🎉SCIAW: Chapter 207/210

Chapter 207: Unstable Chika

The first thing that changed after they became boyfriend and girlfriend was the way they addressed each other.

"Kaguya."

"Yeah."

Hearing Ren call her name, Kaguya smiled.

This was the beginning of a change.

It truly made her feel like she and Ren had started dating.

As for what to do after becoming a couple, that was another matter. Some things didn't need to be rushed. They could figure it out together as they went.

"Ren, you don't react as strongly to girls as you did in the beginning."

Kaguya knew everything about Ren, including the fact that he wasn't good at dealing with the opposite sex.

But in just over a month, he had already started to interact normally with girls. Looking down at the hand she was holding, it seemed like things had become much more natural now.

"That was a normal reaction."

Ren still felt the need to justify himself. His strong reactions back then were simply because he had never interacted with girls before.

"In my previous life, I didn't have the chance to get close to girls."

"Even though I had casual contact during school, I never had a real relationship with any girl. Not even a single date."

"I was a virgin, both physically and emotionally, until the day I died."

"Even in the 16 years of my current life, the woman I had the most contact with was probably the boss lady who occasionally showed up where I worked."

Ren didn't know if others were the same, but that's how it had been for him.

He hadn't intended to react so strongly. He just genuinely lacked any experience with girls.

"Eh~"

This was the first time Kaguya had heard that. She had known Ren wasn't good with the opposite sex, but only now did she understand why.

"What's the boldest thing you've done with a girl, Ren?"

"…A kiss?"

"!?"

Kaguya froze, and then suddenly realized when that kiss might have happened.

Suzuki Sonoko again?!

Ren had just said he'd never had any relationship in his previous life, so the kiss had to have happened in this life. And among the girls Ren had contact with, the only one bold enough to kiss someone was Sonoko, who had just started dating him.

"Besides Fujiwara, I think someone else is starting to get on my nerves."

The jealousy was heavy, but Kaguya didn't ask for a kiss directly.

She still kept a relatively reserved attitude about things like that. It just didn't feel right in this atmosphere. It should happen on a more appropriate occasion.

Besides, asking for a kiss right after they started dating would feel like she was just trying to catch up to Sonoko.

That would be putting the cart before the horse.

Her relationship with Ren wasn't about comparing progress with anyone else. It was about the voice in her heart wanting those good feelings to grow and bear fruit.

"Speaking of which, is Fujiwara's condition really that serious?"

Even though she said Fujiwara was annoying, she still cared.

"Yeah. She's on the same power system as me, but her situation's a bit different. Maybe because I obtained a characteristic, while she only used the potion to access the system."

Ren believed the biggest difference between him and Chika was their Wild Card status.

"But as far as I know, the starting potion for a sequence shouldn't cause such a strong reaction."

"I don't know all the details, but something bad definitely happened to her during the awakening."

"She's fine now. The loss of control and corruption have subsided."

"But I'll need to keep an eye on her promotion going forward. Her current reactions are aftereffects, a psychological shadow left behind by the disturbing images she saw during the pollution."

"Because I was the one who suppressed her loss of control, she instinctively sees me as a source of safety. So when I'm not nearby, she has stress responses."

Now Kaguya was sure something serious had happened to Chika.

If Chika was exhibiting symptoms like that, then what she experienced had to be far more serious than what happened back on Tsukikage Island.

But it wasn't just about safety.

She wasn't trying to make assumptions about Chika's behavior. The reason she thought this way was because of what Hayasaka had said.

Chika had openly said Ren met her ideal standards for a partner.

So now, everything Chika did wasn't just because she felt safe around Ren due to the suppression.

It was likely that part of her heart didn't resist Ren at all.

Otherwise, Chika would never have behaved like that subconsciously.

...

Of course, another big factor was that Chika had also gotten the diary and joined them.

"Ren, let's head back to the room."

"Yeah."

The two didn't say they were holding hands, but as they returned to the next room, they subconsciously let go.

Back in the room, Chika sat up again.

Hayasaka was sitting beside her, gently trying to comfort her, though it had little effect.

Chika was still half-asleep and half-awake, and the shock from earlier had left her spirit tense and strained.

