"Whether to receive item: Yes/No."
Shirakawa Natsu didn't hesitate. He tapped "Yes." A soft light glowed on his phone screen, and the 3D rendering of Arina Hashimoto vanished.
"Congratulations. You have obtained a randomly unlocked item from the mall: Stamina Potion. It has been stored in your backpack."
Two new icons had appeared in the lower right corner of the screen: Backpack and Collection.
He tapped the Collection. The first image was the photo of Arina Hashimoto he'd secretly taken when he first imported her into the app, but the app had processed it into something far more lifelike—it surpassed the very concept of a photograph.
The first page of the Collection had six slots. Only the first one, featuring Arina Hashimoto, was filled; the other five remained gray and locked.
Beneath Arina's portrait and the second grayed-out slot was a line of small text: *"Special mission trigger condition: Completed (1/2)."*
Shirakawa's expression turned odd. This clearly indicated a special mission that would only unlock after "defeating" two heroines.
The Blond App required two heroines simultaneously. Putting the pieces together, things were starting to feel… strange.
He definitely hadn't expected this. He was sure of that.
He glanced down at Arina Hashimoto in his arms, her eyes closed, a blissful smile gracing her lips.
He made a silent vow: "I swear on the name Shirakawa Natsu—even if I were to jump from this building right now or get run over by a truck outside—I will never, ever let Arina Hashimoto lie down with another girl and do… whatever ghostly thing this app has in mind for the three of us!"
He took a steadying breath, his heart beginning to race again, and closed the Collection. He tapped on the Mall.
The points counter in the mall's upper right corner had changed from zero to one hundred.
The Stamina Potion, which had been sitting alone on the left with a grayed-out lock icon, was now unlocked.
Next to it was another item, marked by an ornate, heart-like symbol. "Special Item: Destiny's Lover. Keeps the affection level of your mission target locked at 100 for 12 hours."
"Note: This item cannot be purchased with points. It is automatically obtained upon selecting your first 'Challenging Lover.' Other acquisition conditions are unknown."
"Challenging Lover?" Shirakawa kept tapping, and sure enough, a note expanded. The creator of this Blond App was an angel—so thoughtfully designed.
"Challenging Lovers: Unlocked after completing the first mission. The app automatically calculates the difference between the user's overall stats and the selected target's. Points earned from conquest vary by difficulty: Easy (60%), Normal (100%), Challenging (160%)."
"Pfft. Only an idiot would pick Challenging," Shirakawa muttered, instantly losing interest. He'd definitely pick Easy. Even at 60%, it didn't matter. If he grinded enough, even slimes could eventually hit level 300.
He scrolled through the mall, looking for any items that might conveniently boost his… vitality. Finding none, he quickly closed it.
He clicked on the final tab: Status. This was a page he'd opened countless times in the dead of night.
The familiar schematic of a male body greeted him, outlined with lines and dots marking various organs: heart, kidneys, and so on.
His recently calmed heartbeat began to pound again. Shirakawa Natsu's finger trembled slightly as he tapped on the heart.
"Upgrade to 'Robust Bull's Heart'?"
"Note: A strong, explosive, and healthy heart that will provide endless drive in battle."
"Cost: 100 points."
"Yes."
As his finger pressed confirm, the outlined heart on the screen suddenly bloomed into full color.
THUMP.
A heavy, powerful beat echoed from within his own chest.
The impact seemed to reverberate through his very soul. His body shuddered as an incredibly potent force surged through his limbs.
"It's… it's really fixed!" Shirakawa clutched his chest. He had almost forgotten this feeling—the feeling of being healthy.
No more sudden stabs of angina. No more gasping for air out of nowhere.
You only truly understand the value of health once you've lost it. In that moment, his eyes stung, and tears welled up.
His body trembled uncontrollably. All his relentless effort had finally paid off. He had finally reclaimed his health.
Arina Hashimoto sensed the change in him. She opened her eyes slightly, reached up, and gently stroked his cheek. "Natsu… don't overthink it. Just being with you makes me happy enough."
"Arina…" Shirakawa reached out and pulled her soft body closer. He knew she was worried he was brooding over his… two-minute performance earlier.
But he wasn't the same man he was just minutes ago. Those two minutes were a thing of the past. With his new Bull's Heart, he felt an inexhaustible strength coursing through him. Next, he would let Arina feel just how powerful he could be.
Arina Hashimoto jolted, feeling his hips begin to move. A blush spread across her cheeks. She gave him a reproachful look, then closed her eyes again, ready to slowly savor whatever was to come.
Shirakawa rolled over, pressing her beneath him. He lowered his head and gently kissed her pale, slender neck.
Arina Hashimoto parted her legs slightly. Her hands gently came to rest on his waist.
Two minutes and thirty seconds later, Shirakawa Natsu lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, all worldly desires utterly extinguished.
This state of post-coital clarity allowed him to calmly analyze why, even after installing a powerful new heart, the improvement had only been a measly thirty seconds.
The heart's job was to supply blood to the other organs. But his own kidneys were like an old car riddled with holes.
