*Pop!*

*Sip~*

"Hah~ Here you go." Takashi smiled passing a can of soda to a grumpy and embarrassed-looking Saya, while he sipped from his can. 

"Thank you." Saya mumbled out receiving the can. She groaned rubbing her wrist as she gave Takashi a stink eye while popping her soda. "My wrist is still sore."

"Meh, you deserved it."

"Wha-"

"You tried to slap me after all." Takashi grinned while Saya huffed looking away. "I only defended myself."

"B-But still! Why did you have to say something so embarrassing in front of the whole class?!"

"Well, I wanted to hug you."

"Awawa! See! T-That right there! How can you even say that with a straight face?!" Saya exclaimed while Takashi just laughed it off sitting beside her, leaning against the rooftop wall. 

"Meh, I wasn't thinking. I saw you after so long and I... I just wanted to hug you." Takashi smiled looking at her while Saya looked away. 

"W-Whatever! It seems like you really missed me so I'll let this matter slide!" Saya replied hiding her smile. Takashi chuckled to himself as he set his can aside and suddenly decide to hug her. 

"What-"

"Thank you, Miss Takagi! Thank you for accepting my feelings!" Takashi cooed in an overly excited voice while Saya struggled, attempting to free herself but Takashi's grip was too strong.

"I-Idiot! What do you think you are doing?! H-Hugging me all of a sudden?! Indecent! This is s-sexual harassment! I'll tell my mom! Pervert! Pervert! Hentai-"

"I missed you, Saya Takagi and I'm sorry I ignored you for so long." Takashi said all of a sudden as Saya froze in her place. Pulling back Takashi smiled patting her cheek. "I won't do it again."

"S-So, you realised your mistake, huh?" Saya harrumphed as Takashi nodded getting up. "You... You really did change."

"Yep and I hope it's for the best." Takashi winked walking towards the rooftop door. "I'll see you in a few-woah!"

Takashi was startled as Saya suddenly got up and hugged him from behind. Her arms wrapped around his torso, clutching his abdomen tightly as she buried her face into his back. 

"Saya-"

"Shut up and just let me enjoy this." Saya mumbled as Takashi just smiled shaking his head. Clutching her hands over his torso, Takashi smiled looking at the sky, and enjoying the blissful breeze. 

"I missed you, too."

"I know..."

"Good." Saya said pulling back. Turning around Takashi was taken back looking at Saya who was genuinely smiling for once with a bashful expression. 

Extending his arm, Takashi offered her his hand which she gladly took as they both walked down the rooftop. 

"So..."

"So...?"

"*Ahem* So, you wanna go out to eat? There is a new place near that sells fabulous food, wanna check it out with me?"

Saya looked at Takashi with a grin and nodded enthusiastically.

"I would love to!"

------

Ever since his transmigration, everything had been going smooth for Takashi and he has been in a good mood overall and even when things weren't as fluid as he expected, he was able to sail past them without busting a knee over it. 

As such there were only a few things that could annoy Takashi. And the Nerf Patch the system just received was one of them. 

Waking up Takashi expected to be greeted by his beautiful mother with a glass of milk, instead, he was awakened an hour before his usual time by the annoying buzzing of the system and opening his eyes he was greeted by the system prompt. 

[System Update Succesful!

Patch: 1.0.1 has been implemented. 

Note: Please pay close attention. The system was inspected and the unbalanced aspects of it have been fixed with this minor patch. Fixing of such loopholes, required us to implement: 

1. Revised MP charges to unlock new recipes. 

2. Implement proficiency and experience sub-systems.

3. Added a customization sub-system.

Thank-you.]

"Minor patch my ass." Takashi muttered getting out of his bed. Inspecting his system Takashi sighed rubbing his temples. 

It seemed like some in the upper echelons of the 'Higher Plane' finally took notice of Takashi's system and just how absurd it was and decided to do something about it. Sighing Takashi could see why someone would do that. The system basically had zero restrictions besides gathering MP which Takashi would have been able to farm literally anywhere once the shit went down. 

While Takashi could understand the reason doesn't mean that he wasn't annoyed. While there weren't any restrictions placed on the things he could craft, the new price tags on items made it night impossible for Takashi to just dismantle stuff and buy whatever he wanted. 

If one thousand the price tag for a lightsaber was insane before then the only way to describe would be 'lecherously absurd'. But it wasn't like Takashi wouldn't be able to obtain them at all. 

Takashi's Proficiency level in various facets of crafting would impact the store prices of items. For example, it Takashi had no idea how guns and ammunition were made then, a single bullet could cost as much as a gold bar and similarly if Takashi had in-depth knowledge about how they were made then Takashi could obtain them for as cheap as a potato. 

So even having half-assed knowledge would help Takashi negotiate with the System. 

Another nerf, the system received was that after unlocking the recipe using MP, the system wouldn't automatically craft and present the item to Takashi. Takashi would have to spend MP on each component separately before he was able to craft the final product.

