Haruto sat in front of his laptop, the screen casting a pale glow across his furrowed face. He was in the middle of a deep dive into Ayaka's past, trying to untangle the web of suspicion around her.
Every interaction with her felt off, her every smile and word felt fake. Her behavior looked almost rehearsed, and the thought unsettled him.
His fingers paused over the keyboard as something clicked in his mind—one of his stats in the system.
Resolve (RES)
.
He had never fully understood its purpose before, but a quick glance at the system's description clarified it: Resistance to mental manipulation.
'She's been trying to manipulate me,that is why all of her words feel fake. I'm somewhat kinda immune to it,'
he realized, his brow furrowing deeper.
'But why?'
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he pieced together the puzzle. Ayaka had initially seemed disinterested in his help.
But the moment she learned he was stronger than Ren, her demeanor shifted entirely.
Suddenly, she wanted to be saved.
Then there was the other troubling matter—the dead cat. Someone had sent it to his house along with a threatening note claiming to be a fan of Ayaka, warning him to stay away from her.
That gruesome display only added to his unease.
It was why he'd reached out to his friend for information about Ayaka. The rumors painted a strange and twisted picture.
Apparently, Haruto wasn't the first man to try to "save" Ayaka from Ren. Others had tried before him, and all had failed.
But their failures didn't end quietly. Most of those men had spiraled into obsession.
One stopped attending school entirely, and another became a stalker—potentially the one responsible for the dead cat.
The whispers circulating among female students only added fuel to the fire. They envied Ayaka, but their gossip carried a grain of truth.
It had spread so widely that almost everyone knew to avoid Ayaka beyond the surface level of fandom.
He turned his chair to face her, his lips curling into a mischievous smirk. "Hm... what do you think?"
"I... I think you're done," she stammered, avoiding his gaze as her face turned even redder.
"S-so... can we... um, you know?"
"Know what?" he teased, leaning back and watching her squirm.
He loved making her say it—it was too adorable not to.
"You know!" she pouted, her embarrassment reaching its peak.
"I... I want to have sex!" she blurted out, immediately looking away as though she might combust from her own boldness.
Haruto chuckled, standing up slowly. "Oh, Chiyo," he said, his tone playful as he approached her. "You're always so cute when you're like this."
Her blush deepened as she glanced up at him, her thighs pressing together in frustration. She couldn't explain it, but seeing Haruto—doing anything, really—always left her flustered and horny.
Haruto's smirk widened. He noticed how much her desires heightened since her corruption stat maxed out.
Every time she was near him, it was as if her thoughts revolved around one thing, having sex. It amused him to no end.
But tonight, he decided to play with her a bit. "Hah... I don't know," he said, feigning disinterest.
"I'm getting kind of bored doing the same thing over and over. Maybe I need something... different."
Her eyes widened, her heart dropping at his words. "W-what do you mean?" she asked, her voice laced with nervousness and a tinge of desperation.
"I-I can do something different if that's what you want!"
Haruto leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a teasing whisper. "Are you sure? Because what I have in mind might be a bit much for you." as he whispered what he wanted to her.
Chiyo froze, her breath hitching as his words lingered in the air. "W-well..." she hesitated, her mind racing.
He straightened up with a shrug. "If it's too much, then I guess we'll just call it a night," he said casually, heading toward the bed and lying down as if the matter was settled.
Chiyo stared at him, her heart pounding. The thought of leaving things like this was unbearable. She didn't know why she felt so restless around him, but the idea of being apart right now was maddening.
She clenched her fists, her face determined. "Fine! I'll do it!" she declared, her voice trembling but resolute.
Haruto sat up, a grin spreading across his face. "That's my girl," he said, reaching out to pull her closer.