Bound by Midnight Obsession
Chris and Emil arrived at the academy as the sky was dyed in sunset hues.
We're already here.
The time had felt like a dream, so sweet and enjoyable. But like any dream, Emil's date with her had to come to an end.
Thud, thud.
Perhaps because of that, Chris's footsteps slowed bit by bit. Emil matched her pace, his own steps slowing in tandem.
I don't wanna go in...
She was even thinking of suggesting they stay out a little longer. Chris, who would normally cringe at anything remotely embarrassing, was actually considering it.
"Um... Emil."
"Yeah?"
But saying it outright was too hard. Instead, she opted for casual chit-chat. Keeping the conversation going might stretch this time out just a little more.
"Remember when I asked why you wanted to learn swordsmanship so badly?"
"Oh yeah, I do."
"You said it was for grades."
"Right."
Emil chuckled softly, recalling that moment, as he answered her question. Chris glanced at him sidelong and pressed on.
"...Is there a reason you wanna get top grades?"
"......"
It was casual talk, but it stemmed from Chris's genuine interest in Emil. Even trivial details—she wanted to know them. More than just killing time, she was truly curious.
"Hmm..."
Emil gazed up at the sky, pondering his response.
What should I say?
Telling the truth would mean blurting out something insane like, "It's to win you over and show you the memories from the fourth loop." No way. But he didn't want to spin some outright lie either. Lies breed more lies, after all. Better not to toss out fake stories carelessly.
"I've got a goal."
"A goal...?"
So he gave a vague, lumped-together answer. Chris latched onto it, something clicking in her mind as she replied.
"Does it have to do with... that prayer you made at the temple earlier?"
"Ah, yeah. That's it."
Her cheeks flushed red at his confirmation. Not knowing the details, she'd filled in the blank with her own hopes. Seizing the moment, she asked with eager anticipation.
"...What kinda goal?"
Thump, thump.
Of course, she knew it probably wouldn't be the answer she wanted. But that sliver of "what if" made her heart race anyway.
"It's a secret."
"......What? That's not fair."
She pouted slightly, disappointed he wouldn't share.
"It's a really important goal. Can't just go blabbing about it."
"Hmph..."
Emil thought back to the first day of this loop—the raw emotion he'd felt then. Even if this loop ended in a bad ending, he'd make those who screwed him over feel the worst possible despair. That vow. His eyes grew more serious than usual as he recalled it.
Guess it's a huge dream he really wants to chase.
Chris, seeing that earnest gaze, found herself thinking Emil was kinda cool. A guy with clear goals, striving for his dreams? Irresistibly attractive. Add in the Charm's Tear Spot perk, and it boosted her affection without him even trying.
"Then... I'll help out a bit."
"Huh...?"
"With that goal of yours."
Swoosh...
Chris subtly closed the gap as they walked side by side, looking up at him with a shy face. Emil couldn't help but burst out laughing at her words.
"Wh-what? Why're you laughing!"
"Haha, no. It's nothing."
How could he not laugh? One of his key goals was saying something so earnest like that.
"You're already helping plenty."
"......"
Chris's lips curved into a soft, pleased smile. And Emil felt a refreshing warmth seeing her like that.
You're really helping, Chris.
She was starting to show faint signs of liking him now. And since having her feel that way was part of achieving his goal...
"Today was fun."
"......Yeah."
The two finally reached the dorms. Female and male dormitories separated by the main road. They bid each other goodbye across it, and Chris watched Emil's retreating back with a wistful expression before heading inside herself.
Thus ended the first sweet time she'd ever known.
"......"
But.
That sweet time was pure agony for someone else—a bone-chilling torment.
As the pair returned to their dorms, one person lingered outside, staring blankly at the building. For Marie, who'd been watching the whole time, biting her nails raw, the ordeal was finally over.
"......"
Then Marie walked toward the dorm.
"Phew..."
After wrapping up my date with Chris, the tension drained from me, and I let out a small sigh. I hung my outer coat haphazardly on the rack and headed straight for bed.
I'm beat...
Playing the perfect guy was exhausting. Sure, Easy Mode and its perks made me good at everything, but deep down, I was still just an extra.
To win Chris over, I'd unconsciously kept up a flawless front around her.
At this rate, it almost seems like I like her.
The effort was to gain her heart, sure. But now, acting for someone I didn't even like anymore felt kinda unfair.
Just a little longer, though.
Today's date wasn't just to boost her affection—it was also to gauge how much she liked me. The results? Satisfying.
Her outfit was different from last loop already, and the whole vibe of the date had shifted. Last time, she still had that tomboy edge. This loop? Pure girl—shy, cautious, serene.
Makes me kinda pissed, actually.
Meaning, in the fourth loop, her affection wasn't this high. Guess that's why she backstabbed me.
"Alright..."
