"Come on, brother, faster... I'm almost there!"
"Ugh... hah... hah... Just wait, Haruka. I'm doing my best."
"Ah~ You're too slow! Do it faster! Harder!"
"NGGHHH!!!"
Haruto grunted, forcing himself up with one final burst of effort.
"Finally! I knew you could do it!"
Haruka cheered, clapping her hands triumphantly from her perch atop of his back while he did a push up.
The two were in the living room, where Haruka had decided to 'help' her brother with his workout.
Haruto had mentioned wanting to bulk up, and as a dutiful sister, Haruka figured the best way to support him was by acting as added weight during his exercises.
With the AC turned off to save money, the house was sweltering, sunlight streaming through the open windows and sliding door.
The heat was unbearable, making every movement feel twice as difficult.
"Damn…"
He collapsed onto the floor, his body drenched in sweat as his chest heaved with labored breaths.
Haruka pouted, glancing down at him. "Am I that heavy?"
Haruto chuckled weakly. "Of course not. Look at your brother's muscles. You're as light as a feather."
"Then why are you acting like you're gonna die?" she asked with a knowing smirk, enjoying his misery.
"I'll answer that... if you get off me," he groaned, feeling the weight of her body still pressing down on his aching muscles.
"Boo, it's fun being on top of you!"
She teased one last time before hopping off, skipping over to the kitchen counter where Chiyo was busy preparing lunch.
He slowly pushed himself up from the cool floor, grabbing his discarded shirt to wipe the sweat from his body.
His hard work was paying off—his abs had begun to form a defined six-pack, and his arms and legs were noticeably more muscular.
Almost two weeks of grueling exercise, countless sparring sessions with Enji, and a strict diet had transformed him.
His body was strong, but bruises from the constant fights still marred his skin.
His left side throbbed painfully, still purple from a recent punch, and his face bore evidence of his battles, with a bandage on his nose and blue marks under his eyes.
As he wiped himself down, Haruto noticed Haruka and Chiyo staring at him, both women frozen in place with a reddish blush creeping across their faces.
"What?" He asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious under their intense gaze.
Haruka quickly turned away pretending to be uninterested, while Chiyo, flustered and avoiding his eyes, stammered,
"Ah, Do you need something, Haruto?"
"Yeah, could you get me some cold water and a bag of ice?" he requested, making his way over to the bar table.
He dropped down into the seat beside Haruka, still catching his breath, while rubbing his sore muscles.
Chiyo nodded, still blushing as she turned to get what he requested, while Haruka bit back a smirk, clearly enjoying her brother's discomfort.
"Hm… I thought you were joking when you said you wanted to buff up, brother."
Her voice broke the comfortable silence, her eyes studying him with curiosity.
He blinked and looked at her, a little startled. "What makes you think I'm joking?" he asked, furrowing his brows slightly.
She shrugged, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Nothing, I just feel like you're never really serious about anything."
"Plus, do you have a woman you're trying to impress?" She raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing but her gaze sharp.
BAM!
Before Haruto could respond, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor interrupted them.
Both siblings turned toward the kitchen where Chiyo, visibly flustered, had dropped the bag of ice she was supposed to hand to Haruto.
"Ah! I'm so sorry," she stammered, hastily handing the ice to him. "Here, I'll get the cold water in a second."
Her hands shook slightly as she retrieved a jar of water and a glass from the fridge, then passed them to Haruto before returning to the stove, clearly flustered.
Haruka narrowed her eyes, suspiciously eyeing Chiyo's reaction, but he only smirked to himself, a glimmer of amusement in his expression.
He poured himself a glass of water, taking a slow sip as he glanced at Chiyo.
Their relationship was improved now, though, they still like a fuck buddy without doing any sex.
Chiyo's Deprivation Matrix had increased, which meant she was becoming more susceptible to his influence.
But he had to tread carefully. One time, when he pushed the idea of sex too early, her matrix decreased slightly, and her Libido Percentage dropped. It turned her off.
It was like navigating a reverse otome game where picking the wrong choices could lead to a "bad end."
'Hm... this can't go on. We're stuck in a loop. I need to talk to Jin about it. He might know how to move things forward.' Haruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully, feeling the weight of his situation.
According to the system, the ideal time to manipulate or push his target was when her Libido Percentage maxed out and her resistance to Seduction and Mental Manipulation hit their lowest point.
But there were two problems, first the same as the Deprivation Matrix, Seduction and Mental Manipulation Resistance fluctuate based on her libido.
And then there was the second issue. So far, Chiyo had been satisfied with just climaxing without any penetration, and for her, that seemed to be enough.
'If things stay stuck like this, I'll never fully subjugate her,' he thought with frustration.
'The matrix and stats won't shift anymore once they hit their limit anyway. Do I need to push her more?'
"Brother! Brother!"
Haruka's voice cut through his thoughts again, pulling him back to the present. She grabbed the ice bag and pressed it directly against one of his bruises.
"Ow!" Haruto jolted, a sharp intake of breath escaping his lips. The cold sting seared through his aching muscles.
"Stop it, Haruka," he growled, grabbing the ice bag from her hand and putting it back to the table.
She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. "Why didn't you answer me earlier? Thinking about your girlfriend?" she huffed, her voice rising in irritation.
He let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Sorry, sorry. Don't sulk like that." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to smooth things over. "What were you asking about?"
"Ugh!" Haruka stood up, clearly frustrated. "I've had enough of you!"
She hates the idea of sharing her brother's attention and love since she rarely got it in the past.
'What if my brother didn't want to talk to me anymore because of that woman?' her thought made her scared even more.
She turned to storm off, but he was faster. He grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her back around to face him.
"Hey, don't be mad. I said I'm sorry," he pleaded, his voice softening as he looked at her, trying to meet her eyes.
Haruka, however, kept her gaze stubbornly averted.
After a moment of silence, Haruto smiled, ruffling her hair gently. "Why don't we go shopping today? I just got my paycheck from my part-time job."
Haruka's expression softened slightly, though she still avoided his gaze, clearly enjoying the attention but refusing to admit it.
She stayed silent for a moment, weighing her options before finally speaking. "I want to buy a bikini since we're going to the ocean soon."
"Of course. You can get whatever you want," Haruto smiled warmly, relieved to see her mood lift.
Even though his job as a waiter didn't pay much, he was more than willing to spend what little he earned to make his sister happy.