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I always thought having a big house would be cool.
You know, like in those anime where the protagonist wakes up to ten beautiful girls arguing over who gets to cook him breakfast, and the only problem in life is whether the hot elf or the clumsy maid sits closer on the couch.
Yeah. Turns out when it happens in real life, it just means you're trapped in a three-story haunted love prison and one of the girls might actually stab you in your sleep.
Maybe.
Probably.
Currently, I was hiding behind a pillar in the main hall, peeking at the stranger who walked into my house like it was a convenience store.
She dropped her duffel bag with a heavy thud, rolled her shoulders like she was here for a street fight, and scanned the mansion with narrowed eyes.
Short black hair. Bandaged fingers. A scar under one eye.
Definitely not a cosplayer.
"Yo! This place is bigger than I thought." She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted toward the staircase. "You got any rice?"
I leaned out from behind the pillar.
"...Who are you?"
She turned. And of course, we made eye contact.
> [Target Locked: Yamada Akane]
[Affection Initiated]
[10 Texts Remaining]
My soul left my body.
"You're Sakuragi Ren, right?" she asked, walking right up to me. "I'm Yamada Akane. Aoi's friend. Or I guess... her replacement."
"Replacement? She's not a lightbulb."
Akane frowned. "You know what I mean. I'm not here to play house or anything. Aoi told me this place made her feel safe. So if she wanted to live here... I'll stay until she wakes up."
I stared at her. She stared back.
The system pulsed quietly beside me, floating like a smug halo of doom.
I needed to stop this.
"Okay, look. You can't stay here."
"Too bad. Already unpacked." She gestured to the duffel that I'm 90% sure held brass knuckles and maybe a dead raccoon.
"Also, you have blood on your sleeve."
She looked down. "Oh. That's not mine."
What.
"You sleep with both eyes open, don't you?" I asked.
She grinned. "Depends on who's sleeping next to me."
---
She was insane. Clearly.
But worse than insane—she was already texting me.
> Akane: You seriously don't have rice? Akane: Who lives alone and has zero food? Akane: Wait. Do you live alone? Akane: Is this a dating trap mansion? Akane: ...I'm not judging. Just curious.
> System: Message Count - 5/10. Affection level rising rapidly.
Rising rapidly?! She threatened me with her eyes!
> System: Some girls bond through violence.
"That wasn't in the tutorial."
> System: You skipped the tutorial.
Fair.
---
Later that night, I hid in the kitchen trying to cook instant ramen and not develop feelings for anyone.
Akane barged in, tossed me an apron, and declared we were having a "housemate test dinner."
I failed spectacularly.
She made fun of my cutting technique, took over the stove, and somehow turned my sad noodle soup into spicy chicken ramen with vegetables and a soft-boiled egg.
"You... cooked all this?" I asked, stunned.
She looked smug. "Aoi once said guys fall for girls who feed them. I thought it was dumb. But now I kinda wanna test the theory."
"Don't."
"Too late."
> Akane: You eat like a squirrel. Akane: But a cute squirrel. Akane: Forget I said that.
> System: Message Count - 8/10. Affection Level: 78%.
Oh no.
"Akane." I leaned back. "We need to talk."
She froze.
Not because of the tone.
Because the chandelier above us was swinging.
We both looked up.
"...Earthquake?" she asked.
"No." I stood slowly. "That's not normal."
The room grew cold.
A familiar blue shimmer appeared in the air above us.
> [System Warning: External Interference Detected.]
> [Heartbound Fragment Detected: Shimizu Aoi]
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I shouted.
The air behind Akane cracked like glass. A translucent figure flickered—it looked like Aoi. Her body shimmered, eyes blank.
She drifted toward us, mouth opening.
But the voice wasn't hers.
"You broke it."
Akane grabbed my arm.
"A ghost?"
"No. Worse."
> [Warning: Soulbound Echo Unstable. Failsafe required.]
Before I could react, the system pulsed and fired a burst of light.
Aoi's figure shattered like mist.
The chandelier stopped swinging.
The house returned to silence.
Akane looked at me, pale. "What the hell kind of dating app are you running?"
I sighed.
"The cursed kind."
---
Later, I sat on the front steps, watching the mist roll through the yard.
Akane joined me, holding two cans of warm soda.
"I don't think Aoi's soul is resting properly," she said softly.
"I don't think anyone is."
She looked at me.
I looked away.
> System: Message Count - 9/10. Final interaction approaching.
One more text.
One wrong word, and Akane could fall into whatever broke Aoi.
I had to stop it.
Had to end the connection.
> Me: I'm sorry, but I think it's better if we keep our distance.
> Akane: ...Wow.
> Akane: That's cold.
> Akane: But fair.
> System: Affection halted. Target stabilized.
> Akane has been safely unlinked.
I exhaled.
Then blinked.
Akane leaned against my shoulder.
"But just so you know," she said, "I'm not giving up. I'm just pacing myself."
"Great."
> System: Passive obsession detected. Monitoring...
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