After Hagiwara Yuu's excessive skipping and her conquest of Kawasaki's delinquents both come to light, her local school tactfully suggests she leave. With no choice but to transfer elsewhere, Yuu heads to Tokyo to stay with her comparatively easygoing second-oldest brother, accompanied by the tragic soundtrack of a brave warrior setting off, never to return. Anything to escape her older sister's merciless reign.
As it turns out, hey, Tokyo's pretty great.
Big cities really are exciting!
On the very day she arrives in Tokyo, Yuu gets up close and personal with a bomb suspect: she plants a foot right on him.
She also gets to enjoy a front-row seat to her detective classmate solving cases.
[With his glowing glasses clutched tightly in his pocket, Kudo says, "Hagiwara, could you turn off the portable blower and the background music?"
Yuu: "Huh? But it makes the whole thing look so cool! How can a detective make an entrance without some real flair?"]
She can learn karate with her friends, too.
[Ran, wearing her gi, holds out a determined hand. "Again, Yuu-chan."
Yuu rolls over and flops onto the ground like a squashed cat, barely managing to speak. "Ran-chan, I think I'll just cheer you on with Sonoko."]
She can invent things with Professor Agasa.
[After enduring days of explosive symphonies, Kudo finally snaps at the two people struggling out of the rubble. "Are you two seriously not researching bombs? Why are you blowing things up three times a day?"]
Oh, right. She also has to find time to protect her brothers and save the world!
Blurb Two:
Hagiwara Yuu has a secret. After helping her older sister catch a bad guy, she suddenly starts hearing a voice no one else can hear.
"Merit points +110. Congratulations, Host, you've awakened the Merit System."
"Mom! I'm hearing things! I must be seriously ill! Can I skip school?"
System: ...
After her mother puts her foot down, Yuu can only trudge down the road as the System chatters in her ear.
"Do good deeds to earn merit points, and the synthesis function can combine anything!" The System enthusiastically pitches its benefits.
"Can it combine the school into a place that doesn't need students?" "..."
"Can it combine me into a grown-up version of myself who doesn't have to study?" "..."
"So it's not much use, then." Yuu is unimpressed.
The System patiently tries to reason with this little rascal. "You can combine things to make delicious food and fun toys."
Yuu: "I already have everything I need!"
Years later, the System stares in disbelief at its own name topping the System rankings, beating out Systems bound to an apocalypse Host and a farming-novel Host to claim first place.
It glances at the first item in the System's rules: Do not produce objects that exceed the current level of technological advancement.
As it listens to the screen sing its Host's praises, "And now, please welcome the genius scientist who revolutionized technology..."
The System falls into deep thought. So I was actually a high-tech System?
[Reading Guide]
This is a silly, sweet, feel-good story. Yuu is a mischievous little troublemaker, but she's kind and law-abiding (probably? Anyway, the Hagiwaras aren't going to raise a bad kid. She's just a naughty child who grew up surrounded by love).
The main focus is on family and friendship. The protagonist has no romantic pairing, but there may be some ShinRan sweetness, and there will definitely be childhood-friendship moments between Ran, Sonoko, and Shinichi. Please don't read if that bothers you.
The System was inspired by the synthesis mini-games on mobile apps. It's barely present early on and not all that powerful later, either. Yuu won't be led around by the System, including when it comes to figuring out how to use it. She'll just make the System question its entire existence.
Theme: Study hard and keep improving every day.
