"Hello, please take a look…"
Under the scorching July sun, Tenkuji Yuu was handing out flyers for a new nearby barbecue restaurant. He was sweating profusely but still managed to smile.
Unfortunately, handing out flyers wasn't about how friendly your smile was or how disheveled you looked to distribute more. On the streets of Tokyo, people walked past him, indifferent to his bowed figure. The flyers were extended and withdrawn, like a wooden sword swung endlessly through empty air, not even a faint breeze offering any relief.
Only a handful of kind souls, a few genuinely interested in barbecue, or those who just wanted to take a flyer home to fiddle with, actually took some.
Yuu knew this, so he didn't complain or get angry. He simply repeated the same motions, his smile stiffening like a mask, diligently completing his task.
Two hours passed, a bottle of water was emptied, but half the stack of flyers remained in his hands.
"Haaa… If only I were more shameless, wearing women's clothing to hand out flyers, I bet these things would be gone!"
Muttering about something he'd never do, Yuu wiped his sweat and headed to the nearby convenience store to buy a can of cold water. He drank half of it while savoring the air conditioning, soothing his burning throat.
If he didn't rest, he might overheat.
He planned to sip the remaining half slowly during his next shift. Yuu capped the bottle, and after a brief rest, he stepped out of the store, leaving paradise and re-entering hell.
Part-time workers could take breaks, but if they rested too long, the supervisor would notice, and his already meager pay might even be docked.
Luckily, the flyers didn't have to run out; he just had to meet the required work hours—otherwise, he might have to stand there until tomorrow.
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Half-past three in the afternoon.
Clouds happened to cast a shadow over the area, making the weather slightly cooler than the midday heat.
Yuu received today's pay from the supervisor—four thousand yen after taxes. If he was frugal, it could last two or three days.
Unfortunately, he had a younger sister to support, so this hourly wage was just a drop in the ocean.
The upside was getting cash immediately.
"Better than nothing, I guess."
Yuu sighed lightly as he tucked the bills into his wallet.
If the café where he usually worked wasn't under renovation, he wouldn't have to go out looking for jobs, nearly roasting under the blazing sun.
For survival, those without special skills always had to make some compromises.
Though there was enough money at home for now, he didn't want to touch their last safety net for unnecessary expenses. With no other options—he couldn't write novels, draw comics, or invest without capital—he could only take part-time jobs.
Watching the carefree high school students nearby, Yuu just smirked, carrying the leftover flyers, and headed toward the station.
After a half-hour train ride, he returned to a residential area far from neon lights.
The clean streets were quiet and peaceful, the sound of rustling leaves clear and pleasant.
There weren't many pedestrians; occasionally, a bicycle leisurely passed by, its tires rolling away from the exaggerated laughter of variety shows, disappearing briefly in the convex mirror at the street corner.
The monotonous calm of daily life always made one feel like they were slowly walking toward death. But Yuu didn't dwell on it much.
He just wanted to live simply and support his lazy younger sister—that was all.
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"Hmm?"
He suddenly stopped, his expression slightly surprised.
There was a cardboard box under a streetlamp. It wasn't there yesterday.
Like many scenes from comics, the box had "Please adopt me" written on it, containing a small blanket, a metal bowl of water, and a listless gray tabby kitten.
Seemingly exhausted from the sun, unable to escape the box for shade, the kitten curled up in a corner, its limbs limp.
Yuu looked around, but unfortunately, there was no shade nearby.
If he moved the box farther and a nosy neighbor saw it, rumors of him abandoning the kitten would likely spread through the neighborhood by tomorrow.
He couldn't take it home either… Especially since he couldn't afford it. Supporting one sister was exhausting enough; he couldn't ruin both their lives over a moment of sympathy.
Calling the environmental team to pick it up would only hasten its euthanasia.
In this land, most people were indifferent to strays, and this wasn't the only stray cat around. Yuu, pausing to ponder over it, was the odd one.
Ignoring it was the smartest choice, but looking at the flyers in his hand, Yuu folded the stack into a roof shape, placing it over the box to create shade.
He didn't have many talents, but deft hands were one of them, and the leftover flyers were enough to make a decent cover.
At least it could block some sunlight.
"Meow, you've got to stay strong until you find a new owner."
Whispering softly to the kitten, which weakly raised its eyes, Yuu stood up, his sweat-soaked sports shirt clinging to him.
The clouds parted, and the sunlight grew stronger again. Playing origami under the sun wasn't a great idea; his mouth was getting dry again.
Without a hint of regret, Yuu left the streetlamp with the box and headed home.
The barley tea in the fridge should still be there, right?
Thinking of that, his steps unconsciously quickened.
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At the corner, Yuu passed a woman.
She seemed to be wearing perfume, a fresh and gentle scent brushing past his nose.
He didn't see her face, only noticing her shoulder-length black hair, possibly designer clothes, and a walk that exuded a career woman's confidence—firm, self-assured, and unshakably calm.
"Hmm, hmm~"
Carried by a gentle breeze, she hummed a tune, its lazy, relaxed melody soothing, like snow melting under sunlight.
Unconsciously, Yuu glanced back at her figure.
"She must be beautiful."
Thinking so but with no intention of approaching her, Yuu quickly turned away and headed toward the two-story Western-style house nearby.
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[Binding to Boyfriend System… Binding complete.]
[Host: Tenkuji Yuu]
[Target: Yukinoshita Haruno]
[Instructions: Please go to the Hachiko statue at Shibuya Station Square on July 24 at 2 p.m. to meet the target and begin the mission.]
[Upon starting the mission, the Host will 'reasonably' become the target's boyfriend. During the process, rewards will be given based on the Host's performance.]
[Once the target falls in love with the Host and genuinely considers the Host their boyfriend, the mission will be deemed complete, and the next target will be assigned based on the Host's interpersonal relationships.]
[After mission completion, memories of the Host as the boyfriend will be erased from the target's mind, and events will remain but be replaced with reasonable explanations.]
[Warning: The mission will not alter the target's affection toward the Host. The Host must work to build a good relationship with the target.]
Yuu froze as he touched the doorknob, staring at the lines of text appearing before him.