Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Signals Crossed
By Monday, rumors had already started. Nothing concrete. Just whispers.
"She’s glowing."
"Did Rika-san finally get laid?"
I overheard that last one while walking past the nurse’s office.
> System: Passive Buff Activated – Ego Surge +3. Performance Confidence +5.
Kai, of course, wouldn’t shut up.
> "Bro, I’ve never seen a woman strut like that unless she got wrecked. You’re the wrecking ball, huh?"
I flipped him off but grinned. My best friend might not know the whole truth, but he knew something had changed.
---
Between periods, Rika caught me by the stairwell. She pulled me aside. Alone.
> "You left a mark."
She yanked her collar slightly, revealing the edge of a hickey.
> "That’s not on me," I smirked.
> "Bullshit."
> "Don’t wear a blouse that screams ’bite me’ then."
She actually blushed.
> "I’m not seeing you this week. Not after school. Not after hours. I need space."
> "...You’re scared."
> "Damn right I am."
> System: Emotional Distancing Protocol Detected. Suggested Action – Surprise Encounter.
> "Too bad," I whispered, leaning in. "I’m not giving you space. Not yet."
She pushed me gently away but didn’t look me in the eyes.
---
Later that evening, I got a ping.
> System: Side Quest – "Heal Her Wounds."
Objective: Learn the cause of Rika’s emotional trauma.
Reward: Emotional Affinity +20. Unlock: Trauma Link.
I didn’t know much about her ex. Just that he was the type who made a woman feel invisible.
I logged into her old social media. (Yes, I hacked it. Military habits die hard.)
Photos. Backdated posts. A life slowly unraveling in JPEGs and half-hearted captions.
> "Why stay with someone who stops seeing you?"
I muttered it to myself. But I already knew the answer.
Because loneliness is a hell of a drug.
And I was becoming her new addiction.
---
Next day, the counseling room was empty again. Her name tag still on the door.
I walked in. Waited.
She came in twenty minutes later, surprised—and flustered.
> "What the hell are you doing here?"
> "You said no after school. It’s lunch."
> "That’s not—ugh."
She shut the door behind her.
> "You’ve got no respect for boundaries."
> "Not when I know what you need."
> "And what’s that?"
> "To feel wanted. Every day. Not just when it’s convenient."
She hesitated. Then came closer.
Slowly. Carefully. Like approaching a cliff.
> "Touch me again," she whispered. "But... slow."
I obeyed.
Fingers trailed under her shirt, brushing her sides, teasing the curve of her waist. My lips found her neck. Her breathing quickened.
> "No rush," I murmured. "Just feel."
I unbuttoned her blouse, kissed down her collarbone, lips barely grazing skin.
She gasped as I suckled one nipple, hand stroking the other breast in rhythm. She arched into me, breath hot.
> "Keep going," she moaned.
My hand traveled lower, slipping under her skirt again. No panties.
> "You came prepared."
> "I’m sick," she whispered. "Sick for you."
> System: Quest Progress – 67%.
I moved slow. Fingers circling her clit, then dipping into her soaked pussy.
> "Don’t stop, don’t stop," she whimpered.
Her walls clenched around my fingers, hips rocking slowly, rhythm building.
> "Cum for me, Rika."
She bit down on my shoulder, muffling her scream.
Then the system spoke to me again, Hey Sweetie, Quest Complete – "Heal Her Wounds". Your reward is Emotional Affinity +20. Unlock: Trauma Link.
New Perk: Bonded Orgasm – Emotional climaxes boost relationship development.
She collapsed into my chest, shaking.
> "You always make it feel like the first time," she said.
> "Then let’s make it the first time... every time."
---
As I helped her button up, she whispered:
> "If anyone finds out..."
> "They won’t."
> "But if they do?"
> "Then we deal with it. Together."
Her fingers laced with mine.
No more denial.
But still plenty of secrets.
---
[To Be Continued...]