Harem Stealing System

It had been a few days since that evening at the restaurant, the one where Airie had insisted on treating him. Since then, things had subtly but noticeably shifted between them. Before, it was always Eiden taking the initiativehe would greet her in the hallway, wave whenever they passed . Most of the time she responded politely, her tone friendly enough but distant, like she was indulging him.

Now it was different. She would sometimes smile first. Sometimes she even stopped to talk before he could say anything. A handful of minutes here and there, nothing extravagant, but enough for Eiden to feel a difference. A closeness he had been waiting for.

He had been careful not to push too hard, yet inside he was quietly thrilled. It was progress, undeniable progress.

I can't let this chance slip away, he told himself more than once, lying awake at night. We're talking almost every day now. I can't rush, but I also can't let it fade. I need to keep it steady. Careful but steady.

The system's Hint function had been his secret weapon. Every morning, he used it to check when and where he should interact with Airie without making her uncomfortable. It was almost like cheating, though he told himself he was only leveling the playing field.

After all, this mission getting close to Airie was the only one that didn't feel like running into a wall. The other quests seemed impossible for now, their requirements vague or flat-out absurd. But this one? This one was tangible. Every smile, every shared sentence, every glance added up.

That morning, after dragging himself out of bed, he splashed water on his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was sticking up, his eyes were a little bloodshot from late-night gaming, but otherwise he looked the same as always. He rubbed the water off with a towel, then conjured the system window. His stats and quests unfolded in front of him like a translucent screen hovering over the mirror.

The progress bars were mostly stagnant. A few minor quests had crawled forward by a percent or two, but nothing significant. Then his eyes landed on Airie's progress.

68%.

When he had first discovered that number, his jaw had nearly hit the floor. System-chan had clarified: the percentage was not about Airie joining his harem. That, depressingly, was sitting at 2%. No, the 68% represented his progress in the quest of "getting close to Airie as a friend." The two values were separate.

At first he had felt cheated, but now he took it in stride. Friendship came first. If he rushed things, he knew it would backfire.

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Slow and steady. I'm closer than ever."

He tapped the Hint function, the familiar chime echoing in his ears.

Ding!

HINT: Evening, College meet up, 6, Picasso

Eiden frowned. The format was different from usual. Most days, the Hint simply gave him a location "cafeteria," "library," "classroom hallway." Something obvious and easy to work with.

This time it was vague. Evening. College meet up. Six. Picasso. "Picasso?" he whispered. "Don't tell me this has something to do with an art exhibition. That'd be random as hell."

He scratched his cheek, mulling it over. It wasn't like the system to be unclear. There had to be something he was missing. Maybe it was a nickname for a place? Or the name of some event? Either way, he had to keep it in mind.

After changing into casual clothes, he stepped outside just in time to see Sasha walking down the street. She waved at him cheerfully.

"Eiden! Let's walk to college together!"

He didn't see a reason to refuse, so the two of them fell into step. Along the way, they spotted Crysty and Lyra ahead. Sasha immediately raised her voice, waving to them.

"Good morning!" she shouted.

The two girls turned. Crysty smiled and waved back, tugging Lyra along. Eiden hung back, deliberately slowing his pace. He had other priorities today and didn't feel like lingering in a group.

As the three girls walked ahead, Lyra stole a glance backward. Her eyes brushed across Eiden's figure for only a second, but there was something in her gaze hesitation, unease, maybe even guilt. Before he could interpret it, Crysty nudged her and asked a question he didn't hear.

Lyra jolted slightly and replied hastily, "Yes, yes, of course." Her voice carried down the hall but sounded distracted.

Eiden frowned faintly. He couldn't tell what that was about, but he pushed it aside. He had a more pressing mystery: "Picasso."

By the time he reached campus, he had decided to consult John. John wasn't exactly the most social person, but he always seemed to know about events and gatherings. The kind of guy who heard everything but rarely participated.

Eiden spotted him leaning against a locker in the hallway, scrolling lazily on his phone. Walking up, Eiden gave him a casual pat on the shoulder.

"Yo, John."

John glanced up, mildly surprised. "Oh, Eiden."

"Hey, is there any kind of meet-up today?"

John blinked, as if gauging whether Eiden was serious. "Yeah… wait, were you invited too?" Eiden shook his head. "No. Just curious." John's brows furrowed slightly. After a pause, he asked, "Wanna join?"

"Sure," Eiden replied, trying to sound casual. Inside, his heart skipped with satisfaction.

John let out a sigh. "Good. I didn't really want to go, but if you're coming along, then fine. We'll go together."

"Perfect," Eiden said inwardly, suppressing a grin. The rest of the day blurred by. Classes dragged on, though Eiden's focus was elsewhere. He kept replaying the hint in his head: Evening. College meet up. Six. picasso

Everything lined up. By late afternoon, the sky outside was beginning to soften into shades of orange. Students were finishing classes, heading home or toward their evening plans. Eiden found himself walking beside John, who, despite claiming reluctance, seemed to know exactly where to go.

"You sure you're up for this?" John asked as they crossed the courtyard.

"Why not?" Eiden replied with a shrug. John gave him a sidelong glance, then smirked faintly. "Fair enough. Just don't expect it to be anything wild. It's more like… a casual mixer. Some drinks, some small talk. A chance for clubs to mingle.

Eiden gave a small, understanding nod as he stood beside John, both of them walking to the destination ,after a while they arrived as they both looked at the place where the mixer the so-called meet-up was being held. John took the lead, stepping inside first, while Eiden followed close behind.

The venue was already buzzing with life. Dozens of people filled the space, most of them familiar faces from college. Eiden recognized quite a few, though some caught him off guard. That guy? he thought. I always pegged him as the reserved type.

Determined not to look like a total rookie, Eiden subtly activated his Face Master skill, adjusting his expression to appear casual, confident like he belonged there. His eyes swept across the room, taking in the chatter, the laughter, the clinking of glasses.

Then his gaze landed on someone unexpected.

A girl surrounded by three other girls, all of them chatting animatedly. Eiden froze for a second before frowning slightly. Crysty? His lips barely moved as he muttered inwardly. Now that's surprising. I didn't think she was the type to show up at something like this. Hmm… well, I've never heard anything about her having a boyfriend, so I guess it makes sense. Still… He shrugged off the thought and retracted his gaze, quickly catching up to John.

But Crysty had already noticed him.

Her eyes flickered, lips twitching ever so slightly, and her pupils dilated with surprise. Well, well… this is unexpected. She paused, caught off guard for a heartbeat, before the corners of her mouth curved into a small grin.