Yandere hell: Lovely Nightmare

Yumi, she spoke up  With a sweet and gentle tone that has disdain in her voice. "Hear that... everyone? It seems that we are 'hot' to him. It seems that we've become quite the objects of his desire. He's already ogling us."

Akira nodded in response, "lt's fine, I don't mind guys checking me out."

Yumi responded with a mocking tone, "Well, how fortunate for you, Akira, that you're so comfortable with being reduced to 'male gaze'."

Akira raised an eyebrow, her smile unflinching. "Oh, Yumi, dear. It's not that much issue. I just know what I'm worth."

Yumi narrowed her eyes. "Of course " she said, her tone almost too polite.

Ayumi, sensing the tension in the room quickly replied with her usual cheerful energy, "Hey, hey, let's not fight, okay? We're all friends here! Plus, Haruto just said we're hot! I think that's supposed to be a compliment, don't you?"

Rei remained stoic, her doll-like expression seemed unreadable as she observed the exchange. "It would appear that our presence has flustered him," she stated, her voice cool and measured. "Though I must admit, I fail to see the appeal of being ogled like a prized possession."

Kei, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke up. "Haruto, I'm curious. Is that what you think of us? Just some pretty girls to check out?"

Haruto is still flustered from what he did and shook his head vigorously. He wasn't supposed to talk that one out loud "N-No! It's not like that. I mean, you're all beautiful, but that's not what I—"

Before he could finish, A voice chimed again in his mind:

[System Activated] "Pick-up Target Engaged." Name: Kei Sakurai Special Trait: Hidden Affection Options: Compliment / Flirt / Apologize

"Eh? " Haruto replied as a new wave of pressure fell on Haruto as the choices materialized before him. His heart raced as he stared at the glowing text in his mind. He could feel Kei's sharp gaze on him, waiting for his response.

Haruto's Options:

Compliment
Flirt
Apologize

Haruto gulped. The system wasn't giving him much of a choice, and the tension was thick in the air. Trying to defuse the situation, he nervously selected Apologize.

"Kei, I'm really sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. That wasn't my intention at all. It's was flustered." Haruto said, his voice earnest.

Kei blinked as the intensity in her crimson eyes softening slightly. She crossed her arms, but she gave a small nod. "Fine, Haruto. Just... be careful with your words next time."

Haruto blinked, waving his hand again to dismiss the hovering text, while the girls gazed at him with curiosity. 

"Haruto, are you with us?" Ayumi's voice snapped him back to reality. She was smiling, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, just thinking," Haruto replied, forcing a grin. Inside, he was buzzing with excitement, barely containing his urge to explore every option the shop had to offer.

System Update:

Mission: Overcome Japan's Low Birthrate Crisis by Building Strong Relationships.

  Host: Haruto Kurogane 

Objective: Strengthen bonds with your classmates to achieve maximum affection and produce lots of children.

 Warning: Resisting the system may lead to failure in your mission. You are being priviliged please do not resist.

Haruto got a chill down his feel looking at the warning. Somehow he felt creeped at the warning.

The system's notifications remained, practically mocking him. Each girl had a small floating meter above their heads now, like some twisted game HUD overlay.

Akira: 45% (Playful – Teasing)
Kei: 53% (Reserved – Childhood Bond)
Ayumi: 70% (Cheerful – Warm Connection)
Johanna: 15% (Guarded – Shy)
Rei: 20% (Cool – Observing)
Yumi: 10% (Dislike – Polite Distance)

New Quests Unlocked:

Raise Kei's Affection to 60%: Unlock Special Memory and deeper insights into her hidden feelings.

Find a way to break through Johanna's Guard: Gain access to her true personality.

Push Akira's playful demeanor to reveal her hidden intentions.

Akira? 45%. Kei? 53%. Johanna, Rei, Yumi... all of them had meters so low that it felt like walking through a minefield. His heart sank when his eyes landed on Yumi's abysmally low score—10%. He could feel her coldness like a blade slicing through the air between them.