Anyway, today's date was a success. I lay back on the bed and gently closed my weary eyes.
Exhaustion from constant training, plus keeping tense all date... The fresh breeze from the window naturally lulled me to sleep.
And so, shortly after returning to the dorm, I drifted off.
They say you're too tired for dreams when you're really wiped out. Like skipping a game's cutscene—close your eyes, open them, and time's flown to the next day.
"Wake up."
But this time, for some reason, not much time had passed.
"Nngh..."
A strange sensation shaking my chest gently roused me. The room was dark.
Dawn...?
I'd crashed out around sunset from sheer fatigue. The pitch-black room proved not much time had elapsed.
"Wake up..."
Shake, shake...
That same touch prodded me again. And a familiar voice tickled my ear.
"Nngh..."
With bleary eyes, I lifted my head toward the sensation.
And then.
"What...?"
"You're awake?"
Squeeze...
My limbs wouldn't budge. But it wasn't sleep paralysis. Something had me bound.
My foggy mind snapped awake in an instant.
"M-Marie."
"Hehe, you must've been exhausted. You were snoring... so cute, Emil."
Marie was straddling me. Right in the center of the bed, she'd tied me down. Dressed in her familiar uniform, she sat just above my navel, gazing down.
Pink hair and eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Those eyes stared at me seductively. Her lips curved in a soft smile.
"Marie, wh-what the hell is this...!"
I bucked wildly, yelling at her. Her soft thighs and underwear brushed against my shaking stomach. Her ample breasts jiggled once.
"Don't freak out so much, Emil."
"......What?"
Even in this situation, she smiled naturally and leaned in, trailing slender fingers up from my chest as she spoke.
"I'm not here to do anything bad."
"......"
"So... yeah? Just hear me out a bit..."
"...If it's just talk, why tie me up like this?"
"......"
I glared at her warily.
Scream for help if things go south...? Nah, Marie wouldn't just sit there.
I racked my brain for an escape.
Then.
"But..."
Empty. Dark eyes that screamed wrongness stared blankly at me.
"But Emil... you had that weird bitch hanging off you."
"......What?"
Swoosh...
Her small hand slid slowly from my solar plexus to my chest, then up to my face.
"Ngh..."
"Who's she? That girl."
"......"
Marie caressed my cheek with her fingers, drawing her face closer. Vacant eyes and glossy lips filled my vision. A sweet, tickling fragrance hit my nose.
"Y'know, Emil... I saw everything."
"......"
She kept it up, monologuing.
"You went on a date."
"......"
"All cozy and happy with her."
"......"
Her sudden unhinged behavior clicked. The cause.
She watched me with Chris.
That must've flipped some switch in her.
"Yeah... I went on a date."
But I hadn't done anything wrong.
"So what?"
We weren't anything to each other from the start.
"This because of that? You?"
"......"
I thought back to the first loop as I asked. She wasn't exactly the same as then, but she had those memories too. Like asking if she had a conscience.
"Heehee, haha..."
A chilling laugh escaped her lips.
"No... Emil... I told you..."
Tears started streaming down her face.
"Hic, I said I like you. That you're the only one for me now... Sniff, sob..."
"......"
Her hands gripped my shoulders tight, clinging to me. Her tear-streaked face drew nearer.
"I like you."
"......"
"I like you, Emil—so much. I love you. You're my whole world. I love you, love you love you love you."
"......"
"Right? Emil, say it back. Tell me too. You used to say it all the time."
"......"
For a split second, the Marie before me overlapped with the one from the first loop.
"We were lovers. You held me, whispered sweet things. So say it. Answer me. Please? Emil..."
She's lost it. That one word summed up her state right now.
The memories from loop one are mixing in...
This loop's Marie, obsessed with me after falling for me. And loop one's, my lover sharing passion. Those jumbled together, exploding from jealousy over the date.
"Emil... Remember what I told you?"
I didn't answer, so she slowly lifted herself off me. Staring down with those empty eyes.
Swoosh...
She shrugged off her uniform jacket.
"W-wait, Marie...! What're you—!"
"Everything about me is yours—the first time."
"Hold on...!!"
"She's not me. I'm pure. Only you for me..."
She tossed the jacket carelessly under the bed. Then.
Pop, pop.
She undid her shirt buttons, one by one.
"Emil... you used to stare at my chest a lot, right?"
"......"
"I know."
Lace bra peeked through the opening shirt. And her deep cleavage filled my sight.
Swoosh...
"I'll do whatever Emil wants. Everything."
She leaned forward, pressing her upper body against mine. Soft breasts squished against me.
"Ngh... Marie..."
"Let's go back to how it was? Yeah?"
Her breath grew ragged. Her body heat rose where we touched. Mine did too.
What... do I do...?
Bound and helpless, enduring her one-sided advances, I desperately searched my chaotic mind for a way out.