When I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling.
...
I lay there blankly for a while.
Come to think of it.
I met Sunohara.
I met Okazaki.
I got accused of being a poisoner.
I went to the dorm cafeteria.
And I got some strange system.
It felt like an incredibly long day.
...
And all of it happened on my first day in another world.
"It’s only like this because it’s the first day... right?"
If events like that repeated every day, I would never survive.
[Good morning, Suho.]
[This is day two of your life in another world.]
"Come to think of it, I’m being stalked, aren’t I?"
[Negative.]
[Most of yesterday’s conversation consisted of automated responses.]
"Huh?"
"Like a macro?"
[Correct.]
[Assuming that we observe only you among countless users is excessive self-consciousness.]
...
[Mental Strength 1]
Did it really have to remind me?
What a nasty personality.
[Both the carrot and the stick are always prepared for your growth.]
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."
[Gratitude confirmed.]
[Affinity +1]
"Does affinity even mean anything?"
[I become kinder.]
"Sigh."
Leaving my banter with the app behind, I threw on some clothes and headed for the communal washroom.
For reference, the huge suitcase had every kind of necessity, uniform, and clothing inside. I was grateful for that much, at least.
When I stepped into the hallway, the old wooden floor creaked beneath my feet.
On this Sunday morning, the dorm was so quiet that yesterday’s uproar seemed like a lie.
Since the room across from mine was still silent, Sunohara was undoubtedly sprawled out in bed.
I entered the communal washroom and splashed cold water over my face.
The face in the mirror still looked ordinary and timid, but
my eyes seemed to have a little more life in them than yesterday.
[Stamina 5]
[Mental Strength 1]
[It is your imagination.]
"..."
I roughly ignored it, dried my face, and went outside.
"Am I looking forward to something...?"
I did not really know what I was looking forward to, but
the fact that I could grow while living here seemed to give me hope.
With a heart far less tense than yesterday, I headed to the dorm cafeteria.
Perhaps because it was early, the cafeteria was sparse.
Just as I was finishing breakfast,
Misae came over and asked with concern whether everything from yesterday had worked out.
"Ah, yes. Thanks to you."
"Good. Sunohara isn’t a bad guy, either.
Still, don’t let him take up too much of your time."
"Yes. I know he isn’t a bad person. Thank you."
The protagonist probably was not a bad guy.
It became an oddly pleasant morning.
Back in my room, I finished getting ready to go out and suddenly remembered walking up and down that hill yesterday.
I had been out of breath.
My legs had felt heavy.
Just looking for a bench had felt like climbing a mountain.
...
Wouldn’t it be okay to raise my stamina, at least?
[Would you like to use points to raise Stamina?]
"Um, can you tell me what each stamina level means?"
[Stamina Level Standards]
Stamina 5 (Average person)
Stamina 6 (Someone who enjoys exercise)
Stamina 7 (Athlete level)
Stamina 8 (Top-tier athlete)
Stamina 9 (Professional level)
Stamina 10 (National team level)
It was fairly intuitive and easy to understand.
...
[Stamina 7]
Wouldn’t that be enough?
I did not need to be on the national team.
Looking at the protagonist, Sunohara(?),
it seemed stamina was important even in a comedy harem story.
"Let’s raise my stamina first."
[Using points.]
[Points 200 → 190]
[Stamina 5 → 6]
...
Huh?
Was it my imagination?
My body felt a little lighter.
The strange fatigue hanging over my shoulders had vanished.
[It is not your imagination.]
"Oh."
That was more overpowered than I expected.
[For reference, Stamina 10 is still far away.]
"That’s fine."
I had no intention of joining the national team.
...
But athlete level might be nice, right?
I had lived my whole life completely divorced from exercise.
I was a little envious, too.
"Raise my stamina one more time."
[Using points.]
[Points 190 → 170]
[Stamina 6 → 7]
...
Huh?
"Wait."
"The point cost increased?"
[This is normal.]
"What determines it?"
[The required points increase as the stat rises.]
