Chapter 36: Jeopardized
I was completely incredulous after what Narcos revealed. If I remember correctly my relationship with Ai did not share anything close enough to be romantically active yet, we were more like painting colleagues than we were lovers.
But then there's this.
My eyes were fixed on the 93% infatuation stat bar. There's no mistake about it if a target surpasses the 90% mark, then according to Narcos, it means she held strong romantic feelings towards me.
100% means that the target had completely fallen in love, 150% imply she would never be able to forget about me during her lifetime, 200% means the target reached an unhealthy obsession with anything related to me.
I tried to get Narcos to reveal to me what happens in the next phases, Narcos, however, grew reticent and showed signs of unwillingness. "You would know when the time comes," He said, dismissing any attempt of appeal.
I bitterly sighed just when Hogan chimed something from behind.
"Earth to Yami?" He confided, glaring at the faraway look on my face. I turned around, face regaining its ruddy complexion, "Sorry I got distracted by something..."
"The content of the file must have traumatized you," he said, bobbing his head in understanding, "Of course it would, it did the same thing to me too the first time I accidentally stumbled on it—You need about 20 different types of cleaners from soap and antiseptics to holy water for the spots the cursed laptop touched— I always said that the laptop must be grated, boiled then hammered in an anvil, and finally thrown in some bursting Volcano preferably Mona Loa by a group of extremely skilled shamans, Christian priests, Imams, Cohens, we need them all to handle this gadget that spawned from the diablo himself,"
I snickered at the thought of a pregnant devil giving birth to a demonic laptop, then looked at the clock and realized It was time for my mandatory exercises. "Let's save these plans for later, Something suddenly came up," I said, heading to wear my shorts and sneakers.
Shortly after, I rushed outside, leaving a superstitious Hogan fearfully poking the laptop with a broom.
I just arrived at the gates of an enormous sports complex when I noticed two blue-uniformed gatekeepers, peer outside their little fancy cabin.
The one on the right held a hand forward stopping me from advancing inside.
"Please show us your membership pass," The gatekeeper said.
"Membership pass? Isn't this a school facility?" I questioned, frowning.
The gatekeeper shook his head, "There are two sports facilities on the school grounds, the public one is in the Southern area around the botanic garden,"
"Huh? If we assume this one is not 'student public'" I scoffed, "Why is it inside the school?"
"Because It's not completely owned by the school but rather it's made for selective high-end families students seeking better services and more privacy,"
"Think of it as a way the school earns extra money,"
The answers flowed from the guard's mouth like a water-flowing garden hose. I assumed he must have explained this matter a thousand times already.
Not bothering to pull another Karen moment, nor ask about the annual prices or even the hourly ones, I nodded and turned around to steer south.
I made about 8 steps forward when I heard the gatekeeper rashly call for me. I twirled around again, seeing him slip a walkie-talkie military phone inside a customized belt pocket.
"I just received an order from above. We made a terrible mistake, we were not informed that you're a friend of the young miss," he said, bowing his head.
"I am?" I thought, "Who's this miss might be?"
"Cough cough, Um, yes, of course, we have been good friends for a long time," I said, forging a clunky smile.
"Please, from here."
Through the gate and the short footpath, I entered the front building foyer, or rather the empty plush eatery with its long pillars and transparent walls overlooking two tennis courts.
I was so captivated by the place, I failed to notice the hostess in front of me.
"Please sir, the young miss is waiting inside," she said, ushering me through a corridor.
We reached a door, which she opened with a swipe revealing a long blue strip of what seemed to be an indoor pool, I followed the ripples on the water surface and my eyes landed on a red-haired girl, gracefully swimming like a gorgeous siren from a Greek myth.
"Akari?" I discerned, she was the only person I ever saw with blood-red hair.
Hearing the upcoming footsteps, she changed her trajectory, stroking her white milky legs towards the stairs. Where, she slowly climbed up, and held a pale hand to 2 female assistants, brandishing ropes.
