plate was completely clean in the end, with no issues of waste whatsoever.
"Kitahara-kun, have some tea."
Soyo had already brewed black tea, and seeing Kitahara Makoto put down his chopsticks, she thoughtfully poured him a cup.
"Thank you, Soyo."
Kitahara Makoto took the teacup, took a light sip, then reached out and pulled the pandoras box floating in mid-air towards him.
"Excellent, the first layer of charging is finally complete."
A satisfied smile appeared on Kitahara Makoto's face.
It was worth all the hard work he put into preparing the fugu dishes today; the idealistic energy emanating from the girls was indeed powerful enough to fully charge the pandoras box in one go.
Of course, this only met the conditions for opening the first layer; the remaining layers were still a long way off.
"Is Kitahara-kun going to open the box?"
Kita looked over curiously.
"That's right," Kitahara Makoto nodded, "It's blind box time."
Although the fuller the pandoras box was charged, the higher the level of the reward opened, it was definitely not possible in the short term, and it might not even be fully satisfied in one or two months.
Also, Kitahara Makoto's urge to open the blind box was stirring, and he eagerly wanted to know if the rewards inside would change compared to last time after the blind box was opened.
Anon asked curiously:
"Kitahara-kun, do you need to wash your hands before opening the blind box?"
"Absolutely not," Kitahara Makoto said confidently, "I rely entirely on myself to open blind boxes, not luck."
"Tsk~"
"..."
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly and decisively opened the blind box.
At the same time.
A soft hum echoed in Kitahara Makoto's mind, and he felt his vision suddenly elevate, as if he had fallen into an endless sea of quantum imaginary numbers, with many floating star clusters appearing before his eyes.
[Ability: Schrödingers Cat]
[Category: Passive]
[Description: When an event is in a superposition state that has not yet been observed, you can actively choose to collapse it into a state you desire.]
[Remarks: When in doubt, quantum mechanics.]
Kitahara Makoto was not entering the sea of quantum imaginary numbers for the first time; he was already accustomed to the strange sights around him and calmly checked the attributes of the surrounding star clusters.
"Tsk~"
"Basically, they are all items I saw when I opened it last time: disaster, plague, curse, bad luck... As expected of a Kessoku Band that brings disaster and misfortune."
Kitahara Makoto lightly clicked his tongue in his heart.
If he didn't have the ability [Schrödingers Cat], Kitahara Makoto would definitely lock this thing tightly in the bottom of a box and never take it out to use.
"The reward light cluster for the Moon-Star Chalice is gone, so does that mean items that have already been opened won't be opened again?"
"As for the choice of reward..."
Kitahara Makoto didn't hesitate and simply chose an item he had been very tempted by last time.
"Wish Note, it's you!"
"As for the hypnotic pocket watch... Are you kidding? I'm not some male protagonist from a certain anime; I don't need it at all, right?"
"..."
After making his choice, Kitahara Makoto simply extended his right hand and grabbed the star cluster representing the Wish Note.
As he made his choice, the endless sea of quantum imaginary numbers instantly collapsed, shrinking and dissipating at an incredible speed.
Bang!
As Kitahara Makoto opened his eyes, the pandoras box suddenly closed.
All of this took a long time to describe, but in the real world, it was merely the blink of an eye.
From the girls' perspective, Kitahara Makoto reached out and opened the pandoras box, then closed his eyes, and then the Kessoku Band suddenly closed.
"Eh, is that it?"
"It's a bit different from what I imagined."
"Even opening a convenience store blind box isn't this fast, right?"
"Kitahara-kun, what did you get?"
"..."
The girls all cast curious glances, waiting for Kitahara Makoto to reveal the answer.
The item obtained from the last blind box was [Moon-Star Chalice], which could cure most diseases and curses in the world, so it was super amazing. The item just opened shouldn't be much worse, right?
"It's this."
Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand, and in his palm was a stack of pink wish notes.
"Eh?" Kita widened her eyes, her voice hesitant, "It seems to be... wish notes?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"That's right, it's wish notes."
"Kitahara-kun can choose the reward, right?" Chihaya Anon couldn't help but complain, "wish notes are too ordinary, aren't they?"
Soyo said gently:
"Anon, don't rush, let Kitahara-kun finish first."
Kitahara Makoto held up the wish notes in his hand:
"It looks like an ordinary Wish Note, but it's actually not ordinary. Please call it a Wish Note."
[Name: Wish Note]
[Type: Marvel]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Function: This Wish Note possesses magical power. Tear off a Wish Note, write your wish on it, and if it is a wish that can be fulfilled, then the wish will come true. If the wish cannot be fulfilled, or is too grand and exceeds the Wish Note's limit, the wish will fail.]
