Coming to the stairwell.
Kitahara Makoto immediately smiled.
"What are you smiling about?"
Nijika's pretty face was flushed, and her bright eyes glared at him shyly.
"Of course, I smile when something happy happens." Kitahara Makoto smiled back, reaching out to hold Nijika's soft hand. "Now that Auntie has agreed to our relationship, we don't need to be secretive anymore."
"Let go~" Nijika's pretty face was burning, and she stubbornly said, "Mom agreed, but I haven't agreed to you yet."
Kitahara Makoto smiled:
"Then I'll have to work harder to make Nijika agree to me as soon as possible."
Nijika softly snorted: "I won't agree to you easily."
"Nijika saw the message I sent at noon, right?" Kitahara Makoto said softly while squeezing Nijika's small hand. "The little flower has successfully evolved and can activate a Domain to protect the house from Otherworld's urban legend invasions. However, activating the protection domain each time requires a large amount of energy, which cannot be replenished by real-world food. It needs to eat Eden Fruit."
"And Auntie also needs to be offered Eden Fruit to extend her existence."
"So, Nijika, when are you planning to go to the Otherworld?"
Seeing Kitahara Makoto bring up serious matters, Nijika quickly pursed her rosy lips and said softly:
"No time like the present, let's go today."
Mom returned in ghost form, but she could only appear for a maximum of an hour. Her existence time was still too short.
The little flower's Domain was also super important.
Tomorrow and accidents, you never know which will come first.
So, things that can be done today should not be put off until tomorrow, because no one knows what will happen tomorrow.
Kitahara Makoto nodded gently:
"Then it's still a three-person team: me, Nijika, and Ryo-senpai… But if everyone leaves, will the performance hall be too busy?"
"Don't worry." Nijika raised her hand to tuck a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "I've already sent messages to Kita and Hitori, asking them to come help today."
"That's good."
"…"
After finishing their serious discussion, the two went downstairs to the performance hall.
"Hmph."
Seeing the two walk over, Ijichi Seika, sitting behind the counter, snorted softly and turned her head away.
"Sister…"
Nijika gently bit her lower lip and called out in a low voice.
Although she had received her mother's permission, her sister was also a super important person, and she naturally wanted to receive her sister's blessing.
"I already said what I needed to say just now." Ijichi Seika said expressionlessly, crossing her arms. "Don't come crying later saying you regret it."
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"It seems I can only use my special treasure for Seika-nee."
"Huh?"
Ijichi Seika looked over warily.
"What is that?"
Nijika was a little worried and gently tugged at Kitahara Makoto's sleeve:
"Kitahara-kun, don't do anything strange."
"Don't worry." Kitahara Makoto was full of confidence. "I guarantee Seika-nee won't be angry at all; in fact, she'll be very happy."
"Happy…"
Ijichi Seika didn't know what she thought of, but her long legs under the counter pressed tightly together, and a barely noticeable blush quietly rose on her pretty face.
If this boy wanted to do something frivolous to her, she would definitely make Nijika cut ties with him, no matter what!
"Wait for me."
Under the gaze of the two sisters, Kitahara Makoto turned and walked to Yamada Ryo's side, picked up Hana who was eating ice cream, and then strode over to Ijichi Seika.
"Seika-nee, as long as you agree to the marriage between me and Nijika, you can hug and kiss the little flower as much as you want from now on."
"…Huh?!"
Ijichi Seika's eyebrows immediately shot up at the words. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Hana call out:
"Good person, hug~"
The soft, sweet voice entered her ears. Facing the fragrant and soft cub, Ijichi Seika completely lost control of herself and subconsciously opened her arms, taking the little flower into them.
"Good, good, good, big sister will hug you." Ijichi Seika's face quickly broke into a gentle smile. "Little flower, do you want some snacks?"
Nijika: "…"
As the saying goes, the older you get, the more maternal love overflows. That must be what my sister is experiencing now!
After dealing with Ijichi Seika with the treasure, Nijika quickly became busy.
Kitahara Makoto, having nothing to do, found Yamada Ryo, who was still selling tickets.
After asking, he finally understood the truth.