"The White one," I heard Akari say, and they carefully donned her inside the robe, with the big Golden AMS on its back.
Soon, they nodded and departed outside.
Akari drying her hair in a towel, walked to a chaise lounge just beside the pool, sitting down legs crossed, and finally seemed to acknowledge my existence.
"What am I supposed to do now?" I thought, feeling an awkward air growing around me, as my eyesight kept flitting to her curvaceous figure.
"It seems like you're stalking me" she said, still not even glancing at me.
"Excuse me?" I compulsively said.
Her cold blue eyes finally rose to glimpse me up and down, as she asserted, "We only met 3 days ago, yet I can't spend a minute without you popping up in front of my sight,"
"Well, that can't be my fault" I shamelessly responded. "People can't help but notice me,"
"And why is that?" She said raising a brow.
"You see, my ugliness is entrancing in its own," I chuckled, attending it to be a joke, but her face did not change at all.
<And what did you expect?>
I ignored Narcos, and asked, "How did you know I'm coming here by the way,"
"I knew a sports maniac like you would eventually stray here," She nonchalantly said.
"Hm? How did you know I'm a sports maniac?" I said, tilting my head in total perplexity.
A slight startle ran through her face as if she revealed something she shouldn't have revealed.
"Of course you are," Akari said, regaining the cold tone, "Everybody knows about the city frog runner,"
"Bullshit," I thought. It would be foolish to think my heroic run would spread beyond the neighborhood fat mothers, even the annoying kids forgot about me as soon as the ground stopped shaking when I walk.
My eyes shone, "But wait a minute, didn't she also mention my nickname?"
"Feel free to use the pool," she muttered changing the topic of our conversation.
"Yes, that would be great," I replied, hence, asked Narcos if I can change the training regime for today.
<Yes>
<The regime can be modified>
<From now till 9 o'clock you owe me 30 laps>
"Do I fucking look like a navy seal to you?"
<You could even be a stripper for all I care>
<My laps now, or the consequences would not be to your liking>
I almost bite my tongue from the constant injustices, Narcos was really the demonic gadget, not Taro's laptop.
<I said now>
I recalled the wicked lightning descending on my head, and silently stripped my shirt and took off my sneakers leaving only my jogging shorts.
Akari did not flinch looking at my well-trained chiseled body.
I sneered, and threw myself to the pool, attempting the first lap, from perimeter to perimeter as Narcos phrased it.
Minutes quietly went by. Occasionally I would eye Akari and to my surprise, I would find her staring back at me each time.
<+2 infatuation points gained>
<Target number three is amused by your Olympic level efforts of impressing her>
Soon, lungs burning I finished my laps, and hauled myself on the edge of the pool, catching my breath.
"So," Akari smirked as she said, "You like kissing your sister,"
"What?" I reacted, almost falling back to the pool.
<Ping>
<The host is advised to act as nettled as his acting talent allows him to be>
Narco's notifications dittoed so many times inside my ears that I don't even have to think much before my demeanor drastically changes.
"None of your business," I snarled, clenching my fists.
Akari's smile widened, delighted that she managed to rattle me.
"Did you mention that to anyone?" I yelled, standing up.
"And what if I did?" she said, her dark grin stretching deeper.
At that moment, I wondered where the cold face went.
I made my hand tremble, I really did not know what Narcos want me to achieve with this showcase of weakness, but then I remembered that he never make mistakes.
"Incestuous relationships in AMS? I wonder what would happen when the school director catch a whiff of such a scandal, especially if the students involved are scholarship supported,"
"What do you want from me?" I muttered cutting to the crux of the confrontation in one go.
She halted, contemplating something, then said, "For some reason, you amuse me. As much as It would make me happy to get you expelled, I want to keep you around,"
Akari put her hand under her chin, "So, I would like to offer you something— "
"How about you work for me," she said, gazing at my soul.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone