The "forbidden affection route" started haunting me almost immediately.
That night, my phone buzzed like crazy.
System: [Urgent Event Triggered: Dormitory Raid!] Objective: Visit the girls' dorm before midnight. Special Reward: ???]
Null's text followed immediately after.
Null: "Go or you're a certified beta. š¤š"
I glared at my phone.
This was a trap.
This had to be a trap.
But when has that ever stopped me before?
11:47 PM ā Girls' Dormitory
I slipped inside like a ninja... or more accurately, like a drunken cat burglar, because I immediately tripped over someone's shoes at the entrance.
Luckily, nobody heard.
I tiptoed down the hallway. Everything smelled suspiciously like shampoo and vanilla lotion.
System: [Stealth Mode Activated!]
Null's voice buzzed in my ear.
"If you get caught, the penalty is public panty thief branding."
I nearly threw my phone out the window.
First room: Cynthia's.
Door slightly open. Warm pink light spilling out.
I peeked inside... and immediately regretted it.
Cynthia was lounging on her bed in a tiny camisole, lazily reading a manga. One strap slipped off her shoulder, exposing a scandalous amount of smooth skin.
"Mmm... Ethan~" she murmured in her sleep, rolling over, hugging a giant body pillowāwith my face printed on it.
I stumbled back, covering my mouth to muffle my scream.
System: [Discovered: Cynthia's Hidden Yandere Trait!]
Abort. Abort mission.
Second room: Luna's.
I crept in.
And walked into a trap.
Literally. She had set up tripwire alarms using ribbons and bells.
The moment I stepped forward, bells jingled, a curtain dropped, andāBAMāLuna pounced on me out of nowhere wearing cat ears, a crop top, and dangerously tiny shorts.
"Meow~ What a naughty intruder~," she purred.
My soul left my body.
Before I could respond, Luna pressed a finger to my lips.
"I'll let you go," she whispered, "but only if you pet me~."
I short-circuited.
System: [New Mini-Game: Pet the Tsundere Catgirl!] Penalty: Heart Attack.
With trembling hands, I reached up... and awkwardly patted her head.
She closed her eyes, tail (yes, she had a fake tail) swishing happily.
Somewhere, Null was definitely recording this to blackmail me later.
Third room: Celia's.
Of course the door was locked.
But the system popped up:
[Option: Force Entry? Y/N]
Yeah, no. I was not about to get murdered.
I turned around to leaveā
āand bumped straight into Celia.
Wearing nothing but an oversized shirt that barely covered her thighs.
She froze.
I froze.
Her hair was messy, her cheeks flushed with sleepy confusion.
"What... are you doing here...?" she whispered.
I opened my mouth to explain.
Nothing came out.
Instead, Celia stepped closer, looking up at me with wide, glassy eyes.
For a terrifying second, I thought she might scream.
Insteadā
She stood on tiptoe and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.
My brain blue-screened.
"Dummy," she muttered, then shuffled back into her room, shutting the door with a soft click.
Leaving me standing there, brain-melted, heart hammering, and way too many feelings bubbling up.
System: [Congratulations! You have successfully triggered: Triple Affection Route!] Special Reward: [??? Pending]
Null texted me again.
Null: "Bro. You're so cooked. "
I staggered back to my room, somehow surviving the night.
Barely.
And yet...
I couldn't help but think:
Maybe this crazy life... wasn't so bad after all.