abcnovels
Chapter 92 A Damsel In Distress
Chapter 92 A Damsel In Distress
Haruto leaned against the bookshelf, observing Ayaka Yoshida as she struggled to reach the book on the top shelf. Despite himself, he found his thoughts wandering.
Yoshida was nothing like the other women who became his targets.
Even though she was tied to a psychopathic man like Ren, she somehow retained an air of innocence and worse of all, she seemed to genuinely like that bastard.
The torture she had endured at Ren's hands made Haruto feel a twinge of sympathy for her as her position was the same as Haruka in the past life.
He clenched his fist, shoving down the memory of the porn videos of her. He couldn't afford to let emotions cloud his focus.
"If... you're just going to stand there and watch, could you leave? Or at least help me?"
Yoshida's soft, melodic voice cut through his thoughts, startling him.
"Ah, sorry about that," Haruto replied quickly, straightening.
He stepped closer, brushing his fingers against the spine of the book she was reaching for and pulling it down effortlessly.
As he handed the book to her, their gazes met. Her emerald eyes glimmered with a mixture of curiosity and mild annoyance, framed by soft waves of onyx hair.
The faint scent of jasmine lingered in the air between them, making Haruto's usual sharp composure falter for just a moment.
"Thank you," she said softly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
[Ding!]
A familiar notification resonated in Haruto's mind, making him blink in surprise.
[A new quest triggered!]
[Quest: A Damsel In Distress]
[You meet Ayaka Yoshida in the library, her safe haven where she finds solace away from the world.]
[Objective: Become her trusted confidant, her emotional safe place, and save her from the villain roaming around. No sexual interactions are allowed.]
[Rewards: 800 EXP, 30,000 Sex Coins, Skill: Navigating The Sweetheart.]
[Time Limit: None]
Haruto's brows furrowed as he read through the quest description.
'No sex allowed?'
he thought incredulously.
This was completely outside the system's usual approach.
'And the language the system choose is weird. Damsel in distress? villain?'
'It's like a fairytale.'
This quest also wasn't about physical conquest but emotional connection.
It felt alien to him, and oddly, it was more challenging than any one-night stand.
Building trust, being a "safe place," and respecting boundaries—this wasn't his usual method of operation.
Haruto internally sighed. What made matters worse was that the tools he relied on, like the Ring of Himeros, were useless here.
The ring increased libido and physical attraction, not trust or emotional bonds. As much as he hated to admit it, this was going to take effort.
He glanced at the system shop, scrolling for anything that could give him an edge. Finally, he spotted a potion: Read exclusive content at empire
[The Affection Potion]
[Effect: Temporarily increases the target's Emotional Bond by 25% for three hours.]
[Cost: 10,000 Sex Coins]
'Wait, temporarily is fine, as long as she wants to talk to me!'
Haruto then decided to buy potions:
[The Affection Potion has been used on Ayaka Yoshida!]
[Her Emotional Bonds will increase by 25% for the next three hours.]
Haruto smirked slightly. '
This should at least make her more willing to open up.'
Haruto, distracted by the system's notifications and his own spiraling thoughts, failed to notice Yoshida had already settled at a table, engrossed in her novel.
"Um… Hayase, do you plan to stand there all day, or?"
Her soft voice pulled him out of his haze. Startled, Haruto jolted slightly, his cheeks warming as he realized how foolish he must've looked.
"Ah, sorry about that," he muttered, walking over to join her.
He sat across from her, his movements stiff and uncharacteristically awkward.
"You're a strange one," Yoshida remarked, a hint of amusement lacing her voice.
She closed her book just enough to look at him directly. "You're nothing like the rumors make you out to be."
"Rumors?" Haruto raised a brow, feigning nonchalance. "Am I really that famous?"
['Whispering Allure' skill automatically activated.]
[The skill will be boosted based on the target resistance and Deprivation Matrix.]
[All target resistance decreased by 15%, and host attributes increased by 20%. This will heavily influence the target's decision-making.]
[ERS will decrease by 5 every minute.]
As if on cue, his Charm of Seduction began to take effect as well, though Haruto wasn't sure how much sway it would hold over someone like Yoshida.
"Don't play coy," she replied, opening her book again with a small, knowing smile. "You enjoy the attention, don't you?"
"I'm not sure about that," Haruto said with a shrug.
His voice carried a casual charm, but internally, he was focused on analyzing her reactions.
Yoshida's expression softened, her tone taking on a teasing edge.
"You're funny. You can act so confident in front of others, yet here, you seem lost. Almost like you're unsure of yourself."
Haruto blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Her observation hit closer to home than he liked, but he quickly masked his surprise with a faint smirk.
"Maybe that's part of my charm?"
Yoshida chuckled, the sound light and genuine, but Haruto noticed the faint shadows lingering in her emerald eyes.
He decided to press forward, his tone taking on a sharper edge. "I've heard rumors about you too."
"A 'supposed' prima donna defiled by a rat. It makes me wonder why someone as beautiful and capable as you would choose to stay with someone like that."
Her body tensed, the light in her eyes dimming instantly. Still, she smiled, though it was colder now, more guarded.
"People wouldn't understand," she said flatly. "Without pain, love is nothing."
The statement ignited something within Haruto—a mix of frustration, pity, and anger. He clenched his fists beneath the table, his voice lowering.
"Pain? Yoshida, what he's done to you isn't love. He's humiliated you, trampled on your honor. You deserve better. Respect yourself."
For a moment, Yoshida seemed startled by his intensity. Her lips parted slightly as if to respond, but she hesitated.
Instead, her gaze dropped to the book in her hands, and she let out a soft sigh.
"Thank you for worrying about me," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she turned a page.
"I don't think anyone truly understands," she continued, her words laced with melancholy. "Ren saved me from hell when no one else would."
"But he's dragging you into another," Haruto said firmly, leaning forward. His hand reached out, gently clasping hers.
"This time, let me be the one who saves you from that hell."