Some men crave peace.
Me?
I crave tension.
Not the messy, reckless kind—but the taut string of a bow pulled to its limit, humming with purpose, seconds before release.
And today, everything was humming.
Rika wore heels to class. She never wore heels.
I noticed immediately, and so did half the class. But only I knew why her posture was slightly stiff, why her eyes avoided mine just a second too long, and why she dismissed class early with a wave of her hand and a rush of breath like she'd been holding it in all day.
The way she looked at me—brief, sharp, charged—wasn't a call. It was a warning.
But I followed her anyway.
We ended up in the old audiovisual room. Dusty, unused, locked from the inside.
She slammed the door behind us, turned, and shoved me back against the supply closet.
"You're dangerous," she whispered.
I didn't speak.
"You make me feel alive... and I hate that."
Still, I said nothing.
She stepped closer.
"You didn't chase me last week."
"I wanted you to chase me this time."
She exhaled hard. "You're too young for this."
I smiled. "For what? Making you feel wanted? For knowing when not to speak so you could feel?"
She clenched her jaw. Her fingers trembled at her sides. The silence between us was molten.
"You're not a student to me anymore," she said quietly.
And that was all I needed.
I didn't touch her. I didn't say another word.
I just walked past her—slow, controlled—letting her feel the chill of my absence, even in that tiny, heated room.
By the time I reached the door, her voice cracked behind me.
"Renji—wait."
I didn't.
She had to want me.
Fully. Fearlessly.
That's when I knew the emotional sync was real—not a system prompt, not a seduction, but a war between restraint and need.
System Notification:
Rika Emotional Sync – 65%
Trait Unlocked: Self-Disruption – Target begins questioning life choices to make space for you.
Meanwhile... Reina's office felt different.
Cleaner. Organized. Guarded.
She didn't offer her usual smirk when I walked in. Just a nod, a clipboard, and her silence.
"Trouble?" I asked.
She handed me a note without meeting my eyes.
"The school board is inspecting next week. Stay out of my office unless you need actual medical help."
Professional. Cold.
But underneath, I could see it—panic. The kind born not of fear, but attachment.
She was pulling away before it got too real.
"Reina."
"I'm serious, Renji."
I stepped closer, calm. "You think pushing me out will protect you?"
"I know it will," she snapped. "Before this gets messy. Before I start… hoping."
That was the word.
Hoping.
I sat beside her without asking. Took the clipboard. Set it aside.
"I don't need you to hope," I said quietly. "I just need you to stop lying to yourself."
She stared at me like I'd cracked open the secret she'd locked in a box years ago.
And then, without a word, she leaned her head on my shoulder.
System Notification:
Reina Emotional Sync – 63%
Passive Activated: Guard Down (Rank 2): Target becomes physically vulnerable when emotionally overwhelmed. Handle with care.
That night, the system gave me a choice.
Special Scenario Available: Emotional Convergence – Rika & Reina.
You may initiate convergence in the next 3 chapters.
Warning: If Emotional Sync drops due to mishandling, future convergence will be locked.
I paced my room, staring at the screen. The system wanted a balancing act.
Two powerful women.
Two wounded hearts.
One emotional grenade waiting to go off.
I couldn't afford to play this wrong. Not when I was this close to breaking through.
So I chose patience.
And I texted Rika a single line:
"The next time you run, I won't follow. Because I want you to walk beside me, not in front of me."
Then I texted Reina:
"If you shut the door, I won't knock. But I'll always be on the other side, waiting for you to open it."
No pressure. No seduction. Just honesty.
And maybe that was what scared them most.