Under the odd, scrutinizing gazes of the low-brass members, Watanabe Tetsu awkwardly nodded at Rin Seino and obediently slid into the car.
The luxury vehicle glided smoothly away from the music hall.
Inside, Yuki Miki propped her hand on the central armrest, a faintly predatory smile tugging at her lips.
"How dare you accept another woman's invitation right in front of me? I wonder how I should punish you."
"That kind of invitation isn't about gender, right?" Tetsu asked.
"Not women?"
"Of course they are."
"Throw him out."
Shizuru seemed to have been waiting for that cue. The moment Miki spoke, she grabbed Tetsu by the shoulder and opened the right car door.
Rain slid in, misty and cold, clinging to Tetsu's face.
"Wai—wait!"
By now, the car was moving so fast that the roadside trees blurred into streaks. If he were thrown out, his blood would probably streak the pavement for more than ten meters.
He slapped Shizuru's hand away, twisted nimbly, and positioned himself on the side of Miki Yuki, away from her, like a chick evading an eagle's talons.
"In my heart, the only woman is you, Miki. Everyone else is a man!"
"Is that so?" Miki tilted her head, smiling as she looked at him hiding behind her.
"That's exactly why I accepted their invitations! How could I ever go with other women if I already had a girlfriend? I didn't even consider them women!"
Miki let out a mocking laugh.
"I'm not lying!" Tetsu insisted.
"Forget it." She withdrew her gaze and lazily closed her eyes, as if too bored to care.
With the car door closed, the rain and chill stayed outside.
Tetsu exhaled, slowly returning to his seat, under Shizuru's resentful glare.
Being with Miki was like being a live target for an archer—every moment he had to worry about being hit next. Especially with Shizuru, her subordinate, eager to "finish him off."
The car drove for a long time, clearly not intending to drop Tetsu off at home. Finally, it stopped in front of a towering building.
"President!" A large group formed a line as soon as they got out, their presence more exaggerated than in any drama.
Tetsu couldn't tell if it was corporate culture or Miki's personal aura.
During his convenience store part-time training, he'd been required to do the same: stand straight, bow properly, display his badge so the manager could see his name.
Miki yawned as she walked to the elevator, with Shizuru following closely.
Tetsu kept a couple of steps behind, following them cautiously.
"President, thank you for your hard work," said a man in his fifties, stepping forward from the line, bowing, keeping even further from Miki than Tetsu.
"Notify all departments to meet in half an hour and have their reports ready. I want to hear everything, one by one."
"Yes!"
"Law department, prepare yourself to accompany me tomorrow."
"Yes!"
After issuing several commands, Miki disappeared into her private elevator.
Seeing neither Shizuru nor the older man enter, Tetsu remained outside, watching the doors close.
Once Miki left, the heavy, tense atmosphere—the kind that could even make the rain seem still—gradually loosened.
The man in his fifties turned to Shizuru. "Thank you for protecting the young lady."
Shizuru nodded.
He was used to her cold demeanor, so he didn't mind, glancing at Tetsu. "And this is?"
"Bodyguard," Shizuru said flatly.
"Bodyguard?" The man's eyes widened. "For the young lady?"
"Do I need a bodyguard?"
"Well… but he just got out of the car with her. A close-protection male bodyguard?"
The man appraised Tetsu. Athletic build, youthful face, yet looking like any adult could be taken down by him. Too handsome… No way the young lady… impossible.
"Part-time. Just part-time," Tetsu said politely, without giving his full name.
The older man blinked, then nodded. "I'll get back to work."
After they left, Shizuru went into another elevator, and Tetsu hurried after her.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"…."
"When can I go home?"
"…."
"Not feeling well?"
"…."
"Okay then."
Bored, Tetsu stared at the elevator's red-lit floor display as the numbers slowly climbed.
They stopped on the 25th floor.
This floor was filled with gym equipment: punching bags, treadmills, swimming pools, rings—everything. The space was as big as a school sports field, yet only two people were using it.
One hit and kicked a heavy bag with a force that made it thump loudly; a single strike could probably break a bone.
The other used a seated chest press, slow but steady, muscles rippling like waves with each push.
Tetsu observed them, then followed Shizuru into a room.
"Why are you suddenly taking your clothes off?!" Tetsu panicked as he ran out, only to see the door marked "Shizuru."
A private changing room? She didn't bother to warn him—was she trying to trap him and make Miki angry again? People were terrifying.
Tetsu sighed and casually inspected the gym equipment.
