"…Impossible!"
Looking at the content in the Future Diary, Yukino immediately bit her silver teeth in shame and anger.
Her future self would agree to a sisters rice bowl?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
"Yukino, what does the diary say?"
Natsuki leaned in curiously.
Slap!
Yukino slammed the notebook shut and turned to glare at him in shame and anger:
"Don't come near me."
"Why are you glaring at me again?" Natsuki looked very innocent, "Even if my future self did something excessive, it has nothing to do with my current self."
Yukino did not agree with this statement, crossing her arms over her chest, and said with a look of disdain:
"The future is a possibility of the present. If Garbage-kun were upright and devoted, how could he… do such a thing?"
In other words, this guy already has the intention of having a sisters rice bowl!
Natsuki asked curiously:
"What did I do in the future that made you so angry?"
"…"
Yukino turned her pretty face away, unwilling to say more.
Words like 'Sisters rice bowl' felt humiliating to even utter.
Unless her future self was forcibly made stupid, she couldn't imagine how she would agree to such a thing.
"Whew…"
Yukino closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed her temples, saying:
"Let's stop this topic… I'll rest for a while, then continue the challenge."
Being angry at someone for something that hasn't happened in the future is indeed a very excessive thing.
Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.
Yukino quickly controlled her emotions and calmed down.
Of course, there was another reason.
The future can be changed.
In the original future, due to the side effects, no matter what path she chose, she would fall off the cliff midway.
After eliminating the side effects, the future had already changed.
If so, the future of the sisters rice bowl could also be changed.
"Yukino, come here." Natsuki took out his phone and said, "Let's take a picture."
Yukino crossed her arms over her chest and said coldly:
"I refuse."
Natsuki walked to Yukino's side and whispered:
"Angel Falls is a place you might only visit once in your life.
Not taking a single photo always feels like a great regret."
"…"
Yukino pursed her lips upon hearing this and looked around.
The location of Angel Falls was like a giant rock standing in the middle of the plain, looking around, the two seemed to be standing at the very top, with only endless lush greenery beneath their feet, truly having the magnificent feeling of 'standing at the summit, all mountains seem small'.
At this thought, Yukino immediately felt much more relaxed.
A photo is a combination of person and scenery, recording not just the scenery, but also the mood of the moment.
Many things in life are 'this feeling can be remembered later, but at the time it was just a blur'.
Preserving them with photos, even after ten or twenty years, one can still recall the scene and mood of that time.
So, not taking photos does seem a bit regrettable…
Seeing that Yukino didn't speak, Natsuki knew that Yukino had tacitly agreed and smiled:
"Just two pictures."
Click, click.
"Let's change the angle and capture the scenery behind us."
"By the way, Yukino must be the first person in the world to freehand climb Angel Falls, right?"
Natsuki spoke while extending his right hand and wrapping it around the girl's soft, slender waist.
"Yukino, look up, let's take an upward-angle photo."
"…"
After taking a few more photos, Yukino finally reacted and warned with her eyes:
"Don't push your luck."
Natsuki smiled and handed over his phone: "See which photos you like.
I'll send them to you after we go down."
"No…"
Yukino was about to say she didn't need them, but her gaze fell on the photos, and her breath hitched slightly.
Although she was unwilling to admit it, Natsuki's photography skills were quite good.
In the photos, behind the two was an endless lush plain, and beside them was a rushing waterfall falling three thousand feet, the grandeur of nature and the insignificance of individuals were perfectly blended together.
"I just… smiled?"
Looking at herself in the photo with her lips slightly upturned, Yukino wanted to deny it, but couldn't say anything.
One can deceive others, but not oneself.
If it were any other guy, she wouldn't even accept a tiny bit of physical contact, let alone let him hold her for photos.
"Wait," Yukino suddenly remembered something, "If you jump off the waterfall with your phone, won't it break?"
"With Time Stop, I'm not afraid at all." Natsuki was full of confidence, "Three seconds is enough time for me to throw the phone to Sayu."