Even with a full tank of premium fuel, the functional upper limit of the chassis itself was… limited.
"Next time… I'm definitely upgrading the kidneys," Shirakawa vowed, shooting a glance at Arina Hashimoto. She was still sleeping soundly, one pale arm exposed outside the covers. She hadn't even broken a sweat during their recent… battle.
Shirakawa had originally planned to save the Stamina Potion. But men are always irrational, especially when a beautiful woman is lying beside them.
He opened the app, clicked on the backpack, and there it was: a single potion bottle resting quietly in the slot.
He selected Use. The potion didn't materialize in reality; instead, its effect washed over him directly.
A surge of vitality, unlike anything he'd ever felt in his entire life, flooded every fiber of his being. Even back when he was healthy, he'd never felt this… full.
He felt like he could punch through a brick wall. Every cell in his body, like a sponge saturated with raw power, began to swell.
Arina Hashimoto, who had grown fond of the feeling of Shirakawa Natsu holding her, immediately sensed something was different. Her eyes fluttered open.
Shirakawa was already reaching for her slender waist again.
"No way…" Arina Hashimoto placed a hand between them. After their three previous rounds, the initial shyness was gone, replaced by a more direct concern. "We have… a future ahead of us, Natsu. You need to take care of your body."
"Just once more," Shirakawa said, not bothering to explain. He looked deep into her eyes, his hands already gently supporting her waist.
Arina Hashimoto held his gaze for only a moment before surrendering. "Really… looking at me with those eyes. You know I can't say no to you when you look at me like that."
She finished speaking and closed her eyes slightly.
Arina Hashimoto was always passive in these matters. Keeping her eyes closed helped her focus on the sensations coursing through her body.
Shirakawa, however, loved watching her expressions—how they shifted and reacted to his every movement, providing perfect feedback.
Her eyes shut, her body began to move up and down slowly, her breathing gradually growing quicker.
Soon, breathing only through her nose wasn't enough. Her mouth opened slightly, letting out a soft sigh.
The rocking and rising of her body intensified. The sighs began to morph into suppressed, breathy moans.
Arina Hashimoto seemed to realize something was amiss. Panting, she opened her eyes and met Shirakawa Natsu's intense gaze.
Her vision started to blur. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her body went limp. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to speak, but her frantic panting made her words come out slurred and incoherent.
Shirakawa made a discovery: Arina Hashimoto's behavior in bed didn't match her usual mature, older-sister persona at all.
In these matters, she was exceptionally passive, completely pliant, allowing herself to be maneuvered however he wished.
Beads of sweat began to glisten on her fair skin. She weakly pressed her hands against Shirakawa's chest. Though there was no strength in them, her eyes were glazed over as she panted, "N-No more… stop… let's rest…"
"No. The most important thing is to be true to your word. I said once, so it's just once," Shirakawa declared. Then he flipped her over onto her stomach, positioned her on the bed, and gripped her sweat-slicked, delicate waist with both hands.
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He didn't know how much time had passed when Arina Hashimoto awoke from her daze. An overwhelming fatigue saturated her body, as if she'd just pulled a week's worth of consecutive overtime shifts.
Her skin felt sticky; sweat had glued it to the sheets, a deeply uncomfortable sensation. Yet, she could barely lift her arms, and her legs were so stiff she couldn't move them.
Her brain, which had seemingly shut down, slowly rebooted. Memories of what had just happened began to sort and analyze themselves.
"Natsu… I had a dream," Arina Hashimoto began, her eyes fluttering open. But as soon as she spoke, she felt something press against her soft lips.
"Arina, that wasn't a dream," Shirakawa Natsu said, already half-sitting up. He shrugged. "Intermission's over. Time for the next act."
Arina Hashimoto's expression froze. Her mind snapped to full alertness instantly. "No, I—"
Her next words were cut off, pushed right back down into her stomach.
—----
Time skipped to the next morning. The two got up and took a shower. Arina Hashimoto walked unsteadily, but insisted on making breakfast herself.
Watching her tremble slightly as she busied herself in front of the stove, a wave of tenderness washed over Shirakawa Natsu.
He quietly walked up behind Arina Hashimoto and reached out, intending to wrap his arms around her waist.
Arina Hashimoto was faster. She spun around abruptly, a kitchen knife held firmly in both hands, her face flushed a deep red. "Natsu! Go sit down at the table."
"Arina, calm down!" Shirakawa hurriedly raised his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to hug you from behind! Please, put the knife down."
"Liar!" Arina Hashimoto pouted. "Don't think I don't know what you're planning. You want to use this as a chance to press me up against the stove."
Shirakawa was taken aback. His expression slowly turned intrigued as he glanced at Arina's comfortable homewear, then at the kitchen counter.
So, Arina knows about that kind of thing too…
Under his pointed gaze, Arina Hashimoto's blush deepened. She put the kitchen knife back in the block and turned her head away, not daring to look at him. "Next time… Not now. I'm still sore."
"Okay~" Shirakawa Natsu suppressed a laugh, turning to sit back at the dining table. It seemed he'd somehow unlocked a new scenario.