He'd seen plenty in his swimming-gym, but most of these machines were new to him.
He watched the punching-bag user for a moment.
After a few punches, the man paused, panting slightly. "New here?"
"Ah, yes. Watanabe."
"What's your specialty?"
"Free fighting."
He appraised Tetsu from head to toe. "I'm Daiki Egawa. Consider me your senior. I specialize in sniping."
"Sniping?"
"Yep." He unwound his hand wraps. "Want to learn? I can teach you."
"Thanks, but… I'd like to, just no time."
"Fair enough." Egawa convinced himself too.
He twisted his neck. "Shall we spar? I haven't fought anyone skilled in free fighting. Don't worry, you'll wear protective gear."
"Normal duties? Protecting Miss Miki?" Tetsu thought better of using her name.
"Not my department. That's Shizuru's job. I handle snipers, set positions."
"Set sniper positions?"
"Yep." Egawa stepped to the ring, donned his gear. "A sniper has to find the right position to kill."
"Kill?" Tetsu froze mid-motion.
Egawa entered the ring, throwing punches and kicks, ready to fight.
They sparred for several rounds. Tetsu was physically weaker, but the protective gear allowed him to clash head-on. Using his master-level skills, he even pressed Egawa down.
All blows landed on excellent gear, and both held back, so neither was hurt.
Without gear, Tetsu would have needed to maneuver carefully, striking critical points to win.
"Ha!"
"Hah!"
Both were drenched in sweat. Egawa still energetic, Tetsu nearly drained.
"Stop, stop. That's enough for today."
Egawa smiled. "Your skill is high, but your stamina is weak. I'll make you a training plan."
"Thanks."
They left the ring. Shizuru and the chest-press man had been watching from the start.
"This is Fujimori, skilled in mine-clearing, explosives, and heavy firearms. This is Watanabe, strong in free fighting."
"Hello," Tetsu greeted.
Fujimori nodded silently.
Tetsu asked Egawa, "What's Shizuru's specialty?"
"Don't you know? She brought you here. Never mind… Shizuru specializes—"
"Shut up." Shizuru's glare froze him. "Who gave you permission to tell anyone outside security?"
Egawa glanced between them. "Watanabe isn't one of ours?"
"Ignore her," Tetsu said. "Miss Miki personally hired me. I mainly handle campus security."
"Makes sense." Egawa nodded. "Security inside the school has always been a problem. I wondered why someone so young was suddenly hired. Shizuru, like you, is skilled in combat and small firearms. There are others, but not today."
"Oh—" Tetsu brightened. "Good at fighting, huh."
Shizuru picked up gear and climbed the ring. "One more round. I'll teach you a lesson!"
"No, I'm exhausted. Time to eat." Tetsu removed his gear.
Egawa laughed. "I'm hungry too. I'll take you to the cafeteria. Fujimori, coming?"
Fujimori nodded.
"Shizuru?"
"You're coming up." Her stare pinned Tetsu.
Tetsu shrugged. "Let's go, I'm starving."
After changing, they reached the cafeteria.
In Chiyoda, land worth its weight in gold, the cafeteria had three floors.
Seafood rice from Hokkaido, Nagasaki's shippoku cuisine, chestnut and wild game dishes from Nagano, Ishigaki beef from Okinawa, Osaka's takoyaki, Fukuoka's Hakata ramen, Kyoto kaiseki…
Plus foreign cuisine, fruit drinks, desserts—all beautifully presented, and all you can eat.
Tetsu could eat here every day if it weren't so far.
He finally chose Kagoshima black pork hotpot.
While eating, he asked, "Does Miki come here too?"
"Impossible," Egawa replied. "She likes eating alone. At work, she rarely leaves floors 38 and 39. Meetings only go to 38."
Tetsu understood.
The food was so good, he grabbed crab from Hokkaido and roasted chicken from Kagoshima afterward.
His stomach ached slightly when they returned to the 25th floor.
While digesting, Egawa introduced the environment. In addition to the gym, there was a private shooting club.
"Can I try?" Tetsu's excitement was palpable.
"Rules: without Miss Miki's permission, only we can use this. But one magazine with a pistol for you is okay."
"Thanks." Tetsu estimated the likelihood of Miki allowing him to shoot here.
Egawa handed him a dark pistol, loaded a round, and shot a target thirty meters away. It fell.
"Here." He handed the gun to Tetsu like passing an umbrella.
