Both Shirase Haruto and Nakano Itsuki had been dragged along at the last minute, so naturally neither of them had any clue where to go.
That's when the riajuu duo came in handy.
Hayama Hayato suggested hitting up the night market, while Miura Yumiko thought boating sounded better.
In the end, Shirase's and Hayama's votes didn't count for much—the girls decided on boating.
Boating on a cool night breeze—romantic and relaxing.
Exactly what they had in mind.
"So our voting rights were fake after all? Hayama, you really let me down," Shirase said as they walked.
"Aren't you in the same boat?" Hayama said with a wry laugh.
"I was just saying it for fun. You're different—if you'd been firm about it earlier, they'd have agreed to skip boating."
"Wait, you actually wanted to go to the night market that badly? I could talk to Yumiko. She'd probably say yes."
"Not really. Between shopping and sitting still in a boat, I'd rather sit still."
"Then why complain?"
"Just because. Is that illegal?"
"…Wow."
Even someone as patient as Hayama Hayato was left speechless by Shirase's nonsense.
Up ahead, the two girls walked side by side, chatting happily—the complete opposite of the boys behind them.
At the park, Hayama tried to rent a bigger boat, but Yumiko shut that down right away.
So once again, Shirase and Itsuki ended up together.
In their little boat, Itsuki leaned over to play with the water, then picked up her phone to snap photos of the glittering night view. Her face was all smiles and joy.
As Shirase paddled, he glanced at her and smiled too—then deliberately spoiled the mood. "Isn't it your turn to paddle? I should be taking pictures now."
Itsuki shot him a look. "You like taking photos?"
"Nope. Just asking."
"…Knew it."
She was in such a good mood she didn't even bother arguing.
Every now and then, when she remembered what Yumiko had said earlier, her cheeks turned pink.
Laughter drifted across the lake, and the lights reflected off the water like tiny stars. "It'd be perfect if someone played guitar right now," she murmured.
"How'd you know I'm a guitar pro?" Shirase said in a mock-serious voice.
"Stop joking around, I mean it." Itsuki gave him a side-eye, then rested her chin on her palms and smiled dreamily. "If someone played guitar and sang, the mood would be so much better."
Shirase got it right away—her sentimental side had kicked in.
The mix of boating and pretty views had softened her mood, bringing out that gentle, girlish charm.
He copied her pose, leaning over the water. "Actually, I think an erhu would set the mood even better."
"Erhu? What's that?"
"A traditional Chinese instrument." He pulled out his phone, searched it up, and started explaining. "Picture this—you paddle to a quiet spot, play Erquan Yingyue, and hum along. That atmosphere would be unbeatable."
Itsuki listened, intrigued—until she played a video of the erhu and heard how it actually sounded. Her face fell. "Wait… I thought it'd sound pretty, like a piano!"
"You're discriminating against the erhu—I'm suing you!"
"I'm not! It's just… different from what I imagined."
When they got off the boat, Itsuki's cheeks were flushed with excitement—completely adorable.
Dinner had been great, she'd taken perfect photos, and boating topped it all off. It was everything a teenage girl could want in a night out.
But that happiness didn't last long.
As they left the park, they ran into a group of guys dressed like bosozoku delinquents.
They were Japan's own brand of "enlightened dudes"—the kind who loitered around filming "cool" videos that were actually cringe.
Shirase wouldn't normally care enough to pick a fight, but among them, he spotted someone familiar.
He recognized the guy instantly—the long-haired jerk he'd fought with at the restaurant.
The guy still had a patch of gauze above his eyebrow, not even fully healed. Basically a walking patient who refused to stay home.
"What's wrong?" Hayama asked when Shirase suddenly stopped.
Yumiko and Itsuki stopped too.
Shirase didn't answer—but the long-haired guy had already noticed him.
"It's you, bastard!" The guy, who'd been laughing seconds ago, instantly scowled.
His friends looked confused at first, but then he pointed straight at Shirase. "You remember what happened last time, don't you?"
His friends caught on fast. Judging by their looks, they were ready to back him up.
The air grew tense. Yumiko and Itsuki both went pale.
"Who are these guys?" Hayama asked, frowning. He clearly didn't like what he saw.
"Just some guy with a grudge. All bark, no bite," Shirase said flatly.
He took a few steps forward, then motioned to the others behind him. "If you've got a score to settle, let my friends leave first. That fair enough?"
The long-haired guy sneered, thinking Shirase was chickening out. "Scared now? You were pretty cocky back at that restaurant. I told you I wouldn't let you off easy."
"I'm really tired of idiots like you…" Shirase sighed, rolling up his sleeves.
He didn't see the point in wasting words.
The long-haired guy lunged at him, relying on his buddies for backup.
The sudden move made Itsuki and Yumiko freeze, their faces draining of color.
Before either could react, the guy swung a sloppy punch.
He clearly had zero training—just flailing his skinny limbs. Against Shirase, strengthened by the system, he was nothing.
Shirase dodged easily, grabbed his shoulder, and slammed his knee into the guy's stomach.
With a solid thud, the guy folded over, gasping in pain.
As he doubled up like a shrimp, the keys hanging from his belt clattered onto the grass.
His friends just stood there, stunned by how fast it was over.
Shirase bent down, picked up the keys, slipped them back into the guy's pocket, and said calmly,
"Is that enough now?"
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl