003 – Making a Decision… from the Heart

After revealing his real name, Souta subtly watched Kurumi's expression, trying to gauge her reaction.

Did my response pass the test?

Or am I about to get eliminated…?

"Akizuki… No, Rokuhara-san. As long as you understand, that's good."

Hearing his words, Kurumi let out a small sigh of relief.

What Souta hadn't realized was that Kurumi had actually been nervous as well.

She had invited him because of his mysterious knowledge—he knew too much, could predict future events, and even revealed secrets she herself wasn't aware of.

In her eyes, Souta was not someone to be taken lightly.

She had extended the invitation because she wanted to learn more from him.

But the moment he arrived, he had stumbled upon her crime scene.

That was… awkward.

Although Souta had claimed to accept her actions, she wasn't sure if he really meant it.

If he started fearing her and chose to distance himself, that would be a huge loss.

But thankfully—judging by his response—his values seemed to align with hers.

He wasn't disgusted, nor did he judge her.

That meant he'd be easy to get along with.

With that thought, Kurumi made a suggestion:

"This isn't really the best place for a conversation… Why don't we go somewhere else?"

...

Half an Hour Later—A Coffee Shop in Tengu City

Half an hour later, Rokuhara Souta and Tokisaki Kurumi arrived at a coffee shop in the northern district of Tengu City.

Sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the crowds bustling past outside, Souta couldn't shake a sense of unreality.

So this is it… I've actually transmigrated into the anime world?

"So, Rokuhara-san, your phone… you found it by chance, correct?"

Kurumi's voice pulled Souta back to reality, and the sense of disbelief quickly faded.

Her Spirit outfit was gone, replaced by a simple yet elegant black dress that complemented her pearly white, flawless skin.

Her twin tails were let down, and her long bangs cascaded like a black waterfall, covering the left half of her breathtakingly beautiful face—conveniently concealing the golden clock-like pupil in her left eye.

By the way, the taxi fare to get here and the cost of the coffee…

Kurumi paid for all of it.

Souta had no idea where she got the money from, and honestly, it was probably best not to ask.

Souta nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I found mine by chance. How did you get yours?"

"Oh my, how unexpected—I assumed someone as mysterious as you must have created such a thing."

Kurumi elegantly lifted her cup, took a small sip of coffee, and continued:

"As for mine… Ten days ago, in the middle of my 'meal,' this phone suddenly appeared in my hands."

"Ten days ago…" Souta thought back.

"That's exactly when the 'Friend Invitation' was sent."

"So this so-called invitation… is literally just sending someone a phone."

"Rokuhara-san, do you understand this… 'Multiversal Friendship System'?" Kurumi asked.

"Not really," Souta admitted. "All I know so far is that the system's 'main host' seems to be me. It sends invitation letters to others, and those who accept the invitation appear in the chat group. And… members of the group—like you—can invite me to their world."

Souta couldn't help but feel a strange sense of disconnect hearing Kurumi say the words "Multiversal Friendship System".

It just didn't match her aesthetic… like seeing a gothic anime character suddenly talk about internet slang.

"By the way, have you ever tried throwing the phone away?" Souta suddenly remembered something.

When he got transported, he clearly remembered dropping the phone in shock—yet after arriving in this world, it had somehow reappeared in his pocket.

Maybe Kurumi had experienced the same thing?

"I did, at first," Kurumi nodded slightly.

"But no matter how many times I threw it away, it always returned to my hand. I also tried destroying it, but it appears to have an indestructible attribute—nothing I do can damage it."

Hearing this, Souta looked at the phone in his hand and sighed in amazement.

"So I've really picked up… something unbelievable, huh?"

At this point, he had fully accepted the reality of the "Multiversal Friendship System."

As he took a sip of coffee, he and Kurumi continued discussing various details about the phone.

Then, they discovered something surprising—

The phone had a built-in translation feature.

No wonder Kurumi understood all the Chinese messages he had sent earlier.

It automatically translated all text messages, and even verbal conversations in real time.

Souta even tested it by speaking Chinese, and Kurumi still understood him perfectly.

As for why he could understand her Japanese without translation…

He figured it was because he already knew Japanese, so the system didn't need to translate it for him.

As Souta pondered this, Kurumi quietly observed him from across the table.

She estimated his age to be around twenty.

His face was delicate and well-defined, giving off a handsome charm—his looks were undeniably high-tier.

However, his slightly unkempt appearance made him seem a bit messy.

Good-looking? Yes.

But… he's completely different from what I imagined.

In Kurumi's mind, Souta should have had a more enigmatic, unfathomable aura.

Instead…

He looked like an ordinary person.

No Spirit power, no remarkable physique.

Aside from being good-looking, he was indistinguishable from a regular guy you'd see on the street.

So how does he know so many of my secrets?

How could he even predict the future?

Had she misjudged him?

"Rokuhara-san… you're very different from what I imagined."

Kurumi didn't bother with subtle hints—she asked directly:

"Tell me, how do you know so much about me? Including all those secrets?"

Based on their earlier conversations, it was clear that they each came from completely different worlds.

Kurumi was already aware of the concept of "neighboring worlds", so the idea of alternate universes wasn't surprising to her.

What confused her was—

How could someone from another world know so much about her?

Even her most personal information…

Including her three sizes: B85 / W59 / H87.

To be honest, that last part made her a little wary.

If Souta hadn't already provided so much valuable intel, her attitude toward him would have been very different upon meeting him.

"..."

Hearing Kurumi's question, Souta froze mid-sip of his coffee.

"Oh my?"

Kurumi's curiosity deepened as she leaned forward slightly.

"Did I ask something inconvenient, Rokuhara-san?"

"..."

Souta remained silent, internally debating how to respond.

Should he act mysterious, using his knowledge of anime and light novels as a bargaining chip to gain leverage?

Or should he just be honest?

A tense atmosphere began to build between them.

Kurumi's golden eye narrowed slightly as she stared at him, waiting for his answer.

After about thirty seconds, Souta exhaled softly, as if releasing a heavy burden.

"Alright… I'll just be honest with you."

After thinking it through, Souta realized—

He was not cut out for playing the "mysterious big shot."

He was just a regular guy.

And besides, the whole point of the Multiversal Friendship System was to make friends.

Between friends, honesty was always best—it made things simpler, easier, and more enjoyable.

Deception was exhausting, and the risk of getting caught in a lie was too high.

"Lying and scheming is just too much trouble," Souta thought to himself.

"Might as well just tell the truth."