"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…"
"Miki?"
"Fifteen minutes left."
"Fifteen minutes? July?" Watanabe Tetsu had become unusually sensitive to dates at the start and end of the month, thanks to the system.
"I told you, July is when I check your homework."
Miki Yuki's voice came through the phone. Her tone was lazy but bright, full of life. On her end, it must have been midday.
"Now?"
"Of course."
"Playing the oboe at midnight will bother the neighbors."
"That's your problem." Her response was stubborn, with not a trace of surprise.
"…Alright. Give me a moment."
Watanabe Tetsu left his apartment and headed south, closer to the Marunouchi Line, passing a stretch of the moat that surrounded the old castle.
Every evening, the riverside was crowded with people strolling or cooling off, and, inexplicably, street performers always singing sad songs like "Sakura I Want to See You."
By midnight, only drunken passersby or sneaking couples remained along the water.
During the call, he switched to video mode. As he walked along the riverside, he rambled on to Miki Yuki about random things.
She was probably on a balcony, white curtains swaying in the breeze, reclining in a comfortable chair.
Every time Watanabe Tetsu thought she had fallen asleep, she let out a faint "hmm," casual and barely audible.
He set his phone on a bench beneath a tree by the river. The dim streetlights made his face slightly blurry in the front camera, but the warm yellow glow only enhanced his handsome features.
For the past week, he had practiced here every night—this spot had become his familiar place.
Finding the right keys, tuning the oboe…
"Let's start."
On the phone, Miki Yuki's eyes were closed, seemingly asleep. It reminded Watanabe Tetsu of the time in the music hall when the wind ensemble's awful performance had woken her.
He inhaled lightly, pressed the keys, and sent his breath through the reed.
A solo filled the night air.
"How was that?" he asked.
"Have you studied this before?"
"Do you think I could afford an oboe before? Besides the recorder in elementary school, I've never touched an instrument."
Miki Yuki sneered. "Do you take me for a fool? No foundation, and you could learn the oboe in just half a month? Not to mention you've already surpassed student-level proficiency."
"You knew it all along!"
"Probably a little natural talent," Watanabe Tetsu said, pinching his fingers together as if measuring.
Her lips curled with ridicule, eyes silently saying: "Keep making up excuses."
"Of course, the main, most, most, most important reason…"
"Mm?"
"It's my unmatched love for you, Miki. Isn't it impressive? Just because I don't want to disappoint you, I wanted to give you the best sound I could. That's why I learned the oboe in half a month!"
Miki Yuki rolled her eyes in apparent disbelief, a faint twitch of her mouth showing her disdain, then turned slightly away, unable to look anymore.
"Fine, keep playing," she said lazily, waving her hand as if done questioning.
Watanabe Tetsu exhaled, relieved, and continued.
The soft tones, the flowing melody, elegant and hushed like gospel in a cathedral, drifted over the moat, blending with the summer night.
Miki Yuki focused on the blurry image of him on the screen, listening intently.
All outside sounds faded. There was only the oboe, only Watanabe Tetsu's music, filling her ears.
A glow sparked in her eyes. The world seemed alive with color.
By the time the video ended, it was already July 1, 1:00 a.m.
Watanabe Tetsu glanced at the call timer: an hour and fifteen minutes had passed. Time had flown.
Showing off in front of the prep school wind ensemble wasn't his goal; it wouldn't give him pride.
What he wanted was for Miki Yuki to be captivated by his music.
And just now, even the picky Miki Yuki had listened intently for over an hour—his satisfaction was indescribable.
He faced the moat and stretched luxuriously.
It was late, and the wind ensemble had training tomorrow, but he wasn't in a hurry to shower or sleep.
After a while, a mosquito bit his leg, and only then did he slip the phone into his pocket, pick up his oboe, and leisurely return to his apartment.
After bathing and applying ointment to the bite, Watanabe Tetsu opened the system.
[New Item: Weather Forecast]
[Weather Forecast: Purchase once to obtain the next thirty days of global weather with 100% accuracy. No more surprises of carrying an umbrella for clear skies.]
"…."
How random and boring could this system shop be?
Watanabe Tetsu, a man well-read in novels of all eras and nations, had never seen a system shop sell Weather Forecasts!
Aside from being lost at sea to avoid storms, what situation could possibly be worth spending a thousand points on predicting weather?
And that damned fruit knife! The more he thought, the angrier he got.
He scrolled down the panel, ignoring it, and the five July skills appeared.
[Skill: Beginner – Gambling (100)]
[Skill: Proficient – Wind Fan Dance (1000)]
[Skill: Mastery – Writing (10,000)]
[Skill: Grandmaster – Tank Gunner (100,000)]
"Tank Gunner? What kind of tank? And a gunner of what?"
Watanabe Tetsu's mind wandered through countless scenarios.
He checked the explanation:
[Tank Gunner: The turret is justice, the caliber is truth, and your aim will never rely on guesswork.]
It was literally a Tank Gunner! Where was he supposed to find a tank? And this was only the gunner skill—what about the driver or the commander?
Initially excited by the name, he realized the skill was just one he would definitely buy later, even if useless now.
But reality had denied him choice.
Perhaps someday, if the system remained weak and years passed without him becoming extraordinary, and he ended up with Miki Yuki… he could still choose to be a writer. But then again, as the Yuki family's prospective son-in-law, why would he bother with a writing life under deadlines?
Another month passed in vain.
Watanabe Tetsu closed the system and fell asleep.