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There’s a very specific kind of anxiety that comes from walking into your high school classroom and seeing four girls you’ve accidentally cursed staring at you like you’re the last ticket to paradise.
That was my Monday.
I stepped through the classroom door, bag slung low, hoodie half-zipped, pretending I hadn’t just gotten a warning from the System.
> System Notification:
Four active soulbonds detected within visual radius.
Emotional saturation: 89%.
Suggested action: Flee.
I ignored it.
Mostly because the second I tried turning around, Akane appeared behind me and shoved me into my seat.
"Nice try," she whispered. "But today’s your punishment."
"For what?"
"For breathing. Also for being you."
---
Mei was already seated in her usual spot beside me. She’d gotten bolder recently. Today, her uniform sweater was slightly oversized, sleeves covering her hands, and she kept leaning just a little too close.
"Ren-kun," she whispered, smiling. "Your hair’s a little messy."
Before I could stop her, she reached up and started brushing her fingers through it.
I flinched. "I—uh—that’s fine! I like it messy!"
"You look like someone I want to marry on accident," she giggled.
> System: Message Count (Mei) – 9/10. Emotional Desire: 83%.
Not good. Dangerously not good.
---
Elira sat near the window, sunlight bouncing off her silver hair. She wasn’t even pretending to be subtle anymore.
"Master Ren," she called across the room, startling a few students. "If your hand is cold, you may borrow mine."
"W-What?!"
"I read that sharing warmth is common among human courtship rituals."
> System: Message Count (Elira) – 9/10. Physical Readiness: 75%.
I was going to die.
Akane sat two rows behind, arms crossed, glaring at everyone like she was two seconds away from declaring war.
She wasn’t subtle either.
"Touch him again," she muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear, "and I’ll replace your kneecaps with pinecones."
Mei giggled nervously. Elira looked intrigued.
Ayaka entered last.
She walked straight to the front, placed her bag down, and said nothing. Then, without warning, turned to face me.
"I heard you failed your math quiz," she said flatly.
"...I passed it, actually."
She blinked slowly. "Then I must be confusing it with the science test. Or maybe your spiritual integrity."
"Good morning to you too, Ayaka."
She sat down.
---
The entire class noticed something was off.
Four beautiful girls, all orbiting one guy who looked like he hadn’t slept since birth?
Suspicious.
Whispers began.
> "Is he rich?" "Maybe he’s famous?" "I heard he inherited a cursed house. That’s kinda hot."
I lowered my head.
Then I heard the worst thing.
"Group project today!" our teacher beamed. "Groups of five."
I didn’t need to guess who I’d get paired with.
---
Project: Design a cultural display for the school festival.
Group: Me, Akane, Ayaka, Mei, and Elira.
My personal apocalypse.
---
Halfway through the project meeting, Akane was threatening to stab the hot glue gun, Elira had sketched a magical rune instead of a poster, Mei was doodling Ren x Mei fan art in the margins, and Ayaka had rewritten the entire proposal in cursive Kanji just to flex.
"Can we focus?" I begged.
"Focusing on you is easy," Mei whispered.
"Would you prefer I enchant the poster board?" Elira asked.
"Do that and it’ll burst into flames," Akane snapped.
"You assume my magic is unstable?" Elira said calmly.
"It nearly melted the garden hose last time."
Ayaka didn’t say anything. She just slid a packet of warm cookies across the desk toward me.
"You looked hungry," she muttered.
> System: Shared bonding action detected. Ayaka’s care level +15%.
I bit into the cookie. It was warm.
And shaped like a heart.
I was doomed.
---
Later that day, as we all left school, the girls naturally started arguing about who would walk me home.
"I’m already going that way," Akane lied.
"I was going to ask him to stop by the bookstore with me," Mei added.
"Elira can teleport," I offered. "She wins."
"I refuse to use my gifts for frivolous transport," she declared.
Ayaka said nothing.
She just looped her arm through mine.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
"Testing something."
The other three glared.
She didn’t let go.
---
That night, I collapsed on my bed.
Phone buzzed.
> System: All soulbonds active. Emotions intensifying. No reversals pending. Next event approaching. Prepare accordingly.
"...What event?" I muttered.
Silence.
Then—
> Unknown Number: You’re getting too close to them, Ren-kun.
They don’t belong to you.
Back off... or we’ll take one away.
I sat up, cold sweat prickling down my neck.
It wasn’t from the system.
It wasn’t from any girl.
Someone else was watching.
---