"I really don't know what you're worried about. They're all really nice people.
Except for Taki, she's so moody."
Anon sat down next to Chihaya Kaiser, shoved the hairdryer at him, and leaned back.
"Dry my hair for me."
"Do it yourself. I'm going to take a shower." He tossed the hairdryer back into Anon's lap, got up, and headed for the bathroom.
"We have a deal. After I'm done with my stuff tomorrow, I'll head over. You guys probably won't be starting that early anyway."
"Okay~"
Her drawn-out voice faded into the hum of the hairdryer as he entered the bathroom. He confirmed that no new quest related to Anon had been triggered before taking off his clothes.
The water hit his hair, slowly soaking it.
Maybe you can only have one active quest at a time. If you don't complete the current one, you can't start a new one.
Still, this is pretty good. In just a few days, it's already given me 20,000 yen.
Why did it have to be a Dating System?
Chihaya Kaiser wished he had a Tycoon System; then he wouldn't have to worry about money.
He did the math. Including the money he'd lent out, he had 55,000 yen. He was only 45,000 yen short of the 100,000 he needed for a new guitar.
If he completed Marin's quest, he'd get another 30,000 yen, leaving him just 15,000 short.
It's within reach!
Chihaya Kaiser almost threw his hands up in the air and did a 'facing the sky in the rain' pose, like in The Shawshank Redemption.
He suppressed his excitement, finished his shower, dried off with a bath towel, and put on a T-shirt and shorts. He wasn't going to be like his dumb sister and walk out wearing just a towel.
When he opened the bathroom door, Anon was lying on the sofa, giggling foolishly at her tablet. He glanced over and saw it was some streamer named Nyamu. Anon was always watching her videos.
"Aren't you going to bed?"
"After this is over."
"There's ice cream I bought in the fridge."
"Really?"
"Get me one too."
Chihaya Kaiser watched as Anon slipped on her little white slippers and dashed down the stairs with a 'dat-dat-dat' sound. After the squeak of plastic, she came running back up like a Golden Retriever, one ice cream bar held between her teeth and another in her hand.
Anon's smile was always bright and infectious. Bobbing her head, she handed one to him.
"Thanks." Chihaya Kaiser sat on the sofa, and Anon immediately lay down, using his lap as a pillow.
He looked at the ice cream bar and patted her head. "Hey, finish eating before you lie down."
"What's the big deal?" She adjusted her position so she could eat her ice cream and watch the video at the same time.
"The ice cream will drip on my clothes," he said, his tone cautionary.
"No, it won't." She looked up, meeting Chihaya Kaiser's gaze from an odd angle.
His lips parted slightly as he asked, "And what if you do get them dirty?"
Hearing this, Anon pouted.
"I'll lick it clean for you!"
"No way. Are you a dog? That's disgusting." Chihaya Kaiser pushed at her cheek.
"It is not disgusting." She rolled over and straddled him, taking a bite of her ice cream.
"How's this?"
"Fine."
In the time they'd been talking, Chihaya Kaiser had already finished his ice cream and was now chewing on the wooden stick, tasting the wood.
She had only eaten a third of hers. Huffy, she widened her eyes and took a huge bite of her ice cream.
"See? It won't drop at all."
"You're already sitting up, so why are you still on my lap?" Chihaya Kaiser could feel her weight pressing down through his pants, their bodies almost completely flush against each other.
"Can't I? You're my little brother, after all." Anon pressed down. "I don't want to be like those other siblings who are super close as kids but then drift apart when they grow up, sometimes not even speaking for over a decade."
"..."
He looked at her face, which was ninety percent identical to his. When she wasn't making a goofy smile, her serious expression had the same cool detachment as his own.
He nodded and gave a soft 'mhm.'
The second floor, where only the living room and their bedrooms were, was completely silent.
Anon smiled, finished her ice cream, and lay back down again, holding her tablet.
"Have you been practicing your guitar?" Chihaya Kaiser glanced at the gig bag in the corner. It seemed like she'd been taking her guitar out with her every day recently.
"Nope."
"You should be practicing!" He covered his face, not wanting to imagine her bandmates' reactions when they found out Anon couldn't even play a C chord.
"Sigh! I have no time, and Kai isn't home to teach me either." Anon rolled onto her stomach, kicking her legs alternately in the air.
"We'll see. You should still have some time before your first rehearsal."
Chihaya Kaiser leaned back against the sofa. "I'm going to bed. Are you going to keep staying up late?"
"Nah, I'm going to sleep too."
They each went to their own rooms and turned on a nightlight, which cast a soft glow.
He lay down on his bed. A notification popped up at the top of his screen. He tapped it, and the page changed.
It was a cosplay photo from Marin Kitagawa.
Marin: "I've edited them."
That was followed by a sticker. The 'read' receipt appeared in the bottom right corner of all three messages.
Chihaya Kaiser: "They're really cute."
Chihaya Kaiser: "Are you going to post them on social media?"
It was a very formulaic, polite response. He typed a few more words, then deleted them.
He had originally planned to ask for a few of the pictures to post himself, but now he decided against it.
He had the follower-boosting quest, so it was better to let her post them all.
It's not like he was short on work lately. The part-time job group chat was constantly active, and he'd also added Mayuri Shiina, who said she'd hire him for a shoot next time.
Going to the comic convention with her on Saturday might also be a chance to get some on-site shoots with other girls and make a little extra cash.
Another notification popped up on his screen, interrupting his thoughts.
Marin Kitagawa: "What about this one? I love your photography style, Chihaya-kun. Don't you post this one, okay? It's for you."
In the photo, the girl was gently lifting the hem of her skirt, revealing her thighs. The faint blush on her face was just right, perfectly conveying the character's shyness.
It really was a great shot.
Chihaya Kaiser praised her again, saying she looked beautiful, and that his composition, especially, was perfect.
Marin Kitagawa: "Don't forget the comic con on Saturday. We can meet up beforehand and go together."
"Let's meet at the station then. I'm going to sleep."
Marin Kitagawa: "Going to bed this early?"
Marin Kitagawa: "Sweet dreams. Good night."
After finishing his chat with Marin, he set an alarm for five in the morning.
He was going to try working out. Maybe it would raise his base stats; relying solely on quest rewards was just too slow.
Getting a stat to 8.0 would unlock a passive talent, which was the touch of fantasy he'd been hoping for.
The next morning, his alarm went off.
He turned off the alarm and kept his eyes closed, resting for a few minutes. Afraid he'd fall back asleep, he forced his eyes open after what felt like several minutes and stared at the ceiling.
He picked up his phone. It had only been a minute.
He went downstairs, got dressed, went for a half-hour jog, then came home and showered. His status panel hadn't changed at all.
It was normal not to see an increase after just one time.
Chihaya Kaiser went to wake up his sister. When he pushed open her door, he saw her straddling a body pillow, dressed in pink pajamas, looking like an octopus clinging to the blanket and pillow.
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