"Is everyone acting strange because they're wearing the bracelet?"
Gotō Hitori blinked, her small face showing a puzzled expression.
A total of four Kessoku Band bracelets were successfully enchanted: one for Nijika, Kita, Ryo, and Bocchi-chan, one for each.
Gotō Hitori had experienced the effect of the bracelet. Although the feeling of shared five senses was very strange, it shouldn't make everyone that strange, right?
There must be some secret she didn't know...
"Since the answer book says so, then it's clearly related to the bracelet."
Kitahara Makoto said calmly.
Regarding the secret of the bracelet, only Bocchi-chan could discover it herself.
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun..."
Gotō Hitori returned the book, her face red, and said softly:
"Then I'll go to my part-time job now."
"Okay." Kitahara Makoto said gently, "Hitori, if you find out the secret of the bracelet, remember to tell me."
"Mm-hm."
Bocchi-chan nodded quickly.
"After I know the secret, I'll definitely tell Kitahara-kun!"
If you really knew the secret, you absolutely wouldn't tell me!
"..."
After Bocchi-chan left, Kitahara Makoto continued his one-arm push-ups.
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
Kitahara Makoto left for the academy to continue filming the movie.
"Kitahara-kun, over here, over here!"
As soon as he arrived at the academy, he saw Anon standing in the hallway, waving continuously.
"Perverted Kitahara, can you tell me now?"
Chihaya Anon put her hands on her hips, tilted her pretty face, and complained:
"This morning you wouldn't say, insisting we talk in person. What exactly happened to that middle-aged man on the train? Was he an experiment subject of some evil company?"
Kitahara Makoto was about to speak when he happened to see 'Kita' walk out of the classroom.
"Sorry to interrupt, I came at a bad time..."
Seeing Kitahara Makoto chatting with Anon, Nijika instinctively wanted to avoid them.
Nijika and Anon were not familiar with each other after all, and coupled with their 'love rival' relationship, it was inevitably a bit awkward to interact.
"No, Kita, you've come at exactly the right time." Kitahara Makoto raised his right hand, his expression serious. "Kita, come over here, I have something very important to tell both of you."
"Eh?"
Ijichi Nijika pursed her beautiful lips, unable to resist her curiosity, and walked over:
"What does Kitahara-kun want to say?"
Kitahara Makoto lowered his voice and said:
"The day before yesterday, there was an assault incident on the subway. Kita, did you see the news?"
"I saw it on Twitter." Ijichi Nijika nodded gently. "They said a middle-aged man had too much mental stress and suddenly went mad and lost control on the subway... Is there a problem?"
Kitahara Makoto looked at the pink-haired girl and said seriously:
"Anon, show Kita that video."
"Okay."
Chihaya Anon quickly took out her phone and muttered softly:
"There's a huge problem. That middle-aged man didn't suddenly have a mental breakdown; the truth was covered up by the authorities."
"The truth... What do you mean?"
Ijichi Nijika's curiosity was piqued. She pursed her lips and watched the video with wide eyes.
"This is the truth of the assault incident on the subway the day before yesterday?"
Ijichi Nijika was utterly shocked.
"That's right," Chihaya Anon quickly nodded, lowering her voice. "The middle-aged man directly turned into a monster; he wasn't a mental patient at all."
"How could a person suddenly turn into a monster…?"
Ijichi Nijika took a deep breath and looked towards Kitahara Makoto:
"Is what Kitahara-kun wants to say related to this video?"
"That's right," Kitahara Makoto said with a serious expression. "Anon was very curious why the man in the video turned into a monster, so she asked me to consult the answer book… The answer isn't good."
"I hate being a riddle-teller, so I'm going to tell everyone the truth. Please be mentally prepared."
"…"
Seeing Kitahara Makoto's grave expression, Nijika and Anon both held their breath, listening intently.
"The Otherworld and the real world have collided in some way, causing negative energy to spill over. This energy can combine with human negative emotions, thereby turning people into monsters," Kitahara Makoto said with a serious expression. "The uncle on the train was a monster whose soul was corroded by negative energy. The name given in the answer book is Eshinma."
"The truth is actually related to the Otherworld…" Chihaya Anon widened her eyes, unable to help but swallow. "The end of the world isn't going to break out, is it?"
