Misaki Kamiigusa loudly denounced Asagi, her face flushed from drinking more than anyone else. She was probably drowning her sorrows. After all, according to the original story, Misaki Kamiigusa and Jin Mitaka were childhood sweethearts who were mutually in love. But Jin was dating six girlfriends at once; he was a complete scumbag. She really didn't know what he was thinking.
Asagi, being scolded, spread his hands helplessly. "I never had a chance to show off my cooking skills before." "But from now on,I generally won't be cooking; Sayu will."
"You can't bully Sayu-chan!" Misaki Kamiigusa immediately jumped out, declaring she would protect the younger girl.
Sayu Ogiwara shyly glanced at Asagi and thought to herself: If every day could be this warm, I'd be willing to be 'bullied' by Asagi-kun for a lifetime.
Unknowingly, they had all eaten and drunk their fill. Everyone returned to their rooms. Asagi had also drunk quite a bit, thanks to Chihiro-sensei and Misaki pouring it for him.
You might ask, was someone missing? What about Ryunosuke Akasaka? Well,he was a shut-in. That explained it. Sorata Kanda had already taken a dinner plate with some blanched meat slices over to him. Ryunosuke was quite interesting; he had actually developed an AI maid and used his computer to have the digital maid express a welcome to Sayu Ogiwara's arrival.
As soon as he returned to his room, Asagi was about to wash up and go to sleep. A pair of soft arms suddenly embraced his waist from behind. He immediately froze in place.
"Sayu?" "Mhm,it's me." "What are you doing?"Asagi swallowed hard. After gaining that unique skill, he hadn't had a chance to... practice it yet. And this girl was tempting him.
"I'm not doing anything," Sayu Ogiwara playfully pressed her body against his back. Her tone then shifted, carrying a hint of petulance. "I just wanted to thank you." "Asagi-kun,thank you for letting me stay in Sakura Dormitory." Mwah!
What greeted her next was Asagi's passionate kiss. He naturally wouldn't suppress himself. After all, Sayu had initiated it. This night was destined to be restless.
---
He spent most of the night practicing his new skill. Asagi was very satisfied. Sayu Ogiwara was already exhausted and fast asleep.She was now like a docile kitten, softly curled up in his arms.
Towards the latter half of the night, the poor runaway girl seemed to have a nightmare. She kept sobbing and apologizing in her sleep. She probably dreamt of the friend who had committed suicide by jumping off a building in front of her.
After all, being collectively isolated, ostracized, and even bullied at school—could Sayu Ogiwara really be blamed for such things? The girl who was targeted and ostracized alongside Sayu seemed to have been an unpopular person to begin with. Two unpopular people came together, seeking warmth and becoming friends. Then one of them couldn't take it anymore and ended her life, seemingly pushing all the responsibility onto Sayu with her final actions.
This was like being deeply betrayed by her best friend. Because she was present at her friend's death, she was naturally suspected of having caused it. When she returned home, even her own mother asked her, "Did you really kill that child?" Sayu Ogiwara was essentially betrayed by her best friend and her mother,one after the other. No wonder she preferred to wander rather than return to that home.
Looking at the still-crying girl, Asagi sighed. He gently raised his hand and stroked her head. "It's okay.Everything will be fine." "Everything will get better."
Strangely enough, after he stroked her head, Sayu Ogiwara's expression gradually relaxed. Finally, she fell into a deep, sweet sleep. Asagi also closed his eyes.
Opening Sayu Ogiwara's heart and helping her emerge from the shadows of the past would be a long and arduous journey. Perhaps when she was willing to tell him about her past herself, that would be the best opportunity. But that would take time. After all, Sayu Ogiwara probably believed it was her fault that her friend died.
One could only say that among humans, there were too many who shirked responsibility. Sayu Ogiwara's friend hadn't been very good either. She died, yet her final act was to imply everything was Sayu's fault, ending her own suffering while leaving the living to endure immense pain. Suicide was an act of irresponsibility towards oneself, one's family, and especially one's friends.
Life involved suffering. But precisely because he was still alive, Asagi felt he had to strive to find ways to be happy and to make the people he cared about happy.
Ding. Congratulations, User, for completing the quest: Comfort the Distraught Girl. Reward received: Skill - Damage Reflection! Skill: Damage Reflection. When the user is damaged by another living creature, the damage will be reflected back onto the opponent twofold.
Hearing this prompt, Asagi's eyes lit up. This skill was amazing! Although he exercised consistently,his combat strength wasn't high—he'd never specifically learned martial arts. But with this skill, it was different. Direct damage reflection! However,the skill had limitations. It only applied to damage from living creatures. Damage from a falling object or a car accident couldn't be reflected. But as long as the harm was directly caused by a living being, it would be returned twofold!
He hadn't expected such a powerful reward just for comforting Sayu. This Game of Life System was truly fantastic. He felt the triggering and completion of every quest were meant to help him better experience life and achieve happiness.
Asagi wasn't sure about other people's definitions of happiness. But his was probably to live like a protagonist from a light novel, enjoying a happy daily life with the heroines. Experiencing happiness wasn't just about saving others; it was also about his own salvation.
Asagi quickly fell asleep. The night's activities had no negative impact on him. Instead, both physically and mentally, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
---
Unknowingly, dawn broke. When Sayu Ogiwara woke up,the space beside her was empty. Seeing no one there, she couldn't help but hug the blanket tightly and take a deep breath. It seemed to still carry Asagi's scent.
Last night was the most sound sleep she'd had in a long time. It wasn't just because she was tired from his 'tossing and turning.' She had heard him comforting her. That warm embrace had given her an incredible sense of security. When he stroked her head, she had been deeply moved.
Her mother would only suspect her, blame her, and lecture her. Her brother had initially cared for her, but later he only focused on work, never truly understanding her. Giving her money and telling her to 'clear her head' felt like he was just trying to dispose of a troublesome matter. Her family's gaze held only indifference.
But Asagi's gaze towards her was full of passion and tenderness. Perhaps he is only being so kind to me because of my looks...