Ijichi Seika had previously overheard Nijika and Mrs. Ichiji's conversation, learned about the relationship between Nijika and Kitahara Makoto, and then suddenly remembered that when Kitahara Makoto first came to the performance hall, he said he was looking for Kita, so she asked Ryo for information.
When Yamada Ryo discovered that the secret of the harem had been exposed, she decisively chose to self-destruct, fabricating a love triangle between herself, Nijika, and Kitahara Makoto, successfully diverting Ijichi Seika's attention.
"So that's how it is…"
Kitahara Makoto gently twitched his lips:
"Then I should thank Ryo-senpai."
If Ijichi Seika knew the true extent of Kitahara Makoto's greed, she definitely wouldn't be as calm as she was now. She'd probably just beat Kitahara Makoto out of the performance hall with a stick!
"It's good that you know." Ryo-senpai crossed her arms, the lines of her profile looking especially good in the light. "How does Kitahara plan to thank me?"
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"Such great kindness cannot be repaid, except by giving myself to you."
"You don't need to give yourself to me, I want a big meal." Ryo-senpai covered her stomach and lay on the table. "I originally planned to freeload meals every day, but Kitahara is always not home. Now I have to eat grass every day."
Kitahara Makoto said speechlessly:
"The ingredients are all in the refrigerator, and Ryo-senpai has a spare key. You can go over anytime and cook yourself."
"No." Yamada Ryo said self-righteously, "If I cook myself, can it still be called freeloading?"
Hey, hey, you're saying that with such confidence, aren't you ashamed!
Yamada Ryo changed to a pose of resting her chin on her right hand and said nonchalantly:
"Well, looking at Kitahara's expression now, have you convinced Seika-nee?"
"I haven't convinced Seika-nee, but Nijika's mom voted for me…"
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't hide it and quietly recounted the subsequent events.
"That's very good. With Nijika's mom's support, Nijika won't be bound by worldly views anymore." Yamada Ryo nodded gently, then changed the subject. "So, when is Kitahara going to my house? My mom is also very reasonable."
Kitahara Makoto was startled: "What does Ryo-senpai mean?"
"Fairness is the most important thing when dating together." Yamada Ryo leaned forward and said nonchalantly, "Since Kitahara can convince Nijika's mom, then you should also convince my parents, right?"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
He didn't convince Nijika-senpai's mom; it was Ijichi-san who, after her accidental death, had a profound realization and understood the true meaning of life!
"Sure enough, once a boy gets a girl's body, he no longer cherishes her." Ryo-senpai tilted her head and looked over, her voice resentful. "So love disappears, right?"
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but raise a hand to his forehead:
"How did love disappear?"
"You just didn't say anything."
"Not speaking meant I was thinking of a countermeasure, alright!"
"…"
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath and said seriously:
"After we return from the Otherworld, I'll go visit Ryo-senpai's house."
"Let me tell you first, while Mom is reasonable, Dad has a very bad temper." Yamada Ryo twirled a strand of hair around her ear. "He really does hit people."
"It's okay." Kitahara Makoto's tone was firm, and he said word by word, "…I can take a beating."
"…"
In a blink of an eye, it was evening.
At a little past six o'clock, Kita and Hitori arrived at the performance hall one after another to help take over Nijika and Ryo's work.
Kitahara Makoto, being idle, sat on the sofa and seriously watched a performance, successfully completing the daily task of [Today's Leisure, Listening to Music at the Brothel].
After getting today's lottery chances, Kitahara Makoto simply activated the ability roulette, but unfortunately, his luck was not good today, only getting one ability fragment.
"Kitahara-kun, it's almost time to leave."
Nijika gently reminded him.
"Coming."
Kitahara Makoto stood up, greeted Kita and Hitori, then walked to Ijichi Seika and picked up Hana.
"It's still early. Are you taking the little flower back now?"
Ijichi Seika's pretty face was full of reluctance.
"Not going home." Kitahara Makoto said casually, "We're going to the Otherworld."
Ijichi Seika narrowed her eyes: "I'll go with you."
"Sister can't go." Nijika quickly denied. "The performance hall can't be left unattended, and once someone enters the Otherworld, they will be marked. Sister will definitely regret it then."
