The tension in the hospital room was thicker than a frozen block of butter.


    Gwen sat on the edge of the hospital bed as her fingers drummed lightly against her thigh as she tried to maintain a semnce of calm.


    Across the room, Rhinoman leaned against the wall with his hulking body looming like an immovable statue.


    His eyes were trained unflinchingly on her.


    Perched on his shoulder was Brigid who had her fists held out like she was going to hit Gwen.


    『Look at her… dumb blonde bitch thinks she can get a taste of my man''s saliva, tch… WELL, IT WON''T HAPPEN!』


    Gwen shifted ufortably as her eyes shifted to the corner where Dark Elf stoodzily munching on her seemingly bottomless bag of chips. Dark Elf nced at Gwen, raised an eyebrow, and popped another chip into her mouth before looking away withplete indifference.


    Gwen exhaled heavily.


    Her nerves were getting the better of her.


    She turned her head slightly, only for Brigid to leap into her line of sight with surprising agility. The tiny womannded squarely in front of Gwen, arms raised in an exaggeratedly offensive stance as her fiery eyes dared Gwen to even think about looking anywhere else.


    "What the hell?"


    Gwen muttered as her face soured.


    She turned her head in the opposite direction, only to find Rhinoman''s icy re still locked on her.


    The final straw snapped.


    Gwen pped both her hands against the hospital bed and leaned forward.


    "Alright, what the actual fuck?!"


    Her patience entirely wore thin.


    "Can you both stop staring at me like I''m the one who caused a friggin'' terrorist attack?!"


    Brigid didn''t flinch.


    Instead, she stepped even closer as her diminutive body radiated a hriously disproportionate level of menace. With a swift motion, she assumed a crane kick stance, bncing on one leg with the other poised mid-air. Her fists were raised like she was about tounch into a kung fu movie.


    "You might as well be a terrorist!"


    Brigid dered dramatically, pointing a tiny but usatory finger at Gwen.


    "For daring to cross the sacred, fertile grounds that is my husband, Lord Nightwatch!"


    Gwen blinked,pletely taken aback.


    "Huh? Your husband? Scott''s your husband?"


    Brigid''s eyes seemed to ignite with literal mes as her face twisted into an expression of righteous fury.


    She thrust both fists into the air triumphantly.


    "YES!"


    With how certain she sounded, you would think it was true.


    "We''ve been married since before this universe even began! I''m just waiting for him to finally realize it and let me strap on my custom-made pink dildo so I can im his passionate backdoor!!"


    The room fell into stunned silence.


    Even Rhinoman shifted ufortably as his stony expression faltered for just a moment.


    Gwen''s mouth hung open as she tried to process what she''d just heard.


    Dark Elf stopped mid-chew, one chip held between her fingers as she stared at Brigid with a rare look of actual interest.


    "What the fuck…?" Gwen muttered under her breath.


    Brigid''s cheeks puffed up like a squirrel''s as she crossed her arms defensively.


    "Oh, so when I say something freaky, you all have to stare at me like I''m some old, perverted hag?!"


    Dark Elf shrugged, casually tossing the chip into her mouth.


    "I mean, you reek of cum, so… yeah, safe assumption."


    Brigid gasped, clutching her chest in bogus horror.


    "GASP! How dare you?!"


    Dark Elf narrowed her eyes as her voice deadpanned.


    "Little girl, you reek of cum."


    The confidence drained from Brigid''s face faster than water down a sink. She shuffled her feet awkwardly as her fiery bravado was soon reced with sheepishness as she twiddled her thumbs.


    "I-, I mean… I heard from Nadia that Lord Nightwatch wasing today, so… so uhh…"


    She stared at the ground and knocked the tips of her feet together as she turned red.


    "So I decided to… you know, celebrate… with a little… um… self-care session."


    Dark Elf didn''t even blink.


    "Next time, at least wash up after."


    Brigid''s cheeks flushed a deeper red. "I DID!"


    Gwen stared at the bizarre exchange.


    『What kind of girls does Scott keep around him?』


    She bit her lower lip.


    『Is that really his type? I mean… I can''t see myself being so crazy that I''d want to put a dildo through his butt hole. Ugh… that''s just way too weird. Imagine being a woman and loving a man so much that you''d even think of doing something like that around him. Besides… if I ever did something that crazy, like touching myself just at the thought of his name or even stalking him… pssh──now that would just be in stupid.』


    Suddenly, her mind paused.


    She raised an eyebrow and the first image that popped up in her mind was Scott''s tank top.


    『Ohhhh… now I get it…』


    Desperate for some sense of normalcy, she turned her eyes toward the small ss pane in the door. Through it, she could see Scott and Nadia standing just outside the room.


    Their conversation looked equally tense.


    ???


    Outside, Scott stood with his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets as his eyes were looking everywhere except toward Nadia. He was trying his best to look as innocent as possible, though his posture screamed guilt.


