The System Won't Work Unless I Have Girlfriends

(Masamune pov)

As the party ends, no one seems to be in the right frame of mind after letting loose without holding back.

"Brat, I'll take these two. You make sure to get Yaeko home safely," said the Queen of Drinking, Kirisaki Hana.

Yup, this woman just challenged everyone that if they could beat her, she'd give them a million dollars. But then. I had just watched her demolish everyone with her insane alcohol tolerance.

"Answer me, brat! You're thinking something offensive, aren't you?!"

She slapped the door of her sports car with an angry tone, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, leave it to me," I sighed inwardly and nodded, glancing inside the car.

My manager, Miyako, and my mom were slumped to Hana's left—both out cold and drunk. Wait, how did she even manage to fit them into that Lambo?

"Are you okay to drive after drinking?" I asked Hana.

She smiled back at me.

"Nah, I'm fine, boy. The hotel is nearby, so I'll take them with me."

I hummed. Kinda sus, but thank God Hana's a woman.

"Okay, be careful, Hana."

She waved goodbye, rolled up the car window, and drove off with a loud roar. Once she was gone, I went back inside the izakaya. There, I spotted a woman in office style with long pink hair sleeping soundly, her face flushed, and the heavy stench of alcohol filling the air.

"Snore... snore... sir, here's your... coffe—snore..."

I expected nothing less from Yaeko. She's even working in her sleep. After grabbing her bag, I knelt beside her and carefully lifted her into my arms. As I walked out of the izakaya, I went to a black Lexus LFA parked nearby.

"Ngnnn..." Yaeko suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning her head close to my face. "Sir, I'm sorry for being a cynical wom—snore..."

This was the first time I'd seen this side of Yaeko.

Not long after, I was driving her to her residence.

As I stopped at a traffic light, she mumbled.

"Masa, mune... do you hate Aunty?"

Startled, I glanced to my left. Yaeko had her eyes shut, but it was clear she was talking in her sleep. Normally, she never shared anything personal with me—always stoic and professional. This side of her was something I'd never have seen if not for the influence of alcohol.

"I never hated... you..."

"Is that… so? Aunty accused you of being... a naughty boy because of how I hate men, but you're a good... one—snore..."

The red light turned green. Slowly, I released the brake, and the car started moving. Silence hung in the air. Yaeko didn't speak again, only snoring softly beside me.

'She hates men, huh?' I thought.

Yaeko had once briefly told me her husband divorced her. She hadn't shared the details, but I could guess the reason—Shoko's disability. Judging by the timeline of their divorce, it must've been a short yet painful marriage.

I sighed inwardly. Raising children in a country like Japan isn't easy, especially under such circumstances.

It made sense. She's just like me. We both resent the way the world treats us.

With my memories from a past life as an adult, I understood. Sometimes, we're just unlucky enough to meet the bad people before the good ones.

As time passed, I finally arrived at her apartment complex. Since I take care of my people—especially someone like Yaeko—I had gifted her this apartment for doing a great job.

Carrying her in my arms, I waited inside the elevator.

"Right... the last time I met Shoko," I muttered.

That was back when I had just started middle school, three years ago. I chuckled at the thought. It was surreal to meet her again like this, bringing her drunk mom back home.

"Sir, you can't have sex in the office—snoreeeee...."

Crap... did she—forget it. She probably already saw me with Toyomi back then.

Before I could think further, the elevator dinged, and I reached their floor. Heading to Nishimiya's residence, I prepared to drop Yaeko off safely.

---

(Third pov)

With a meek, disappointed expression, and a deep sense of loneliness, the boy sat watching a blue shining screen in his hospital bed. He stared as he played a video recording of the girl he loved at school. It was a happy moment, but now it only deepened his frustration with reality. The doctor had sentenced him to just a few remaining months. The cancer he had fought for years had finally defeated him.

"Sniff!"

Nishimiya Shoko shed tears as she watched the drama, 'he's just like me' she thought, clutching her pillow tightly. She could feel his emotions and how deeply depressing they were.

"Sniff! No matter how many times I watch this, I never get bored of big bro's acting."

