Monday. Week 2. Year 1.

[Your hostile detection has reached level 4. Only one more left.]

[Your relationship with Toru and Kitome has changed to Friend.]

[Your relationship with Neko has changed to Very Curious.]

Clyde sighed at the delayed prompts before dismissing them. The sound of the rain thumping against the window and the roof helped sooth his sore muscles a little. Funny, he should’ve felt worse than this, considering the fact that he almost died. Maybe today was a good day to take a break from the grind.

Despite his body’s protests, he still rose up to handle morning matters. Nothing beat brushing your teeth in the shower. The alarm virtually demanded him at the school. The prior night felt like it went on for years.

He watched the news for a few minutes while enjoying a breakfast of eggs, waffles, and bacon. A little less healthy than normal, but the constant fighting and running and nearly dying does something to man’s metabolism, Clyde thought. He set the few dishes in the dishwasher before taking off. Luckily the rain stopped, giving way to a breezy and cloudy day.

Harumi met up with the young man as he stepped outside and off they went, traversing the wet sidewalks. They walked silently at first, abandoning the usual conversation. Clyde could see from the corner of his eyes, the young woman stealing glances at him. Not even halfway through the walk, he had to ask.

“Are you well, Harumi?”

She flushed, nodding a bit too quickly.

“I’m fine.”

He shrugged.

“Without you, we probably would’ve died at least ten times over.” He looked at her. “Thank you for being there for us. A healer is a thankless job that you didn’t ask for.”

Harumi seemed caught off guard for a second but composed herself. Clyde noticed that instead of wearing her hair straight down like usual, it was wavy.

“That hairstyle looks good on you,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, still blushing.

Clyde felt like he shouldn’t do that—these were the words of a harem main character, but Harumi really did look good with the hairstyle. Why was someone like her single anyway? Clyde didn’t answer that question. Because anime tropes, that’s why. Still, he didn’t like the tension in the air.

“If you’ve got something say, Harumi, don’t hold back,” he said. “What’s bothering you? We’re friends. Talk to me.”

He forced himself to not think about the impossible relationship system that sped-grinded his way into the pink-haired girl’s friendship circle.

“Well…about that glowing orb yesterday,” Harumi said. “You simply breathed it in. Did it do anything weird to you? Your ambient spirit feels different?”

She placed a hand on Clyde’s forehead, gazing at him with a healer’s eye, in front of everyone, right as they were reaching the school gates.

“Get a room,” Seth said as he approached the duo.

Clyde let out a sigh.

“What’s up, Seth?”

He gave the young man a handshake.

“Exhaustion,” Seth said. “Kept having nightmares about mutant girls eating me.”

Clyde chuckled.

“Seems to me like you and Toru enjoyed that sort of thing,” Harumi quipped, driving a blush from Seth.

“No way dude, not me,” he said, denying too eagerly. Harumi and Clyde gave him a suspicious look before allowing him to relax.

“Hi Clyde.” Chika seemed to appear out of thin air, anime-diving into the young man’s arms. The intoxicating, enchanting smell of soap and perfume hugged his nose before Harumi barged in between the two. The staredown made Clyde a bit uncomfortable. It was funny and adorable, but the fact that the system still somehow held him by the balls, even when he outsmarted it, didn’t bode well. Then again, this was probably not the system’s doing. The girls did this of their own free will.

“Alright, enough of that,” Toru said, beating Clyde to the words. Kitome strolled at his side. “Good morning everyone.”

“Hi guys,” Kitome said. Clyde saw her brother, Yusuke, continue forward without turning to the group. “Anyone else felt like skipping classes?”

“I did,” Seth said, “but since I paid and all, you know.”

“Not like the academy’s going to let us get away with hooky anyway,” Chika said, a tiny stroke of disapproval in her voice. With grades like hers, Clyde wasn’t surprised. Now if only she could get along with the professor.

“Could you not stand in front of the gate like this,” someone said. “It’s a violation of school policy.”

A slender girl with long black hair and grey eyes folded her arms, impatience spreading about her like an aura.

“Sorry, President,” Seth said, giving her an easy smile. It had no effect on the young woman.

Clyde analyzed her just for the hell of it.

Sazuki.

Level: 19.

Type: strong willed. Student council president.

Relationship: neutral.

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

As the group walked past her, the young man caught a showdown of glares between Harumi and Sazuki.

Sazuki harrumphed anime-girl style. Harumi flushed with indignation then stuck her nose up as she passed the student council president.

“Why do you two act like you don’t get along,” Seth said, shaking his head. “That stupid fight is long over with. Didn’t the professors force you to make up?”

Harumi didn’t answer, just looked straight ahead as if she didn’t hear him. Clyde was curious—Harumi had a rival?

“What happened?” he whispered to Seth.

“Long story dude,” Seth replied, “but when Harumi’s old friend was here, they were hyper-competitive over everything. When her friend moved away, it died, and along with their somewhat friendship. And of course, a falling-out eventually happened and now here we are today. Wasn’t even Harumi’s fault, but the president could never get over her pride. She also has a soft spot for Harumi…a bit too much of a soft spot, if you know what I mean.”

Clyde’s eyes widened a little.

“You mean…les—”

“No, you dreamer, but she often asks about Harumi’s well-being when she’s not around. It’s pretty damn irritating when you’re trying to escape her stupid onslaught.”

Clyde chuckled. His smile died when Maki caught sight of them. Seth’s blush hit full tomato mode.

“Oh, hi Ma—Maki,” Seth said.

Clyde held the popular girl in an unreadable gaze, which seemed to invoke a flash of rage from her. This pleased him.

Your superficial charm has no effect on me, he thought.