The sun had barely set when Ren stepped out of Yumi's house, his body still humming from Reika's touch and his head spinning with the memory of Yumi's passionate kiss goodbye.
He needed air. Or maybe just a moment where his every nerve wasn't being toyed with by a dangerously horny MILF.
Instead, he walked right into another temptation.
<{[Flashback to how he met Megumi after he had just met Tanaka-sensei from school]}>
"Ren Kurozawa," came a voice like velvet wrapped in sin. "Burning the midnight oil? Or running from something?"
He turned.
Megumi Sakamoto stood at the gate of her house in a long silk robe, loosely tied, revealing just enough cleavage to start a scandal in five counties. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, a glass of red wine in one hand and a knowing smirk playing on her lips.
"Evening, Megumi-san," Ren said, already on high alert. This woman didn't walk into your life—she scripted her entrance.
She tilted her head, studying him. "You smell like sandalwood, sweat… and someone else's perfume."
Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "Had yoga class."
"Mm. Is that what we're calling it now?" She took a sip, eyes never leaving his. "Come inside. I need your help with something."
[SYSTEM ALERT: Quest Started – "The Muse Makes Her Move"]
Quest Type: Temptation Trial
Objective: Enter Megumi's home… and survive the first draft.
Bonus Reward: Unlock System Trait – "Storyteller's Desire"
Ren hesitated. Just for a second.
Then curiosity—and the glint in Megumi's eyes—won.
Her house smelled like old books, incense, and danger. Shelves lined every wall, stacked with romance novels, drafts, and awards.
"You live alone?" he asked, noting the dim lighting and lack of personal clutter.
"Divorced," she replied, casually. "Twice. First one was boring. Second one couldn't keep up." She glanced back at him. "Think you can?"
"Probably not," Ren said, smirking.
Megumi laughed. "Honest. I like that."
She padded barefoot into a cozy lounge where a laptop sat open on a low table. Candles flickered. Her wine glass clinked as she set it down.
"I've hit a wall," she said. "Creative block. My publisher's breathing down my neck and I can't seem to write anything steamy without it sounding... fake."
She turned to face him, robe slipping slightly. "I need inspiration. A muse."
Ren blinked. "Me?"
"You've been very... active lately." Her smirk sharpened. "I see things, Ren. I hear things. And I want to write you."
He gulped. "That sounds... risky."
"It will be." She sat back on a plush couch, crossed her legs slowly, and opened her laptop. "But the best stories always are."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Megumi Sakamoto Affection +5 | Curiosity +15]
[New Trait Detected: Voyeuristic Creativity]
[Megumi's Bond Route – "Climax Chapters: Rewrite Edition" – Initialized]
For the next half hour, Megumi peppered him with questions.
"What does it feel like when they touch you?"
"Who makes you lose control the fastest?"
"Which of them would you risk everything for?"
Ren squirmed. Her voice was too calm. Her eyes, too sharp.
And every now and then, she'd lean in close—under the guise of showing him something on her screen—her perfume lacing the air, her lips just inches from his.
"You're dangerous," he muttered.
"I'm a writer," she corrected, eyes gleaming. "We feed on desire."
Then she handed him a printed manuscript.
"Read this."
It was a scene. A draft.
A woman—clearly based on Yumi—was pinning a younger man against a counter, whispering dirty promises into his ear while stirring curry.
He blinked. "This is... really close to—"
"I told you, I watch," she said, sipping wine. "Now turn the page."
The next scene had a yoga instructor bending the same young man over in a private studio session.
Ren coughed. "You even got the poses right—how the hell—"
"I do my research." She set the glass down. "Now, the next chapter… I haven't written yet. But I want to."
She slid closer on the couch, legs brushing his. "Tell me, Ren. If I asked you to let me write your next night... would you let me live it first?"
[CHOICE TRIGGERED: Let Megumi Use You As Her Muse | Escape with Sanity Intact]
Ren felt the heat rise. Her voice was steady. But her pulse—he could see it racing beneath her robe's open collar.
And then—
[PASSIVE ALERT: Lust Thread Detected – Megumi Sakamoto → Ren Kurozawa]
Status: Suppressed Desire
Hidden Tag Unlocked: "Narration Play"
Oh no.
"Oh yes," Megumi whispered, lips brushing his ear. "Tell me what you'd do to me… and I'll write it down, stroke for stroke."
He shuddered.
"S-Stroke?"
She chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm good with my hands."
Outside, the wind rustled the trees.
Inside, Ren realized he'd walked into a seduction that would be immortalized in paperback.
Whether he resisted or surrendered... his story with Megumi had only just begun.
[END OF CHAPTER 14