"Is this kid's affection level rising a bit too fast…"
Just feeding him was enough to boost his affection? Even picking up a stray cat wouldn’t have been this quick, let alone dealing with an annoying human toddler…
Nianzi spooned out the strawberry yogurt she’d bought from the supermarket, watching as the child obediently ate, while the constant chime of "Affection +1, +1, +1…" echoed in her ears. She couldn’t help but mutter to herself.
That’s right—after returning from the supermarket, she’d found the baby still unattended in the stroller, left alone at the back door of a nightclub without so much as a cry. He just sat there, quiet as if in a daze.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Nianzi stole him!
So this was what "pickpocketing" meant.
Though Nianzi was baffled—why was a two-and-a-half-year-old even a romanceable target? How was she supposed to "romance" him? This wasn’t even pedophilia territory! But since she hadn’t found any other targets yet, she figured she might as well try her luck and see what happened if she maxed out his affection first.
So she started feeding the baby snacks from her grocery haul—yogurt, pudding, whatever she gave him, he ate. There was something unsettling about this kid. He didn’t even react to being kidnapped. Shouldn’t kids this age recognize strangers? Why wasn’t he crying for his mom?
Not only that, but he was eerily well-behaved. He hadn’t spoken a word until now, just silently accepted Nianzi’s offerings while staring at her with an unnerving gaze. Finally, after finishing his meal, the little boy spoke up.
"Thank you, big sister."
Huh?
Nianzi was surprised. This kid seemed sharp—polite, even. He clearly knew she wasn’t his mother, yet he didn’t ask where his mom was.
After saying that, Shunan yawned, as if completely at ease, and curled up in the stroller to sleep.
Talk about nerves of steel!
And what enviable baby-like sleep quality… Well, he was a baby. Nianzi couldn’t help but think of herself—somehow, she always ended up trapped in horrific nightmares, dreaming of murder, dissecting corpses, or worse, turning into Hannibal Lecter. She never slept well.
Her brain was definitely messed up. Maybe finishing this game would give her answers…
Alright, what now?
Right on cue, the system helpfully popped up with another prompt.
You’ve taken in the child abandoned behind the nightclub. Before you realize you might hurt him, you decide to:
A. Call the police and hand him over, letting them find his mother.
B. Talk to Mr. Mikawa, the café owner, and ask for advice.
C. Strangle him and see how long it takes for him to cry.
…What?
Why were there always such demonic options? What kind of person was she?
Nianzi grimaced. Though her destructive urges hadn’t faded, it was weird how this kid’s silence hadn’t irritated her yet. Still, she had a strange premonition—she might end up hurting him in her sleep.
That’s probably why the system gave that third warning. The other two options were about sending the kid away.
Option A had its own problems, though. Nianzi knew any woman who’d dump a baby stroller behind a nightclub wasn’t exactly upstanding—probably an intentional abandonment. Handing him to the police was the obvious choice, but there was likely a trap here. The mother was probably neglectful at best.
Option B might be worth a shot. Mr. Mikawa was a reliable adult—maybe he’d have a better idea. But then Nianzi checked the affection meter.
Five whole points already?!
She barely hesitated for five seconds before deciding to tie herself to the bed.
Whatever!
If max affection was 100, and all she had to do was feed him to raise it, then she could probably grind this out fast. If she couldn’t control herself, then she’d just make herself controllable. Wow, she was a genius!
So after confirming Shunan was asleep, Nianzi closed her eyes and slipped back into her dreams.
Normally, she’d dream of doing terrible things with some devil-like creature. But tonight, she dreamed she was another woman—seeing herself and several other women of different ethnicities lying naked on a dark red velvet bed in a vast, shadowy room, waiting for the attention of a faceless blond man.
Dreams weren’t supposed to have scent or sensation, yet she could swear she smelled blood—thick and metallic.
The tall blond man beckoned to one of the women beside her. The woman’s face lit up with joy, and under the envious stares of the others, she rose and approached him. The man gently caressed her neck—then, in the next instant, his lips curled back, revealing sharp fangs that sank deep into her throat, draining her into a withered husk in seconds—
"…"
Nianzi woke up calmly.
Huh. That dream was… lighter than usual. She didn’t know who she’d dreamed of, but compared to her usual nightmares, it was almost pleasant. She’d actually slept well.
Outside, birds chirped. She stretched, realizing the baby was already awake—sitting quietly in the stroller, watching her without a sound.
"Ah, good morning."
