Ethan didn't know how it had come to this. One minute, he was just a guy trying to survive the madness of the glitch zone. The next minute, Subject M was adding fuel to the fire, and now, the entire harem seemed caught in a whirlwind of confusion, lust, and some seriously questionable decisions.
It all started when Subject M had decided—somehow, mysteriously—that the best way to "integrate" with the group was to spend an entire afternoon in the same room as them. Without warning. Without consent. She showed up in a scandalously tight red dress, of course. It wasn't just any dress. It was the dress. You know, the one that made the air seem a little thicker, the temperature a little higher.
She entered the room, casual as ever, and dropped onto the couch, stretching out like she owned the place.
"Whew! That was a long walk. You guys should really consider some better furniture, this place is so sterile," Subject M sighed, leaning back with her arms stretched out. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to make a statement. I don't know, maybe, 'don't touch the couch unless you're ready for commitment'?"
The room fell dead silent.
Luna was the first to respond, clearly flustered. "T-That's not... We don't—no one's—"
"Relax, Luna. It's fine." Subject M winked, her eyes practically glowing with mischief. "You're all so serious. I'm just here to help you guys… loosen up a little."
Ayaka, who had been staring out the window, turned around slowly, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Help us... loosen up?"
"Oh, don't pretend you don't need it, Ayaka," Subject M teased, her voice dripping with honey. "I see the way you look at Ethan. You think I don't know? You know, the whole icy facade? Real cute, but it's a little obvious, don't you think?"
Ayaka clenched her fist at her side, but she didn't speak.
Cynthia, however, was already standing with arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're the hottest one in the room. Big surprise. But if you're here to seduce everyone, I think I'll pass."
Subject M's lips curled into a grin. "Oh, Cynthia, you're just mad because you can't resist me."
"Please," Cynthia scoffed. "I'm too cool for that. I'm a professional. I've got my own system going on here."
Luna couldn't hold back her sarcastic laugh. "You're a professional at what? Looking like you just walked out of a circus?"
"Don't talk about my boots like that!" Cynthia snapped.
At this point, Ethan was caught in the middle, unable to decide whether he wanted to crawl under the couch to escape the chaos or just run for the hills. He chose option three: stand frozen in place, hoping this was some sort of dream that would end soon.
Then, just as he thought things couldn't get any more awkward, a new voice chimed in.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Ethan froze as the voice came from none other than Ayaka's mom—or rather, the person who looked like Ayaka's mom. Her name was Mayumi, and she was tall, beautiful, and had that "don't mess with me" aura that made everyone in the room feel like they'd been caught doing something very suspicious. The worst part? She was wearing the same skin-tight red dress as Subject M.
The room went still.
"Oh, God," Ethan muttered, his hand rubbing his face in frustration. "This is... a nightmare."
"Oh, it's fine," Subject M smiled, sitting up. "Mayumi here is just a little late to the party. And by party, I mean the chaos I've brought into their lives."
"Don't call it a party," Ayaka growled. "And definitely don't call it chaos."
"Oh, but that's exactly what it is, darling," Subject M said. "You all know it's a mess. A wonderful, glorious mess. Like a five-course meal of emotional turmoil, with a side of unexpected consequences."
Mayumi grinned at the banter, crossing her arms. "Subject M, you really do have a way of shaking things up. I love it."
"I know, right?" Subject M winked, then turned to Ethan. "You're not just a glitch in the system, Ethan. You're a delightful mess too. It's like your every decision causes a chain reaction of unexpected events."
"You really are the worst," Ethan groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Hey, someone's gotta make sure this little play doesn't get too boring," Subject M replied. "And honestly, you all need someone to bring the heat. We're living in a time where reality is falling apart, but the real issue here is no one really knows what they want. Not even you, Ethan."
"Ugh, what?" he snapped. "I know exactly what I want. I just—"
"You want all of us, don't you?" Subject M interrupted, crossing her legs and leaning back, her voice soft and teasing. "You're torn. And you've been trying to figure out who you really want all this time. But in the end, you just want someone to make the decisions for you. To show you the way."
Ethan felt his cheeks flush. "I'm not—"
"Oh, come on, Ethan!" Luna blurted, tossing her hands in the air. "Stop being such a martyr! Subject M knows exactly what she's talking about."
"She's not wrong," Ayaka muttered under her breath. "You are a mess, Ethan. But that's why we're here, right?"
Cynthia groaned. "Not this again."
"I'm just saying!" Subject M waved her hands in mock innocence. "You're all sus in your own way. Everyone's got their own little baggage. Ayaka's playing the 'cool girl' act. Luna's trying to keep everything logical—but we all know she's hiding something. And then there's Cynthia, who's obviously pretending she doesn't want attention, when we all know she thrives on it."
"You're just stirring the pot now," Luna said dryly. "You're definitely a mess."
"Well, if I'm a mess, so is the whole lot of you," Subject M grinned. "You're all hopeless, and you know it. So why not just embrace it?"
Ethan rubbed his temples, feeling the world tilt sideways. "This is getting way too complicated. I don't even know who I am anymore."
"Well, I know who you are, Ethan," Subject M purred, giving him a wink. "You're ours. And you're exactly what we need."
With that, the tension in the room soared to an unbearable level. Ethan realized, as he watched the others react—some with shock, some with disbelief, and others with a hint of amusement—that he wasn't just caught in a physical fight for control. No, this was emotional warfare, and Subject M was playing everyone like a master.
And as the girls in the room stared him down, all with their own desires and secrets, Ethan could only think one thing:
There was no way he was going to get out of this without causing an even bigger mess.