Chapter 2: Be My Girlfriend
“You’re just a high schooler. You don’t have any ability to pay anything back.”
Alan’s voice came out soft yet piercing, flat in tone as if he were reciting a fact rather than delivering a warning. His gaze never left Nozomi Sakura, who stood before him.
“You’re working part-time at a convenience store, right? But that barely covers your own expenses. Your family isn’t wealthy enough to send you a fat living allowance every month, is it?”
His words stabbed like needles straight into Nozomi’s chest.
“Rolling new loans to pay old ones… I don’t know exactly what your credit limit is, but maybe right now you’re praying they’ll raise it another hundred grand this month. Or you won’t last much longer.”
As he spoke, Alan’s eyes moved methodically—first to the earrings dangling from Nozomi’s ears, then to the watch on her wrist, and finally to the expensive shoes on her feet.
Not a single thing looked cheap. Every item screamed luxury, things a normal high school girl should never have been able to afford.
And that wasn’t even counting the skincare and cosmetics she burned through every day, draining her wallet like a bottomless pit.
A part-time wage? That was nothing more than a drop of water in a leaky bucket. Even when her next paycheck landed in her hands, the money would vanish instantly, gone before she could even grasp it.
Alan looked at Nozomi Sakura as though she were laid bare before him. No secrets left. No veil to hide behind.
“If you keep buying luxury goods,” he continued, his voice dropping heavier, “next month, or the month after, will be your deadline.”
He paused, letting the words sink like weight on her heart.
“Do you know what happens when you can’t pay your debts? First, they’ll bomb your contacts. Aside from your personal number, you’ve got family and relatives in your phone book, don’t you? Your social life is probably more colorful than I imagine.”
Alan’s gaze sharpened, his words venomous yet cold.
“You don’t want your family to know you’re living off debt, right? And what if this entire school finds out? Let me tell you—being scorned isn’t pleasant.”
His tone remained perfectly neutral. No anger. No empathy. And because of that, every word sounded all the more terrifying.
“Even if you manage to return to an ordinary life, think about what people will say behind your back. Could you still fit in, make friends again? You—”
“Enough!”
Nozomi Sakura’s lips trembled. Her chest rose and fell, heart pounding like she had just been shocked by high-voltage current rather than running 800 meters.
She couldn’t utter another word. In panic, she turned to leave.
But Alan had no intention of stopping. Strike while the iron was hot. He brought Nozomi here today to force a deal with one push, not to play games with a child.
He stood, his hand flashing out to seize her pale arm.
“I’m not done yet.”
Nozomi winced at his grip. It was shockingly strong, completely unmatched with his unassuming, unmuscular body.
Alan leaned in, his face so close she could see her reflection in the depth of his crimson eyes.
“Contact bombing is only the beginning. Do you know who’s backing these loan sharks? If you can’t pay, they have ways to make you.”
He paused, then moved his hand. His fingers brushed her glasses aside, pushing back the bangs covering her face.
At once, Nozomi Sakura’s true beauty was revealed. Her blue eyes shimmered, soaking up the sunlight, a small mole beneath one eye marking her uniquely, and her white skin looked flawless, without a single blemish.
That face… was perfect.
Alan opened his mouth, his voice dropping half an octave. “You’re pretty. That has its uses.”
He left the words dangling in the air. A thin smile tugged at the corner of his lips, an expression that clearly whispered, figure it out.
Nozomi Sakura shivered. Countless dark possibilities flashed through her mind. Her body lost strength.
The moment Alan released her, she collapsed onto the cold rooftop tiles.
After a while, perhaps once she crossed the peak of her fear, Nozomi regained a sliver of composure. She swallowed hard, bit her lip, and spoke with a trembling voice, “You came here just to scare me? What do you want?”
Her earlier bravado had evaporated. Every trace of fake courage vanished, leaving only hesitation.
“Not at all.”
Alan crouched down. His expression went blank again, his voice calm, each word calculated with precision. “I’m saying this because I want to help you.”