Even though Ren had calmed her down earlier and brought her back to a stable state, her body was still showing stress reactions.

"Ah… Amamiya…"

As soon as Ren returned to the room, Chika instinctively reacted to his presence, her spirituality picking it up instantly.

Just like before, she walked barefoot, staggering toward him. She opened her arms and threw herself into his embrace, burying her entire face into his chest.

In response, Ren carefully hugged the mentally unstable Chika.

This time, Kaguya didn't feel jealous. She could clearly see that Chika's mental state was unstable, and her abnormal behavior proved it.

She could tell that Chika was asleep, yet even her sleeping reactions made it seem like she had been pushed to her limits.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 208: Jealous Kaguya

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

For some reason, Chika felt that she had slept more peacefully today than any other day.

I don't know what's wrong with the bed today. It feels a bit hard.

But it smells really nice.

She rubbed her face against the hard surface out of habit, then reluctantly opened her eyes.

"???"

But the first thing she saw wasn't her bed, it was someone's neck. Looking further up, she could see whose neck it was.

Amamiya!?

Chika's eyes widened, her expression shifting slowly from astonishment to surprise, then to confusion, and finally settling into a playful smirk before turning into a look of contemplation.

How did I end up in Amamiya's arms?

She couldn't quite grasp the situation, so she tried to recall what had happened before she fell asleep.

She remembered that after getting the diary, she read Ren's entry and received her first chance to draw. She got a bottle of magic potion.

Suddenly, as the lingering drowsiness faded, her lost memories slowly began to return.

The horrifying memory came flooding back like a maggot clinging to her bones. The wave of terrible recollection overwhelmed her, nearly suffocating her.

Yes! That's it!

That horrifying memory had resurfaced.

Her heartbeat quickened, her blood pressure rose, and her body began trembling slightly from the overwhelming emotion.

She remembered that, at that time, it felt like her entire world was crumbling.

But just as she was about to break, she felt a trace of warmth return to her body, and her voice, which had been too weak to speak, gradually regained strength.

She knew someone could save her, as long as she called out his name.

All the suppressed memories awakened at that moment.

She remembered that after calling his name, she entered a strange place. There, she saw Ren, and her shattered world began to piece itself back together.

Even now, just thinking about it made cold sweat trickle down her back. But her wildly beating heart slowly calmed when she remembered Ren.

That inexplicable sense of security made her relax.

Although she still didn't fully understand what was going on… it was fine.

Chika didn't dwell on why she was in Ren's arms anymore. At this moment, the feeling of security made her feel completely at ease.

As for that horrifying memory, she didn't think she'd forget it anytime soon.

As long as Kaguya didn't find out, everything would be fine.

Chika thought carefreely.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep, a stiff cough made her frown. She turned toward the source of the sound, annoyed—and then froze like a cat caught red-handed stealing fish.

There stood Kaguya, her face filled with resentment, eyes burning with barely concealed jealousy and bitterness.

And behind her, Hayasaka stood expressionless as usual, but there was a clear glint in her eyes—the joy of watching drama, mixed with a tinge of envy.

"???"

Chika, who had just been frightened, suddenly felt like the world had changed. At this moment, she felt as though she could see everyone's emotional shifts and the thoughts behind them.

"What are you staring at, Fujiwara?"

Kaguya was practically seething with jealousy.

She had just started dating her boyfriend, and already he had to hug another girl to calm her down. She understood why, and the girl he hugged was her friend, so she couldn't even throw a fit.

Just like she had said before, she could accept the complicated and special relationship between them, but that didn't mean she wouldn't get jealous just by standing by and watching.

She would still be jealous. She would still get angry when it was called for. In fact, her jealousy might even be stronger than before.

"Huh?"

Chika was stunned as she looked at Kaguya. She could clearly see Kaguya's conflicted emotions and her intense jealousy.

"Since you're awake, shouldn't you be getting off Ren?"

Only then did Chika realize she was practically lying across Ren's lap, her body nestled against his arms, and her head almost buried in his shoulder.

No wonder the first thing she saw earlier was a neck.

No wonder the bed felt so hard...

She curled up instinctively, even her bare feet were resting on Ren's legs.

Imagining how she must have looked, Chika's face instantly turned pink.

