"Stop! I don't have any legacy in me! Did you pick the wrong person?"
Izumi Yuu, the god of pure love, halted the narrator's incessant remarks in his mind.
However, the sheer amount of information pouring in was overwhelming.
Mr. Sawamura's strained demeanor had already hinted at trouble, and the mention of the locker in the narration felt like invoking Pandora's box. Opening it seemed like an invitation to an abyss with no return.
He had no intention of destroying anyone's relationships or families.
Especially not with the bloodline of the god of pure love running through him—doing something so base and despicable was unthinkable!
> [A silly aside? Birth behavior? A foolish notion flickers in your mind! But soon, you'll grasp the beauty of a young woman and become utterly enchanted. All you need is a chance to go upstairs and open that locker. It will unlock a new world for you and transform you into a man with the wisdom of a prime minister. Then, you'll look back on your innocence with shame. Go on—let the alluring woman before you become your guiding light...]
Don't try to manipulate me into opening Pandora's box!
Izumi Yuu strengthened his resolve.
Whatever was in that locker, it was undoubtedly dangerous. It must not be touched!
Ignoring the persistent narration, Izumi Yuu let Sayuri guide him to sit on the sofa.
After calming his breathing, he leaned back and looked at Sayuri Sawamura, whose aura exuded mature charm. With a composed smile, he said, "Mrs. Sayuri, you can just call me Yuu."
"Alright, then, Yuu-kun, please wait a moment. Eriri is still finishing her work," Sayuri replied warmly, her tone soft and friendly. "In the meantime, I'll entertain you in her place."
"That's far too kind, Mrs. Sayuri," Yuu responded politely. "Please don't trouble yourself on my account. I can wait for Miss Kashiwagi by myself."
"It's no trouble at all. I have some free time right now," Sayuri countered, shaking her head with a bright smile. "Besides, I'd love to have a chat with you and get to know you better."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Yuu adjusted his posture slightly, his confusion evident.
Could she have realized that I wanted to get closer to Eriri?
"I've read your novel, Yuu-kun. It's absolutely amazing!" Sayuri suddenly exclaimed, her enthusiasm shining through. Grasping his hand in excitement, she added, "The protagonist is fantastic—direct in his pursuit of the girl he loves and never shying away from his emotions or inner desires. He's capable of handling the affections of multiple girls with such poise. Honestly, he's a rare gem among light novel protagonists these days!"
For a moment, Sayuri's enthusiasm dimmed as she sighed wistfully. "The only drawback is that the... intimate descriptions were a little lacking. While it leaves plenty of room for the reader's imagination, it might be even better if those scenes were richer in detail."
"Also, I think your protagonist still has room to grow in terms of his 'techniques.' For instance, you could introduce gameplay mechanics involving slimes—"
No! Absolutely not!
Izumi Yuu felt his ever-calm demeanor slipping. His usual gentle smile froze, teetering on the edge of collapse.
This was mortifying. Being critiqued on my own novel by someone's parent—and not just anyone, but Eriri's mother!
It felt as invasive as having your childhood diary read aloud—or worse! After all, his novels weren't exactly suited for elder readers.
But Sayuri had read every word. Every single word.
And now, here she was, dissecting the plot and its intimate nuances with unabashed enthusiasm.
If I had known this would happen, I'd never have come here. Not even if someone threatened me with death!
Sayuri's spirited analysis showed no sign of stopping, and Yuu's mind flashed back to something he'd read before.
It said a person experiences three kinds of death in their lifetime. The first is physical death, marking your departure from this world. The second is the social acknowledgment of your death at a funeral. The third is the moment you're forgotten entirely, erased from memory.
But today, Izumi Yuu encountered a fourth kind of death—social death.
Suppressing his growing embarrassment, Yuu mustered an awkward yet polite smile and said, "Thank you for your feedback, Mrs. Sayuri. However, my focus is on light novels, not high literature."
While light novels could indeed explore some risqué content, doing so risked complications in publication and adaptation. It could hinder both performance and sales.
"Hmm... I see your point," Sayuri said, momentarily startled. She gently tapped her head, as if reprimanding herself, then stuck out her tongue in a playful gesture. "I forgot that Yuu-kun and Eriri have different approaches. My bad~!"
Looking at Sayuri, who was obviously over 30 but still possessed the cuteness of a girl and the charm of a young woman, Izumi Yuu found himself momentarily dazed, unable to help it.
