Harem Stealing System

After Eiden went back to his class, he sat down and leaned back into his chair. His eyes drifted to the front of the room, but his mind lingered elsewhere.

Hmm… I did the best I could to not seem suspicious. Still, it probably looks suspicious anyway. We don't even know each other that well for me to help her like that. I mean, what reason would I have? He sighed silently, tapping the end of his pen against the desk. Oh well, let's just see how it plays out. Overthinking won't change anything.

With that thought, he straightened up and forced himself to focus on the lecture. Exams were coming soon, and he couldn't afford to drift off too much. The professor's voice filled the room with steady rhythm, equations and concepts spilling across the board. Eiden scribbled notes in his own half-organized way, though part of him wondered how much of this would really matter in a world where his "system" was dictating more of his future than any exam grade could. Still, blending in was necessary. Normalcy was a shield.

Time passed, and before long he found himself in the cafeteria. The hum of voices, clinking of trays, and smell of fried food greeted him as he scanned the crowd. As expected, Ruel was there, seated at his usual spot surrounded by his loyal circle of friends.

Eiden's eyes narrowed without him realizing it. He had developed a habit, unconscious at first but now fully ingrained: whenever he saw Ruel, he immediately searched for Lyra. It wasn't even a question anymore. His gaze would wander across the cafeteria until he found her, just to make sure she wasn't alone or cornered. Once he confirmed her safety, he'd turn back to his own business as if nothing had happened.

Today was no different. He spotted Lyra across the room with two girls from her class, eating quietly, and his shoulders relaxed. Satisfied, he turned his attention to the faint shimmer of light only he could see his system screen.

"Map," he muttered under his breath. System-chan conjured the interface, translucent blue light hovering before his eyes. He traced the markers with a finger, watching the little glowing dots labeled with familiar names.

Airie was on the rooftop. Again? Eiden tilted his head. She really likes hanging out there. Probably trying to know more about Eva. She's too curious for her own good. His lips twitched into a small smile.

His gaze shifted. Miss Mika's marker pulsed faintly. She was in a classroom, and to his mild surprise, Arin was in that same class as well. Eiden browsed through the map a little more, checking who was where, then swiped the glowing screen aside with a casual flick.

"Alright," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Now to think of a plan."

His thoughts tangled for a moment before settling on the obvious option. "System-chan. Hint function." The screen shimmered, shifting into a new window. The familiar chime rang in his ears. Ding.

Hints for Miss Mika's quest appeared:

Interact. Subtle flirt. Ignorance.

Eiden blinked once. Then twice. His mouth fell slightly open. "What the fffk?" he whispered under his breath, shoulders stiffening. "Flirt? And interact? That's it?" He leaned back, staring at the glowing letters like they were mocking him.

"She's that easy? No way. I mean… maybe not easy easy. Probably takes time. But still, I thought she'd be way harder. Like… something more complicated. Maybe she'd require me to act like a complete mature man or pull off some kind of emotional strategy." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But just interaction and flirting? That's it? And what's with 'ignorance'? I don't even know what that's supposed to mean. Guess I'll find out."

His lips curled into a crooked grin. "Well, at least it's not impossible. Subtle flirting, huh? That's doable. Might take some time, but it's better than something outrageous. Honestly, I was preparing myself for a nightmare." He chuckled quietly, closing the system screen. "Good for me, I guess."

By the time he went back to class, his mood had noticeably brightened. He hummed faintly as the lesson wrapped up, packed his bag, and joined the tide of students pouring out into the evening.

When he stepped through the college gate, the sound of someone calling out stopped him in his tracks. "Eiden!" He turned, scanning the small crowd, until his eyes landed on Airie. She was standing a little ways back, her long hair catching the late sun, a warm smile tugging at her lips.

Eiden blinked. "Airie?" She approached him with light steps, the crowd parting naturally around her. When she reached him, she tilted her head slightly, still smiling.

"I can't let a favor go without giving something back," she said. Her voice was gentle yet firm. "Can you please tell me what I can do for you?"

Eiden smiled at her insistence, shaking his head. "It's fine. Really, you don't have to "

"I can't take no for an answer." Her eyes narrowed playfully, a faint stubbornness in her tone.

Eiden chuckled softly, scratching his cheek. "Alright then. How about this " His stomach rumbled faintly, which only made him grin wider. "I'm kind of hungry. So, treat me." He gave her a teasing smile, his voice deliberately casual.

Airie's eyes sparkled. "Ok," she replied, the word bursting out with genuine enthusiasm. She seemed almost relieved to be able to do something.

Then, as if remembering something, her smile softened into a slightly guilty expression. "But… I just realized. I don't know your name. Despite you calling mine."

Eiden let out a low laugh. "That's alright. You're pretty popular among the guys, so your name naturally spreads. It wasn't hard to know. But me? I'm kind of unknown. So it's no surprise you don't know mine." He extended his hand to her. "I'm Eiden."

Airie chuckled lightly at his phrasing, reaching her hand out to his. Her palm was soft, her grip firm yet delicate. "Nice to meet you, Eiden."

They shook hands, and for a moment, Eiden felt something odd an ease that wasn't usually there when dealing with someone from Ruel's circle. She wasn't guarded, wasn't suspicious. Just… genuine.As they started walking together, Airie glanced at him. "Anywhere specific you want to go?"

Eiden shook his head. "No. I can eat anywhere." "Got it." Her smile returned, bright as ever. They walked side by side through the fading light, the college buildings shrinking behind them as the city stretched ahead. Eiden shoved his hands into his pockets, thinking about how strange this all felt. Not bad, just strange.

Beside him, Airie tilted her head slightly, sneaking glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

I don't think he's that unknown, she thought, her brows faintly knitting. He doesn't look bad at all. Actually… he's above average. Quite tall, too. There's no way not even one girl would like him. That's impossible. And he doesn't seem like a bad person either. Weird. Really weird.

She let her gaze linger on his profile for a moment before quickly averting her eyes when he shifted his head. Her heart gave a small, unexplainable flutter.

Eiden, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware. He was too busy thinking about what the system had told him about Miss Mika. Flirt. Interact. Ignorance. He almost snorted to himself. Compared to that headache, this treat might actually be a nice break.