"We've rested enough," Yukino raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "Let's start the next challenge."
"Okay."
Natsuki put away his phone, looked at Yukino, then opened his arms and said earnestly:
"Yukino, come into my arms."
Yukino couldn't help but give him a light glare, pursed her lips, took two steps forward, then opened her arms and embraced Natsuki.
Jumping from a thousand-meter-high waterfall was simply too dangerous, so to be safe, the two embraced and jumped together.
When they got close to the lake surface, Natsuki would activate Time Stop to ensure their successful entry into the water.
Natsuki wrapped his arms around Yukino.
The air suddenly became quiet.
At this moment, even with the deafening roar of the waterfall nearby, the two could clearly hear each other's heartbeats.
Natsuki inhaled the faint fragrance from the girl's body and whispered in her ear:
"I like Yukino."
"…Shut up." Yukino's voice was cold, "Hurry up and jump."
"Yes, yes." Natsuki agreed, slightly separating their distance, and asked, "Yukino, are you ready?"
"Of course, I'm already…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Natsuki suddenly lowered his head and covered the girl's cool lips.
"Ugh—"
Yukino's beautiful eyes widened, a hint of shame and killing intent flashing in her gaze.
Taking advantage of someone, tricking and ambushing them, shameless and despicable!
Natsuki didn't kiss for too long; after simply satisfying his impulse, he let go of Yukino, then took half a step back, holding Yukino as they fell through the air:
"Jumped down!"
"..."
A strong sense of weightlessness suddenly swept over his entire body.
The wind howled in his ears, and the waterfall roared.
Yukino instinctively closed her eyes and buried her face in Natsuki's embrace. Despite it being a life-or-death challenge, she felt an indescribable peace in her heart.
After an unknown amount of time.
It felt like only a few seconds, yet also as long as several minutes. Yukino only heard a loud crash, followed by the instant rush of icy lake water over her entire body.
"Jumped into the lake beneath the waterfall..."
Yukino understood, but she wasn't panicking at all, because her body was still tightly held in Natsuki's arms, never having separated.
A moment later.
Splash!
Natsuki and Yukino surfaced.
"Natsuki-kun!"
"Yukino!"
Sayu and Haruno's shouts clearly reached them.
Yukino looked in the direction of the sound and saw Sayu and Haruno standing on the shore, waving on their tiptoes.
At the same time, a game notification for completing the challenge popped up.
"Phew..."
Yukino let out a soft breath, then turned to look behind her, suddenly feeling as if her heart had been gripped, abruptly stopping.
"You... are you injured?"
Looking at the bloodstain on Natsuki's lips, Yukino asked nervously.
"It's nothing," Natsuki wiped his mouth. "Even with Time Stop, the impact of falling into the water was still too great. It's normal to get a little injured."
Yukino's gaze sharpened, and she said seriously:
"Get to the shore quickly and go to the hospital for a check-up."
Natsuki said:
"Feels like too much trouble..."
Yukino crossed her arms, stating unequivocally:
"No, you must get a physical examination."
"Yukino says so," Natsuki raised his hands. "I'll go for a check-up right away."
"..."
The two returned to the shore, found a secluded spot to change their wet clothes, and then informed assistant about the injuries.
The group immediately descended the mountain, got into the jeep, and headed straight for the largest hospital.
Upon arriving at the hospital, doctors immediately performed a comprehensive examination on both of them.
Yukino was fine; her body was unharmed.
Natsuki's examination report showed two fractured ribs.
"Fractured ribs?"
Yukino bit her lip gently.
Jumping from a waterfall over a thousand meters high, she was unharmed without any injuries, yet Natsuki had two fractured ribs... even though she was the fragile one.
Clearly, during those three seconds of Time Stop, Natsuki chose to bear everything.
"Besides being a little painful, I don't feel much," Natsuki said softly. "Rib fractures are common. Some people even fracture a rib just by sneezing."
That's right.
In reality, many people fracture a rib just by sneezing; it's not nonsense.
