Outside the Game Center, Tsukasa asked for his LINE.
When he gave it to her, she smiled, satisfied.
"It's getting late." Zayden asked: "Want me to take you home?"
A flicker of disappointment passed through her eyes, which she quickly masked.
Today, she did things she normally wouldn't. Be it going to the Game Center, or even watching a horror movie at the cinema with someone.
But that wasn't all; even in the most ordinary places, like a restaurant, she enjoyed herself because she was with him. He was good company in the first place.
"Actually, I want to spend more time with you." Zayden suggested: "How about we walk around a bit more and check out some stores before heading back?"
When he said that, he saw Tsukasa turn and stand in front of him, smiling gently and seductively.
"Since you insist~" She hummed cheerfully, flashing a beautiful smile full of pearly teeth.
Zayden smiled helplessly at her reaction and, seeing that her affection index went up by 1 point, he was pleased with the right decision.
...
For the next two hours, Zayden strolled through the mall with Tsukasa. During that time, he received over 100 messages from Hyoma.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Tsukasa, unaware of anything, announced.
Zayden said: "I'll wait for you at that jewelry store."
She made an "Okay" sign with her fingers.
Even before reaching the jewelry store, he had already checked the website and found what he wanted to buy.
Upon entering and being greeted with a smile, Zayden asked: "Do you still have the HARRY WINSTON Avenue Lady Avenue Drops?"
His question was met with a warm smile.
"Yes, we do." The saleswoman said: "In fact, you're in luck, sir. This watch had been ordered, but the person canceled the purchase a few hours ago."
Without hesitation, Zayden said: "Then wrap it up for me, I'll take it."
"Is it a gift, sir?" The saleswoman asked attentively.
Zayden nodded.
"Will the payment be by card?" She asked.
"Yes." Zayden nodded again.
...
[You paid 3,972,000 yen to Boa Escolha Jewelry]
The purchase process was quick. After paying, he received the jewelry store's bag with the packaged watch inside.
Just as he finished finalizing and received what he bought, Tsukasa arrived.
The moment she appeared and called out to him, several gazes turned toward her, and some who realized who he had bought the gift for had a hint of jealousy when looking at Tsukasa.
After all, it was a watch that cost nearly 4 million yen.
Zayden walked up to her and handed her the bag with the watch, saying: "A keepsake gift. I hope you accept it."
"Seriously? Thank you~" Tsukasa couldn't contain herself.
She came from a wealthy family and knew Zayden was the same. Even if it was something expensive, it shouldn't exceed 10 million yen.
Right there, she opened it and took out the watch's little box.
When she saw it, she softly exclaimed: "Wow, it's beautiful~"
The Harry Winston Avenue Lady gleamed in white gold, surrounded by diamonds that sparkled like stars. On the pearlescent dial, blue hands glided gracefully, while the leather strap completed its aura of luxury and understated elegance.
She wasn't wearing a watch at that moment, and with a coquettish look, she asked: "Will you put it on me?"
"Yes." Zayden agreed.
It wasn't hard to put on, and in an instant, it was on Tsukasa's right wrist.
"Fufufun!" She laughed triumphantly. Her lips curved into a radiant, joyful smile.
───────────
[Multiplier 38x!]
───────────
At the same time, a holographic screen opened in his retina, and a message vibrated on his smartphone.
When he picked it up and saw the amount, his heart raced a little.
[You received 150,936,000 yen]
38x, it was far beyond what he expected to receive.
Honestly, even if it were 2x, he would have been happy.
The most he ever had in his account was 50 million yen. This was the first time he surpassed that amount.
Zayden and Tsukasa left shortly after.
Tsukasa naturally held his arm with her left arm.
In passing, Zayden saw her glance at the watch with appreciation from time to time.
'Looks like she really liked it.' He thought.
**
**
In front of the mall, Wilson was waiting for him.
The city lights illuminated the surroundings.
Night had long since fallen. A full moon could be seen in the city sky.
As they approached, he opened the back door of the Rolls-Royce.
Zayden let Tsukasa get in and walked around the car to enter from the other side.
"Good evening, Young Master." Wilson got in the car and asked: "Where should I go?"
Zayden looked at Tsukasa.
Tsukasa gave her address.
A minute and a half after the car started driving, Tsukasa said, stretching slightly: "Wahh, I had so much fun today~"
"Glad to hear that." Zayden smiled at her.
She looked at him and pursed her lips.
She seemed to hesitate a bit, until she lowered her left hand, held his on the seat, and looked out the car window.
"Yeah, it was fun thanks to you..." She murmured softly.
