Beside him, Mia was happily eating her lunch, occasionally stealing glances at him with a soft smile.
The Heart Strings skill had worked perfectly.
But as Akira looked at the threads still visible around her… the GREEN jealousy was still present, just contained now, he wondered how long he could keep this balance.
And what would happen when the threads finally snapped?
[HEART STRINGS USAGE: SUCCESSFUL]
[MIA'S EMOTIONAL STATE STABILIZED]
[JEALOUSY: Reduced from Critical to Moderate]
[TRUST: Increased +15]
[FEAR OF ABANDONMENT: Temporarily Suppressed]
[WARNING: Repeated emotional manipulation may result in dependency or instability in target]
—
After school, as Akira was packing his bag, Ayame approached his desk. Most students had already left, and the classroom was unusually quiet.
"Kanzaki-kun, may I ask you something?"
He looked up, careful to keep his expression friendly but neutral. "Sure."
