"So, you're saying…"
"You earned all that money because the Chairwoman of your school took a liking to you."
On both sides of the dining table, illuminated by the incandescent light.
Hoshino Jun, who had just finished making dinner, had barely served the dishes when Asu Mei started pressing him about the source of his money.
Hoshino Jun had already thought about this on the way home today: he would use Yamada Ran as a shield.
Anyway, since the two of them were currently in a cooperative relationship, Hoshino Jun believed that even if Asu Mei really went to the school to ask, Yamada Ran would be able to cover for him.
"What do you mean 'took a liking'? Your words are ambiguous."
Hoshino Jun actually wished Chairwoman Yamada would take a liking to him right now; that way, he could complete the A-rank debt collection.
Unfortunately, the conquest was not yet successful, and the young man still needed to work hard.
"What I clearly said was that the Chairwoman saw my capabilities and pre-funded my employment after I graduate from university."
"What's the difference?"
"There's a huge difference, okay?" Hoshino Jun rolled his eyes at Asu Mei and continued, "So, you don't have to work so hard anymore. Slack off when you can, goof off when you can."
Of course, if there was any goofing off to be done...
Hoshino Jun hoped it would be left to him.
"Got it, got it." Asu Mei covered her mouth and smiled, her full, rounded chest pressing directly against the dining table. "My prodigal son has finally made something of himself."
Hearing this, Hoshino Jun raised his hand and gently poked Asu Mei's forehead.
"Stop calling me 'prodigal son,' it sounds awful."
Asu Mei pursed her lips, a little displeased, but in less than a second, she seemed to think of something and her eyes darted around.
When she looked at Hoshino Jun again, her gaze had become affectionate.
"Okay, I know, Jun-chan isn't a prodigal son, he's a good son, Mama's precious darling. Hurry and give Mama the money to keep safe."
"Heh heh." Hoshino Jun sneered. "Still want money? I think you want to die!"
No sooner had he spoken than the system, at the most inopportune moment, chimed in with a "Ding!"
"Ding!"
"Severe verbal insult and attempted robbery detected from Asu Mei!"
"Choose not to pursue, and you will acquire a B-rank Friendship Debt."
Huh?
B-rank debt?
Hoshino Jun stopped his already prepared hitting motion, his mind a little bewildered.
This was the first time he had received a B-rank debt because of Asu Mei's joke.
Seeing Hoshino Jun stop, Asu Mei also halted her steps, which were ready for retreat. She looked at Hoshino Jun with some confusion.
'I was already prepared for him to make a fuss, so why isn't Jun-chan coming over?'
Both of them were puzzled.
To get the B-rank debt, Hoshino Jun ultimately decided to let Asu Mei off this time and silently sat down to eat.
"It has been determined that Asu Mei is capable of repaying this Friendship Debt. Please collect it as soon as possible."
He really got it.
After the system's prompt, Hoshino Jun couldn't help but look in Asu Mei's direction.
At this moment, she was wearing a casual-style white T-shirt that barely covered everything that should be covered, from her shoulders to her thighs.
Her straight, snow-white legs, delicate, fair neck and collarbones, and the small, dazzling cleavage visible at her neckline were all clearly exposed to Hoshino Jun's eyes.
"Name: Asu Mei"
"Stamina: 5"
"Intelligence: 6"
"Charm: 9"
"Occupation: Supermarket Manager"
"Friendship: She currently owes you one B-rank Friendship Debt. Please urge her to complete payment as soon as possible."
"Payment methods:"
"Money: Five million yen."
"Food: Five consecutive years of loving bento boxes."
"Friendship: Knowledge points on kissing."
Was this way of getting B-rank debt a little too simple?
If Mei-san joked with him like this every day, wouldn't he become rich?
Thinking of this, Hoshino Jun's gaze towards Asu Mei grew even more fervent.
The living room was brightly lit, and Asu Mei still felt burned by Hoshino Jun's gaze. She thought Hoshino Jun was angry.
She lowered her head slightly and mumbled, "I won't joke like that anymore, so why are you so angry?"
Clearly, Asu Mei had misunderstood.
Hoshino Jun, not to mention whether he would get angry with her over such a small matter, was, on the contrary, ecstatic because he had received a B-rank debt from a mere joke.
