Jin awkwardly bent down and picked up the fallen box from the floor. He had said he meant no harm earlier, but now it felt like the universe had smacked him in the face. He really didn't have an excuse left.
Kiyoko, however, didn't say a word. She just lay quietly on her side, lost in her own thoughts, still replaying what had just happened. Ever since Jin had barged into her life, her usual calm rhythm had been thrown into disarray. Again and again, she found herself lowering her defenses without realizing it. (Not much scenes)
Ten minutes later, the cups were ready to be taken off. Jin tapped her shoulder gently.
"Hey, don't fall asleep. I'm taking them off now."
Kiyoko blinked and turned her face toward him. There was still a faint drowsiness in her eyes, but she managed a soft reply, "I wasn't asleep… Are you done?"
"Yeah. It should feel better now."
One by one, Jin removed the jars. Each release came with a faint *pop* of air. Without the tight pressure of the cups, Kiyoko felt her whole body loosen, and a wave of relief washed over her.
"Go ahead and put your clothes back on. Try moving your shoulders to see if it feels lighter," Jin said, turning his back respectfully.
Kiyoko slipped her shirt on quickly, then rolled her shoulders a little. Her eyes widened. "It's true… the pain's almost gone. Other than the skin feeling a bit swollen, it doesn't hurt at all."
Jin scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Told you it'd work. If we do this once every other week, in two months you'll be completely fine."
Hearing him talk about doing it again made Kiyoko's expression stiffen. Once was already overwhelming enough, if she had to endure another session or two, she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep him under control.
To break the awkward silence, Jin stood up and started gathering the cups. "I'll clean these up, then we can grab dinner."
But Kiyoko waved her hands quickly. "No need… thank you for today. I'll treat you next time. I'll head back first."
She hurried to the door, glancing back once with an unreadable look before slipping out. She couldn't bear to stay after all, she hadn't directly rejected his feelings earlier, only said wait. For a girl like her, even that much left her flustered and embarrassed.
Jin stood frozen for a moment, then let out a long sigh. Another chance had slipped through his fingers. Still, it gave him hope. The next time they were alone together, he promised himself he wouldn't let it go.
*Ding!*
"Congratulations for completing the designated task of the Love Story Quest."
"New reward unlocked: Skill - Eye of Insight!"
"Quest updated: Please obtain Kiyoko's first kiss voluntarily."
Jin groaned. "Seriously? Can't the system ever give me an easy mission? It's always these impossible ones…"
But his annoyance quickly faded as he read the details of his new skill.
Skill: Eye of Insight
Level: A
Effect: Quadruples static vision and triples dynamic vision during use.
Usage Limit: Three times a day, each lasting ten minutes.
Jin's jaw dropped. This was broken.
To normal people, "static" and "dynamic" vision didn't mean much. But to an athlete like him, he knew exactly what it implied. Triple dynamic vision meant his eyes could track a moving ball as clearly as if it were standing still. In a match, that meant seeing spikes, serves, and blocks with unreal clarity.
"With this… I'll crush anyone at the net," he muttered, excitement building.
Grabbing his jacket off the sofa, Jin practically bolted out the door, itching to test his new power.