[Usage: Tear off the Wish Note, write down the wish. Ink and font are not restricted.]
[Remarks: Used wish notes will replenish themselves over time.]
After listening to Kitahara Makoto's introduction, the girls were all shocked.
"Eh, eh, eh? A Wish Note that can help people fulfill wishes?!"
"Incredible!"
"That sounds too exaggerated, doesn't it?"
"Can such an ordinary-looking Wish Note really fulfill wishes?"
"..."
Kitahara Makoto quickly counted and found that there were many wish notes, more than a dozen, so he quickly tore them off.
"Each of you take one. You'll know if it can fulfill wishes by trying it out."
Fortunately, there were enough convenience stickers; otherwise, it would have been troublesome. Giving one to some and not others would definitely ignite a conflict.
The girls all came forward curiously, each taking a Wish Note, even Taki, who deliberately kept her distance, was no exception.
This was a [Wish Note] that could fulfill wishes; no one could resist its allure.
Those who were quick, like Chihaya Anon, had already pulled out a pen from somewhere and excitedly said:
"My wish is to win the lottery jackpot. I wonder if it can come true."
"Preferably not," Kitahara Makoto retorted, "When I first got the answer book, my wish was also to win a big lottery prize, but the book directly showed garbled characters."
Kita tilted her head in confusion: "Why were there garbled characters?"
"Because anything controlled by humans cannot achieve true fairness and justice," Yamada Ryo rested her right hand on her chin, her profile looking full of beauty, with a heroic and dashing air. "Something like a lottery jackpot, even if you know the answer beforehand, ordinary people can't win."
Kita raised her right hand and said:
"What if I wish for world peace?"
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but retort:
"A certain game character has a very classic line..."
"Eh, what is it?"
Kita looked over curiously.
Kitahara Makoto said faintly:
"Don't dream impossible dreams."
Kita: "..."
Kitahara Makoto clapped his hands, drawing the girls' attention:
"Everyone, think carefully before writing your wishes. It's not yet clear if the [Wish Note] has any pitfalls, so for now, don't make strange wishes... If you encounter any unexpected situations, remember to notify me immediately."
"Got it~"
Lunch ended.
The highly anticipated blind box time also came to an end, and the girls all bid farewell and went home.
Taki, who should have left early, actually lingered behind, clearly having something to say.
"Makoto-kun, Taki wants to talk to you."
Tomori walked over, acting as a messenger.
"What's up, Taki?"
Kitahara Makoto walked curiously to Taki's side.
Taki pursed her lips and said softly:
"My sister has a concert tonight and gave me a few tickets. She also said she wants to treat Kitahara-kun to dinner tonight to thank you for your help last time... She asked me to ask if you're free."
"I see." Kitahara Makoto's voice was regretful, "I thought Taki missed me."
"...Huh?!"
Taki's small face quickly flushed red, and she glared at him angrily:
"You're terrible!"
"You're the worst!"
"Don't flatter yourself, I wouldn't miss a guy like you!"
You actually said such frivolous words in front of Tomori, you really want to die, don't you!
"If you're not free, then never mind. Tomori-chan, let's go back..."
"Wait a moment." Kitahara Makoto reached out and stopped Taki, "Since Taki invited me, of course I'll go to the concert tonight."
Taki snorted lightly, glaring at him in annoyance:
"I said my sister invited you! It has nothing to do with me!"
Kitahara Makoto smiled:
"Then Taki isn't coming tonight?"
"I..."
Taki originally wanted to say she wasn't coming, but the words caught in her throat, and she swallowed them back down.
No.
I must go.
Maki-nee has an extremely high affection for this scumbag Kitahara, and if they are left alone, who knows what might happen… If Maki-nee falls for him, wouldn't her chastity be sacrificed for nothing?
"Hmph." Taki snorted lightly, turned her head and said, "Tomori-chan, are you free tonight? Let's go to a concert together tonight?"
Tomori softly said:
"Will it disturb Taki and Makoto-kun's date?"
Taki's small face flushed red again, both embarrassed and angry:
"It's not a date with this guy at all!!"
"…"
After Hana sent everyone back, Kitahara Makoto and Hana went to the amusement park again to put the Kessoku Band back. Even a mosquito's leg is meat, so of course it couldn't be wasted.
This time, Kitahara Makoto planned to fill the Kessoku Band directly, wanting to see what the highest-grade item in the Kessoku Band looked like, and he didn't plan to open blind boxes for a short time.
Time flowed quietly.
In a flash, it was three o'clock in the afternoon.
Kitahara Makoto changed into a pair of shorts, put on a sun hat, and then pushed his bicycle out of the house.