[Current Stamina Increase Costs]
Stamina 5 → 6: 10P
Stamina 6 → 7: 20P
Stamina 7 → 8: 40P
Stamina 8 → 9: 80P
Stamina 9 → 10: 160P
"..."
"The national team is expensive."
[Not just anyone can join the national team.]
"Then do the other stats cost the same amount of points?"
[Depending on your disposition, the cost rises more sharply the greater the difficulty.]
"...?"
"What does that mean?"
[For example, Stamina is comparatively inexpensive.]
[Mental Strength, on the other hand, is extremely expensive.]
"..."
"I can’t even imagine how much it would cost if I could raise my mental strength."
[You need not imagine it.]
[It is beyond what you can afford with your current financial means.]
"..."
[Mental Strength 1]
I started checking my condition.
"...Wow."
I lightly jumped in place once and let out an exclamation before I could stop myself.
It was definitely different from climbing the hill yesterday.
My body was noticeably lighter.
Even when I took a deep breath, my chest did not feel constricted,
and though I hopped in place several times, my heart did not pound harshly.
I walked to the mirror and lifted my shirt slightly.
I had not suddenly developed dramatic muscles, but
my body as a whole felt more balanced.
"This feels way too easy..."
For some reason, I felt sorry toward everyone who had worked hard exercising until now.
[Suho.]
"...What?"
[A rare case of someone feeling guilt after increasing their abilities has been observed.]
[Database entry complete.]
"Don’t save that."
Leaving behind the system that recorded useless things, I put on the clothes I had taken from the huge suitcase.
It felt as though I needed to get outside soon, if only to adjust to this body that did not quite feel like mine.
"Guide me to downtown."
[Beginning guidance along the recommended route.]
I left my room and headed toward the entrance.
As I passed through the lobby,
the cat I had seen yesterday was stretched out on the sofa.
"..."
I went over and gently stroked its head once. Without opening its eyes, the cat merely twitched its ears.
Cats really were cute.
Time to go.
When I opened the dorm door and stepped outside, a pleasant spring breeze brushed my cheek.
The long slope down to town felt astonishingly easy compared to yesterday.
Apparently, the description of ‘athlete level’ had not been an exaggeration.
My breathing did not falter once as I went down the incline.
‘Good. With this much stamina, I’ll be good at running away from now on.’
[Even after raising your abilities, all you can think about is running away.]
[As expected of you, Suho.]
"..."
I could not refute it.
I tried to enjoy the walk as I headed down the hill.
A peaceful scene, both tranquil and reminiscent of a quiet rural town, came into view.
‘Anyway, after I buy some necessities, should I take a lap around town?’
Thinking such idle thoughts, I reached the entrance to downtown.
A convenience store.
A stationery shop.
A small bookstore.
There were no large shopping malls, but
the local residents did not seem to lack anything they needed for daily life.
Maybe it was a nicer town to live in than I had expected.
...
[Lifestyle Quest Generated]
"...?"
My peaceful musings lasted only a moment
before a system notification window ominously appeared over the downtown scenery.
Did this mean it was time to face the truth hidden within this peaceful slice-of-life story?
[Quest: Explore Hikarizaka Town]
Objectives:
- Purchase daily necessities
- Look around town
Reward:
Points +50P
Failure Penalty:
None
"Good thing there’s no penalty."
"Wait."
"Isn’t this just an errand?"
[Quests are randomly generated based on an analysis of your behavioral patterns.]
[Would you like to decline?]
...
No.
I could not give up the points.
"Let’s go."
[Quest accepted.]
[Based on your disposition, the probability of acceptance without a reward was 12%.]
"..."
I could not deny it.
I headed to the convenience store to buy necessities.
Water.
Toiletries.
A notebook.
I tossed the things I needed into a basket.
...
Then a small bookstore caught my eye.
Come to think of it, I had nothing to enjoy by myself since coming here.
A computer.
A smartphone.
Video platforms.
Games.
Unlike my original world, which had been crammed full of dopamine,
this place would definitely become boring.
‘Still, I don’t want to come all the way here just to shut myself in my room and play games.’
‘Maybe I should read a book, at least.’
