A few days had passed, and it was already the end of the weekday.
Jess and Jeff spent those days together following the same routine every day—doing things they used to enjoy together, such as reading manga and the like, playing video games, or watching movies. Jeff would head to his part-time job at PoruMerc women's gym in the afternoon, while Jess stayed at home helping Jeff's mother with household chores. At night, they would spend some time together with a bit of intimacy.
However, ever since the night Jess's mother saw them as they were about to do it, Jess refused to go further than an intimate embrace and a short, simple kiss.
Though Jess didn't say no or stop him whenever he made a move on her, Jeff would still restrain himself, knowing Jess would dislike it if her mother, or his parents and brother, overheard them.
With each night, the two grew more intimate, accumulating and building up lustful desire without being able to release it. Touching themselves was no longer enough to satisfy them after experiencing how good it felt to do it with each other. Both Jess and Jeff were starting to reach their limits and lose their reason.
For Jeff, who was constantly teased by women at the gym and even seduced by his manager, Olivia, he was already at his breaking point.
At this rate, I might end up forcing myself on Jess tonight, even if she doesn't want to, Jeff thought as he finished cleaning the gym and began closing up.
Just as he shut the roll-up door and locked it from the inside, someone suddenly grabbed him from behind—one arm strangling his neck, the other covering his eyes—without saying a word.
From the strength of the grip around his neck and the size of the hand over his eyes, Jeff could tell it was a girl.
It was already close to eight in the evening, and he was the only one left at the gym since it was his duty to close for the day. That meant the girl pulling this prank wasn't a gym member or one of his co-workers.
It wasn't Olivia either, because the softness pressing against his back and the alluring scent from the girl were something Jeff was very familiar with—and could instantly recognize.
Regardless of the stimulating sensation that instantly aroused his pent-up body, Jeff's mind wasn't focused on desire but on surprise and confusion—because the holographic screen of the Returner Fantasy System appeared before his eyes the moment the girl covered them.
---
[RETURNER FANTASY SYSTEM]
[Quest 10 – Pent-up Stress and Lust]
[Reward – Nubia's Archive]
[Objective 1 – Help Nubia relieve her pent-up stress]
[Objective 2 – Relieve your pent-up lust with Nubia's help]
[Countdown – 3 Hours]
---
Upon reading the details of the 10th quest from the Returner Fantasy System, one question came to Jeff's mind:
If I do it with Nubia right now, would that be considered cheating on Jess?
For Jeff, doing it with a girl he had no feelings for to relieve lust wasn't as serious as doing it with someone he had feelings for. And since he did harbor feelings for Nubia, he would definitely consider that cheating.
Even though he loved Jess more, Jeff couldn't deny that he loved Nubia as well. That was exactly why doing it with Nubia would be betrayal—and something Jeff wouldn't dare do.
He had a plan for how he would deal with his relationship with Nubia, but he hadn't started working on it yet. And now, the Returner Fantasy System was forcing him into this situation. If he didn't complete the quest, he risked losing the chance to change his future—and the future of the one he loved and cared for.
He didn't have a choice… or maybe he did.
If it's only about relieving my pent-up lust and Nubia-senpai's stress, then maybe we don't have to go all the way, Jeff thought, excited at the idea.
Noticing his long silence, Nubia finally spoke.
"Am I choking you that hard that you can't speak, Jeff?" she asked, a little worried.
If it had been Jess, Jeff would have already passed out in the time he'd spent lost in thought—her overwhelming strength despite her slender frame was unique. But Nubia's strength wasn't enough to overpower him like that.
"Of course not. I'm just enjoying the softness of your breasts pressing against my back, Nubia-senpai."
Hearing his reply, Nubia immediately released him and awkwardly stepped back, her face flustered and red.
Jeff understood her reaction. As far as he knew Nubia, she might be aggressive and adventurous, but when it came to perverted things, she would always back down and act shy.
And in the four years they had been together, he had never acted perverted toward her. Like Jess, he loved her too much to show that side of himself.
But that was before. If Jeff wanted to save Nubia from the same fate she suffered in his timeline, he had to show her his true feelings and make her accept them.
"Why are you staring at me like that? You're being weird, Jeff," Nubia said, noticing his intense gaze.
"I'm sorry, Nubia-senpai. I'm just a little stressed today," Jeff replied, trying to ease the tension.
"Anyway, why are you here? And how did you get in?"
"Are you forgetting that I own this gym? Of course, I have the key to the back door. I came to work out a bit, so don't leave yet. Stay with me."
"We're already close, though."
"Are you going to disobey me now, Jeff?"
With her usual threat of exposing the video of his darkest secret online, Jeff had no choice but to follow Nubia's command. Not that he was planning to leave—he needed to complete 10th quest anyway. And besides, that video wasn't really a threat anymore, since he had already shown Jess his perverted side.
After messaging Jess that he'd be late because of overtime, Jeff promptly helped Nubia with her workout.
"How are you doing with work, Nubia-senpai?"
As she stretched, lifted weights, and ran on the treadmill, Nubia told him about the PoruMerc women's division and the different projects keeping her busy to ensure his father would become the next CEO. But that wasn't what Jeff was really asking.
"I'm not asking about your work—I'm asking about you, Nubia-senpai."
Jeff's sudden interest surprised her. The genuine concern she heard in his voice flustered her, making her blush.
Noticing Jeff's smile, as if he was enjoying her reaction, Nubia tried to change the subject back to him.
"I'm doing okay… Anyway, how's the thing I asked you to do?"
"Don't worry, Nubia-senpai. Jess and I will help you."
Once again, his voice carried a concern that made her feel even more conscious of him.
"You're really being weird today, Jeff."
After an hour, Nubia finished her workout, and Jeff finally decided to make his move.
"How about I give you a bit of a massage to wrap things up, Nubia-senpai?"
"Of course you are. Why do you think I asked you to stay, Jeff?"