Even with her face turned toward the window, Zayden could see that the tips of her ears were red.
He chuckled softly while looking at her side profile.
Feeling a bit mischievous, he picked up his smartphone and sent a message to Hyoma.
[Bro, thanks for letting me hang out with Tsukasa. I had a lot of fun with her.]
He knew his brother might read a double meaning into that message, and considering the time he spent with her at the mall, Hyoma might lose it thinking he could end up being scolded by Tsukasa's father. After all, Hyoma was the one who said he'd ensure Tsukasa's safety, and if anything happened to her, the blame would fall on him.
...
Meanwhile, in a luxury hotel, in a presidential suite, Hyoma, who finally received a message from Zayden, turned pale upon seeing it.
He gripped the smartphone so tightly that his fingertips turned white.
"Zayden... What the hell did you do?" He muttered: "You didn't do what I think you did, did you?"
He started pacing back and forth while trying to call Zayden, but it always went to voicemail.
His anxiety only grew, along with the fear of what Tsukasa's father would say when she got home.
He deeply regretted letting Tsukasa go with Zayden; he shouldn't have given in to her whims and left her with him.
He should've known that, although Zayden had changed his appearance, deep down, he was still the same troublemaker as always!
...
"Aren't you going to answer?" Tsukasa asked.
Zayden put his smartphone on silent and replied: "No, it's just my brother, Hyoma. I'll call him back later."
"Ahh, him." She had also received some messages and calls from him and ignored them all.
"You guys are brothers, but how can you be so different?" Tsukasa asked.
"Well, we're sons of the same father, but different mothers." Zayden answered.
"Somehow, that explains a lot~" She turned to look out the window again.
"I have a younger sister." She said suddenly: "In my case, it's on my mother's side. After my mom separated from my dad, she married my stepfather, and they had a child together. She's very different from me; we hardly have anything in common. But, even being so different, we still get along, though I wish we were closer."
Holding her fingers intertwined with his, Zayden said, seeing her look at him in surprise: "I think not all siblings have something in common, even if they're children of the same father and mother. Though I can understand a bit the desire to be closer to your sister."
She gave a faint smile and said a simple "I see" before turning back to look out the window, her free hand resting on her chin and cheek.
Looking at her, he saw her affection index rise to 59.
"We've arrived," Wilson said as he stopped the car in front of the iron gate of a mansion with a huge garden.
Tsukasa didn't move. She turned and stared at Zayden in silence.
She seemed to be having an internal struggle until she leaned in and pressed her lips against Zayden's cheek.
"S-See you later. I-I had a lot of fun~" She tried to sound casual, but her voice faltered.
Blushing, she got out of the car as soon as Wilson opened the door for her.
Snapping out of his daze from being caught off guard, Zayden let out a quiet chuckle.
'How cute.' He thought.
───────────
[Mission: Increase Affection Index completed successfully!]
[Reward: +1 Speed, +1 Luck!]
───────────
Looking out the car window, watching Tsukasa, he hummed cheerfully.
He didn't expect to complete this mission today. It was an unexpected gain that put him in an even better mood.
It was barely noticeable, but he felt a subtle change with the increase in his speed.
When Wilson returned to the car, Zayden said: "Let's go home."
"Yes, Young Master!"
**
**
June 4, 2024, Tuesday.
Zayden woke up feeling like yesterday had been a dream.
Reality came knocking when he murmured softly, "Status," and a page appeared before his retina.
───────────
[– Zayden Valtrex –]
Race: Human
Title: None
Level: 1
Next Level: 0% - [0/100]
Wealth: 151,448,619.18 yen
───────────
[– Attributes –]
[Strength F]: 19 [Intelligence F]: 19 [Speed F]: 15 -> 16 [Recovery F]: 19 [Luck E]: 21 -> 22
───────────
He rubbed his eyes a few times and even pinched his cheek.
Seeing that he was wide awake, he felt like laughing out loud but held back.
It would be easier to understand if he thought about it from a different perspective. It's like someone who lived in a rental, worrying about whether they'd have enough money to pay the monthly rent, then getting a call saying they won millions of yen in the lottery.
Something like that is hard to believe, to the point of waking up the next morning afraid it was all a dream.
...
After leaving the bathroom, the front desk had already prepared breakfast for him.
After receiving it, he ate, still a bit dazed.
It was as if yesterday he had been anesthetized, living an incredible dream, and today he was supposed to wake up to reality, but what happened was that it was all real.
Somewhat unbelievable, to say the least.