"What did I even do to deserve this?" Haruto wondered, scratching his head in frustration. At least Ayumi likes his presence.

Ayumi, still beaming at him, seemed to pull him out of his downward spiral. She was like a glowing beacon amidst the storm of awkwardness. "You're seriously okay, right?" she asked, her voice light with concern.

Haruto's heart skipped a beat, realizing how lucky he was to have at least one ally in this situation. "Y-Yeah, I'm good. Just, uh, taking everything in."

Meanwhile, Akira raised a brow, her teasing expression sharp but playful. "Wow, Haruto, you're really getting cozy with Ayumi, huh? You sure know how to pick your favorites."

Kei remained quiet, but Haruto could see her shooting him glances out of the corner of her eye

System Notification:[Yumi's Affection has decreased to 8%.][Kei's Affection has decreased to 45%.]

Yumi's eyes narrowed for just a brief second before she smoothed her expression, her passive-aggressive tone only slightly concealed by her polite words. "It seems Ayumi is very comfortable with you, Haruto," she said, her voice dripping with a cold, sharp sweetness. "How fortunate for her."

Kei wasn't much better. She didn't say anything, but the quiet way she crossed her arms and turned her head away from him was enough to signal her growing discomfort. Her affection dropped from 53% to 45%,

System Menu:[Affection Meter][Quest Log][Points Shop][Locked Events][Inventory]

His eyes widened as he saw two new tabs glowing with a faint light: Points Shop and Locked Events. Hesitantly, he opened the Points Shop first, curious about what the system had to offer.

Points Shop:

[Affection Boost - 100 Points][Secret Date Event - 150 Points][Gift Box: Special Edition - 80 Points][Affection Hints (Unlocks Weaknesses) - 120 Points][Memory Fragment - 200 Points]

Current Points: 0

"Great," Haruto muttered to himself. "No points, no power-ups. I can't even afford a basic gift box!" He groaned internally, realizing he'd have to work harder to even increase points in this bizarre dating sim mechanic.

Yumi's eyes narrowed for just a brief second before she smoothed her expression, her tone only slightly concealed by her polite words. "It seems Ayumi is very comfortable with you, Haruto," she said, her voice dripping with a cold, sharp sweetness. "How fortunate for her."

Haruto swallowed hard. He could feel the shift in Yumi's attitude, the affection bar hovering over her head now just a sad 8%. He winced internally. Things were getting worse, and fast.

Kei, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, remained on the sidelines, her arms still crossed. Her crimson eyes locked onto him, observing, evaluating, and—most unsettling .

 The Kei he knew from childhood would have jumped in by now, teasing him, maybe even throwing a playful punch. But now, her affection had slipped down to 45%, and her gaze felt distant, almost cold.

Finally, she spoke, her voice a quiet murmur. "Haruto... I didn't think you'd turn into this kind of guy. A player, I mean." Her words weren't accusatory, but they weren't exactly supportive either. 

Rei, who had been silent throughout the conversation, finally chimed in with her usual detached tone. "Ayumi, you are the reason of this misunderstanding. Maybe you should cut the new guy some slack." Her words were blunt, cutting through the tension in the room.

Ayumi blinked as she tried Rei words with her cheerful demeanor faltering for just a moment before she tilted her head, curious. "Hey, Kei, you seem awfully familiar with Haruto for someone who's just met him. How do you know him?"

Kei's eyes softened, though there was still a guarded distance in her tone. "Haruto is my childhood friend. We were close, but we went our separate ways when we had to prepare for some big exams."

Akira's eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in, her usual teasing smirk on full display. "Ohhh, so Kei, you must've been all sad and lonely while he was off studying, huh? Missing your dear childhood buddy? So that's why you brought him here~" Akira poked Kei's cheek

Kei shot Akira a sharp look, but there was a faint blush on her cheeks. "It wasn't like that," she muttered. 

Haruto, tried to defuse the situation and feeling everyone's eyes on him, quickly tried to change the subject. "Well, why don't we discuss about why we picked up literature. In my case I've been studying literature, especially when it comes to relationships. I, uh, know a thing or two about how people connect, and it's not just about appearances."

