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Inside Asta's room, the silence was so heavy a pin drop would have sounded like a thunderclap. The only noise was the ragged, synchronized breathing of two people and the frantic drumbeat of their hearts.
Asta's eyes had hazed over, her pupils practically shaped into hearts as she pinned Hiroshi to the mattress. He was paralyzed, unable to move an inch under her surprisingly firm grip. Her hot breath fanned across his face, and stray strands of pink hair tickled his cheeks.
Nearby, Peppy sat like a silent sentry, his head tilted and tongue lolling out as he watched his owner in this uncharacteristic state.
"Brother Hiroshi..."
With a low murmur, Asta pressed her lips against his again, drinking in his presence with a hunger that bordered on desperation.
Mmph!
Hiroshi's pupils contracted. This is bad, he thought, his mind racing. The Charm ability has completely hijacked her rationality. I have to get out of here before this goes any further!
He thought of his Teleportation. Tomorrow, he'd just have to make up a lie—blame it on a defective Curio or a spatial anomaly. It was perfectly plausible for the Deputy Section Chief of Applications to be carrying a strange artifact, wasn't it?
He began to struggle, twisting his body to try and get a clear line of sight to the door, but Asta was immovable. She held him down with a strength born of pure obsession, her lips making it impossible for him to focus.
Mmph! Mmph!
Gradually, the lack of oxygen began to take its toll. Hiroshi's vision blurred, and his head swam. Just as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, Asta finally pulled back. A thin, glistening thread of saliva broke between them as she stared down at him with bedroom eyes.
"Brother Hiroshi, stay tonight," she whispered, her voice a soft, hypnotic lure. "From now on... I'll be the one to take care of you."
Hiroshi felt a momentary surge of surrender. Asta was beautiful, kind, and brilliant—the "perfect" girl. For a split second, the heat of the moment almost won. Should I just give in?
But a cold splash of reality hit him. No! If not for his supernatural ability, she would never be acting this way. She was the Station Master, a daughter of the IPC elite. If he let this happen, she would wake up tomorrow full of regret and shame. He had sworn not to hurt the people who were good to him.
"O-Okay, Station Master Asta," he stammered, his voice shaky. "But please... let me send a message to Madam Herta first. If I don't report in, she'll get suspicious and come looking for me."
Asta, her logic barely hanging by a thread, hesitated before nodding. She released one of his hands. "Then... hurry up."
Hiroshi didn't hesitate. He pulled out his phone, pulled up a saved photo of Herta's private quarters, and focused with everything he had.
Snap.
The pink and gold decor of Asta's room vanished. In a heartbeat, the familiar purple glow of Herta's laboratory surrounded him. Hiroshi collapsed onto the bed, gasping for air as if he had just finished a marathon.
"Phew... finally... is it over?"
He stared at the ceiling, his heart still hammering. "I almost did something irreversible to Asta. It's all my fault for not handling that material bill properly. If I hadn't given her a reason to be angry, she never would have brought me to her room..."
But his guilt went deeper. After tonight... can she ever look at me the same way? Will she ever call me 'Brother Hiroshi' with that same innocent kindness again?
His phone vibrated. He checked the screen—a message from Herta.
Herta: [Ruan Mei and I are staying in the lab tonight. Do whatever you want.]
So that's why I didn't see that 'dangerous' woman today, Hiroshi thought. The research must have hit a critical stage.
He sighed, realizing he had some time. He decided to use the hours to continue his search for a hidden star system. It was the only way he knew how to make amends to Asta—to give her the dream she thought she'd lost.
By the way... how many points did I get from that disaster?
He opened the System panel. In the corner, the number glowed: 2,103.
Another pull, he realized. But I've reached the limit for abilities, and items are a gamble. I'll hold onto these points for now. In an emergency, I can pull an item and hope for a miracle. Otherwise, I'll just keep accumulating power.
The Morning After
The next morning, Hiroshi began his rounds early, trying to keep his mind off the previous night. As he was heading back toward the Department of Applications, he turned a corner and ran directly into Asta.
She looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles, and it was obvious she had spent the night crying.
"Station Master Asta!" Hiroshi greeted her tentatively.
The moment his voice hit her, Asta's entire body flinched. She didn't look up. Instead, she curled in on herself, clutching a stack of documents to her chest as if they were a shield. Her face was shrouded in shadow, and without a single word, she turned and fled down the hall as fast as she could.
She was drowning in shame. The memory of her "shameless" behavior the day before was too much to bear. She had no idea how to face him, so she chose the only path she knew: escape.
Hiroshi watched her go, his heart sinking. He wanted to chase her, to explain, but he stopped himself. She doesn't want to see me right now. Chasing her will only make her more miserable.
"Um... Section Chief?"
A young clerk's voice pulled him back to reality. The staffer handed him a folder. "This is the task list assigned to you by the Station Master."
"Oh... thank you." Hiroshi took the papers, his hand trembling slightly.
Is she now using others to relay her messages to me? he thought, his chest tightening with guilt. From now on... can our relationship ever go back to the way it was?
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