After surviving Club PixelFade's chaos, you'd think the universe would grant me a break.
Spoiler alert: It didn't.
The moment we got home, the system flashed a horrifying message across my vision:
[Emergency Mission: Pajama Party Survival!] Objective: End the night without initiating a full harem route accident. Reward: Love Stability Points +1 per girl. Penalty: Randomly assigned fiancée.]
"What?!" I choked.
System: [You heard me.]
Before I could protest, Cynthia bounded into the living room wearing what could barely be classified as pajamas—a thin, oversized T-shirt that barely reached her thighs.
"Pajama party time!" she cheered, throwing a pillow at my face.
Luna wasn't far behind, wearing black satin shorts and a tank top so tight it should've come with a warning label.
Celia, the most dangerous of all, wore a prim, full-coverage pajama set... but the way she crossed her arms and glared at me made it feel more dangerous than anything Cynthia and Luna had on.
"I'm only here to supervise," she said coolly.
System: [Correction: She's here to supervise your virtue. Good luck, Host.]
We settled in for movies.
By "movies," I mean Cynthia selected the worst rom-com anime adaptations she could find, all of them suspiciously focused on accidental bath scenes, fall-onto-boobs scenarios, and sudden marriage contracts.
Every two minutes, Luna or Cynthia would "accidentally" fall on me.
Every three minutes, the system would flash a warning about "rising intimacy levels."
Every five minutes, Celia would throw popcorn at my head.
"You're way too soft-hearted," Luna whispered, leaning against me. Her hair tickled my cheek.
"And you're way too dangerous," I whispered back.
"Thanks!" she said brightly, snuggling closer.
Cynthia pouted. "No fair! I want cuddle privileges too!"
System: [Alert: Harem Density Reaching Critical Mass.]
I was one slip away from being labeled a polygamy protagonist.
Halfway through "I Married My Tsundere Alien Girlfriend 4," Cynthia fell asleep on my lap. Luna nodded off against my shoulder.
Celia remained stubbornly awake, arms crossed, watching me with a suspicious glint in her eye.
"I'm watching you," she whispered.
"I noticed," I whispered back.
The tension was so thick you could've cut it with an embarrassed cough.
I shifted slightly to get more comfortable.
Big mistake.
System: [Warning: Physical proximity exceeding Safe Comfort Threshold. Suggest: Emotional Distance Application.]
I tried to move without disturbing anyone.
Cynthia moaned in her sleep.
"Ethan… more cookies…"
Her hand clutched my shirt.
Luna muttered, "Nooo… Ethan's mine... stupid cookies..." and hugged my arm like it was a body pillow.
Celia's eyebrow twitched.
"This is harassment," she said flatly.
"I'm the one being harassed!" I hissed.
System: [Host: 2% away from initiating Accidental Harem Route. Recommendation: Pretend to be asleep.]
I closed my eyes.
Instantly, I regretted it.
Because the next thing I felt was Celia standing over me, muttering, "Fine. If you can't control yourself, I'll just...
... join in to supervise closer."
She plopped onto the couch beside me, closer than legally advisable.
System: [Congratulations! You have unlocked: TRUE DANGER MODE.]
Somewhere deep inside, I knew: there was no surviving this pajama party with my dignity intact.
In the morning, Null floated above us, recording with a virtual camera.
"Best episode yet," he said. "I'm uploading this to OtakuNet's Top Ten Harem Fails compilation."
I groaned and pulled a pillow over my face.
System: [Chapter Complete. Bonus Art Unlocked: Pajama Panic—Chibi Version.]