She could accept sleeping in Ren's arms, but not being stared at like this.

She quickly pushed off of Ren using his shoulders.

"Hehe~ Sorry, Kaguya. I stole your Ren."

Chika jumped down and turned to Kaguya with a flushed face and a playful grin.

"...Well, it's not like he was mine to begin with."

The way Chika said "your Ren" was oddly satisfying to Kaguya.

"Really? But the way Kaguya addresses Ren has changed, hasn't it? Just like how Ran and Sonoko did back then."

"And when Kaguya saw me sitting on Ren, she was really jealous. That kind of expression... I've never seen you make it before."

Kaguya froze and subconsciously touched her face. Did she really show that kind of emotion?

"Yeah, it was pretty obvious. It's the first time I've ever seen Kaguya so jealous."

As she spoke, Chika's face bloomed with a radiant smile.

"So, Kaguya is acting so jealous because Ren responded to your confession, right?"

"!?"

"Pfft~ I got it right. So, does that mean Kaguya and Ren are officially dating now?"

Faced with Chika's teasing smile, Kaguya couldn't keep up her calm façade anymore.

"Fujiwara, what nonsense are you saying!?"

No matter how hard she tried to play it cool, all of Kaguya's emotions were clearly visible in Chika's eyes.

"Hmm~ Jealous Kaguya is so cute~"

"!?"

That one sentence completely shattered all of Kaguya's mental defenses.

"A-Anyway! Get up already! I-I'm going out with Hayasaka!"

Unable to endure Chika's teasing stare any longer, Kaguya turned and grabbed Hayasaka before storming out of the room with her.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 209: Agreement with Fujiwara

After Kaguya took Hayasaka out, Chika finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"What just happened?"

She couldn't understand how she had been able to clearly see through Kaguya's real thoughts, discover that Kaguya seemed to be dating Ren, and even pinpoint her emotional flaws to the point where Kaguya couldn't take it and ran away.

"This is the extraordinary ability of the Spectator."

She turned around immediately upon hearing the voice and saw Ren stretching his slightly stiff body.

She could also sense Ren's current emotional state, discomfort and embarrassment, which matched her understanding of him.

FuChika now re-evaluated the power she had gained.

"The Spectator's spirituality and observational skills are both exceptional. It's because of this that a Spectator can perceive information others can't, and from there deduce someone's true thoughts."

"As I said before, low-sequence Spectators do not possess outstanding combat capabilities. Spectators are not meant to fight initially; they are observers. This is also preparation for Sequence 8—Telepathist."

"Once promoted to Sequence 8 Telepathist, your perception will become even sharper. You'll be able to grasp others' thoughts more precisely, and even read minds."

After moving his body, Ren carefully explained and introduced this to Chika.

"Eh~ I already think my current ability is amazing."

Although she still didn't know what kind of power system she had entered, Chika genuinely thought that the Spectator's extraordinary ability was already incredible.

To be able to see through someone's true thoughts with pure observation was beyond imagination.

From what she knew, abilities like this could only be developed through years of accumulated experience. But she had gained such a power just by drinking one bottle of magic potion. It was unbelievable.

"There are also significant side effects."

That one sentence brought back yesterday's unpleasant memory, and Chika's body trembled slightly. It was truly one of her worst experiences.

She glanced at Ren sitting on the sofa, then quickly looked toward the door, and in the next moment jumped into Ren's arms.

Once in his embrace, the familiar sense of peace finally stopped her trembling.

"Ren… what exactly happened?"

It was hard for her to imagine how she had ended up in such a terrifying state.

"Loss of control… corruption… This is the price of gaining power."

However, even as he said this, Ren's expression was filled with confusion.

"I actually warned you about this issue before you drank the potion, but I didn't pay enough attention myself."

"Why?"

Chika didn't understand.

"Because low-sequence potions aren't supposed to be that dangerous. They don't usually result in loss of control or mental contamination like what happened to you. If it were a self-made potion, maybe, but the diary gave you a pre-prepared potion. The likelihood of something going wrong was even lower."

"My spirituality didn't give me any warnings. And in fact, that should have been correct."

This was also a strange issue for Ren.

As someone who had walked three pathways, his sense for danger was extremely sharp, especially when absorbing the spiritual imprints within potions. He had always been keenly aware of any potential crisis.

