Marin opened the door to her 2LDK apartment and stepped in, David following right behind.
"Welcome to my home~! I'll get you a towel for your shower, wait just one moment!"
David nodded his head and began taking off his shoes.
⟪ Wow, so this is what a Japanese apartment looks like in real life, huh? Different from the orphanage and exactly like the various anime. I wonder if Marin's room is the same as it was in the anime, filled with posters and merch? ⟫
After David finished that thought, Marin arrived with a towel.
"Here ya go, the bathroom is right over there~! Should I bring you a change of clothes? They're girly and are probably too small for you, but dry clothes are better than none, right~?"
⟪ Hmm, with how big my little brother is, I'm actually not sure if small clothes or none at all would be better. ⟫
"Thank you, miss. I have a second layer of dry clothing underneath so I'm fine."
Marin nodded and didn't ask any further questions despite the fact that clothes underneath soaked clothes wouldn't be dry whatsoever.
"Got it! When you're done, come to my room and I'll serve you some tea!"
Marin pointed to the door that leads to her bedroom to show where she meant.
"Understood, thank you again."
David gave a nod of thanks and quickly went to the bathroom.
When he went in and closed the door, he spotted clothes littered across the floor.
⟪ I'm not trying to examine her clothes or be a pervert, but damn... Her bra and panties are actually pretty sexy. ⟫
Marin, who heard what he just said, blushed and realized she had left her clothes in the bathroom.
'UWAAAAHH! I FORGOT ABOUT THOSE!!!'
⟪ Well, from what I remember in the anime, she doesn't care about these things so I doubt she'd care that I saw them. ⟫
'WHO DOESN'T CARE?! THAT'S NOT ME! I CARE! I CARE VERY MUCH! MYSTERY BOY WITH THE VOICE IN MY HEAD, DON'T LOOK AT MY UNDERWEAR!'
David started stripping his wet clothes off, laying them neatly on the floor.
⟪ Oh well, I'll just pretend I didn't see them. If by chance she does get embarrassed, I wouldn't want her to feel ashamed about it or anything. They're cute articles of clothing after all. ⟫
'Stop looking at them, mystery boy!'
He then stepped into the shower, turned the water on, and started washing himself.
⟪ If I'm being honest, I didn't think she herself would be so gorgeous and so similar to the original work. Though, if I hadn't read the manga and hadn't watched the anime multiple times, I probably wouldn't have recognized her right away. While she's very similar to how she looked in the original work, she's still more beautiful in real life so it's obvious it would take me a minute to recognize her... ⟫
'Kyaaa~! What the hell is this guy saying?! I just met him and he's a total stranger, but he keeps talking about me like he knows everything about me!'
⟪ Anyway, enough about that; I can already feel myself starting to fall for her. While she's not even close to being the type of woman that would cheat or betray, I can't be too sure. Thus, it's best to ignore the warm feeling in my chest and act as if I'm a man with no worldly desires, despite possessing the Goddess of Lust's Blessing... ⟫
'Me? Cheat on someone? I've never had a boyfriend, but I wouldn't do something like that! Wait, I remember him saying something about his past relationships last night. Hmm, sounds like he didn't have good experiences with women. Why do I want to know more about him?'
Marin was rolling around in her bed and covering her face with a pillow while she listened to what David was saying, her face switching between embarrassment and curiosity.
'And what's up with that Goddess of Lust's Blessing?! Did I make a mistake when trying to sate my curiosity by inviting him in? David wouldn't try to do anything to me, would he?'
Marin let some scenes from multiple eroges get to her head, causing her to imagine what might happen if David's tall and muscular body tried forcing her to do various things.
'Uwahhh, I can't think like that! What the hell is wrong with me?! I should be the one flirting with and teasing him, not the other way around!'
Both Marin and David were unaware, but Marin's thoughts were being affected by the "The Lonely One" title and the "Perfect Househusband" talent, causing her to be more interested and feel more safe around him.
Therefore, while Marin isn't a completely different person nor a massive pervert now, she subconsciously finds David safe and comfortable to be around and is very interested in him and his secrets.
After burying her face in her pillow for a few more seconds, Marin finally got back up and went to the kitchen to prepare some tea for David.
'I haven't made tea for someone else in a long time, but it's a good thing I have plenty. I hope he likes--'
⟪ Haaa, I should stop being stubborn about spending money. I have a million yen in cash in my inventory so I should be able to stay at a cheap hotel for the night or something. After this shower and the tea Marin said she'll prepare, I'll give her some cash for her hospitality and then head out. ⟫
Marin, who was in the process of making tea, froze.