    Nadia stood with her hands nted firmly on her massive hips as her slender body leaned forward as she fixed him with a piercing stare. The look on her face was a mix of frustration and disappointment, like a teacher scolding a student who hadn''t turned in their project.


    Scott sighed heavily.


    "Are you going to say something, or are we just going to stand here forever?"


    Nadia straightened up.


    She crossed her arms under her suspiciously bouncing breasts with a huff.


    "Give me a second. I''m trying to find the right words."


    Scott groaned, running a hand through his hair.


    "I already told you. That''s Gwen—the same girl who kissed me before. She always does this, and most of the time, it''s out of my control. I''ll exin everything to Emmater."


    Nadia tilted her head slightly as her expression softened but only a little.


    "This isn''t about Emma."@@novelbin@@


    Scott blinked. "Huh? It''s not?"


    "Of course it''s not!"


    "Then… what''s the problem?"


    Nadia sighed as her shoulders slumped slightly.


    "I''m mad for myself, not Emma."


    Scott''s jaw tightened as confusion clouded his face.


    "Why? That doesn''t even make sense."


    Nadia''s lips curled into a pout.


    She looked like an angry pigeon.


    "We were supposed to leave the house together, dude! But nooo, you had toe here with the same girl who nearly wrecked your rtionship. I''m not asking for much, but could you at least see me as a priority?"


    Scott raised an eyebrow.


    To him, this felt like hauling a firetruck to a burning building, aiming the hose to put out the mes, only to realize the tank was filled with fuel instead of water. The only saving grace was that he hadn''t turned on the hose yet—and he nned to keep it that way.


    『I thought this System only helps me pull super baddies, not pharmaceutical baddies too!』


    With a deep exhale, he cleared his throat and spoke.


    "That… sounds like you''re my girlfriend or something."


    Nadia''s cheeks flushed slightly as she stepped back, waving her hands frantically.


    "What the flip?! Don''t say stuff like that—it''s weird!"


    This reaction triggered the System.


    [Analyzing personality, context, and emotional state…]


    [Option 1: You''re right. I''ve been taking your support for granted, and I need to do better. Starting now, you''re my priority.]


    [Effectiveness: 85%]


    [Predicted Reaction: Nadia would be shocked by your sudden maturity but would appreciate the sincerity. Her frustration would soften, and she''d likely forgive you.]


    -


    [Option 2: It''s not weird to think of us like that, you know. You''re important to me, and I don''t want to mess this up with you.]


    [Effectiveness: 90%]


    [Predicted Reaction: Nadia would blush and be flustered but feel appreciated. She might deny it verbally, but her bodynguage would tell that she''s secretly pleased.]


    -


    [Option 3: Psssh──give it a rest! You''re just jealous because Gwen is hotter than you.]


    [Effectiveness: 10%]


    [Predicted Reaction: N/A]


    -


    [Option 4: Let''s start over—just you and me. Forget Gwen, forget Emma. How about I make it up to you with a day where it''s all about us?]


    [Effectiveness: 80%]


    [Predicted Reaction: Nadia would soften immediately and smile at the offer. She''d agree, though she might pretend she''s only doing it so you could redeem himself.]


    ???


    Scott closed his eyes, stroking his chin thoughtfully.


    『Oh, just great! Now I have to deal with this garbage from the System. There''s no way these are my thoughts streamlined, I would never hit on Nadia… yunno… in that way…』


    A beep came from the System.


    [A lie has been detected!]


    This made Scott''s face scrunch up like a baby who''d just chewed on some rhubarb.


    『Tch──I''d never do that…』


    He stared back at the bright blue tabs of information spread out between him and Nadia.


    Of course, only he could sit.


    『Nah, I''ll just do my own thing…』


    He nodded confidently as he looked back at Nadia.


    "Hmm… fair enough. But you know, it kinda sounded like you were asking to be my girlfriend."


    "SHUT UP!"


    Nadia snapped as her voice cracked slightly.


    She turned her back to him with those attractive, slender arms of hers crossed tightly under her breasts.


    … Boing!


    Her breasts bounced again.


    It was unnecessarily active today.


    The best way to describe it was that her breasts looked like they were on steroids. Sure, it was no secret that Nadia was a well-endowed woman, but there was something different about her chest today—something Scott couldn''t ignore.


    And then it finally clicked.


    『pfft──NO WAY!!』


    He stifled an explosiveughter.


    It was a surprise he couldn''t even tell earlier.


    There were literally two bullets of pleasure poking out of her breasts and underneath her shirt and it didn''t stick yet.


    At least… not until now.


    Nadia even noticed how Scott''s stare had changed.


    She walked closer to him and frowned.


    "Is standing me up and teasing me about wanting to be your friend so friggin'' funny to you?"


    "pffft──N-, No… of course not…"


    Nadia''s eyes narrowed. "Then what''s so funny?"


    "Nadia… did you… not wear a bra because of me?"