"Don't be so nervous," Kitahara Makoto consoled softly. "From a macroscopic perspective, ten years or a hundred years are but a blink of an eye."
"For example, Mount Fuji; experts have long said that its energy has accumulated and it could erupt at any time. But 'any time' could be now, or it could be a hundred years later, or even a thousand years later."
"For the entire Earth, a thousand years is just an instant."
"So, perhaps the situation isn't so bad. The subway tragedy is just a special case. If we're lucky, a major crisis won't erupt for another hundred years…"
Ijichi Nijika lightly bit her lower lip:
"What if we're not lucky?"
Buzz buzz.
The phone suddenly vibrated.
Chihaya Anon looked down after reading the message, then silently raised her phone, her voice faint:
"Ten minutes ago, a series of vicious assaults by mental patients broke out on trains and subways in Osaka and Okinawa."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Ijichi Nijika: "…"
Facts proved that everyone's luck seemed to be not so good.
"Should we tell everyone about this?"
Ijichi Nijika pursed her lips, softly breaking the silence.
"Of course, we should tell everyone," Kitahara Makoto had already considered this, saying softly. "It's human nature to love watching excitement. Knowing the truth, if they encounter 'excitement' again in the future, they can avoid it in advance instead of going closer."
Chihaya Anon looked up, her expression pitiful:
"Can I tell my mom and dad too?"
There's nothing wrong with thinking of one's parents first when encountering danger.
"Of course, you can," Kitahara Makoto looked at Anon, saying softly. "The question is whether your aunt and uncle will believe it."
There's no need to say more about those who have entered and exited the Otherworld together, but if they tell their parents and relatives, it's highly probable that no one will believe them.
What?
Negative energy can corrode people's hearts and souls, turning some into demons?
They're already in high school, why is their chuunibyou even worse now?
"That's true…"
Chihaya Anon bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, a troubled expression on her pretty face.
Humans have a flaw: they don't shed tears until they see the coffin. Just verbally admonishing would certainly be of little use; it might even arouse the curiosity of parents and friends, leading to counterproductive results.
"Eh, wait a moment," Chihaya Anon suddenly had a flash of inspiration in her mind and quickly widened her eyes. "Should we ask the answer book if we can stop this disaster?"
Kitahara Makoto retorted:
"Indeed, every high school student has the idea of saving the world."
"What do you mean, Stupid Kitahara is just a high school student too," Chihaya Anon's pretty face flushed slightly. "Besides, I'm just curious, there's no harm in asking."
Ijichi Nijika nodded in agreement:
"I really want to ask. If we can stop the disaster, that would naturally be for the best."
Nijika and Anon are both extroverts, standard real-life socialites, with harmonious family relationships and friends wherever they go. Naturally, they hope the world can remain peaceful.
Kitahara Makoto took out the answer book and handed it over:
"I've used up my questioning turns. If you want to know, ask yourselves."
The two girls took the answer book and then huddled together.
Facing a world-level crisis, the previous minor disagreements were naturally insignificant.
"How can we resolve the crisis?"
Anon asked softly.
Rustle, rustle.
The answer book turned pages by itself, without wind, flipping rapidly.
A line of text quietly appeared on the blank page:
[Become a God, mend the loophole]
Seeing the answer given in the book, Anon and Nijika immediately fell silent.
Become a God?
Humans can't possibly do that.
After finishing today's filming with a restless mind, Kitahara Makoto, Anon, and Nijika had dinner together. During the meal, he also told everyone about the world collision, reminding them to avoid crowds. The girls' shock was needless to say.
After dinner, Kitahara Makoto bid farewell to the two girls, and then they each went home.
No words were exchanged on the way.
After getting off the train, Kitahara Makoto did not go straight home but instead went directly to a nearby park, preparing to complete his ten-kilometer long-distance run task.
When he was about to finish the ten kilometers, a fine drizzle suddenly began to fall. Kitahara Makoto confirmed there was no one around, so he suddenly burst into speed, his figure like an arrow leaving a bowstring, flying through the night rain. His speed was so fast that it even left faint afterimages.
Fortunately, there was no one else in the park, otherwise, it would surely have dropped people's jaws.
