Netori: I Shall Steal All Of My Enemies' Women For Revenge!

Chapter 89 We Suffer More In Imagination Than Reality

Haruto sighed deeply as he leaned on the broom, gazing out at the temple grounds.

The golden rays of the late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, painting the world in warm hues, yet the turmoil in his chest felt cold and unresolved.

He was confused about his own feelings, especially about the video of him having sex with Asuka.

At first, he got so excited once he got those videos. However, the more he think about it the more he realize that everyone will see Asuka's body.

He didn't know why, but he felt... Jealousy.

"Haahhh… I should have just sent it to Kota." he sighed again, this time deeper.

"Ah, forget it, let's just check the system."

Trying to distract himself, Haruto activated his system, a familiar golden screen materializing before him.

The interface glowed softly. He tapped on the new feature that had appeared recently.

"EXP Lover?" he murmured, his curiosity piqued. He opened the explanation tab.

[EXP Lover: A feature allowing the host to gain EXP through specific interactions.].

[A list of actions and their respective EXP rewards followed:]

[Holding hands: 10 EXP]

[Hugging and kissing: 25 EXP]

[Oral Sex: 50 EXP]

[Sex (per climax): 100 EXP]

[Increasing Deprivation Matrix: 150 EXP]

Haruto raised a brow, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So, not every interaction will give EXP? Only certain ones… Still, this is way better than waiting for quests to pop up," he murmured.

He swiped to check his status, something he rarely did. The moment his stats appeared, his eyes widened.

[Name: Haruto Hayase.]

[Age: 18 years old.]

[Target: 5]

[Target Completed: 0]

—

[Status:]

[Level: 30]

[Vitality (VIT): 750]

[Eros (ERS): 215]

—

[Attribute:]

[Charisma (CHA): 550, Influence (INF): 320, Resolve (RES): 305, Seduction (SDC): 435.]

—

[Special Attribute:]

[Corruption (CRP): 115, Depravity (DPR):105.]

"Whoa…" he exhaled, scrolling through the details again.

"Vitality and charisma are off the charts. Guess all those fights and the system's buffs are paying off."

He paused, his lips pressing into a thin line. "But what's the point if I can't even complete a single target?"

He slumped onto the temple steps, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

The emotional bond and obsession meters were proving to be his biggest obstacles. No matter how hard he tried to build connections, progress felt slow and fleeting.

The slightest mistake would set him back, undoing hours of work. It was maddening.

"Maybe it's not just about sex," a rueful smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I've been too focused on the physical stuff, but if I don't change my approach, I'll never finish even one target."

The golden glow of the system screen dimmed slightly as Haruto let his thoughts settle.

"I need a new strategy. Something deeper… something that makes them fall for me completely."

He leaned back, gazing up at the canopy of trees swaying gently in the breeze. The crisp air filled his lungs, refreshing and grounding him.

However, instead of relaxing, he let out another heavy sigh. His thoughts churned like a stormy sea, refusing to settle.

A firm hand landed on his shoulder, snapping him out of his spiral. He turned, startled, to find Jin standing behind him.

"Yo," Jin greeted casually.

"What's got you sighing like the world's about to end?"

"Oh, Jin. It's rare to see you out of the backyard," Haruto replied, forcing a small smile.

"It's just… so many things happened this past week. I'm starting to doubt myself."

"I see." Jin nodded but didn't press further.

Instead, he gestured for Haruto to follow. "Let's go somewhere more private."

Haruto fell into step behind him as Jin led the way deeper into the temple grounds.

Along the way, Haruto exchanged polite nods and brief words with the priests, who had grown used to his presence.

Jin, as usual, walked past them without a word, his focus solely on their destination.

They arrived at the back of an old, unused temple.

A massive sacred tree loomed before them, its ancient trunk wrapped in a thick shimenawa rope adorned with paper talismans.

The air here was different—calmer, almost reverent.

"You see this tree?" Jin began, his voice breaking the silence.

"Even with all the advancements in technology, people still come here to pray for it. They call it sacred."

He tilted his head slightly. "Weird, right?"

Haruto glanced at the tree briefly before shaking his head.

"Yeah, but honestly, I don't care about any of that right now, Jin."

His tone was sharp, his mind too clouded to entertain the detour.

Jin chuckled softly. "You really are troubled, huh?"

Haruto sighed again, sinking to the ground as his shoulders slumped. "Yeah. I've been debating whether to send Kota that video."

"But… I don't want anyone else to see Asuka like that, even though I blurred her out." Stay updated through empire

"Then don't send it."

Haruto frowned, exasperated. "If it were that simple, I wouldn't be sitting here tearing my hair out over it."