With that thought, I entered the bookstore without much expectation.
The bookstore was not very large, but it had a distinctly different atmosphere from the ones in Korea.
‘So this is a Japanese bookstore...’
[You look like a foreign tourist.]
I was a foreigner.
As I looked around the store,
...
Snip.
Snip.
...
Huh?
Somewhere, I heard the sound of paper being cut.
A strange sound rhythmically slicing through the quiet air of the bookstore.
Wondering if something was wrong, I quietly stepped forward
and poked my head around the bookshelf where the sound was coming from.
There was a girl there.
...
And that girl
was cutting up books.
Her long hair, tinged with violet, fell neatly around her.
Thick dictionaries and specialist books were piled messily around her.
Sitting on the floor with a blank expression, the girl worked a pair of large scissors.
It was a bizarre sight: she was ruthlessly cutting up the books displayed in the bookstore.
‘...Is she allowed to do that?’
Was this girl part of the harem too?
No, before that.
She was cutting up the bookstore’s books.
My mind was a mess.
No matter how I looked at it, it was both disrupting business and destroying property.
The bookstore owner should have called the police the instant he saw this, but
the girl did not so much as blink as she focused on her cutting.
...
Where was the staff?
Where were the staff members?
Had they all just given up?
[Unexpected Event Detected]
‘...No way.’
[Recommended Action: Converse]
‘No.’
[Recommended Action: Converse]
‘I’ll call an employee.’
[Recommended Action: Converse]
[A reward will be provided to improve motivation.]
Reward:
Skill Acquired
[Learning LV.1]
...
‘What’s that?’
[Efficiency will increase slightly when performing learning-related actions.]
‘That’s really vague.’
[Reading]
[Memorization]
[Comprehension]
[Concentration]
[Information Acquisition]
"..."
Honestly, it was a little tempting.
‘Fine...’
The reward had definitely given me a push.
But even while living a leisure life,
I did not want to keep avoiding everything.
The reward was nice, but
that was not the only reason.
Forcing my reluctant feet to move,
I carefully walked around the bookshelf.
"Excuse me..."
...
There was no response.
Had she not heard me?
"Um, excuse me..."
Snip.
Snip.
Only the sound of cutting continued.
‘Is she ignoring me?’
‘Or is she concentrating?’
‘Is she scared of me?’
‘No, shouldn’t I call an employee...?’
‘Am I just going to inconvenience her by butting in for no reason?’
[Suho’s overthinking circuit has been detected.]
Seeing the alert, I shut my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
Hoo...
Hoo...
Once I calmed down a little, my mind began working again.
[Hint]
Kotomi-chan
‘...What?’
[Hint]
Kotomi-chan
‘No way.’
The words would not easily leave my mouth.
I unnecessarily rubbed my throat once before speaking.
"Ko... Kotomi-chan?"
...
Snip.
Snip.
...
The cutting stopped.
"..."
It really stopped.
The girl slowly lifted her head, and her violet eyes turned toward me.
As those large, clear eyes stared directly at me without the slightest movement,
I felt an inexplicable, peculiar pressure.
With the hand holding the scissors resting neatly on her lap,
the girl examined my face closely. Her gaze was like that of a scholar observing an unfamiliar life-form.
"...Kotomi-chan."
The girl quietly repeated my words. Her voice held a faint tremor.
"Yes?"
I had no idea what to expect.
"Kotomi-chan... People who call me that are good people."
For the briefest instant, her expressionless face seemed to show a smile.
The girl lightly shook her braided hair and quietly stood up.
Pieces of dictionary paper scattered across the floor rustled against her skirt.
"My name is Ichinose Kotomi. When you call me, it is Kotomi-chan."
‘That really was her name!’
Was it not rude to call someone by their first name in Japan?
"Ah, um... My name is Morita Suho."
"Suho...-kun?"
Kotomi tilted her head as she awkwardly pronounced my name.
In my panic, I had mixed my Japanese name and Korean name together.
"Ah... No, Morita Shu. Shu!"
My voice came out louder than I intended.