Looking at his bank balance, Zayden set the smartphone aside and continued eating.
His smartphone vibrated on the table, and he saw Tsukasa's name flash on the screen.
Picking up the smartphone, he opened the message she sent.
Tsukasa: [Good morning ☀️💛 - Have you had your breakfast yet? I can only start the day after my perfect cappuccino with flawless foam~♪]
Tsukasa: [Sticker of a Bear Drinking Coffee]
He tried to connect this cheerful message with Tsukasa but found it a bit difficult. Even so, he still replied to her.
[I'm doing that right now. I'm surprised you woke up so early. Heading to college?]
Tsukasa: [Yup~ Kinda fell out of bed, you know? I don't usually wake up this early, but strangely I'm in a great mood today~♪]
Tsukasa: [Sticker of a cute excited kitten with gray clouds puffing out of its nose]
Was she trying to hint at something with that?
Zayden took a photo and wrote: [Warrior's breakfast.]
Tsukasa: [Warrior's breakfast, that's hilarious~]
Why did she sound like a gyaru now?
Less than two seconds later, another message from her arrived.
Tsukasa: [Sorry, that last message was sent by my little sister.]
Tsukasa: [Sticker of a bear clasping its hands in apology while bowing]
Though he found it odd that her younger sister had taken her smartphone and replied for her, Zayden still responded with a simple "I understand."
Tsukasa: [What kind of short message is that? ♪ Anyway, I'm going to get ready, talk later~?]
Tsukasa: [Sticker of a kitten with a hopeful look]
[Sure, see you later]
'So she likes cats and bears?' Zayden mused as he set the smartphone aside.
**
**
Stopping in front of Eiko Academy, Zayden got out of the car.
The stares he received that day were even more intense than the day before.
'Did something happen that I don't know about?' He frowned.
The previously clear sky darkened as clouds covered it.
A light rain began, making the students hurry toward the school.
The stares stopped, but Zayden still felt something had happened.
After taking shelter in the school, Zayden picked up his smartphone and discovered the reason for all the stares.
A photo of him with Tsukasa had been posted on the school's website.
The caption of the photo read: [EXPOSED! Is this beautiful older girl Zayden Valtrex's new girlfriend from first year, class 1-A?]
It was somewhat unbelievable that someone would do this. He hadn't even appeared with a girlfriend before, so how did Tsukasa become the 'new' one, implying he had others before her?
From his class, there were several messages talking about the gift he gave to Erika.
Although polygamy was legalized, it still wasn't something to be proud of, generally speaking. Most couples were monogamous. Only about 20% to 30% of the population was polygamous.
However, even knowing this, even knowing he could easily have the post removed if he wanted, he didn't.
In the end, he had no intention of playing the saint and denying it. And he didn't feel that being linked to Tsukasa was something to be ashamed of. Nor did he feel bad for Erika, as the post tried to suggest.
After changing his shoes, he said: "Let's go, Yamagi."
"Yes, Boss."
…
Just like yesterday, the moment he entered the classroom, everyone fell silent, looking in his direction.
'What a bothersome thing…'
He knew it was normal for people to 'care' about others' lives and love to gossip.
But it would be incredibly annoying if every time he arrived at school it was like this, especially this uncomfortable silence when he entered the classroom.
Zayden went to his seat.
Feeling Erika's gaze, he said: "Good morning, Erika."
"Good morning…" Her voice sounded somewhat downcast.
Her affection index for him had dropped to 59.
Seeing her look away, Zayden said: "She's an acquaintance. In fact, I met her yesterday. Whether something will happen between me and her in the future, I can't confirm nor deny."
Erika turned and looked at him, blinking her beautiful eyes.
After a few seconds of looking at him in silence, she smiled slightly: "I see."
Almost instantly, her index rose to 66.
Erika's hands under the table clenched into fists. She seemed to have decided something.
The bell rang.
It didn't take long for Yorina Matsunaga-sensei to arrive in the classroom.
Yorina was also one of the heroines of HHHS and one of Zayden's favorites.
She was attentive and very kind.
Although young and single, she exuded a maternal love that made several students call her Okaasan-sensei.
That wasn't all; she was also the heroine with one of the largest busts, 105 centimeters.
With enormous breasts, a slim waist, long golden hair, and blue eyes, she was very popular among both male and female students.
Noticing the odd atmosphere in the room, she asked innocently: "Did something happen?"
""Nothing happened!""
In unison, everyone denied it.
"Really?"
""It's true, nothing happened!""
"If nothing happened, then nothing happened." She relented.
After that, the class began naturally.