"Tomori-chan, I'm off."
The message quickly showed as read.
Tomori: "Waiting for Makoto-kun by the river."
No words were exchanged along the way.
Kitahara Makoto rode his bicycle like the wind and quickly arrived at the small river where he and Tomori had once looked for oval stones.
Before the typhoon, Kitahara Makoto, Tomori, and Taki went fishing at the fish farm. At that time, he promised to accompany Tomori to pick oval stones to decorate the fish tank, so he naturally kept his word.
The weather in the afternoon was quite hot. The riverbank was empty, with no one strolling around. Only two girls wearing sun hats stood together, who were Tomori and Taki.
One of the two girls was wearing black stockings, and the other was wearing white stockings. The youthful and vibrant atmosphere of high school girls came rushing forward, which was exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
"Makoto-kun, good afternoon."
Tomori pressed her sun hat with one hand and covered her skirt with the other, speaking softly.
Cool breeze blew.
The girl's skirt and hair fluttered together, which was quite beautiful.
"Good afternoon."
Kitahara Makoto responded warmly, his gaze shifting to Taki beside him:
"Taki, good afternoon."
"Hmph."
Taki snorted lightly as a response.
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously:
"Tomori-chan, Taki, have you written your wishes?"
"I've written it." Tomori raised her small face and softly said, "My wish is to find an heart-shaped stone. After writing it, the Wish Note turned into light spots and dissipated."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Although it's said that wishes shouldn't be too abstract for now, your wish is too ordinary!
"That's good, it just so happens to verify the effect of the [Wish Note]." Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand, touched Tomori's head, and turned to look at the long-haired black-haired girl beside him, "What about Taki, have you made a wish?"
Taki tightened her small face and said:
"I've already made a wish."
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously:
"What is your wish?"
Taki crossed her arms over her chest:
"I won't tell you, that's a girl's secret."
This is a lie.
It's not a girl's secret, but a shameful secret that's hard to tell.
That night, she sacrificed her chastity and forcefully kissed Kitahara Makoto, finally preventing Maki-nee from falling into the fire pit. However, Taki had been feeling uneasy, not knowing how Tomori would react after learning this news.
She had unilaterally promised Tomori before that she would definitely not have anything with Kitahara Makoto, but now… would Tomori think she was going back on her word?
"Since it's a girl's secret, then don't say it." Kitahara Makoto didn't care, and took out a small gift from his pocket, "Tomori-chan, your band-aid."
"Thank you, Makoto-kun."
Tomori happily took it, and then took out a box of candy:
"Konpeito."
Kitahara Makoto opened his mouth and ate two konpeito, then looked at the black-haired loli beside him, and took out a small gift:
"Taki, I think this panda hairpin suits you very well."
Although Taki was tempted, she still turned her small face away:
"I don't want it."
Kitahara Makoto calmly said:
"Then I'll give it to Maki-nee tonight?"
Taki: "…"
No way.
After glaring at Kitahara Makoto angrily, Taki could only reach out and take the panda hairpin.
"Let's go, let's go find oval stones."
Kitahara Makoto parked his bicycle and led the two girls down the riverbank.
Taki walked at the very back, carefully putting the hairpin into her bag, then raised her eyes to look at Kitahara Makoto's back:
"What kind of return gift should I prepare…"
"Boys should all like playing games, how about a game controller?"
"Wait—"
Shiina's footsteps paused, and her small face suddenly flushed rapidly at a visible speed.
(Damn it!)
(I actually thought of preparing a gift for the scumbag Kitahara?)
(Don't fall into his trap!)
(But… it's rude to just take someone else's gift without a return gift, isn't it?)
Taki struggled for a while, and finally gritted her teeth and made up her mind.
(Just once!)
(After one return gift, there will be no more!)
(If the scumbag Kitahara sends gifts again in the future, no matter what, I won't accept them!)
"Taki?"
Tomori's voice rang out.
Taki came back to her senses, quickly chased the jumbled thoughts out of her mind, and quickened her pace to descend the riverbank.
Next was the time to search for oval stones.
Kitahara Makoto was quite simple; he took off his sandals and directly stepped into the small river. The two girls had a bit more trouble; they not only had to take off their shoes but also their stockings.
There was no other way, although stockings looked good, they would stink once they got wet.
"It's best to put your stockings in a bag, be careful not to let them be blown away by the wind."
Kitahara Makoto stood in the small river, reminding them while openly admiring the two girls on the bank.
Their fair, tender feet looked appetizing… no, they were pleasing to the eye.
"What are you looking at?"
Taki's small face was crimson as she glared over.
