However, the idea of shopping freely was definitely out of the question for now.
Ding! User's desire detected. Completing future quests will yield increased monetary rewards.
The Game of Life System immediately popped up with a reminder. This was fantastic news—like someone providing a pillow just as he was feeling sleepy. Asagi immediately abandoned any complex plans for earning money. With this system, he could simply live as a player, completing quests to enjoy a laid-back life.
With the means to acquire money settled, Asagi's steps became much lighter. He planned to head straight home.
As he passed the entrance to an alleyway, he saw a figure with braided hair and a long, plain dress being cornered by several men with ill intentions.
Ding! Quest triggered: The Braided Girl's Trouble. 'It's a rare nice day today. The girl, who had concealed her figure and beauty, went out to buy her favorite soy-braised pork, preparing to treat herself.' 'Unexpectedly, she might not have checked the almanac today. As she was about to go home, she was cornered in an alley by a few ruffians who, seeing her dressed plainly, wanted to vent their frustrations on her.' 'Please help the girl in front of you by driving away the delinquents. Quest completion rewards a skill entry or item, as well as a fixed reward of 1,000,000 yen.'
Upon receiving the notification, Asagi's fists clenched. This quest had to be done. Driving away a few delinquents for 1,000,000 yen was simply wonderful.
"Hey, you braided country bumpkin, do you know you're bothering this big shot's eyes?" "It's not your fault you're ugly,but it's wrong of you to come out and scare people, isn't it?"
There were 5 delinquents in total. They were dressed sloppily, shirt collars open, revealing scrawny chests. They had earrings and dyed hair, looking like the kind of people with terrible attitudes—probably unemployed wastrels who had already graduated and just roamed around all day.
The girl, being yelled at, instinctively shrunk her neck. "I'm sorry." Her strategy was to show weakness first. Her hand was in her bag, secretly tapping her phone to call the police. She also had pepper spray in there. Her plan was to yield, then deliver a surprise counterattack and seize the chance to escape.
"If saying 'I'm sorry' worked, what would we need the police for? You've uglified us! Hurry up and give us money to compensate us and soothe our traumatized souls!" "Exactly,hurry up and give us money! Otherwise, be careful—we'll strip you naked and tie you to a utility pole for everyone to see!"
As they spoke, the delinquent teenagers leered with perverted smiles. The girl's delicate body trembled; she felt genuinely scared now.
Just as she was about to say something, a man's voice, firm and righteous, came from behind the thugs.
"That's enough!" "What are you doing?A few grown men bullying a girl? Don't you have any shame?"
Asagi put the box of soy-braised pork and his school uniform on the ground and walked towards them with a cold face.
"Oh? Little boy, trying to be a hero saving a beauty... Oh no, a pretty boy saving a country girl?" "Hahaha,pretty boy, do you know that being a hero comes with a price?"
The delinquents exchanged glances and all showed cruel expressions. Asagi's lips curved into a confident smile.
A few minutes later.
Under the shocked gaze of the plain-looking girl with glasses and braids, Asagi had stripped the five delinquents down to their underwear. He used their own clothes and pants as ropes to tie them in a circle around a nearby utility pole. He then made a quick call to the police before turning to look at the stunned girl.
"It's alright now. No worries." "Miss,remember to be careful when you go home from now on. You won't always run into someone like me to save the day."
---
Facing Asagi's words, the braided girl with glasses bowed to him. A clear and pleasant voice rang in his ear. "Thank you for saving me." "I am Sumireko Sanshokuin.May I ask your name?"
"Oh, I'm Asagi Okashisai. I live in Sakura Dormitory, near Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School," Asagi introduced himself naturally, though his heart was not calm.
Sumireko Sanshokuin? No wonder this girl looked familiar.She was the female lead from the anime Oresuki: Are You the Only One Who Loves Me?—often considered the most popular heroine in that series, combining beauty, figure, and intelligence. Don't be fooled by her current appearance with braided hair and large, reflective glasses that covered half her face, and a seemingly ordinary figure. Once she took off her glasses, untied her braids, and removed any... restrictive garments, this plain girl would instantly transform into a stunning beauty with a fantastic figure, prettier than any idol.
He hadn't expected to meet her here. No wonder a quest was triggered.
Sumireko Sanshokuin silently repeated his name and smiled. "Thank you, Asagi-kun. Actually, I also live near Sakura Dormitory. Um... how about we walk together for a while?"
"Sure. Since it's on the way, I'll see you home. It's really not safe for a girl alone." Asagi readily agreed. He clapped the dust off his hands, picked up the box of soy-braised pork and his school uniform, and shrugged at her. "Let's go, Sanshokuin. With a handsome guy like me escorting you, you can rest assured." "As for those delinquents,don't worry. The police will give them a good education."
Sumireko Sanshokuin smiled gently and nodded slightly. "Then I'll trouble you." She composed herself and glanced at the package in his hand. "What a coincidence, Asagi-kun. We both bought soy-braised pork."
"It is quite a coincidence. I just realized, weren't you the girl in front of me in line?" The girl nodded slightly, noncommittally.
As they walked together, Asagi's attention was on the Game of Life System's notifications.
Ding! The Braided Girl's Trouble, completed. Congratulations, User, you have received 1,000,000 yen. Congratulations, User, you have obtained the skill: Righteous Retribution. Righteous Retribution: When the user is acting heroically and fighting against evil, as the righteous party, the user's strikes have an unavoidable effect.
Unavoidable strikes? A 100% hit rate? I can hit whatever I aim for? This skill was excellent. During the fight with the five ruffians, he had primarily relied on his Damage Reflection skill. Force is reciprocal; when his fist hit an opponent, his own fist would also receive impact and feel pain. But that pain was also a form of damage, which was then reflected back twofold onto the attacker. The result was he'd hit them, and they'd be in unbearable pain. They'd hit him, and they'd still be in unbearable pain. Under this excruciating feedback and Asagi's fierce fighting style, the 5 ruffians were quickly subdued. One of them had even pulled out a small hammer and struck Asagi's arm, only for his own arm to snap. Truly, they had reaped what they sowed.
---
Shortly after Asagi and Sumireko Sanshokuin left, a fierce-looking detective arrived on the scene in a police car. He and his colleague quickly spotted the several bruised and battered delinquents, stripped down to their underwear and tied in a circle around a utility pole.
Regarding this, the fierce-looking Daisuke Kosaka simply waved his hand. "Arrest them, then let's go!" Although he didn't understand the full situation, a quick deduction made it clear: these slovenly men had likely tried to bully someone, kicked an iron plate instead, and gotten severely beaten.
When the delinquents were roused, Daisuke Kosaka immediately started questioning them. The 5 delinquents instinctively clamped their legs together, trembling, and then started crying. Kosaka was startled. He only understood the situation after some asking: these 5, who had cornered a plain-looking girl, had been beaten up by a passing young man. Moreover, after beating them, he had delivered a few extra kicks, specifically using a "low blow" attack on each of them.
Men, you see... that place is the most vulnerable. Being hit there, how could they not have psychological trauma?
What puzzled Daisuke Kosaka was their insistence: they claimed that person was a monster. They said that when they hit him, they themselves felt the pain.