Realizing he'd lost his composure, Izumi quickly regained his senses and said, "I should be the one thanking you. Thank you so much for your advice, Mrs. Sayuri. I'll definitely keep it in mind moving forward."
"Yu-kun is so polite and handsome, and you're such an outstanding person—truly the perfect example of a man. I'm glad Eriri has a friend like you," Sayuri said with a warm smile, clearly pleased by his words.
Izumi chuckled softly, trying to downplay her praise. "Mrs. Sayuri is too kind. I'm really just a bit above average, not anything extraordinary. Eriri definitely takes after you—she's a beauty at school, with the grace and poise of someone from a distinguished family. She's also incredibly talented and will no doubt become a master painter one day!"
Izumi knew that while modesty was important, too much of it could come off as insincere. Complimenting Eriri like this seemed natural enough and even flattered Sayuri in the process. A subtle win-win, he thought.
Sayuri's face brightened even further, her smile widening as she heard his praise. "You're so sweet, Yu-kun! It really puts my heart at ease knowing that Eriri has someone like you to rely on."
It wasn't just Eriri that Izumi had complimented. In a way, he'd also praised Sayuri, and she knew it. The delicate balance of praising both while keeping it casual was an art, and Izumi had mastered it perfectly. Direct praise could feel forced, but this way, it felt natural and sincere, making Sayuri feel both appreciated and proud.
As Sayuri smiled at him, her eyes soft and glowing with satisfaction, Izumi couldn't help but feel a twinge of awkwardness. He'd been in situations like this before, but something about Sayuri's gaze made him uneasy.
[Sweet words, huh? After hearing her remarks, you can't help but feel a bit intrigued—maybe it's time to find out for yourself if your words are as sweet as she thinks. But deep down, you're sure your mouth isn't particularly sweet, though hers... hers must be like honey, especially those cherry lips. But before you indulge in such thoughts, there's still the matter of the locker upstairs to deal with first…]
Izumi's lips twitched as the narrator's voice once again invaded his thoughts, and he couldn't help but inwardly groan. The absurdity of it all was maddening. If he followed the narrator's advice, he would probably find himself making a fool of himself in Tokyo Bay tomorrow.
He quickly blocked out the annoying voice and refocused on Sayuri, who was still watching him with an intensity that seemed to suggest something more.
Izumi couldn't shake the feeling that the way Sayuri was looking at him was... a little off.
"You look a little tired, Yu-kun. Are you feeling okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Mrs. Sayuri," Izumi replied quickly, trying to reassure her.
"I'm glad to hear that! I was worried I might be being too much, and that you were getting uncomfortable," Sayuri said, a playful look in her eyes.
"No, it's my honor to have this in-depth exchange with you, Mrs. Sayuri," Izumi added, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice, though he managed to mask it with a smile.
"Hehe, you really are charming, Yu-kun. No wonder Eriri thinks so highly of you. I rarely see her act this way about anyone—you're the first person she's had such high regard for! Not even tomoya-kun, her childhood friend, gets this treatment," Sayuri giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
Izumi blinked in surprise. He hadn't realized how much Eriri's opinion of him seemed to surpass that of others, even tomoya. For a moment, he felt a strange sense of pride but also a bit of confusion.
"It's only because Ms. Kashiwagi is also such an outstanding person—everyone likes and respects him," Izumi said, slightly taken aback. "I didn't realize Eriri felt that way."
Sayuri laughed even more, the sound light and carefree. "You're too modest, Yu-kun. Eriri is lucky to have someone like you in her life."
As the conversation shifted and flowed, Izumi couldn't help but feel slightly exhausted. Here he was, caught in the whirlwind of compliments and mutual admiration, yet it was Sayuri—vibrant, energetic, and full of life—who seemed more lively than a young man like himself.
This was all too much to process.
---
Since entering the room, Sayuri had been enthusiastically asking Izumi Yuu a barrage of questions about novel writing and Eriri.
Izumi could only wait for Eriri while answering each of Sayuri's questions as best as he could.
But if Eriri didn't come out soon, he was going to be trapped in this interrogation and would likely be tortured by Sayuri's constant chatter.
Realizing he needed some kind of distraction, Izumi decided to check the bonus content from his narration system.
If he remembered correctly, there were still some rewards left unclaimed.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining 1 point of physique, 1 point of strength, and 2 points of energy!]
