"Rogue software?" Shirakawa Natsu frowned, pointing at the strange icon on his phone. He was about to delete it when suddenly his heart lurched violently.
The sharp pain made him clutch at his chest. These sudden palpitations could strike ten times or more in a single day.
Closing his eyes, he steadied his breathing, calming his racing mind. He was so practiced at enduring it that the routine itself was painful.
"Natsu, are you feeling unwell?" Hashimoto Arina's voice came quickly. She had clearly been keeping an eye on him. The moment she saw his twisted expression, she rushed out of the ward office, hurried to his side, and reached to support his shoulders. "Hey—easy—breathe. Are you okay?"
With her arm bracing him, Shirakawa immediately felt a little more stable. He forced a smile. "Arina-san cares about me this much… don't tell me you've secretly fallen for me."
"Hmph, brat." Relief softened her tone. Seeing that he was safe, she exhaled and half-lifted her hand as if to knock him on the head—then stopped short. "If you're thinking of making a move on me, why don't you take care of your own body first?"
"Tch. It's not like you'd let me make a move anyway. Didn't you just say I won't even be considering it next year?" Shirakawa shrugged, brushing the topic aside with a wry grin. He knew all too well what his condition meant. His heart's frailty wasn't just his burden—it was also hers, every time she worried.
His congenital organ defects couldn't be solved by modern medicine.
"A child should act like a child," Arina murmured, pity flashing in her eyes before she masked it with a practiced smile. She took Shirakawa by the arm and gently coaxed him back toward the bed. "There's no need to play at being so grown-up. I may not be great at dealing with younger patients, but I do just fine with obedient ones."
She skillfully smoothed the sheets, adjusted the pillows, and settled him down under a thin quilt. Then she turned to tidy the chair by his bedside.
When she leaned forward, her generous chest shifted beneath her lab coat, and though she was dressed in white, the motion carried an unexpected sensuality.
"I can handle it myself," Shirakawa muttered, turning his face away in embarrassment. He wasn't sure his heart could take the view.
As Arina moved about, her eyes caught the half-finished sketch resting on the table. She picked it up, flipping through a few pages. "Is this a new story?"
"Yeah," Shirakawa said, brightening a little. "It's a story about love and miracles. Like in Saint Seiya—you know how Seiya gets beaten within an inch of his life, yet still manages to turn the tables? That kind of miracle."
Seeing him talk so enthusiastically about his manga made Arina's eyes glisten red. She turned her head quickly. "Get some rest, Natsu. I need to check on the next ward. If you feel unwell, press the call button."
She set the sketch back down and hurried out of the room.
"…What was that about?" Shirakawa muttered, watching her retreating figure. He tried to lift his pen again, wanting to draw a few more pages—but his arm had no strength left.
With a sigh, he leaned back against the bed and unlocked his phone with a fingerprint. And there it was again—the strange, golden-haired bull-headed icon staring back at him.
The blond tauren was impossible to ignore.
Curiosity won. Shirakawa tapped it. The screen went black—and then a massive golden bull-man appeared, surrounded by beautiful women of every skin tone.
The CG quality was jaw-dropping—industry-leading, really.
"…Impressive." His eyes narrowed. "With visuals like this, they could easily sell waifus for cash. Why waste talent on some sketchy rogue software?"
When the cutscene ended, a surprisingly simple UI appeared. The central space was blank, while the right-hand column displayed four floating options: Hairstyles, Skills, Items, Status.
He clicked on Items. Immediately, a prompt appeared in the empty central panel:
Please select a target first.Album / Photography.
Shirakawa glanced around. He shared this six-person room with others—an elderly woman lay snoring by the door, and a muscular man was glued to his phone.
Even if it was a game, he had zero interest in "targeting" a random dude.
He tapped Album. The first photo displayed was one of Hashimoto Arina, smiling at the camera with a playful V-sign.
That shot had been taken the day she'd visited in sheer black stockings. He'd secretly snapped it on his phone, only to get caught. But instead of scolding him, she'd laughed and told him to go ahead.
The moment he selected the photo, a fully 3D-rendered model of Arina materialized in the interface.
"Holy crap!" Shirakawa nearly bolted upright. This wasn't just advanced graphics—this was instantaneous modeling at a level no known software could touch.
What stunned him even more was that the model wasn't wearing the outfit from the photo. Instead, she stood there in today's attire: a lab coat and short skirt, her long white legs bare.
He pinched his thigh hard. Pain shot through him. No dream.
This app wasn't rogue software at all. It was something else entirely.
His chest clenched again. "Ugh—damn it." Excitement always sent his heart spiraling into rebellion. He forced himself to breathe slowly, refusing to let himself keel over and die the very first day after finding a "golden finger."
Steeling himself, Shirakawa examined the interface. He pressed on Arina's 3D model, tilting her slightly. She didn't respond to touch, which immediately halved the novelty.
In the top-right corner, a number displayed her Favorability: 76. Without knowing the max value, he couldn't judge if that was high or low.
Next to it sat a Claim button. Clicking it brought up a message: Claim favorability points? Cooldown: 48 hours. Each target may be claimed twice.
He backed out, deciding to save it for later.
On the right remained the four main categories: Hairstyles, Skills, Items, Status.
He clicked Hairstyles. The interface shifted into a branching talent tree.
The first option: Vibrant Golden Short Hair.Effect: "Greatly impresses married men. +10 favorability."
The icon was grayed out. Selecting it again revealed the cost: 20 favorability points.
"…So that really does mean impressing men," Shirakawa muttered, baffled.
Two branches extended beyond it, each costing 40 points:
Elegant Golden Medium Hair: On the basis of short hair, increases favorability with married women by +10.
Messy Golden Medium Hair: On the basis of short hair, increases coercion success rate against couples by +10.
"…Coercion success rate?" He grimaced. "That's… unsettling."
Further branches were locked behind these choices.
He backed out and checked Skills. Compared to hairstyles, they were simple: Beginner Photography and Beginner Music. Each cost 10 points, with upgrades to Intermediate at 30. Everything else was grayed and locked.
At least these made sense. Music had always been a powerful way to win hearts. And photography—what girl could resist a boyfriend who made her look stunning in photos?
The Items tab was even simpler. Only one option: Stamina Potion (10 favorability points).Effect: Maintain stamina for 12 hours.Note: "I can do this all day."
Shirakawa shook his head. Nothing here addressed what he truly needed.
Only the sick ever understand the true value of health.
Taking a deep breath, he tapped the last category: Status.
A male body outline appeared, marked with dots and lines for each organ—heart, lungs, kidneys, and more.
His calm heartbeat suddenly surged. Trembling, he tapped the glowing mark over his heart.
Upgrade available: Strong Tauren Heart.Description: A powerful, healthy heart bursting with explosive strength. Provides endless stamina in battle.Cost: 100 favorability points.