In the quiet corridor,
A young boy, Akira Fujimiya, wearing the Sobu High School uniform, stood by the window, gazing at the cherry blossom trees outside.
One month had passed.
However, Yukinoshita Yukino's favorability toward him remained at a pitiful 10%.
This value was equivalent to the relationship between classmates or acquaintances who only knew each other's names—and the degree of favorability would even decrease with time.
He had already been a member of the Service Club for a month.
At the beginning, when the favorability system awakened, he confidently went to the Service Club, because the first heroine displayed by the system was Yukinoshita Yukino.
Last month, he could only see her favorability score.
Rewards were calculated every month based on that score. If it exceeded 30%, he would receive an A-level reward. Anything below 30%? That would be a B-level reward, equivalent to a consolation prize.
Yukinoshita Yukino was the heroine he was most familiar with and once loved the most—or so he thought.
But now?
He couldn't say he still liked her. At most, he could say that he admired her.
Yukinoshita Yukino was one of the most beautiful girls in Sobu High School. Although the atmosphere grew quiet whenever they shared the same activity room, he didn't dislike that kind of silence.
Whenever he glanced at her, he felt happy.
But when their eyes met, things became a little awkward.
Yukinoshita Yukino's unique cold gaze—like that of an ice mage from those fantasy games—could chill anyone to the bone.
Because of that, he hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to her.
"Good shot!"
While he was thinking about his problems, A cheer could be heard from the football field.
Akira snapped out of his daze and looked toward the field.
'Most likely, it was Hayato Hayama playing again', he thought.
From his casual observations, whenever Hayama played, crowds of girls gathered to watch.
Especially their classmate Yumiko Miura—almost everyone thought she and Hayama were a couple.
"As long as I don't get Yumiko Miura, I should be able to get the A-level reward, right?" Akira muttered silently as he recalled receiving last month's B-level reward.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the ability: Enhanced Memory.]
A voice echoed in Akira's mind.
He froze for a moment. For a B-level reward, that seemed pretty useful.
As, he looked at the virtual screen in front of him, the page for Yukinoshita Yukino flipped away, and a new page slowly appeared.
When Akira saw the name clearly, his mood soured.
Yumiko Miura!!!
.....
On the way to the Service Club,
Akira Fujimiya could be seen walking with a disappointed expression.
Even if he had been asked to get to know Ebina Hime, he could have still managed it.
But why Yumiko Miura?
Was the System telling him to approach the "popular crowd"?
Yumiko Miura's temper was infamous—she was often rude to boys other than Hayato Hayama.
Although Akira was confident about his looks, as a transfer student it was still difficult for him to integrate into that group.
Moreover, as a former introvert, the last thing he wanted was to get involved with the so-called "popular group."
"Sigh…" Akira sighed.
"Are you worried about something, Akira-kun?"
A cold voice suddenly rang out in front of him.
He stopped and looked up.
It was Yukinoshita Yukino, one of the most beautiful girl in Sobu High School—and the first heroine assigned by the favorability system.
Her face was flawless. Even without makeup, she surpassed most girls.
Her smooth black hair, and when the wind blew, it only made her beauty stand out more.
Although her figure had its imperfections, the contrast between her knee-high socks and school uniform skirt revealed a pale stretch of skin that was dangerously captivating.
"Akira-kun, although I am very beautiful, it is impolite to stare at me like this," Yukinoshita said calmly.
"Sorry, Yukinoshita-san." Akira quickly looked away.
"Tell me about your troubles." Yukinoshita Yukino brushed her hair aside and stared at him.
"Can we sit down and talk slowly?" Akira asked. The corridor didn't feel like the right place, and he hadn't yet thought of what to say.
Yukinoshita didn't respond, but she opened the Service Club door and walked in.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Akira followed.
Yukinoshita Yukino sat by the window, silently watching him.
Akira realized she might genuinely be looking for something to do—or perhaps she was waiting for a client's request.
Akira sat opposite of Yukinoshita Yukino, a long table between them.
"I've fallen in love with a girl in my class—a member of the popular group. How should I approach her so I can get closer?" Akira asked after some thought.
"What kind of person is she?" Yukinoshita asked.
