"What's the meaning of this, idiot?" Jess asked, grabbing the collar of Jeff's shirt, partially strangling him as she pushed him against the door of his room.
"It's exactly what your mom said—" Jeff replied, pausing for a bit as he grew wary of the pending punch from Jess if he didn't explain properly, "—from now on, you two will be living with us at our home."
"I'm asking why, doofus!" she exclaimed, getting furious as she lifted Jeff, his feet tiptoeing on the floor—using her overwhelming violent strength despite her slender arms and frame.
Putting aside the thrill and excitement of being strangled by her, Jeff wrapped his arms around Jess and pulled her into an embrace.
After all, it was the most effective way to calm Jess during one of her emotional outbursts.
Jess slowly released her grip on his collar, though her hands remained clutching his shirt, her face buried in his chest as if struggling to decide whether to resist or not.
Then Jeff responded, whispering into her ear in a deep, soft voice.
"Because I'm not letting that shit bastard keep blackmailing you, Jess."
On the night of his 20th birthday, when Jess had stayed in his room and slept beside him on his bed, Jeff already knew that Jess was being blackmailed by Trud into becoming his girlfriend.
Jeff learned all about that shit bastard's ridiculous, idiotic plan simply by reading Trud's Archive, a reward he gained from completing the third quest of the Returner Fantasy System—by making Jess turn down Trud's advances.
As far as Jeff learned, Jess only became acquainted with Trud because his family—the current mayor of Central City—owned the apartment where Jess and her mother had lived until yesterday.
Trud had been pestering Jess since her third year of high school at the all-girls private school she attended, and throughout her first year of college at Central City.
With Trud's relentless advances, Jess had even considered using him as a fake boyfriend in hopes of making Jeff jealous, to regain his attention and start a relationship with him.
But Jess didn't have to resort to her dangerous plan—a plan that, in Jeff's timeline, led to Trud forcing himself on Jess, getting her pregnant, and causing a miscarriage that left her unable to bear children.
Because Jeff had died in that timeline… only to regress twelve years into the past. He arrived just before Jess's 20th birthday ended—stopping her from agreeing to Trud's proposal and, at the same time, confessing his love and proposing to her.
Despite feeling overwhelmingly happy remembering how Jeff appeared out of nowhere—and still a bit embarrassed about being seen wearing nothing but her undergarments, even though they had already crossed the line and done it—there was still something bothering Jess.
"How did you find out that Trud was blackmailing me, Jeff?"
It wasn't like Trud had any dirt on Jess. His blackmail was simply threatening to evict Jess and her mother from their apartment if she didn't become his girlfriend by her 20th birthday.
And it wasn't like Jess's family was struggling financially. Though her father had passed away and her mother was supporting them alone, they had enough savings. Her mother worked for the biggest fashion company in Central City, and they could afford a new place to stay.
That was why Trud couldn't force Jess into a relationship back in high school.
But by the time Jess entered college, she became more concerned about money—tuition, allowance, rent, and other expenses.
She didn't want to burden her mother further by risking eviction from their apartment.
Jeff had learned all this by reading Jess's Archive and Trud's Archives while he waited for Jess to wake up after they had sex and he took her virginity. He also informed Jess's mother of the situation and convinced her to move out with them temporarily.
At least until Jeff could figure out how to deal with a certain disgusting shit.
Surely, his own mother wouldn't object—after all, she and Jess's mother treated each other like real sisters.
But no matter how much he cared about Jess's safety, Jeff couldn't explain things exactly like that.
He needed a believable excuse, even if he had to lie to Jess to convince her to live with him.
After all, that was the 9th quest of the Returner Fantasy System flashing in the corner of his vision.
---
[Quest 9 – Live-in Lover]
[Reward – Trud's Archive Update]
[Objective – Convince Jess to live at your home]
[Countdown – 6 Hours]
---
"I was actually stalking you on social media since high school. Not just you—I was looking into everyone who seemed close to you, especially if it was a guy."
Half of that was true. Jeff had stalked Jess online through her various social media accounts, even after resolving to ignore his feelings for her in his timeline.
The other half was a lie—but exactly what Jeff planned to do moving forward. He would protect Jess at all costs, even if it meant restricting her interactions with people who had questionable motives.
Jess picked up on the subtle shift in Jeff's aura as he continued to gently embrace her, but her focus remained on the fact that he just admitted to stalking her for the past four years while ignoring her in real life.
She didn't know whether to be mad or happy about it. She didn't know how to respond—or which personality of herself should take over.
Before Jess could decide, Jeff made his move to secure her answer.
"I just want to spend more time with you before I go back to college," Jeff said, leaning his head against hers.
"It's all your fault for enrolling at Capital City University, idiot," Jess muttered, silently agreeing to live with Jeff upon realizing that, within a month or less, he would return to the capital and they'd barely see each other again.
Understanding her concern about attending different universities, Jeff offered a solution.
"Then how about transferring to my university for the second semester?"
But Jess had a counter-offer.
"Why don't you transfer to my university instead?"
Her reasoning sounded more practical—they could stay in their hometown. But Jeff had something Jess couldn't resist.
"But if we study in the capital, we can live on our own, Jess."
Just the two of them, living in a place where they could do whatever they wanted—to their hearts' content, and desires as well.
With that realization, Jess could no longer refuse.
"Then… I'll transfer in the second semester so the two of us can live—I mean, study together in the capital—I mean… at your university."
Or so Jess thought, stammering over her words.
After all, Jeff was planning to involve others—not just in their future living arrangement, but in the kind of relationship he had in mind for himself and Jess.
---
[Quest 9 – Live-in Lover (Completed)]
[Reward – Trud's Archive Update]
[Objective – Convince Jess to live at your home]
---
With the matter of Jess and her mother moving into Jeff's home settled—along with their plans to live together in Capital City—Jess and Jeff finally came out of his room, only to find both of their families eavesdropping right outside the door.
—"If you two want to start living together, just say so."—
Said everyone, in perfect unison.
Followed by one more remark from Jess's mother that made Jess scream in total embarrassment:
"But no baby-making until you two graduate from college—"
"—Mom!"