Facing Renji Kamisaka's words, the girl with glasses and braided hair bowed to him, a graceful movement despite her simple appearance. A clear, melodious voice reached his ears, a soft tune.
"Thank you for saving me."
"I am Sumireko Sanshokuin, may I ask your name?" she asked, her eyes behind thick glasses filled with intelligent curiosity.
"Oh, my name is Renji Kamisaka, I live in Sakurasou near Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School." Renji Kamisaka naturally introduced himself, his tone relaxed.
But his heart was not calm. Sumireko Sanshokuin? No wonder he felt this girl looked somewhat familiar. She was supposed to be the main female character in the anime "Ore o Suki nano wa Omae dake kayo," often referred to as Pansy. Also, the most popular female lead in this work, combining beauty, figure, and intelligence—all hidden behind a deliberate facade.
Don't look at Sumireko Sanshokuin now with braided pigtails, and wearing reflective glasses that covered half her face, as if hiding her true identity. Her figure also seemed ordinary, camouflaged to not attract attention. But as soon as she removed her glasses, unbraided her pigtails, and removed the bandages binding her chest, this "plain" girl would instantly transform into a super beautiful girl with breasts larger than TV stars, a surprising transformation.
He hadn't expected to meet her, Renji thought. No wonder it triggered a task.
Sumireko Sanshokuin silently recited Renji's name, a mysterious smile hidden behind her lips. "Thank you, Renji Kamisaka. Actually, I also live near Sakurasou. How about we take a short walk?" Her voice sounded innocent, yet there was an unmistakable inviting tone.
"Alright, since we're going in the same direction, I'll just walk you home. It's really not safe for a girl like you," Renji Kamisaka immediately agreed to her suggestion, an act of chivalry natural to him.
He dusted off his hands, picked up the box of soy sauce-flavored roast meat and his school uniform that he had just set aside, then shrugged at her. "Let's go, Miss Sanshokuin. With a handsome man like me escorting you home, you can relax. As for these villains, you don't need to worry, the police uncles will educate them well." There was a hint of teasing in his voice.
Sumireko Sanshokuin smiled gently and nodded lightly, as if she truly was an innocent girl. "In that case, I will trouble you."
She composed herself and looked at the packaged box in his hand. "What a coincidence, Renji-kun, we both bought soy sauce-flavored roast meat." Her intelligent eyes observed him.
"What a coincidence," Renji replied, a wry smile. "I just realized, weren't you the girl who was queuing in front of me earlier?"
The girl nodded slightly, noncommittally, her sharp eyes behind the glasses seemingly holding many secrets. Subsequently, the two walked together, their steps in sync.
Renji Kamisaka's attention now turned to the command from the Game Life System that he had just received.
[Ding, Pigtailed Girl's Trouble has been completed.]
[Congratulations to the player for obtaining 1 million yen.]
[Congratulations to the player for obtaining entry: True Precision Punch.]
[True Precision Punch: When the player acts valiantly and fights evil, as the righteous party, the player's punches will have an unavoidable effect.]
Unavoidable punches? Didn't that mean a 100% success rate? He could hit any part he wanted with his fists? This skill entry wasn't bad, in fact, it was much better than he had imagined.
Just now he had fought five hooligans alone, relying on the effect of the skill entry from "Multiplied Damage Reflection." The violent action was mutually beneficial—if his fist hit the opponent, then his own fist would also take damage and feel pain. And this pain was also a manifestation of damage that was then reflected. Then, there was a scene where he hit the opponent, and the opponent was in so much pain that they didn't want to continue, and he himself was also in so much pain that he didn't want to continue either. A strange, yet effective, fight.
Under the intense pain from the reflection and Renji Kamisaka's fierce fighting style—which relied more on surprise and reversals—the five hooligans were quickly defeated by him. Among them, one hooligan pulled out a hammer and hit Renji Kamisaka's arm. As a result, his own arm broke. Truly, he brought that calamity upon himself.
Not long after Renji Kamisaka and Sumireko Sanshokuin left, a police car arrived quickly, and a grim-faced detective stepped out. Kousaka Daisuke, a detective accustomed to the city's dark side, and his colleagues quickly saw the unusual sight: the criminals, bruised and swollen, stripped down to their underwear, and tied to a telephone pole in a circular fashion. A sight that invited amused smiles.
Hearing a brief report from his colleague, the grim-faced Kousaka Daisuke waved his hand. "Arrest them, then dismiss the team!"
Although he didn't understand what was happening, he could grasp the general picture with a little thought. It must have been these flamboyant individuals who led the bullying of others. Unexpectedly, instead of succeeding, they kicked an iron plate and were beaten badly.
When the delinquents regained consciousness—after being pulled from the telephone pole and covered by police blankets—Kousaka Daisuke immediately asked about their condition. The five delinquents unconsciously clamped their legs together and trembled, then cried, a reaction that surprised Kousaka Daisuke.
After asking, he finally understood the situation. These five criminals surrounded a "plain" girl and were thoroughly beaten by a passing boy. Moreover, after the beating, he added a few kicks to each of them, using a "ball-breaking" attack—a detail that made Kousaka Daisuke raise an eyebrow. Men, after all, this was the most vulnerable spot. If exposed, how could they not suffer psychological trauma?
What puzzled Kousaka Daisuke was that the criminals insisted that the person was a monster. They said that by hitting the person, they themselves felt the pain. Finally, Daisuke Kousaka, with some hesitation, sent these individuals for psychiatric evaluation—an unusual step for a juvenile delinquency case.