He fumbled for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain. "It's about understanding each other on a deeper level. You know, like how certain stories have these bonds between characters .. Like, for instance, in classic novels where people bond through different dimensions."

The room fell into a brief silence as each girl tried to process his words.

Rei gave a small nod, her expression remaining neutral. "I suppose that makes sense. Literature often describes relationships but I don't agree with different dimensions part"

Ayumi's eyes sparkled with newfound curiosity. "Wow, Haruto! I didn't know you were such a deep thinker! That's kinda cool."

Kei's expression softened even further, though she still seemed cautious. "I guess that's why we got along back then, huh? You always did see things differently."

Akira, however, couldn't resist another jab. "Oh, so you're saying you're a master of relationships now, huh? Should we all start taking notes, Professor Haruto?  SENSEI~" Akira screamed the last word sensei with a high school girl pitch

Haruto chuckled nervously scratching the back of his head thinking these girls are wild. "Well, I wouldn't go that far... that to travel dimension though."

Yumi, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up, her tone icy. "It's easy to talk about connections, Haruto. But it's another thing entirely to actually forming them." 

It took 10 seconds for Haruto to realize she was mocking him. He had actual connections, he tried to protest but in the end he sighed.

The tension in the room simmered down, a soft murmur broke through the silence. 

Johanna, who had been out cold earlier, stirred awake. Slowly, she sat up, her eyes still hazy with sleep. A faint drool trailed from the corner of her mouth, and she absentmindedly wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Eheheh... I smell something nice..." she muttered to herself in her half-awake state.

Everyone's attention shifted to Johanna as she blinked her eyes open, gradually coming to her senses.

 Suddenly, she froze, her eyes widening as she realized where she was and what had happened. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson as she shot up to her feet, stammering.

"S-Sorry! Oh my gosh, I fainted, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Haruto!" She looked up at him with wide, apologetic eyes. 

"I've never been this close to a guy before, and I didn't know how to handle it... I didn't mean to pass out like that."

Haruto, caught off guard by her sudden awakening and apology, blinked in surprise. "Uh, it's okay, Johanna. No need to apologize. I guess... it's a lot to take in."

He scratched his head, trying to play it cool, but the truth was, Johanna's reaction threw him off. He wasn't used to girls fainting at the sight of him—or, well, anything like this situation at all.

[System Update]

Johanna's Affection: +10
Current Affection Level: 25%
(Trait Unlocked: Shy – Johanna is more likely to blush and become flustered in close interactions.)

Haruto blinked at the notification. 25% now, huh? He thought to himself. Maybe her apology and honesty had earned him some affection points. But just as he processed this, another notification appeared.

[System Update]

Rei's Affection: +5
Current Affection Level: 25%
(Trait Unlocked: Cool Observer – Rei's interest increases when you handle situations calmly.)

With both Rei and Johanna's affection meters creeping up, Haruto felt a small sense of relief. But Rei affection rise made him curious about how her affection rises. Rei was like a doll with no expressions so it makes him harder to read her. 

Rei, standing nearby, sighed. "Johanna, fainting at the sight of a guy isn't exactly going to help you in the long run." 

"You can't just shut down every time something overwhelms you. You've got to learn how to keep it together." Rei's tone was cool, practical, offering little comfort but a lot of reality.

Johanna pouted slightly, still embarrassed. "Y-Yeah, you're right, Rei. But you didn't have to be .." Her voice trailed off, and she glanced at Haruto again, her cheeks flushed.

As the tension started to dissipate, Ayumi chimed in, eager to change the subject. "Speaking of keeping it together, let's talk about something fun! Like sharing what kind of book genres we love! I will start first. I absolutely love romance and horror. When those two genres mix, it's just...so much fun!" Ayumi said with excitement in her face

Haruto raised an eyebrow while trying not to visibly cringe. "Romance and horror? That sounds like a recipe for nightmares." He chuckled nervously, the thought of those genres combined made him uneasy.