[Daily Task Two: Long-distance run ten kilometers]
[Current Status: Completed]
[Task Reward: Your Endurance attribute has permanently increased]
"Hoo…"
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly, his whole body emitting steaming heat.
Humans have limits, but the System has no limits, at least for now. As long as he completes daily tasks, his basic attributes can be slightly improved. Although the amount of improvement at one time is very small, accumulated over time, Kitahara Makoto's physical fitness has already broken through human limits.
"If I persist in training for three years, to what extent can my physical fitness be strengthened?"
Kitahara Makoto was very much looking forward to it.
One-Punch Man is impossible, but Homelander?
Probably very difficult too.
But it's still something to
look forward to.
"It's a pity this world doesn't have Baki or Kengan, otherwise I could totally challenge for the title of the strongest creature on the surface…"
"The push-up and running tasks have been completed, and the 'one evil deed a day' task was also taken care of during the day. Only the last task of watching a horror movie remains; I'll watch a movie when I get back."
Kitahara Makoto walked briskly, preparing to go home.
"Although my physical fitness has become stronger, I cannot be immune to diseases. In Dragon Ball, even Super Saiyan 2 Goku died due to illness. As expected, I still need to obtain the ability to be immune to all diseases…"
The fine rain was hazy.
As he reached his doorstep, Kitahara Makoto suddenly saw a lonely girl squatting under the streetlamp.
"Kami-machi shoujo?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow slightly.
But somehow, the figure felt vaguely familiar.
The further he walked, the stronger the sense of familiarity became. By the time he reached her, Kitahara Makoto had already recognized who the girl squatting under the streetlamp was.
"Mutsumi?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The girl under the streetlamp looked up, revealing a delicate, expressionless pretty face. It was Wakaba Mutsumi.
"What are you doing squatting under the streetlamp?"
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously.
Wakaba Mutsumi silently stood up, her pretty face expressionless:
"Waiting for Makoto-kun."
"Waiting for me to do what?"
"I want to go bungee jumping."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Coming over in the middle of the night just to go bungee jumping in a dream?
You're too much of a thrill-seeker!
Wakaba Mutsumi looked up, her voice calm: "Makoto-kun said that day that if I had a need, I could come find him anytime."
"When did I…"
Mid-sentence, Kitahara Makoto quickly realized.
Alright.
He really did say that.
When he asked Mutsumi for a poster that day, he did promise that she could come to him for help if anything happened in the future… Clearly, Mutsumi took it seriously.
"Let's go, let's go home first," Kitahara Makoto said helplessly. "It's raining outside. Why aren't you coming in, squatting outside?"
Wakaba Mutsumi said expressionlessly:
"I rang the doorbell, but no one opened the door."
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"Hana is at home, why didn't you ask Hana to open the door?"
Wakaba Mutsumi was silent for two seconds: "It would trouble Hana."
Worrying about troubling others, so you'd rather stand in the rain outside?
You're actually an idiot, aren't you!
"I told Hana not to open the door for strangers, so if you just ring the doorbell, Hana won't open it," Kitahara Makoto explained softly. "You have to call Hana's name. Next time you come to visit, if I'm not home, remember to call Hana's name, don't foolishly wait outside."
"Okay," Wakaba Mutsumi obediently followed behind Kitahara Makoto. "I'll call Hana's name tomorrow."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
No, you're coming again tomorrow?
Bungee jumping isn't that fun!
He opened the door and entered the house.
Hana ran over with a thump-thump-thump.
"Here."
Kitahara Makoto handed over the Cupcake.
When Kitahara Makoto returned home from outside, he never came back empty-handed.
"Mutsumi, would you like some cake?"
Seeing Wakaba Mutsumi silently gaze at the Cupcakes, Kitahara Makoto casually asked.
Wakaba Mutsumi clearly wasn't one for pleasantries:
"Yes, I do."
"Mutsumi is truly straightforward…" Kitahara Makoto's lips twitched slightly, and he looked down at Hana, "Hana, give Mutsumi a Cupcake."
One advantage of Hana was that she never hoarded food.
"Makoto-kun, here you go."
