Akira woke to soft morning light filtering through his curtains and the warm weight of Mia's arm draped across his chest. Her breathing was steady, peaceful, and her face was buried against his shoulder.

He carefully removed himself from her embrace, her fingers trailing across his chest as he moved. She mumbled something in her sleep but didn't wake.

In the bathroom, Akira splashed cold water on his face and stared at his reflection. The system had given him some new skills… time to test them out.

He activated the Perfect Recall skill, and information flooded his mind with crystal clarity.

[PERFECT RECALL ACTIVATED]

[ANALYZING: AYAME SHINOMIYA]

[DATA COMPILATION COMPLETE]

Transfer student - arrived Monday

Essence signature: Holy/Purifier type

Behaviour pattern: Professional surveillance, testing methodology

Known actions: Talisman test (failed to detect corruption), mapping his routine, reporting to an unknown contact

Threat assessment: High

Current evidence against Akira: None confirmed

Estimated suspicion level: 25-30%

"Not great, not terrible," he muttered. "Just need to keep her guessing."

His phone buzzed on the counter. He checked and saw several notifications, mostly school-related, but one caught his eye: a reminder he'd set days ago about calling Yuki.

Right. I'll do that later today, he told himself.

—

Akira arrived early, trying to establish a routine that looked natural. The classroom was mostly empty except for a few students. Ayame was already at her desk behind his, reading what appeared to be a history textbook, but Akira noticed her eyes flick up the moment he entered.

He sat down, pulled out his own materials, and began reviewing notes. The sensation of being watched was immediate and intense—like an itch between his shoulder blades he couldn't scratch.

"She's studying you," Ai observed. "Every movement, every gesture. Looking for patterns."

"I know. I can feel it."

When other students filtered in, Ayame smoothly transitioned into casual conversation with a girl beside her about the upcoming Cultural Festival. Her voice was pleasant, her laugh genuine-sounding.

She was good at blending in.

Mia arrived and immediately positioned herself between Akira's desk and Ayame's line of sight, shooting the new girl a look that could freeze water. Ayame simply smiled politely and returned to her book.

During the break between the first and second periods, Akira sat at his desk, thinking about Yuki again. He still hadn't texted or called since he got her number, and for some reason, now seemed like a good time.

"Darling, you're thinking about adding another girl to your schedule," Ai's voice chimed in his mind. "Brave, considering you have a yandere girlfriend who already watches your every move."

"Yuki and I are just… friends."

"Right. Just friends. And I'm sure Mia will see it exactly that way." Ai's tone was dripping with sarcasm.

"Speaking like you didn't establish a route with her."

"Actually, your choice led up to that point. Anyways, regarding Mia, you might want to test out that new Heart Strings skill properly? See if you can manage her reaction before it becomes a problem."

Akira paused.

He hadn't really experimented with his new skills like Heart Strings yet, only Perfect Recall, which he tried earlier that morning. And Ai had a point… Mia finding out about him meeting another girl was asking for trouble.

"How would that even work?"

"Simple. Activate the skill, read her emotional state, and strategically influence the threads while having the conversation. Think of it as emotional groundwork. You're not lying to her… you're just making sure she can actually hear what you're saying without her jealousy drowning everything out."

It made sense. And if he was going to use this skill, it was better to practise on a situation he could control.

"Alright. I'll try it during lunch."

The lunch bell rang, and Akira grabbed his bento. Mia appeared at his side immediately, linking her arm through his.

"Roof?" she asked brightly.

"Yeah."

As they walked, Akira composed the message he was going to send to Yuki in his head.

On the roof, Mia settled down next to him, opening her lunch with a contented sigh. "Finally. I barely saw you this morning with that creepy new girl sitting right behind you."

"She's not that bad."

"She's awful. I don't trust her." Mia bit into her rice ball. "Anyway, forget about her. What do you want to do this weekend? We could…"

"Actually, Mia, before we plan anything..." Akira set down his chopsticks. "I want to try something. Just... trust me for a second, okay?"

She looked at him curiously. "What kind of something?"

"Close your eyes."

"Akira-kun, we're in public; we can't…"

"No, not that, Mia. Just close them. Please."

Mia complied, though she looked suspicious. "This better not be a prank."

Akira activated Heart Strings, focusing on her.

[HEART STRINGS ACTIVATED]

[TARGET: MIA TAKAHASHI]

Threads of coloured light bloomed around her chest in his mind's eye:

Deep GREEN (Jealousy) - thick, coiled tightly around her heart

Purple (Fear/Anxiety) - long strands wrapped around the green, pulsing with insecurity

Pink (Lust/Desire) - strong and vibrant whenever she looked at him

Red (Anger) - thin threads, simmering beneath

White (Trust) - present but thinner than it should be, fragile

Yellow (Happiness) - moderate, flickering like a candle flame

"The longer the threads, the stronger the emotions. As you can see, she's carrying a lot of fear and jealousy," Ai observed. "The moment you mention another girl, that green thread will explode. You need to strengthen the white first."

