There's a truth no one tells you about people with scars: they hide them under beautiful things. Smiles, sarcasm, tight dresses, loose shirts—anything that keeps the world from asking.
Rika wore lace under her work clothes. I found out by accident.
System: New Quest Available – "Glimpse of Intimacy."
Objective: Accidentally discover a private detail. React with subtle charm.
Reward: Affection +3. NSFW Echo Link Opened.
Penalty: Lose progress with Rika for 3 days. Quest cooldown: 48 hrs.*
We were in the supply closet. I was helping carry boxes. She bent over to grab a folder off the floor, and the collar of her blouse slipped just enough for me to glimpse it.
Black lace. High-end. Classy, but the kind of thing you didn't wear unless you wanted to feel wanted underneath it all.
I froze.
Then smiled casually.
"Elegant choice."
She straightened slowly.
"You were looking?"
"Just lucky. But I'm grateful."
Rika's eyes lingered. Her smirk curled like a fuse burning toward the powder.
"Bold again."
"You keep saying that like I should be scared."
"You should be."
System: Quest Complete – Glimpse of Intimacy. NSFW Echo Link Initiated: 'Laundry Night Fantasy'.
My head pulsed. A sudden vision—her at home, Friday night, hair up, glass of wine in one hand as she folded her laundry. That same lace set. She smelled it, smiled to herself, and whispered, "Maybe I'll wear this if he shows up again."
Later that day, we were in the library. She had asked for help organizing some books. It was mostly quiet, the school half-empty.
She reached up for a book on the high shelf and winced slightly.
"Back again?" I asked.
"Pulled something yesterday."
Without thinking, I stepped closer.
"Turn around."
"Excuse me?"
"You trust me or not?"
She stared. Then turned.
I placed my hands gently on her lower back and began to press—slow, controlled, deliberate. Her body stiffened, but then melted just slightly.
"God... where did you learn that?"
"Old life."
"You were a chiropractor in a past life?"
"Soldier. But we learn to patch each other up."
She exhaled, soft and shaky.
"That's... really good."
"You're holding a lot of tension here."
"No shit."
My fingers moved a little higher, slow and firm, until I felt her breathing deepen.
I could feel her skin. Warm, soft, hot. I almost felt those breasts of hers
Then, without a word, she turned around—face inches from mine.
"You keep touching me like that, and I might forget I'm a teacher."
"Maybe I want you to forget."
We stood there, heat between us, surrounded by dusty books and silence.
System: Bonus Objective Met – "Physical Trust Threshold."
Trust +4. Echo Chain Unlocked: "Her Hotel Night."*
Back in class, I barely paid attention. Aki leaned over.
"You look like you've seen God's tits."
"Close."
"What's it like?"
"Black lace and warm coffee."
"Bro, I don't know what that means but I'm happy for you."
The next day, Rika called me in after homeroom.
Private conversation.
"You keep walking a tightrope, you know that?"
"You haven't kicked me off it yet."
She stood by the window again, light hitting her just right. I watched her—really watched her. The exhaustion. The resilience. The unspoken ache.
"Do you always flirt with women like this?"
"Only when they're worth unraveling."
"You think I'm a puzzle?"
"I think you're a masterpiece in recovery."
There was a pause.
She stepped forward.
"You remind me of someone I used to love."
"Did he hurt you?"
"No. He died."
The room chilled. Not from cold.
Just the weight of what she carried.
"I was never the same after."
"Maybe that's not a bad thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Some cracks are how the light gets in."
Her lips twitched. Not quite a smile.
"You talk like a soldier."
"Haven't I told you before? Old soul. Comes with the rebirth package."
"Maybe I believe you."
System: Trust +5. Memory Gate Unlocked – 'His Last Letter'.
Warning: Emotional Trigger Content. Proceed? Y/N.
I selected Yes. It felt wrong, but I felt a stronger urge to do it.
Vision flashed—Rika crying in a hospital stairwell, clutching a letter with dried blood at the corner. Her first love, lost in a car crash. The words were blurred, but one line shined bright: "Don't let the dark keep you from being warm again."
After school, she didn't say goodbye.
But she brushed her fingers across mine as she passed.
That said more than words.
System Update: Special Event Progression Active – Maintain Rika's Affection Over 20 for Bonus Scene.
Reminder: Penalties for failed quests now active.
The stakes? They sure as hell were Just getting higher.
[To be continued…]