When Rito woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the sunlight streaming through his window, casting a warm glow over his room. The second thing was the lingering memory of last night—Mikan's soft touch, her warm scent, and the undeniable realness of it all.
"That wasn't a dream."
The weight of that realisation pressed down on him. This wasn't just some immersive fantasy or VR simulation—this was reality.
And that meant…
His eyes flicked toward the door.
Mikan.
His little sister, who had spent the entire day taking care of him while he was sick.
No—calling her just an 'anime little sister' was an insult to what he had experienced.
As he sat up, Rito found himself contemplating something he hadn't really thought about before:
The difference between anime Mikan and real-life Mikan.
The anime had always portrayed her as cute and responsible, the perfect little sister archetype that fans adored. But now, seeing her in real life?
"She's on a completely different level."
Her golden-brown hair was silkier than he remembered, the way it naturally framed her delicate features, giving her an almost effortless elegance. Her amber eyes, sharp yet gentle, held a depth that no 2D drawing could ever capture.
And her body—while modest compared to the other girls in this world—was surprisingly well-proportioned, with a natural grace that made even casual movements captivating.
Idols? Models? Forget it.
Mikan was beyond that.
As he processed this, another thought entered his mind.
"If Mikan is already this stunning, then what about the others?"
Lala. Haruna. Yami. Yui. The list of absurdly beautiful girls in this world was endless.
And he was going to be living among them.
Rito exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"I might really need some thick skin to survive this."
He had already felt himself wavering when Mikan simply checked his temperature. What would happen when Lala inevitably started appearing naked in his room?
Or when Yami pressed her soft fingers against his throat, threatening to kill him, looking ridiculously cute while doing it?
Would he even be able to handle it?
His old self—the guy from his past life—probably wouldn't. But now, with a growth system at his side, he had the potential to change.
He wasn't going to be just a passive protagonist who tripped into girls' chests.
No, if he was going to live in this world, he would do it on his own terms.
And honestly…
Living among beautiful girls like this wasn't such a bad idea.
A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"Alright. Let's see where this new life takes me."
+++++
The warm morning light trickled through the curtains as Rito groggily sat up in bed, his mind still adjusting to the reality of his new life. Yesterday had been an emotional rollercoaster—from waking up in an unfamiliar body to realising just how dangerously beautiful Mikan was in real life.
But today was a new day.
"Alright… first things first, a bath."
His body still felt a little weak from the fever, and after all the chaos of yesterday, a warm soak sounded like the perfect way to clear his head.
Stretching his limbs, he pushed himself off the bed and made his way downstairs toward the bathroom.
The warm morning light trickled through the curtains as Rito groggily sat up in bed, his mind still adjusting to the reality of his new life. Yesterday had been an emotional rollercoaster—from waking up in an unfamiliar body to realizing just how dangerously beautiful Mikan was in real life.
But today was a new day.
"Alright… first things first, a bath."
His body still felt a little weak from the fever, and after all the chaos of yesterday, a warm soak sounded like the perfect way to clear his head.
Stretching his limbs, he pushed himself off the bed and made his way downstairs toward the bathroom.
The moment he slid the door open, a wave of warm steam rushed out, accompanied by the soft, rhythmic sound of water dripping.
And then—
He saw her.
A single second. That was all it took for his mind to freeze.
Mikan.
Naked.
Her slender back was turned toward him, glistening under the dim bathroom lights. Water droplets traced delicate trails down her smooth, fair skin. Her golden-brown hair, damp and slightly sticking to her body, exposed the elegant curve of her neck.
Her petite yet subtly shapely figure was on full display—her toned shoulders, the graceful arch of her spine leading down to a perfectly round, perky backside.
His eyes widened as his breath caught in his throat.
"H-Holy—"
It was at that moment Mikan turned around.
Time slowed.
He took in everything—the soft swell of her chest, the gentle curve of her waist, the droplets rolling down her thighs—before their eyes met.
For a split second, her amber eyes flickered with shock.
Then—
"Eh?"
Silence.
Mikan blinked, her expression calm.
"Wait… she's not screaming?"
Rito braced himself for a typical anime reaction—screams, thrown objects, maybe even a flying kick. But instead, she just stared at him.
Then, he felt it.
[Ding! Passive Skill Activated: Incubus Aura (Lv. 1)]
A sudden warmth spread through his body as if something had subtly shifted in the atmosphere.
Mikan's eyes softened.
Instead of covering herself in panic, she simply tilted her head slightly, looking more curious than angry.
"Rito, did you need something?"
Rito's brain short-circuited.
"H-Huh?! Where's the rage? The violent reaction? Why does she look... so calm?"
His eyes darted to the translucent system screen that had just appeared.
『New Passive Skill Acquired!』
[Incubus Aura (Lv. 1)]A natural, subconscious charm that lowers a woman's hostility toward you in intimate or embarrassing situations. Higher levels can influence emotions and attraction.
"Oh… oh crap."
This wasn't just any skill.
This was a literal cheat code for ECCHI scenarios!
Rito could hardly believe what was happening.
Mikan wasn't freaking out.
She was still standing there—completely naked—without covering herself, without throwing anything at him, without calling him a pervert at the top of her lungs. Instead, she simply tilted her head slightly, amber eyes blinking in curiosity.
"This… this is insane…"
His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.
[Ding! Passive Skill Activated: Incubus Aura (Lv. 1)]
It had to be the system's doing.
The translucent screen hovering in his vision explained it all:
[Incubus Aura (Lv. 1)]A natural, subconscious charm that lowers a woman's hostility toward you in intimate or embarrassing situations. Higher levels can influence emotions and attraction.
That meant—right now, Mikan's usual anger was being suppressed.
Rito swallowed hard.
Mikan's soft amber eyes studied him, and for a brief moment, he could feel the air between them shift.
Then, just as he was starting to think he might actually walk away from this unharmed—
The skill effect faded.
Mikan's expression suddenly froze. Her pupils shrank.
Then—
"…Huh?"
She looked down at herself.
The realization hit her like a truck.
A very loud inhale followed.
And then—
"RITO, YOU IDIOTTTT!!"
WHAM!
A towel flew straight at his face, hitting him so hard that he staggered backward.
"W-Wait, Mikan! It's not what you think—"
"NOT WHAT I THINK!?" she shrieked, yanking another towel around herself. "YOU JUST WALKED IN ON ME NAKED, YOU PERVERTED BROTHER!"
SMACK!
Her palm met the top of his head, and Rito felt like his soul almost left his body.
"Gah—!!"
"Get out!"
With surprising strength, she shoved him back through the doorway, slamming the bathroom door shut in his face.
A beat of silence followed.
Then—
"…Ow…" Rito groaned, rubbing his head.
As he sat there on the floor, trying to process what just happened, a single thought crossed his mind.
"So the skill doesn't last forever, huh?"
He exhaled sharply.
"Welp… at least I got to see something nice before the pain."