"Her name is Miura Yumiko."
"I see." Yukinoshita nodded lightly. "However, the person she likes is Hayato Hayama. It's almost impossible for her to like you. Unless you can surpass Hayama in every aspect, she won't notice you."
"Is there any other way?" Akira ask slowly.
"Yes," Yukinoshita replied after a pause.
"Huh?" Akira blinked in surprise. Was there really another way?
"What if Hayato Hayama doesn't like her?" Yukinoshita said slowly.
He froze. Then it clicked.
He remembered—Hayama had mentioned the girl he liked in the anime. And no matter how you looked at it, it wasn't Yumiko Miura!
According to many analyses, that person was likely Yukinoshita Haruno.
Akira looked at Yukinoshita Yukino. Could it be that she already knew Hayama's feelings for her sister?
It would make sense. Haruno was perfect, mature, and possessed a unique charm no ordinary girl could match.
Compared to her, Yumiko Miura…
Akira thought about it a little.
So what did Hayato Hayama really think of Yumiko Miura?
The answer was obvious. With Yumiko Miura by his side, Hayama could avoid being overwhelmed by other girls' attention. She was essentially his shield.
"Thank you, Yukinoshita-san." Akira said to her lightly.
"Do you really like Yumiko Miura?" Yukinoshita asked, studying him with her calm, cold eyes.
"Do you need a reason to like someone?" Akira countered. While he thought, if not for this System, I would stay far away from her.
"The reason you joined the Service Club was probably to pursue me. But I've been observing you for a month—you haven't shown any signs of that." Yukinoshita's tone was confident, calm.
"I simply admire you. Maybe sometimes I can't control certain… thoughts. But most of the time, I see you as a beautiful person—not just in appearance, but in character as well," Akira said after a pause.
"Akira-kun, I like your evaluation. That's also the reason I allowed you to stay in the Service Club. Your gaze isn't disgusting. And besides, people who like reading are usually good people." Yukinoshita smiled faintly.
.....
The main activity that is mostly done in the Service Club was reading.
Every time Akira came to the room, He find Yukinoshita was already absorbed in a book.
So, not wanting to disturb her, he also bought stacks of light novels to read during his lunch breaks.
The light novels of this world weren't exactly best-sellers, but there were still many interesting ones.
Romance, isekai, drama were his favorite genres.
Generally speaking, the main reason was that they had some good-looking heroines. Even if he ended up with a poorly written novel, at least he could enjoy the character illustration—it was never a complete loss.
For someone who had inherited an apartment and 10 billion yen, living freely for the rest of his life was certainly possible.
In his original world, he had to worked hard for years, only for him to end up here as an student afterward.
Atfirst, it was frustrating but he get used to this new life.
Through income from writing novels (of some popular stories of his past life) and creating videos, he maintained a modest lifestyle. He had no girlfriend, no friends—just anime and books as his companions.
Most of the time, he was happy. But sometimes, he can't help but feel lonely sometime.
On late nights, while everyone else slept, he would often cook something to eat, open a can of Coke, and eat alone while watching anime.
His record was not leaving the house for an entire week—until his landlady came to check if he was still alive.
Remembering all this, Akira smiled faintly.
"Light novels, are they interesting?" Yukinoshita's voice brought him back.
"They're interesting. I like some story. I used to be a creator, too," Su Yu admitted.
"Can I see your work?" Yukinoshita's eyes showed curiosity.
"This…" Akira hesitated. All his works were in his original world—and most were such works, that only people of similar tastes would be able to enjoy them.
"Is it the type that's not convenient for me to see?" Yukinoshita guessed.
"Yeah." Akira nodded.
"Akira-kun, I don't think you lack money. But don't get arrested because of your writing," Yukinoshita casually gave a warning.
"Thank you for the reminder, Yukinoshita-san. But my writing isn't that wild," Akira said softly, as he glancing at the novel in his hands.
In truth, his works had been far more conservative than the bold light novels of this world.
His writing style had always been timid.
"Is your goal to become a light novel writer?" Yukinoshita asked while flipping pages.
"My goal is to live freely," Akira replied after thinking about it for a moment.
"Live freely?" Yukinoshita raised her head, meeting his eyes.