The hospital's corridors were polished to a sterile shine, humming faintly under the fluorescent lights. Shen Yuo stepped out of the elevator, a paper bag of bakery treats in one hand and his phone in the other. The System UI floated unobtrusively in his peripheral vision, a quiet presence since the banter-heavy dorm return the previous night.
He had received a light-hearted message from Nurse Ayaka earlier:
> [Ayaka 🩷]
"Hey, Cookie Prince 🍪 — you bringing sweets or just sweet smiles today?"
Shen had chuckled, unsure if she was just being friendly or toeing the line of flirtation. The System didn't offer a definitive answer, only marking her profile with a glowing "Flirtatious Receptivity Level: 71%".
He reached Room 608 — Yuo Xin's room.
Inside, the air was softly perfumed by fresh lilies from a hospital bouquet, and his younger sister was propped up in bed, reading an old manga volume. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him.
"Gege!" she beamed, setting the book down. "I was starting to think you forgot your promise."
Shen smiled, moving to set the bag on the tray. "As if I'd miss a pastry date with you."
They shared a few laughs as she inspected the treats, fingers dancing over sugar-dusted buns and nut-filled cookies. She nibbled one carefully, then asked, "Did you bake this yourself?"
"Half of them. Sarada helped with the others."
"She's the pretty bakery lady, right?"
He blinked. "How do you even know that?"
Yuo Xin winked. "One of the nurses was gossiping outside. Something about a 'super cute boy getting favors from bakery MILFs.'"
Shen groaned. "This place leaks information like a sieve."
[System Notification: Sister Bond Strengthened +5 | Motivation Buff Activated | Temporary Stat Boost: +2 All Attributes for 24 hrs]
Yuo Xin's health was still fragile. The flashback of her collapse months ago, blood coughing up onto her bedsheets during a late-night study session, haunted Shen even now. The specialists labeled it as an autoimmune vascular disorder — rare, aggressive, and unpredictable. It had wiped out their savings and left them crawling through donation requests until…
Until the System appeared.
He squeezed her hand gently. "You'll get better. I'll make sure of it."
She smiled faintly. "I trust you, gege."
Just then, the door creaked open. In walked Ayaka — the rookie nurse in bubblegum-pink scrubs and cat-print sneakers. Her long ponytail bounced with every step, and she carried a vitals tablet in one hand.
"Well, look who's brightening the whole ward," she teased. "Yuo Xin's favorite visitor — and mine too, maybe."
Yuo Xin giggled. "Ayaka-jie, you're just saying that because he brings snacks."
"Shhh, don't expose my true motives," Ayaka whispered back with a grin. Then she turned to Shen. "Mind if I check her vitals real quick?"
"Not at all."
Ayaka leaned in professionally, but as she adjusted the BP cuff, her eyes kept flicking toward Shen with playful intensity. Her perfume — light vanilla with a lavender finish — teased the air between them.
"Heartbeat looks good… hmm. Your brother might be the real reason your pressure's so calm."
Yuo Xin rolled her eyes. "You two are embarrassing."
Shen chuckled, but his phone vibrated.
> [System Notification: Ayaka Flirt Index Surged +10 | Status: Actively Testing Boundaries]
Ayaka finished the readings and tapped them into the tablet. Then, as she stood up, she "accidentally" dropped her pen beneath the bed.
"I'm such a klutz. Shen, would you mind grabbing that?"
He knelt instinctively — and noticed as she didn't move away, her hips hovering closer than needed, the faint shadow of lacy undergarments visible through her thin uniform when she shifted.
[System Prompt: Opportunity Detected — Initiate Phase One Flirt or Maintain Professional Distance?]
> ✔ Initiate Phase One Flirt
Shen looked up from under the bed with a smirk. "You sure that wasn't intentional? You do have three more pens clipped to your collar."
Ayaka feigned innocence, cheeks coloring lightly. "Oops. Busted."
Before she could retreat, Yuo Xin cleared her throat loudly. "Just kiss already."
Both adults froze.
Ayaka laughed nervously, then waved her tablet. "I'll, uh… upload these vitals. Shen, maybe you can walk me out?"
Outside the room, Shen leaned on the wall while Ayaka tapped on her tablet. She took her time, then locked the screen and turned.
"You're more fun than most family visitors. Usually they're crying or yelling."
"I'm working on being the fun brother," Shen replied.
"You're doing a great job… Cookie Prince." She flicked his shoulder teasingly. "So, what if I request your baked goods in return for extra bedside attention?"
"I charge in cookies and maybe… smiles?"
Ayaka's lashes fluttered. "I can be very generous."
[System: Flirtation Level Escalated | Ayaka Compatibility: 77% | Lust Threshold Nearing Trigger Point]
[New System Quest Unlocked: White Coats & Sweet Sins Pt.1 — Fulfill Ayaka's Interest During Late Shift Rendezvous]
The tension hung for a beat. Then Ayaka straightened her scrubs and began walking backward toward the elevator.
"Catch you later, Shen. Try not to bake anything too sinful. Unless I get first taste."
She winked and vanished around the corner.
Shen leaned against the wall, exhaling sharply as his phone pinged again.
> [Viewer Request Notification: 4 Verified Female Subscribers Request "Hospital Hotdrop" Stream Content in Women-Only Mode]
"Of course they do," he murmured.