Nianzi blinked at Shunan before remembering she’d ignored him all night. She’d never raised a kid before, but she figured she should probably feed him and help him use the bathroom. Struggling out of the ropes she’d tied herself with, she asked, "Are you hungry? Need the bathroom? Oh—crap, I forgot to buy diapers!"
Please don’t let him have gone in the stroller. She’d have preferred him crying to wake her up. But the little boy just shook his head, giving her a reassuring answer.
"Yes, I’m hungry. But I’ve already used the bathroom."
He pointed toward the toilet, then added softly, "Thank you for taking care of me yesterday, big sister."
He could use the toilet on his own? Smarter than she’d thought…
Nianzi wasn’t fond of kids, but if they were this well-behaved, she could tolerate them. Hopping out of bed (thankfully, it was the weekend), she quickly boiled water for formula while putting on an act. "It was too late yesterday, but after breakfast, I’ll take you to find your mom, okay?"
Not that she meant it. She planned to grind more affection before sending him back. She couldn’t keep him forever—what kind of bizarre storyline would that be? Besides, she had school!
"Okay. Thank you, big sister."
The boy nodded, never opposing any suggestion Nianzi made. So she quickly finished her morning routine, fed Shunan some milk and bread, and prepared to take him out for a stroll.
She had noticed that the daily affection points gained from just feeding him had a cap, so she needed to take other actions to increase his fondness for her. After all, once the weekend break was over, the café owner would discover she’d "borrowed" a child, and she had to maximize the affection points before returning him.
"Where would you like to go?"
Nianzi tried her best to appear kind and gentle as she asked the boy.
"I want to see the snow," he said softly, but then, as if reconsidering, quickly added, "But a walk in the park is fine, sis."
Of course, she had to take him to see the snow.
Nianzi mentally calculated the distance. The only place with snow right now was Sendai City—not too far, but not exactly close either. Still, since she had the whole weekend free and had already secured a "sponsor NPC" last night, she didn’t need to waste time on part-time work. Without hesitation, she declared, "Let’s go see the snow!"
"R-Really? Thank you, sis!"
The boy’s eyes instantly lit up. Nianzi was the type to act on impulse, so after hurriedly finishing her schoolwork, she bought bus tickets straight to Sendai.
True enough, heavy snow was falling. The moment they stepped out of Sendai’s Morioh Station, the streets were already blanketed in white. She had booked a hot spring hotel, planning to spend the whole next day there before heading back. Shunan sneezed several times in a row, but Nianzi herself felt no chill at all. She wrapped him in her coat and lifted him into her arms.
"I’ll carry you so you don’t slip."
This must be why the dating sim had strength and stamina stats—with her 13 Strength and 10 Stamina, holding Shunan was effortless. The boy blinked at her in surprise before hesitantly asking, "Aren’t you cold, sis?"
"Not at all. If you’re still cold, just tell me, and I’ll buy you warmer clothes."
Nianzi answered cheerfully, then heard the system prompt: Shunan expresses agreement.
"Sis, you’re so nice to me."
Affection points increased by five.
This is way too easy… she mused silently. Filling the meter is just a matter of time. But how do I trigger the story route? What kind of plotline could a two-and-a-half-year-old even have?! Unless… it expects me to become his stepmom?!
Suppressing her inner complaints, she carried Shunan down the street. The snow had piled up to calf height, partially frozen, with no signs of stopping. The market probably wouldn’t even open tomorrow—no one would go out in this weather unless absolutely necessary. Still, Shunan was excitedly looking around when, suddenly, Nianzi heard a cry for help nearby.
"Miss! Over here—could you help me? My car’s stuck in the snow!"
She turned and saw a woman in her twenties stepping out of a car in the distance, waving frantically.
"I’m so sorry, but my son’s had a high fever for days! I need to get him to the hospital!"
System Prompt:
A stranger is asking for your help. What will you do?
A. "I’ll try." Attempt to lift the car’s rear seat. (Requires a Strength check.)
B. "I’ll go find someone." Look around for others to assist.
C. "Then let your son die, and you can join him."—Refuse and tell her not to bother people.
…?
What kind of option is C?! That’s just inhumane…
A wicked little voice in Nianzi’s mind urged her to ignore the situation—or even pick the worst option and walk away. But just then, she noticed the fourth slot for a romanceable character had lit up.
Character Unlocked: Higashikata Josuke.
Finally, a normal romance target instead of a two-year-old?!
Her eyes sparkled with hope—only to immediately dim in confusion again.
The new romanceable character was the feverish child inside the car. Age: four and a half.
…Hold on, what’s with this game’s target audience?!
