There were three rules Ikaru Shinji had learned about emotional survival—though no one ever taught them to him formally. They weren't written in books or whispered by wise mentors. They just… settled into his bones over time.
Stay quiet. The less you say, the less you reveal.
Smile when necessary. Even if it feels fake, it keeps people from asking questions.
Never talk about the things that hurt. They only reopen wounds.
For most of his life, these rules worked.
Until now.
Because now, the system was watching.
That Friday, the sky threatened rain, but it never followed through. It stayed overcast—quiet, like something was being held back.
Ikaru sat near the library windows again, nursing a carton of milk he didn't plan to drink. His math book lay open but untouched.
The system hovered faintly beside his vision, a translucent reminder that reality wasn't as simple as it used to be.
Optional Quest: Let Her SeeObjective: Express one raw emotionProgress: 0%Time Remaining: 48 hours
It shouldn't have been difficult.One emotion. One real sentence.
But it felt like trying to peel off his own skin.
Yui Hoshizaki entered the library quietly, almost like she belonged to the silence itself. She didn't look at him immediately. She walked past, chose a random table, and sat down with a book. Only when she turned a page did she glance over.
Their eyes met.
Character Affinity: 6%Mood: Neutral CuriosityRisk of Disengagement: Low
"I read a line earlier," she said, not bothering with greetings. "'When someone doesn't cry, it doesn't mean they're okay. It means they've learned to hide water in their bones.'"
Ikaru raised an eyebrow. "Poetry?"
"Pain," she corrected. "Just dressed up nicely."
They sat in silence again. A comfortable one, surprisingly.
Then she asked the thing he didn't expect.
"Did you love her?"
The system pinged instantly.
[Dialogue Options Available]▸ [Yes, I did]▸ [No, it was just infatuation]▸ [Does it matter now?]▸ [Stay silent]
Ikaru didn't choose.
He looked at her—really looked. And then he answered without the system's help.
"I thought I did."
She nodded once, slowly. "And now?"
"…Now I don't even know what I'm feeling."
System UpdateGenuine Response Detected.Quest Progress: 38%Trait Interaction: Authentic Reaction – ActiveEmotional Suppression: Stabilized
Yui shut her book. "That's more honest than most people manage in a lifetime."
He blinked. "You say that like you've seen a hundred hearts break."
She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "I've seen enough to know we all break the same way. Just with different lies afterward."
Affinity: +2New Trait Sync Detected: Empathic Link (Prototype)
Later that day, Ikaru found himself watching his classmates from behind the gym building.
There was laughter. Shouts. Confessions. A senior got rejected under the cherry blossom tree, but his friends were there to slap his back and joke it off.
Ikaru envied him.
Not for being rejected—but for not being alone when it happened.
System Notification:Emotional Reflection Active.Temporary Emotional Leak: +12 DamageCurrent Damage: 85Hope: 3New Sub-Quest Unlocked: Tell the Truth to Yourself
He sighed. "Truth, huh?"
He didn't know what was worse—facing it, or not knowing what it even was.
That night, as he lay on his bed, phone on his chest, the system offered a new screen:
[TRAIT TREE: EMOTIONAL SYSTEM]
Active:
Emotional Suppression Lv1
Authentic Reaction (Passive)
Unlockable:
Self-Deception Lv1 (If quest fails)
Isolation Shield Lv2 (If 3 days pass without meaningful interaction)
Heart Reboot (???)
Empathic Link Lv1 (Yui Only – Condition: Complete "Let Her See" Quest)
He stared at Empathic Link.
It felt dangerous. Vulnerable. Like giving someone access to his system… his mind.
But also like the one thing that might save him.
The next day, she didn't sit beside him at lunch.
Instead, Yui found him in the old music room during free period. He wasn't playing anything—just sitting by the broken piano, fingers hovering above silent keys.
"I expected you to disappear," he said quietly.
Yui sat on the piano bench beside him. "You're not that lucky."
Affinity: 9%Proximity Threshold MetQuest: "Let Her See" – Final StageEmotional Requirement: Reveal 1 suppressed memory or feeling
His fingers curled into his palms.
"…I cried when I was thirteen. Once. I confessed to a girl back then too. She laughed. Said it was cute that someone like me even tried."
Yui was quiet.
"I went home and cried for three hours. But I didn't tell anyone. I pretended nothing happened. That became easier than telling the truth."
A pause.
"I guess… I got used to pretending."
His voice cracked on the last word.
And in that moment, the system didn't ping. There were no glowing lights. No stat increases.
Just Yui's hand, gently resting over his.
And silence.
But this time, it wasn't lonely.
QUEST COMPLETE: Let Her SeeHope: +2Emotional Damage: -24New Trait Unlocked: Empathic Link Lv1You are now synced with a character who sees through suppression.Effects: Faster healing. Shared emotional response in proximity.Warning: Overuse may cause personality mirroring.
Route Progress: 13% – ObserverNew Dialogue Option: [Tell her everything]