'He has that much money on him? He should definitely be able to find a cheap hotel to stay at, but why do I want him to stay longer?'
⟪ Wait, I didn't even realize what she said earlier. She wants to serve me tea in her room?! Serving me tea is totally fine, but why her room? Bad Marin! That's dangerous, dammit! ⟫
'Ah... I didn't think about that...'
Marin blushed furiously when she realized the implications of inviting a boy she doesn't even know into her room at night.
'It should be fine...'
A few minutes later, David got out of the shower and dried himself off. After he was dry, he stored his wet clothes in his inventory and retrieved his duffle bag. He then pulled out some black boxer briefs, black sweatpants, and a white t-shirt with a tiger head motif before quickly getting himself dressed.
He hung up the towel he used on the towel rack out of habit, not thinking too much about it. Despite his body being cleaned when drying himself, his scent from his own body and his Sweet Body ability lingered heavily on the towel.
⟪ This system inventory is seriously awesome. While my old clothes will still be wet when I take them out again, at least they won't start smelling bad. If Marin asks where they are, I'll just say I threw them away, though I doubt she'd want me to stick around for her to ask any questions. ⟫
After leaving the bathroom, David knocked on Marin's bedroom door.
"I'm all finished up in the shower now, thank you for letting me use it. If me staying for tea is inconvenient, I don't mind leaving right aw--"
As David was preparing to turn down Marin's invitation so as not to make things awkward between them, he heard a few rushed footsteps before the bedroom door was swung open and revealed Marin wearing a loose green spaghetti strap tank top and pink pajama booty shorts, showcasing her assets perfectly.
⟪ Fuck, she's way too sexy. She either has no idea what she's doing or she really wants to test my self-control... ⟫
"Ahem! Sorry, I was getting changed. You should definitely stay for tea since I already made it!"
Marin replied hurriedly, trying to ignore what David had just said in his inner voice.
"I see, then I will have to trouble you for a little bit longer."
David replied with a charming smile before walking into her bedroom and taking a look around.
There were posters covering every wall, a pink rug on a black floor, a large black bed in the corner, a pink leopard print loveseat on the floor, a low black table in front of the loveseat, a television against the wall in front of the table, a shelf with multiple figurines of characters like magical girls, eroge heroines, and bunny girls, as well as a large Shizuku Kuroe body pillow on her bed.
⟪ Mm, her bedroom is exactly like it was in the original work. Gotta say, Marin has some good taste. I could easily become a NEET with a room like this, surrounded by beautiful girls on every wall. Then again, even if it were only Marin in the room, it would still be paradise. ⟫
⟪ Although I isolated myself from people, Marin is--without a doubt--the most beautiful girl I've seen since being reincarnated. Actually, she's more beautiful than any of the women in my past life, too. ⟫
Marin blushed and was stunned for a few seconds before she shook herself out of it and pretended not to know what David was thinking.
"Please take a seat, I'll bring the tea in."
David nodded and sat on the left side of the pink leopard print loveseat.
⟪ Marin seems a bit different from the original work, but I just can't place my finger on how... No, I can't think of anyone in this world as just a character from a franchise. I can use the original works as references, but I need to treat them like real people. ⟫
⟪ If it weren't for the fact that I clearly remember my death and rebirth, I would've thought this was just a dream. I am curious as to how I created an entire universe though... Shouldn't all authors also be able to do it if I could? After all, I wasn't anything special and lived a life that makes those tragedies on TV dramas look like a walk in the park. ⟫
⟪ No, I'm getting sidetracked again. The point to be driven home is that I am in a real world with real people, I can't be detached from them and I can't treat them like fictional characters. ⟫
⟪ It's good that they're real people now though. Wouldn't it be good to give my favorite heroines a better life than they had in their original works? I'm going to rule the universe in the future so who better to give them a perfect and relaxing life than me? ⟫
⟪ I won't force anyone though. That's never been something I've been fond of. Brainwashing and forcing girls, I've never liked those dirty tricks. If I can't get someone to fall in love with me for the greedy man I'll eventually be, then it just wasn't meant to happen. ⟫
⟪ Still, it's gonna be difficult getting used to the fact that I'll have more than one woman. Though, it does make sense if I think about it from a physical health point of view. A single woman definitely wouldn't be able to take me on alone and would end up begging for a sister... Ugh, I feel bad for liking the idea... ⟫
As soon as David finished his last thought, Marin walked in holding two cups of tea with a massive blush on her face.
'This boy is totally perverted, so why the hell do I want to talk with him so much?!'
"I've brought the tea, I hope it's to your liking."