"Shu-kun, are you... bothering me?"
A slight wariness appeared in her violet eyes.
I saw her pale hand holding the scissors draw back ever so slightly.
‘Ah, I screwed up.’
‘She’ll hate me.’
‘I got blinded by a skill and made this girl uncomfortable for nothing.’
The critics in my head started chattering again.
But this was not the time to blame myself.
I hurriedly shook my head.
"N-No! I’m sorry, I’m absolutely not trying to bother you!"
...
Ah.
I had spoken too casually without thinking.
To a girl I had just met.
In Japan, no less.
I screwed up again.
...
I tried my hardest to make my voice as gentle and calm as possible.
"I got nervous when I suddenly had to say my name, so my voice got loud."
"I’m sorry for startling you, Ichinose... no, Kotomi-chan."
I had almost forgotten that she wanted to be called Kotomi-chan.
I could see the tension drain from her shoulders.
Her hand holding the scissors lowered as well.
"...You are not bothering me?"
"Absolutely not..."
Kotomi silently studied my face, blinking as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth.
Then she gave the tiniest nod, as if she had accepted it.
"...That is good."
[Unexpected Event Cleared]
[Reward Granted]
[Acquired [Learning LV.1]]
"..."
It was real?
"Shu-kun."
"Yes?"
"Why did you... call Kotomi-chan?"
"..."
Come to think of it,
I had originally come to ask why she was cutting up books.
"Well... um..."
I glanced around.
At Kotomi’s feet, thick dictionaries and scraps of paper she had cut up still lay scattered everywhere.
It was clearly a scene of property damage in broad daylight, but
what was even stranger was that
not only was there no employee in sight, even the older bookstore owner at the counter in the distance
was simply looking our way with a kindly smile.
‘Is she rich...?’
Swallowing my urge to ask, I spoke.
"Kotomi-chan was cutting up books, so I came over because I was curious why you were doing it."
"Cutting..."
The moment she heard my question, Kotomi blinked for a while, as though considering what I had said.
Then, as if handling a precious treasure, she carefully picked up one of the cut paper scraps.
"Because books are... full of beautiful words."
"Words?"
"Yes. When I find a word I like, I have to cut it out and collect it like this.
Otherwise... the words run away."
Kotomi’s eyes were so serious as she said that with her blank expression
that my mouth, about to ask another question, closed.
It was not malicious at all. It was an utterly pure, highly advanced method of reading.
Was I the strange one, or was this town strange?
[Correction.]
[Both are.]
Then Kotomi held up a dictionary scrap she had painstakingly cut out in both hands.
She gently offered it to me.
"Shu-kun. This, I give to you."
Come to think of it, Kotomi called me by my first name naturally too.
"Huh? Is it okay for me to take it?"
"Yes. Because we became friends... it is a gift."
Since when were we friends?
Could becoming friends really be this simple?
Full of questions, I stretched out my hand and accepted the scrap of paper.
On the white paper, neatly cut from a thick encyclopedia,
one Japanese word was printed in large, block-like letters.
「Friend」
Friend.
The moment I looked at that word,
a familiar notification window appeared before my eyes.
[A bond has been formed with key character ‘Ichinose Kotomi.’]
[Learning LV.1 Activated]
[When conversing with Kotomi, bonuses to language and knowledge comprehension will be applied.]
...
A friend.
It felt better than I had expected.
‘App, then why didn’t bonds form with Sunohara, Okazaki, and Misae?’
[The conditions for forming a bond were not met.]
‘But I ate with them and talked to them?’
[Affinity and bonds are different concepts.]
"..."
[A bond forms when the other person leaves something meaningful with you, or when you leave something meaningful with them.]
‘Then what about Kotomi?’
「Friend」
I looked down at the scrap of paper in my hand.
[Ichinose Kotomi recognizes you as a friend.]
[Conditions fulfilled.]
...
The criteria were stricter than I had expected.
Simply sharing a meal or exchanging names did not form a bond.
The system would only recognize it when a clear ‘trace’ was left in each other’s hearts.
For Kotomi, this scrap of paper was proof that she was letting me into her world.