But in Chika's case, that sensitivity had given him nothing, which made the whole situation even more unusual.

Of course, there was another point that was even stranger.

"In fact, losing control is almost an irreversible state. Only someone of a higher status can suppress its effects. I do possess that level of status, so I was confident I could suppress the reaction."

"But what actually happened was, I only used my spirituality to comfort you, and your symptoms of losing control vanished. The pollution in your mind completely disappeared right in front of me."

"It wasn't hidden. It was completely erased."

"I believe that's why my spirituality didn't issue any warnings. Because it didn't see it as a crisis."

Since it wasn't a crisis, there was no spiritual alert.

This was the answer Ren had arrived at.

But he also reflected on it deeply.

"I relied too much on my spirituality. I should have been more cautious. I should've done a divination about your condition before letting you drink the potion. If I had known in advance, I never would have let you go through something so awful."

Listening to Ren's explanation, Chika finally had a clearer understanding of what had happened to her.

"So, in the end, what happened to me was just an accident?"

"Absolutely not."

Ren's tone was firm.

"There are no such things as accidents in the world. What happened to you was due to my miscalculation. I can even feel right now that the loss of control and mental contamination you experienced was inevitable."

"Fujiwara, remember this. The Sequential path we're walking doesn't believe in accidents. Many so-called coincidences or accidents are actually destined outcomes."

"Even though I still don't know why it happened to you, from now on I'll pay much closer attention to your condition."

Ren still didn't know why this had happened to Fujiwara.

But not knowing didn't mean the matter was over.

This wasn't the end. This matter couldn't be considered resolved just yet. He would get to the bottom of it. And if it was connected to that bizarre Adam in the secret realm… then one day, he'd rip his head off.

"Yeah."

Hearing Ren's resolute tone, Chika couldn't help but smile slightly.

Even though it had been an awful experience, the outcome didn't seem so bad now.

Then, she buried her face deeply into Ren's chest. The warmth and comfort dispersed the fear and trauma from the experience, making her feel much better.

"If I get scared again in the future… can you hold me like this?"

"…Ah?"

Ren was a little taken aback. He hesitated for a moment, but remembering that her situation was directly caused by his carelessness, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"If you're afraid…"

"That's good."

After getting his permission, Chika felt her fear fade away even more.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 210: Feeling of Love

After staying in Ren's arms for a long time, Chika's mood gradually stabilized.

Although she wanted to stay like this, thinking of Kaguya waiting outside made it inappropriate to keep clinging to Ren.

But she couldn't bring herself to get up so easily, because curling up in Ren's embrace was just too comfortable.

After lingering for a while, Chika slowly lifted her head.

Looking at Ren's face so close to hers, she shifted slightly with a hint of shyness.

"Chi~"

Her lips gently touched Ren's cheek.

The kiss didn't last long, but it left Chika's face burning.

This was the first time she had shown such a direct gesture of affection—or admiration—toward a boy she liked.

As she had said before, she had always been a young lady raised in a proper household. But compared to Kaguya, she was luckier. Her family's status was high enough that the three sisters didn't need to be involved in any political marriages.

They actually had a high degree of freedom in choosing their partners.

Of course, that freedom didn't mean they could choose anyone, but it did mean they had a range of acceptable choices within certain circles.

So, Chika had always been very reserved. Even though she yearned for the romantic love she saw in manga, she wouldn't casually choose just anyone as her partner.

It was just that Ren was a little special.

If he had only a normal identity, then Ren's background would definitely be unsuitable.

But his hidden identity made him very suitable. At the very least, Chika believed that her grandfathers wouldn't object. The only one who might be unhappy was her father, but that didn't matter—her father wasn't as stubborn as the two old men.

"Ah, don't get the wrong idea. I just kissed you to express my gratitude."

"I really didn't mean anything else."

Chika blushed and tried to justify her impulsive act.

Once he came back to his senses, Ren looked at Chika, who was right in front of him. He knew now that another girl had become emotionally involved with him.

"…Well, let's just go with that for now."

Hearing this, Chika's face turned even redder.

She knew Ren didn't believe what she had just said. In fact, even she didn't believe it herself.

