Akihiko woke to the soft chime of his system, its voice cutting through the haze of sleep like an overeager alarm clock. [Good morning, Host! Day 3 of the Romantic Comedy Dungeon. Current progress: Ayumi's affection level at 50%. Reminder: Haruto may attempt to regain ground today. Stay vigilant.]
He groaned, rubbing his eyes as sunlight streamed through the window of his new "home" in this dungeon world—a cozy, modern apartment that screamed middle-class normalcy. The system had integrated him seamlessly, complete with a fake family who were conveniently "out of town" for the duration of the dungeon. Nice touch, he thought, stretching as he glanced at a photo on the nightstand: a younger Akihiko and Ayumi, grinning at a summer festival, sparklers in hand. The system's attention to detail was almost creepy.
After a quick shower and a breakfast of toast and miso soup—gotta love anime food—Akihiko checked his stats again, hoping for some new edge.
[Status]
Name: Akihiko
Age: 14 (Appears 16 in this dungeon)
Strength: 5 (Still not winning any fights.)
Agility: 7 (Quick on your feet, but don't trip.)
Charisma: 8 (You're charming, but there's room to grow.)
Intelligence: 9 (Cunning enough to outsmart a protagonist… maybe.)
Curse Affinity: 10 (Your red eyes are both a blessing and a curse.)
Skills: Mind Whisper (Lv. 1): Subtly influence one person's actions for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours. (On cooldown until 8 AM tomorrow.)
Hentai God's Charm (Lv. 0): Locked until first mission completion.
Hentai God Points (HGP): 150 (Earned from trust objective and sabotage.)
Mind Whisper's still cooling down, Akihiko noted, frowning. He'd used it yesterday to derail Haruto's festival committee plan, and while it worked like a charm, it left him without his trump card for today. Gotta rely on my natural charisma, then. He smirked, adjusting his school tie in the mirror. His red eyes glinted with confidence. No problem.
As he headed to school, the system pinged again. [Warning: Haruto is planning to invite Ayumi to study with him at the library after school. This could increase their bond. Sabotage recommended.]
Akihiko's grin turned predatory. Oh, Haruto, you don't learn, do you? The library was another classic rom-com trap—quiet moments, shared books, accidental hand touches. He wasn't about to let Haruto score those points. But without Mind Whisper, he'd need to get creative.
At school, Akihiko spotted Ayumi near the lockers, her red ribbon a bright splash of color against her navy uniform. She was chatting with a couple of friends, her laugh carrying across the hallway. Haruto lingered nearby, clutching a stack of textbooks and clearly working up the courage to approach. Not today, buddy.
"Ayumi!" Akihiko called, jogging over with a playful grin. "You didn't tell me you were gonna ace that history quiz yesterday. Trying to show me up?"
Ayumi turned, her green eyes sparkling. "Oh, please, Aki-kun. You're just jealous because I actually studied." She stuck out her tongue, and her friends giggled.
"Guilty," Akihiko said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But seriously, you're killing it. Wanna grab some crepes after school to celebrate? My treat."
Her face lit up. "Crepes? You know I can't say no to those! You're on."
Haruto's shoulders slumped, his carefully planned library invite forgotten as Ayumi's attention locked onto Akihiko. Strike one, Akihiko thought, catching Haruto's crestfallen look out of the corner of his eye. [Progress: 2/3 sabotage objectives completed. Reward: 50 HGP.]
The system's notification made Akihiko's grin widen. Two down, one to go. But he knew Haruto was persistent—protagonists always were. He'd need to keep the pressure on to maintain his lead.
After school, Akihiko and Ayumi walked to a nearby crepe stand, the air filled with the sweet scent of batter and strawberries. The vendor, a cheerful woman with a knack for twirling crepe batter like a pro, handed them two massive crepes piled with whipped cream and fruit. Akihiko paid, waving off Ayumi's protests with a wink. "Told you, my treat."
"You're gonna spoil me, Aki-kun," Ayumi said, taking a bite and getting a dab of cream on her nose. She didn't notice, and Akihiko stifled a laugh.
"Hold still," he said, reaching out to gently wipe the cream away with his thumb. Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked away, suddenly shy.
[Progress Update: Ayumi's affection level increased by 10%. Current level: 60%.]
"Thanks," she mumbled, focusing intently on her crepe. "You're, um, really sweet sometimes."
