"Is there something wrong, Kline?" Mira asked, staring at Kline, who had yet to walk out of the ballroom.
"Hmmm?" Kline hummed, "You said you wanted to have lunch, right?"
"Yep!" The stunning blonde replied brightly, clapping his hands together, "Is that fine?"
"Um, I… is the cafeteria still open at this time?" He replied noncommittally with an awkward smile.
"No, but that's okay." Mira replied cheerily, "I requested ingredients be delivered here. So let's hit the kitchen and I'll whip something up for you."
After hearing her reply, something in his mind snapped, and he began thinking from a Dating Sim mindset.
-
User has been hit with a surprise development! Debuffs have been significantly reduced!
Development: Beautiful woman overly enthusiastic about cooking for you.
Grade: Rare
Debuff: Emotion(s) | [Hesitance and Fear]
Debuff Strength: 2 (-73)
-
"O-Okay!" Kline replied without thinking, "I'd love… it if you did that."
Mindy saw his expression and then turned to Mira with a strange expression that conveyed sinister intent. "If that's the case, I'll make the side!"
"That's okay." The blonde smiled, "Lunch is my treat, so enjoy it."
The redhead's eye twitched slightly. "No, I insist. I wouldn't feel comfortable if you did it alone."
"Just relax, Mindy." Mira smiled, "I love to cook. So it's my pleasure, really!"
"That's…." Mindy began, face twitching with greater intensity, but stopped, preventing herself from saying [the problem]. She knew the man beside her would [misinterpret] her protests, "Okay, then. Ready, Kline?"
Was he ready!? Of course! He had a beautiful blonde blessed with a perfect face and well-endowed upper C-Cup bust, ecstatic to cook for him, and a stunning redhead showcasing competitive spirit! Better, Violet, AKA Physical Calamity, and Bell, AKA the Anti-Cock-Hawk wouldn't be present!
He was over the moon until he looked at the interface again. "Yeah… just one more second."
Kline read it with a cringing expression and chose the first option, which seemed beneficial.
—
What would you like help with?
-
1. Mining information about your relationship with them. (A+)
2. Escaping the situation without complication. (B+)
3. Appeasing both simultaneously. (C-)
4. Starting a relationship with one of them at this time. (F-)
-
—
The answer was instantaneous.
—
Choice: [Mining information about your relationship with them.] Accepted.
Good choice! While this option will create challenging situations for you in the future, you will at least benefit from the upcoming relational misfortune you face.
Advice: do not talk to another woman voluntarily, and decline plan requests with any woman that makes them. Avoid Rebecca coldly if you see her.
Note: You can always apologize later, so don't be a short-term Sensitive Sally about avoiding Rebecca. Just channel your inner virgin and do what you've always done: showcase a cringe-worthy level of awkwardness so no one can claim you're intentionally being mean.
—
Kline's eyes glazed over, fear replaced by hatred for his sassy system. "Sure, let's get going."
…
At the end of the residential hallway, at the T where the male and female wards separated, there was a large set of wooden double doors.
Inside that area was a full kitchen for the Swanson Spa attendees. It had stove tops, ovens, and a charcoal grey granite-topped island for chopping vegetables.
A person could pay for groceries or bring their own for their stay. It was a charming addition.
Currently, there was a stocked fridge and pantry, ensuring full creativity. Mira obviously went through significant effort to make sure she could cook during the retreat.
No one at the event used it because Rit served them four-star meals, building the appeal of his dominatrix indoctrination camp. Therefore, the three were alone in the room in a should-be-comfortable atmosphere.
Mira looked incredibly cute. She wore a flowery, light blue apron over her light yellow t-shirt and mid-blue jeggings, bringing out her blonde hair and blue eyes.
As she moved around, gathering ingredients, she hummed a heavenly tune. Her entire atmosphere was radiant, pulling someone into an inescapable black hole of mild happiness.
He'd feel like a farmer living the simple life in the countryside, watching his wife bake an apple pie in the summer breeze if it weren't for—
CHOP!
—the uncharacteristic explosive chops that occurred [randomly], making everyone's heart pulse.
Kline would be confused about what they were if he hadn't seen the ominous system warning that screamed [watch your back, these bitches be crazy!]. However, he did and was still getting advice.
—
Information Mining Advice: Explain your mental situation, saying that you remember things after being reminded of them. Then ask them to tell you their favorite shared memory.
Warning: Prepare for a wild answer.
