NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5.7: Harem Route Part 2
"Jin, you—" Sera started, then stopped as she became aware of their position. She was sitting astride him, her hands planted on his chest. The steam had turned her jumpsuit nearly see-through, and he could see every curve of her athletic body, the way her abs tensed as she breathed, the strong line of her thighs where they gripped his hips.
"Sera, are you hurt?" Jin asked, his concern cutting through his embarrassment. His hands had automatically gone to her waist to steady her, and he could feel the heat of her skin through the damp fabric.
"I'm..." Sera's voice caught as she became aware of how their bodies fit together, the way his hands felt on her waist, the solid warmth of his chest beneath her palms. "I'm fine, but this steam is... God, it's so hot..."
"Affinity with Sera: +6% to 23%. Physical intimacy breakthrough achieved. Note: Sera's body is exhibiting clear signs of arousal—elevated heart rate, flushed skin, dilated pupils. Recommendation: Maintain physical contact for optimal bonding," Asha announced with clinical satisfaction.
"The valve," Sera said breathlessly, but made no move to get off him. "We need to... we need to shut it off before..."
"Before?" Jin asked innocently, his hands sliding slightly higher on her waist, feeling the strong muscles of her back through the now-translucent fabric.
"Before I do something really stupid," Sera's amber eyes locked on his. "Like this."
She leaned down, bringing her face close to his, her breathing ragged. For a moment, it seemed like she might kiss him, but then Rosa's voice cut through the steam.
"Well, well, well," Rosa purred, having appeared beside them. "This looks cozy. Mind if I join the pile?"
Without waiting for an answer, Rosa knelt beside them, her own jumpsuit now hanging open to reveal the thin cryo-suit beneath that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. "You know, Jin, in this heat, I think we should all stick together. For body temperature regulation, of course."
"Environmental analysis complete. Optimal survival strategy: Group heat sharing. Skin-to-skin contact recommended for maximum efficiency," Asha announced, and Jin could swear the AI sounded pleased with herself.
Clara crawled over to join them, her jumpsuit now unzipped to her waist, revealing the simple white bra beneath that had become completely transparent from the steam. "The manual does say... in extreme heat situations... minimal clothing and shared cooling..."
"This is insane," Sera protested, but her voice lacked conviction, and she still hadn't moved from her position straddling Jin's hips.
"Is it?" Rosa asked with a grin, pressing closer to Jin's side. "Or is it just practical survival? Besides, we're all adults here..."
Jin found himself surrounded by three beautiful women in various states of undress, all of them looking at him. The steam continued to hiss around them, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that made everything feel dreamlike.
"I... uh..." Jin stammered, his brain short-circuiting as he tried to process the situation. "Maybe we should focus on the valve first?"
"Right," Sera said, but as she reached past him toward the valve controls, her movement pressed her chest against his face, the soft curve of her breast through the transparent fabric making his mind go completely blank.
"Oops," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "Sorry, Jin. It's just... hard to reach from this angle."
"Let me help," Rosa offered, leaning across him from the other side, her own barely-contained curves brushing against his arm as she stretched toward the valve.
Clara, crawled closer until she was pressed against his legs, ostensibly to get better access to the valve's lower mechanisms. "I think... I think I can see the problem from down here..."
Jin's vision filled with dialogue options as his HUD recognized the milestone:
[PHOENIX CORE BOND EVENT TRIGGERED]
Scenario: Steam Room Milestone
Status: Multiple Affinity Thresholds Reached
Harem Route Unlocked
•Option 1: "Maybe we should all work together to fix this?"
→ Diplomatic
→ +2% All Affinities
→ Avoids Jealousy
•Option 2: "Sera, take the lead. You're the strongest."
→ Leadership Focus
→ +5% Seraphina
→ ⚠ Potential Clara/Rosa Jealousy
•Option 3: "I trust you all completely. Whatever you think is best."
→ Submissive Trust
→ +3% All Affinities
→ Unlocks Special Events
•Option 4: [Asha Override] "Actually, I think we need to get even closer together..."
→ Override: Ecchi Scenario
→ +7% All Affinities
→ Special Event Activated
Jin, overwhelmed by the situation and the beautiful women pressed against him from all sides, chose the most natural response for him.
"I trust you all completely," he said, his voice warm with genuine affection despite his flustered state. "Whatever you think is best. You're all amazing, and I know we can figure this out together."
