The living room was too quiet. Too charged.
Aya Shirogane—Earth's strongest Awakened, UR rank, flawless, lethal, and currently barefoot—sat on Kaito's beat-up couch like a royal who'd just been forced to live in a peasant hut. She crossed her arms, her gaze sharp enough to slice through walls.
Kaito, meanwhile, was sitting on the floor with a can of cold coffee, re-evaluating every life choice that had led him here. Including not sweeping under the couch since the last World Cup.
"So," he said, breaking the silence, "do you want the bed or the floor?"
Aya blinked once. "You think I'm sleeping here?"
"Uh, yes? We're cohabiting. System rules." Kaito wiggled his fingers sarcastically. "Y'know—collaborate, cohabitate, and… consummate."
He regretted that last word instantly.
Aya's cheeks twitched. "You say that again, I'll test my lightning spear on your PS5."
Kaito clutched the console protectively. "Woah! Alright, let's not go nuclear!"
He chugged his canned coffee like a health potion and set it down. His heart raced—not because he was nervous around a beautiful woman (though she was absurdly attractive, even when glaring), but because she radiated an aura of "try me and die" like a Dragon Ball villain.
"Look," Kaito said, raising his hands in surrender. "We just need to survive. You don't have to like me. You don't have to talk to me. But if we mess up, we both die. So… let's not mess up."
Aya narrowed her eyes. "…Fine. But I have conditions."
"Oh no."
"One: No speaking to me unless I initiate."
"That's gonna be hard."
"Two: No entering the bathroom while I'm in it. I'll fry you."
"Reasonable."
"Three: No touching."
Kaito raised a finger. "What if the System says—?"
"I'll find a loophole."
"Right, got it. No touching." He scratched his cheek. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be my wife, you're not very wifely."
Aya stood up, towering over him. "For someone who's supposed to be my partner, you don't look like you could fight a mosquito."
Kaito grinned. "That's the idea."
She frowned. "What?"
"Nothing."
He wasn't lying, technically. It was the idea. The longer she underestimated him, the easier it would be to avoid unnecessary attention. Kaito didn't plan to reveal anything about his power—not to her, not to the world. Not yet.
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE: Partner Synchronization in Progress…]
Both of them flinched as glowing light circled their wrists, forming faint bands that pulsed with each heartbeat.
[SYNC RATE: 0.1% — VERY LOW]
[WARNING: LIFE LINK ENABLED. IF ONE DIES, BOTH DIE.]
[TIP: Increase Sync Rate by interacting, training, or engaging in joint activities.]
Another screen popped.
[NEW QUEST: COUPLE'S FIRST NIGHT!]
[Objective: Reach 1% Sync before sunrise.]
[Penalty for failure: Random status debuff for 24 hours.]
Kaito stared at it.
Aya stared at it.
"…You've gotta be kidding," Kaito muttered.
Aya's face darkened. "What the hell kind of system is this?! Is this a dating sim or a death game?!"
Kaito pulled out his phone, which now only displayed System functions. "Okay, okay, let's think logically. We need to reach 1% sync. That means we do something… couple-y. Friendly."
Aya crossed her arms again. "Like what?"
"Eat together? Watch TV? Play video games?"
"I don't do childish things."
Kaito's grin returned. "Oh? Scared of losing to a weakling?"
Her eye twitched. "Set up the controller."
---
30 Minutes Later
"You're cheating!"
"How can I cheat in Mario Kart?!"
"You rigged this somehow! I've never lost seven races in a row!"
Kaito cackled like a gremlin. "Welcome to my domain!"
Aya growled, her UR aura flickering in neon rage. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Listen, if we don't get that sync up, we both get cursed. So technically, I'm saving our lives. With banana peels."
[SYNC RATE: 0.5% — Improving.]
They both blinked at the notification.
"…This is working?" Aya asked, dumbfounded.
Kaito scratched his head. "Guess the System likes friendly bickering."
Aya sighed, then slumped back into the couch. She was still in her combat outfit from the day before, but without her usual armor or weaponry. Just her, raw power barely restrained by a black zip-up hoodie she found in Kaito's laundry pile.
"You know," she said after a long pause, "this is the first time I've been in someone else's home in years."
Kaito tilted his head. "Seriously?"
"People fear me. Avoid me. My power makes them nervous."
"Well, yeah. You did vaporize a wyvern on TV."
Aya didn't smile, but her posture relaxed. "Still. It's weird. Being here. Playing games. Talking. I forgot what normal feels like."
Kaito stared at her, a little surprised by her honesty.
"Well," he said softly, "you're welcome to my trashy apartment of normalcy."
She smirked faintly. "Don't get used to it. I still hate you."
"Aw, we're bonding!"
"Keep talking and I'll choke you with a Joy-Con."
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE: SYNC RATE 1.0% — QUEST COMPLETE!]
[Reward: Temporary Buff – Double Stamina Regen for 24 Hours.]
Kaito leaned back, stretching. "Nice. We survived our first test."
Aya stood, stretching too, and for the briefest moment, looked… content.
"Alright," she said, heading to the bathroom. "I'm claiming the bed tonight."
"Sure, I love floors anyway. They build character."
She paused at the doorway. "Kaito."
"Yeah?"
"…Thanks. For not being completely useless."
Then she disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Kaito blinking.
He flopped back on the couch and let out a long breath.
"So," he murmured to himself. "Still underestimated. Still alive. Good start."
He glanced at the glowing band on his wrist.
[Rank: ???]
[Ability: ???]
[Level: ???]
His power remained a mystery. Even to him.
But tonight, for the first time, he felt like maybe—just maybe—he could survive this crazy world.
---
Meanwhile, in Another Part of the World…
A news broadcast blared as an S-rank Awakened in Russia accidentally launched a mini-blizzard during a sneeze.
In China, a group of SS-rank monks were trying to meditate their way out of the marriage rule.
In America, someone had created an entire dating app for Awakened pairs titled "Swipe to Survive."
The world was changing.
Some adapted.
Some panicked.
And somewhere, far away, a shadowed figure watched Kaito's profile on a giant screen.
"…Unknown rank," the figure whispered. "He doesn't know what he is yet. But when he does…"
The screen crackled.
"…The world won't be ready."
---