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

Haruto strolled back to his room, a faint melody humming from his lips, still buoyed by the relaxing spa session with Asuka.

The warmth of the evening lingered on his skin, and his mood was light, the day's events playing through his mind like a pleasant daydream.

As he reached his sliding door, he noticed it was slightly ajar. "Perfect. Too lazy to dig through my pockets," he murmured, sliding it open with ease.

The sight that greeted him, however, froze him mid-step.

Mari stood in the center of the room, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her usually soft features were twisted into a sharp frown, her sapphire eyes brimming with fury.

She tapped her foot against the tatami floor rapidly, each thud echoing her irritation.

Haruto instinctively hesitated, his initial plan to greet and hug her quickly shelved. Stay updated with empire

"Uh… hey, Mari—"

"Where have you been all this time?" she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through the room.

Haruto blinked, caught off guard by her tone. "Err… at the hot spring? Didn't I send you a message?"

He scratched the back of his neck, his tone careful, wary of escalating her anger.

'She didn't see me with Asuka, did she?' he thought, heart skipping a beat.

He quickly reviewed the map in his system interface with his mind, confirming that Mari had left the hot spring twenty minutes before him.

'No way she knows. But then… why is she this mad?'

Mari's eyes narrowed further. "Do you think that's enough? Why didn't you come to find me as soon as you saw my message?" Her voice rose, each word laced with frustration.

Haruto held up his hands defensively. "Ah, well, you see…" He paused, scrambling for a plausible excuse.

"I, uh, ran into Kota's father. I couldn't just leave him like that." He sighed heavily.

Mari's frown deepened, suspicion flickering in her gaze. "Kota's father? And why couldn't you leave him?"

Haruto's face turned somber as he pulled on his most heartfelt expression, as though the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

"He wanted to talk about Kota. He asked me why his son ended up in the hospital."

He sighed again for good measure, looking down at the tatami as though burdened by guilt.

Mari's eyes widened, her irritation melting into shock. "Hospital? What happened to him?" Her voice softened, concern taking over.

Despite everything, Mari's worry for Kota struck a chord of guilt in Haruto because he lied to her. '

But, not entirely a lie,' he thought. 'I did meet Kota's mother and she asked me about what happened to him.'

He cleared his throat. "Well, you know Kota's part of a gang, right? Apparently, the leader lost it and beat him to a pulp. Put him in the hospital."

His gaze stayed fixed on the tatami, his voice tinged with sadness. "I feel bad for him. I never thought he'd end up like this…"

Mari gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "That's… all because of me?" Her voice trembled, guilt flooding her features.

Haruto stiffened, realizing too late he'd overplayed the lie. 'Damn it. Of course she'd blame herself. Why didn't I think of that?'

He stepped forward, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "This isn't your fault. It's mine. Please, don't blame yourself."

Mari's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "But if I hadn't told everyone about what happened, none of this would've happened…"

Haruto pulled her into a comforting hug, stroking her hair softly.

"If you hadn't, we wouldn't be together. And more importantly, you'd still be living in fear, trapped in that cycle. Kota deserved what happened to him."

Mari tilted her head back to look at him, her watery blue eyes searching his face for reassurance.

"Really?"

"Of course," he said, offering her a warm smile.

"Now, let's forget about Kota and everything else. Let's just enjoy this trip together, okay?"

Mari nodded slowly, her expression lightening. "Alright. But… I want to do something special tonight," she added, a small smile creeping onto her lips.

Haruto chuckled, relieved by the shift in her mood. "Anything you want."

Inwardly, however, he sighed in relief. 'Thank God Mari's not as sharp as Asuka. If she had even half of Asuka's intuition, this trip would've gone to hell already.'

Just then, a familiar chime echoed in his mind, making him jolt.

[Ding!]

[Host triggered a new quest!]

[Quest: Hell or Heaven? It's Your Choice!]

[Description: Two of the host's targets are in the same vicinity, yet the host seeks to keep them apart. Will the host succeed in preventing their meeting, or embrace the chaos? The choice is yours.]

[Objective: Prevent Mari and Asuka from encountering each other—or orchestrate their meeting.]