Akira grinned. "I'm all about face-slapping and battle fantasy. Nothing like a good showdown where the protagonist yeets the young masters out of mark. You know, Haruto, you could learn a thing or two from those stories about the dao of wish fullfillment." She winked at him playfully.

Kei joined in, her tone more serious. "I prefer biographies and novels with detailed world-building. Something that really makes you think about the world and the people in it." Her eyes gazed to Haruto, as if checking his reaction to it.

Haruto nodded, appreciating her. "That's cool, Kei. I can see why you'd be into something like that. It suits you."

Akira grinned, leaning back casually. "I'm all about face-slapping and battle fantasy. Nothing like seeing someone get their comeuppance in a good fight."

Kei spoke up next, her voice calm but engaged. "I prefer biographies and detailed world-building. There's something satisfying about diving deep into a character's life or exploring a complex world."

She glanced away for a moment, trying to hide the faint smile forming on her lips. "Thanks, Haruto. I just... I like stories that make you think, you know? Not everything has to be about romance or battles."

As Kei spoke, Haruto noticed another small notification appear in the corner of his vision.

[System Update]

Kei's Affection: +3
Current Affection Level: 56%
(Trait Unlocked: Thoughtful Connection – Kei responds positively to intellectual and sincere interactions.)

 Akira raised an eyebrow, her playful smile returning. "Looks like Kei's got a soft spot for you, Haruto. Who would've thought?"

Kei shot Akira a warning look. "Don't get any ideas, Akira."

It was Rei's turn but she remained aloof but added her piece. "Novels are just a way to pass the time for me. I don't have a favorite genre, really."

Johanna, still a bit shy mustured up the courage to talk "I love anime, manga, and light novels. I even want to publish my own someday... if I can manage to not faint around editors, that is." She chuckled softly. 

Rei, not one to let things slide, gave Johanna a sideways glance. "Just make sure you stay conscious long enough to sign the contract."

The group chuckled at Rei's blunt reply, but Yumi, who had been quiet up until now, remained tense. She crossed her arms and looked away when Johanna spoke, clearly annoyed by her.

Kei noticed Yumi's silence and prodded her gently. "Come on, Yumi, it. What about you? What do you like to read?"

Yumi hesitated, clearly reluctant as she had been silent and tensed up when everyone turned to her

With a sigh, and after a pointed look from Kei, she finally admitted, "Fine... I prefer historical and traditional novels." She glanced away, her voice barely audible. "I just like the depth they have."

Haruto smiled warmly at her, trying to ease the tension. "That's great, Yumi. We all have different tastes, and that's what makes this group interesting."

Yumi's expression softened slightly, but she still replied "Hmph!"

Haruto, sensing the mood, quickly added, "I hope we can all make some good memories together, regardless of our differences."

Ayumi beamed. "Of course we will! We've got plenty of adventures ahead."

Akira smirked. "Just make sure you don't end up having a harem, Haruto."

Kei nodded thoughtfully ignoring the rich girl. "I agree. Let's make this something we'll all remember."

Rei, ever the realist, simply shrugged. "As long as it's not boring, I'm in."

Johanna, her confidence slowly returning as she smiled at Haruto. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Memories... with everyone? Sure." The coldness in her tone was unmistakable, and the others could sense the unspoken animosity.

Johanna, oblivious to Yumi's disdain, smiled faintly, still caught up in her own thoughts about her light novel dreams. She seemed unaffected, but Rei, her close friend, noticed Yumi's attitude and shot her warning look.

[System Update]

Affection Points:

Akira: +2 (47% - Teasing)Kei: +2 (50% - Reserved Childhood Bond)Ayumi: +2 (72% - Cheerful  Connection)Johanna: +2 (17% - Guarded Shy)Rei: +2 (27% - Cool Observer)Yumi: +2 (10% - Dislike but Polite)

Yumi, however, remained guarded, her gaze flicking between Haruto and Johanna                    

'Why the fuck Ayumi has that many affection points'  Haruto wondered in his mind as he lost in his own mind.