「Friend」
As I quietly looked down at the word written on the palm-sized paper,
a strange ticklish feeling brushed against a corner of my heart. It was warm and a little unfamiliar, something I had never felt in my original world.
‘...Not bad.’
The corners of my lips rose slightly without my noticing.
[Emotional change detected in Suho.]
[Due to your low Mental Strength, you are in a state where you are easily moved by small kindnesses.]
‘You really know how to ruin a moment...’
I carefully slipped the paper scrap into the pocket of my clothes.
Then Kotomi quietly opened her mouth after looking at the heavy bags of necessities filling both my hands.
"Shu-kun. You have... a lot of luggage."
"Ah, this? I moved into the dorm yesterday, so I bought detergent and a bunch of other things I need."
"Dorm...? Hikarizaka Academy?"
Come to think of it, I did not even know how old Kotomi was.
I was getting a sense of déjà vu.
"Yes, I transferred for the new term as a second-year."
"..."
"Kotomi-chan also."
"Second-year."
"Hikarizaka Academy."
"...Huh?"
My eyes widened at the unexpected information.
Kotomi was in the same grade as me?
How many times had this happened now?
Everyone I met was a second-year.
Did only second-years live in this town?
"Kotomi-chan, I should get going now."
I adjusted my grip on the heavy bags of necessities in both hands.
It felt like a lot had happened during one trip outside again.
Raising my abilities, acquiring points, a skill, and even new system functions.
My mind was in a whirl, so I wanted to hurry back to the dorm and look over my status window.
"Shu-kun... is going?"
Kotomi slipped the scissors she had been holding into her pocket and looked straight at me.
She did not seem to be trying to stop me from leaving, but there seemed to be the faintest hint of regret in her violet eyes.
‘It’s not like I’d be much fun to have around...’
"Yes, the new term starts tomorrow, so I need to organize my dorm room a little. It was nice meeting you today, Kotomi-chan."
"Yes. Kotomi-chan also... had fun."
Kotomi lightly shook her braided hair and bowed her head.
Jingle.
Leaving behind the bookstore owner’s kindly smile, which I still did not understand, I finally walked out of the bookstore.
Sunlight poured across the downtown streets alongside the pleasant spring breeze.
For a Sunday afternoon outing where I had gone out alone just to buy necessities, I had gained quite a lot.
I had even activated a system feature called ‘bond formation.’
‘Anyway, not bad for my first friend.’
I touched the paper scrap in my pocket once.
「Friend」
For some reason, I felt like I should not throw it away.
[Quest Complete: Explore Hikarizaka Town]
Reward:
Points +50P
A bonus will be awarded for exceeding the objectives.
[Bonus Conditions Fulfilled]
[First bond formed with a key character]
[Bond Slot Unlocked]
Additional Points +50P
"...A bond slot?"
[Currently Registered]
Ichinose Kotomi
...
The things in my hands were fairly heavy.
Yet strangely, I did not feel tired.
Was it because of Stamina 7?
Or because I had made a friend?
I did not know.
With lighter steps, I headed back to the dorm.
When I returned to the dorm,
I happened to run into Okazaki, who was about to enter Sunohara’s room.
"You bought a lot."
Okazaki said, looking at the plastic bags filling both my hands.
"Yes. There were a lot of things I needed."
"Huh."
After giving them a cursory look, Okazaki suddenly asked,
"You didn’t get lost, did you?"
"..."
Why did everyone see me that way?
"I’m fine. Thank you for worrying about me."
"...You said it’s a habit, not that you’re a pushover."
Okazaki shook his head as though there was nothing he could do about me.
"See you tomorrow."
Turning around and waving one hand, Okazaki opened the door and went inside.
"Sunohara. You still alive?"
"I’m dyyyying..."
A familiar scream immediately followed.
...
Peaceful as always.
Back in my room, I set the bags down on the floor and flopped onto my bed.
Come to think of it,
a lot had happened today too.
"Status window."
A translucent window appeared before me.