On the dining table were three dishes and a soup, steaming hot. The two looked at each other through the rising steam.
"Auntie," Hoshino Jun spoke first.
"Hmm." Asu Mei responded, then intended to utter the apology.
She disliked Hoshino Jun's silent and unresponsive demeanor and wanted to ease the tension.
However, just as she was about to speak, Hoshino Jun preemptively said, "Please do it again."
"Huh?"
Asu Mei's almost-spoken apology was interrupted. Her eyes first showed confusion, then her cheeks flushed with an unnatural blush.
What was happening?
She suddenly recalled a magazine she had read earlier: today's Japanese teenagers, lacking affection, liked to call their partners 'Mama' and 'Papa'.
But, the last time she called him that, Jun-chan had hit her.
'Could it be… Jun-chan is actually a repressed type, and he was secretly enjoying it then?'
Seeing Hoshino Jun's increasingly intense gaze, Asu Mei felt this possibility was growing stronger.
She blinked, gently biting her soft lips.
Asu Mei's watery eyes, reflecting the light, sparkled, looking particularly alluring. She shyly parted her red lips and sweetly called out, "Good son~!"
"…"
Silence.
"…"
System.
"…"
Don't play dead, system, give me the debt quickly.
"…"
Don't you dare joke with me!
"Sorry, host, after repeated checks, it can be confirmed that Asu Mei had no malicious intent this time."
Damn it!
He got too excited just now and forgot that it had to be malicious.
And for Asu Mei to act maliciously towards Hoshino Jun, it would require luck.
"My darling son."
Seeing Hoshino Jun remain silent for a long time, Asu Mei, confused, called out again, adding the prefix "darling."
She thought, this time, it should make Jun-chan happy!
"Stop talking, shut up and eat!" Hoshino Jun's mood changed faster than turning a page. With a dark expression, he picked up some food and ate his meat.
Asu Mei was startled, then gave him a charming glare: "You're not happy when I call you, and not happy when I don't. What kind of person are you?"
"Heh heh." Hoshino Jun pouted, thinking, 'Sooner or later, I'll make you kneel and call me Papa.'
The meal was quite enjoyable. Hoshino Jun's cooking was good, and with Asu Mei rarely eating dinner at home this year, both of them, though unspoken, were actually very happy.
After dinner, as Hoshino Jun was clearing the dishes, Asu Mei naturally reached out her hand:
"Give me the money quickly. I'll keep it safe for you. You're young and don't understand the concept of saving money."
"You do?" Hoshino Jun raised an eyebrow, looking at her speechlessly. "Who was the one who went on a shopping spree the other day as soon as they got paid? Was it me?"
Asu Mei's cheeks puffed out: "Auntie isn't spending money recklessly this year. Auntie will save this money for you to go to university, and if there's any left after you graduate, it'll be for finding you a wife."
Help me find a wife?
Hoshino Jun gave her a strange look.
'I think you clearly want to monopolize everything except my university tuition.'
Hoshino Jun ignored her and carried the dishes into the kitchen.
"Hoshino Jun, damn it!"
Seeing that her heartless prodigal son truly wouldn't hand over the money, Asu Mei pouted and sulked on the sofa.
"Vroom—!"
Outside the apartment, hot-blooded youths were once again roaring down the street. Hoshino Jun closed the kitchen window tightly to prevent noise from coming in.
Since last week, his dishwashing speed had been steadily declining, mainly because he also had to reply to Kato Nana, who always wanted to chat with him.
Today, Kato Nana's messages were surprisingly few. Besides talking a bit more during the day, she only sent a cryptic message at night.
"Hoshino-kun, you'd better be ready tomorrow. Nana is going to punish you."
"???" Hoshino Jun replied, "Why should I be punished by Nana?"
"Because Hoshino-kun is disobedient."
"Huh?"
Could it be that after Takasaki Yusuke left, weak Nana turned into strong Nana?
Hoshino Jun chuckled, not paying much attention to Kato Nana's words.
After chatting with Kato Nana, Hoshino Jun checked the time. It was already half past seven.
He pulled open the kitchen door and suddenly noticed the living room was eerily quiet; even the TV wasn't on.
At first, Hoshino Jun thought Asu Mei was up to some new trick, until he saw Asu Mei lying asleep on her side on the sofa.