“Help me?” Nozomi scoffed, dripping with mockery. “Yeah? You expect me to believe that? You’re planning to pay my debts?”
She wasn’t a genius, but she wasn’t an idiot either. This jerk had just threatened her. Clearly, he wanted something, likely worse than simple blackmail.
Yet since stepping into class, Alan had worn a perfect poker face. Even Nozomi, who prided herself as a master of reading the room, couldn’t decipher his game.
“More or less, I’m willing to pay your debts.”
The words slipped from Alan’s lips, shocking Nozomi.
“…?!”
She froze, as though her ears had misheard.
“I can give you one million yen right now, then three hundred thousand yen every month.”
Nozomi’s eyes widened. Heat spread from her chest to her face, but suspicion quickly replaced her shock.
“Ha? Are you insane? Do I look like your plaything?”
“Do I look like I have time for something like that? Investigating you was a pain in the ass.”
The truth was, it had been effortless. Alan only needed the power of his System.
“Tch!”
Nozomi felt cornered. She turned her eyes away, then after a moment to calm herself, she whispered, “So… what do you want me to do?”
A stranger was offering her a fortune. There had to be insane strings attached.
“Very simple,” Alan stared straight at her, “just move your lips.”
Nozomi stood, her eyes locked onto his.
“Be my girlfriend.”
For a moment, disgust flickered across her face. She had expected this. Filled with revulsion, she spun on her heel, stomping hard.
“Gross. Pervert. Trash. Leech. Vermin!”
Alan didn’t stop her. He only called out in a flat tone as he watched her back.
“If I were you, I’d hear me out before leaving. The choice is yours anyway.”
Nozomi’s steps slowed. She walked two more, then stopped in front of the rooftop door.
“I only need you to acknowledge me as your boyfriend. During the relationship, no contact with other guys, and fulfill the usual girlfriend duties. That’s all.”
Her pale ears twitched. She turned back toward Alan.
Moments later, a mocking smile curved on her beautiful lips.
“That’s it? You creeps always change the rules later. No girlfriend duties? No kissing? No sex?”
Alan tilted his head, his tone flat. “If you’re desperate, I can oblige. But you don’t look desperate to me.”
“Crazy!” Nozomi’s face flushed red.
“That’s the deal. Think it over.”
He paused, then added, “But I’ll only wait until tonight. After tomorrow, the offer burns. I’m sure plenty of people would jump at a lunatic bargain.”
Hands in his pockets, Alan strolled casually toward the door.
“……….”
Nozomi stood frozen. Her lips pressed tight, her heart in chaos like a storm.
At last, just as Alan was about to pass her, she called softly. “Wait!”
He turned, his gaze steady.
“You… you were telling the truth?”
“What?”
Under pressure, Nozomi lowered her head. Her lips pressed together.
Then, in a voice barely audible, she asked, “Without… doing it… sex?”
Her white cheeks burned crimson.
“I said no.”
“Kissing?”
“If you insist, I’ll reluctantly perform my boyfriend duties.”
“Ugh… this feels like signing a contract.”
Nozomi kicked an imaginary pebble at her feet.
Alan heard it, but didn’t answer. In his mind, this was indeed a verbal contract.
He stared at Nozomi without expression.
“……….”
She stared back at him. Words caught in her throat.
“Seriously… that’s it?”
No candles. No flowers. Not even a rehearsed confession.
All she got was the blank stare of a boy, cold words that sounded more like the output of a machine than a human.
Nozomi Sakura had always imagined love in a very different way. Yet somehow, she found herself nodding. Almost against her will, she extended her hand, letting her fingers slip into Alan’s grasp.
Alan’s lips curved in a thin smile. He leaned slightly away, whispering under his breath.
“System.”
Cling!
[Target Nozomi Sakura: Conquest complete.]
[Conquest success reward: ¥10,000,000.]
[Romance check-in: Day 0 (30 daily check-ins for an additional ¥1,000,000).]
[Unlock Nozomi Sakura Favorability.]
[Unlock Nozomi Sakura quest.]
