thirty-nine yen in his pocket, a half-functioning system, and a mission to stop love from blooming.
It was noon.
He stood outside a convenience store, staring at the sliding doors like he was about to rob the place.
Inside, his target: Yuuto Kazehaya.
The protagonist.
Tall. Friendly. Oblivious to danger and boobs. The kind of guy who could trip over nothing and land in someone's cleavage.
In the game, Yuuto had zero personality but maxed-out luck. He'd charm girls by doing absolutely nothing—accidentally catching a falling book, sharing an umbrella, or just showing up at the right time. That was the danger.
The guy was a walking flag dispenser.
David watched through the glass. Yuuto was at the counter, buying ice cream and a bottle of tea. Behind him, the store clerk—an obvious side heroine with twin tails—blushed hard enough to pass out.
"That's his first passive flag," David muttered. "I'm already late."
He checked the system.
Yuuto Location: Convenience Store
Event: Cold Treats & Sweet Glances (Minor Flag – Clerk Route)
Intervention Possible: Yes
Item Suggested: Fake Spider
David opened his inventory.
Only two items.
Ice Cream Stick (Used)
Fake Spider (Unsettlingly Realistic)
"Guess it's time to be creepy," he said.
He selected the spider and tapped "deploy."
Inside, the tiny animatronic spider skittered out from beneath the counter—right toward the clerk.
Her scream could be heard in five prefectures.
Yuuto flinched. The ice cream fell. The tea bottle rolled. The clerk ran into the back room, crying something about curses and bugs.
Flag Prevented: Clerk Route Locked
Yuuto Confusion Level: +2
David Chaos Level: +1
Item Used: Fake Spider – GONE
David nodded to himself.
"That's one girl off the list. Take that, plot."
He turned to walk away—and bumped into someone.
A firm chest. Strong shoulders.
Yuuto.
"Oh crap."
"Ah, sorry!" Yuuto said with a sheepish smile. "Didn't see you there."
David looked up.
The protagonist had those soft anime-boy eyes. Hair slightly messy like he'd just woken up from a nap on someone's lap. Even his apology sounded like it came with sparkles.
This was the guy every girl fell for?
David forced a smile. "No worries. All good."
Yuuto blinked. "Wait… You're new, right? I think I saw your name on the transfer list. Uh, Davin?"
"David."
"Right! I'm Yuuto. Nice to meet you!"
He extended a hand.
David shook it, knowing full well this hand had cupped like eight different breasts in various routes.
"Yeah. Cool meeting you too."
"You heading somewhere?"
David's brain screamed. Abort. Abort. Don't befriend the protagonist. That's how you get sidequested.
"Nah. Just walking around. Exploring. Avoiding romance."
"...What?"
"I said, um, groceries. For cooking class."
Yuuto laughed. "Cool. Hey, wanna hang out for a bit? I was gonna head to the arcade."
New Event Unlocked: Bonding with the Protagonist
Danger: Medium-High
Decision Required: Accept or Decline
David stared at the pop-up.
If he got closer to Yuuto, he'd know his movements—his schedule, his next girl interactions. But the risk? Accidentally becoming his best bro.
That would get him dragged into every route.
Still… knowledge was power.
David tapped Accept.
"Sure. Why not."
Fifteen minutes later, they were in the arcade.
Yuuto dragged him into a rhythm game. Then a crane game. Then a zombie shooter. He was good. Not "gamer" good—just naturally lucky.
David scored terribly. On purpose.
No way he was about to draw attention by outshining the main character. That was how people got forced into rival routes.
They took a break by the vending machine area. David grabbed water. Yuuto bought a weird purple soda.
"Man, summer's already crazy," Yuuto said, leaning against the wall. "Feels like something big's about to happen, you know?"
David sipped slowly. "Oh, something's definitely coming."
Yuuto tilted his head. "You say that like you're hiding a plot twist."
David shrugged. "Maybe I am."
Another ping.
Bond Level: Yuuto – 5%
New Tag Unlocked: "Suspicious Transfer Student"
Great. Now he had a nickname.
Before things got too buddy-buddy, the system chimed again—this time more urgent.
[Alert: Target Movement Detected]
Airi Minase: Heading to Library
Event Trigger: Shared Book Moment
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
David's eyes widened.
That was an early flag. Not a big one, but still dangerous. Yuuto was supposed to walk into the library and help Airi reach a book on the top shelf. Classic "oops, our hands touched" garbage.
He had to act.
Now.
"Hey, Yuuto," David said, tossing his bottle. "You like horror movies?"
Yuuto blinked. "Uh, yeah? I guess?"
"Cool. There's a free showing in like ten minutes. Haunted Film Fest. Creepy indie stuff."
LIE CHECK: SUCCESSFUL
New Quest: Delay the Library Visit
Reward: +1 Disruption Point
Yuuto's eyes lit up. "Wait, seriously? That sounds awesome!"
Hook, line, and protagonist.
David led him out of the arcade and down the wrong street, using the system map to dodge the library zone completely. Ten minutes later, Yuuto was sitting in an empty theater, staring at a screen showing a cursed old black-and-white cartoon of a dog with no face.
"What even is this?" Yuuto muttered.
David kicked his feet up. "Art."
EVENT INTERRUPTED
Airi left the library. Flag not triggered.
Mission Status: Still Winning
Protagonist Mood: Confused but Entertained
David leaned back and smiled.
One step ahead again.
He'd stopped Yuuto from meeting two girls in one day. If he could keep this up for the rest of summer break, he might actually prevent the harem route entirely.
Still, the system wasn't done.
Warning: Reika is looking for you.
Affection Level: 2 – Rising
Estimated Time Until Next Encounter: Unknown
David's smile faded.
He wasn't safe yet.