"This should count as an accident, right…?"
"An accident?"
Anby stopped to think about what Wise said, while he quietly blamed the system in his mind. In the end, this whole mess started because the system acted on impulse.
[Ding! Host, I did not make a rash decision. I merely followed the instructions you gave.]
'You followed them a little too well! Just don't do that again, or at least warn me first!'
After repeating his warnings, Wise felt satisfied that the system wouldn't repeat the mistake.
Then Anby looked up, serious as ever, and said to Wise, "Hmm, Wise does draw girls' attention pretty easily. You're like the ideal male lead in a movie."
"Uh, should I say thanks for the compliment? Eh?"
Wise had only gotten halfway through his reply when he noticed the shift in Anby's expression, a hint of worry he'd never seen on her before.
Seeing that, Wise leaned in a little and asked, "Anby, what's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing." Anby shook her head, paused for a second, then added, "I was just thinking… what if Wise becomes like those movie protagonists who always end up surrounded by girls? If that really happens, I… I don't know what I'd do…"
Her tone stunned Wise for a moment. Guess some of the films she watched had stories like that.
And with how many girls had come up to him today, it wasn't strange for Anby to feel uneasy.
Wise moved closer and gently wrapped his arms around Anby, who offered no resistance.
"Anby, no matter what comes our way, I'll always love you."
"Really?" she asked in a soft, shy voice.
"Really."
"Mm, that's enough…"
Anby pressed her face against Wise's chest, inhaling his scent as warmth spread through her.
But the serene moment was shattered when a sudden rustle came from the sofa nearby.
"Ugh… what happened to me? Nya? Why does my head hurt so much!"
The Nekomata rubbed her throbbing head, wincing. When her gaze landed on Anby and Wise together, her fur bristled instantly.
"Nya! You… you two, what are you doing?! In broad daylight, really, so shameless!"
Nekomata pointed a finger at Anby, her eyes glinting with indignation and the subtle jealousy only a pampered pet would feel.
Anby, seeing that she'd finally calmed down, couldn't resist teasing her a little.
"Wise."
"Hmm?"
"Pat~"
"Nya?!"
Anby carefully placed Wise's hand on her head. Wise, playing along, gave two gentle pats. Nekomata, seeing this, could feel her patience snapping.
'Damn it! That's… that's a privilege only I can have! Anby, this woman… no! I can't accept this!'
Nekomata clenched her teeth and, abandoning all hesitation, sprang into the air, aiming straight for Wise.
This time, she didn't land on his face. Like a tiny kitten, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clinging tightly as she hung on.
"I want some too!" she demanded.
"What?" Wise asked, pretending not to understand.
"That… that thing…"
Nekomata gestured at Anby, but Anby had already pulled away from Wise's gentle pats.
"Nekomata, what are you talking about?"
Wise's pretense irritated her, and with a faint blush, she admitted reluctantly, "It's… It's for you to pat me as you did before! Okay? Nya!"
"Ohh, so that's it~ Why didn't you just tell me earlier?"
After saying this, Wise immediately got to work, skillfully stroking Nekomata's ears, then her head, chin, and finally her tail.
Relaxing fully under his touch, Nekomata's satisfied expression was clear. Anby, intrigued by the scene, stepped closer and patted her twice.
Nekomata tried to resist Anby's touch, but her weakened body left her no choice but to enjoy it.
"Uh… what happened? Brother, have you really progressed this much?"
Belle, having just woken up, stared at the scene before her, a hint of bewilderment in her eyes. She had known Nekomata liked her brother, but she hadn't imagined it would come to this.
"Belle, are you okay now? Feeling better?" Wise said, giving Nekomata a gentle pat to signal her to get down.
Though a little reluctant, Nekomata obediently jumped down.
"Mm, I'm fine… just a little headache. Before I passed out, I felt… kind of weird again."
Belle was obviously talking about the irresistible charm coming from Wise, leaving her completely attracted to him.
It had happened the last time as well, and Nekomata seemed to get it right after Belle mentioned it.
"Oh, right… before I passed out, I felt strange too. Wise suddenly smelled so, so good… like Little Dried Fish, hehe~."
'Nekomata, say what you want, but try not to drool, okay?' Wise thought, twitching his eyes.
"Hmm, that's just because Wise naturally attracts girls' attention," Anby said as she joined the conversation.
"Eh, is that so? Nya?"
"Maybe it's your possessiveness making you feel weird. Otherwise, why am I fine?"
Nekomata tilted her head and nodded, easily swayed by Anby's odd explanation.
"Oh, right, Brother, what's going on with Ellen? Why did she pounce on you back then?" Belle asked, recalling fragments of the incident.
"Uh, maybe…"
"Could be because Wise has a wound. She's basically a Shark Thiren, so being drawn to blood isn't surprising."
Wise didn't know how to respond, and Anby stepped forward once more, clarifying everything while revealing the bite wound on Wise's body.
"Ah! Oh no, it's still bleeding! We need to treat the wound quickly! Nya!" Nekomata said, panicking a bit.
"I already brought the medical kit. Just bandage it up."
Anby held up the kit for everyone to see.
"Hold on… how do you know where the medical kit is, Anby?"
Everyone stayed focused on Wise's wound, ignoring what had just happened.
His injury, however, was nearly healed thanks to his enhanced body.
After some cleaning and careful bandaging, everyone finally relaxed. The next troublesome matter was probably Ellen, still curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.
Seeing her curled up and hugging her tail, Wise felt a faint headache forming.