Wakaba Mutsumi handed over the shopping bag with both hands; it was clearly a souvenir.
"Thank you."
Kitahara Makoto politely thanked her, took it, and glanced inside, finding that it was full of small cucumbers.
"Cucumbers I grew myself," Wakaba Mutsumi explained, a rare initiative, her eyes filled with anticipation, "They taste very good, and they've all been washed clean."
Kitahara Makoto silently took out a cucumber and put it into his mouth.
Crunch.
"Not bad, it really is delicious."
It was truly rare to be able to eat cucumbers grown by Mutsumi herself.
After finishing the Cupcakes and cucumbers, Kitahara Makoto's gaze fell upon Mutsumi:
"Mutsumi, you only brought cucumbers, not a change of clothes?"
"No."
Running off to a boy's house to spend the night without even bringing a change of clothes, aren't you a bit too bold!
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but blurt out:
"Then you'll just have to wear my shirt… Hurry and take a shower. Even though you got rained on, there's still a chance of catching a cold."
"Okay."
"…"
Watching Wakaba Mutsumi silently turn and walk towards the bathroom, Kitahara Makoto's mood became a little subtle.
She twitches with every movement; truly Mutsumi.
Going upstairs to find a clean set of clothes, Kitahara Makoto handed the clothes to Wakaba Mutsumi, while he himself went to the second floor to shower… As for showering with Mutsumi, the thought alone filled him with guilt.
A person cannot, or at least should not, take advantage of a three-no girl.
While taking a bath, Kitahara Makoto suddenly heard his phone vibrate.
He picked it up and saw that it was a message from Tomori.
"Makoto-kun, are you home tonight? I've already convinced Taki, and I want to come over tonight to practice in the Dream World."
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't refuse: "Tomori and Taki, just come straight over."
Kitahara Makoto had only known Mutsumi for a few days, so of course, he couldn't take advantage of her, so it didn't matter who came over.
After finishing his bath, Kitahara Makoto came downstairs. The bathroom on the first floor was still lit, indicating that Wakaba Mutsumi was still showering.
Kitahara Makoto didn't mind and simply sat on the sofa, preparing to watch a movie.
Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"It must be Tomori."
Kitahara Makoto got up to open the door.
As expected, the two girls outside the door were Takamatsu Tomori and Shiina Taki.
"Makoto-kun, good evening."
Takamatsu Tomori looked up, her small face glowing, her eyes sparkling.
In contrast, Shiina Taki's greeting was much more distant and polite:
"Kitahara-kun, good evening."
"Good evening." Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly, "Come on in, both of you."
"Excuse us."
Shiina Taki bowed slightly, responding politely, then stepped into the entryway.
"Makoto-kun, where's Mutsumi?"
Takamatsu Tomori asked as she changed into her slippers.
Earlier, while chatting, Kitahara Makoto had already told the two girls about Wakaba Mutsumi coming over to play.
As she spoke, the bathroom door was pushed open, and a long-haired girl walked out, softly saying:
"Tomori, Taki, good evening."
"Mutsumi, are you okay?" Shiina Taki asked first, "Did you come here on your own, or did someone make you come? What did you come here to do?"
Wakaba Mutsumi said expressionlessly:
"I wanted to come on my own. I want to bungee jump in the Dream World."
"That's good then…"
Shiina Taki finally felt relieved.
Among everyone in the Kessoku Band, the person she cared about most was naturally Tomori, but Wakaba Mutsumi was, after all, a former companion, and she couldn't just stand by and watch her be deceived.
Now it seemed that Kitahara Makoto hadn't tricked Mutsumi into coming over.
The reason was simple: Mutsumi was extremely straightforward and, in her memory, never lied. If she encountered something she didn't want to talk about or if someone asked her to keep a secret, she would only remain silent.
Since she said she came on her own, she certainly wasn't tricked into coming.
"Tomori, did you bring a change of clothes?"
Kitahara Makoto asked softly.
Takamatsu Tomori nodded: "I brought them."
"Then you two go shower first."
Kitahara Makoto sat back on the sofa and picked up the remote control: "After you shower, we can watch a movie together."
Shiina Taki immediately said:
"Tomori and I will shower together."
