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The next morning.
When Hozuki Nozomi woke up, the futon beside him was empty. The soft morning light seeped through the window, and a gentle hum of activity could be heard coming from the kitchen.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he made his way toward the source of the sound. There, in the kitchen, stood Ogiwara Sayu, donning an apron that complented her petite fra. Her long black hair was tied into a neat ponytail with a simple ribbon, and she was focused intently on the task at hand.
The scene was striking. From the side, Sayu's delicate profile was illuminated by the morning light, her graceful movents reflecting her determination. The way her slender hands worked the spatula with practiced precision was srizing.
"Nozomi-kun, ohayō gozaimasu!" Sayu greeted him cheerfully, flashing him a sweet smile as he stepped into the kitchen.
Nozomi paused for a mont, returning her smile. "Ohayō, Sayu," he replied, his tone casual but warm.
Initially, Sayu had tried addressing him with honorifics like "Nozomi-san" or "Nozomi-kun," but he'd insisted that she drop the formality. It felt strange to him, as if he were trying to wear soone else's na. Instead, he told her to just call him Nozomi—or even "boss," though she rarely used the latter.
Sayu turned her attention back to the frying pan. The golden egg mixture sizzled softly in the oil, its edges curling up ever so slightly as it cooked to perfection. With a swift flick of her wrist, she flipped the egg, revealing its lightly browned underside. The savory aroma of the frying eggs filled the room, making Nozomi's stomach growl in anticipation.
In no ti, two steaming bowls of egg noodles were placed on the table. The broth glistened, and the golden eggs rested delicately on top, garnished with chopped green onions.
"Itadakimasu!" Nozomi clapped his hands together and eagerly picked up his chopsticks.
He took a bite, and his eyes imdiately lit up. The rich flavors of the broth, the soft texture of the noodles, and the perfectly cooked egg—it all ca together in harmony.
"This is amazing, Sayu!" Nozomi exclaid, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "You're officially in charge of all my als from now on!"
Sayu giggled, her cheeks tinged pink. "Hai! I promised I'd handle the cooking, didn't I?" she replied, taking a seat to enjoy her own bowl of noodles.
The two ate together in a comfortable silence, broken only by the sound of slurping noodles. Nozomi even drank so of the broth, finishing with a contented sigh. Seeing how much he appreciated her cooking made Sayu's heart swell with excitent and pride.
After finishing their al, Sayu began cleaning up, but Nozomi gestured toward the room next door.
"After you're done, make sure to set up your room," he said. "That space is yours now. Girls always need their own private sanctuary, right?"
Sayu nodded obediently and headed to the room that had been assigned to her. Standing in the middle of the space, she gazed around, her hands fidgeting slightly.
From today on… this is my ho.
The thought felt surreal. For the first ti in a long ti, she had a place to call her own. A roof over her head. A bed to sleep in. She wouldn't have to worry about being thrown out or wandering the streets.
Her chest tightened as mories of her past surfaced. She had learned the hard way just how vital money and shelter were. Without them, she had been reduced to nothing. She had no regrets about running away from ho, but the journey that followed had been filled with hardship and loneliness.
Sayu bit her lip, shaking her head to dispel the mories. Compared to the cold, loveless house she had fled from, Nozomi's kindness felt like a miracle. He could have easily turned her away or taken advantage of her, as so many others might have. Instead, he had offered her warmth, safety, and even bought her clothes.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about his actions.
It's decided. As long as Nozomi-kun needs , I'll do whatever I can to repay his kindness.
=============
After breakfast, Nozomi asked Sayu to look after the house while he ran so errands. With the new school term at Sobu High starting in two days, he needed to pick up his custom-tailored uniform.
Originally, it was supposed to be delivered to his door, but the courier company had called that morning with a series of apologies, explaining that their trucks had broken down. They asked him to visit their local branch to pick up the package, waiving the delivery fee as compensation.
Nozomi sighed but agreed, taking the train to the branch. After so ti spent searching with the staff, he finally retrieved his uniform. The employees bowed repeatedly, apologizing for the inconvenience.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu," Nozomi said, waving them off. "You guys must get tired of bowing so much every day."
The staff laughed nervously, clearly unsure whether he was joking or serious. Nozomi smirked and turned to leave, his uniform in hand.
On his way back, he passed a famous yakiniku shop. The sll of grilled soy-marinated at wafted through the air, instantly tempting him. He decided to buy a portion to take ho for Sayu.
