The place Saotome Yukina had agreed to meet was a crepe shop on the commercial street near the girls' dormitory.
If Su Youzi's memories hadn't deceived her, strawberry cream crepes—with their excessive calories—were every girl's favorite.
Perhaps... they were also the secret behind girls having such alluring, almost exaggerated curves.
Though she wasn't considered particularly tall in the game, the girl had a beautiful figure completely at odds with her pure appearance.
Her youthful, adorable face was slightly baby-fat, and it probably felt quite nice to knead and play with.
In that character illustration called "Ruojian."
Saotome Yukina, dressed in a sailor uniform, held both hands behind her back, rose slightly onto her toes, and leaned forward.
It took the phrase "ready to burst forth" to the extreme.
The girl's smile, with her lips gently pursed, was shy and sweet, while her brows and eyes curved into bright arcs.
Combined with Saotome Yukina's obedient, clingy, and utterly compliant personality,
Su Youzi could only say... as the easiest first 5-star Operator to obtain, whether she was raised as the team's healer for battle or used to raise Affection so her CGs could be appreciated, training Saotome Yukina was absolutely worth the investment.
Sitting at a round table along the street outside the crepe shop, Su Youzi watched the Little Rabbit bouncing and swaying as she trotted toward her, looking as if she might pop right out at any moment. The corners of her pursed lips slowly curled up with an almost wicked air.
Saotome Yukina suddenly shivered.
The Little Rabbit could no longer bounce.
She looked toward Su Youzi.
The Senpai sitting at the street corner wore a dark-brown hoodie that subtly outlined her figure, along with hot pants.
Her beautiful black hair had been cut short, barely reaching her shoulders.
Her fresh short hair and lips coated in clear lip gloss made her look extremely decisive.
The Senpai had one foot propped on the edge of the stool. Hugging her knees with both arms and resting her head against them, she watched her with an extremely pleased smile.
Simply being watched by those crimson eyes gave Saotome Yukina the illusion that she was being bullied.
A little afraid to meet Su Youzi's eyes, the girl slowly shuffled forward and bowed to her in near panic.
"Su..."
"Senior Su!!!"
As Saotome Yukina's voice fell, the familiar intelligent machine female voice also rang out beside Su Youzi's ear.
[Beep—]
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the achievement: First Encounter.]
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the achievement: First Operator Search.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Operator: Saotome Yukina.]
[You may set your assistant to: Saotome Yukina (Ruojian).]
So this was how an Operator was unlocked?
Su Youzi raised her brows slightly.
[Congratulations, you have completed the task: Sign a contract with an Operator.]
[Congratulations, you have received the reward: Beginner Combat Record.]
[Beep—]
[A new task has been issued.]
[Part 2: Now that you have successfully signed a contract with an Operator, please try cultivating an Operator.]
[Mission Reward: Newbie Tenfold Recruitment Voucher.]
A small black card with gilt lettering appeared in front of Su Youzi.
Suppressing her surging emotions, Su Youzi looked at the girl in front of her, who was bowing in her sailor uniform.
This angle...
It displayed the girl's youthful allure almost to perfection.
[Beep—]
[First Encounter: Saotome Yukina's Affection +1.]
[Received Affection Boost Reward: Training Combat Gloves ×1.]
By the time Saotome Yukina raised her head again, the almost appraising look on the Senpai's face had already vanished.
She couldn't exactly be called 'kind and approachable.'
But... perhaps that villainess-like Senpai smile, as if she were bullying someone straight out of a novel, had merely been her own imagination.
"Sit—"
The voice was cool and pleasant.
Saotome Yukina sat down in front of Su Youzi with near-formal restraint.
Su Youzi toyed with the black-and-gold card.
Before Saotome Yukina could speak, Su Youzi pushed the plate in front of her toward the girl.
"Senpai...?"
"Strawberry cream crepe." Su Youzi looked at the girl's flushed little face. Because she had trotted over, a clear, misty sheen clouded her water-blue eyes, and even the tips of her ears seemed bright red.
"It's this shop's specialty."
"It's probably considered a signature dish throughout Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy."
"Give it a try?"
Now that she knew strawberry cream crepes were every girl's favorite, why wouldn't she take the opportunity to raise some Affection?
Strawberry cream crepes in real life didn't require spending stamina to grind Affection dungeons and obtain them randomly like in the game.
Nor did they require spending vast amounts of money and time to produce.
In reality, all she had to do was invite a girl to the commercial street and order a strawberry cream crepe. It was that simple.
Su Youzi looked at Saotome Yukina in front of her.
When she saw the cream and strawberries on the crepe, the girl's eyes seemed to light up.
One of a transmigrator's advantages was catering to people's preferences.
"Th...thank you, Senpai!" The girl bowed so forcefully that her forehead nearly struck the edge of the table.
Su Youzi hurriedly extended a hand to shield Saotome Yukina's forehead.
As she caught the fresh, faintly sweet pomelo fragrance that suited the girl's name,
the flush on the girl's face deepened.
[Beep—]
[Romantic Moment: Saotome Yukina's Affection +1.]
[Received Affection Boost Reward: Cat Paw Band-aids ×2.]
Su Youzi had more or less figured it out.
The random rewards obtained from raising Affection were mostly worthless little trinkets.
But... the process of raising Affection wasn't difficult either, so there was no harm in taking a few rewards along the way.
What truly mattered was the "Tenfold Recruitment Voucher" and the "Beginner Combat Record."
The former might allow her to obtain a new Operator.
The latter... might improve her psychokinetic ability, which had remained stagnant for so many years and had even turned her into a laughingstock.
The "Beginner Combat Record" held an enormous attraction for Su Youzi.
Sitting in front of Su Youzi and watching the Senpai withdraw her hand with a smiling expression, Saotome Yukina carefully held the crepe in both hands and took a tiny bite like a Little Rabbit.
Her water-blue eyes seemed to glimmer with moisture.
[Beep—]
[Successfully fed Saotome Yukina.] While admiring the Little Rabbit eating in front of her, Su Youzi happily looked through her rewards.
Apart from allowing her to obtain those rewards,
the game system had indirectly given Su Youzi a Storage Dimension equivalent to what a Level 10 Space Ability User could possess.
[Feeding: Saotome Yukina's Affection +1.]
[Received Affection Boost Reward: Disposable Tea Ceremony Makeup ×1.]
[Received compensation for materials consumed while raising Affection.]
Bzzz—
As the icon for the disposable makeup item appeared in the Material Warehouse, the phone beside Su Youzi's arm suddenly vibrated.
The nervous Little Rabbit immediately raised her head. "Senpai?"
Su Youzi glanced at the information displayed on the phone screen.
"Your bank account ending in 8088 has received—"
"112.00 yuan."
And the message above it was...
"Quick payment from your bank account ending in 8088—56.00 yuan."
That was precisely the price of the strawberry cream crepe.
Knock knock—
Looking at the messages on her phone and the pale-blue notification in front of her, [Received compensation for materials consumed while raising Affection.]
Su Youzi suddenly seemed to realize something.
The money she spent cultivating the girl and raising the girl's Affection... seemed to be refunded twofold.
Staring at the Little Rabbit in front of her, with a bit of cream still clinging to the corner of her lips,
and gripping the "Beginner Combat Record" in her hand,
she suddenly had a bold idea.
Before you continue