Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 623: Maybe You Should Just Break Up With Me
Steven was already doing his best to keep the peace, but Irene and Centaurea clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily.
Each girl pulled on one of his arms with enough determination that it almost felt like they were trying to tear him in half. Neither showed the slightest intention of letting go.
"Come on, how about we pay first and continue arguing while we walk around outside? We came all this way, after all. Does it really matter where we have this discussion?" Steven offered the suggestion helplessly.
He honestly didn't mind them clinging to him like this. No matter how strong they were, they weren't actually going to rip him apart. The real problem was that if they stayed here much longer, things might escalate into something far less pleasant.
A little bickering wasn't a big deal. Once they got out onto the crowded streets, neither of them would be able to keep openly fighting like this. Then he could buy them a few clothes, maybe some gifts, smooth things over a little...
Who knew? Maybe he could somehow muddle through the whole situation.
Unfortunately, Steven's little scheme was far too obvious.
Irene couldn't even be bothered to point it out.
In the current situation, did he seriously think anyone was still in the mood to continue shopping and enjoying the holiday?
Still, there was one thing Steven said that made sense.
They couldn't stay in the clothing store any longer.
The employees hadn't gathered around to watch, but the number of glances being thrown their way was increasing by the minute.
After all, both Irene and Centaurea were beauties among beauties. Watching girls of their caliber fight over a guy was something most people only saw in fiction.
Centaurea, meanwhile, had no objections at all.
Perhaps spending so much time with Steven had rubbed off on her somehow. Surprisingly, she wasn't actually that jealous.
Instead, she found herself more interested in seeing Steven squirm and enjoying Irene's reactions, which were honestly adorable.
No wonder Steven loved teasing people so much.
There really was a certain joy in watching someone fluster themselves.
Without saying a word, the two girls silently escorted Steven to the checkout counter.
Even in the middle of all this, Centaurea didn't forget to have that outfit packed up.
This time, however, it was Steven paying for it.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Irene decisively added all the clothes Steven had picked out for her as well.
She even kept wearing the JK uniform she'd just changed into, showing absolutely no intention of changing back.
This is entirely his fault.
I should drain every last cent from him.
Maybe if he goes bankrupt and becomes a pauper, he'll finally stop acting like such a shameless womanizer.
Holding firmly to that thought, Irene dragged Steven out of the store.
Strangely enough, the two girls who had looked ready to tear each other apart moments ago now gave off the impression of close friends happily shopping together.
The only problem was the Steven trapped between them.
There wasn't even a trace of the so-called "blessing" of being surrounded by beautiful girls.
Centaurea still wore her gentle, elegant smile, but her fingers had already pinched the soft flesh around Steven's waist countless times.
She was easygoing, yes.
That didn't mean she wasn't angry.
Not everyone was as soft-hearted and accommodating as Alina, who practically melted whenever Steven pushed his luck.
As for Irene...
She looked ready to crush every bone in his feet.
Each step landed squarely on top of his shoes with terrifying precision, as though she genuinely wanted to stomp his toes into powder.
Thankfully, Steven's physical condition was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
If anyone else had been standing in his place, amputation might already have become a realistic concern.
The two girls maintained a remarkable level of unspoken coordination.
Neither spoke.
Neither argued.
They simply stared at Steven with expressions so cold they practically qualified as emotional warfare.
It was as if they were waiting to see what kind of reaction he could possibly come up with under these circumstances.
After enduring the pressure for half the street, Steven finally cracked.
"Ahem... pretty lively tonight, huh? So many people around. Centaurea, aren't crowds tiring for you? How about heading home and resting first?"
Without hesitation, he targeted the one person he still considered somewhat reasonable: Centaurea.
If he remembered correctly, she had been the one complaining earlier that there were too many people outside and that she didn't really want to go shopping.
Maybe this was his chance to send her home first.
Facing two opponents at once was never a wise strategy.
Divide and conquer—that was the truly rational approach.
Centaurea smiled sweetly.
"It's true, I'm a little tired."
For a brief moment, hope flickered within Steven's heart.
Then she continued.
"But if I go home and lie in bed, the moment I start thinking about someone out here getting all lovey-dovey with other girls while I'm asleep…"
Her smile somehow became even gentler.
"…my mind suddenly becomes very awake. What do you think I should do then?"
Centaurea was honestly on the verge of laughing.
Given the current situation, if anyone was guaranteed to lose sleep after going home, it would be her.
Why exactly did Steven think that was a convincing reason for her to leave first?
Watching him with growing amusement, she actually found herself looking forward to seeing how he intended to talk his way out of this one.
"Well... then maybe we could just stay together?"
Steven stiffened his neck and finally gave up on hiding anything.
"Honestly? I like both of you. If you're asking me to choose one, you might as well just split me in half instead."
The moment the words left his mouth, a fresh wave of pain erupted from both his waist and his feet.
Truthfully, neither Centaurea nor Irene found his feelings particularly difficult to understand.
But understanding and hearing him openly admit it were two entirely different things.
At this point, he was practically announcing his desire to build a harem.
"Fine."
Irene answered immediately.
"Then we'll split you in half."
Compared to Centaurea, Irene was far more direct.
Grabbing Steven's arm, she glared at him with an expression that looked ready to tear him apart on the spot.
After confirming that she had heard him correctly, she immediately began scanning the surroundings for a suitable weapon.
Centaurea, meanwhile, found herself completely helpless in the face of Steven's shameless surrender.
With a sigh, she ended up joining Irene in looking around for something sharp.
"Don't bother searching."
Not only was Steven completely unfazed, he actually became even more shameless.
"There aren't many blades in this world capable of splitting me apart. Since I dared to say it, naturally I have confidence in my answer."
He paused before continuing as though he were offering a perfectly reasonable compromise.
"Look, since neither of you can physically divide me anyway, why not do it psychologically instead?"
"I guarantee I'll treat both of you fairly without favoritism whatsoever."
Rather than panicking at their reaction, Steven had already started proposing solutions for their future.
This was the confidence of someone who trusted his own body far too much.
"Stop talking."
Irene's eye twitched.
"Take this stab first."
Ignoring every word Steven had just said, she somehow managed to acquire a fruit knife from who-knew-where and immediately thrust it toward his thigh.
Whether his claims were true or not didn't matter.
She needed to vent her frustration first.
Even if she couldn't introduce his kidneys to a blade, she was at least going to make him bleed.
Unfortunately, the result was not what she had hoped for.
Crack!
A crisp snapping sound echoed through the street.
The blade broke.
Steven remained standing exactly where he was, completely unharmed.
For a moment, Irene stared at the broken knife in her hand.
Then she looked at Steven.
Centaurea did the same.
The two girls exchanged a glance before simultaneously directing utterly helpless expressions toward him.
When a person's skin was thick enough that neither emotional damage nor physical damage could get through...
Perhaps that was what true invincibility looked like.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 689: Impossible to Refute[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713