[Reward: Unique skill unlocked]
Noa watched the last text hovering in front of him as he and Hana walked towards their apartment.
It was his first time receiving a skill as a reward.
Before, he was getting either money, SP, or additional features for the system.
'Skill just for convincing the receptionist?' he thought inwardly, waiting for the system to show what his new skill actually was.
Despite his silence and thoughts held with curiosity, the system didn't immediately answer.
'Skill,' he said in his mind. 'Can you tell me what it is?'
Silence.
It stretched for a minute, making Noa impatient.
But just before he started climbing the stairs, his vision was flooded with anticipated system messages.
[Shameless Persistence (Passive)]
[Description: Your ability to annoy and make people angry has reached heavenly levels. People are 20% more likely to give in and comply with your unreasonable requests.]
[Warning: Excessive use might get you killed.]
Noa laughed after reading it. "So I am shameless now, huh?"
The system didn't answer.
Not losing his composure, Noa reached his home and collapsed on the couch. 'I can literally annoy peopleinto submission? Now that's real magic.'
Hana blinked at him, noticing how smug and dumb her brother looked.
Still, she grinned, happy to see Noa smile.
With the debt cleared, Noa could finally relax, so she decided to celebrate the occasion and dashed to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Noa kept looking at the ceiling.
The message blinked into existence, as if the system itself was arrogant.
[The skill works better the more of an asshole you are. It won't be too hard for you to use it, right?]
Noa exhaled deeply.
He had gotten used to being roasted. Hana was one example who loved to make fun of him. But now that he had the system and chat, the number of jokes thrown at him had increased.
It was fun.
Noa enjoyed every second of it.
And it wasn't like he could deny it either.
Being an asshole sometimes was necessary to get by. If he had been timid and hesitated to bother the receptionist, he would still be drowning in debt.
It was a necessary evil.
However, Noa had no intention of actually hurting people with it.
He then looked around the room.
A little kid peeked over the kitchen, holding a glass filled with soda. "Did you say something, brother?" she asked and continued rummaging through the fridge.
"Nope," Noa answered, forcing a chuckle she could no longer see. "I am just… talking to myself."
Hana peeked at him again. "You are weird."
[You are being less productive by talking with yourself. You should annoy others instead.] the system said suddenly, making Noa frown.
"Where is your instruction manual? I need to find a way to uninstall this crappy program," he joked and stood up.
Hana was walking in his direction meanwhile, holding a plate and a glass.
She looked both eager and excited, like a little chef, setting up the table with a playful smile.
Noa blinked at her effort.
The pancakes were uneven—some too thick, some too thin, even on the verge of tearing apart, and though their color was questionable at best, they smelled heavenly.
"This is a celebration!" she declared suddenly, wearing a cone-shaped hat from her last birthday.
Noa smirked. "Chef Hana, your skills have improved."
She puffed out her cheeks. "It's still better than your salty and bland soup," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.
Slicing through the measly sliced pancakes, Noa took a bite.
The taste wasn't perfect. It was too sweet with burned edges, but for some reason, Noa enjoyed it more than the burger he had this morning.
"This is delicious," he said, drinking the store-bought orange juice. "You should eat it as well."
Hana nodded.
Not even an hour had passed since she had devoured a whole burger and French fries. Even then, she ate the dessert with a warm smile on her face.
Clearly, it didn't taste as sweet to her.
As always, she was swinging her legs under the table. "So… what now, brother?" she asked after cleaning the plate. "Should we stay in and continue the celebration, or is there anything you want to do?"
Hearing this, Noa leaned back, wiping his lips with a pink napkin. "It's Sunday. You won't have time later. That's why I think we should go out."
Hana's eyes widened. "Really?"
These past few days had been amazing so far.
Not only did she get to try expensive meals, but she also had the chance to spend more time with Noa.
And when she thought it might have come to an end because she had school tomorrow, Noa suggested playing a little more.
Nothing could have made her happier.
"How does arcade sound?" Noa asked. "I really wanted to go there for quite some time."
"Arcade?" Hana gasped. "Yes. Yes. Yes."
She had heard her classmates mention going there. But she could never afford it.
It was pricey, and the very thought of going there excited her.
Noa chuckled, already standing up. "Alright then. Let's go all out and see the biggest gaming center in the city."
Hana's eyes sparked momentarily.
She was ready in seconds, waiting for Noa to call for the cab.
The trip there was filled with her endless chatter. She was bouncing on her seat the entire time, too excited to stay still.
When they arrived, the building towered above them.
It was huge, its glassy windows glowing with neon lights. The sounds of music, coins, and children screaming were mixed, reaching all the way to the entrance door.
Hana gasped again. "This is… amazing!"
Together, they walked in, and their noses were assaulted with the smell of popcorn, soda, and hot chocolate.
It felt like stepping into a new world.
Noa had to agree with his sister.
It was quite a sight, making his legs tremble with excitement.
The rows of machines offered a wide variety of games. Be it claw machines, rhythm games, mecha games, or even racing simulators, the arcade had everything.
Hana's eyes darted everywhere.
Just like Noa, she was overwhelmed and overstimulated.
But before she took the first step towards the game of her choice, her excitement froze.
The grin on her face vanished, her body stiffening.
Noa lowered his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked and then followed Hana's gaze to find three girls around her age near the basketball hoop.
Hana didn't answer.
She just stood there, looking hesitant.