However, these are mostly elderly people, and they all have symptoms of osteoporosis. Who among teenagers and young adults would fracture a rib from sneezing?
"Phew..."
Seeing Natsuki turn to comfort her, Yukino couldn't help but sigh softly. She suddenly understood why her favorability had increased after the extreme diving, as mentioned in her future diary.
Although this guy is lewd and shameless, with a head full of dirty thoughts, when danger strikes, he truly steps forward and uses his actions to protect everyone.
"Master, does it hurt?"
Upon hearing that Natsuki had fractured ribs, Sayu's eyes turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Master, paste the pain to me."
"No need," Natsuki reached out and ruffled Sayu's beautiful hair, saying gently, "It's just a little bit of pain, similar to getting your finger pinched."
Sayu sniffled, her eyes watery, and said:
"But getting your finger pinched also hurts a lot. Let me take the pain for Master."
Haruno said from the side:
"A hundred days to recover from a broken bone. Natsuki-kun, how about resting for a while before attempting another extreme challenge?"
Natsuki shook his head:
"A hundred days for a broken bone refers to ordinary people. We are Players. If Yukino hadn't insisted on coming to the hospital for a check-up, I would have already recovered completely by now."
Of course, this was an exaggeration.
Even as a Player, it's impossible to break a rib in the morning and fully recover by the afternoon.
Yukino crossed her arms, saying earnestly:
"There's plenty of time for the remaining challenges. Let's rest for a few days before going to the next challenge location."
Natsuki said helplessly:
"There's no need..."
"Hmm?"
Yukino's delicate eyebrows slightly raised.
"Alright," Natsuki raised his hands. "Yukino says so."
"..."
The group left the hospital.
Because of Natsuki's injury, the group had no interest in shopping and returned directly to the hotel by car.
"Natsuki-kun!" Sayu clasped her hands to her chest and suggested, "Paste the Doctor skill to me, and I'll help you with massage therapy."
Natsuki nodded:
"Then I'll leave it to Sayu."
The Unskilled Doctor skill can indeed speed up injury recovery, and can even be used to slowly heal cancer, so it would naturally be effective for fractured ribs.
"I'll also help with the treatment," Haruno's voice was sweet. "But there's no need to paste the skill. I previously drew an item of deep-sea fish oil that is said to be very effective for bruises and sprains, so it's perfect to use now."
Seeing Yukino standing by silently, Haruno's eyes shifted, and she said with a smile:
"Natsuki-kun, paste the healing skill to Yukino. With the three of us serving Natsuki-kun together, the treatment effect will directly double."
Yukino's lips slightly parted, and she eventually acquiesced.
Getting Natsuki to recover sooner would only bring benefits and no harm; she had no reason to refuse, whether emotionally or logically.
Natsuki said seriously:
"Haruno-nee is mistaken."
"Eh?"
"The treatment effect is directly tripled, not doubled."
"..."
The three girls followed Natsuki into the room.
After closing the door, Natsuki first pasted the Unskilled Doctor skill to Sayu and Yukino, then took off his shirt.
"So many... bruises."
Yukino immediately frowned.
When he was examined earlier, Natsuki underwent the examination alone. Now, Yukino and the other two discovered that Natsuki had many large and small bruises all over his body.
"It must hurt a lot, right?"
Sayu's eyes began to well up with tears again.
"Natsuki-kun, lie down quickly," Haruno patted the bed. "Leave the rest of the treatment to the three of us."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Natsuki sat on the edge of the bed, then lay down on his back.
"Natsuki-kun has a very good physique," Haruno smiled sweetly, extended a finger, and gently poked Natsuki's abdomen. "He has a full eight-pack abs, you know."
Natsuki turned his head and complained to Yukino:
"Yukino, Haruno-nee is taking advantage of me."
Yukino: "..."
"Hmph hmph," Haruno let out a soft hum, slightly raising her chin. "Even if Natsuki-kun screams his lungs out, no one will come to save you. Today, the three of us are going to have our way with you; even Jesus can't stop us."
