Supporting Characters in the Game are Obsessed

We arrived at the condominium after dusk had set in. To put it simply, it was getting close to dinner time.

In fact, we had gotten there quite quickly.

There was a possibility we could have extended it “one more” time if we had messed up.

Only after I had made a “serious request” to Catherine could we finally leave the motel.

– ‘…Help me…’

– ‘Really?’

– ‘…Uh, really. I think I’m going to die.’

– ‘…Tsk.’

Those memories flashed by like a panorama.

I shivered.

Just how exhausting it had been.

The clouds, colored in dull noise, looked almost yellow.

Considering I even contemplated seriously kneeling and begging Catherine back at the motel, I realized a bit how serious the situation was.

Seriously…

I really need to develop a magic that boosts stamina soon, or find an energy supplement.

“Did you drink it all?”

“Uh.”

I tossed the empty energy drink can into the trash and wiped my mouth.

As much as I wanted to sleep, I hadn’t had a moment to enjoy the game comfortably in a while.

The outing was done.

Now I should relax and enjoy a game.

Just as I was about to step lightly into the condominium, Catherine’s voice came from behind me.

“…Hey.”

“Hmm?”

I tilted my head and turned to look at Catherine.

She was still wearing the white dress she had bought at the clothing store yesterday.

Since all the clothes Catherine had been wearing were sent back home through drone quick service, this was unavoidable.

However, the white dress Catherine was wearing had a design that completely revealed her shoulders. So, right now, she was draped in the coat I had lent her.

“What’s up?”

I scratched my head while waiting for Catherine’s response.

“…Um.”

Catherine grabbed the hem of her long dress with one hand and clutched the coat tightly with the other while gazing down at the ground.

She half-closed her eyes, opened her mouth, then quickly shut it again.

It felt like about 10 seconds had passed in silence before Catherine’s voice continued.

“…It was fun.”

“Hmm?”

I couldn’t hear her well.

When I didn’t catch that, Catherine raised her voice and muttered again.

“…The date was fun.”

What did she just say?

Seeing Catherine’s girl-like demeanor made me burst into laughter automatically.

While I was busy chuckling, Catherine blushed awkwardly and lightly tapped my shoulder with her fist, puffing her cheeks out.

“…”

“No, I had fun too.”

“…”

“I’m serious. What’s not to like?”

“…”

“…Um, teacher. Catherine? I think the enhancement magic will wear off soon, please save me.”

Fortunately, Catherine’s sulking ended before it could escalate from ‘tap-tap’ to ‘smack-smack.’

My shoulder hurts.

The weak wizard felt sad.

—

As we stepped into the condominium, warm air rushed out from inside.

Autumn was already almost over.

No matter how well the temperature control system was set in the middle-class area, the outside air was pretty chilly.

In areas like the lower-class where such systems didn’t exist, they were probably lighting drums to prepare for the brutally cold winter (homeless folks exclusive).

Considering how every year, the news of people freezing to death in the middle of the city appears on NCB24, I could feel the cold ethos of cyberpunk that’s colder than the temperatures.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“…Yes, yes!”

We greeted the Monolith employee (guard) loitering by the entrance before hopping into the elevator.

Just like the inside of the building, the interior of the elevator was also decorated in a luxurious design.

《Today’s NCB24 News. There has been increasing corporate terrorism targeting Megacorp─.》

The screen attached to one wall blared various channels discussing different subjects noisily.

Beyond the glass wall in the back, the skyscrapers of North Houston’s cityscape shone brightly.

The elevator was adorned in black or gold, probably reflecting Monolith’s signature colors of black and the chairman’s preference for gold.

Looks like they’re doing construction on the outer wall too.

I wondered what this condominium was going to be turned into…

I sighed softly while picturing the chairman, who I had no idea what he was thinking.

Catherine, who had been staring blankly at the elevator screen, let out a long yawn.

“…Yawn.”

“You seem tired too.”

When I mumbled that while watching her, Catherine rubbed her lower belly with her palm, making a strange expression.

“…Hmm, should I call it tired? It’s just that my stomach feels a bit uneasy…”

“…”

I quietly sealed my lips.

At that, Catherine looked at me and gave a small smile.

“Anyway, it is tiredness. I guess I should hurry in and take a short nap.”