Because only she knew what she truly felt.

Just like Ren said, "Let's just go with that for now." That was the answer closest to what she actually hoped for.

"…Mm."

With a flushed face, she responded softly, acknowledging Ren's words.

"Change your clothes first. Hayasaka moved your luggage from your room yesterday."

Ren genuinely admired Hayasaka's attentiveness. She had already anticipated what might happen today and made arrangements in advance.

Chika poked her head out of Ren's arms and glanced around the room. She spotted the suitcase she had brought with her.

"Then, you tidy up in here first. I'll head out."

"…Mm."

She needed to change clothes, so of course she couldn't let Ren stay in the room. She wasn't that thick-skinned.

So she had to send him out.

Standing up, Ren felt his stiff body finally begin to relax.

It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to move before, but Chika had been sitting on him the whole time. His body had stiffened, and he hadn't even dared to shift.

Taking a breath, Ren was just about to leave when he saw Chika standing there with her hands behind her back, her toes twisting slightly. She looked like she was waiting for something, and he paused for a moment.

Thinking about her mood, Ren took a deep breath, stepped forward, lifted his hand to gently brush aside the pink bangs covering her forehead, and placed a light kiss on it.

It was the first time Ren had taken such an initiative with a girl. He wasn't even sure if he had done it correctly.

"Don't be afraid, Chika. I'll wait for you outside."

After saying that, Ren quickly turned around. Truthfully, he felt a little embarrassed.

"…I'll go out first."

It wasn't until Ren left the room and the door closed again that Chika, who had just been kissed on the forehead, slowly came back to her senses.

She raised her hand and touched the spot where she had been kissed.

"Ehhhhhhh?"

Only now did she realize—Ren had just kissed her.

"So… that's what a boy's kiss feels like…"

Her face flushed red, and her hands unconsciously pressed against her chest. She could clearly feel her pounding heartbeat.

It hadn't been a particularly romantic setting, yet that kiss had left a deep impression on her.

She couldn't help but recall how she had kissed Ren on the cheek earlier.

"So… does that mean Ren and I feel the same?"

Her heart suddenly started racing, and the blood rushed to her face. Chika felt like her whole face was on fire.

But the strong emotion welling up from deep within made her smile foolishly.

After a while, she slowly turned around. Still unable to stop smiling, she tiptoed and lightly made her way to her suitcase.

Mom, I think I might really be in love.

At that moment, Chika truly understood that her sudden feelings may not have been a coincidence.

After opening the door and stepping out of the room, Ren saw that only Kaguya was standing outside.

Turning to the side, he saw the couple from the Hatamoto family, Hatamoto Mariko and Hatamoto Kitaro, standing a short distance away in the corridor. They were looking anxiously at Hayasaka, who stood facing them calmly.

"…Hatamoto Ichiro's parents."

Ren naturally recognized the couple. Yesterday, Hayasaka had placed the information she gathered in front of him, and he had already reviewed their files.

"First thing in the morning, don't tell me they couldn't find Ichiro Hatamoto in his room?"

"Yes."

Kaguya nodded slightly and glanced at the couple, her expression devoid of emotion.

"That pair set a very poor example. Ichiro Hatamoto must know his parents are cousins."

"It's hard to imagine he doesn't."

Ren didn't believe such a thing could be kept a secret.

"The old man has a strong dislike for Ichiro's parents. He probably hoped to limit the family's negative reputation by keeping them close. It's not like they have good genes. A close relationship doesn't mean excellent bloodlines."

Kaguya agreed with this.

"Scientific research shows that children born from close-relative marriages tend to have problems—either mentally or physically."

"Ichiro Hatamoto may not be physically deformed, but his mind definitely is."

"Maybe, when he proposed to marry his cousin, he didn't even consider whether she was willing."

"If he could get Miss Hatamoto's agreement and propose with her together, there might have been a chance."

Ren nodded slightly but asked the most critical question.

"Kaguya, do you think Miss Hatamoto would agree?"

Kaguya sneered and shook her head lightly.

"Of course not."

"No normal person would have that kind of affection for a cousin. And I doubt Ichiro Hatamoto has the charm to make Miss Hatamoto willing to throw everything away for him."

(To be continued.)