The words hung in the suddenly quieter air between them. All three women paused, looking at him with expressions that were suddenly much softer, much more vulnerable.
Clara whispered "Jin..." her brown eyes shining with unshed tears. "You really mean that?" She asked "You trust us?" Her voice is smaller than he'd ever heard it. "Even after everything we've been through? Even when it's been... difficult?"
"Hero," Rosa's usual playful demeanor was replaced by something raw and honest, "you have no idea what those words mean to us, do you?"
Sera ignoring him. "Hmmp" as she crossed her arms looking away blushing.
"Affinity with all subjects: +4%. Trust bond established. Warning: Emotional attachment levels approaching critical thresholds. Recommend... actually, no recommendations. This unit is finding the data quite fascinating," Asha noted, her clinical tone wavering slightly.
Together, they managed to shut off the valve, but the damage was done. The mess hall remained thick with humid air, and all four of them were now soaked with perspiration and steam, their clothing clinging to their bodies like second skins.
"Well," Rosa with a grin that was pure mischief, "I guess we're all going to need to... dry off somehow."
"The rations," Clara said quickly, her face burning red as she tried to focus on something other than the way Jin's jumpsuit now clung to his surprisingly well-defined chest. "We should... we should eat before they get too warm."
"Right," Sera agreed, but she was looking at Jin with an expression that suggested food was the last thing on her mind. "Food. That's... that's what we came here for."
They settled into their makeshift meal, but the atmosphere had changed completely. The Nutri-Sludge Supreme proved to be surprisingly edible, or maybe they were just too distracted to care.
Rosa had given up any pretense of modesty, her jumpsuit hanging open as she ate. Clara kept stealing glances at Jin, her cheeks flushed with more than just heat. Sera sat close enough that their thighs touched, her usual stern demeanor replaced by hunger.
"The molecular stabilizers in these ration packs are actually fascinating," Clara said, trying desperately to return to familiar ground, but her voice was breathy and distracted. "They use a quantum-level preservation matrix that—"
"Clara," Sera interrupted, but her voice was gentle, almost fond. "We get it. The food won't kill us. That's enough victory for today."
"Although," Rosa added with a wicked grin, "I can think of other ways to work up an appetite..."
Jin choked on his ration, his face going crimson again. "Rosa!"
"What?" she asked innocently, but her eyes were sparkling with mischief. "I was talking about exercise. Combat training. What did you think I meant?"
"Probability that Rosa was referencing combat training: 0.003%. Probability of sexual innuendo: 99.997%. Note: Rosa's flirtation techniques are surprisingly effective on our naive subject," Asha observed with what sounded like amusement.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
Steam Dream
Survived your first ecchi scenario
→ +100 EXP
[Level Up!]
Jin is now Level 4
→ All stats slightly increased
→ HP and Stamina fully restored
[New Skill Unlocked – Passive]
Accidental Charm
Increases chance of lucky, "fortuitous" mishaps during social interactions
Jin's HUD updated with their improved status:
[HUD STATUS UPDATE]
Stamina: 45 / 90
→ Ration Consumed
→ Hunger Debuff Removed
Group Morale: 98%
[NEW NOTIFICATIONS]
•Warning: Multiple Romance Flags Activated
•Harem Route: ACTIVE
[Affinity Status]
• Clara: 24%
→ Approaching First Intimate Event Threshold
• Seraphina: 25%
→ Leadership Bond Established
• Rosalie: 18%
→ Playful Intimacy Unlocked
As they finished their meal, the steam finally began to dissipate, but the damage to their clothing and their inhibitions remained. Clara had given up trying to zip her jumpsuit, leaving it open to reveal her transparent undershirt. Sera's jumpsuit remained off her shoulders, clinging to her hips and leaving her torso covered only by her sports bra. Rosa had simply abandoned her outer layer entirely, sitting in just her thin undersuit that left nothing to the imagination.
"So," Rosa said, stretching languidly in a way that drew everyone's attention to her curves, "what's the plan for tonight? Because I don't know about you all, but I'm feeling very... Sleepy...."
Clara made a small noise in the back of her throat, her eyes darting between Rosa and Jin. "Maybe... maybe we should find the sleeping quarters?""
Jin looked around at the three beautiful women, all of them looking at him with expressions that made his heart race and his Phoenix Core pulse with strange new rhythms.
"Whatever comes next, we face it together." He said softly, his natural kindness and growing confidence blending into something that made all three women's breath catch.