Perhaps because she could finally relax, her sleeping face was exceptionally peaceful.
Although Asu Mei was usually a bit boisterous, when she was quiet, she was a true beauty. Hoshino Jun quietly took a few steps forward and gazed at her sleeping face.
Her long, dark, straight hair spread across the sofa and her cheeks, her red lips slightly parted with a strand of hair caught between them. Three buttons of her shirt collar were undone, revealing her fair, slender neck.
Her full, rounded breasts also moved with her even breathing.
"I was originally planning to find an opportunity in a couple of days, but the opportunity came knocking on its own."
Hoshino Jun half-crouched, staring intently at Asu Mei's rosy lips. He wasn't a timid person; he was just afraid that Asu Mei would avoid him because of this.
"If she's asleep, it should be fine, right?"
Mei-san, I didn't mean to.
It's all the system; it insisted on giving such a mission, and I couldn't help it.
The system forced me.
Swallowing hard, Hoshino Jun's heart pounded. The closer he got to Asu Mei, the stronger the heat in his body became.
When the warm breath from Asu Mei's nose blew onto Hoshino Jun's lips, he almost melted completely, feeling much more intense than when he kissed Kato Nana and Takayanagi Yuki.
Perhaps this was the different psychological reaction that came from kissing someone he liked.
With their lips pressed together, Hoshino Jun's pleasure reached its peak.
Asu Mei's first kiss, preserved for 28 years, was silently stolen by Hoshino Jun.
"Ding!"
"Friendly reminder: One B-rank debt has been collected."
"Hmm." Asu Mei seemed to sense something, letting out a soft murmur in her sleep, which startled Hoshino Jun into retreating quickly.
The lingering warmth was still on his lips. He pursed them, and after calming down completely, reached out to pat Asu Mei's smooth thigh.
"Go sleep in your room, you'll catch a cold."
"Mmm-hmm~!"
Asu Mei rubbed her sleepy eyes, slowly got up, and mumbled, "Oh, I know."
Hmm, Auntie in her dazed state was a bit too obedient.
Only after watching Asu Mei walk into the bedroom with her fair, slender legs did Hoshino Jun breathe a sigh of relief and immediately began to check his status panel.
"Name: Hoshino Jun"
"Stamina: 9"
"Intelligence: 7"
"Charm: 10"
"Occupation: Student"
After completing the B-rank collection just now, the newly added attribute point was added to stamina, further strengthening his body.
Hoshino Jun could even clearly feel his body becoming hotter, and he quickly went into the bathroom to check.
Sure enough, EXP +3.
His muscles in various parts of his body had also become more solid, and his original six-pack abs had evolved into an eight-pack.
"I hope the abs stop here; any more would start to look bad."
Lifting his shirt and rolling up his sleeves, Hoshino Jun, without exposing any private parts, took a high-definition selfie of his arm muscles and abdominal muscles.
Combined with his handsome face, the photo showed a limited-edition super handsome young man who looked slender in clothes and muscular without them.
"Today, I'll send some Welfare to the lonely, cold, and empty ladies."
When one is lonely, Hoshino Jun didn't believe any woman could resist the combination of Charm 10 and Stamina 9.
Even the proud and aloof Chairwoman Yamada.
After editing the photo and posting an update, just as Hoshino Jun was about to wash up and go to sleep, he suddenly received a message.
"Jun-kun, can you come help me?"
The location was an izakaya five kilometers to the east.
"What are you doing drinking late at night?" Hoshino Jun quickly put on his clothes and quietly left home to find Takayanagi Yuki.
What he didn't know was that after he left, someone was sleepless.
At this moment, in Asu Mei's room, the bright light from her phone clearly illuminated the flush on her pretty face.
Her gaze was fixed on the screen, on the muscular young man, and she felt a sudden dryness in her mouth.
"Jun-chan is secretly kissing me and posting this kind of update. What does it mean?"
"His behavior today, would it count as a night raid?"
"Then, will he sneak into my room later?"
As she thought about it, Asu Mei grew increasingly restless, her eyes almost narrowed into slits, her expression utterly dazed.
She quietly got out of bed, made sure the door wasn't locked, then picked out a sexy nightgown from her wardrobe, got back into bed, and waited anxiously for someone's night raid.
"So nervous. I hope Jun-chan doesn't realize I'm not actually asleep."