Supporting Miura Yumiko, Nakano Yu's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
The anger he had managed to suppress after soaking in the hot springs was reignited by the current Miura Yumiko!
The white steed stood tall and proud, its golden hooves ready to carry the scorching sun.
However, Nakano Yu couldn't. Nakano Yu admitted he was a man, he had desires, but he knew Miura Yumiko was not in her right mind, and he needed to get rid of the Yama no Ki from her body before anything else!
“Yu...I, I like you...”
Just then, Miura Yumiko, clinging to Nakano Yu, spoke with a blurry gaze, her tone suddenly becoming resentful:
“But...why doesn't Yu want to accept me?! Clearly, clearly, I really like Yu, clearly...this is the first time I've been so bold, but why is Yu so...rejective of me?”
Gazing at the youth's violet jade eyes, Miura Yumiko's own eyes were filled with confusion and questioning.
Was she not pretty? She was pretty! Was her figure not good? It was good!
But why did Nakano Yu not want to accept her confession?!
Could it be that...she was truly so repulsive?
Hearing this, Nakano Yu fell silent. He knew these were Miura Yumiko's true feelings.
Yama no Ki would amplify human emotions and desires. Under its influence, Miura Yumiko wouldn't be able to joke around with him.
But...was he really going to take advantage of her?
Torn, Nakano Yu looked at Miura Yumiko, only to see the girl's hands already on his chest, clumsily and violently undoing his buttons.
Seeing this, the youth closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Upon reopening them, he reached out and grabbed Miura Yumiko's face, bowing his head down towards her in front of her shocked gaze.
As their bodies touched, golden light emanated from Nakano Yu, spreading to the girl. Under the influence of the golden light, the distorted and eerie shadow of Yama no Ki struggled, seemingly trying to escape from her body.
Soon, Yama no Ki completely detached from Miura Yumiko, and the girl's body went limp, causing her to slump onto the floor.
Nakano Yu reacted quickly. The moment Yama no Ki appeared in the room, the holy sword, Jowa Yus, materialized out of thin air. A single sword swing cut Yama no Ki in half, and a system notification rang in Nakano Yu's ears:
【Ding! Host has completed the system task. Draw chance +1】
【Ding! Host has completed a certain number of tasks, system upgraded! Upgrade time: 24:00!】
However, the young man was completely uninterested in the system at this moment, for Miura Yumiko had hugged him again!
“Yu...”
The girl's soft murmur came from behind him, gentle and devoid of her previous frenzy, indicating that Miura Yumiko was back to normal.
Nakano Yu remained silent. He didn't know what Miura Yumiko was trying to do, all he knew was that the golden hoofed steed was already rearing its head.
“Yu, I saw it, you have to be responsible...”
Slightly biting her lip, Miura Yumiko clutched Nakano Yu's clothes, her voice low, filled with shyness and nervousness.
Miura Yumiko was afraid, afraid that Nakano Yu would reject her again.
She was conscious, she had just had a very long dream. In the dream, everyone, her friends, her family, had left her, and an endless ocean of loneliness swept over her. At that moment, Miura Yumiko truly wanted to end her own life.
Fortunately, just as that thought emerged, a blinding golden light caught her attention. The light caused her vision to blur, and when she opened her eyes again, she found Nakano Yu protecting her behind him, while the writhing monster was cut in half by the youth’s sword.
It was at that moment, too, that Miura Yumiko could no longer suppress her feelings, she embraced Nakano Yu without a second thought.
Even, forgetting her current situation.
Miura Yumiko seemed bright and outgoing on the surface, a true "spicy girl," but the real Miura Yumiko was very prone to crying, had never had a boyfriend, and even her first kiss was still intact.
Trembling, the girl waited for Nakano Yu's response, but the youth gently pulled away her hands.
The feeling, the courage that had inexplicably risen in Miura Yumiko's heart, shattered. Her eyes dimmed, and just as she thought she was being rejected by Nakano Yu, that he would even have the impression that she was “a casual woman,” Nakano Yu turned around and embraced Miura Yumiko, holding her at the waist.
Realizing that Nakano Yu had not rejected her, Miura Yumiko's heart filled with joy. She shyly buried her face in his chest, unable to meet the youth's gaze.
“Yumiko, are you scared?”
Nakano Yu's voice resonated in her ear, causing Miura Yumiko to shiver.
“If it’s Yu...”
Miura Yumiko murmured, but before she could finish, her lips were sealed.
The wind whispered through the trees, a soft, pleading voice echoed in the room.
But the fire you set, you must extinguish yourself. The youth would not hold the reins of the white steed for a second time.
Letting go of the reins, the golden steed neighed proudly, galloping through the black forest.
...
The seven days at the forest school flew by. It wasn't because time passed quickly, but because something happened.
The three students who went to the fourth floor of the inn for the courage test died in their rooms. What's more, the three were in bizarre positions, all linked together, their eyes wide open.
No one discovered them for a whole night. It was only when they were missed during tutoring and people went to look for them that they were found. By that time, the bodies had already grown cold.
Because of this incident, police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the inn that afternoon, and the principal of Soubu High returned to Kyoto the day after the police arrived.
The three deceased students were ruled to have died from poisoning after eating wild mushrooms, which induced hallucinations, making them unable to control themselves, so they helped each other, ultimately dying from the poison.
The incident spread throughout Soubu High, but it didn't attract much attention from society, likely due to the suppression of news.
Aside from all that, there was the upgraded system. While it was called an upgrade, Nakano Yu didn't feel much of a difference. The roulette wheel was bigger, making it less likely to draw good items, but that was about it.
Anyway, those were things of the past. At this moment, Nakano Yu was locked in his room, making a phone call.
“So, what do you want, Old Man? If you’re just calling to ask if Nino and Miku have been fighting, I'm hanging up.”
Holding the phone to his ear, Nakano Yu spoke with a displeased tone.
“...You little brat, I'm your father, can't I show some concern?”
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end of the phone, deep and with a sense of authority.
But in this world, perhaps no human was stronger than Nakano Yu, no one stood higher.
The person on the other end of the phone, without a doubt, was Nakano Yu and the five sisters' father, Nakano Maruo. It was strange, the world's trajectory was peculiar, the five sisters were actually Maruo's biological daughters, only Rena was still ill, and she passed away five years after he adopted her.
Nakano Yu had tried to save Rena, but at the time, he was just a few years old, 【Youth】couldn't be used on illnesses, and the system was still asleep...
“Of course you can, as long as you're willing to take some time away from your precious medical and business research to spend with Ichika and the others.”
Listening to Nakano Maruo's voice on the other end of the phone, Nakano Yu raised an eyebrow and said.
“Well, you’ve always been a smart boy, Yu. I won't be able to give up my medical research, it's my obsession. I’ll make time to spend with Ichika and the others, but before that, there’s something I hope you can explain to me.”
After listening to the youth's words, Nakano Maruo fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“What’s that?”
“You, and the engagement with the eldest daughter of the Katsura family!”
......