A dull ache pulled Kaito from his sleep. He groaned, rolling onto his back, the morning sun filtering through his thin curtains. The ache was low in his stomach, a persistent, unfamiliar thrum. He'd felt it yesterday, too, a strange, heavy tension that made his boxers feel tight.
Maybe I'm getting sick, he thought, swinging his legs out of bed. He'd missed a lot of school last year due to his hospital stay—the whole semester, in fact, when his class had that special "health education" unit. He was basically playing catch-up on everything, including whatever was making his body feel so weird.
As his feet hit the cool floorboards, a shimmering blue rectangle materialized in the center of his vision.
> SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE.
> WELCOME, USER: KAITO.
> THE 'LOVE LEVELING SYSTEM' IS NOW ACTIVE.
Kaito's breath hitched. A system? Like in an RPG? His heart hammered against his ribs. This was it. This was his protagonist moment. He'd read enough light novels, played enough games to know. He was the main character now.
The blue screen shifted, displaying a simple layout.
USER: Kaito
LEVEL: 1
EXP: 0/100
STAMINA: 10
STRENGTH: 8
ENDURANCE: 9
Beneath that was a list, currently with one entry.
ACTIVE RELATIONSHIPS:
1. Hikari (Mother) - Love Points: 24
Love Points? Kaito's mind raced. So it was a system about making people love him! He had to get that score to 100. Max out the relationship, like a perfect completionist run. A warm, determined feeling spread through his chest. He could do that. He loved his mom more than anything. Helping her was easy.
A new notification pinged.
> NEW MISSION RECEIVED!
> MISSION: A MOTHER'S BURDEN.
> OBJECTIVE: Assist Hikari in preparing the morning bake at 'Sweet Hikari' for one hour.
> REWARD: 10 EXP, +1 to Hikari's Love Points.
Yes! A starting quest. Perfect. Kaito threw on a t-shirt and shorts, the strange ache in his groin momentarily forgotten in his excitement. He hurried downstairs, the sweet, warm scent of vanilla and sugar guiding him to the kitchen attached to their small shop.
His mother, Hikari, was already there. Her long, silvery hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, a few strands escaping to frame her face. Her blue eyes, the color of a summer sky, were focused intently on the piping bag in her hands as she delicately decorated a strawberry shortcake.
"Morning, Mom!" Kaito said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.
Hikari looked up, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "Kaito? You're up early. Everything okay?"
"Yep! Just… wanted to help." He moved to the sink, washing his hands thoroughly. "What needs doing?"
Her smile softened, a touch of relief in it. The shop was doing well, but the pre-dawn baking was a lonely, exhausting task. "The dough for the melon-pan needs to be divided and proofed. Could you?"
"On it." He set to work, his hands, skilled from years of helping around the shop, deftly handling the soft, yeasty dough. As he worked, he stole glances at the shimmering blue display only he could see. The mission timer ticked down. 47 minutes left.
The silence was comfortable, filled only by the hum of the oven and the soft sounds of their work. After a while, Hikari stretched, rolling her shoulders with a quiet sigh. Kaito noticed the tension in her neck.
> OBSERVATION SKILL UNLOCKED.
> NEW MISSION RECEIVED!
> MISSION: KNIGHT'S RESPITE.
> OBJECTIVE: Offer Hikari a shoulder massage to alleviate her fatigue.
> REWARD: 5 EXP, +2 to Hikari's Love Points.
Another one! The system was really guiding him. "Mom," he said, wiping his hands on a towel. "Your shoulders look tight. Let me?"
She blinked, surprised. "Oh, Kaito, you don't have to—"
"Please? I want to help." He gave her his best earnest look, the one he knew she couldn't refuse.
Her resistance crumbled. She sighed, a happy, yielding sound. "Alright, my sweet boy. Just for a minute."
She leaned forward slightly, bracing her hands on the stainless steel counter. Kaito stepped behind her, his fingers hovering for a second before he placed them gently on the slope of her shoulders, over her thin cotton shirt. He began to knead, applying pressure the way he'd seen in videos, finding the knots of tension along her spine.
