Side story 1: The system's departure
As dawn broke and the thin mist of night had not yet completely dispelled, Koki was already lost in dreams.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice boomed from the depths of his consciousness: [Host's mission objective has been successfully achieved. The system is about to execute the stripping procedure.]
Koki abruptly broke free from the dream, her heart pounding, and urgently asked in her mind, "System, are you leaving?"
[Indeed, host, after testing, you have perfectly completed your mission of redemption. Everyone has found happiness, and all rewards have been distributed.] The system's voice echoed in Koki's mind, sounding less indifferent than usual, yet revealing an indescribable loneliness in the quiet morning.
"Understood." Koki pursed her lips, trying her best to suppress the melancholy and reluctance in her heart, and replied calmly.
He knew in his heart that all good things must come to an end, but when the parting truly arrived, the myriad emotions in his heart were still hard to dispel.
[Host, I will definitely miss you in the future!] The system seemed to sense Koki's reluctance to part, and rarely showed a subtle fluctuation of emotion.
"Me too, have a safe journey." Koki sighed softly, silently offering her sincerest wishes to the system in her heart, while also drawing a gentle conclusion to this extraordinary journey together.
At that moment, Koki suddenly realized that the warm and dry touch behind her was like a shadow.
A body pressed close to him, a strong arm lightly resting on his waist. Though not deliberately tightening, it had already locked him firmly, restricting his every movement.
The warm aura seeped in continuously, and at first, Koki was somewhat immersed in the feeling of being surrounded. Her body relaxed involuntarily, and she even wanted to adjust to a more comfortable position to continue to immerse herself in this tranquility.
Just as he gently shifted his body, Obito's deep, languid voice sounded in his ear, as if asking, "What's wrong?"
The whisper was like a clear spring, waking Koki from his daze. He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Obito's face, which was very close to his.
He gently pushed away Obito's Obito, which was affectionately rubbing against his neck, and whispered, "Stop fooling around. I still have to go to Mount Myōboku with Jiraiya today."
Upon hearing this, Obito's brows furrowed immediately, and he let out a disgruntled snort. He instinctively tightened his arms around Koki, pulling her closer into his embrace.
"Was he doing this on purpose? Why did he have to pick my day?" The bitterness and jealousy in her words were palpable.
"No, not at all." Koki smiled helplessly, explaining as she straightened her clothes.
When he caught a glimpse of the scattered red marks on his long neck in the mirror, his cheeks flushed instantly. Somewhat embarrassed, he took out a turtleneck shirt and changed, while also reassuring Obito, "Didn't we already make a promise?"
Obito narrowed his eyes slightly, a barely perceptible shadow flashing within them, as a sense of unease and possessiveness quietly welled up within him.
However, when Koki's gaze fell upon him, he instantly adopted a pitiful and aggrieved expression, saying, "Then you must come back soon."
Koki was completely powerless against Obito's appearance.
In fact, no matter who it is, as long as they show such a weak and helpless attitude, Koki can't help but soften her heart.
This seems to have become a subtle, unspoken understanding among everyone, with each person being more adept at pretending than the last.
Sure enough, Koki comforted and coaxed Obito with gentle words, and time quietly passed as they interacted. It wasn't until an hour later that Koki finally stepped out of the house.