The sound of fireworks from Suzaku River drifted faintly into Matsukaze Inn, catching Asuma's attention.
He turned over in bed and reached out to push open the wooden window of the guest room.
In the distance, brilliant fireworks were blooming one after another in the sky above Suzaku River.
"Right! Should I invite Kurenai to come watch with me?"
"Only thinking of it now."
Asuma smacked his forehead in frustration.
He cursed himself for being so slow on the uptake.
Especially since Shinji wasn't here—this was the perfect opportunity.
Seeing Shinji and Kurenai growing closer by the day had sparked a deep sense of crisis within him.
No time to waste.
Asuma quickly straightened his clothes and, unable to hide his excitement, stepped out of his room and knocked on the door next door.
He cleared his throat.
"Kurenai, are you there?"
"It's a rare chance. Want to go out for a stroll together?"
Light footsteps sounded from inside, and the door opened a crack. Shizune peeked out through the gap. Recognizing Asuma, she pushed the door fully open.
"Oh, it's you, Asuma."
"Kurenai isn't here. She left a while ago."
"What!"
Asuma's eyes widened sharply, as if he'd suddenly grasped an unpleasant thought, and he hurriedly pressed:
"When did Kurenai leave?"
"About an hour ago."
"An hour ago?"
Asuma repeated softly.
An hour ago—hadn't that guy Shinji also said he was going out for a stroll?
And Kurenai just happened to leave at the same time.
Could they...?
At the thought of this possibility, Asuma's eyes instantly dimmed, as if all his strength had been drained from him.
"I see. Sorry to bother you, Shizune."
Shizune scratched her head, feeling Asuma was acting strangely, then shook her head and closed the door.
Asuma dragged his heavy steps, swaying unsteadily back to his guest room, and collapsed onto the tatami, facing the wall.
He murmured under his breath:
"Damn it! Too late again, too late!"
...
The fireworks display gradually came to an end.
Shinji and Kurenai returned side by side to Matsukaze Inn.
Kurenai Yuhi reluctantly let go of Shinji's hand.
"I'll head back now."
She pointed toward her room, her voice tinged with reluctance.
Everything tonight had felt like a dream, making her unwilling to part from Shinji just yet.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Shinji reached out and gently ruffled the top of her head, smiling:
"We have plenty of time. I'll always be here."
Kurenai's mood brightened instantly. She rose slightly on her toes, and her soft lips lightly brushed Shinji's left cheek before pulling away.
"You sure know how to talk."
With a smile, she turned and went back to her room.
As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw Shizune reading by the lamplight.
"Kurenai, you're back."
Shizune greeted her casually, but when she looked up, she froze for a moment.
She quickly sensed something was off.
"Kurenai, why is your hair different from when you left?"
When Kurenai had gone out, her hair had been loose, but now it was tied up.
Something was up!
Kurenai Yuhi had already changed back into her usual clothes. The yukata she had worn tonight was tucked in a bag, held tightly in her arms.
Shizune immediately moved closer, recalling Asuma's earlier visit.
There were four people in total, so after eliminating the others, could it be that she went out with Shinji?
She wore a suggestive smile and deliberately teased:
"Kurenai, did you just go out with Shinji?"
Kurenai Yuhi turned her head away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"I just happened to run into Shinji when I went out, so we strolled around together."
"Oh—"
Shizune drew out her tone, her gaze falling on the bag in Kurenai's arms. "Then what are you hiding in your arms?"
She pressed mischievously, "Why not confess honestly?"
"I won't let you see!"
Soon, the two girls were laughing and playfully wrestling with each other.
Meanwhile, Shinji also pushed open the door and returned to his guest room.
The room was pitch dark.
"Why aren't the lights on?"
Shinji walked to the wall and pressed the light switch.
As the lights came on, he immediately spotted Asuma facing the wall, alone and despondent, startling him.
"Whoa!"
"Asuma, what are you doing here?"
Asuma slowly turned around and sat up, his gaze fixed intently on Shinji, a faint sourness lingering in the air.
"Tell me honestly, did you go out with Kurenai?"
Shinji sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of hot water, and casually explained:
"I happened to run into Kurenai when I went out, so I invited her to stroll around together."
His relationship with Kurenai Yuhi had already taken a crucial step forward, and it was no longer something Asuma could easily interfere with.
He deliberately omitted the key details, afraid of provoking Asuma.
Better to stabilize the situation first and let time slowly heal this guy.
"You..."
Asuma pointed at Shinji, his tone filled with grief and indignation, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.
After all, he was the one who hadn't thought to ask Kurenai out first.
But what he didn't know was that tonight, it was actually Kurenai who had taken the initiative to ask Shinji out.
If Asuma found out about this, he would probably be completely heartbroken.
The usually straightforward Asuma lay back down, facing the wall, his entire body radiating low pressure, as if he were just one step away from hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign on his forehead.
Shinji scratched his head and chose to ignore him for the time being.
He focused his mind and summoned the System Panel in his heart.
[Kurenai Yuhi has completed the second stage of Conquest, Bond Relationship established]
[Bond Relationship detected: Lovers]
[Player has received the second-tier Point Reward: 250,000 Points]
[The third-tier Check-in Reward has been unlocked. Maintaining the romantic relationship will accumulate check-in days]
[Kurenai Yuhi: Current check-in days: 1]
[Upon reaching a full month of check-in days, an additional Point Reward will be granted. Upon reaching six months, 1 A-rank Gift Box will be awarded]
[If either party announces the termination of the romantic relationship, or if either party's feelings deteriorate or disappear, it will be considered the end of the romantic relationship, and check-in days will be interrupted]
[Note: Two individuals have already achieved the Lovers Bond. Please ensure your own safety at all costs!]
Indeed, his relationship with Kurenai had already progressed to the second stage.
This brought Shinji a bit more joy in his heart.
But when he saw the note, he couldn't help but choke up.
He rubbed his nose, guiltily staring at the reminder.
Both Rin and Kurenai were now his lovers.
"Could it be that one day they'll team up and assassinate me?"
Shinji looked up at the ceiling, an inexplicable sense of unease stirring in his heart.
He continued scrolling down the message bar and suddenly noticed a brand-new System task had appeared in the list.
[New Side Quest "Make Friends" has been triggered. Please check the Quest Log on the right.]
Just refreshed?
Shinji scratched his head.
The System had no mandatory quests and no notification sounds. It was always quiet, something he liked. But there were pros and cons; occasionally, he might miss new notifications.
It seemed he would have to develop a habit of checking messages regularly from now on.
"Side Quest Name: Make Friends"
"The foundation has been laid. Now it's time to go all out! Show off your charm!"
"Quest Content: Within 90 days, achieve preliminary Conquest of 30 Konohagakure villagers."
"Quest Reward: 50,000 Points, A-rank Gift Box ×1, Charm Attribute Point +2"
Shinji's mouth hung slightly open as he stared at the quest in astonishment.
"Just 30 Konohagakure villagers... doesn't seem too difficult!"