When Arina Hashimoto walked out of the hospital ward, she forced herself to look calm. She gave a polite nod to Yayuki, who was waiting in the corridor, before hurrying away with her cheeks burning red.
Mizuki stepped into the ward, glanced at his watch, and raised an eyebrow."Three minutes. Including fixing your clothes. Not bad."
"As a childhood friend, shouldn't you say something more like—'obviously, I was here first'?" Shirakawa Natsu smirked, his lips curling slightly. "And seriously, you don't even make a sound when you walk?"
He wasn't particularly regretful, though. Even if Mizuki hadn't shown up, Arina wouldn't have let things go much further. That moment just now had already pushed the limits—there was no way anything more could have happened on a hospital bed.
"You were just blinded by the moment," Mizuki teased, spreading his hands. "Pretty daring, though. You sure don't hold back for someone with the air of a big-sister type."
Natsu only shrugged, refusing to deny it. He had already proven his boldness. After all, Mizuki herself wasn't much less daring than Arina back in the hospital."So," Natsu asked with a grin, "you came to see me. Got anything for me?"
"Here." Mizuki pulled a small bankbook from her pocket and handed it over. "The payment from selling the rights to Reaper. Everything's in there. I already took my share."
"Thanks." Natsu took the book and flipped it open. His eyes widened at the string of numbers—he had to blink twice to make sure he was reading correctly."Seriously? This much?"
"Seems you don't realize it yet," Mizuki said as she sank into a chair. "You're a nationally recognized mangaka now. Chances are, if you step outside, paparazzi will start following you around. So… what's your plan from here?"
Natsu closed the bankbook slowly, shaking his head."Doesn't matter. It won't last forever, anyway. …Hey, can you buy me a ring with this?"
By the weekend, Arina Hashimoto had taken Shirakawa Natsu to the city aquarium.
"It's kind of sad, isn't it?" Arina said softly, clasping her hands behind her back as she watched the fish swim lazily through the tanks. "Living your whole life in such a small world, just for people to stare at."
"Someone's getting sentimental all of a sudden," Natsu teased with a smile.
"Do you remember what I told you before?" Arina turned and gave him a gentle smile. "I studied medicine because I didn't want to disappoint my father."
"Of course I remember." Natsu nodded. Back during the festival, she had told him the reason she admired him was because she saw freedom in him—something she had always longed for herself.
"I actually wanted to be a painter. Back in high school, I even entered the Tokyo Oil Painting Awards and won silver in the amateur division." Arina glanced at him. "So when I see you drawing such beautiful manga… it feels familiar. It feels close."
"You really are talented, Sister Arina," Natsu said warmly.
"Of course," she replied with a proud smile, puffing out her chest. "Your sister is amazing."
Natsu suddenly stopped walking. "I'm a little tired. Let's go in and rest for a bit."
Right in front of them stood a love hotel. Its pastel-pink exterior made its purpose all too clear.
Arina shot him a sidelong glance.
Natsu grinned knowingly. He was sure she wouldn't reject him outright—the mood between them had been building for a while now. This was the perfect chance.
And yet—Arina rejected him.
"You naughty brat," she said with a laugh, tapping him on the head as they rode the tram back. "Do you really think I'm some naïve little girl?"
"Sister Arina…" Natsu groaned, rubbing his head. Why were women so hard to read?
A mechanical voice announced: "Next station approaching. Passengers, please prepare to disembark."
Natsu glanced at the map. Three more stops until the hospital. Still, maybe he could make something happen before then.
But the moment the doors opened, Arina suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him off the train. Her face was crimson.
"Sister Arina? This isn't our stop…" Natsu blinked in surprise.
"Idiot," she muttered, head down, her hand gripping his tightly as she hurried forward.
Natsu let himself be led, his heart racing. He already had a vague idea of where this was going.
Sure enough, Arina brought him to a modest apartment building. With practiced ease, she swiped an access card, led him into the elevator, and kept her head lowered the entire time.
When they reached her floor, she unlocked the door with a code and ushered him inside.
It was a neat one-bedroom apartment, simple but warm. In a city like Tokyo, rent here would already be expensive. But for a doctor, this kind of place was perfectly fitting.
"Here." Arina pulled out a brand-new pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed them to him.
Natsu froze for a moment before taking them. They were exactly his size. His eyes flicked toward her, filled with surprise.