"Not today, the bathroom will be too crowded." Takamatsu Tomori shook her head, "Taki can go shower upstairs."
"Then forget it." Shiina Taki's face showed a hint of disappointment, "I'll shower after Tomori finishes."
"Okay, I'll go shower first then."
Takamatsu Tomori turned and walked into the bathroom.
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto finally found a movie he was interested in, when he suddenly heard a dull thud behind him, followed by Shiina Taki's exclamation:
"Mutsumi, what are you doing?"
Wakaba Mutsumi's voice followed, sounding a bit muffled: "I got sucked into the washing machine."
"The washing machine isn't even moving, how could it possibly suck you in?" Shiina Taki couldn't help but retort, "Your posture is terrible, hurry and get out."
"I can't get out."
"…"
Kitahara Makoto turned his head to look behind him and saw Mutsumi stuck in the washing machine again, and he was speechless.
You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?
You're clearly doing it on purpose!
You just got stuck a few days ago, and you haven't learned your lesson at all!
Seeing Kitahara Makoto look over, Shiina Taki quickly stepped forward, preparing to pull out the awkwardly positioned Wakaba Mutsumi.
"Don't pull hard." Kitahara Makoto reminded her, "The washing machine, like the poster, has been 'enchanted.' Once you get stuck, pulling hard won't work. Let Mutsumi get out herself."
"Really?"
Shiina Taki was skeptical, but her actions didn't stop; she still instinctively tried to pull Wakaba Mutsumi out.
To pull someone out, her hands would naturally be placed on Mutsumi's waist.
However, after eating the Eden Fruit, the girls' skin had become exceptionally smooth and tender. Shiina Taki, in a moment of carelessness, had her hand slip from Wakaba Mutsumi's waist down to the girl's shorts—the boxer shorts Kitahara Makoto had kindly provided.
After all, Mutsumi came without warning and hadn't prepared anything.
The next second.
Shiina Taki felt her hand slip, and the shorts, which weren't a very good fit to begin with, were pulled down directly by her, revealing two dazzlingly white crescent moons under the light…
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Shiina Taki's face flushed, and she quickly pulled Mutsumi's shorts back up, while simultaneously turning her head to look at Kitahara Makoto.
Kitahara Makoto silently looked up at the ceiling.
The moonlight was nice tonight.
Big and round.
"…"
Shiina Taki took a deep breath, finally not daring to continue pulling. She quickly got up and walked to the bathroom door, explained the situation to Takamatsu Tomori, and only after receiving confirmation from Tomori did she finally stop doubting.
At the same time.
Wakaba Mutsumi had already taken off her shirt and left the drum washing machine, covering her chest.
"Mutsumi, you just got stuck in the washing machine a few days ago, why did you fall for it again today?"
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but ask.
Wakaba Mutsumi covered her chest with one hand. Although she had just experienced an accidental exposure, the expression on her face remained largely unruffled:
"I wanted to try. I felt like I could escape by twisting left and right."
Kitahara Makoto said speechlessly:
"How do you feel now?"
Wakaba Mutsumi was silent for two seconds:
"…I'll definitely escape next time."
Good heavens, you're so stubborn that you won't turn back even after hitting a wall!
No more needs to be said about what happened next.
Tomori came out after her shower and handed her clothes to Hana, asking Hana to put them in the washing machine for her.
Shiina Taki followed suit, completely unwilling to touch the drum washing machine.
Kitahara Makoto and the three girls finished watching the horror movie together, right at 10:30 PM.
"It's about time to go back to our rooms and rest." Kitahara Makoto stood up and stretched, "Good night, Tomori."
Takamatsu Tomori looked up with her small face and softly responded:
"Good night, Makoto-kun."
With Taki constantly by Tomori's side, it was clear there was no opportunity to take advantage of her, but that was fine; bullying Tomori in the Dream World wouldn't be too late.
Returning to his room, Kitahara Makoto opened the System, claimed the extra draw chances after completing four daily tasks, and then decisively started drawing.
"A single draw for a miracle!"
The ability disc spun rapidly, and in a short while, a ball of energy light dropped down, quickly merging into Kitahara Makoto's body.
"It's out."
Kitahara Makoto's eyes lit up, eagerly checking the newly acquired ability.