A month passed for summertime
Haru's summer mornings had settled into a steady rhythm.
Wake up, stretch, jog 3–4 km, eat, check AR game leaderboards, repeat.
After each run, Haru dove straight into Arma Legends, an AR shooting-and-dodging game.
He climbed the leaderboard steadily, beating almost everyone except a few elite players whose scores seemed absurdly impossible.
Despite his gains, he kept his pink pig avatar, waddling across the battlefield.
A tiny reminder of old Harayuki slightly fat, extremely awkward, and always nervous.
Ping.
[Stamina +1 / Agility +1 / Minor Luck Boost]
Haru grinned. "Yes, system. Small progress. Big dreams.
The next week, he noticed that even when grinding the leaderboard for hours, his body felt lighter, faster, and less prone to panic.
And occasionally catch the admiration (or at least attention) of girls passing by when he was running
A middle-aged woman even looked impressed at one point.
Haru's mind screamed: "Why are they staring?! I'm just jogging… "
By sunset, Haru was jogging through the streets of Suginami.
The air was warm but softened by the evening breeze, painting the buildings in shades of orange and purple.
His calves ached slightly, a satisfying reminder of growth, but he felt exhilarated.
Halfway through his route, Haru spotted a black haired girl sitting on a park bench, reading quietly.
She seemed… calm. Serene. The kind of calm that made everything around her seem slower, almost surreal.
He immediately tripped over a small root. "Oof! Smooth moves, me."
Haru then noticed a man lurking nearby, eyes darting toward the girl. His heart rate spiked not from running, but instinct. Haru crouched behind a tree for half a second.
Girl (mutters softly, almost inaudible): "burs…!"
Haru didn't catch her words, but the urgency made him tense. She remained calm, composed. No panic. Her patience almost mocked him.
Haru gritted his teeth. "Alright… time to be a hero… or at least a slightly competent clumsy one."
Haru dashed forward before she can say something, placing himself between her and the stalker.
"Uh… excuse me, back off!" His voice cracked slightly, but he hoped authority outweighed nervousness.
His stature big but his expression weird.
Unknowingly the stature weighed the pros and cons.
The stalker then twitched as he looked at the big guy with a weird expression, looking like his fighting the urge to poop.
"Fuck this shit i'm out, weird ass kid"
The stalker then ran away, clearly his meddling worked.
Ping.
[Micro-Quest: Protect Civilian]
Reward: Minor Agility / Reflex Boost
Haru guided the girl toward the park exit, gesturing for her to stay close.
Haru: "S-so… are you okay?"
Girl: "Yes, thank you for the help." She said calmy
Haru grinned. "Right… very calm reactions. I'd scream like a fire alarm."
Girl: "You were brave."
Haru: "Yeah… bravely clumsy, more like."
They walked slowly, him tripping over a pebble once. "Whoa! Okay… steady. Not panicking. Professional."
She chuckled softly. "It's fine. Just… careful."
Haru tried to keep the conversation casual, though he was still tense.
"Do you… read here often? I mean, I run here sometimes. You know, for exercise and… looking cool?"
Girl: "I read, but i do also enjoy jogging, but not evenings. Too many people."
Haru: "Yeah… I can see that. Almost tripped twice already."
Girl: "Almost isn't tripping."
Haru: "Sure… if you're the calm, collected type like… you."
Ping.
[Bond Potential: Sayuki Kuroba (kuruyukihime) — Moderate / Trust Level: Neutral]
Haru muttered: "System, chill… you're spoiling everything."
Girl: "Um… are you talking to yourself?"
Haru: "Ah yeah! I'm, uh… practicing vocal clarity. For… breathing technique. Totally normal. From all that running" he laughed awkwardly
She blinked, as she laughed politely
Girl: "I see. Then I won't bother you for your run this time."
She stepped back, giving a small nod.
Girl: "And… thank you again, Arita-kun."
She turned and walked away, leaving Haru frozen in mild embarrassment.
"Wait how did she know my name" haru stood there confused
Haru stretched, letting the breeze cool him. Summer training had changed him.
He could protect others. React calmly. Run longer. Play AR games efficiently.
He thought of Chiyuri, Takumu, and kurasaki san. Their voices, jokes, and encouragements warmed him.
"I've got people counting on me, and I can count on them."
Ping.
[Confidence +2 / Stamina +1]
Haru noticed a few teenage girls and even a couple of mature women glancing his way. He blushed, muttering, "Still… too many eyeballs."
As Haru jogged home, he thought about the girl.
Would he see her again?
She left quietly, leaving only the faint smell of the park's flowers and a sense of serenity behind.
At home as he played Arma Legends
Adjusting his pink pig avatar in game, getting ready for another run at the AR game Haru then looked at the leader board which he is now top 10 with 377,898 points globally whispered to himself:
Damn really 100,000 points more than mine, kuruyukihime really is a god.
Seeing the leading score of 453,999, nearly flawless against the 500,000-point maximum the game could give, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of awe.
As he was saying this, a black haired girl with an elegant black and crimson butterfly motif, wings shimmering with digital brilliance came to his lobby, it looked just like the girl he saved.
As she was up the stairs she said
"Would you like to accelerate even further, boy"
"Meet me on the lounge for junior high students tomorrow at lunch"
She then disconnects from the lobby
"What was that" haru was bamboozled and Shocked at what happened
"Am i gonna get tips and tricks or something for this game (Arma Legends), im gonna get more than 400k"
He said looking forward to what advice his senpai will tell him tomorrow….