Maybe even proud. That thought alone… it's enough for me."

Aiko wiped her tears with trembling hands. "Thank you, Raito. I… I'll think about it."

"You better," Raito said gently, smiling at her.

Then he walked toward his bed, sitting down near the southern side. He lay back, staring quietly at the ceiling as a faint smile lingered on his face.

Aiko's voice lingered softly in the air.

"I still can't believe this. It's like I'm dreaming… Thank you, Raito. I really appreciate it."

Raito lay on the bed, one hand behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

He gave a small shrug, his tone calm. "Use it well. You've earned it."

Aiko smiled faintly. "You've really changed."

Raito exhaled quietly. "No. I've just started becoming who I was meant to be."

The room went still. The ceiling fan hummed softly above them.

The next morning.

A faint chime echoed.

Raito blinked as a soft blue light flickered before his eyes — not from his phone, but from the system.

A translucent interface unfolded in front of him, glowing with arcane runes.

[Unknown Observer Quest Progressed: 90%]

(Previously 70%)

Cause: User cleared "Undead Castle."

Raito sat up, frowning slightly.

"…So it increased again."

He swiped through the floating text, scanning each glowing line.

The Observer Quest wasn't complete — but it had advanced, meaning someone, or something, was still tracking him.

"The Observer…" he murmured. "You're still watching me."

Another line appeared beneath the quest log, pulsing like a heartbeat.

[The Observer is pleased by your growth.]

[Hidden parameters have been unlocked.]

Raito's eyes sharpened.

He could feel it — a faint pressure, like someone unseen was observing him from a distance.

"I'm actually not too sure… but this 'Unknown Observer Quest'—it's strange," Raito muttered. "Even when I asked the system about it, it didn't respond. It just… went silent."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, whatever. Today's a big day. If jiro calls me or sends the location, I'll go meet him. I want to see what kind of mission he's talking about."

Raito looked toward the window, the sunlight breaking through the blinds. "Even if it's something dangerous, it doesn't matter. I've gotten stronger. I can stand my ground now."

He glanced down at himself and frowned. "But first… I don't even have proper clothes."

He stretched, grabbed his phone, and headed toward the door. "Let's fix that. I'll hit the store, get something decent to wear, then call Dad."

A small smile crept onto his face. "I'll tell him I'm doing fine. And maybe… send him something too. Even if it's just eight or ten million yen—it's nothing now. He deserves it."

Aiko stepped out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Ah, you're already up—and dressed? Going somewhere?"

"Yeah," Raito replied, slipping on his jacket. "Heading to the store. I don't have any clean clothes left."

"Shouldn't you at least eat something first?" Aiko asked.

He shook his head. "Nah. I'll be fine once I brush my teeth."

Then—knock knock.

Both turned toward the door.

"Who could that be?" Raito said. "I don't really know anyone who'd visit me this early."

"I'll check," Aiko said, walking over. She unlocked the door and froze. "Sakura?"

From the doorway, a tall young man stood, his head slightly lowered.

Raito frowned. "Who's that?"

"It's my classmate—Sakura," Aiko said.

Raito stepped forward. As soon as Sakura saw him, he bowed deeply, his voice low and tense.

"Please forgive me, Raito. My friend's also coming to apologize. We didn't mean what we did yesterday."

Aiko blinked in confusion. "What happened?"

Sakura let out a short breath, his fists tightening at his sides.

"Yesterday at the café… there were a lot of girls staring at you." He looked embarrassed, glancing away. "And honestly, it pissed me off. I'm usually the one people talk about, you know? So I got carried away."

Aiko stared at him. "Wait—what do you mean?"

Sakura sighed. "I knew he was your brother, but I also knew he used to clean hunters' gear. I thought he was just… a support type. Weak. So I challenged him—with one of my friends."

Raito said nothing, his eyes cool and unreadable.

"But I was wrong," Sakura admitted. "He defeated both of us easily. I didn't even see his movements clearly." He gave a small, bitter laugh. "I'm an B-rank hunter, and he still made me look like an amateur. I didn't realize he was already a registered hunter."

"You attacked him because you were jealous?" Aiko said sharply.

Sakura lowered his head again. "Yeah. No excuses. I just came to apologize, man. I let my pride get the better of me."

Raito watched him quietly for a moment before speaking.

"Get up," he said calmly. "As long as you understand what you did was wrong, we're good."

Sakura lifted his head, surprised. "You're serious?"

Raito gave a faint smile. "Yeah. Just don't make it a habit."

For a moment, Sakura was silent. Then, with a nod, he said quietly, "Thanks. I'll make it up to you one day."

Sakura stood up, sniffing the air. "Whoa… I smell something good," he said, stepping forward.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Raito grabbed him by the wrist.

"I'm starving, man. I haven't eaten since morning. I just came to say sorry—honestly."

"Then say it and leave," Raito said flatly.

Sakura turned to Aiko with a pitiful expression. "Come on, Aiko, don't tell me you're kicking me out hungry."

Aiko sighed. "Raito, stop. He's my classmate. He already apologized. Let him eat, then he'll go right after."

She gently placed her hand on Raito's arm until he released Sakura's wrist.

"Fine," Raito muttered, stepping aside.

Sakura grinned a little and walked in, glancing around the modest apartment. "Huh. Pretty small for a hunter. Most hunters I know live in big places. You sure you're not just pretending to be humble?"

Raito's eyes narrowed. "You came here to apologize or to insult me?"

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