The next day, I went to the usual convenience store, but Ryoka wasn’t there. Feeling uneasy and lonely, I returned to my apartment. In front of my door, a blonde high school girl was sitting cross-legged. On her lap was a Boston bag. She rested her elbows on it, propping her chin in her hands, and looked up at me with a sullen expression.
“You’re late.”
“Uh… Welcome?”
“Just hurry up and open it.”
“Oh, right.”
She seemed quite annoyed, but at least her health didn’t seem to be an issue. As soon as I unlocked the door, she barged in as if she owned the place, sat on my bed with a plop, and made herself comfortable.
“Um, were you okay yesterday?”
“…Shut up!”
Ryoka’s face turned bright red, and she threw the Boston bag at me with all her might. It seemed light, likely due to the soft materials inside, so it didn’t hurt.
“What’s in the bag?”
“Clothes. Toothbrush. Skincare and cosmetics, and stuff.”
“Uh, why do you have all that?”
“…Because I’m staying here.”
“What?”
“I said, I’m staying here for a while! Get a clue, idiot! Idiot Tatsuya!”
“That’s ridiculous…”
Ignoring me, Ryoka crawled into my futon, leaving only her blushing face visible as she pouted.
“What, I can’t stay here?”
“It’s not that you can’t. Just tell me why.”
“…There’s no way I could go home in that state without even taking a bath.”
She mumbled softly under her breath.
“Sorry, what?”
“Shut up! Don’t make me say it twice!”
Ryoka grabbed my pillow and threw it at me.
“I mean, I don’t mind lending you the bath or anything.”
“So you heard me!”
She looked around for something else to throw and picked up the alarm clock on the nightstand. But, perhaps out of consideration for the fact that it might break, she put it back where it was. What a good girl.
After messing up her fine blonde hair from burrowing under the blanket, she shook her head like a dog to fix it and then sat formally on her knees.
“Yesterday, my level went up a lot. But I felt like I was going to pass out. I want to raise my level faster… and…”
With a flushed face, she stammered her words.
“Um, so, in short?”
“Please, let me have your experience points, Tatsuya. I might be imposing on you, but please let me stay here for a while.”
She bowed her head slightly.
“…Are you sure? I might mess with you while you’re passed out, you know?”
“That’s fine. I was planning on doing something lewd anyway. More than that, I need experience points. I want to save my mom. Before it’s too late.”
Her determination seemed unwavering. I wanted Ryoka’s mom to live, and I wanted Ryoka to be able to smile.
“Alright. Let’s work together.”
And so, my life with Ryoka began.
◇
“I’m a guy, so I don’t really get the concept of levels. How much do you need to level up?”
“Ugh… Da…dungeon… nnngh… levels… are… the same… ahh… same values… ah! Aaahhh! I-it’s fine… ah, ah, ah…”
“I see. And the soft gold peach you’re looking for—what floor is it on?”
“Seventy… two… nyaahhh!! O-on the seventy-second floor… i-it’s been found… ahhh!!”
“Got it. So we need to raise your level to at least 72.”
Ryoka and I lay on the bed, lightly touching our fingertips together as we talked. We kept the conversation far from anything suggestive to avoid succumbing to any other feelings.
“But oooohhh!! T-that’s… nnnngh… only if… if it’s… a well-balanced party… ahhh…”
“I see. But since you’re solo, you’ll need an even higher level.”
“I-I’m… a scout type… so, soooooooo… ahhhhhh… I don’t need to raise it that much… ahhhhh… m-maybe… to 100… 100… ahhhhhhh…!”
“100, huh? So the level cap isn’t 100?”
“The highest level… ahhhhhhhhhh… in the world… is… over… five hundred… ahhhhhhh… ahhhhhhhhhhh…!”
“Five hundred! That must be incredibly strong. What’s your level right now?”
“T-twenty… ahhhhhh!! Ah, ah, ah, twenty-three… ahhhh… it just went up… ahhhh! Tatsuyaaaa! Tatsuyyaaaaaaahhh!!”
Note: They’re only lightly touching their fingertips.
“I see. During the time with Professor Sagara, it felt like you leveled up much faster. It seems like the amount of experience transferred is proportional to the surface area of contact. At that time, your entire palm was touching. If that’s true, this is probably around one-hundredth of that.”
“One hundred!? ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ If this is a hundred times… I’ll die! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ That’s it!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ There’s no way I’ll survive!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
※ Only their fingertips are lightly touching.
Ryoka, clenching her teeth, looked up at me with tearful, pleading eyes. Her gaze was intense.
“Tatsuya…♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ T-Tatsuyaaa♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ P-Please…♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Aaahhh!! I-It’s, it’s, it’s impossible!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Let go, let go!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
※ Only their fingertips are lightly touching.
“If it’s too much, Ryoka-san, you’ll have to pull away. I can’t judge when it’s too much.”
“No!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ I won’t!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ I don’t want to let go, I don’t want to let go!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Aaaaah!!”
※ Only their fingertips are lightly touching.
“What do you want me to do… Ah, let me know when your level goes up, okay? I want to track how much experience is transferring.”
“Twenty-eight!! N-eight!! Right now! I’m at eight right now!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Aaaahhhhhh!!!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Twenty-nine! Nine! Niiiiine!!!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
※ She is simply reporting her level-up while her fingertips touch.
Ryoka’s eyes were starting to lose focus. She must be nearing her limit. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze just once, then let go immediately. Her hand was soft, warm, and a little damp.
“!?!!?!?! Thirtyyyyyy!!!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
※ They only held hands.
Ryoka’s body jolted with a particularly intense shudder. She buried her face in the blanket, breathing heavily.
“Well, you’ve reached thirty now—congratulations!”
“T-Tatsuya… y-you… just wait… I’ll remember this…”
For some reason, she glared at me with feverish eyes. I silently brought my hand close to her face.
“AAAAHHHHHH I’M KIDDING, I’M KIDDING!! Obviously, I’m kidding! Thank you! Thank you, Tatsuya! I’m seriously grateful!! Ugh, geez!”
She ran her hands through her hair, ruffling it in frustration, as if trying to shake off overwhelming emotions. Ryoka staggered to her feet with unsteady steps.
“Where are you going?”
“T-The bath!! Don’t ask stupid questions, virgin!!”
She spat out her words and leaned against the wall for support as she slowly disappeared into the bathroom.
