After enjoying the snacks prepared by the girls, Reiji explored the [gifts] feature in his system.

The meal prepared by Nene earned him 10 points, while the chocolate cake made by Kanade resulted in a particularly special prize:

[Stat Increase Card - "Maiden's Heart in Love!"]

[This card encapsulates the burning feelings of a girl for you. For a girl in love, the beloved is seen as perfection incarnate. When using this card, you have the option to permanently increase a statistic of your choice. The lower the selected attribute, the greater the increase.]

Reiji was astonished at the discovery.

Despite having lied to both, he was graced with such valuable gifts...

Apologizing for needing to use the bathroom, he stood up and, once alone, opted to apply the card to the [Luck] statistic through the system.

Given that this was his lowest statistic and considering his uncertainty about how to increase his luck level, it seemed a sensible choice. After all, it would be interesting to try to improve his luck, which had only increased by 1 point until now.

When using the card, he noticed no immediate change. However, upon checking the [Luck] index, he saw that it had jumped to 21!

This level of luck now placed him slightly above the average among ordinary people; a result with which he could not help but feel satisfied.

'I really need to thank them for their kindness...' Reiji thought to himself. 'I'm picking up my paycheck today, maybe I can take them out to dinner somewhere nice, and afterwards, choose a gift that will make them happy.'

After flushing, he washed his hands and left the bathroom.

"Girls, I'm heading out to work. What do you plan to do while I'm away?" he asked. "I know you had fun accompanying me yesterday. Would you like to repeat the experience, or do you have other plans?"

"I'll go with you, Reiji-senpai," Nene volunteered.

"I will too," said Kanade. "Besides, I can take the opportunity to do my homework there."

"Great idea~" Nene agreed with an enthusiastic snap of her fingers.

Both still wore their school uniforms and carried their backpacks, which would make it easy to bring the necessary materials to the coffee shop. There, they could do their homework while enjoying a coffee and, incidentally, cast furtive glances at Reiji. After all, with his recent changes in appearance, it would be almost like getting to know a new side of the boy they liked, wouldn't it?

They could hardly wait to see the reaction of the regular customers, who were used to Reiji's tanned skin. Hehehe...

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Noticing the conspiratorial smiles of the two, Reiji raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 'What are they planning to be with those expressions?'

In the coffee shop, Umezu's reaction to Reiji's transformation was exactly as they had anticipated: he was visibly surprised. After a brief explanation from Reiji, Umezu understood the reason behind the request for leave.

"Hehe, I knew it would be like this," Nene declared softly, amused.

She herself had been caught off guard, but now she reveled in the reaction of each person who noticed the change in Reiji. Deep down, she even found some amusement in Reiji's discomfort, who had to repeatedly explain the reason for his altered appearance.

'This is what you get for lying to me, huh!' She understood his reasons, recognizing that shame prevented him from revealing the 'truth,' but a girl's heart is a tangle of emotions. Although she claimed to have forgiven him, it didn't mean she would truly forget what happened.

Kanade shared this frustration, however, her reaction was more subdued. She even felt a twinge of compassion for Reiji, forced to explain his transformation to all the regular customers...

However, something else worried both of them: the growing attention from Reiji's fans.

Reiji, with his new appearance, exuded the charm of a distinguished young man from a good family. His slightly reserved demeanor and even his waiter's uniform could not hide his magnetism, making him look like a model in a sophisticated restaurant advertisement. And when he smiled, even the hearts of married women who frequented the place fluttered—a situation unfolding at that moment.

The situation was so absurd that it bordered on intolerable.

"That's why I said we need to stick together," Kanade whispered.

Watching one of the married customers practically ready to throw herself into Reiji's arms, Nene gave Kanade a look and agreed: "Yes, you're absolutely right!"

Later, at 5:30 PM, Kanade and Nene said their goodbyes, not heading to their own homes, but towards Reiji's apartment. According to them, they had bought various ingredients and it would be a waste not to use them.

Reiji had suggested taking them out to dinner, but both were firm in their decision to prepare a meal for him.

"These girls, honestly..." Reiji couldn't help but smile as he shook his head.

On the other side, Umezu gave him a meaningful look before saying ten minutes after the girls left: "Reiji-kun, you can leave early today. I imagine you have things to do before going back home, right?"

As he approached the counter and saw Umezu extending an envelope to him, Reiji thanked him: "Thank you very much, Master. I'll make up for it with extra hours another day."

"Ha ha, no need to thank me," Umezu responded with a warm smile. "Your presence here has significantly boosted our visits."

Reiji maintained eye contact with him, his serious expression mixed with a hint of gratitude in his blue eyes.

Soon after, he changed and left.

However, instead of going directly home, he headed to the nearby shopping center.

As he made his way to the shopping center, Reiji accessed the system and navigated to the section [Exchange Points for Information - About a Girl's Favorite Gifts].

There were several girls listed with different levels of affection, but Reiji focused only on two: Nene and Kanade. Upon selecting Nene's name, he saw that it required 1 action point to unlock basic information about suitable gifts for her.

'So, after using 1 point, will more detailed options be made available?' he wondered as he contemplated the system's structure.

Considering the cost of just 1 point, Reiji did not hesitate to confirm his choice.

Immediately, three gift suggestions that would please Nene appeared: 1) A collection of romantic mangas or novels; 2) Kawaii accessories; 3) Gyaru-style clothing.

For Kanade, after the same investment of 1 point, the suggestions were: 1) Books or novels of mystery and adventure; 2) Art supplies or a travel diary; 3) Customized accessories with nature themes.

Reiji reviewed these options, reflecting on what he already knew about them. The suggestions seemed appropriate, and he agreed that they would probably like gifts like these. Clicking on their names again, a new category called Intermediate Level Gifts – Costing 3 Points – appeared.

Reiji pondered for a moment but decided not to use more action points for now. He preferred to wait until he had accumulated a significant amount of points before making further expenditures.

After exploring the shopping center, he purchased four gifts in total, two for each, carefully selected based on the information obtained.

Feeling relieved, Reiji smiled slightly. He believed it was important to show gratitude to them, and although the chosen gifts were 'simple,' they were loaded with sincerity. It was his way of expressing thanks for all they did for him.

Watching the sky darken and sensing the heavy air that presaged rain, he quickened his pace.

As he approached his apartment, alarming sounds reached his ears.

"Why are you rejecting me!?"

"Let go, you pervert!"

The familiar voice of a girl echoed, causing Reiji to act instinctively, quickly saving a file in the system.

Following the sound, he encountered an alarming scene: a blonde-haired student in a Western-style uniform was pressing Mika Uehara, the landlord's daughter, against the wall, slapping her face and shouting accusations.

"You've humiliated me, you fool! You should consider it a privilege to have caught the attention of someone like me! Even knowing about your cheap flirtations, I was willing to accept you as my girlfriend, and yet you still reject me, making me embarrassed in front of everyone!"

Under the assault of the blonde student, Mika Uehara struggled desperately, her cheeks marked by tears and the redness of a slap.

"Stop... I didn't..." Her protests were muffled as the aggressor covered her mouth.

"Still playing hard to get? Everyone ends up giving in-"