As he waited in line, a girl in front of him caught his attention. She had twin pigtails adorned with colorful flower hairpins and thick glasses that obscured most of her face.
Huh… she looks familiar, Nozomi thought, narrowing his eyes slightly. She reminds of a character from one of those ani… but which one?
The Ga Life system remained silent, failing to trigger a task. Perhaps the girl wasn't soone significant, and Nozomi wasn't in the mood to strike up a random conversation.
He boarded the train, clutching the package of soy sauce-braised pork in hand, already imagining Sayu's expression when she tasted it.
Hozuki Nozomi had a peculiar habit—he loved sharing his favorite things with the people he cared about, especially food. To him, the joy of eating doubled when it was shared.
However, not everyone was worthy of that privilege. So people didn't deserve his kindness.
As he mulled over such thoughts, his nose twitched, assaulted by an unbearable stench. The putrid odor was so vile it reminded him of sothing rotting in a ditch. He nearly gagged.
He glanced around and traced the source of the sll to a JK girl standing near the tram doors.
She had long, straight black hair and was fixated on her phone. Her posture seed ordinary at first glance, but Nozomi noticed her body trembling ever so slightly.
With his sharp eyesight, he caught another detail—a faint wet patch on the hem of her uniform skirt.
Then ca the system prompt.
[Ding! Task triggered: "The Frightened Psychic Girl."]
[In front of you is a girl who can see evil spirits. These spirits have noticed her ability and are tornting her. If discovered, she risks being taken away. The girl is paralyzed with fear, to the point of losing control. Please help her expel the evil spirit. Completing the task will grant you a skill or item reward.]
Reading the task description, Nozomi's eyes settled on the girl's delicate face. It suddenly clicked.
"Yotsuya Miko," he murmured to himself.
She was the protagonist of "Mieruko-chan", a codic yet eerie ani. Nozomi rembered the premise well—Miko had the misfortune of being able to see grotesque spirits yet had to feign ignorance to avoid attracting their wrath.
To the viewers, it was an amusing premise. To Miko, it was a living nightmare.
The foul stench intensified, and Nozomi grimaced. For Miko, who could likely feel the malevolence radiating from the spirit, the tornt must have been unbearable.
A towering, twisted figure lood near her. Its body was a writhing mass of shadow, riddled with grotesque, bulging eyeballs. The creature emitted an aura of pure malice, with a gaping maw drooling so vile, unidentifiable substance.
Nozomi steeled himself. As much as he wanted to ignore the situation, the sll alone made that impossible. Besides, the task promised a reward, and he wasn't one to turn down free skills.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped closer to Miko. The spirit's glowing, scarlet eyes locked onto him as he stared it down fearlessly.
"Oi. You stink. Get lost," Nozomi said coldly, his voice laced with irritation.
The spirit froze for a mont, its eyestalks swiveling toward him.
"What…? You can see ?"
Its grotesque head twisted unnaturally, while its body contorted like a coiled worm. The air grew colder, and its presence felt heavier.
Then, with a guttural snarl, it lunged at him, jaws wide open, revealing rows of jagged, yellowed teeth.
But before it could make contact, Nozomi's "Damage Double Rebound" skill activated.
[Ding! Attacked by a creature (Evil Spirit). Damage rebound triggered!]
The spirit recoiled in agony as its jagged teeth shattered. Its form writhed violently before dissipating into black smoke with a bloodcurdling scream.
Miko stood frozen, her wide eyes brimming with shock and disbelief.
[Ding! Task complete: "The Frightened Psychic Girl."]
[Reward: Entry skill unlocked—"Spirit Eye."]
[Spirit Eye: Automatically activates upon encountering spirits, granting charges for spiritual attacks.]
Nozomi raised an eyebrow at the system prompt. A soul-based attack, huh? That would definitely co in handy against spirits.
Glancing at Miko, he noticed her trembling fra and the growing wet patch on her skirt. Sighing, he removed his jacket and gently wrapped it around her waist.
"Take this. No need to thank ," he said flatly, though his tone carried a hint of softness.
Before she could respond, the tram doors slid open, and Nozomi stepped out, disappearing into the bustling station.
As he walked, he noticed a ssage pop up in his phone:
[Courier company vehicles have resud operation. All express deliveries are now back to normal.]
He smirked to himself. Looks like the supernatural incident had been resolved.
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