On the Verge of Death from Happiness
I might really die like this. Ska Rate genuinely thought that.
"P-Paster...!"
*Crunch.*
"Eek♡"
Even calling his name in a plea to let her go just a little only brought even stronger pressure crashing down on her. He hugged her tighter without a word, as if refusing to release her, and once again she felt the threat of death looming.
Dangerous. This is seriously too dangerous...!
"Sss... Haaa..."
"Hiiik!"
Paster didn't care whether Ska Rate's face was flushing red like she was about to die. He buried his nose in the nape of her neck and inhaled her scent deeply. Every time he did, with his nose pressed against her skin as he breathed in, Ska Rate felt like her very soul was being sucked out along with it.
"Hngk♡ Haht♡ Haak♡"
Her legs went weak, threatening to buckle beneath her, but Paster's iron grip kept her upright—she couldn't even collapse. Reduced to a living attachment doll in his arms, Ska Rate strongly realized that at this rate, she might actually die from sheer happiness.
Being held by Paster was something she'd dreamed of since childhood—a fantasy come true. But this sudden, overwhelming embrace was against the rules...!
Ever since awakening to her desires, she'd been hugged by him countless times in her dreams, only to wake up each time with a hollow emptiness that made her sigh. Even as that frustration built, the dreams never fully satisfied her, so she'd have to soothe her heated body before she could start her day. As those days repeated, her feelings for Paster deepened, her obsession grew stronger, and her fantasies and expectations of being held by him swelled endlessly.
By the time she snapped out of it, those expectations had ballooned so huge they only made her anxious. What if it feels good in theory but not as amazing as I imagine when it actually happens? What if I end up disappointed in Paster? Ska had known since childhood that the bigger the expectation, the greater the letdown if reality fell short. Lately, even dreaming of being held by him would jolt her awake in extreme unease.
She didn't want to shatter that fantasy about Paster, yet she desperately wanted to feel his arms around her. That contradiction fueled her emotional turmoil, making her even more volatile.
"Ngk♡ Hiiik♡"
But right now, in this moment—hugged tightly by Paster out of nowhere, without warning—Ska Rate realized just how pointless all her worries had been. Reality always surpasses imagination, huh? That saying was true after all.
"P-Paster... L-Let go♡ I'll really die like this♡"
It's a hundred times better than I ever dreamed♡ I don't think I can live without Paster anymore♡ Just from being squeezed tight and having her scent inhaled, Ska Rate was lost in a happiness she'd never known in her life.
If not for her lingering desire to lose her virginity to him, she might not have held out this long. Without even that, she probably would have been content with life right then and entered nirvana on the spot. That's how blissful this felt to Ska Rate.
"Ska."
"Uh, y-yeah?"
"Just one bite."
She was teetering on the edge of what any human could endure in terms of happiness, but that fragile balance didn't last.
"One bite...?"
"Ahn."
*Chomp.*
The moment Paster's white fangs sank into the soft nape of her neck, her bliss crossed the critical threshold.
"Haaguk?!?"
No time to brace herself—the thick, sudden press of his teeth, lips, and tongue sent her reeling. This stimulation was on another level entirely from just having her scent inhaled. Ska Rate's back arched as she climaxed on the spot.
*Slurp. Sluuurp. Crunch.*
Even as Ska Rate climaxed, Paster didn't stop. Ignoring her reactions completely, he lost himself in her scent and softness, stimulating her relentlessly.
"Hngik!? Haak♡ Th-That's... enouuugh... S-Save meee♡"
Each flick of his tongue and nip sent her hurtling toward genuine orgasms multiple times over. Instinct screamed that her survival was at stake. Moments ago it had been I might die; now it was I'm actually going to die. She couldn't take this. To live, she had to pry Paster off.
Subduing an F-rank awakener was child's play for an S-rank like her. But after fifteen years by his side, with him never craving her this intensely before, it felt nearly impossible for Ska Rate.