A soft, almost imperceptible moan escaped Hikari's lips. "Mmh… that's… you have good hands, Kaito."
A notification flashed. Hikari's Love Points: 24 -> 26.
It's working! He focused, his thumbs working circles into the firm muscle. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric, smell the subtle floral scent of her shampoo mixed with the sugar and flour. His own strange ache pulsed in time with his heartbeat, growing more pronounced. He shifted his stance, trying to ignore it.
His mother's breathing deepened. Her head lolled forward, her silvery hair brushing against the back of his hands. "Right there… that spot is terrible."
He pressed deeper, and she gasped, her back arching slightly. The movement pulled her shirt taut, and Kaito's gaze, following the line of her spine, dipped lower. The apron strings emphasized the curve of her waist, the swell of her hips. A dizzying, unfamiliar heat flooded his system.
> MISSION UPDATED!
> MISSION: KNIGHT'S RESPITE (ADVANCED)
> OBJECTIVE: Remove obstructing clothing to improve massage efficacy.
> REWARD: 15 EXP, +3 to Hikari's Love Points.
Remove clothing? That made sense, he supposed. The shirt was in the way. He was just optimizing the mission. His mouth felt dry. "Mom," he whispered, his voice a little hoarse. "Your shirt… it's in the way. I can't get to the muscle properly."
Hikari was quiet for a long moment, her shoulders stiff under his hands. Then, slowly, she relaxed. A breathy, shaky laugh left her. "My… my helpful boy. Always thinking of efficiency." Her hands came up, fingers fumbling with the buttons of her light blouse. One by one, they came undone. She didn't turn around, just let the fabric fall open down her back, revealing the smooth, pale skin and the strap of her simple white bra.
Kaito's breath caught. The Love Points on his display ticked up again. 27.
His hands returned to her skin, now bare. The difference was electric. She was so soft, so warm. Her skin was like silk under his slightly flour-dusted fingers. Every sigh she made, every little shiver he felt under his palms, sent a corresponding jolt through him. That persistent ache between his legs became a throbbing, demanding presence, straining against his shorts. He had no name for the feeling, only that it was intense and somehow connected to the points rising on the screen.
He massaged lower, his thumbs tracing the indent of her spine. Hikari's breathing grew more unsteady. One of her hands left the counter and came back to rest lightly on top of his, guiding his touch a little lower, to the small of her back. Her touch was scorching.
"Kaito…" she murmured, her voice thick with something he didn't recognize.
A new, urgent notification blazed in his vision, tinted a faint gold.
> EMERGENCY MISSION GENERATED!
> MISSION: FIRST BLOOD.
> OBJECTIVE: Seek relief for your abnormal physical state. Confide in Hikari and request her manual assistance.
> TIME LIMIT: 10 MINUTES.
> REWARD: 50 EXP, 'High Stamina' Perk, +5 to Hikari's Love Points.
> FAILURE: Status Effect 'Aching Throb' will persist indefinitely.
Panic and excitement warred in Kaito's chest. An emergency mission! And a huge reward. But… manual assistance? What did that mean? The 'Aching Throb'—that had to be this awful, wonderful feeling. He couldn't let it last forever.
His hands stilled on her back. The shop was silent except for their breathing. He swallowed hard, the words feeling clumsy and foreign on his tongue.
"Mom," he started, his face burning. "I… I need help. Something's wrong with me."
Hikari turned then, slowly. Her blouse hung open, and her sky-blue eyes were wide, dark with a confusion that mirrored his own, but deeper, more turbulent. "Wrong? What is it, baby?"
Kaito looked down, then back at her, playing the part of a confused protagonist to the hilt. "It's… down there. It hurts. And it's… really big and hard all of a sudden. I don't know why." He met her gaze, pouring all his genuine ignorance and discomfort into the look. "Can you… can you help me? Please?"
Hikari's lips parted. A flush crept from her neck up to her cheeks. Her eyes flickered down for the briefest instant before snapping back to his face. The Love Points in Kaito's vision trembled…