Ijichi Seika frowned:
"I can go take care of you…"
"Kitahara-kun is enough." Nijika said softly, "Even if sister goes, she'll only be the one who needs to be taken care of."
"Huh?" Ijichi Seika crossed her arms, her gaze falling on Kitahara Makoto, her eyes full of suspicion. "Is this kid really that strong?"
Nijika pursed her rosy lips: "Kitahara-kun is different from us…"
"I don't see it." Ijichi Seika looked him up and down, her tone suspicious. "He doesn't look like he can fight at all."
"Seika-nee, you can't judge a book by its cover." Kitahara Makoto's expression was calm. "Let's put it this way, I can beat ten opponents of black belt level in karate."
Ten was actually a humble statement.
As night fell, Kitahara Makoto's overall attributes had increased again. If he used a serious punch, ordinary people would die if they were hit and be injured if they were grazed. Coupled with his superhuman speed and reaction capabilities, beating a hundred people would be no problem.
"Stop bragging." Ijichi Seika glared, rolled up her sleeves, "Come on, let's have a match."
"It's getting late, and we have important matters." Nijika took a half-step forward, hugged Kitahara Makoto's arm, and turned to leave. "Goodbye, Sister."
"…"
The journey was silent.
Kitahara Makoto, carrying Hana, arrived at the old house with Nijika and Ryo.
The two girls went upstairs to change into swimsuits, while Kitahara Makoto directly changed into his swimming trunks in the living room and checked the supplies to be carried.
Not long after, Nijika and Ryo, who had changed into their swimsuits, came downstairs.
"The supplies are ready."
Kitahara Makoto patted his backpack, looked up, and said, "First, let's do some warm-up exercises, and then we can depart."
The landing point was in the sea, and the seawater was cold. If they didn't warm up, their legs might cramp.
In fact, warm-up exercises are not only necessary for swimming but also for running, as they can effectively activate muscles and bones and promote blood circulation.
"Okay."
Nijika nodded slightly and agreed.
Before entering the Otherworld, everyone would warm up together, so Nijika naturally had no objections.
However, after this warm-up began, Nijika's gaze was involuntarily drawn to Ryo.
To be precise, she was attracted by Yamada Ryo's slime.
(Isn't this too exaggerated?!)
Nijika bit her lower lip tightly, looking at the slime on Ryo's chest, and even heard the imaginary sound of 'puyo puyo' in her ears.
(Last time I bathed with Ryo, the difference wasn't that big, so how did it suddenly become so big?!)
(Even if she did 'that' with Kitahara-kun, it shouldn't be this exaggerated... Ryo must have had a second growth spurt, right?)
Noticing Nijika's gaze, Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over while warming up:
"Nijika doesn't need to be jealous, you just need Kitahara-kun's help, and you can also grow up quickly."
"I don't want to!"
Nijika covered her chest in embarrassment, wanting to run away.
As the saying goes, no comparison, no harm.
Human happiness often comes from comparison. Now, comparing herself to Ryo and realizing she was still a plain fried egg, Nijika's inferiority complex instantly surged.
(Speaking of which, many girls do get bigger after dating boys... So, it does have a growth-promoting effect?)
(If I were the same size as Ryo, I wouldn't be laughed at during swimming lessons anymore.)
(Should I ask Kitahara-kun for help?)
(No!)
(Absolutely not!)
Nijika quickly shook her head, dispelling the messy and embarrassing images in her mind.
A moment later.
The warm-up ended.
Kitahara Makoto, Nijika, and Ryo held hands and were led by Xiaohua through the spatial node, entering the Otherworld again.
Plop, plop!
Three consecutive splashes sounded.
"Ryo-senpai, Nijika-senpai, how are you now?"
Kitahara Makoto emerged from the water and shouted loudly.
"I'm fine."
Yamada Ryo's voice quickly rang out.
"Cough cough..." Nijika coughed twice, "I'm fine too, just swallowed a mouthful of water."
There was no need to say more about what happened next. Kitahara Makoto identified the direction and led the two girls to swim towards the shore.
They successfully swam to the reef next to the small island, then had Xiaohua weave a vine ladder. The three climbed over the vine ladder and entered the interior of the small island.
"So cold."
Nijika hugged her arms and shivered slightly.