⟪ Shouldn't she say something like, "Haha~! Here's some tea, drink up!" or something? I remember she only really changed the way she spoke when she was nervous. Am I making her nervous?? Mm, I am a strange boy in her room after all. I should drink the tea and leave immediately so she doesn't feel awkward. ⟫
While thinking that, David gently reached out for the tea with a warm smile on his face.
"Thank you, miss. It would be rude not to accept tea offered, even if it weren't to my liking."
David blew on his tea gently and took a sip.
"Even so, this tea is definitely to my liking and is quite good."
Marin smiled and nodded before she took a seat right next to David on the loveseat.
"Haha~! I'm glad you like it!"
⟪ That sounds more like her. Hm, maybe I was imagining things. ⟫
"My name is David Star, by the way. You can call me David. What's your name?"
Marin almost rolled her eyes.
'You already know my name, but you're acting like you don't? Ha! I would've been fooled if I couldn't hear your voice in my head!'
"My name is Marin Kitagawa, you can just call me Marin. Are you in high school, David?"
"Yeah, I'll be attending Hoshinoumi Academy next week as a first year. You?"
Marin was genuinely surprised this time as she forgot about when David mentioned the academy name in his inner voice the last time.
"No way! I'll be a first year at Hoshinoumi Academy, too! You really don't look like a first year high school student! With how big you are, you must be into sports, right?"
David chuckled and sipped his tea again before turning to look at Marin and giving her a warm smile.
"I can only attribute it to genetics and relentless training. I've been training since I was 3 years old and have managed to grow pretty big thus far."
⟪ In more ways than one. ⟫
"As for sports, no, I've never done anything like that. Ever since I began attending school, I just focused on my studies and training by myself, that was it. The only reason I've even trained is so I can defend myself in the future."
Marin tilted her head cutely before asking, "Eh? You didn't hang out with friends or anything?"
"No, I've never had friends before," David replied with a casual shrug while still sipping on his tea.
"No way~! You seem like someone who could easily make and have a ton of friends!"
"Haha, I plan on making some relationships in high school, but I was essentially an entirely different person just before yesterday."
⟪ Should I have said I plan on making multiple girlfriends and gaining a ton of supernatural powers? Marin likes magical girl anime and stuff so maybe she'd want to have some powers of her own, haha. ⟫
Marin tried very hard not to blurt out that she wants magical powers. Fortunately, she wouldn't have been able to say anything about it anyway due to the restrictions.
"Oh~? What happened yesterday to make you change so much?" Marin asked while smiling a cute foxlike smile.
'Alright, since I don't have much time here, might as well push my luck and see where it'll get me.'
"If I told you I had little-to-no emotions my entire life before yesterday and gained powers that put them back, would you believe me?"
David turned to stare into Marin's eyes with a charming smile while waiting for her to answer.
Marin, as usual, turned as red as a tomato seeing David's handsome face and smile so close to her.
"H-Haha! Powers as in superpowers or something? Come on, things like that don't exist~!"
'Wow, she's bad at lying...'
⟪ Eh? Why does it seem like she already knows about supernatural powers? Could she have interacted with some supernatural franchise and witnessed something firsthand? ⟫
"Mm, they indeed don't exist. Anyway, I just had a change of heart and wanted to be surrounded by people that feel positive towards me," David replied jokingly before drinking more of his tea.
Marin: '... LIES!'
"I see, so what, you want to form a group of friends that play around with you or are you going to try to build a harem at school, hehe~?"
⟪ Was she always this forward? ⟫
"Preferably a harem, I don't get along well with men," he said casually, still sipping his tea.
"What, really?! You're just going to admit something like that?!"
"Why not? It wouldn't do me any good to lie and it would be a well-known fact eventually. It's not like I have to be ashamed of it or anything."
⟪ That's a lie, I'm already feeling ashamed, but I know I wouldn't change my mind. ⟫
"I'm not looking down on it or anything, but why do you want a harem? Why not just stick with one girl for the rest of your life?"
⟪ Tons of reasons, but which ones should I say? ⟫
"Hmm... The most despicable reason would be that I'm just a greedy bastard and when I see someone I want, I won't give up unless there's absolutely no chance. Another reason would be that it would be nice to have a big family where everyone cares for one another unconditionally. Familial warmth is something I've never had and it sounds nice. The last and probably most obvious reason would be that a single woman would suffer if she had to have sex with me every night."
'I suppose this last reason is a good test to see her reaction. Now, what will she do?'
"S-s-sex?! You're actually thinking about having sex when you're in high school?!"
'Mm, that was the topic I figured she'd go for.'