If only I had some justification to push him away, something to convince myself...!
But justifications didn't drop from the sky. The instant she gave up and thought to just enjoy it and die happy, a faint vibration buzzed from the pocket of her long coat.
*Bzzz.*
Not meant for Paster, so she'd normally ignore it or check later—but right now, that phone vibration was Ska Rate's desperate lifeline. She felt as urgent as when she'd gotten a text from him saying, 'Got movie tickets but no one to go with. Wanna catch it if you're free?'
"P-Paster! Wait! I got a text! Gotta check it—move for a sec!"
*Thud.*
Using the excuse of needing to check her message, she finally shoved him off and secured some distance before pulling out her phone.
"...Huh?"
It was surprisingly important—important enough to end this alone time with Paster. Normally, she'd hesitate with extreme regret, glare at him, and growl, "Paster. Stay right here till I get back. Go anywhere and you're dead." before leaving. But not this time.
"Ska, saw the text. Back to it."
"Hiiik...! N-No! Can't! Something urgent came up! S-See you later!"
Any more of Paster's touch, and she'd become his devoted attachment doll, finding life's joy only in his bites. Ska Rate's goal was to make him dependent on her for life—not turn into a brainless doll reliant on him.
Sure, she'd waver for a moment thinking it'd be fine to be his doll if it meant staying by his side, but that was just a moment. Her grand fifteen-year ambition remained unshaken.
"N-Next time, I won't go easy! Get ready, Paster!"
Pointing a finger at him like a villain fleeing after a beatdown, Ska Rate bolted out the door.
"..."
Watching her retreating figure, Paster quietly unclasped the necklace and murmured softly.
"Beastman Collar—works like a charm."
At first, he'd been drawn in by the enticing scent wafting from Ska and inhaled thoughtlessly. But his sense of smell quickly adapted to her aroma, and after that, it wasn't the scent itself—he kept going because her reactions were hilarious.
Just sniffing made her tremble and beg for mercy. Best thing I'd heard all year.
Then a sudden thought struck: If just sniffing does this much, what happens if I go further?
A bit more feral thanks to the Beastman Collar, Paster figured, Curious? Try it. So he nipped lightly at her nape. Ska Rate arched and climaxed, and finding it amusing, he bit and sucked, savoring her responses.
Deluged with merciless pleasure, she couldn't endure and fled with her tail between her legs. Making the apex predator-like Ska Rate scamper away was profoundly satisfying for Paster.
"Scored something good."
From now on, if Ska got too cocky, he'd slap on the dog collar and put her in her place. Pocketing his new weapon, the Beastman Collar, Paster smiled in satisfaction.
2.
In the conference room on the top floor of Liar's Trap Guild—accessible only to team leaders—four women sat facing each other.
"Why'd you call us? You know we're all busy, right? 3rd Team Leader."
"Yeah. First time you've called an emergency meeting, isn't it, 3rd Team Leader?"
"I was in the middle of important research. Get to the point quick and wrap it up."
Lapis Julie, Ia Ris, and Dr. Emme—who'd all dropped everything the moment they got the text—turned their gazes to the meeting's convener, 3rd Team Leader Silk Blond.
All belonged to Liar's Trap Guild, but the looks they shot each other were sharp with hostility, like enemies facing off.
To the trio's antagonistic words, Silk Blond snorted leisurely and glanced at the door.
"One person's still not here. Too annoying to repeat myself—wait till she... "
*Bang!*
The door flew open hard, cutting off Silk Blond's instruction to wait. All eyes locked on the tardy Ska Rate.
Faced with glares that seemed to demand Why are you late?, Ska Rate grinned and spoke up.
"Ahaha. Late? Sorry sorry! Alright, emergency meeting start! Where should I sit?"
With a bright, carefree tone utterly unlike her, the 7th Emergency Meeting on the Fake Hypnosis App commenced.