Eiden's gaze lingered on the laptop, its dark screen reflecting the faint outline of his face. The pendrive stuck out like a guilty little tongue, a tiny piece of metal that somehow carried a heavier weight than it had any right to. He leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers against the desk before speaking under his breath.
"System… can I use the Hint function now?"
A soft, synthetic chime echoed in his mind.
[Affirmative.] "Good," he said, straightening slightly. "Give me a hint on who finished my project." Another crisp chime followed, accompanied by the cold efficiency of System-chan's voice:
[Hint: Teacher. Harem target.]
Eiden's lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk.
"I knew it," he murmured. "It was her… Miss Mika." He had suspected it before hell, every strange detail had been pointing that way but seeing it confirmed still left a strange weight in his chest. Relief? Vindication? Or maybe a creeping unease about just how much she had her fingers in his business.
