You say this is a love game?

A trace of loneliness hung on the girl's young face.

She looked at Mizutani Makoto in front of her carefully. He always exuded a faint kindness, which was a very pleasant smell.

She didn't want to implicate him, so she decided to avoid him after sending the big blessing, but he came to her on his own initiative.

...Does anyone want to help her?

But what exactly does she want others to help her with?

Zashiki hesitated for a long time.

Until Mizutani Makoto brought a cup of water and placed it in front of her, she held the warm cup in both hands, wanting to say something several times but unable to squeeze out a sound.

From the moment she opened her eyes ten days ago, she has been wandering in this world.

Chapter 025 His Rich Gal Experience

The girl has lost her past.

Time went back to ten days ago. When Zashiki opened his eyes at the crossroads, an inexplicable emotion suddenly surged in his heart.

Confused, uneasy, and afraid.

The endless stream of vehicles, the cacophony of horns, the noise of rolling wheels, people either talking or silent, everything she observed rushed towards her senses, like an overwhelming foam flooding into her world, suffocating her.

At this time, a car came towards them.

She stood stupidly in the middle of the intersection. Just as she reacted, she raised her hands in fear to stop the car, but the car passed through her as if it were through air.

From that moment on, she began her wandering.

Homeless, with nowhere to go.

She was wandering every moment, waking up in a corner of the Night Light City at dawn, and falling asleep in a corner of the Night Light City as the sky gradually darkened. This repeated process was her ten-day journey in the Night Light City.

"I am already dead."

Zashiki knew this in some way.

It was as if she had a mysterious feeling that she had the ability to bring "luck".

Even though that ability was still unstable, a simple blessing had already weakened her essence a lot, and even her existence became as unstable as ethereal green smoke.

"..."

It is undeniable that Mizutani Makoto felt a little uncomfortable when he heard Zashiki admit that she was dead.

He was tracking down Zashiki-warashi with a certain sense of "completing a mission".

But the real world is different from the Rift, and even more different from the game.

When he sat down face to face with the zashiki, he realized that the person sitting in front of him was not some rigid game NPC, but a little girl who had died at the age of seven.

Her chubby little face looked like a glutinous rice dumpling just out of the oven, and her mushroom-like short hair was pinned with a strawberry hairpin. But the most eye-catching thing was her eyes, which were exceptionally clean and lively, like glass beads soaked in a clear spring, revealing obvious sensitivity as they turned.

People have always said that she was wearing red clothes. When I looked closely, it was indeed a red and white elementary school uniform. The upper body was a red and white sailor suit, and the lower body was a red skirt. When she wore it, she looked like a girl next door.

After observing this, even Mizutani Makoto couldn't help but shake his head secretly.

Only seven years old.

Her life has just begun.

I have never seen the beauty of this world.

Makoto Mizutani has never denied people's condemnation of social injustice, and even he himself has been complaining about this evil society.

But is society the world?

I don’t know when it started, but society has been linked to the “world”, but few people really hate this beautiful world. What people hate are just the various ugly and dirty things that fill human society.

And a life that came to an abrupt end at the age of seven... This kind of thing can make people feel their heart tighten for a moment just by watching it through the mobile phone screen, not to mention that this dead little girl is sitting in front of him, talking about her sorrow in a daze.

——All secrets are wrapped in sweet sugar, but the girl’s deep sorrow is a core that can never be melted.

He thought of the task description... This crappy system seemed both wrong and right.

come on.

I am already a mature adult.

I am wearing the hardest armor called "adult psychological defense" and will never be hurt by anything in the world.

Mizutani Makoto asked as quietly as possible, "So how much do you remember?"

There was a hint of confusion in Zashiki's eyes. He looked up at the incandescent light shining above his head and shook his head apologetically.

"I just remember wanting to give this to someone."

The zashiki held up the strawberry daifuku in his hand.

Mizutani Makoto asked, "I received a special strawberry daifuku earlier. Was that the one you gave me?"

"Big brother, you helped me twice, so I thought... I should give you a gift in return." She said in a low voice.

A world where only convenience stores would be hurt was created.

As Mizutani Makoto listened to the sound of wind chimes ringing in his ears, his thoughts drifted further and further away.

The Zashiki-warashi of the past is lost.

I want to give Strawberry Daifuku to someone.

His gaze drifted to the system's task requirement—to fulfill Zashiki-warashi's last wish.

Mizutani Makoto stood up and said seriously, "I will help you."

A hint of joy appeared on her melancholy face, but she soon felt something was wrong and stammered, "No, no need..."

