She looked at him somewhat uneasily, her small hands fidgeting together, nervously clutching and playing with the hem of her shirt.
And more than that.
She also subconsciously widened her watery eyes, making her look utterly pitiful.
Well, her caution was understandable.
After all, taking in an underage high school girl without permission was a legally gray area, to say the least.
She was terrified of being kicked out and forced to wander the streets again.
Asagi looked at her nervous appearance and couldn't help but raise his hand to gently ruffle her hair.
"Why are you so tense?" "I'm about the same age as you;we're both high school students, Sayu. You don't need to call me Mr. Asagi or anything so formal. Just call me by my name." "If you're really embarrassed,you can just call me Boss."
"I understand, Asagi... Asagi-kun. I'll call you that, then."
Seeing that he was still so easy-going, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly settled on the form of address.
She chose one that was neither too intimate nor too distant.
Mainly because she didn't want him to think she was the kind of girl who would instantly cling to him.
In the end, she was still very confused about her place here.
Asagi glanced at her rumpled school uniform, thought for a moment, and said, "Take that off."
"Eh?"
Sayu Ogiwara was stunned, then her cheeks flushed a deep red.
But she bit her lip and didn't hesitate for too long.
Her slender fingers moved to untie the red bow at the collar of her uniform...
---
When Sayu Ogiwara had taken off almost all her clothes, Asagi pulled a set of fresh bath towels from the closet and wrapped them around her.
"Okay, go take a shower quickly, and then change into this." "These are my clothes;you can wear them for now." He handed her one of his shirts and a pair of large shorts, continuing: "We'll go out together later and buy you some proper everyday clothes."
Sayu Ogiwara stared blankly at him, only then realizing that his intention hadn't been to do that to her.
Her cheeks burned with a fresh wave of embarrassment.
"Y-Yes… I understand."
She fled into the bathroom, clutching the bath towel tightly around herself.
Asagi rubbed the back of his neck, his own face feeling a bit warm.
Truthfully, it wasn't that he didn't want to make a move on her.
It was just that if he had brought Sayu Ogiwara home solely to satisfy his own desires, then what difference would there be between him and someone who paid for that kind of service?
What Asagi wanted was a warm and happy life.
That couldn't just be his own happiness.
His girl had to be happy, too.
Therefore, he had to help unravel the knots tangled inside her heart.
Ding. Quest triggered: Unravel the inner turmoil of the runaway high school girl. Quest completion reward: Random skill entry and item.
He had just thought of this, and the quest triggered directly.
Asagi couldn't help but smile.
Fortunately, his Game of Life System wasn't as ruthlessly demanding as some of those garbage systems he'd heard about in stories—the kind that not only forced you to complete quests but also punished you severely for failure.
---
Sayu Ogiwara dawdled for a long time before finally emerging from the bathroom.
She was wearing Asagi's shirt.
It strained slightly across her chest.
Paired with the pair of fair, slender legs visible beneath the large shorts, and her slightly flushed, oval face, the overall look was somehow both pure and deeply alluring.
Asagi couldn't help but let his eyes linger for a few extra seconds.
His breathing hitched slightly.
"Um... Asagi-kun, how do I look in this?"
Asagi coughed twice and said honestly: "It's...fine for now. But it's just a temporary measure. You absolutely cannot wear an outfit like this where anyone else can see you, understood?"
A small smile touched the corners of Sayu Ogiwara's lips. "Okay. I'll only show it to you from now on."
Facing this man who had taken her in—who had taken her—and was still willing to show her gentleness and care, even if she didn't know how long this kindness would last, she still felt a desire to repay it.
Asagi waved her over.
"Come sit down. I'll help you dry your hair."
Sayu Ogiwara obediently sat on the small stool in front of Asagi, letting herself be arranged like a delicate doll.
Asagi skillfully began drying her hair with the towel.
Sayu Ogiwara couldn't help but pout slightly.
He's way too skilled at this... Does he often dry girls' hair?
That's what she thought, but she didn't say it aloud.
Because she felt she had no right to ask.
In her position, the fact that Asagi-kun was willing to take her in was already something to be profoundly grateful for.
What more could she possibly ask for?
Perhaps she really was just a coward.
Clearly living in so much pain and confusion, yet still unable to face the finality of death.
Her thoughts drifted back to the past.
Sayu Ogiwara's eyes dimmed.
"Okay, your hair is dry. Let's head out." "By the way,I'll fill you in on my situation on the way."
"Okay."
Sayu Ogiwara obediently followed Asagi out the door.
As they walked, Asagi organized his thoughts and began explaining.
"I'm currently a first-year student at Soubu High School. There are about five days left before the new term starts." "My parents are gone.It's just me now. I inherited what they left behind, which is that house. It's called Sakura Dormitory." "So,my main source of income is the rent from the tenants living there." "There's a school called Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School near the dormitory.The people living in Sakura Dormitory are all students from there."
At this point, it might sound familiar to some.
That's right.
The Sakura Dormitory that Asagi inherited is the very one from the anime "The Pet Girl of Sakurasou".
This was the starting benefit from activating the Game of Life System.
Begin with a Sakura Dormitory. The rest of his life required him, the player, to manage it himself—triggering quests, completing them, obtaining rewards, and improving himself.
"Right now, besides you and me, there are five other people living in Sakura Dormitory." "On the first floor,there's Sorata Kanda. He's a guy who loves cats. He got kicked out of the main dorms and sent here because he kept too many of them." "On the third floor,there's Ms. Misaki Kamiigusa. She's a genius-level animation producer." "Also on the second floor is a boy who's prettier than most girls,Ryunosuke Akasaka. He's a tech otaku and basically never leaves his room." "Also on the first floor is Chihiro-sensei,the original manager of Sakura Dormitory. Her father lost it gambling and sold the place to my parents." "So now,in Sakura Dormitory, I'm the landlord." "In the future,Sayu, you'll live on the second floor, next to my room. Your job will be cleaning and looking after my daily needs. Is that okay?"
"Yes! Of course, I have no problem with that!"
She'd had to clean and cook at home all the time, so there was no pressure. She was proficient at housework, and her cooking skills were top-notch.
She used to think that if she just tried her best and performed well, her mother would come to like her sooner or later.
But she had been wrong.
Her mother had directed all her own dissatisfaction onto her. No matter how well she did, her mother never warmed to her.
On the contrary…
She secretly glanced at Asagi and then quickly looked away.
If the person in front of her could like her... if he was willing to be good to her, then she would be more than willing to give her all for him.
"There's one last person, Sayu. You need to stay away from him. Don't even talk to him, understand?"
"Eh? Why?"
"His name is Jin Mitaka. He's currently dating six girlfriends at the same time. Rumor has it girls get pregnant just from making eye contact with him on the street."
"No way! A man that terrible really exists?" "I understand!I definitely won't talk to him!"
Sayu Ogiwara nodded vigorously to assure him.
Asagi laughed.
"I'm just teasing you a bit. I'm not trying to control who you talk to. I just want to warn you that he's a notorious flirt." "And,speaking purely for myself... I don't want anyone else touching you. I'm... well, I'm a pretty greedy person. Very possessive." "If you can't accept that,remember to tell me upfront. I won't force a girl to stay by my side against her will."
Sayu Ogiwara heard his sincere, almost blunt words, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.
"I understand. I won't let other men touch me!"
She added in her heart.
I'll only let you touch me.
How could she put it?
Although what he said was starkly realistic, selfish, and a little domineering...
For Sayu Ogiwara, it also felt like a form of being cared for.
So she wasn't displeased. In fact, her mood lightened considerably.
After that, the atmosphere between the two was comfortable and easy.