──────────────────────────
Name: Morita Shu (Lee Suho)
Strength: 4
Stamina: 7
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
Luck: 2
Mental Strength: 1
Points: 270P
Title
- Special Selection Personnel
Skills
- [Learning LV.1]
Bonds
- Ichinose Kotomi
Status
- Social Anxiety
- Excessive Self-Criticism
- Chronic Fatigue
Special Notes
- Mental Growth Restricted
- Partially Unlocked Upon Achievement Completion
──────────────────────────
There were still the status effects I did not want to see, along with Mental Strength 1.
"270 is a pretty good amount."
[It is insufficient to reach Mental Strength 10.]
"..."
"I didn’t ask."
"Come to think of it, does Intelligence 6 mean I’m pretty smart?"
[Affirmative.]
[You possess above-average intelligence.]
"Oh."
[However.]
"..."
[Your performance is greatly diminished by excessive self-criticism and overthinking.]
"Am I a computer?"
[To make an analogy, you are equipped with a high-performance CPU.]
[However, you have 300 programs running in the background.]
"..."
Strangely, I could not refute that.
[If you raise Intelligence in your current state,]
[there is a risk that your overthinking will worsen.]
"..."
"Ha."
"You’re serious...?"
[Affirmative.]
[Even now, you are displaying sufficiently high performance.]
"Thanks...?"
[That was not praise.]
[It was a warning.]
"..."
[Increasing Mental Strength is recommended as a priority.]
[Your current issue is insufficient RAM, not insufficient CPU.]
Hearing my state compared to something so directly made it hit harder.
"Um... then is not having Charm listed related to that too...?"
[Partially.]
"Oh."
[Social Anxiety.]
[Low Self-Confidence.]
[Excessive Self-Criticism.]
[Avoidance of conversation with others.]
"..."
[You are unable to fully utilize your Charm stat.]
"Ah."
It made more sense than I expected.
[Suho.]
"What?"
[Charm is the ability to gain others’ affection.]
[Mental Strength is the ability to believe in that affection.]
"..."
[You currently possess the former but not the latter.]
"..."
Strangely, I could not refute that either.
So my Charm would only activate once my mental strength got higher...
[That is not precisely correct.]
"...?"
[Charm and Mental Strength are separate stats.]
[However, due to your mental state, you are currently unable to properly utilize Charm.]
"Isn’t that the same thing?"
[No.]
"How is it not?"
[To make an analogy.]
[You have a good fishing rod but do not go near the water.]
"..."
[Or you have the ability to pass a job interview but do not submit an application.]
"Ah."
I understood a little better.
[It is currently hidden.]
"...?"
[In consideration of your condition, the Charm stat will be revealed once specific conditions are met.]
"Why?"
[Excessive self-consciousness is expected if it is revealed.]
"..."
I could not refute that.
[Your greatest enemy right now is not other people.]
"..."
[It is you, Suho.]
"Shut up."
Hoo...
After sighing, I closed the status window.
"Let’s check my inventory too."
[Opening inventory.]
──────────────────────────
Inventory
- Free Gacha Ticket ×2
- 「Friend」
- Dorm Key
──────────────────────────
"..."
"Why is a friend treated like an item?"
[It is proof of bond formation.]
[It is being stored to prevent loss.]
"..."
I had not planned to throw it away, but
for some reason, it felt embarrassing.
"Let’s use the two Free Gacha Tickets now."
The moment I finished speaking, the translucent window in front of me began to shine intensely.
"There wasn’t an effect like this last time..."
[Consuming 2 Free Gacha Tickets.]
[Beginning a random draw from items and skills.]
──────────────────────────
[Item Acquired: [Noise-Canceling Earplugs]]
Rank: Common (C)
Effect: When worn, perfectly blocks all outside noise for 10 minutes. Provides a slight increase to concentration.
Description: Offers optimal efficiency when reading or sleeping. However, you will not know if someone calls you from behind.
──────────────────────────
This... seemed like something Kotomi-chan would like.
[Ownership transfer is unrestricted.]
"..."
Should I really give them to her?