Beside her, Yuzuru, her younger sister, chimed in. "Masamune played the role of the male lead perfectly," she said, her eyes fixed on the screen.

They were watching the last episode of the drama adaptation of the romantic manga I'll Go Sweet Today, where Masamune played the male lead, Aono Kanata.

Whenever Kanata interacted with the female lead, he portrayed an annoying, haughty character who constantly teased her. But as the story progressed, their bond deepened, leading to a climactic revelation: the boy was battling cancer even as their relationship grew closer.

In this episode, Masamune's acting conveyed the depth of Kanata's depression without a single word. His performance was so convincing that he had been nominated for both Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Newcomer awards.

"Shoko, Yuzuru, go to bed. It's already late," their grandmother said, watching her grandchildren glued to the drama since morning without a break. She shook her head in disapproval.

"But it's summer break, Grandma! Besides, we're waiting for Mom to come back!" Yuzuru protested.

"Alright, fine. But Grandma is going to bed early," she replied, heading off to her room.

As Yuzuru nodded and watched her grandmother leave, she felt a sudden bang!

"What was that for, sis?!"

Yuzuru turned to find Shoko holding a pillow she'd just used to bonk her.

Shoko gave her a no, no, no, no gesture to a tomboy girl with fair skin and short jet-black hair glowing faintly in the dim light.

{Don't raise your voice to Grandma,} she signed.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, sis," Yuzuru replied sheepishly.

Shoko smiled and nodded.

"Still…" Yuzuru sighed. "Why does he have to choose such a long hiatus?"

Yuzuru hated that Masamune had decided to take an extended break from showbiz, especially when he had the chance to become a great rising actor.

"Sigh… It's been so long since I last saw him. Hey, Shoko, when was the last time you saw big bro?" Yuzuru asked.

{I think… three years ago. Hehe.} Shoko looked away and smiled wryly.

Yuzuru sighed. That was such a long time.

The truth was, Yuzuru wanted to see him again because she had known Masamune since grade school. He was also the first person to become Shoko's friend, which made her like him even more.

"Aren't you supposed to be best friends? Why not send him a message and meet up again?" Yuzuru asked, signing her words for Shoko.

Shoko hugged her pillow tightly, deep in thought.

She was afraid Masamune wouldn't remember her. After all, he had become a great actor, a prominent figure in society. Why would someone like her—a deaf girl—have any place in his life? Worse, her presence might invite ridicule and bullying for him.

But deep down, she missed him.

Yuzuru watched Shoko's expression turn melancholic and sighed.

'Puberty girl,' she thought.

Still, she couldn't deny it: Masamune had become someone seemingly out of their league. Just saying hi to him felt awkward and embarrassing.

With these thoughts, the sisters sighed in unison.

Ding dong!

"I got this," Yuzuru said, heading for the front door. It was 10 p.m., so she assumed it was their mom returning.

"Welcome bac—"

Yuzuru froze as she saw the person standing at the door. Her jaw dropped, and she stared speechlessly.

"Yo, it's been a long ti—"

Slam!

Without a second thought, Yuzuru closed the door abruptly. She wasn't sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

At the sofa, Shoko, puzzled by how long Yuzuru was taking just to let their mom in, walked over to investigate. She found her sister still standing by the door, looking flustered.

Tap. Tap.

Shoko tapped Yuzuru on the shoulder.

{What's wrong?} she signed.

Yuzuru hummed uncertainly, then decided to reopen the door.

This time, both sisters' mouths dropped open in shock.

Standing before them was a tall man with a sturdy build, short black hair, and unmistakable blue eyes. But the most bizarre part? He was carrying their mother like a sleeping princess!

'Hold on!' they thought in unison.

The smell hit them next.

'Oh. She's drunk.'

And then.

'But... he's here!'

Their shock turned to smiles as they recognized him.

"Haha… wait a second!" Yuzuru said.

SLAM!

"Hm?"

Masamune blinked in confusion as the door was slammed in his face—again.

Inside, Shoko and Yuzuru went into full beast mode, frantically tidying up the house. Masamune had shown up out of nowhere, and they weren't prepared for the surprise.

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