Ever since they descended into the Otherworld, a cold wind had been blowing, like the dead of winter, with the chill directly seeping into their bodies.
"I'll make a fire."
Kitahara Makoto opened his backpack, took out the Kessoku Band poster, and had the Kessoku Band girls take out the supplies from the poster.
Now with a portable storage space, Kitahara Makoto naturally prepared many supplies.
"Nijika-senpai, Ryo-senpai, have a hot drink first."
Kitahara Makoto first took out two cans of hot red bean soup and threw them to the two girls, then took out smokeless charcoal and a stove purchased online, and even a special grill. In short, they wouldn't need to pick up dry firewood outside anymore.
"Hoo..."
Nijika held the red bean soup in her hands, sat by the stove to warm herself, and gently sighed:
"The weather on the island is really unpredictable; this time it's much colder than last time."
"It's normal." Kitahara Makoto said casually, "When we first came here, I remember it even snowed."
"Ah, I just remembered something!" Nijika quickly tilted her head and looked over, "Making a fire in a cave in movies is actually very dangerous!"
"Firstly, the rocks in the cave are very cold, and making a fire will cause the rocks to heat up and expand. Due to thermal expansion and contraction, the rocks might crack or even collapse."
"Also, if the firewood doesn't burn completely, it will produce a large amount of toxic and harmful gases. These gases will accumulate in the cave, making it easy for people to get poisoned in their sleep."
Kitahara Makoto said calmly:
"Nijika-senpai doesn't need to worry. Regarding the risk of the cave collapsing due to thermal expansion and contraction, I already asked the answer book, and it won't collapse."
"As for the various gases produced by burning firewood, we can leave that to Xiaohua."
"Eh?" Nijika looked at Hana in surprise, "Xiaohua can also help with ventilation and exhaust?"
"That's right." Yamada Ryo took a sip of her drink, "We've been to the Otherworld so many times, and we've never smelled any strange odors in the cave. It's all Xiaohua's credit."
"..."
The three of them weren't hungry. After simply drinking a can of hot beverage, Kitahara Makoto took out a game disc, and the three of them challenged the game space together.
Unfortunately, they had a rough start. When battling the Boss slime, Nijika made a positioning error and was instantly killed by the Boss slime, causing the team to collapse directly.
"I'm sorry..."
Nijika bit her lower lip and apologized softly.
"It's not the first time we've failed a challenge, why apologize?" Kitahara Makoto didn't care at all, "But Nijika, are you catching a cold?"
"I'm not catching a cold..."
Nijika shook her head, and just as she was about to deny it, she suddenly felt her nose itch and couldn't help but sneeze twice in a row.
"Achoo—!"
Yamada Ryo opened her backpack and took out an electronic thermometer: "Nijika, take your temperature... Thirty-seven point five degrees, you really have a cold."
"It must have been from the cold wind earlier." Kitahara Makoto found cold medicine, "Nijika-senpai, take some medicine and then get some good rest."
"Okay."
Nijika nodded gently, obediently took the medicine, and then lay down on the folding bed to rest.
As the medicine took effect, Nijika soon felt drowsiness overcome her and she unconsciously fell asleep.
After an unknown period of sleep, Nijika vaguely woke up, feeling her head heavy and her whole body uncomfortable.
She heard Kitahara Makoto and Ryo talking.
First, Ryo: "Nijika's cold is a bit severe. Even though she took medicine, her temperature hasn't gone down."
Then came Kitahara Makoto's voice:
"I'm a bit worried. Let's go back to the real world first and take Nijika to the hospital for a check-up."
"No..."
Nijika's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes:
"We haven't gotten the Eden Fruit yet. Since we're already here, I don't want to give up halfway... I'll take a bit more medicine, maybe I'll be fine soon."
"Then take a bit more."
Kitahara Makoto sat down by the folding bed, brought a cup of warm water, and fed Nijika the medicine.
After taking the medicine, Nijika quickly fell into a drowsy sleep again.
After an unknown period of time, Nijika woke up again and finally felt her body wasn't uncomfortable anymore. However, for some reason, she seemed to be lying in a warm, comfortable furnace, and she could clearly hear a steady, strong heartbeat...