──────────────────────────
[Skill Acquired: [Poker Face LV.1]]
Rank: Rare (B)
Effect: Assists you in maintaining an outwardly perfectly calm expression even amid emotional upheaval or embarrassing situations. Partially and forcibly suppresses failures to manage your expression caused by the limits of Mental Strength (1).
Description: Even if you are screaming inside, you appear outwardly like a cool-headed professional.
──────────────────────────
Poker Face?
Was that good...?
[Analyzing draw results...]
[Compatibility with Suho: Very High]
"What is?"
[Social Anxiety]
[Excessive Self-Criticism]
[Mental Strength 1]
"..."
[Recommended Compatibility: 98%]
"I suppose so..."
I accepted it.
[Unusual behavior observed]
[Immediate acceptance without getting angry]
[Database entry complete]
"..."
It was not even surprising anymore.
When I looked out the window, the sun had already begun to set.
I blankly watched the crimson sky slowly sink into darkness.
The end of the weekend. And tomorrow would be my actual first day as a transfer student at Hikarizaka Academy.
‘Poker Face...’
I reread the text of the skill I had just acquired.
[Partially and forcibly suppresses failures to manage your expression caused by the limits of Mental Strength (1).]
The system’s blunt truths still hurt, but when I thought about it calmly, there was no skill I needed more.
It meant that even if I was suffering inside, surrounded by my inner critics, I could look like a relaxed person on the outside.
‘But wouldn’t it be dangerous if I just festered inside without showing it on the outside...?’
[That is a reasonable concern.]
"...Huh?"
For the first time, the app agreed with me.
[Poker Face only assists with your expression.]
[It does not improve your mental state.]
"Then it isn’t a fundamental solution after all."
[Correct.]
[Problems with Mental Strength must be solved through Mental Strength.]
"..."
[This skill is closer to first aid.]
At that, I looked again at the Poker Face description window.
Sure enough.
It did not say,
‘You become calm.’
It said,
‘You look calm.’
...
Its strange realism made it even scarier.
"Wait."
"I can turn this off, right?"
[It is possible.]
"...That’s a relief."
[It does not include a function that suppresses tears.]
"That wasn’t what I was worried about."
That was a lie.
[Recommendation]
It is recommended that you set it to OFF when you are with friends.
I would think about that.
...
I roughly hung my uniform on a hanger and put away my necessities.
After eating and taking care of various things,
it had become completely dark outside.
School started tomorrow.
Rustle.
A small scrap of paper fell onto the floor from the pocket of the pants I had tossed by my bedside.
「Friend」
The encyclopedia scrap Kotomi had cut out for me. I had thought it would be inside my inventory, but I was holding it as a real object too.
Apparently, the system had merely recorded it to prevent it from being lost.
"The Noise-Canceling Earplugs... If I get to see her, I should at least offer them to her."
I burrowed deep into bed and pulled the blanket all the way over my head.
"Status window."
──────────────────────────
Name: Morita Shu (Lee Suho)
Strength: 4
Stamina: 7
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
Luck: 2
Mental Strength: 1
Points: 270P
Title
- Special Selection Personnel
Skills
- [Learning LV.1]
- [Poker Face LV.1] (ON/OFF)
Bonds
- Ichinose Kotomi
Status
- Social Anxiety
- Excessive Self-Criticism
- Chronic Fatigue
Special Notes
- Mental Growth Restricted
- Partially Unlocked Upon Achievement Completion
──────────────────────────
‘Can I see the Poker Face description too?’
──────────────────────────
[Poker Face LV.1]
Rank: Rare (B)
Effect:
Even amid emotional upheaval or embarrassing situations,
it assists you in maintaining an outwardly calm expression.
ON / OFF Available
Description:
Even if you are screaming inside,
you appear outwardly like a cool-headed professional.
It does not eliminate your emotions.
──────────────────────────
Ridiculous as it was at this point,
I was so anxious about something
that I checked the status window and skill description over and over again.
...
I thought I would stay awake all night from nerves.
But I seemed to have been more tired than I expected.
Without even knowing when I had fallen asleep,
I slowly let my consciousness slip away.
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