Jin sat down beside him, his gaze fixed on the tree. "You like her, don't you?"

Haruto stiffened, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"It's stupid, I shouldn't like her. But yeah, maybe I do."

Jin smirked faintly. "It's not just stupid. It's dangerous. Don't forget why you're doing all this in the first place."

"I know," Haruto muttered, his voice tinged with regret. "I feel so dumb."

"Well, if you don't want to send the video, don't. There are other ways to make him suffer."

"What do you mean?" Haruto turned to him, curiosity piqued.

"Men suffer more from their imaginations than reality," Jin replied cryptically, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

Haruto blinked, the weight of the words sinking in. Slowly, a smirk spread across his face as an idea came forming in his head.

"You're right. Why should I overthink this?"

"Exactly."

Jin leaned back, resting on his hands as the two of them sat in silence, the tree's branches swaying gently above them.

The tranquil moment gave Haruto time to reflect, and a question bubbled to the surface of his thoughts.

"Jin… do you know I was in a mental hospital when I was a kid?"

Jin glanced at him, his expression unreadable.

"I know what you know, Haruto. If you're asking about the details of why you were sent there, I don't have those answers."

"Figures," Haruto muttered, his frustration evident.

"I've been trying to piece it together, but it's like hitting a brick wall every time."

"Well," Jin said thoughtfully, "people usually end up in places like that for things like psychotic breaks or harming themselves or others."

"You're saying I might've hallucinated something? Or hurt someone?"

"Possibly." Jin shrugged.

"Or maybe one of your hallucinations is still with you, like a shadow you can't shake."

The first thing that came to Haruto's mind was the system. But everything from the system—its items, its effects—was tangible, real.

The Pocket Pussy, the Obsession Bracelet… they worked. They weren't hallucinations.

Jin's voice cut through his thoughts. "See? We suffer more often in imagination than reality."

Haruto clenched his fists, annoyed at how Jin seemed to toy with him yet again.

"You're infuriating, you know that?"

Jin chuckled, unfazed. "Maybe. But think about it—if you really were that far gone, you wouldn't be here now, would you?"

"And honestly, aside from your little revenge obsession, you're mostly normal."

Haruto exhaled a long breath, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. Chiyo has been saying the same thing and now Jin too. It makes him believe that was indeed 'normal'.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Paranoia can be a sign of mental illness too," Jin teased lightly, earning a glare from Haruto.

"Shut up."

They both laughed, the tension between them dissipating as the conversation came to a close.

Haruto leaned back, letting the cool evening breeze wash over him, feeling lighter than he had in days.

***

Haruto handed over the small memory card to Kota, whose hand darted out to snatch it roughly. The impatience on Kota's face was palpable as he examined the card.

"What took you so damn long? And what's on this thing?" Kota muttered, already inserting the card into his phone.

Haruto crossed his arms, watching as Kota's expression shifted. The moment the video began playing, Kota's eyes widened in disbelief.

"This…" His voice trailed off as he stared at the screen, the faint sounds from the video barely audible.

The man in the footage had his face blurred, but his black hair and build were recognizable.

The woman's features were similarly obscured, but her long brown hair and the distinctive dove tattoo on her thigh stood out.

Her curvaceous figure, paired with her D-cup breasts, was undeniably alluring.

Kota's breath hitched as he looked away from the screen, his face flushing.

"This… This'll get me in the gang for sure?"

Haruto smirked, leaning slightly toward Kota. "Of course. A little something like this? They'll take you in without question."

Kota tensed, his grip on the phone tightening. Haruto, noticing his discomfort, leaned closer and whispered, "If you're getting hard just watching it, no shame. Find a corner and handle it. Nobody's gonna judge you."

"Shut the hell up!" Kota snapped, his face turning red as he quickly locked his phone.

"I don't have time for your crap. Let's go!" He stomped ahead, his gait awkward as he tried to compose himself.

Haruto chuckled softly, trailing a few steps behind. His grin widened as he thought,

'In the past, you used Haruka video to get into this gang. But now, it's my turn. And this time, it's 'your mother's' sex tape that'll open the door.'

Kota led them to the school's abandoned building, his nervous energy increasing with every step.

As they approached the decrepit structure, Kota tugged at his tie and cleared his throat.

"Uh… You go in first. Show me the way," he said, his voice cracking slightly as he gestured toward the entrance.

Haruto smirked, placing a hand on Kota's shoulder and leaning in with a confident grin.

"Relax, Kota. You're the one bringing the goods. Just follow my lead."

With that, Haruto pushed open the creaking door, stepping inside as Kota hesitated, nerves etched across his face.