"Sister, that's enough," Yukino couldn't bear to listen anymore. "His ribs are still broken right now."
"Yes, yes~" Haruno smiled. "Since Yukino is feeling sorry for him, then I won't take advantage of Natsuki-kun anymore."
Yukino: "..."
After a few more words, it was Haruno, the university student, who made the first move, pouring deep-sea fish oil into her palm and urging:
"Let's begin, everyone."
"Hiss..."
As Haruno, Yukino, and Sayu, the three girls, all put their hands on him, Natsuki couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
There was only one reason.
The injuries hurt a lot.
Not only did the fractured ribs hurt, but the bruises on his body also hurt a lot.
Fortunately, the deep-sea fish oil produced by the game was very effective. Wherever Haruno's hands passed, after the initial stinging pain, a cool sensation quickly spread, gradually evolving into a pleasant ache.
Time quietly slipped by. Under the care of Yukino and the two others, the bruises on Natsuki's body gradually disappeared, and the dull ache in his ribs also significantly eased.
"Oh, there are bruises on your knee here too."
Haruno said as she sat on Natsuki's lap, then raised her right hand to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Unlike Yukino, Haruno's development was actually quite good. Raising her hand to wipe sweat at this moment, a simple action, clearly and unmistakably displayed her beautiful body curves.
Natsuki was still lying there obediently. After seeing Haruno wipe her sweat, a certain doujinshi he had watched with Juju not long ago suddenly popped into his mind—
"The Imaizumi Family Seems to Have Become a Gyaru Hangout."
As one of the recently popular doujinshi, Natsuki was naturally curious. After reading it, his evaluation was that the quality was quite good.
It also featured three girls.
Also one with short hair and two with long hair, just without as many strange hair colors.
Also three girls serving one boy.
At this moment, the doujinshi and reality had a subtle overlap!
Of course, none of Yukino and the two others were gyarus, but that didn't stop Natsuki from imagining them in that scenario.
"Hey, you live alone, right?"
"I don't have much pocket money recently, and I want to find a place for a free gathering, so let's go to your place."
"Of course, we'll pay you back…"
"It's settled then. The consequences of refusing will be severe."
"Don't be afraid, we'll be very gentle."
"…"
Then…
"Oh no!"
Natsuki quickly composed himself, trying to stop the wild thoughts in his mind.
But he was a step too late.
His thoughts could stop, but his body couldn't brake; in fact, it couldn't stop at all.
Natsuki was lying on his back, and the three girls naturally noticed the change in his body.
Yukino bit her silver teeth, unable to stop two words from escaping her lips:
"…Lewd!"
It was just a legitimate therapeutic massage, what were you thinking about!
Natsuki closed his eyes, tilted his head, and said:
"I can't hear you, I'm already asleep, I can't hear anything."
Hearing this, Yukino couldn't help but recall the night raid from the morning, her pretty face quickly flushed, and to avoid Haruno discovering anything unusual, she immediately stood up and turned to leave.
"Eh, Yukino, where are you going?"
Haruno quickly asked.
"I haven't showered yet," Yukino replied without looking back. "I'm going back to my room to wash up first."
Bang.
The door gently closed.
Only Sayu and Haruno were left in the room.
"It seems Natsuki-kun has recovered his spirits."
Haruno spoke casually, but her gaze couldn't help but wander slightly.
Ever since she curiously possessed Sayu that day, she hadn't been able to look Natsuki directly in the eye.
"Hmm…"
Sayu blinked, keenly noticing the flush on Haruno's face, then suddenly her eyes shifted, and she smiled:
"Natsuki is already asleep."
"Huh?"
Haruno tilted her head, looking at Sayu, not knowing what she meant by that.
Sayu took out a handkerchief, placed it directly over Natsuki's face, then raised her right hand, covering her mouth, leaned towards Haruno, and whispered into her ear:
"I'm hungry, I'm going to buy something to eat. Haruno-nee, you can do whatever you want alone."
Natsuki: "…"
Haruno: "…"