I grabbed everything I needed and headed straight back to my room, moving quietly like a thief just to avoid disturbing her.
From my memories, Alexa was the youngest of the sisters, but also the loudest when it came to things she hated.
At the top of her list was unnecessary noise—especially if it interrupted her favorite TV shows, which, in this world, were basically knock-off versions of the Korean dramas.
But looks could be deceiving.
There was a reason my parents were fine with three girls and one guy living under the same roof—because they knew I would be powerless against them.
After all, my stepsisters were superhero in training—those rare people who unlocked their powers before turning fifteen.
In this world, they didn't just charge onto battlefields right away. They were required to attend specialized universities, where they trained, tested, and finally ranked.
Alexa, if I remembered correctly, was already in her second year and ranked among the top five of her class.
Her awakened ability was Sonic Manipulation—the power to bend sound to her will, shatter objects with a single note, and turn noise itself into a weapon.
'Null, do you know what my hidden power is?'
(No idea, Host. But according to my data, it's classified as the most powerful ability in this entire world.)
Realizing I wasn't going to get any more answers, I threw myself into cleaning my room more earnestly.
Roughly an hour later, the place was in much better shape .Surprisingly, it was pretty spacious without all the trash and unnecessary clutter.
Speaking of trash, I still had to drag it out of the unit."
I stepped out of my room to get the bags. As I walked down the hall, I noticed Alexa taking out her own trash as well.
It seemed that seeing me clean had encouraged her to do the same, though her trash bag was much smaller.
"I'll take it with me," I offered.
She instinctively backed away, like I was some dirty homeless guy with a virus, but I still maintained my polite smile.
"Ew, don't grin like that—you're creepy. Here, take it." She dropped the bag and locked her door.
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my blood pressure from going nuclear.
'Calm down. She's just an immature girl… a very irritating, loudmouthed girl. And to be fair, she kind of has a point.'
Now I realized just how much my looks had carried me in my past life—basically letting me play on easy mode the whole time.
(Host, don't just let her walk all over you like that. Make her fall in love with you… then you can have all the time you need to punish her for being so naughty!)
"Null, we're here to save the world, right? So why do I get the feeling whoever created you is a pervert who watches way too much questionable materials?"
(Of course not, Host. My mission is to save the world—I don't really care how you do it. You could even be a sadistic pervert if you wanted, as long as the world continues to exist. It's no issue.)
"That's not really reassuring, you know. I was an idol in my past life, not a criminal."
(Doesn't matter now. This is your second life, live it as you wish.)
Shaking my head, I decided to ignore her and head out of the apartment.
On my way to the garbage collection room on the same floor, I passed a few people who gave me suspicious looks. I lowered my head and hurried along, hoping not to attract any more attention.
With the trash finally out of my hands, I turned to leave when I noticed a woman struggling with three boxes because of her high heels.
"I'll help you with that."
"Oh, thank you," she murmured, too focused on the boxes to notice that I was deliberately keeping my face hidden behind them.
"Where's your room?" I asked.
"Just around the corner." She hesitated, casting me an wary glance. But she made no attempt to stop me from following.
Fortunately, the boxes weren't as heavy as they looked.
(+1 Points)
Nice. So even small deeds like this count toward a good impression. Makes me wonder just how many points I would rake in if things ever turned romantic.
She stopped in front of her door. "You can just leave the boxes here."
I set them down carefully, and as she caught sight of my full face, she gasped. Her eyes widened for a second, but then she quickly masked it with a forced smile.
"Th…thank you," she muttered, her tone a little stiff, trying not to be rude.
Her reaction didn't bother me much.
Back at the apartment, I found Alexa already camped out in front of the TV.
Thinking this was my best chance to start a conversation, I went for it.
"Hey. I'm heading to the department store. Want me to pick anything up for you?"
She narrowed her eyes at me, clutching her pillow against her chest. The way she looked at me, you would think I suggested something indecent instead of a grocery run.
"Why are you acting so weird?" she muttered suspiciously.
"Weird? I just asked if you wanted me to grab you something."
"That!" She jumped up, pointing her finger at me. "The Hayashi I know wouldn't even dare make eye contact with me when talking. And you're not stuttering anymore, either."
So that's what gave me away. No matter. If anything, this might actually work in my favor.
"Oh, sorry if I weirded you out. I just decided it's time to change my life for the better. I can't keep locking myself in my room forever, right? Or… do you not like it?"
Alexa hugged her pillow tighter, her brows knitting together. "Hmph. Do whatever you want. Just don't drag me into your… weird phase."
She turned her attention back to the TV.
"And get me some potato chips," she added without looking back.
(+1 points)
Nice… looks like my little gamble actually worked.