Upon entering his apartment, Reiji considered the possibility of receiving a meal prepared by Nozomi Uehara, which could earn him additional action points.

He had, in a way, suggested the idea of the meal, but this would not prevent him from accumulating action points, or so he hoped.

Indeed, Reiji harbored the hope that his strategy would not compromise his gains.

As he reflected on this, he noted that the dinner prepared by Nene and Kanade had earned him a total of 15 action points.

He discovered that receiving meals prepared by someone was, so far, one of the most effective ways to accumulate points. Although heroic acts also provided a good amount of points, replicating a feat of such magnitude was not an easy task, especially one that had a significant impact like the assistance provided to Mika Uehara.

Additionally, he realized that Nozomi Uehara's appreciation for him surpassed that of her own daughter, Mika, reaching a favoritism index of 70.

As he acknowledged that the day was coming to an end, Reiji settled down with his diary. With almost automatic fluidity, he began to record the day's events with impressive clarity and vividness.

After finishing, he set the pen aside and let out a deep sigh.

On this day, he had accumulated four action points by writing in the diary.

'I'm at 61 points now...' he reflected on the skill that was on promotion: 'It seems I will reach the 100-point mark faster than I expected.'

Picking up his laptop, Reiji headed to the table. He opened the device and plunged into editing another chapter, which was soon shared online.

///

The next morning, April 26th, Reiji woke up early, performed his exercises, and went for a morning run. Of course, even at seven in the morning, he did not head to school. Having already notified them that he was sick the previous day, he only needed to make them believe that he had not yet recovered.

Upon seeing the messages from Kanade and Nene wishing him a good day, he responded.

Kanade, in particular, said she would bring the material he had missed so that he could copy it later.

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Later, he used the drawing mode and tried making some sketches for two hours. In the end, his art level increased slightly, and he earned 3 action points.

Although he would not earn action points without an audience, Reiji saved a file in the system after doing all this. Then, he began practicing singing and dancing, continuing until the moment Nozomi Uehara came to deliver the meal to him and reset.

This process repeated about fifty times until Reiji could no longer stand to continue doing it.

Although returning to the saved file nullified the previously accumulated points, with each return, Reiji noticed a faster evolution, raising his music attribute to 33, artistic to 36, and even his charisma reached the mark of 35.

With all his attributes surpassing the 30 mark, except for [Luck], which remained at 21, Reiji experienced an indescribable feeling of accomplishment.

'It's almost time for Miss Nozomi to arrive,' Reiji thought, checking the clock.

By this time, he already considered himself vastly improved. The awkward dances and mediocre vocal performances were part of the past; he now sang with the dexterity of a professional.

His talent, although not that of a celebrated star, was undoubtedly sufficient to make him a paid singer.

Furthermore, as anticipated, the improvement in his musical and artistic skills seemed to extend the possible duration of his live performances for earning action points. Of course, this theory still awaited practical confirmation. It couldn't yet be declared with absolute certainty.

Reflecting on the possibility, Reiji recalled the figure of the girl known as 'Flying Fish'. Would she make her appearance today during the afternoon live broadcast?

He hoped she would.

Ding-Dong ~

"I'm coming!" exclaimed Reiji, rising promptly.

Upon opening the door, he found himself face-to-face with the amiable and gentle figure of Nozomi Uehara, his landlady.

"Good morning, Landlady Uehara," greeted Reiji, with a warm smile.

"Well, it's almost good afternoon, but that's alright," she replied with a playful smile, jokingly adding: "You're right, it's just a few minutes shy of noon and you haven't had lunch yet, so technically it is still morning~"

Their playful exchange lifted Reiji's spirits, who received a glass meal container; warmth emanated through it, heating his hands.

With a smile, he thanked her: "Thank you for keeping your promise. I was starting to get hungry."

Nozomi, maintaining her warm smile, responded: "I promised, didn't I? Oh, and please, call me Nozomi, not Uehara. After all, both my daughter and I share the surname Uehara."

Reiji, nodding affirmatively, said: "Of course, Mrs. Nozomi."

"Just Nozomi, you can drop the 'Mrs.', you know?" she winked, suggesting a closer relationship.

Surprised, yet receptive, Reiji agreed: "Alright, Nozomi-san."

"San... That's fine, I'm heading out. Enjoy the meal, I hope it's to your liking," she said, offering another smile before departing.

After the farewell, Reiji closed the door and headed to the living room.

Upon placing the meal container on the table and accessing the system, a content smile blossomed on Reiji's face.

"Phew~ Even though I asked her to prepare a meal, it seems that as long as it's made by an exceptionally beautiful woman who puts her feelings into the preparation and delivers it personally to me, I still receive rewards," Reiji murmured.

He was awarded 7 action points and a very special item: the discount card [My Heartfelt Gratitude].

This card encapsulated the beautiful young mother's gratitude for him having saved her daughter, including appreciation and praises. Using the card, Reiji could select any item in the store, which would have its price reduced by half. The discount had no limit on value, allowing even bulk purchases of a specific consumable item. However, it was a single-use item.

The additional advantage was that the card had no expiration date. This meant that, without rush, Reiji could accumulate more action points before deciding to use it.

Reiji was so thrilled that he jokingly thought about showing his gratitude with a kiss... Of course, it was just an exaggeration, but he truly felt immensely grateful.

Even without the intention of using the card immediately, it was comforting to know he possessed such an ace up his sleeve.

Putting these thoughts aside for a moment, he unlocked the lid of the glass meal container and began to savor the meal with his chopsticks.

"As expected from the homemade cooking of a beautiful housewife..." Reiji murmured, almost making a comparison with the meals prepared by Nene and Kanade, but he stopped himself. There were certain things he believed should not be said, even when alone.