"Okay, open your eyes," Akira said.

Mia did, blinking. "What was that about?"

"Just wanted to look at you properly." He gently touched her cheek and mentally tugged the WHITE (trust) thread, carefully pulling it while feeding warmth through the connection.

He watched her shoulders relax slightly, her breathing evening out.

"You're being weird today," she said, but she was smiling.

"Mia, can I ask you something serious?"

The smile faded almost immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just..." He kept his hand on her cheek, maintaining the connection to the WHITE thread. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you." But the thread flickered, showing the lie in her words.

"Really? Because sometimes it feels like you're waiting for me to mess up. Like you're expecting me to betray you or something."

Mia's expression crumbled slightly. "I... I don't mean to be like that. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I'm scared, okay?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You've changed so much. You're confident now, attractive, and everyone wants your attention. And I keep thinking... what if you wake up one day and realise you can do better than me?"

"Mia…"

"Let me finish," she cut him off, and Akira went quiet. Mia took a deep breath before she continued. "I'm worried I'm going to lose you. That someone smarter or prettier or less... clingy... is going to come along, and you'll realise I'm just a mess."

The PURPLE (fear) thread was vibrating intensely. This was the core of her issues: not jealousy for jealousy's sake, but deep-rooted fear of abandonment.

Akira tugged the WHITE thread harder while simultaneously trying to shorten the PURPLE. "Mia, look at me."

She did, tears gathering in her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere. And I'm not going to suddenly 'realise' anything except that you're important to me." He pulled her close, physically reinforcing the emotional manipulation. "But I need you to trust me. Really trust me. Can you do that?"

"I'm trying," she whispered against his chest.

"I know. And I'm going to help you." He pulled back to look at her. "Which is why I want to be completely honest with you about something."

The GREEN (jealousy) thread began to lengthen immediately. He countered by pulling WHITE harder.

"You remember Yuki Hayashi? From middle school?"

Mia tensed, the GREEN growing. "Yeah? SHe was trying to hit on you in the gym the other day, and I showed her her place."

"Well… she saw me one day and apologised to me for causing a situation between us."

"And?" Mia's voice was tight.

"And I've been thinking about it. She's a good person, that I know. And I'd like to clear the air properly, maybe grab coffee and talk." He met her eyes directly. "I wanted to tell you first because I don't want there to be secrets between us."

The emotions warred visibly on her face. GREEN jealousy versus WHITE trust versus PURPLE fear.

Akira made his play. He tugged the PINK (lust) thread sharply while simultaneously pulling WHITE, and added his Aura of Dominance… subtly.

"Saturday afternoon. Just coffee, just talking. And then Saturday night..." His voice dropped to sound like an intimate promise. "Saturday night is all yours. Completely. I'll make sure you know exactly how important you are to me."

The PINK thread flared brightly, and desire overwhelmed jealousy. The WHITE thread thickened as the promise of exclusivity reassured her.

"Just coffee?" she asked, sounding uncertain but hopeful.

"Just coffee. I'll even text you while I'm there if you want." He kissed her softly. "I'm not hiding anything from you, Mia. That's the point. I could've just gone without telling you, but I didn't. Because you matter to me."

The WHITE thread grew stronger, the logic penetrating her insecurity.

"Okay," she said finally, though her grip on his shirt tightened. "But you better keep that promise about Saturday night."

"I will." He pulled her into his lap, feeding more energy into PINK and WHITE while starving GREEN and PURPLE. "You're mine too, you know. This goes both ways."

She kissed him desperately, and he felt the emotional threads stabilising: jealousy managed, trust reinforced, and fear temporarily suppressed by desire and reassurance.

When they broke apart, Mia's expression had softened completely. "I love you, Akira-kun."

It was the first time she'd said it directly. Or was it second?

"I know," he said, because saying it back felt like a line he wasn't ready to cross. "Now eat your lunch before it gets cold."

She nodded, settling back into her spot beside him.

Crisis Averted.

"Masterfully done, darling," Ai purred. "You just turned a potential meltdown into devotion. Though I should mention, you're essentially emotionally manipulating her into compliance."

"I'm managing a difficult situation. And I was honest with her."

"You were honest while chemically altering her emotional response to said honesty. There's a difference." Ai paused. "Not that I'm judging… I mean, who am I to judge? I probably will do worse."

"Probably, Ai? The you that I know will definitely do worse."

"Just remember, those threads can snap if you push too hard. And a yandere with broken trust is far more dangerous than a jealous one."

Akira pulled out his phone and finally sent the message to Yuki:

"Hey Yuki, it's Akira. Remember we talked about grabbing coffee sometime? I'm finally free this Saturday if you are. There's a nice café in the shopping district… Café Meridian. Around 2pm?"

The reply came within minutes: "I'd love to! I know that place; they have amazing pastries. See you Saturday! 😊"

Perfect.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.