Seven thirty in the morning.
Living room.
"Lewd!"
"Pervet!"
"Ecchi!"
"A fool whose head is only filled with lewd thoughts!"
"Go commit seppuku!"
"..."
Ijichi Nijika sat on the sofa, covering her chest with both hands, scolding him in shame.
"Nijika-senpai, I was wrong, please forgive me."
Kitahara Makoto's tone was sincere, and he apologized with a humble attitude.
"I won't forgive you!"
Ijichi Nijika covered her chest with both hands, her pretty face crimson, her eyes filled with shame and anger:
"Ryo-senpai was right there, and she was already awake, yet you, you still dared to..."
"I'm sorry, I was too impulsive. I completely lost control at the time." Kitahara Makoto apologized humbly, handing over his belt with both hands, "Next time, I definitely won't be as impulsive as today."
Ijichi Nijika gritted her teeth upon hearing this:
"You still want a next time?"
Kitahara Makoto whispered:
"Nijika-senpai, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"..."
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face tensed, and she took a deep breath:
"Go away, I don't want to hear you talk right now."
Looking at Nijika's crimson face and murderous aura, Kitahara Makoto was submissive verbally, but completely unfazed in his heart.
Having spent so much time together, Kitahara Makoto had already clearly grasped Nijika's personality.
Most of the time, she was the great angel of Shimokitazawa, full of vitality, warming others with light and warmth, but when she was truly angry, her pretty face would tighten, and she would say nothing, her pressure directly maxing out.
The fact that Nijika had said so much in one breath just now could only prove one thing—
Nijika wasn't as angry as she imagined about the secret 'snack' with Ryo-senpai just now, or rather, it was more about shame.
"Nijika-senpai, please sit properly." Kitahara Makoto walked towards the kitchen, "I'll go prepare breakfast."
"I'm not eating, I'm full of anger."
Ijichi Nijika huffed and turned her pretty face away.
Kitahara Makoto said:
"Even if Nijika-senpai doesn't eat, the child in your belly..."
"Wh-what?!"
Ijichi Nijika was startled.
"I'm sorry, I misspoke." Kitahara Makoto quickly corrected himself, "It's Ryo-senpai who also needs to eat."
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
At half past eight in the morning, Yamada Ryo finally got up.
After the three of them had a simple breakfast, Ijichi Nijika originally planned to drag Yamada Ryo away, but at that moment, Bocchi-chan had already brought Futari over to visit.
Kitahara Makoto also sent a message to Kita Ikuyo, asking if Kita Ikuyo wanted to come over.
Kita Ikuyo was idle at home alone, so she chose to come over and study together.
The Kessoku Band members were reunited again, and Ijichi Nijika had no choice; she couldn't leave alone.
"The study session starts now!"
Kita Ikuyo announced happily.
"Oh..."
Yamada Ryo cooperatively raised her hand.
Bocchi-chan lowered her head and said nothing.
Nijika, even more so, covered her chest with her right hand, saying nothing.
"Eh, what's wrong with Nijika?"
Kita Ikuyo looked over curiously. As a considerate little angel, she naturally saw Nijika's abnormality at a glance and casually guessed:
"Kitahara-kun wouldn't have taken advantage of you, would he?"
"Of, of course not..."
Ijichi Nijika's ear tips slightly flushed, and she quickly changed the subject guiltily:
"Oh, by the way, there are two very special bracelets in my backpack..."
Ijichi Nijika explained the effects of the Kessoku Band bracelets while taking out the remaining two black bracelets and giving them to Kita Ikuyo and Bocchi-chan in advance.
(A slight modification was made earlier, changing the number of bracelets from two to four. After careful thought, good sisters should naturally be neat and tidy~)
Kita Ikuyo and Bocchi-chan curiously put on the bracelets and soon experienced their magical properties.
"Ah, how amazing!"
All in all, the crisis was successfully averted.
Ijichi Nijika dared not show any more flaws and could only lower her head and study seriously.
At ten o'clock in the morning, at Yamada Ryo's request, everyone temporarily closed their textbooks, and Kitahara Makoto opened the game space, and they all entered the game to fight monsters.
As the number of game sessions increased, their cooperation became more and more tacit, and they actually successfully defeated the slime Boss of the first level and entered the next level.
The difficulty of the second level suddenly increased, and coupled with it being their first 'clearance', they hadn't even seen the final Boss when Kitahara Makoto and his party were defeated.
It is worth mentioning that after entering the second level, Kitahara Makoto unlocked a new skill and inherited it back into real world—
Ability: Unyielding Will
Category: Active
Description: After activating this skill, you will be immune to all controls for a short period, lasting five seconds.
"Immune to all controls, huh?"
Kitahara Makoto looked at the skill description and fell into deep thought.
Does the Eden Tree's fragrance, which lures others to their doom, count as a control skill?
Can Unyielding Will be immune to control effects?
"If it can be immune, then there's hope of getting the eden fruit, it's just that the skill's duration is too short..."
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but feel an impulse, even wanting to enter Otherworld to verify it right now.
However, rationality still made him calm down.
The game space requires twelve hours to be opened again. Even if he ran to Togawa's new home now, the ability's duration would have already ended before he even entered Otherworld.
"Stay calm, don't rush."
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly and quickly calmed down:
"Still according to the original plan, first deal with next week's final exams, and then go to Otherworld to verify the conjecture."
"..."
The study session continued until the afternoon, ending when Kita Ikuyo left to go shopping with friends.
"Everyone, I'm going shopping now." Kita Ikuyo waved goodbye, her voice as cheerful and clear as ever, "Yamada Ryo, good luck, I'll be there to cheer you on at tomorrow's dance competition."
"Don't worry." Yamada Ryo gave a thumbs up, "I'm definitely getting that free bass."
Having practiced together for so long in the dream, both in terms of coordination and skill, Kitahara Makoto and Yamada Ryo had already reached a state of telepathy, so the competition would definitely be no problem.
"I'm leaving now, see you all tomorrow."
As Kita Ikuyo left, Ijichi Nijika quickly got up and said:
"Ryo-senpai, let's go back too."
"I'm not going back." Yamada Ryo flopped onto the table, "I want to stay and continue Survival Road tonight..."
"No!"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face tensed, and she directly dragged Yamada Ryo away.
Last night you were right there, and Kitahara Makoto dared to take advantage of people. If she continued to stay overnight today, her innocence would definitely not be preserved!
"I, I'm going back too..."
Seeing everyone leaving one after another, Gotō Hitori immediately couldn't sit still, hastily packed her school bag, and wanted to sneak away with them.
"Wait a moment."
Kitahara Makoto stopped Hitori and said unhurriedly:
"Futari is still playing with puzzles. Bocchi-chan wouldn't have forgotten Futari, would she?"
Gotō Hitori: "..."
I'm sorry.
I was so focused on escaping that I really forgot about Futari.
"Futari, shall we go home?"
Bocchi-chan pleaded softly, leaning towards Futari and Hana, who were playing with puzzles.
Although she was the older sister, Bocchi-chan had no authority in front of her five-year-old sister.
"No." Futari didn't even lift her head, clearly having fun, "Futari wants to finish the puzzle with Hana. Sister, go play with Onii-chan."
Gotō Hitori: "..."