To be honest, Takashi thought it was a fair patch. Someone up there didn't want Takashi to play God with the system and as a mere, powerless mortal, Takashi had no place to argue. 

"Hah... I guess it's not that bad, to be honest." Takashi sighed before his face morphed into a smirk. While the system was nerfed at its core, the new Customization sub-system easily made up as a consolation. 

As the name suggests it allowed Takashi to customize something by spending MP on it. The sub-system was thoroughly fleshed out and based on Takashi's intent and the targeted object, the system presented Takashi with a list of mods/upgrades that Takashi could potentially install onto the object. 

For example, Takashi grabbed the baseball bat that was against his wall and concentrated. Sure enough, the system prompt appeared and a new UI appeared in front of his eyes. The HUD displayed a detailed 3D model of the bat. 

Smiling to himself, Takashi selected the grip of the bat and a list appeared. From cheap, duct tape grip, to leather of various kinds, everything. Takashi was satisfied. From the colour of the bat to the main component, everything was upgradable and customizable. 

Closing the door, Takashi looked at the sturdy metal bat in his hand that only a few moments ago was a worn-out wooden baseball bat and grinned. 

"This isn't so bad after all." Takashi stored the bat in his inventory and jumped back into the bed. The Nerf Patch thankfully wasn't a huge issue Takashi realised it was a blessing in disguise. Takashi would have to learn and actually craft stuff with his own two hands to gain experience and increase proficiency levels. Not only did it stop Takashi from being overly dependent on the system but it would also allow Takashi to be self-sufficient in case he ever lost the system. 

The patch was sudden and unexpected, and while Takashi was a bit regretful he was thanking his lucky stars that he had bought everything he needed a day ago and he was happy that the System didn't confiscate them. 

Staring at the ceiling Takashi nodded in his heart, six months were already over. Fifty-four more before the Z-Day. He needed to get serious.

"But for now... A few more minutes, I'll sleep."

Takashi had to get some shut-eye. After all, the past week with Saya had been exhausting and the glare from the boys and Rei certainly didn't do anything to improve his predicament.

(A/N: So, Takashi and Saya are together, but not 'together', together? Do you understand? So, no pervy stuff just yet.)

Takashi's dreams full of bliss barely lasted half an hour as he was jolted up by his mother with a smile. 

"Mum... Good morning." Takashi yawned, internally grumbling to himself as he got out of the bed and stretched his stiff muscles. "Mmm... I thought you'd let me sleep a few minutes ago, considering it's a holiday today."

"Takashi honey, I would have let you sleep but something came up earlier than I expected." Raya said with a smile causing Takashi to raise an eyebrow. "Our guests decided to show up earlier than expected."

"Wait... Aunt Camilla is here already?" Takashi asked surprised as he hastily walked towards the closet and put on some pants. 

"It's not just her." Raya said with a wry smile. "You remember Akali, right?"

"...who?"

------

Looking at the pair of half-sisters in front of him Takashi analysed them while maintaining a calm exterior. 

Camilla was close to his mom's age, six months and four days younger than Raya to be exact which meant she was in her late thirties but neither of the women looked a day older than their late twenties. 

Camilla sipped the tea with maturity with only age could bring and grace which could only be obtained by practising such ritual, again and again, she was a businesswoman after all and such formalities were possibly mundane to her. 

"You have grown well since the last time I saw you, Takashi." Camilla smiled politely, tucking a strand of her raven behind her ear as her green eyes scanned Takashi's person. 

"Thank you and you look far more beautiful and healthier than my memory can recall. It's good to see you again, Aunt Camilla." Takashi returned the compliment with a simple smile. "And you have really changed Akali. And for the better. You have become more beautiful and ladylike. The new hairstyle suits you well."

Camilla politely laughed the compliment off, which was to be expected of a woman of her social standing and experience while Akali's smile visibly flattered as her hazel eyes darted around the room looking at anything but Takashi. 

"You are certainly are your mother's child." Camilla smiled. "And yeah, Camilla became more reserved after... An accident. She nearly lost her eye and has learnt humility since then."

Akali fidgeted in her place while Takashi saw Camilla's smile strain for a moment before she shook it off. 

'Strange.'

Akali was the result of Camilla's father, Kazuhira's tomfoolery with his secretary. In a drunken stupor, he had assaulted her and impregnated her, as such it made her an illegitimate child. This was also the reason for the major age difference between the two half-sisters as Camilla was way past the preferred marriage age and Akali was only two years older than Takashi. 

After the legal matters were settled, Camilla's mother, Amanda out of kindness and understanding forced Kazuhira to marry Akali's mother, Anikka so that the woman didn't have to burden raising the child by herself. While the relationship between Amanda and Kazuhira had worsened they didn't get a divorce and chose to live separately. Amanda housed Anikka, helping her raise Akila and because of that, they were as close as real sisters.