At this moment, Zashiki was extremely frustrated: "I don't even know who I want to find, how can I trouble you..."

Mizutani Makoto shook his head.

"As long as you're willing to look, there will always be clues... Besides, you're wandering around Night Light City by yourself, and you don't know how long it will take to make any progress, so why not let me give it a try?"

Mizutani Makoto pointed at himself, then pointed at the Zashiki-warashi sitting in front of him.

"Look, at least I can still see you, so I'm not just an insignificant passerby anymore."

"It's always easier for two people to look for it than for one person."

At least the emotional value is there.

Zashiki seemed to want to say something, but when she thought of the past ten days of wandering alone, she hesitated.

Pursed his lips silently.

Alone, she was doing something with no end in sight. The helplessness and confusion she felt were like bubbles squeezed in the air, suffocating her so much that she couldn't even breathe.

Can two people definitely do it?

But if there are two of us, we won’t be as lonely as before, right?

I don’t know why, but I really hate Zashiki and am also afraid of that feeling of loneliness of being the only one left in the world.

Whenever I think of this, I feel the thick darkness spreading to my feet like a tide, filling the world in front of me.

but--

"I don't want to burden my big brother..."

"If you stay with me, something bad will happen."

"Something bad?" Mizutani Makoto frowned slightly.

Isn't Zashiki-warashi the god of fortune?

"I can't really explain it, but I just feel that way."

It was for this reason that Zashiki gave him a strawberry daifuku and then quietly avoided that convenience store.

She didn't want to implicate the good people.

Seeing Mizutani Makoto's frown, Zashiki also lowered his head.

This is better. After he said it, he would stay away from her and live a peaceful life.

But Mizutani Makoto scratched his hair and said bluntly: "Then you should come to me for help."

"Why?" The girl opened her eyes wide, puzzled as to why someone would actively approach "Misfortune".

"I'm a professional."

Makoto Mizutani can also pretend.

"Although I haven't practiced it yet, I'm considered an expert in exorcising demons. I've killed dozens of little demons... What are you shaking about?"

Hey, hey, hey, are you serious about taking a half step back?

Can I use a kitchen knife to kill your local Tibetan monk?

The corners of Mizutani Makoto's mouth trembled slightly, then turned up, forcing a kind smile, but Zashiki seemed even more frightened.

She blushed when she laughed last time.

Mizutani Makoto coughed lightly and concluded:

"I've already forgotten the past. If I want to find the person I'm thinking about, I'll definitely need help from others, right?"

"Since you need help and are worried about bringing misfortune to others...wouldn't it be better to find someone who isn't afraid of misfortune?"

As he said this, he felt a little funny.

He said frankly: "It's obvious that person is me."

"Besides, you're temporarily homeless, aren't you? If this place isn't too small for you, you can stay here for now."

Mizutani Makoto was still planning with great interest.

Zashiki-warashi is the guardian deity of the house, and the family that is hosted by a Zashiki-warashi will become lucky and happy.

Although it is unknown why Zashiki said that she would bring misfortune, the strawberry daifuku she gave her before has already confirmed her ability.

If it really did bring misfortune, the focus should be on removing the debuff, not driving the coveted Zashiki-warashi out of their homes...

Makoto Mizutani felt that, whether out of his personal development plan or out of his compassion for the zashiki, keeping the zashiki was the most appropriate choice.

Mizutani Makoto was full of inner thoughts. He looked at Zashiki with great interest and asked her what she thought.

"Why do you want to help me so much?"

"Mission," he replied.

The girl had a confused expression on her face.

"Just kidding."

"I want to help you, and there's no special reason."

He seemed to have thought of something and searched for the previous "Disclaimer" on his retina again.

[This game is designed to provide players with a happy life. It does not contain any harmful content. All behavioral choices are made by the players themselves.]

It's right.

This is his choice.

She seemed to understand, but also seemed confused.

"Thanks……"

Yes, this is the moment when he puts his rich Gal experience into practice!

Question-

If a sixteen-year-old boy bravely takes in a seven-year-old homeless girl and tries to provide her with a loving family, will the police uncle come to his house, pat his shoulder affectionately and tell him to go to the police station and give him a banner?

will not.

A sixteen-year-old adolescent boy would not dream of a uniformed police uncle.

Chapter 026: Talking about money hurts feelings

For Mizutani Makoto, the progress of Zashiki's mission was a pleasant surprise. Whether it could help realize the wish was another matter. The most important thing was to establish contact.