(Riku POV)
***
"What....is happening right now?"
Had I finally gone completely insane?
What was this floating screen in front of my eyes?
What was that cold, robotic voice within my mind?
I considered a thought, a dangerous one.
But I wouldn't dare to think that was really the case, because this wasn't a web novel.
[Welco, Host]
The voice repeated itself, like it was waiting for to proceed.
So I held my breath and asked nervously.
"Uh..... Wh-What are you?"
[I am the Strategic Program for Interpersonal Communication Efficiency]
'...Huh?'
"What does that even an?"
She said the words in English, and my English was elentary at best.
[Detecting Incompetent Host, simplifying language paraters]
[DING]
[I am a system that can help you increase favorability with the Heroines]
"Hey, did you just call incom-..... WAIT, A SYSTEM???"
I stood up hastily, a surge of disbelief and excitent coursing through my veins as my wildest thought was sohow the most accurate one.
[Indeed. In simple terms, I am what you would call a system]
My breathing grew heavy and ragged, and I completely ignored my grass-stained uniform and sweaty appearance as I tried to grab the screen with unconcealed eagerness.
But my fingers went right through the blue window.
[I am intangible and can only be seen by the Host]
"O-Oh, that makes sense!"
I slapped my cheeks a couple of tis, trying to calm down the racing heartbeat that felt like it would leap out of my chest.
[Detected that the host is a masochist]
[That information has been recorded]
"What the fuck?? I'm not a masochist!" I snapped loudly.
A woman walking along the riverbank with her toddler froze at those words, and when she saw my infuriated face, she quickly turned around and ran off after picking her child up.
"Wait, I'm not! ugh!!"
I watched as she escaped in fear, and turned my attention back to the screen.
"Look what you did!"
But the screen didn't reply this ti.
"Never mind, I'll forgive you since I'm a magnanimous host! Tell , you said sothing about heroines?" I asked with my hands on my hips, rembering the strange part of its introduction.
[Indeed. This world has three heroines with imasurable potential]
[The host is advised to raise favorability with them to restore balance]
".....Balance? Right, you said sothing about the balance shifting?"
[Indeed. Unauthorized interference has been detected]
"What do you an by interference?"
[There is @#%#*@^$#^@&^**&]
"AGH!"
I plugged my ears as the system started spouting incoherent noises, but since the voice was coming from within, it didn't help at all.
"What the hell?"
Seeing the system go quiet again, I had an idea of what went wrong.
Either the system or I didn't have enough permissions to access so sort of high-level information, which was a common trope in web novels.
I hated being in the dark, but I boxed my frustration away since it wouldn't help in any way.
"Whatever, what are your functions, system?"
I thought about all the web novels I'd read.
And since it said sothing about favorability, a few ideas ca to mind.
[Below are the listed functions of the system:]
[1. The system will offer choices in communication scenarios]
• The choices may raise or lower favorability
• Not all scenarios will provide choices
• The system can not reveal the optimal choice
[2. The system will provide tasks/quests]
• The quests are important events that can help raise favorability
• So quests may put the Host in physical danger
• Failure to fulfill quests may lead to punishnts
[3. The system will assign rewards when:]
• The favorability of a heroine rises by 10 (excluding negative values)
• The Host successfully fulfills a task
• The Host thwarts the plans of external interferences (villains)
***
"..... Whoa."
There were quite a lot of abilities the system had, but it essentially boiled down to raising favorability with these so-called heroines.
However, the part about punishnts, physical danger, and villains cooled down all the upbeat and confident energy I had.
I had forgotten that with the system cos a host of problems, and my mood soured when I thought about the fact that it might not all be sunshine and rainbows.
"Oh, right! Newbie Pack! There's always a Newbie Pack! System, give it to right away!" I exclaid, rubbing my hands in anticipation.
[This system only rewards effort, Host]
[Please work hard to earn rewards in the future]
".....Eh?"
That's not how it's supposed to go?
Where was my novice protection perk?
"This shitty system!!"
[DING]
[Detected yapping from Incompetent Host]
[Administering punishnt]
*BZZTTT*
"AHGSHJAKHGHAJKSDHGBK!"
I howled in agony, rolling around on the grass as a jolt of electricity suddenly shot through my body, zapping from the inside.
"WHAT THE FUCCCKKKKK!??"
Thankfully, the electrocution only continued for about 5 seconds, and the pain slowly started to fade away as I stared at the thick clouds with wide, bloodshot eyes.
"Ughh....." I panted, catching my breath with a hint of fear.
'.....I need to watch my mouth!!'
This was supposed to be the start of my ascension, not my funeral!
I brushed my hands all over my body and sighed with relief when I realized there was no actual damage.
But that scared more.
It was able to cause that much pain without leaving a mark?
I shivered and decided to move on in case it randomly decided to find another fault.
"Forget that, who are the heroines? Can you tell that at least?"
[DING]
[Unlocking status panel]
Na: Kazama Riku
Age: 16
Height: 169 cm
[Favorability Panel]
• Sakuraba Hina: 10
• Yuzuki Haruna: -21
• Fujikawa Noa: -9
[Status: Incompetent Jerk]
***
I stared in disbelief at the values on the screen, thinking there had to be so mistake.
"They're the heroines?"
I sat back down on the grass, my legs giving way from the sudden shivers that ran down my spine.
"No... this can't be! I can understand the president's value being so low, since we've barely talked and I didn't leave the best of impressions today, but the other two have to be fake!" I cried out.
[Please don't insult the system, Host]
[I make no errors]
"But.... Yuzuki-san is a good friend, and despite the problems recently, it shouldn't be in the negatives! And Hina is my childhood friend, the one who's stuck with for so long, there's no way her value is only 10!"
[DING]
[Below is the favorability one month prior]
[Favorability Panel]
• Sakuraba Hina: 73
• Yuzuki Haruna: 15
• Fujikawa Noa: 3
[Please reflect, Host]
***
The values sent a taphorical thunderbolt through , wondering how the hell they'd decreased so much in just a month.
'.....What have I been doing?'
Especially Hina, whose favorability dropped by over 60 points!
I sat there for a good ten minutes, thinking back on all our interactions to see if I really did make such a big mistake.
Sure, there were tis when I might've taken my teasing too far, but if you can't joke around with your friends, then where's the fun?
"Do those values have specific paraters?" I asked curiously.
[DING]
[Below are the paraters for favorability values:]
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