(A/N: Camilla is Japanese-American with her mom being American. Akali is Japanese-Russian with her mom being Russian. Also, Kazuhira is a nod towards Kazuhira Miller from Metal Gears and as you may know, that Kazuhira too was a damn womanizer.)

"Oh my god, that's terrible what happened?" Raya asked as Camilla opened her mouth to answer only to be interrupted 

The watch on Akila's wrist went off, blinking and ringing, alarming her and her elder sister. 

"Oh, dear. I think it's time for your medicine Akila." Camilla said as Akila nodded, sparing Takashi a last glance she rushed out and up towards the guest bedroom where their luggage was. 

'Interesting indeed.' Takashi mused to himself as he observed Akila leave, more specifically the watch on her had which was oddly familiar to him. 'That... Is that a biomarker?'

"Is she okay?" Raya asked worried as Camilla simply waved it off. 

"It's nothing to be concerned about." Camilla said taking a bite from the toast. "She just had a fever a few days ago." 

Raya nodded before quickly changing the topic and asking about various things that Takashi felt would bore him to death, luckily Akila returned after a few minutes looking more colourful than before which confirmed Takashi's doubt. 

"Damn women... 'Nothing to be concerned about', my ass." Takashi muttered under his breath as Akila sat infront of him and hesitantly waved at him. 'Just what is she thinking roaming around with an infected.'

Takashi's train of thoughts was interrupted as the conversation between the two women shifted onto him. 

"So, have you decided what you want to do with your life Takashi?" Camilla asked lightly expecting a complex answer and Takashi was anything but a person who played by the book.

"I want to craft things." Takashi simply smiled throwing Camilla off as Raya simply sighed. 

"You want to become an inventor?" Camilla asked curiously as Takashi simply shrugged. 

"Well, crafting and inventing are kind of similar so I guess you can say so." Takashi replied as Camilla nodded slowly. 

Takashi was well-mannered and collected for a child his age. He replied only of what he was asked for and didn't elaborate as he wasn't required to. Choosing not to go for the impression-making, big cheap talk route. 

"What do you plan on making?"

"Various things."

"Umm, that's quite an ambitiously wide alley you have set for yourself. I'm not sure I follow."

"Well, furniture, weapons, gadgets, etc. to make human life more convenient." Takashi smiled as he partially disclosed his plans. 'As if humans need more 'convenience'. With the shit that's about to happen, some small 'inconvenience' would be the last thing to lose sleep over.'

"So, you must have prepared according, right? What's your plan?"

"For the most part, yes. But I'm short on several things, especially on the experience side but that's to be expected since I've only started." Takashi replied vaguely maintaining the same smile. "But that can be easily taken care of as I'm planning to sign up for practical courses alongside my studies."

"That's good, so you want to be a craftsman. If you become a good one, I might hire you someday." Camilla smiled. "Though you'll need a degree to show for."

"Of course." Takashi smiled. 'Unfortunately or fortunately, I won't be able to even graduate. Also, that degree would be just a paper in the face of the apocalypse.'

"Anyways, what are you interested in these days? Music? Sports? Movies?"

"Oh, lately Takashi has been interested in Mrs Takagi's daughter." Raya butter in between with a grin as Takashi rolled his eyes.

"Saya?" Camilla asked surprised.

"Yeah-"

"Zombies." Takashi decided he had fucked around enough and decided to strike the nail. Akila choked on the water she was drinking, spitting it out in a coughing fit while Camilla just stared at him with a blank face. 

"Oh my god! Akila dear are you okay?!"

"I-I'm good, auntie." Akila spoke up for the first time as she quickly wipes her mouth staring at Takashi. 

"Takashi..."

"Well, you see I've been researching on Zombies as the topic for an assignment of theoretical science." Takashi explained as Camilla visibly relaxed while Akila audibly sighed cementing Takashi's doubts. 

"That's good." Camilla replied with a smile. "So you are going to argue they exist, right?"

"Yep."

"So do you have anything, reference, evidence to support your argument?" Camilla asked taking a bite of her toast while Takashi grinned. 

"Yep, I was actually hoping you would ask that question." 

"Oh... Really?"

"Yeah, that evidence is the Harran Virus." Takashi grinned. Takashi took pleasure as he saw Camilla almost choke on the toast she was eating. Takashi didn't retract his gaze as Camilla glared at him sharply. "Pretty neat, yeah? But, I need an expert opinion and since you are a micro-biologist yourself I would like to have a... Intellectual exchange on the topic."

Staring at the petrified Akila, Camilla slowly nodded while Raya remained clueless unable to follow the conversation.

"Alright Takashi, you have my attention now." Camilla sighed. "Come let's go upstairs and about it."

Takashi smiled getting up from his seat and gesturing towards the stairs with a grin. 

"Ladies first~"