She hadn't just thought about this—she had prepared for it.
Arina flushed at his look, kicked him lightly in the shin, and muttered, "Go take a shower."
Instead of moving, Natsu caught her hand. "Together."
Her blush deepened under his gaze. She turned her head, trying to sound exasperated. "Honestly… I don't know what to do with you. Asking something like that, at a time like this…"
Still, she didn't let go. Instead, she tugged him toward the bathroom.
Outside the door, they kissed, slow and lingering, until the heat between them built enough that they began helping each other out of their clothes.
Steam soon filled the bathroom, the air turning hazy as water splashed against tile. They took their time washing each other, though Natsu's hands had their own agenda.
"Don't focus on just one place!" Arina scolded, her cheeks red as she grabbed his hand.
"Please don't misunderstand, Sister Arina," Natsu said with mock innocence. "It's just… so big. Of course it takes longer to clean."
"Idiot." She raised her hand as if to swat him, then sighed and let it drop, surrendering.
When they finally emerged, wrapped in towels, Natsu didn't lie down. Instead, he pulled Arina close, slipped a small box from his pocket, and slid a ring onto her finger.
She gasped, covering her mouth, utterly unprepared for such a gesture.
"I know being with me makes you uneasy," Natsu said quietly, holding her hand. His smile was soft, but his eyes were steady. "Our ages, our places in life, our worlds—they're different. But none of that matters to me. I only see you as a woman. I want to think about our future, seriously. So… marry me, Arina."
Her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned her head away, her lips trembling. "Idiot. Call me by my name."
Natsu laughed. "Arina." He slid his arms around her waist, and the two of them fell back onto the bed. Their towels slipped away.
"Can I…?" he whispered, looking into her eyes.
Arina blushed furiously, nodding twice without meeting his gaze. "Don't look at me like that. It's embarrassing."
Natsu steadied himself, suddenly nervous. This was the moment.
But then—
"Pfft." Arina broke into laughter, unable to help herself.
"Don't laugh!" Natsu groaned, mortified. To him, this felt like the battle of his life.
"I wasn't laughing," she insisted, though her smile betrayed her. Then, surprising him, she pushed him down and climbed on top.
"Don't move," she murmured, bracing herself with her arms as she pressed close.
Minutes later, sweat beaded on her forehead.
"Looks like you don't have much experience either, Sister Arina," Natsu muttered awkwardly.
"I'm a doctor," she shot back stubbornly. "I'm a professional."
But before long, both their expressions turned strange.
"…Uh," Natsu admitted, embarrassed, "I might need to… work on my stamina first."
"It's fine." Arina leaned down, kissing him softly. "It's always like this the first time for a boy."
"…Yeah." He sighed. He doubted he had even lasted a full minute.
Still, they rested together, kissed again, and tried once more. With experience on their side, things went more smoothly. The second time, though brief, left Arina wincing softly from the pain.
Two minutes. That was his body's current limit.
Arina hugged him gently afterward, whispering, "It's okay. Just… stay inside."
Though short, the heat left them drenched in sweat, their bodies tangled and clinging.
Natsu quietly pulled out his phone, confident Arina couldn't see the strange app's interface. His heart pounded like a drum.
On the glowing screen, a 3D model of Arina appeared—surrounded by a golden halo, the sign of a completed task.
Large letters filled the screen:
"Congratulations. You have achieved the Pure Love Ending with Arina Hashimoto."
In the corner, the number he had been obsessing over finally ticked up to a perfect 100%.
"Yes!" Natsu nearly shouted aloud, but held it in, remembering their bodies were still joined.
Arina, eyes half-closed, noticed his strange excitement. Instead of being upset, she felt relieved. She was his physician, after all—no one knew better than her that two minutes was already a miracle for him. She had expected even less, so for her, it was enough.
And more importantly, she hadn't chosen him for rational reasons, or physical ones. She had chosen him simply because she loved him. Purely, without calculation.
Closing her eyes, she nestled against his chest, feeling lighter than ever.
When Natsu saw she was resting, he quickly tapped the screen.
"Task complete. Reward will be settled automatically.""Completion: 100%.""Reward: One random unlocked item from the store."
"A random item?" Natsu blinked. But there was only one thing available…
Item Acquired: Physical Stamina Potion.Note: "I can do this all day."
Natsu glanced down at Arina, her face peaceful, eyes closed, lips curved in a faint smile. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.