"Only sometimes?" Akihiko teased, taking a bite of his own crepe. "I'm sweet all the time. You just don't notice."
She laughed, swatting his arm. "You're impossible."
As they walked through the park, cherry blossoms drifting around them, Ayumi grew quieter. "Hey, Aki-kun," she said after a moment, her voice softer. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot," he said, leaning back on a bench and stretching his arms behind his head.
"Do you… ever think about the future? Like, what you wanna do after high school?"
Akihiko raised an eyebrow. This was new territory—Ayumi opening up about something deeper. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Honestly? I'm more of a 'live in the moment' guy. But I guess… I wanna do something that matters. Help people, maybe. Or just make someone's day better." He flashed her a grin. "Like getting you crepes."
She smiled, but it was tinged with something wistful. "I worry sometimes. About messing up, you know? Like with the student council thing. What if I'm not good enough?"
Akihiko's expression softened. "You're more than good enough, Ayumi. You care about people, and you actually listen. That's why everyone's drawn to you. Including me."
Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked like she might say something, but then she ducked her head, her cheeks flaming. "You're too good at this, Aki-kun," she muttered.
[Progress Update: Ayumi's affection level increased by 15%. Current level: 75%.]
Akihiko's heart did a little flip, but he kept his cool. Three-quarters of the way there. Not bad for day three. But the system's next ping brought him back to reality. [Warning: A rival female character, Mio Sato, is planning to confront Ayumi tomorrow about her feelings for Haruto. This could complicate your mission. Neutralize the threat.]
Mio Sato? Akihiko's mind raced. The system hadn't mentioned her before, but she must be one of those side characters who stirs up drama to push the protagonist and heroine together. Not if I can help it.
The next day, Akihiko arrived at school with a plan. He'd overheard enough rom-com tropes to know that rival girls like Mio often acted out of jealousy or misunderstanding. If he could defuse her before she cornered Ayumi, he could keep the drama from derailing his progress.
He spotted Mio in the cafeteria at lunch, a petite girl with sharp eyes and a bob of jet-black hair. She was whispering with her friends, casting glances at Ayumi, who was eating with Haruto nearby. Bingo.
Akihiko approached, keeping his demeanor friendly but confident. "Hey, Mio, right? I'm Akihiko. Mind if I join you for a sec?"
Mio looked surprised but nodded, her friends exchanging curious glances. "Uh, sure. What's up?"
"I heard you're helping with the festival decorations," Akihiko said, leaning casually against the table. "That's cool. Ayumi's super excited about it, but she's been stressed with her student council stuff. You're friends with her, right?"
Mio hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, we're… friends."
"Awesome," Akihiko said, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Look, I know you're tight with Haruto too, but Ayumi's got a lot on her plate. Maybe give her some space before bringing up anything heavy, you know? She'd appreciate it."
Mio's eyes narrowed, but Akihiko's easy smile and red eyes seemed to throw her off. "I… yeah, okay. I wasn't gonna say anything anyway."
[Sabotage successful. Mio's confrontation delayed. Progress: 3/3 sabotage objectives completed. Reward: 50 HGP. Secondary Objective (Sabotage Haruto's attempts) completed. Reward: 100 HGP.]
Akihiko excused himself, feeling smug. That's all three sabotages down. His HGP was now at 300, and Ayumi's affection was climbing fast. But as he glanced at Haruto, who was laughing with Ayumi over a shared bento, Akihiko's gut tightened. The protagonist was still in the game, and with 27 days left until the festival, one wrong move could cost him everything.
After school, Ayumi caught up with him, her smile brighter than ever. "Aki-kun, you're coming to the festival planning meeting tomorrow, right? I kinda need my hero there."
"Wouldn't miss it," he said, winking. "Gotta make sure you don't turn the festival into a puppy parade."
She laughed, nudging his shoulder. "You're never gonna let that go, are you?"
"Nope," he said, grinning. As they walked home under the setting sun, Akihiko's mind was already racing ahead. Mio was neutralized for now, but Haruto was still a threat, and the system might throw more curveballs. Time to step it up, Hentai God style.
[Progress Update: Ayumi's affection level increased by 5%. Current level: 80%. Warning: Affection levels above 75% attract attention from other characters. Proceed with caution.]
Akihiko's grin didn't falter. Let them come. I'm ready.