Catherine yawned again.

– Ding-dong.

Just then, the elevator stopped at the 13th floor.

The familiar hallway scenery emerged.

Hmm.

Should I just skip the game and go to sleep?

They say yawns are contagious. Seeing Catherine looking sleepy beside me made me start feeling drowsy too.

I had just gulped down an energy drink. Maybe it was because home was right in front of me.

My mind started to feel hazy again.

Yes.

There’s a saying that life is C between B and D.

That saying means there’s cyberpunk between Bed and Dream. If it seems different, it’s just your feelings.

Anyway, this saying implied that even the folks living in this cyberpunk era knew the importance of good sleep.

If I sleep now, I feel like I’d be out for over 12 hours.

Suddenly, I shifted my heavy steps.

– Beep, beep beep. Click.

I opened the front door, welcoming the comfort of my home.

“Welcome back?”

“…”

Wow.

I was fully awake now.

Did Andrea hear from the guard at the entrance that we arrived?

Andrea was there waiting for us.

Behind her were Maya and Julia, munching on popcorn, and I could see Natasha waving shyly.

Inside the room, Eve and the chairman were leisurely seated at the dining table, enjoying their time.

I looked back at Andrea’s face.

Andrea, with her arms crossed as a habit, asked me with a face full of smiles. Is it just my illusion that her smiling face looked like a mask?

“Did you have a good date?”

“…It wasn’t exactly a date but rather a city mission—”

“Hmm?”

“…Yes.”

And with that, I had immediately lost.

I hung my head like a puppy with its tail between its legs.

Just like I felt guilty towards Catherine for asking her out on a date, I now felt the same guilt towards Andrea and the other women.

I should have paid more attention.

I took a deep breath.

No matter what Andrea, Julia, Maya, or Natasha were going to do to me, I steeled my heart slowly.

With body enhancement magic, I was prepared to take any slap given my all.

After all, I had nothing to defend myself with.

Moreover, this fact could easily be found out objectively in the Net Space.

– ‘What? A guy is engaged to seven women? Hang that guy up at once! Expose his information and put a bounty on him!! …Wait, someone is visiting the house—.’

I had seen a lot of posts like that.

All I could do was wait for their verdict.

Then it happened.

“…Pfft.”

“?”

Laughter erupted from Andrea.

Then came the booming laughter almost instantly.

“Pahaha! Why do you look so much like a wet puppy? It’s obviously a joke. Ah, that’s funny.”

Andrea laughed so hard that she even wiped the tears from her eyes.

“How could you not have seen this coming from the moment we decided to practice polygamy? There’s no need for you to feel so guilty. Seriously, why are you so nice?”

With a playful chuckle, Andrea patted my palm.

Is she trying to become a singer while also aiming to be an actress…?

When did she get so good at acting?

No wonder.

Everyone except Andrea seemed to be in a peaceful atmosphere.

The Confucian scholar within me emerged and muttered a word.

‘Huh, she’s a good girl who keeps her place as a concubine. There won’t be any broken dishes, right—.’

Shut up.

I scolded the inner demon and answered Andrea.

“…I still feel bad.”

“I told you it’s okay. Besides, I heard you learned the body enhancement magic that makes you tougher?”

“…Yeah.”

How in the world did she know that?

I briefly rolled my eyes towards Eve’s direction, and she nodded, understanding my silent inquiry.

[Since I thought it might be difficult for you to speak separately, I conveyed it to everyone instead.]

Eve’s voice came through my ears.

The expressions of the people around hadn’t changed, so it seemed like a voice only I could hear.

I subtly gave a thumbs up to Eve from the back.

I knew I could trust you!

And then Andrea spoke again.

“After all, we decided to take turns spending time together once a week. At the 14th floor.”

“Ah.”

That’s right.

Andrea shrugged and continued casually.

“So, we have no rush. Anyway, if we wait, all opportunities will come.”

……

This time, it was certain.

Everyone, including Andrea and the women behind her, was watching me with clear ‘smiles’ on their faces. The eyes of beasts that see their prey.

– gulp.

I don’t know who swallowed, but the sound of someone gulping pierced through the quiet atmosphere.

In that situation, I carefully lowered my thumb that had been held up towards Eve.

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