Harem Stealing System

Eiden's gaze lingered on the laptop, its dark screen reflecting the faint outline of his face. The pendrive stuck out like a guilty little tongue, a tiny piece of metal that somehow carried a heavier weight than it had any right to. He leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers against the desk before speaking under his breath.

"System… can I use the Hint function now?"

A soft, synthetic chime echoed in his mind.

[Affirmative.] "Good," he said, straightening slightly. "Give me a hint on who finished my project." Another crisp chime followed, accompanied by the cold efficiency of System-chan's voice:

[Hint: Teacher. Harem target.]

Eiden's lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk.

"I knew it," he murmured. "It was her… Miss Mika." He had suspected it before hell, every strange detail had been pointing that way but seeing it confirmed still left a strange weight in his chest. Relief? Vindication? Or maybe a creeping unease about just how much she had her fingers in his business.

The smirk faded into a tired sigh as he noticed the Hint function dim out in his interface, now grayed and locked. One use per day. And given his current balance of points, he wasn't about to spend any extras just to scratch a curiosity itch.

"Guess I'll just wait for tomorrow," he muttered. "Hey, System-chan," he asked, rubbing the back of his neck, "when does the timer refresh for the hint function?"

[Every morning. 1:00 AM.] Eiden nodded slowly. "Figures." Leaning down, he reached for the small space under his desk where he'd tucked away the chocolate Linda had given him. The glossy wrapping caught a bit of the light, making the ribbon gleam faintly. For some reason, just looking at it brought a faint mix of amusement and mild discomfort. Still holding the chocolate, he stood and made his way downstairs.

The front door creaked open just as he reached the bottom step. Sasha stepped inside, shaking the cold off her shoulders, her eyes lazily scanning the room before they locked onto him.

Her lips curled into a faintly amused smirk. "It seems you got chocolate today." Eiden stopped mid-step, one foot slightly raised. He turned his head just enough to catch her in his peripheral vision, his expression unreadable.

"What are you on about?" he replied evenly.

He didn't confirm it. He didn't deny it. Just a question for a question something that, in his experience, usually threw people off.

But Sasha wasn't most people. "Don't think that works on me," she said with a scoff.

His smile twitched, threatening to turn into something between annoyance and amusement. Still, he said nothing, letting silence do the talking.

"I heard Linda gave you chocolate," Sasha continued, her tone casual but her eyes watching him like she was reading the fine print of a contract.

This time, Eiden didn't even bother to reply. He simply turned away, heading for the door.

But she wasn't done. "Good for you," she called out lightly. "But since when were you close with her? I thought she even rejected you."

That made his steps falter for half a second, but he didn't turn back. Without a word, he stepped outside, the door clicking shut behind him. Only after walking a few meters did he glance back, confirming Sasha hadn't followed. He let out a quiet sigh, the cool air filling his lungs.

Her words lingered, though. Not because of the rejection part that was yesterday's news but because of how casually she said it, like she'd been watching his interactions closer than he thought.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he wandered without a set destination, letting the streets carry him wherever they pleased. The muted hum of passing cars and distant chatter felt oddly grounding.

Eventually, he found himself in front of a small convenience store. The fluorescent lights inside painted the street with a pale glow. He stepped in, grabbed a chilled drink from the cooler, and paid without much thought.

Outside, he twisted the cap open, taking a slow sip as he continued walking. The bitterness of the drink wasn't what he wanted, but it worked well enough to keep his head clear. And then out of the corner of his eye he spotted a familiar figure.

Lyra. She was walking alone, her steps unhurried, head slightly tilted as if lost in her own thoughts. No sign of her harem leader, no friends, no entourage. Just her. Eiden slowed his pace, his eyes following her movements with a faint, mischievous gleam. Opportunities like this didn't come often.

Instead of walking straight toward her, he slipped around the corner of a nearby building, watching from a slight distance. Lyra approached the same store he'd just exited.

She pushed open the glass door and disappeared inside. Eiden leaned against the wall, waiting.

A minute later, she emerged with her own drink a pastel-colored bottle that contrasted against her school uniform. She crossed the street to a public bench and sat down, setting her bag beside her before unscrewing the cap. She took a sip, her shoulders relaxing slightly. Eiden's grin widened. He moved quietly, circling behind the bench. She didn't notice her focus was on the drink in her hand, the occasional absent glance at the sky. When he was close enough, he reached out with his own chilled drink, pressing it lightly against the middle of her back.

At the same time, he deepened his voice into a mock-rough growl:

"Hand over everything you have."

Lyra froze the instant something cold pressed against her back and a low, unfamiliar voice growled, "Hand over everything you have."

Her mind went blank. A rush of panic surged through her chest, and she gripped her drink a little tighter without thinking. Every muscle in her body tensed, waiting for whatever was about to happen next.

Then the cold object pulled away. "Boo!" She jolted hard, nearly spilling her drink as she spun around only to find Eiden standing there, grinning like a mischievous fox. Relief flooded her so quickly it almost made her dizzy, though the leftover adrenaline still had her heart pounding.

Eiden took a step closer, chuckling under his breath. "Sorry, just a little prank. Did I scare you?" Lyra let out a small breath, her lips curling into an embarrassed smile. "A little."

"A little?" Eiden burst out laughing, shaking his head. "Nah, you were basically about to jump out of your seat." Her cheeks flushed pink as she turned away in a half-hearted pout. Eiden felt a tiny tug in his chest.God, she's cute when she pouts. He raised both hands in mock surrender, trying to ease her expression. "Alright, alright sorry, sorry."

Her lips were still pursed, so he decided to change the subject. "By the way, I really enjoyed your chocolate. It was amazing. Thanks for taking the time to make it for me."

The transformation was immediate. Her pout melted into something softer an almost shy smile that she tried to hide, though it slipped through anyway. A brightness bloomed in her eyes, warm enough to make the air feel different. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," she said quietly.

Eiden's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than it should have. That smile, that glow it hit him all at once. Right here, right now… I want to kiss her.