[Rewards: 45,000 sex coins, 1,200 EXP, and Navigating the Sweetheart skill update.]

Haruto's eye twitched. 'Skill update? What even is that? And I get rewards no matter the outcome? Isn't the system too generous?

He sighed, rubbing his temple. 'Either way, why don't the system give this quest faster?'

Mari's gentle tap on his shoulder startled Haruto from his thoughts.

Turning, he saw her holding a small bag, her expression bright and eager.

"Come on, let's go," she said with a playful smile, her earlier frustration seemingly wiped away.

Haruto raised a brow, glancing at the bag in her hand. "Where are we going tonight?"

Her grin widened, a mischievous glint in her eye. "It's a secret! You'll find out when we get there."

She tugged him along, her newfound cheerfulness so infectious that Haruto didn't even press her for more details.

To his surprise, their walk took them beyond the cozy ryokan and into the bustling nightlife of this prefecture.

Unlike the city's sprawling urban glow, this area had a charm of its own—traditional lanterns hung from storefronts, illuminating the narrow streets with a warm, golden hue.

Laughter and conversation filled the air as tourists and locals mingled, the relaxed atmosphere washing over them.

After a short stroll, they stopped in front of a ramen shop that was already drawing a considerable crowd.

Haruto tilted his head as he noticed the line snaking out the door, the rich aroma of broth wafting toward them.

"Ah, so this is the place," he mused, rubbing his chin. "Looks like a popular spot. You want to eat here?"

Mari nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Let's go inside!"

After queuing for nearly an hour, Haruto and Mari finally entered the bustling ramen shop.

The moment they stepped inside, Haruto felt his nose tingle as the unmistakable aroma of chili hit him like a wave.

He sneezed twice, his eyes scanning the tables. Bowl after bowl of fiery red ramen caught his gaze, each steaming with an intimidating intensity.

"Huh?" he muttered, brows furrowing as sweat trickled down his temple.

"Are we... eating something spicy?"

Mari's smile widened, her eyes glinting with a mischievous spark that sent a shiver down his spine.

'Don't tell me…' Haruto thought, dread slowly creeping in.

"Can I order something else?" he asked, his tone cautious as he offered an awkward smile.

"Of course you can!" Mari's tone was bright and cheerful—too cheerful. "After you eat the Inferno Ramen!"

Haruto's stomach sank as they were guided to a table. He could sense the trap closing in, and her expression left no doubt in his mind.

This wasn't just dinner—it was payback.

"Mari…" he began, his voice soft, trying to reason with her.

But before he could plead his case, the staff appeared at their table, pen and pad in hand. Mari wasted no time.

"Two Inferno Ramen, please!" she said excitedly, her tone so sweet it made Haruto's stomach churn.

The staff smiled and bowed before heading off to place the order.

Haruto, meanwhile, was frozen, his chance to protest snatched away before he could say a word.

"Mari," he tried again, his voice tinged with desperation.

"If you're still mad at me, can you please forgive me? You know I—"

"Can't handle spicy food?" she interjected, her smile soft yet utterly terrifying. "Oh, I know."

She tilted her head, her voice suddenly taking on a deceptively sweet tone. "But, Haruto, there are some things that just can't be forgiven with only a 'sorry'."

Her innocent expression belied her true intentions, and Haruto knew exactly what she was doing.

For any other man, that adorable smile might have been enough to make them fall at her feet. For him, though, it was the stuff of nightmares.

"But!" she added, leaning forward slightly with the same unnerving grin. "Just eat this ramen with me tonight, okay?"

Haruto sighed in defeat, slumping slightly in his seat. "Fine. I'll eat it. Everything for my beloved Mari. The most beautiful woman on earth."

For a brief moment, her cheeks turned a soft pink, and her smile lost a bit of its menace. "If you think that'll get you out of eating it, you're out of luck," she huffed, looking to the side.

"But I will buy you all the milk cartons you want after."

Haruto's smile twitched as he tried to reconcile her teasing affection with his impending doom.

"Well, thank you, Mari," he muttered, bracing himself for what was sure to be an unforgettable meal.