My Scumbag System - Chapter 243

Chapter 243: This is What “Later” Looks Like
I turned back to Emi.

She still looked shell-shocked. Those antenna hair strands drooped. Wilted. Like plants registering a pressure drop before a storm.

“Alright, Emi.” I picked up a fresh arrow from the rack. Held it out to her. “Let’s finish what we started. One more shot.”

She took the arrow. Fingers wrapped around the smooth wood.

“But this time, don’t look at the target.”

Her head tilted. Confusion crossed her face. “Don’t look at the target? Then how will I hit it?”

She turned the arrow over in her hands. Nervous habit. The metal tip caught the fluorescent lights.

“Look at me.” I stepped to the side. Out of her line of fire. Our eyes met. “Focus on me. Send the arrow to the target.”

She hesitated. Then nocked the arrow. Her movements flowed smoother now. Less robotic. More natural. She drew the string back to her cheek. Eyes locked with mine. Uncertain. Trusting.

That trust was a real thing. Tangible. A thread I could almost reach out and pluck.

“Breathe.” I kept my voice soft. Steady. “See the target in your mind. Feel the connection. Intent matters more than sight.”

She inhaled deep. Held it. Her chest rose. Held that suspended breath.

Then released it and the arrow together.

Thwack!

The arrow slammed into the bullseye. Perfect shot. Her eyes never left mine. Not even for a second.

A slow smile spread across my face. “Good girl.”

Emi’s cheeks flushed pink. Pride and something else mixed in her expression. Her pupils dilated at the praise. Breathing quickened.

Perfect.

She was learning. Success equals my approval. My focus. My recognition. Each positive response was another brick. Building the foundation. Making her dependent on me.

“That was amazing, Emi-chan!” Soomin’s voice rose with genuine admiration. She seemed relieved the spotlight had moved off her. The earlier embarrassment faded.

Natalia pushed off the wall. Slow. Deliberate. “It’s getting late. We should head back upstairs.”

Her voice came out tight. Controlled. Like a guitar string wound too tight. About to snap.

“Before Braxton decides to check on us and finds half his students in their pajamas.”

The mention of our instructor sent tension through the group. Professor Miller wasn’t strict about curfew. But getting caught in a training session like this? While wearing sleep clothes? Would look bad for everyone.

Especially me.

The girls started gathering their things. I began putting equipment away. Weights clinked as I racked them. The sound filled the growing quiet.

Emi returned the bow to the rack. Handled it with reverence. Her fingers lingered on the curved wood. Like it had become part of her.

“Thank you for the lesson, Satori-kun.” She spoke quietly. Voice pitched just for me even though the others could hear. Her eyes held that special glow. Someone who’d discovered something about themselves they never knew existed. “Same time tomorrow?”

I nodded. Gave her a small smile. Warm. “You’ve got real talent, Emi. We should develop it.”

Let the double meaning hang there. Watched her register it somewhere in the back of her mind.

Soomin couldn’t look at me. Mumbled her thanks. Scurried toward the door. Clearly mortified by what her transformed self had done. Her walk was unsteady. Like her body was still adjusting from the transformation.

The split between her two selves needed careful handling. Exploration.

Exploitation.

Natalia was last to leave. Lingered behind the others on purpose. As she passed me, her hand brushed against the front of my sweatpants. Fingers grazed the bulge still there. Brief contact. Completely deliberate.

Sent electricity up my spine.

Her eyes met mine. Dark. Possessive. Heat pooled in my lower stomach. She leaned close. Close enough that I smelled jasmine perfume. Felt her breath against my skin. Her lips almost touched my ear.

“Later.” She whispered it so soft only I could hear. “You’re going to pay for tonight’s little show.”

Then she was gone. Following the others out. Leaving me alone in the basement gym.

I stood there for a moment. Let myself process what had just happened.

Three girls. Three different approaches. Three different weaknesses.

Emi was the easiest. Praise-starved. Desperate for validation. A few compliments and some focused attention? She’d follow me anywhere. Already halfway there after one training session.

Soomin was complicated. Two personalities in one body. The shy mouse and the confident fox. Both sides aware. Both sides remembering. That psychological mess would take more work. More finesse. But the payoff? Could be worth it. A weapon that switched between timid and aggressive on command.

And Natalia.

My queen. My equal. My biggest challenge.

She knew exactly what I was doing. Saw through every move. Every manipulation. And she still played along because she wanted to. Because the game itself turned her on. The competition. The jealousy. The constant testing of boundaries.

She was dangerous in ways the others weren’t.

But that’s what made her fun.

I finished putting away the last of the equipment. Turned off most of the lights. Left one on near the door. The gym fell into shadows.

I headed upstairs. Took the steps two at a time. My body still hummed with energy. With anticipation. With the satisfaction of a good night’s work.

The hallway was empty when I emerged. Most students were in their rooms by now. Lights out. Doors closed. The academy building settled into its nighttime quiet.

I made my way toward my room. Footsteps soft on the carpeted floor.

Then I heard it.

A door opening behind me. Soft click of a latch.

I turned.

Natalia stood in her doorway. Still wearing those silk pajama shorts and lavender camisole. Hair loose around her shoulders. Purple eyes fixed on me.

She crooked a finger. Come here.

I glanced down the hallway. Empty. No witnesses.

When I looked back, she’d already disappeared inside her room. Door left open. Invitation clear.

I walked over. Slow. Unhurried. Like I had all the time in the world. Like I wasn’t already half-hard again just from the way she’d looked at me.

Stepped through her doorway.

The room was dim. Only her desk lamp on. Cast soft yellow light across the space. Her bed was made. Textbooks stacked neatly on her desk. Everything in its place.

Except her.

She stood by the window. Back to me. Looking out at the academy grounds below. Moonlight filtered through the glass. Silhouetted her body. Made the silk of her shorts shimmer.

I closed the door behind me. Locked it. The click sounded loud in the quiet room.

“You know,” she said without turning around, “I was trying to decide something tonight.”

I stayed by the door. Waited. Let her play this out.

“I was trying to decide if I should be angry.” She turned then. Faced me. Expression unreadable in the dim light. “You pressed against me like that in front of the others. Touched me. Made me feel things.”

She walked toward me. Each step deliberate. Hips swaying.

“Then you did the same thing to Emi.” She stopped right in front of me. Close enough to touch. “Pressed against her back. Adjusted her form. The exact same way you touched me.”

Her hand came up. Pressed flat against my chest. Felt my heartbeat.

“Then Soomin transformed and threw herself at you.” Her fingers curled. Nails dug in slightly through my shirt. “And you pinned her to the wall. Bodies pressed together. Faces so close.”

Her eyes locked with mine. Purple fire.

“So I was trying to decide if I should be angry.”

“And?” I kept my voice level. Calm. “What did you decide?”

Her lips curved into a slow smile. Sharp. Dangerous. Beautiful.

“I decided I’m not angry.”

Her other hand slid down. Found the bulge in my sweatpants again. Squeezed.

“I’m furious.”

She pulled me forward by my shirt. Lips crashed against mine. Hard. Aggressive. Teeth caught my bottom lip. Bit down. Not hard enough to bleed. Hard enough to hurt.

I grabbed her hips. Pulled her against me. Let her feel exactly how turned on I was.

She broke the kiss. Shoved me backward. My legs hit her bed. I sat down hard.

“You want to play games?” She climbed onto my lap. Straddled me. Ground down against my hardness.

“Fine. Let’s play.”