The Passive Income System

"Hah~" Ruby let out a relaxing sigh, sinking into the couch with a big smile plastered on her face. Mahiru, sitting beside her, stretched her arms above her head before letting them drop limply onto her lap, looking much more at ease. Ruby's blonde hair was tied into a neat bun, while Mahiru had opted for a high ponytail, a few loose strands sticking to her slightly damp neck.

Thankfully, the two were dressed in pajamas and hadn't come out in just towels—because my little brother would have definitely made a loud appearance.

"You can go ahead, Amane!" Ruby chirped as she scooted closer to me. She was dressed in light pink pajamas that naturally highlighted her figure, the fabric loose yet hugging her curves in just the right places. They looked incredibly comfortable, so much so that I briefly considered buying some for myself. But as a dude, I slept naked, so I probably wouldn't like them. Nothing beat the freedom of sleeping in the nude.

"Just don't do anything weird!" Mahiru shot me a warning look, crossing her arms—unintentionally emphasizing her already blessed chest.

"So, this is the power of bathing together..." I muttered under my breath, but Ruby still caught it.

"Eh? Why bring that up?" she asked, tilting her head, her golden eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"You see, Mahiru here is way more comfortable making jokes like that now," I pointed out, flashing a knowing smirk.

"Oh! You're right! Mahiru is becoming more devilish..." Ruby grinned mischievously, leaning in slightly toward Mahiru.

"A succubus, you think?" I mused, my lips curling into a teasing grin.

"Bhahaha! I called her that same thing in the bath!" Ruby laughed, clapping her hands together before nudging Mahiru playfully.

"Haha~"

'I definitely shouldn't say, "I know," but damn, I heard everything they talked about in that bath.'

"Shut up, you two! You're the real demons here!" Mahiru huffed, her cheeks tinged pink as she pulled her pajama collar up like she was trying to shield herself from our teasing.

Ruby and I exchanged glances, eyebrows raised in sync. She let out a cute, playful "Hmm~" while twirling a strand of her damp hair between her fingers.

I nodded.

"We know that!" the two of us smugly declared in unison, high-fiving for extra emphasis.

"You two are unbelievable!"

"Blehh."

"Oh yeah…!"

"A-MAWHIERU!"

"Oh my god!" I shouted, making both of them snap their heads toward me. It was even funnier because Ruby was being held by the tongue. Mahiru tilted her head, and Ruby… well, she tried her best.

"This is a perfect example of 'cat got your tongue'?"

"But I'm not a cat?" Mahiru's face twitched at my words.

"No, you'd definitely be a white cat if you were one."

Mahiru turned away from me, looking at the mouse she had trapped in her hand. Letting go, Ruby quickly retracted her tongue and covered her mouth.

"M-Mahiru, if you want my tongue, we can go back to the bathroom~"

Mahiru jumped and looked at Ruby in horror. She shrank into the couch so much I thought she was trying to fuse with it!

"Uh… while you two do that, I'm going to go shower." I left, dazed. Those two being next to each other wasn't good for my heart… or my lower half.

I stepped into the bathroom and started running the shower like normal, left alone with my thoughts and the sound of the water while I undressed. All the chaotic nonsense from before almost felt like a fever dream.

I tossed my dirty clothes into the laundry basket and set my fresh ones on the counter. I know I said I slept naked, but I couldn't exactly do that with two girls I hadn't gotten that far with yet.

'Damn it, Sawako!'

Sawako's words aligned with my desire for a harem, but for it to come this easily just felt… unnatural. I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over me, slowly settling my thoughts. Minutes passed, and I found myself lost in a trance of relaxation. Honestly, it felt like how enlightenment was supposed to feel.

"Hah~. However tonight goes, please, System, don't hit me with bullshit when you come back online."

I sighed under the hot stream. In only a few more hours, the System would reboot, and I could finally feel normal again.

'To think, the System had affected my life so much in just a month.'

I had spent two decades without a System, yet after just one month with it, being without it felt unnatural.

Anyway.

I went through my usual shower routine, then dried off and brushed my teeth. I put on my pants but left my shirt off. There was no way I could sleep comfortably with it on. The pants were fine since they were loose, but the shirt? That would just ruin everything.

I stepped out of the bathroom, my damp hair slicked back. The two girls weren't on the couch anymore and I could start to hear them in my room.

"It's surp—"

"I know, you'd thin—"

"Yeah, but where's the porn?"

"..."

As I got closer, their conversation became clearer. Ruby's curiosity wasn't surprising, but Mahiru? My image of her was changing fast. It also didn't help that Ruby and I were probably corrupting her… but let's not mention that.

Neither of them noticed me walking into the room. I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching them.

The two were digging through my stuff, clearly searching for what I could only assume were porn magazines. But come on, we were in the digital age so their search was doomed from the start. Not that I needed porn anymore, but still!

"Ahem!"

"Eek!" Mahiru jumped, looking like someone had stepped on her imaginary tail.

"AH?!" Ruby practically leaped onto my bed, grabbing a pillow and flipping it around, ready to throw it like a weapon.

It was hilarious.

"Bhahahahaha~!" I clutched my stomach in laughter. I couldn't even lean on the doorframe anymore—I was laughing too hard!