[The host's current attributes are as follows: Constitution 9, Strength 10, Agility 8, Vitality 12, Charm 10.]
As the rewards were distributed, Izumi felt an immediate shift in his body. A mysterious energy surged through him, strengthening and enhancing his already exceptional physique. His body, which had once been above the limits of a normal human, now surpassed even those bounds.
However, to his surprise, he didn't feel any noticeable mental or emotional improvement.
Instead, a warmth spread through his body, a powerful, unfamiliar sensation that lingered just below his dantian, making him aware of an internal force he hadn't recognized before.
Izumi's mind raced as he processed this change.
"So this is the kind of energy I've been missing…" he muttered inwardly, feeling both curious and slightly uneasy.
He realized the system's attribute panel didn't account for spiritual energy, which made sense now—his mental energy was obviously something different, and it wasn't reflected in the usual stats.
It seemed that the system could only improve his physical energy, not his mental or spiritual one. That would probably require another system, like the Tokyo Domination System, or the Favorability System, not this unreliable narration system.
No wonder he had felt drained before—it wasn't a lack of physical strength; it was a gap in his spiritual energy.
Before he could dwell on this revelation, Sayuri suddenly seemed to remember something and turned toward him with a soft smile. "Oh! How careless of me! I've been so busy talking, I haven't properly entertained you, Yu-kun!"
She looked somewhat apologetic. "I'm so sorry! Let me make you a cup of tea right away."
Izumi smiled, shaking his head. "No need to trouble yourself, Mrs. Sayuri. I'm not thirsty."
"Absolutely not! Yuu-kun is our honored guest. How could I neglect such an important guest?" Sayuri insisted, standing up and adjusting the collar of her kimono. "Please, allow me to prepare some tea. It's the least I can do to show proper respect."
Izumi chuckled but couldn't refuse, especially when she was so determined. He watched as she gracefully moved about the room, preparing the tea with careful attention to detail.
[Madam, surely apologizing with a sincere heart is basic common sense, isn't it? As you look at the lovely young woman in front of you, it's hard to shake the feeling that she isn't truly apologetic—perhaps she's not taking you seriously at all. A sense of being slightly dismissed creeps over you. But rather than confront her directly, you slyly open the drawer of the table while she's focused on preparing the tea. You pull out the sleeping pills and, with the precision of a seasoned pro, slip them into her water cup. This way, she'll understand the consequences of underestimating you—and it'll be a small price to pay for her arrogance.]
Izumi's face twitched. Wasn't this overboard? The narration system seemed to constantly suggest bizarre, criminal ideas, even when Sayuri was just trying to be polite.
He was in no mood for such ridiculous thoughts. Instead, he turned his attention back to the scene in front of him, his gaze unintentionally drawn to Sayuri as she bent over to prepare the tea.
Her kimono swayed with her movements, and for a moment, Izumi found himself completely mesmerized. He had just received an energy boost, and it seemed that his reaction to the beautiful woman in front of him had intensified.
[Looking at the charming young woman before you, your heart begins to stir. Clearly, she's using all her allure to catch your attention. You can't help but feel a bit playful—time to turn the tables. "Madam," you think, "I'm sure you wouldn't want your daughter to lose out on the chance to illustrate my novel, would you?" You smirk at the thought. It's obvious how important this opportunity is to her, and knowing how much her daughter would hate to miss it, you can easily imagine how that might give you some leverage to make the beautiful woman in front of you more amenable to your... suggestions.]
Izumi's eyes widened in surprise. Eriri wanted to be an illustrator for his novel?
Was this why she was so invested? Did she think his novel could become the biggest light novel in history? If Eriri wanted to become a top-tier painter, this would be a huge opportunity for her—an impressive achievement on her resume.
But using that as leverage? That was despicable.
Izumi rolled his eyes inwardly, disgusted by the thought.
Just as he was mentally rejecting the narrator's suggestion, he heard a voice, clear and familiar, interrupt his thoughts.
"Eh?! Izum Sensei , you're here?!" The girl's voice was full of shock and surprise, tinged with a bit of embarrassment and anger. "Izumi Sensei, what are you looking at?"
Izumi froze.
"Damn it!"
He realized too late that he had been caught staring, and worse, at Sayuri's backside. His heart sank in panic.
The girl, who had just stepped out of her room, had clearly intended to greet him. But instead, she had caught him staring at her mother's figure.
Izumi could only hope there was some way to salvage this disastrous situation.