"Indeed. It feels good and there are health benefits to it, so why wouldn't I do it? I'm at the age of consent and I can take responsibility in case anything unexpected happens, thus I see no problem with it. If I can make my women feel absolute pleasure, there's no way I wouldn't."
⟪ Though pregnancies are impossible unless I allow my sperm to be able to impregnate women. I'd never do it unless the woman herself says she wants a child since she'd have the final say. ⟫
Marin was blushing furiously and started babbling, trying to get her words out.
"A-a-absolute p-p-p-pleasure?!" Marin asked while shakily holding her cup of tea, causing it to spill out a bit.
"Absolute. Pleasure," David replied softly and succinctly while smiling at Marin, already trying to seduce her.
"A-ah, I see~! H-haha~!" Marin turned her face towards the wall so David couldn't see her face while she tried to drink her tea, unaware that David was smiling at how red her ears were.
⟪ Ahhh, I know I shouldn't tease Marin too much, but she's so cute! Her slightly watery eyes hidden underneath those long eyelashes, her soft-looking skin that's bright red, and the little tremble in her voice is so adorable! Damn, I'm gonna go insane...! Fuuu, calm down, David. Finish your tea and leave, you'll see Marin at school next week anyway... ⟫
"Ahem!"
David cleared his throat to cover up the laugh he let slip and hurriedly finished off his cup of tea.
"Anyway, this tea was fantastic and it felt very nice talking with you. Thank you for your hospitality, Marin."
David stood up and took out 30,000 yen from his inventory before setting it on the table.
"This money is my thanks for the kindness and company, it's feels like decades since I've had such a nice chat with such a beautiful girl. I'll see you at school next week, Marin~."
He added the last bit in a flirtatious tone and walked to the bedroom door before walking out and arriving at the entrance to the apartment.
⟪ Counting my past life, it has been decades since I've had a nice chat with anyone in general. ⟫
Marin: 'Ahhh! After everything he's said, I know I shouldn't let him stay, but...! I'm way too interested in him! Is this love at first sight?! It shouldn't be this fast, right?? And he just threw me 30,000 yen?! That's way too much!'
Before David could put his shoes on, Marin calmed herself down and quickly ran up behind him before grabbing the hem of his t-shirt.
"Um, it's still raining outside and since you're already here, I wouldn't mind if you slept in the guest room?"
⟪ Marin, I laid out my intention to build a harem because I wanted you to know I'm going to become a scumbag, okay? Inviting me to stay the night is going to make me think you're fine with that and want to become the first wife... ⟫
David froze in his spot and acted like he was surprised before he asked, "Are you sure? I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. After all, you just met me for the first time tonight and I could be a very dangerous person."
Marin just looked down at the floor a bit, trying and failing to hide the blush that's still on her face.
"H-haha~! I don't think you'd do anything bad. Come on, it's better to just stay here for the n-night~! We could even watch some anime or something!"
⟪ Sigh... You need to think things through more. Watch anime where? In your bedroom? At night? Being alone in a room, most likely sitting next to each other, late at night is just inviting me to make a move on you. ⟫
"Are you sure you want to watch anime with me? At night? In your bedroom? Alone?"
"Y-yes! I know you won't do anything so I don't mind! Plus, I want to talk more with you!"
⟪ Hm, she's definitely still the sweetheart I know her to be. I'll have to see how much I can trust her before I start telling her anything important, though I'd likely still never tell anyone about my past life. That's something I'd rather die than remember willingly. ⟫
"Alright, if that's your decision then I won't refuse. It's almost 9:00 pm though so we won't be able to watch much. I tend to go to sleep at 10:00 pm every night," David said with a serious face.
"Kyahaha~! Your serious face is too cute! Alright, come on and I'll get the anime started!"
Marin quickly turned around and started running back to her room, proud of herself for slipping in a flirty compliment at the end.
⟪ Well, she seems to have lost her nervousness rather quickly. At least there won't be an awkward tension between us now. And was she just flirting with me? If she does it again, isn't that just giving me the green light to flirt back? ⟫
Marin: 'No! I'm still nervous! But, I wouldn't mind some flirting. I mean, it felt all warm and tingly in my chest when he did it earlier... Ah! This boy is a bad influence! Why don't I want him to leave?!'
Chaos-chan: 'The power of "The Lonely One" and "Perfect Househusband" is fucking insane... Where's the realism, Cosma?!'
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(A/N: Just a head's up, as of this chapter's upload, I have 13 chapters already finished, but like I said in the synopsis on the front page, writing, revising, and uploading makes my brain go into sleep-mode. I'd like to post more chapters today since I just started publishing, but it'll likely either be done tomorrow or when I wake up at midnight... Eheheh...)