"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense." Souta nodded firmly. "Just make sure to tell me what you find out!"
Suddenly, Kurumi leaned in close—very close.
Their eyes locked at an intimate distance.
The corners of her lips curved slightly upward.
"After all, Souta-kun... would be very reluctant to see me disappear, wouldn't he?"
They were so close, he could feel her breath on his skin.
A faint fragrance lingered in the air.
Her soft breathing made his face feel ticklish, and a hint of embarrassment rose inside him.
Was he... being flirted with?
"As a friend, of course, I wouldn't want you to disappear," Souta replied.
"Oh my~? Just a friend?"
Kurumi's gaze turned sultry—like dew-kissed petals on a summer night—as she stared straight into his eyes.
"Souta-kun, I actually wouldn't mind... taking things a little further, you know?"
Wait a damn minute—what does THAT mean?!
Souta couldn't tell if Kurumi was flirting or just teasing him for fun.
Her thoughts were too unpredictable.
Just as he was trying to figure out how to respond, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his head—the system's voice.
However, this time, it didn't sound aloud—it seemed to be in private communication mode, directly transmitting into his brain.
[Tokisaki Kurumi's friendship level with the Host has reached the required threshold. The Host will now randomly receive one of Tokisaki Kurumi's abilities.]
[Random ability selection in progress... Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the ability: Time Manipulation.]
Souta's expression froze.
Wait, let me process this...
So because Kurumi's friendship level increased, and it hit a certain system requirement, he just randomly obtained one of her abilities?!
Uh... THIS IS A THING?!
So I can get stronger just by making friends?!
Since the system was speaking directly in his mind, Souta tried responding with a silent thought:
"System? Can we communicate mentally ?"
Oh damn, it works! So the system had all these hidden functions—he just hadn't discovered them yet.
"What's the deal with this friendship level system? How does it work?"
[This is an exclusive benefit for the Host. When a 'Friends Group' member reaches a certain friendship level with the Host, the Host can randomly acquire one of their abilities.]
[Tokisaki Kurumi's abilities include: Spirit Energy, Shadow Space, City of Devouring Time, and Time Manipulation. The system has granted the Host: Time Manipulation.]
So making friends really does make me stronger?!
Souta just went from an immortal weakling to an immortal weakling with superpowers.
Kurumi's voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.
Looking up, he saw Kurumi staring at him with genuine concern.
She waved a hand in front of his face.
"I'm fine," Souta quickly reassured her. "I was just thinking about something."
"What were you thinking about?" Kurumi asked.
He wanted to incredible news with her.
After all, he genuinely trusted Kurumi as a friend.
Souta realized something important.
If the Friends Group kept expanding, and new people joined in the future, then revealing this system function could have unintended consequences.
What if people thought he was only befriending them to steal their abilities?
What if someone mistrusted him and tried to distance themselves from him?
After considering the potential social fallout, Souta made his decision.
"This will remain my secret for now."
Everyone has a secret or two, and keeping this one shouldn't be a problem.
Once the system's shop opens, he'll be able to use the lottery feature.
At that point, if his time manipulation ability gets exposed, he could simply say it was something he won in a random draw.
Perfect. That's the plan!
After settling his thoughts, Souta looked at Kurumi and said:
"You're planning to go back soon, aren't you?"
"Oh my, you saw through me?"
"I have more than enough stored time now, so I'm planning to return today and begin my test to determine the worldline shift delay."
Hearing this, Souta's expression showed a hint of reluctance...
And it wasn't just for show—he genuinely felt a little unwilling to part ways.
They had lived together for two months, and separating now felt a bit unnatural.
Her eyes curved into a gentle smile, as if she was secretly satisfied.
"Souta, I'll test it out as soon as possible. We'll be seeing each other again very soon."
She took a deep breath and smiled brightly—a smile that was both pure and sincere.
"Thank you... for everything."
"Come on, don't make it sound so formal. Aren't we friends?" Souta replied with a grin.
Kurumi looked at him, her expression slightly mysterious, and muttered softly to herself:
"Friends...? That might not be the case forever."
"Hmm? What did you say? I didn't catch that."
"Oh, nothing." She quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Souta, the nickname you originally used—'Akiyuki Kōzō'—he's also a character as me, right? I'm curious, who is he?"
Cough! Souta almost choked.
Crap! I nearly forgot about that hole I dug for myself!
"Ahem... uh... well, he's a great father. He really loves his daughter. But other than that, he's just an extremely ordinary background character—nothing special at all! You definitely wouldn't be interested, so let's just forget about it, okay?"
Feeling nervous, he immediately pulled out his system phone and changed his nickname back to his real name.
"A great father...?" Kurumi's tone was skeptical, but she didn't press the matter.
"What is that outside?"
Both of their coffees were already finished.
Kurumi glanced at the empty cups, then at Souta, before suddenly saying:
"Speaking of which, there was something I promised you before that I still haven't done."
Souta blinked, trying to remember, but nothing came to mind.
Kurumi suddenly pointed toward the large window.
"Look outside! What is that?"
"Hmm?" Souta instinctively turned to look out the window.
A soft, warm sensation touched the corner of his lips.
It was gentle, like the delicate petals of a flower brushing against him.
At the same time, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted into his nose.
Souta's eyes widened in surprise.
When he turned his head back—
Kurumi had already stood up, gracefully curtsying like a noble lady.
She waved elegantly at him.
"Goodbye, Souta. I'll be back to see you very soon."
With that, she turned and left the café.
Kurumi didn't need Souta's help to return to her world.
She deliberately found an empty alley with no surveillance cameras before activating her return.
A bright white light engulfed her figure, and she disappeared from this world.
Back inside the café, Souta absentmindedly touched his lips.
"...She actually kissed me?"
Did she... really like him?
It all felt a bit unreal.
But before he could think too much about it—
The cold mechanical voice of the system rang out, shocking him even further:
[The Second Friend Invitation Letter has been sent.]