To avoid being admitted to a mental hospital, the five juvenile delinquents could only pretend they had been lying earlier. Then they were severely scolded by the grim-faced Daisuke Kousaka, who threatened to prosecute them for lying to criminal investigators. Afterward, the five were locked up to receive education from the police uncles for a period of time. It seemed they wouldn't have a chance to go out and cause trouble for now.
Back to Renji Kamisaka and Sumireko Sanshokuin.
"Miss Sanshokuin, do you attend Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School?" Renji couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, a seemingly innocent question.
"No, but why do you ask? Do you go there?" Sumireko Sanshokuin tilted her head, showing an interested expression, a small smile on her lips.
"No, I go to Sobu High School. School starts in a few days, and the delivery company said they couldn't deliver for a while, so I had to come and pick up my customized uniform myself," Renji Kamisaka explained. "As for why I asked if you go to Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School, well, didn't you say you live in a house near Sakurasou? Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School is very close. Living here must make it easy for you to commute to and from school. So, I thought you might attend Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School."
Sumireko Sanshokuin then noticed the uniform he was carrying, which looked familiar, so she smiled, a smile that was more genuine this time. "I also go to Sobu High School."
"Huh? No way," Renji was surprised. "It's quite a distance from here to Sobu High School. Are you sure it's just a coincidence that we both go to Sobu High School?"
"I'm sure, and it truly is a coincidence." The girl looked at him seriously and even winked at him playfully to show her sincerity. Unfortunately, her thick glasses reflected the sunlight, and Renji Kamisaka not only failed to notice the sincerity in her large eyes but was also dazzled by the light reflection in her glasses.
"Well, that's truly a coincidence." Renji decided not to think about it too much.
"Sakurasou is ahead. Which house do you live in nearby?"
"It's on the left side of Sakurasou, a few hundred meters away."
After walking Sumireko Sanshokuin home, Renji Kamisaka also returned to Sakurasou. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Kanda Sorata sneaking around, carrying a cardboard box, his movements full of secrecy.
"Kanda, what are you doing? Sneaking?" Renji asked, his tone amused.
"Ah!" The boy was startled by his sudden voice, almost dropping the box.
Seeing that it was him, he said unhappily: "Oh, it's you, Renji Kamisaka. You scared me. Actually, I wasn't doing anything, it's just... I found some abandoned kittens again." Sorata's voice sounded defensive.
Renji Kamisaka was stunned. Only then did he notice several small kittens meowing faintly inside the cardboard box he was holding. He couldn't help but sigh and rub his forehead.
"Kanda, didn't you say you would quickly find suitable homes for the kittens you took in and return to the school dorm?" Renji Kamisaka asked, his voice slightly weary. "If you keep this up, the number of cats you take in will always be more than the number you give away. Our Sakurasou might have to be renamed 'Cat Dormitory'." There was a slight sarcastic tone in his voice.
Kanda Sorata's cheeks flushed at the teasing, and he stubbornly said, "What can I do? I can't turn a blind eye to the innocent lives of these kittens. I really don't know who could be so cruel as to abandon kittens on the roadside." He seemed sincere in his concern.
Renji Kamisaka shook his head with a smile and offered a new perspective. "Do you think perhaps the cats you once gave away got pregnant again and thought you were a good cat owner? So the mother cat intentionally brought a cardboard box, put her kittens in it, and deliberately placed it where you would surely pass... waiting for you to pick up her kittens and raise them?"
Kanda Sorata's face turned green, imagining that horrifying scenario. "How could that be? Are cats that smart?"
"Cats are indeed smart. It just shows that you're famous among cats." Renji Kamisaka asserted, an amused smile. "Anyway, they'll just drag their kittens in front of you and let you raise them."
Kanda Sorata immediately felt anxious, his expression paling.
"How can this work? If this continues, I'll never be able to find homes for all the cats I pick up! How will I ever get out of Sakurasou?!"
The main reason Kanda Sorata wanted to leave Sakurasou was because he felt too ordinary.
In that dormitory, all the residents were geniuses: Jin Mitaka the playwright, Misaki Kamiigusa the genius animator, and Ryuunosuke Akasaka the ghost programmer, all possessed extraordinary talents. Sakurasou itself was known as a gathering place for people with strange personalities and unusual abilities—a dormitory that served as a "dumping ground" for people with problems and unique talents.
Because Sorata had no special talent, he felt he didn't belong there—and was often criticized for being considered the only "ordinary" person by the other eccentric residents.
Seeing Kanda Sorata's agitated expression, Renji Kamisaka waved his hand indifferently. "It's up to you. You can send the cats to a pet store, or you can open your own pet store."
"In short, I don't mind you keeping a few cats, but you must keep them clean and not bring too much cat fur into the rooms, as it will add to Sayu's burden." He reminded him, referring to Sayu Ogiwara who had now become his recruited management assistant, who essentially only did housework.
Kanda Sorata nodded repeatedly to reassure him. "I know, I will take care of my cats and not let them run around and spread cat fur."
Renji Kamisaka nodded in satisfaction and walked towards his room. He didn't mind keeping a few cats in Sakurasou. After all, the second young lady of the Yukinoshita family at Sobu High School was a cat slave who loved all cats. Keeping cats at Sakurasou might be an opportunity to connect with the second young lady Yukinoshita, Renji thought, a calculating smile gracing his lips. A simple yet potentially effective strategy.
Enjoying the story? You can read 7 chapters in advance on p@treon/Rzzzy!