Wednesdays had a way of dragging.
Maybe it was the middle-of-the-week slump. Maybe it was because Rika kept dodging eye contact all class, even though her every movement screamed remember what we did.
But I wasn't the same Renji anymore—the guy who always pushed for attention, for control.
Now, I knew when to wait.
And when to strike.
After the final bell, most students flooded out like prisoners tasting freedom. I lingered, letting the hallway drain, then slipped back into Rika's classroom.
She was wiping the board, focused. Too focused.
"I thought we weren't doing the avoidance dance anymore," I said, leaning on a desk.
"I'm not avoiding you," she replied, still facing the board.
"That's a lie," I said gently. "And you're too smart to lie poorly."
She froze.
Then sighed, placing the marker down.
"I'm your teacher, Renji," she said. "This... whatever it is... it can't keep happening."
I didn't flinch. "Is that what you want, or what you think you should say?"
She finally turned to face me. Her eyes were tired. Not cold. Not angry. Just... afraid.
"You're sixteen."
"And I've seen more war, death, and betrayal than half the teachers in this school."
Her eyes widened a little.
I took a slow step forward. "I was a soldier, Rika. In my last life. I died at fifty. Got reborn into this body, into this world, with all my memories and regrets intact. The system? It's not just for sex—it's pushing me to heal. You. Reina. All of you."
She didn't laugh. Didn't call me crazy.
She just... stared. Like she didn't know whether to run or cry.
"You don't have to believe all of it," I said. "But believe this—I see you. And I want to be the man you need, not just the boy you want to run from."
Long silence.
Then, quietly: "You're not supposed to say things like that."
"Why not?"
"Because I'll start to believe them."
System Ping:
Emotional Sync – Rika: 53%
Passive Perk Upgrade – Empathic Pulse (Tier 2): Detect deeper emotional needs during interaction.
Passive Skill Unlocked – Command Presence (Rank 1): Boosts effectiveness of assertive dialogue.
I walked to her, slowly, giving her every chance to stop me. She didn't.
Instead, she whispered, "If you're going to kiss me... don't make it gentle."
I didn't.
It wasn't about lust—not this time. It was about dominance, about vulnerability colliding. About her finally letting go.
When we pulled apart, her lips were swollen, her breathing shaky.
"I hate you," she whispered.
"No, you don't."
She laughed—shaky, breathless, real. "God, I really don't."
The nurse's office was quiet that afternoon, but Reina looked like hell.
Dark circles. Slight slump in her shoulders. She didn't even bark when I walked in.
"Coffee?" I asked, holding out a thermos.
She blinked. "Did you poison it?"
"Only slightly."
She took it, sipped, and let out the softest groan. "Sweet. Hot. Strong."
"Like me," I said.
She rolled her eyes, but smiled. It didn't reach her eyes, though.
System Pulse:
Reina – Emotional State: Exhaustion (Emotional). Internal pressure mounting. Self-doubt. Guilt loop active.
"You been pushing yourself again?" I asked.
She stiffened.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Don't act like you care."
"I do," I said, taking a seat. "Not because the system says so. Because I know what it's like to live inside your own head too long."
Her hands trembled slightly on the thermos. "I'm not your charity case, Renji."
"You're not. You're my project."
She shot me a glare. "That supposed to be romantic?"
"No," I said. "It's supposed to be true. I'm rebuilding you from the inside out, one soft touch and savage truth at a time."
Pause. Deep breath. She looked away, but not before I saw the shimmer in her eyes.
"God, you're exhausting."
"And yet here we are."
System Notification:
Reina Sync – 22%.
Backstory Fragment Unlocked – [Redacted] Incident – Emotional Core: Professional Betrayal
New Side Quest Available: "The Night She Broke"
I leaned forward. "Tell me about the person who made you like this."
She didn't answer.
But she didn't tell me to leave, either.
Progress.
That night, the system appeared in my dream—not as a screen, but a voice. Calm. Almost feminine.
"You're starting to understand, Renji. This isn't about seduction. It's about restoration. MILFs are not trophies. They are temples—scarred, cracked, but sacred."
I opened my eyes slowly.
And for once... I didn't wake up hard.
I woke up hungry.
Not for sex. For connection.
End of Chapter 23.