Wednesdays were supposed to be boring.
Middle of the week. Too far from the weekend to dream, too deep into the school grind to care. But when you've got a system in your head and two women with memories of your lips pressed into their skin—boring becomes a myth.
Reina hadn't spoken to me since Tuesday.
Not a message.
Not a hallway glance.
Not even that passive-aggressive throat-clear she did when walking by my seat.
But her name burned at the back of my mind like a leftover spark still searching for air.
So, when I got a "medical slip" during third period?
System:
"Diagnosis: MILF withdrawal. Prescription: thick thighs and unresolved tension."
I didn't wait.
The room was still and sun-warmed. Soft antiseptic in the air. Curtains fluttering. That quiet hum from the air conditioner.
And Reina, standing by the medicine cabinet, back to me, hips fucking dangerous in that tight skirt.
She didn't turn around.
"Close the door."
I did.
"And lock it."
Click.
"You've been parading around like nothing happened."
"You disappeared."
She turned.
And goddamn
Hair in a loose bun. Lips tight. That white coat hanging open just enough to show the soft stretch of her blouse. Arms crossed. Eyes unreadable.
"You didn't chase me."
"You didn't run. You retreated."
A tense silence.
I stepped closer.
"I didn't push. I gave you room."
"I don't need space. I need honesty."
System (chiming): "Lust Sync: On hold
Emotional Sync: Delicate
She's not scared of you. She's scared of how she feels around you."
I took another step.
"Then ask me what you want to know."
Her throat worked. She looked away. Then finally, finally, met my gaze.
"Did it mean something to you?"
"Yes."
No hesitation. No filler.
Her breath hitched.
She turned and walked toward her desk.
"I haven't done something like that in a long time. Not with someone who can… who knows what they're doing."
"Are you complimenting my hands or my mouth?"
She glared. But it cracked into a small smile.
"Cocky bastard."
"Only because you moaned my name like it was your favorite prayer."
She sat on the desk, crossing one leg over the other.
"I didn't call you here to flirt."
"You didn't call me here to not flirt."
She stared at me. Tension in her jaw.
"I need to know what this is."
"It's a connection. Not forced. Not rushed. You're not just some nurse I seduced."
I stepped in front of her now. Her knees brushed my thighs. Her breath was short, lips parted.
"You're Reina. The woman who stitched up my hand when I punched that locker. The one who scolds me when I don't eat. The one who gets flustered when I say what I'm thinking."
"And what are you thinking now?"
"That if I kiss you again, it'll mean more than last time."
Silence.
Then—
She leaned in. Not for a kiss. For a whisper.
"Then do it slow."
And I did.
My lips met hers in silence.
No rush.
No fire.
Just heat.
Just truth.
Fifteen minutes later, she was leaning against my chest, breath soft, fingers hooked into my shirt like she didn't want to let go.
System (softly): "Lust Sync: 38%
Emotional Sync: 56%
She's not a conquest. She's a choice."
"You complicate everything, Renji."
"Maybe. Or maybe I just remind you that you deserve more than silence."
She pulled away. Eyes wet. But she smiled.
"You're dangerous."
"Only to people who try to hurt what's mine."
She blinked.
Didn't correct me.
Didn't flinch at "mine."
Instead, she reached for her desk drawer and pulled out a small note.
Folded. Simple.
"Read it later. Not now."
I tucked it in my blazer, heart beating steady.
"Now get out of here before I do something irresponsible."
"Pretty sure we passed that checkpoint already."
She shoved me lightly toward the door.
The note was short.
Handwritten.
Neat.
"I'm scared, Renji. But I'm still here. That has to count for something, right?"
—R.
System: "She's yours. Not just because of the sex. But because you saw her when she was invisible to herself."
End of Chapter 28