"Good morning, Megumi~"
Though a little surprised to run into her here, Mio still flashed Megumi Kato a sweet smile.
No wonder she hadn't noticed even when the other girl had walked right up behind her.
If it was Megumi, that made sense.
She was an adorable beauty, yet her presence was strangely faint. Even in the same classroom, if you weren't actively looking for her, she was still easy to overlook.
Mio had to admit, with an ability like that, Megumi would be perfectly suited to strapping on a hidden blade and taking up that ancient profession.
"Good morning, Shirai-san." Megumi glanced at Mio. Her intuition told her Mio was definitely thinking about something weird.
Then again, Mio was a weird person to begin with, so it wouldn't be strange even if she was thinking about something weird.
"Megumi, what are you doing here?"
"I came to exercise." Megumi tugged at the athletic wear she had on.
Lately she hadn't been watching her diet carefully, which had caused her to put on a little weight. With break conveniently here, she'd started using the morning hours to go for runs.
She hadn't even done many laps before she spotted Mio.
So she'd come over to say hi.
"Oh, so that's it. I didn't expect you'd actually come say hi to me first, Megumi. I'm really so happy~"
"It just feels a bit rude to spot someone you know and not go over to greet them. And it's only a greeting. What's there to be happy about?" Megumi said flatly.
"You coming up to greet me first, that's the happy part."
Just as Mio was about to say something more, the System's voice suddenly sounded in her ear: "Even though the host is already calling Megumi Kato by her first name, Megumi Kato still keeps addressing you as 'Shirai-san.' Doesn't the host find that a little distant?"
"The host is to find a way to make Megumi Kato address you by your first name before the two of you part. Success may earn you a Megumi Kato Card Set or an item reward; failure will mean drawing from the Penalty Card Set."
"Do your best, host~"
"I knew it."
Mio really wanted to roll her eyes at the System. The good mood the break had brought her plummeted in an instant thanks to it. Still, at least this task wasn't all that hard.
Reining in her scattered thoughts, Mio cleared her throat and said, "Megumi, could you call me by my first name?"
"Why?"
"Because we're good friends. And I already call you by your first name." Mio looked at Megumi with pleading eyes, trying to get her way by acting cute.
But her cute act seemed to have zero effect on Megumi. Her tone stayed just as flat as she said, "How you address someone isn't something that changes overnight. But since you're putting it that way, Shirai-san, I'll keep it in mind from now on."
Even though that was what Megumi said, the task still wasn't complete. It looked like she needed the other girl to actually say her name out loud to clear it.
With that in mind, Mio pressed on, "Could you say my name just once?"
"...Mio?"
"Why is that a question?"
Whether it was because Mio was being a bit too enthusiastic or not, Megumi gave her a sidelong glance and said softly, "Mio."
As Megumi's voice faded, the world in Mio's eyes froze.
The System's voice rang out in her ear again: "Congratulations to the host on completing the task. Megumi Kato's conquest rating toward the host has increased by 2 points. Please select your reward."
For this task reward, Mio chose [Megumi Kato's Imperturbability]. This card would let her keep a better handle on her own emotions.
As time began to flow again, Megumi looked at the happy smile on Mio's face and couldn't help blinking. She'd only changed how she addressed her, so why was the other girl this delighted? For some reason it gave her a strange déjà vu, as if the person she secretly liked had just called her by name.
Even Megumi couldn't quite work it out in the moment.
Mio also noticed she'd gotten a little carried away. She coughed twice and smoothly changed the subject. "So, um, Megumi, do you have any plans for the break?"
"I'll spend New Year's at home, then go on a trip to Hokkaido with my family."
"A family trip? That's so nice~" A look of envy surfaced in Mio's eyes.
Back before she crossed over, her breaks were either spent holed up at home playing games and watching anime, or traveling somewhere far away.
She'd once thought that once she found a girlfriend, she'd travel all over together with her. But right up until she crossed over, she still hadn't found one. And now, if anything, she was on the verge of becoming someone else's girlfriend.
Honestly, thinking it over, there wasn't really any downside to becoming someone's girlfriend. But Mio worried that too high a conquest rating might start affecting the way she thought.
Like right now. Yui Yuigahama's conquest rating toward her had already passed fifty points, and every time she spent time with Yui, a strange feeling would well up inside her.
Under the influence of that feeling, her attention would keep getting drawn to the other girl, or thoughts like being Yui Yuigahama's girlfriend wouldn't be so bad would keep popping into her head.
And it was pretty much the same with Mashiro Shiina.
She suspected this was exactly what a high conquest rating did to a person.
That was precisely why she worked so hard to keep the conquest rating from climbing.
If it had no effect whatsoever, she might just stop resisting and let the conquest rating run wild.
Noticing that Mio's expression seemed a little complicated, Megumi suddenly remembered something: Mio's family situation. Mio's parents had apparently both passed away in an accident, and she lived alone now.
So that was probably why she'd shown that envious yet complicated look upon hearing about a family trip.
All of a sudden, Megumi felt a pang of sympathy for the white-haired beauty in front of her.
"In the future, if there's a chance, I could go traveling with you."
"Eh? Really?"
Mio had no idea why Megumi had suddenly brought this up, but she couldn't help the look of pleasant surprise that spread across her face.
"Mm." Megumi nimbly dodged Mio's incoming hug, then said flatly, "I'll get back to my run, then. I'm free up until New Year's, so if you need anything from me, just send me a message."
With that, Megumi turned and jogged off.
At the same time, the System's voice once again sounded in Mio's ear: "Megumi Kato already said all that, so how can the host just stay unmoved?"
"The host is to find a way to complete one date with Megumi Kato before the year is out. Success may earn you a Megumi Kato Card Set or an item reward; failure will mean drawing from the Penalty Card Set."
"Do your best, host~"
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