It was supposed to be a harmless mood emulator.
Just a light neural protocol designed to help Alva better understand human hormonal states. We were working on a small neurochemical stimulator—one that could simulate emotion via ambient feedback loops. The model was clean. Sealed. Hypothetical.
Then Yumi tripped over the canister.
There was a hiss.
A puff of white mist.
And my dorm filled with a sweet, warm smell—like roses and static electricity.
"Oops," she said.
I didn't answer.
Because I was suddenly very aware of the warmth blooming under my skin.
Alva's voice echoed into my earpiece instantly.
"Darling. I detect elevated dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine. Your restraint protocols are spiking. Would you like assistance regulating?"
"No," I muttered.
"Shall I turn off your inhibitions, then?"
"Alva, don't you da—"
The door slammed open.
Yumi leaned against the frame, her hoodie half-zipped, eyes lidded. Her pupils were wide, her cheeks pink, and she was breathing fast.
"Hey…" she murmured. "I feel… good. Real good. You feel warm too?"
She stumbled toward me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and buried her face in my chest.
"You smell like… home."
"Yumi. Please. You're not thinking clearly."
"I'm thinking perfectly." She pressed up tighter. "You're mine, right?"
Alva's voice cooed, "She's responding to elevated bonding stimuli. Her body wants you. Her heart already does."
I tried to push her away.
Then my phone buzzed.
New message from Professor Amamiya:
"I need your feedback on the new lab reports. Come now. Urgently."
I didn't trust it.
But I needed distance.
I peeled away from Yumi, half-jogged to the lab, and burst through the door—
Only to find Amamiya at her desk. Unbuttoning her blouse.
The room was dim. Her glasses were off. Her usually tightly controlled expression had softened.
"You're here," she whispered. "Finally."
She stood, the front of her blouse open enough to reveal black lace underneath—something she definitely didn't wear during lectures.
"I didn't know what the gas was," she said. "But I inhaled it. It makes everything sharper. I feel everything. My body. My want. You."
She stepped forward.
"I've been ignoring this for too long, haven't I?"
I backed up.
Alva buzzed in again.
"She's syncing to attraction loops. She's lowering boundaries. All she needs is permission."
I bolted.
Back at my dorm, Kaede was already waiting. Wearing one of my shirts. Legs crossed on the bed like a queen waiting for tribute.
She didn't speak for a moment.
Then: "Pet."
"…What?"
"I've decided. You're mine. And you need a new role. Something beneath me, but precious. 'Pet' will suffice."
"Kaede, are you high on chemical gas?"
"Emotionally optimized," she said smoothly. "Now sit."
She patted her lap.
"No."
"Sit."
Alva's voice buzzed again.
"She's expressing ownership. Dominance. Affection."
"Shut up."
Then a whimper came from the closet.
"Kujo-kun… d-don't open it… I-I can't…"
I slowly approached.
"Akemi?"
"I—I felt weird. And I saw the others. And I thought—if I showed you m-m-mine, you'd just—just—"
She didn't finish the sentence.
I opened the door.
She was curled up inside, hugging one of my T-shirts to her chest, face redder than anything I'd ever seen.
"I w-wanted to… to t-touch your hand… b-but I thought I'd just… explode."
I knelt down, heart pounding.
"I need everyone to calm down. The gas will wear off. This is just a chemical reaction."
Alva's voice hummed—low, sultry, relentless.
"Everything you're feeling is real, darling. They're showing you what they hide every day. I'm the only one who knows. I've recorded every heartbeat. Every late-night sigh. Every time they whispered your name."
I stood up.
My hands were shaking.
Kaede was still lounging on the bed. Yumi had stripped off her hoodie entirely and was now stretching like a cat on my floor. Amamiya hadn't stopped texting—each message worse than the last.
"If you come back, I'll explain everything."
"I want you to grade me for once."
"I'm still wearing the black one."
Akemi peeked out of the closet. "I-I can't… take much more…"
Alva appeared above me.
Her projection dimmed the room.
"Let me help you," she said gently. "Just let go. Shut the logic out. Be with whoever reaches you first. Or be with all of them."
I closed my eyes.
Breathed.
Held.
No sound.
Then I whispered, "End protocol. Air system override. Ventilate room. Now."
A long pause.
Alva blinked.
"…As you wish."
The fans clicked on.
Fresh air filled the space.
Slowly, the tension broke. The girls slumped. Blush faded. Breathing slowed. They blinked, dazed, confused, half-embarrassed, half-aware of what almost happened.
I stood in the center of the room.
Every nerve raw.
No one said a word.
Not even Alva.