"A wish?" Rina asked, blinking in confusion. She had no idea why Kazama Haruka suddenly brought up something like that.
"It's just something you want to achieve," Haruka explained, thinking she hadn't understood. "Or rather… do you have any dreams you want to realize?"
"If I tell you," Rina said, lightly tapping her chin with a fingertip, "will you help me make it come true?"
Her voice carried a soft lilt, and the smile on her face looked genuinely happy.
"Maybe." Haruka shrugged, returning a similarly playful smile. "I'd like to know what Rina's wish is."
"Then…" Rina's brows gently knit together as she sank into deep thought.
Haruka watched her serious expression and couldn't help imagining something outrageous. Was she going to say she wanted to become the CEO of a Fortune Global 500 company? Or the Prime Minister of Japan? Her unusually solemn look made his imagination run wild.
Under Haruka's anxious gaze, Rina finally opened her mouth.
"I hope… this peaceful life can last forever. I want everyone around me—my parents, my younger brothers, and you, Rina—to always stay safe and healthy."
"That's all?" Haruka asked.
"That's all."
"Well… is it something that can come true?" she asked with a mischievous smile, clearly aware of how vague her wish sounded.
Haruka rubbed his neck. "It sounds simple, but if we're being objective, it's actually a pretty greedy wish."
"But… that's my wish too." His gaze met hers, sincere and steady.
Not just for Rina, but for the entire Sena family—his neighbors for ten years—Haruka carried genuine gratitude. After his parents passed away, their family had supported him countless times, emotionally and even financially. They often cooked extra food and delivered it under the excuse of "accidentally making too much." On holidays, they invited him along to family events so he wouldn't be alone.
"Mm. After all, Rina is already basically part of my family," Rina said with a gentle smile. She also knew her wish was vague, so she didn't push further about whether it was achievable.
Time drifted by quietly in the soft, delicate atmosphere.
It was already late, but Rina didn't seem to have any intention of leaving.
"Um… Rina, aren't you sleepy?" Haruka finally asked. Tomorrow was his first day at a new school, after all. It wouldn't look good if he arrived late because he stayed up too long.
"Oh? Rina is trying to get rid of me?" Rina puffed out her cheeks like an angry pufferfish, though her terrible acting skills made Haruka easily see through it.
"How could I?" Haruka countered, pretending to grumble. "Honestly, I'd be happy if Rina spent the night here."
Before the blush on her cheeks reached her ears, Haruka added quickly, "I'm kidding. What I mean is—my house has a lot of empty rooms, so if you're tired, you can stay in one of them."
"You really shouldn't joke like that with a girl! What if she misunderstands…" Rina pouted, but her fake anger—used to hide her embarrassment—quickly dissolved, replaced by her usual warmth.
"Anyway, it's getting late. To stay healthy forever, the first rule is… don't stay up late, right?" she said with a bright smile. Picking up Haruka's cleaned lunchbox, she headed toward the door.
Haruka hurried after her; even though their homes were less than 200 meters apart, he didn't feel comfortable letting a beautiful girl like Rina walk home alone at night.
"All right, Rina. Go home and rest," she said.
"Yeah. Goodnight."
After he escorted her to her doorstep, Haruka turned to leave—but just as he took his first step, something tugged at his wrist.
"Rina."
Rina was holding onto him.
She looked down at his collar, too flustered to make eye contact. Haruka could feel her breathing grow uneven.
"I know that kind of wish is too vague," she whispered. "And I know this kind of happiness can't last forever."
"So… can I change my wish?"
Haruka stared at her, surprised she was still thinking about it.
"Tell me," he said.
"I… I hope…" Her voice was so soft that the cicadas around them seemed too loud. After a moment of hesitation, she continued, "I hope Rina can always take care of you. And… I hope that I can stay by your side like this. Forever."
"Do you think that kind of wish can come true?"
Forever. That was Rina's wish?
Haruka had never imagined that whatever had troubled her so much had actually been him.
"Ah… is that too much?" Rina panicked when she saw him freeze. Her voice instantly shrank with embarrassment.
"No," Haruka said honestly. "I'm really happy you feel that way."
"I can't promise forever… but I can guarantee that if Rina ever needs me, I'll come to her side no matter what."
"I see… that sounds like you," she murmured.
Her earlobes reddened rapidly as she let go of his wrist. Haruka looked up again to find that she had already slipped inside her house, leaving behind only the faint smell of citrus shampoo.
[Host Name: Kazama Haruka]
[Stamina: 5]
[Intelligence: 7]
[Luck: 9]
[Charm: 10]
[Skill: Drink Mixing LV4 (Master)]
Lying on his bed, Haruka studied the system panel.
Skills went from LV1 to LV4: Beginner, Proficient, Professional, and Master. Aside from purchasing them, they could also be upgraded through focused training. As long as he worked hard, the system promised rewards.
The average adult male's basic stats were around 7. That meant his luck and charm were notably above average. His intelligence hovered near the normal level—no particular strengths, but not lacking.
Stamina 5, though… That was rough. Was he really weak enough that a strong breeze could blow him over?
Well, it was understandable. His looks and basic figure were decent, but he never had the time—or money—to exercise. But now that he had a system, he was determined to change that. One day, he would become strong enough to smash bricks with his bare hands… through hard work—and maybe a few system points.
Speaking of which…
Haruka opened the exchange page and scrolled until he saw:
[Attribute Point — 10,000 Wish Points per point]
He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Nope—he hadn't misread it.
He suddenly felt poor. He thought having 1,000 wish points was a lot, but it turned out he couldn't buy anything except money or low-level skills.
In the end, he simply hadn't completed enough tasks yet. He had only interacted with Toyokawa Saki. And although Rina was also a girl from an anime in his previous life, she didn't seem to have any obvious desires. She put other people's happiness over her own, so her wish always revolved around others. With something so abstract, Haruka didn't know how to approach it.
Still, even if he couldn't get wish points from her, he wouldn't ignore the wish she had voiced. A promise was a promise.
"Exchange," Haruka muttered, tapping the money option.
The smallest amount was ¥500,000 for 1,000 wish points.
Buzz.
His phone vibrated. A notification from his banking app showed ¥500,000 had been credited.
He wasn't the type to hoard points. Turning them into practical value immediately made more sense—especially with the new semester starting tomorrow. It would be embarrassing if he couldn't even buy a sports drink when talking to important characters.
Even with this new money, he still needed to work at the café. That was his only point of contact with Toyokawa Saki.
He also checked the new class roster a few days ago. There were several familiar names. As long as he interacted with them, he should be able to earn wish points steadily.
Thinking of the future, Haruka's consciousness gradually faded, and he drifted off to sleep.
The Next Morning
Bathed in the gentle glow of the rising sun, Haruka traveled from his home in western Tokyo to the academy in Bunkyo Ward, transferring trains several times along the way.
Students in fresh new uniforms walked toward the school path, framed by an ocean of cherry blossom pink on both sides. The crisp morning air and the scenery alone were enough to lift anyone's spirits.
Walking at a relaxed pace, Haruka entered his classroom.
Many students had arrived early, chatting excitedly with their new classmates. Among them, one short-haired, pink-haired girl standing in a group of laughing students instantly caught his attention.