—
'Prepare for a wild answer!?' He cried internally, 'What type of sketchy back alley relationship do we have to make a favorite memory worthy of that sketchy warning!? It doesn't even say [wild story]!'
The prompt didn't say that they had wild stories together. [Wild] could mean fun, thrilling, life-threatening, and bonding if used with the word [story].
However! Massive, meaning-changing however! When you removed the word [story] and replaced it with the word [answer], it ranged from mildly creepy to insane and highly illegal!
Would they say they enjoyed a time when they smelled his hair for 45 minutes? Or would they confess that they loved that time when they killed a cultist family in New Mexico!?"
Kline cranked his head choppily to Mindy, sitting across from him at an oak table with her beautiful green eyes peering into his soul. She had beautiful red hair that was mostly straight with a slight wave she could remove with combing, and makeup artistically accentuated her face. The woman was a work of art.
Mindy had her elbows on the table with her hands on her palms, leaning forward and giving him an amused and slightly dreamy gaze. It was the type of expression that said she enjoyed his slight discomfort with her presence and teasing. "What is it?"
He blinked twice, turning light pink as he searched for words in his pockets as if they were a phone. When he failed to answer in two seconds of panic, he hung his head in shame. "I know, I'm extremely awkward."
Both women burst into giggles at his self-deprecating reply. He didn't have enough confidence to answer a question, but he did have enough to lambaste himself before women. It was comical.
"That's what I find likable about you." Mira said brightly, chopping potatoes with a vibrant smile.
"Me too." Mindy said, "It seems like no matter how much time passes, you don't get comfortable around women. Even with your new looks, you haven't changed a bit. It's so strange."
"Ah, haha! Yeah, I'm pretty hopeless." Kline laughed awkwardly, "I'm not sure why I'm so uncomfortable. I feel like there's a reason, but…."
Both women fell silent, staring at him blankly after hearing the strange tone in his voice. It felt like they were on the precipice of uncovering a mystery.
"To be honest…." He dry-swallowed, "I don't remember either of you."
CHOP!
The nervous virgin's amygdala shot into overdrive, triggering his fight-or-flight response and making him put up his hand to duke it out with the redhead in mortal combat or run for the maple doors, avoiding the blonde holding the massive 12" chopping knife.
However, he calmed down when the room fell silent and looked at the blonde. She was staring at the chopped potatoes with a downcast shadow that wilted the potatoes below her in real-time. Her movements were frozen in time.
"W-Wait up, Mira!" Kline cried, "I wasn't finished, but first… are you okay?"
Mira snapped out of her dark haze and turned to him with a radiant smile that materialized out of thin air. "Of course, Kline! Why would you think otherwise?"
Mindy's eyes glided to the left, glancing at the smiling blonde viciously. "The psycho chopping and mood swing isn't worth noting?"
"Hmmm?" The blonde replied in genuine confusion, turning back to the vegetables, "What are you talking about? I haven't stopped cooking."
Chop-chop-chop-chop-chop!
"Did you say that…." She whispered with trembling eyes.
"You don't remember us?" Mindy asked, hands still in her palms, staring at the terrified virgin with a predatory look in her eyes.
"Yes…." Kline replied, "When I arrived, I hit my head pretty hard. As a result, I have mostly forgotten my relationships until someone tells me how we're related."
Mira breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that you're doing okay. You had me worried."
"Me too." Mindy said strangely, "You don't remember anything about us?"
Chop, chop, chop…
Kline shook his head hesitantly. "No… I don't. So I was hoping that… maybe…."
…chop, chop, chop, chop, chop…
"... you'd both share your favorite shared story with me?"
… ch—
The atmosphere froze in the eeriest way imaginable. Mira stopped chopping midstroke and didn't finish or lift. Her body simply froze.
Likewise, the redhead's expression cracked for a few seconds, staring at him blankly before wrangling herself back in.
Kline looked between the two with cold sweat dripping down his shoulder blades. He didn't know for certain, but [he knew for certain] that things were even worse than the system made them out to be.
Mindy snapped back into the present and doubled down on her dreamy gaze. "Where to begin? Let's start with that romantic date we went on last year. That's a good place to start."
SCCccrrRrraaAaaAAaacCTtttcCHH!
A horrifying sound from a scraping blade ripped across the wood cutting board, cutting into it.
Kline looked over to the blonde, who had darkness swirling in her eyes.
"Well then, would you like to hear it?" Mindy asked, staring at him with the same dreamy gaze, completely unfazed by the psycho blonde wielding a historically effective murdering device ten feet away, "It's my favorite."