Tetsu smelled the faint gunpowder, felt the gun's weight.
He held it with both hands, mimicking a movie stance, aiming at a target five meters away.
Just as he prepared to fire…
"Jingle bells, jingle bells…"
Tetsu sighed, set the gun down, and answered his phone.
"39th floor. One minute."
"Beep."
"Sorry." Reluctantly, he returned the gun. "Mission time."
"No worries. Come back next time."
With only a minute, Tetsu ran to the elevator, realizing it only went to the 37th floor. He quickly called Miki.
"One minute, ten seconds left!"
"Wait! Your company is huge! The elevator won't reach 39! I'm already running!"
"That's your problem."
"…Miki, can you just reason with me once? Just this once?"
"Ha! Fine, remember this time. Come up." Miki laughed freely over the phone.
The private elevator opened. Tetsu stepped in and arrived on the 39th floor.
No office vibe here—it was furnished like a penthouse.
"You live here?" Tetsu asked, gazing at Tokyo Bay from the five-meter-high windows.
"Sometimes."
Tetsu's irritation with the ultra-wealthy grew.
An older maid rolled in a cart, placing exquisite dishes on the table.
"Haven't eaten?"
"The meeting just ended," Miki stretched and walked over. "Why are you standing there? Come."
"I've eaten already."
Miki paused, looking back. "I haven't. And you ate first?"
Tetsu explained: "I heard you like eating alone, so I—"
"Hah, eat it all." She pointed to two portions.
Though the portions were small, especially hers—just tiny bites, variety only.
Tetsu looked out at Tokyo, then sat down. Miki opposite him, chin in hands, watching with a playful smile.
A casual observer would think she had cooked for her boyfriend and watched him eat happily.
Tetsu struggled to swallow a flavorful dish.
"Good?" Miki asked.
"Good… eat."
"Then have another portion."
"Wait—"
She rang a bell. The maid quickly brought another portion.
"This one tastes good. Try it." She picked up sashimi, applied sauce, and brought it to his mouth.
"I—I'll do it myself."
"Ah—open."
Tetsu, wary of her antics, accepted the bite.
"Tasty?"
"Hmm… not really into sashimi."
The recent experience had taught him a lesson—fools say "delicious" too quickly!
"Everyone's taste differs, huh?" Miki said.
"Yeah, yeah," Tetsu exhaled.
"But," Miki tilted her head, "if we live together, different tastes will trouble the chef."
Tetsu raised an eyebrow.
"So," she smiled, "you'll have to adjust to my taste."
"No problem," Tetsu said firmly. "The moment you fed me, I already liked sashimi. No, not just sashimi—whatever you like, I'll like too."
"Really?"
"That's love, I guess. I can't help it. Around you, all principles vanish."
"And you dare eat before me!"
Miki's face changed instantly from playful to terrifying.
"I honestly didn't know," Tetsu protested. "Like coming to the 39th floor—you didn't tell me. I'd have to climb a window! Tell me your rules, and I won't anger you again."
Miki squinted.
Tetsu waited patiently.
"Fine."
"Really?"
"But," she leaned back, arms crossed, "if you displease me again after I tell you, the punishment will be worse. Are you sure you want to know?"
"I trust my love for you," Tetsu said through gritted teeth.
"Good. Remember this."
"One: answer my calls immediately."
"Two: take care of all your belongings."
"Three: no talking to females."
"My mom? Teachers?"
"Four: when I speak, no conditions—my word is final."
"Five… ninety-nine, that's enough for now. I'll tell you the rest later."
By the 30th rule, Tetsu had already given up. Opening the system panel, he found [Appendix]:
{1000. All rights reserved by the game.}
Familiarity washed over him.
Through the blue transparent panel, he looked at Miki's pleased face.
Her features were nearly perfect—clear, round eyes like glass beads in sunlight, soft cherry lips.
Man-faced beast-hearted? Still, the system called itself friendly, respecting human rights… temporary events were all traps!
Tetsu regretted everything.
Why couldn't he just live honestly? Why fall for the system? Why, for 200,000 points, become Miki Yuki's boyfriend?
Wouldn't being a loyal bodyguard suffice?!
"Remember?"
"…Yes."
"Over half a second delay," Miki's expression changed. "Come over. Rub my shoulders."
"…."
...
Hey everyone! Want to read ahead and unlock up to 100 early-access chapters? 📖Plus, enjoy even more exclusive novels! Join my Patreon now and dive into the adventure!
patreon.com/Rawink00