Kitahara Makoto slowly said:
"Everyone loves beauty. Taki and Tomori-chan are so beautiful, it's normal for me to look a few more times, isn't it?"
"Pfft~"
Taki lightly spat and turned her small face away.
Girls are naturally fond of hearing compliments, and Taki was no exception.
After taking off their shoes and stockings, Taki and Tomori then covered their skirts, carefully extended their small feet, and tentatively stepped into the small river.
"Oh, it's so cool~"
"The stones are so rough on my feet."
"Suddenly, I don't feel hot at all."
After the initial nervousness, the two girls quickly relaxed, bent down, and began to look for beautiful oval stones.
Before long, they quickly found a pile of round oval stones, but the heart-shaped stone that Tomori wished for was still nowhere to be found.
"If we can't find it, then forget it… Ah!"
Tomori was about to give up and go home when she suddenly felt something slippery and cold swim onto her instep. She was startled and instinctively retreated in a panic.
Taki was beside Tomori. Seeing Tomori about to fall, she quickly reached out to help, but instead of helping, they both fell down together.
Splash!
Water splashed.
Kitahara Makoto turned and looked behind him, seeing Taki and Tomori sitting in the small river, their entire bodies soaked with river water, and their shirts clinging wetly to them, vaguely revealing the girls' figures.
"How did you fall?"
Kitahara Makoto stepped over, ready to pull the two girls up.
Tomori took a breath, her small face slightly pale, and raised her right hand, saying:
"Just now, something very scary swam onto my foot… Eh?"
Tomori widened her eyes, looking at her right hand raised in mid-air.
"Heart-shaped stone?"
Kitahara Makoto looked over curiously and saw a blue oval stone clearly clamped between Tomori's middle and ring fingers.
Under the bright sunlight, the oval stone's shape was clearly a standard, rounded aixin.
Taki blurted out:
"Eh? Tomori-chan's wish came true?"
Kitahara Makoto mused:
"From the result, the wish indeed came true, but it feels a bit off."
The wish came true, but it was clear that the way it came true was somewhat subtle…
Taki was very puzzled:
"Such a big oval stone, why didn't all three of us see it?"
"Don't ask, just say it's quantum mechanics." Kitahara Makoto exerted a little force with his hand, pulling the two girls up, "Your clothes are all wet, do you want to go to Onsen Village to dry them?"
Tomori carefully put the heart-shaped stone into her pocket, her eyes sparkling brightly: "I want to go."
Taki hesitated for two seconds: "I'll go too."
"Then let's leave now."
Kitahara Makoto looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, he simply took Tomori and Taki's right hands, leading the two girls into the Onsen Village.
"Drying clothes takes time," Kitahara Makoto suggested, "Why don't we soak in the onsen for a while first?"
Tomori naturally had no objections: "Taki and I will shower first."
Taki hesitated for a while and did not refuse, silently following behind Tomori.
Firstly, her clothes were soaked, and while they were drying, she couldn't just hide in a corner; it was better to go soak in the onsen.
Secondly, this was the Onsen Village she had personally built when she was a child. Although she had come in with her sister before, she had never actually soaked in the onsen. Now that she had the chance, she naturally wanted to experience it.
The two girls walked to a secluded spot and began to wash themselves.
After washing, they each hung their clothes to dry, and then it was Kitahara Makoto's turn to shower.
After quickly showering, Kitahara Makoto wrapped himself in a towel and walked to the onsen pool, then sat down not far from the two girls.
"Hoo…"
Seeing that Kitahara Makoto did not sit next to them but kept a distance, Taki secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her face flushing as she hid deeper in the onsen.
The current situation was clearly a standard mixed-gender onsen. Soaking in a mixed-gender onsen with a boy she wasn't dating felt too shameful, no matter how she thought about it!
"The heart-shaped stone is very beautiful."
Tomori looked at the oval stone in her palm, unwilling to put it down even while soaking in the onsen, constantly playing with it in her hand. She clearly genuinely liked it.
Kitahara Makoto mused: "Although the way Tomori-chan's wish was fulfilled seemed like an accident, it shouldn't be a coincidence. The Wish Note definitely worked, it's just that the method of wish fulfillment is a bit subtle."
Taki comfortably soaked in the onsen, looking at the heart-shaped stone in Tomori's hand, curious in her heart: "Tomori-chan's wish has been fulfilled. How will the wish I wrote on the Wish Note be fulfilled?"
As she thought, Taki suddenly felt a surge of sleepiness, and couldn't help but yawn.
"So sleepy… My eyelids are so heavy…"
Taki really wanted to stay awake, but the sleepiness was overwhelming, and she eventually fell asleep. However, as soon as she fell asleep, she was surprised to find that her soul had floated out of her body…