Chapter 37: This Monthly Quest is a Bit Weird!

…

[Nanami Stock — ]

[Open: 8.00 Low: 7.32 Real-time: 8.08]

Nanami stock had risen again, but the increase wasn’t big, nowhere near what Himekoji Akito had hoped for.

It seemed that smooth talk didn’t work very well on a girl like Aoyama Nanami.

The girl made her “don’t bother me anymore” stance clear, so Himekoji Akito wisely shrugged and walked straight past her out of the classroom.

Passing a mirror in the hallway on a whim, he paused for a moment. That’s when Himekoji Akito immediately understood why Nanami had been staring at him earlier—

Holy cow! Who was this ridiculously handsome guy in the mirror?!

Hair like pale brown water, elegant slender brows, warm gentle eyes. A straight nose, and thin lips as delicate as maple leaves.

His eyes were like the brightest stars beneath the night sky, dazzling yet impossible to reach.

If Nanami’s eyes scored 9.9 earlier, this guy in the mirror was easily 99999!

Looking closer, even this handsome guy’s cell parts seemed different.

His nucleotides held ancient secrets. Uracil and adenine bonded to form a new base called uraadenine. On his chromosomes, amino acids linked into intricate, crest-like peptides. Pyronin and methyl green dimmed before the noble, untouchable DNA and RNA in his cell nucleus and cytoplasm.

Free water flowing and binding with hemoglobin composed a noble, ancient bloodline coursing through vessels wrapped in connective tissue. His eyes were the most beautiful crystalline water. If they fell to the ground over trillions of years, they might become new fossil energy.

He was so unique!

Even if he ate all the sugar in the world, Fehling’s reagent wouldn’t turn his pee brick-red. Whether Sudan III, IV, or even XXXIV, they couldn’t stain his fat. Not even hydrochloric acid could separate his DNA from his cells.

That’s right! The “he” in the mirror was the super, super handsome Himekoji himself!

A man so handsome he could overturn cell theory without trying.

Unbelievable! The System’s charm boost was way too exaggerated!

Seems falling in love with himself was the first step of his love journey!

A lifetime of romance starts with narcissism!

Himekoji Akito posed and made faces in front of the mirror, barely able to pull himself away. Only when the class bell rang did he reluctantly say goodbye to his incredibly handsome reflection in the mirror, looking back every few steps…

Seriously, just the charm boost alone made him feel insanely powerful. If he added “Super Scholar”, “Housekeeping Gigolo”, and “Heaven-sent Talent”… wouldn’t that be utterly world-breaking?

Wait, hold on! Better cross out that “Heaven-sent Talent” first! That thing sounded a bit suspicious…

※※※

During class, bored out of his mind, Himekoji Akito opened the System again. Having barely paid attention to the “Monthly Quests” before, he casually clicked in this time.

[Welcome to the application!]

[The Monthly Quests offered are randomly selected by Pervert-kun. Would you like to draw?]

Huh? Pervert-kun? Who’s that? I’m not!

Weird. After the update, even the System’s term for him changed? Pervert-kun sounded familiar… who used to call him that?

Wait! Thinking about this might bring back bad memories. Forget it!

“Draw.”

Himekoji Akito ignored the weird title and just answered silently.

[Drawing this month’s quest…]

[Congratulations, successful draw—]

[Quest Name: April is Your Galgame.]

[Quest Reward: One Amazing 10-Draw Gacha Ticket and 2000 2D Points.]

[Accept this quest?]

One Amazing 10-Draw Gacha Ticket? Plus 2000 2D Points?

What the heck?!

Did “One Draw” become “Ten-Draw”? And 200 2D Points get an extra “0”?

Such a sloppy mistake!

Frugal by nature and unfamiliar with such a huge windfall of “System riches,” Himekoji Akito couldn’t believe his eyes…

He checked three or four times. No error.

Gulp! Himekoji swallowed hard came to his senses, and selected “Accept” without hesitation.

Wow! Just like the introduction said!

[Monthly Quests: No more waiting! Super rewards every month! Rack up those 2D Points! Your life is precious, you were born to challenge!]

Well, the last part could probably be ignored.

[Ding!]

[Quest accepted successfully!]

[Ding!]

[New User Privilege unlocked!]

[As this is your first time using this application, the System will gift you a task walkthrough guide valued at 9999 2D Points. Accept?]

“Can you just give me the 9999 2D Points instead of the guide?”

Himekoji asked wishfully.

[Accept? Countdown: 5, 4, 3…]

The System ignored him.

“Accept, accept.”

Though he scoffed at the “9999 2D Points” value claim, free stuff was free stuff.

The so-called “walkthrough guide” was actually a galgame disc.

Galgame, the best way to go!

He remembered some gaming guru saying—

“Reality is trash; the ideal world can only be pursued in games.”

So true!

Looking at the disc, Himekoji Akito’s face lit up. It was like he saw the Amazing 10-Draw Gacha Ticket and the 2000 2D Points waving at him.

He barely survived until the end of school.

He grabbed his bag, raced home, practically falling over himself.

Turn on the computer, load the disc, log into the game – Himekoji Akito did it in one smooth sequence.

According to the System, the galgame inside this disc was simulated based on the quest.

After logging in, the male protagonist was auto-generated, surprisingly lifelike. His model looked and acted just like Himekoji Akito.

Because it was a reference game made for the quest walkthrough, its specific plot matched the quest.

There were two romance routes. After failing the first, it automatically entered the second.

As he played, Himekoji Akito suddenly noticed something wrong!

Hey! Wait! The “heroine” on Route Two… was a guy?! It was a guy, right?!

Serves him right! The System wasn’t being nice and generous! It planted a landmine here!

On the screen, Totsuka smiled at the game’s protagonist Himekoji Akito, a smile brighter than the summer sun.

“Akito, I like you.”

Second route: The Totsuka Saika Route.

Totsuka Saika was a cute male classmate of Himekoji Akito’s…