Seiji and Natsuya left in the latter's car after saying goodbye to Kanna and Izawa.
The car headed for the Uehara apartment complex. When they were almost there, Seiji asked the driver to stop and let him off.
Natsuya looked towards him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to buy some things," Seiji answered.
"Could it be that you're buying Winter Snow Festival presents?"
"Yep, for s.h.i.+kchan and Reo-chan, as well as Mika and her mother."
"Nothing for me?"
"Er…"
"Just joking." The president smiled faintly.
He was giving presents to s.h.i.+ka Kagura and Reo Tachibana, as well as his neighbor and friend Mika Uehara and her mother the landlord due to either living together with them or being neighbors. However, Natsuya and him weren't in a romantic relations.h.i.+p yet.
The car stopped by the roadside.
"I'm going. Happy Winter Snow Festival, Natsuya."
"Take care. Happy Winter Snow Festival, Seiji."
Seiji got off the car and left after saying goodbye.
Natsuya watched him leave, until she couldn't see him anymore.
On the way, Seiji called s.h.i.+ka and told her that he was finished with what he was doing and that he was on the way home. He asked what she and Reo wanted to eat, and that he would buy it and bring it back for everyone.
He headed for the business district and saw that there were many people around here. The atmosphere was so lively that it made even the chilly winds seem not so cold anymore.
Seiji took note of what food he should buy for them, and then wondered about presents.
Suddenly, he recalled that his system had a function in the [Gifts] option that he had never tried out before: checking the gifts that a target girl wanted!
'Let's try this function out.'
Seiji opened up his dating sim system, chose the [Gifts] option, then chose s.h.i.+ka's name.
A series of [Gift-Giving Cards], ranging from levels one through to ten, appeared before him.
Seiji looked at the cards and thought for a moment before choosing level seven and paying the required points for it.
The white card instantly gave off a faint glow, and s.h.i.+ka's upper half appeared in front of him, as well as words that resembled her handwriting.
[I want a personal, hand-drawn picture from Brother Seiji. It's best if it's a picture of me intimately hugging him.]
Seiji was rendered speechless.
The system rendered her thoughts in her own tone of voice!? He was astonished at this.
This seemed as if he was reading her diary, or mind reading… Er, he supposed that this ability was a type of "mind reading" in its own right.
Reading such information, should he say that it was too embarra.s.sing, or that he felt like he was reading something he wasn't supposed to? At any rate, Seiji felt that it was all quite subtle.
His adopted sister wanted a hand-drawn picture from him. This was just like what he promised, while as for the content… He felt rather embarra.s.sed.
'I'm sorry, s.h.i.+kchan. The drawing I completed isn't the one that you want.'
He already finished his drawing last night. Right now, Seiji intended to buy some packaging and other small gifts, in order to make it look better when giving it to her.
Just as he was thinking this, the words on the [Gift-Giving Card] changed.
[Apart from the drawing, I also want a beautiful frame that I can put the drawing in. I absolutely have to take good care of the drawing that Brother Seiji gives to me.]
This information could even change in real time!?
Seiji's eyes widened in surprise.
'What if I can't get s.h.i.+ka a frame?' he thought to himself. 'What else would be good?'
Almost instantly, the words changed again.
[I also want to sleep together with Brother Seiji… Tachibanchan gets to sleep together with Brother every night. I'm so jealous.]
It refreshed again!
This [Gift-Giving Card] wasn't a one-use item, and it would constantly update itself!
Seiji was astonished at how powerful the [Gift-Giving Card] was and amazed at the content of what he had just learned.
's.h.i.+kchan… wants to sleep together with me?'
He recalled the scene of his adopted younger sister sleeping together with him by the kotatsu's side.
At the time, he didn't think too much into it. But now that he recalled it, there was a soft and warm sensation and a fragrant aroma. Also, the words that she muttered in her sleep…
Seiji's heart started beating quicker.
He then imagined the scene of being able to sleep together with the cute s.h.i.+ka in her pajamas on the same bed… 'Stop! Forget it! If it's just Reo, then it's fine, but sleeping together with s.h.i.+ka…' This was no good!
'It's her wish, so why not help her fulfill it?' He felt a tiny voice whisper from the abyss.
'Don't say that to me! Don't tempt me into depravity!!!' Seiji shouted in his mind, using his sense of logic and reason to resist falling into the darkness. He barely managed to stop on the edge the bottomless chasm.
This [Gift-Giving Card] was just too scary.
It could see into a girl's heart and even update itself constantly… this ability was far more powerful than he expected!
He thought about it carefully.
If a level-seven [Gift-Giving Card] was already at such an extent, then an even higher level gift information card would probably obtain even more important information, which basically meant even deeper wishes from that girl.
And the opposite was likely true as well. A low-level [Gift-Giving Card] card would probably show some non-important information, that was only at a surface level.
In order to test his theory out, Seiji exchanged for s.h.i.+ka's level-one [Gift-Giving Card] card as well. It showed one line of text.
[I would like to have a new notebook.]
It was exactly as he had surmised. The low-level [Gift-Giving Card] gave only some rather shallow information.
He attempted to make the level-one [Gift-Giving Card] card update its information. All the results were basically the same: they were just some ordinary items.
After confirming the situation, Seiji made a decision: he would use level-seven and above [Gift-Giving Card] with great care.
For giving Winter Snow Festival presents, it would be enough for him to only exchange for level-six [Gift-Giving Card].
Seiji felt that since he was giving a hand-drawn picture as the main present, it seemed rather awkward to also give a frame to go along with it. After some consideration, he decided to give s.h.i.+ka a photo alb.u.m as an additional present.
This alb.u.m could help store his drawing as well, and also store future memories as well, which seemed nice to him.
Reo's level-six [Gift-Giving Card] showed that she wanted the newest video game system and a major new video game that had just come out!
Seiji himself also wanted this, so he purchased it happily.
Mika wanted a high-cla.s.s bottle of skin moisturizer.
The price was slightly expensive, but this wasn't a problem. The problem was that, if he gave her such a present, would she misunderstand?
Seiji felt that it wasn't too appropriate, so he refreshed the [Gift-Giving Card]'s information. It then showed him that she wanted a high-cla.s.s woman's showering items set, which basically meant a set of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and so on.
Hmm… this seemed alright to him.
A showering item set seemed pretty normal.
Seiji felt that this was appropriate to give to both Mika and the landlord, so he decided to purchase two sets.
After making his decisions on what to buy, he went to buy them.
He took some time to buy everything on his list, then he joyously headed home with a large shopping bag in his hands.
He coincidentally ran into Chiaki.
She was slowly walking down the street, dressed in a black windbreaker. She had her head lowered slightly, and seemed a little depressed.
Seiji walked closer to her and called her name.
There was no reaction.
"Chiaki!" he shouted in a louder voice.
Only then did she suddenly regain her senses as she turned around and saw him.
"Seiji… don't scare me like that."
"I wasn't trying to scare you. You were the one daydreaming, and didn't even notice me." Seiji looked towards her. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing…" Chiaki averted her gaze.
"Please look into my eyes, and smile while saying that again."
Chiaki was rendered speechless.
"It's quite obvious that there's something bothering you, so there's no need to lie about it. Just say it honestly," Seiji said.
"It has nothing to do with you."
"Be careful that I'm going to beat you up if you say something like that~"
"Violence is forbidden."
"I'm sorry, I've already used violence three times… whoops, four times today. I don't mind using violence one more time today." Seiji's mouth arced upwards. "If you don't want to be hit, then just be direct and say what's bothering you."