Harem Stealing System

The next morning, Eiden woke up feeling strangely refreshed, though the weight of yesterday's thoughts still lingered faintly in his mind. He rubbed his eyes, sat up for a moment in silence, and then headed straight to wash up. Cold water splashed against his face, shaking off the haze of sleep. As he leaned forward, staring into the mirror, he muttered, "Right… time to check it again."

His focus immediately shifted to System-chan. With a single thought, he summoned up the Hint function. The glowing interface shimmered faintly in his vision, runes and letters floating as if they were waiting to be pressed. For a moment he stared at it, tapping his finger thoughtfully against the sink. "Maybe later," he whispered, half to himself, half to the glowing display. He dismissed the window with a flicker of reluctance.

Walking back to his room, his eyes lingered on the desk. He opened the lower compartment and carefully pulled out a pendant. His lips curved into a soft smile as he turned it in his hands, the light glinting on its surface. For a brief moment he simply admired it, a mixture of anticipation and mischief swirling inside his chest. With a small nod, as though making up his mind, he tucked it safely into his pocket before heading downstairs.

Breakfast awaited him. His father, Algir, already sat at the table with his usual calm composure, reading something on his tablet. His mother, Dally, bustled about serving the food. The smell of warm bread and eggs filled the dining room, giving it a comforting sense of routine. Sasha was missing today. She had gone home because her father had finally returned, and so for once the table felt a little emptier than usual.

As Eiden sat down and began to eat, Dally glanced at him. Her tone was casual, yet edged with the sharpness only mothers had. "Eiden, when is your exam?"

Eiden's hand froze mid-motion, spoon hovering above his plate. Oh crap… almost forgot about that. His mind scrambled for a moment, then he forced a smile and looked back at her. "It's coming near," he replied.

Dally frowned slightly, tapping her fingers against the table. "Then you better study hard."

"Yeah," Eiden muttered, nodding obediently even as his thoughts raced elsewhere. Exams were the last thing on his mind right now.

He finished quickly, pushing away his plate, and stood up. "I'll head out first," he said. His parents gave their usual goodbyes as he left, the pendant in his pocket pressing faintly against his leg like a secret reminder of the plan waiting to unfold.

The walk to college was quiet, the early sun casting a mellow light over the streets. Eiden kept his pace steady, eyes wandering across familiar buildings yet his thoughts locked entirely on System-chan's map. Once he reached campus, he slipped into a corner where no one would disturb him and let the holographic map unfold. The glowing interface spread across his vision, pinpointing names and movements of students like dots scattered across a game board.

He searched carefully until his eyes settled on one name. Airie. The mark indicating her location flickered faintly. She hadn't arrived yet. "Perfect," Eiden whispered, dismissing the screen and heading to his classroom.

Time ticked slowly as he waited, tapping his pen against the desk. His anticipation built with every passing minute until finally, the map blinked again. Airie had arrived. His eyes sharpened immediately. He stood, casually straightening his uniform, and made his way toward the corridor she always passed through.

The hallway was quiet, filled with nothing but the sound of footsteps and the occasional chatter. Eiden leaned casually against the corner, his expression carefully controlled. A faint smile rested on his lips, polished by the Face Master skill, a mask that blended warmth with casual sincerity.

Then she appeared. Airie walked with her usual composed grace, her hair brushing against her shoulders. Eiden stepped forward.

"Good morning, Airie," he greeted smoothly, his smile perfectly timed.

Airie blinked in surprise. She had already seen him yesterday, and though their interaction had been brief, his face remained clear in her memory. She nodded politely and returned his greeting, her tone soft but distant.

But as she passed him, Eiden's voice called again. "Hey… I think I found your necklace."

Airie froze mid-step. Her entire body stiffened, her head snapping toward him with wide eyes. The calm mask she wore faltered instantly, replaced by shock.

Eiden's smile deepened just slightly as he continued. "I don't know for sure, but…" He reached into his pocket, pulling out the pendant with deliberate care, letting it dangle lightly in his fingers before offering it to her.

Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. In one swift motion, her hands reached out, trembling slightly as she took the necklace. She examined it closely, and the moment she confirmed it was hers, her composure shattered. She bowed deeply, her voice almost breathless.

"Thank you. Thank you very much!"

Eiden raised his hand in a flustered manner, smiling awkwardly. "It's okay," he replied quickly, trying to soften the intensity of her gratitude.

Airie clutched the necklace tightly against her chest, hugging it as if afraid it might vanish again. She fastened it around her neck, her expression softening with relief. Then her eyes lifted to him again, brimming with curiosity and lingering emotion.

"Where did you find it? How? Why?"

Eiden chuckled lightly, raising his palm. "Whoa, slow down."

Realizing how hurried she sounded, Airie cleared her throat and brushed her hair behind her ear, trying to regain composure.

Eiden spoke again, his tone calm yet carrying the weight of carefully chosen words. "Yesterday, when you went home, I thought it seemed really important to you. I could tell just by the look on your face. I've lost something very precious before too, so… I thought, why not search for it?"

He paused, his eyes softening as if recalling a painful memory. "Of course, I figured you must have already looked everywhere yourself. So I decided to search the places you might not have checked. It was a big area… and I doubted you would've searched in the bushes, so I looked there. But I couldn't find anything. After a while, I went for a drink at the vending machine. And then… I thought of checking underneath it. That's when I found it."

(Though inwardly, Eiden smirked. I only searched below the vending machine. The whole bush story was just extra flair to make it sound convincing.)

Airie's eyes shimmered with gratitude as she clasped her hands together. "Thank you so much," she said softly. Her thoughts swirled in disbelief. The bushes around that area are thick… he must have searched for a long time. Just for me?

Her chest tightened with warmth. Yet suspicion lingered faintly at the edges of her heart. She asked carefully, "What can I do to repay you?"

Eiden paused, tilting his head as if considering it. Then he shook his head with a gentle smile. "It's okay. I just wanted to help. No need to repay me."

Before she could insist further, his eyes caught sight of Petter in the distance. Using the moment, Eiden waved suddenly. "Oh, hey, Petter!" He rushed toward him without looking back.

Airie's hand, which had unconsciously reached out toward him, froze mid-air. She lowered it slowly, lips pursing. She watched his back as he disappeared into the crowd with his friends.

Her expression softened with conflict. He helped me without asking for anything in return? People don't usually do that. Not for me. Could he really have no ulterior motive?

She held the necklace again, feeling its weight against her skin, the warmth of it grounding her. Suspicion lingered, but gratitude overwhelmed it. Whatever his motives, she was willing to accept them, if only because he had returned to her something truly irreplaceable.