The corridor emptied slowly after Ayaka's departure, leaving Shen alone with the soft hum of ceiling lights and distant rolling carts. The hospital night shift had settled into its rhythm — quieter, dimmer, more intimate.
As Shen made his way toward the vending machines near the nursing station, his phone buzzed again.
> [System Alert]
Quest: "White Coats & Sweet Sins Pt.1" Active
Objective: Flirt further with Nurse Ayaka without raising staff suspicion.
Rewards: +1 Seduction, +500 Tokens, Unlock "Nurse Uniform Fantasy" module
Optional Bonus: Capture interest from additional nurse(s)
He smirked faintly. This system sure has a sense of timing.
By the vending machine, a voice chimed behind him. "Didn't peg you for the chocolate milk type, Shen."
He turned. Rikka — the quieter of the rookie nurses — stood there, clipboard in one hand, a peach lollipop in the other. Her short auburn hair was tousled, and she wore thin-rimmed glasses that gave her a deceptively studious look.
"Chocolate milk's a classic," Shen replied. "Pairs well with flirting nurses."
Rikka blinked, then grinned. "Is that what Ayaka was doing? She really doesn't hold back, huh?"
Shen raised an eyebrow. "You jealous?"
She paused. "Maybe I just want a cookie."
The banter earned him another System ping.
> [System Notice: Rikka Receptivity = 68% | Curiosity Level: Moderate | Flirt Potential: Dormant]
He tossed her a snack from his paper bag — one of the cinnamon rolls he'd kept for himself. "Payment in advance."
Rikka caught it with a satisfied smile, unwrapped it slowly, and leaned back against the wall. "So what's your deal, Shen Yuo? College boy. Bakes better than our cafeteria chef. Sister in Ward 608. And… women just seem to like you."
"That last part's new," he said honestly.
Rikka studied him for a second. "You're oddly… calm. Most guys that visit often are either wrecked with grief or annoyingly cheerful to hide it. You've got balance."
"I had to grow up fast," Shen replied.
She nodded. "Same."
The mood hung comfortably. Then she whispered, "By the way, the staff gossip line's already tagging you as 'the sugar fox.'"
Shen blinked. "What?"
"You bring sweets. You're sneaky. You've got fox eyes. Sugar fox. That's your nickname now."
He laughed. "I guess I should live up to it."
"You just might." She stood upright again. "Come by Nurse's Hallway 3 if you ever need a fresh coffee. That vending machine sucks."
Then she walked off with her cinnamon roll in hand, hips swaying just enough to suggest she'd noticed his gaze — and didn't mind.
---
Back in his sister's room, Yuo Xin had fallen asleep mid-anime episode. Shen tucked her blanket tighter around her shoulders and dimmed the lights.
He sat by her bedside for a moment, just watching her breathing steady, the glow of the system UI silently tracking vitals and hospital alerts on the edge of his vision.
> [System Status Update]
Financial Transfers: ¥40,000 redirected to Hospital Account (Anonymous Donor Mode Active)
Sister's Treatment Progress: Stabilizing
Emotional Impact: +3 Motivation Boost (Cumulative)
His phone vibrated.
> [Ayaka 🩷]
"Still here? I start my break in 10 minutes. Nurse Room 3B is unlocked. I could use someone to talk to. 🍪💬"
> [System Prompt: Accept Private Break Encounter?]
✔ Accept
✖ Decline
He hit Accept.
---
Nurse Room 3B — 10 Minutes Later
The break room was dimly lit, filled with the scent of instant coffee and perfume. Ayaka leaned against the counter, her scrub top slightly unbuttoned near the collar, sipping from a mug.
"You're punctual," she said, watching him enter and close the door behind him.
"I'm obedient," Shen quipped.
Ayaka laughed. "Somehow I doubt that."
He walked closer, just enough to make the tension shift. "So… we're talking, right?"
"For now," she murmured, setting her cup down. "Later… who knows?"
Their eyes met in the low light.
She reached out slowly, brushing a nonexistent thread from his shirt. "You really care about your sister, huh?"
"With everything I have."
"That's… hot." Her voice was lower now. "There's something sexy about a man who's gentle to those he loves… and confident enough to flirt with strangers."
"I'm not flirting," he whispered. "I'm making promises."
Ayaka's breath hitched — just enough for Shen to know she'd felt that.
But before anything could happen, a faint voice crackled through the nearby speaker: "Nurse Ayaka, return to Station 2."
She groaned. "Cockblocked by the intercom."
Shen smiled. "Duty calls."
She pointed a finger toward him as she backed toward the door. "You owe me another cookie. And maybe a promise you'll… stick around."
Then she was gone, leaving behind the scent of desire and vanilla.
> [System Update: Ayaka Lust Index = 84% | Event Flag: First Encounter Unlocked | Viewer Requests Tripled for Hospital Content]
---
Later That Night – Dorm Room
Shen finally returned to his dorm after the long visit. The guys were already passed out. Gon was snoring with a blanket over his head. Tenjo had one leg sticking off his bed. Even Itajhi looked peaceful, for once.
Shen lay in his bunk, staring at the ceiling, his phone glowing beside him.
> [Ayaka 🩷]
"I can still taste cinnamon… and trouble."
He smirked.
> [Shen 🖤]
"Next time, I'll bring something hotter."