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

Haruto widened his eyes, his focus locking onto the system map where Mari's chibi icon blinks steadily.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

She was inside the spa—just like them!

'Damn, how many hours did I spend with Asuka for Mari to already wake up?!' he thought, his heartbeat quickening.

Scrambling to his feet, he scanned the room until his eyes landed on his yukata, crumpled in a heap on the floor.

He crouched quickly, snatching up his phone and fumbling to check the time.

16:00. Two hours had passed and the notifications from his phone made him facepalm.

'50 messages and 20 missed calls, all from Mari?! She would kill me if she found out I'm with Asuka!'

Stay updated through empire

He swipes to open LANE and fires off a message to Enji.

His fingers flew over the screen, but his body stiffened as warm arms suddenly encircled his waist.

A faint breath brushed against his back, and he froze.

Turning his head, he found Asuka's mischievous grin staring back at him. Her chin rested lightly on his shoulder, her voice low and teasing.

"Hmm… Messaging your other women already?"

Haruto's chuckle was awkward, his posture stiff as he tried to slip free of her hold. "Of course not. I'm just messaging Enji. We've been here for two hours, and I don't want him to worry."

"Enji? Isn't he a big boy?" She tilted her head, her lips quirking in skepticism. "Why babysit him?"

"Well… yeah, but we promised to go somewhere," he replied, the lie rolling off his tongue with practiced ease.

He smiled to sell it, though he knew Asuka could probably see straight through him. He even wonders if she has any telepathy skills, she was too sharp.

Her gaze lingered, sharp and knowing, before she finally released him with a soft hum of disinterest.

Haruto exhaled quietly as she moved away, her attention drifting to the refreshments table.

Asuka put the champagne bottle and a glass on the tray. She added a bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries, carrying it all to the jacuzzi.

"Join me in the Jacuzzi when you're done with… whatever that is," she said over her shoulder, her tone airy as she sauntered toward the outdoor Jacuzzi.

Haruto slumped with relief, his fingers flying back to his phone. "Enji, answer me ASAP. I need your help," he typed, hitting send.

***

Meanwhile, Enji was seated at a lavish buffet, leaning casually on one elbow as he flirted with a stunning woman seated across from him.

His plate was piled high with lobster tails, their golden butter glistening under the warm light.

"Well, you see," he said, his tone smooth and conversational, "any guy who'd let a woman as gorgeous as you go must be a complete idiot." he winked at her, making her laugh because of his antics.

"I know, right?" she replied, her laugh light but edged with bitterness.

Her black hair with a hime cut added to her elegance as an older woman, especially with those siren black eyes that could bewitch every man.

"It'd be nice if all men could understand that I'm just not looking for commitment."

"You remind me of a friend of mine," Enji said, spearing another piece of lobster with his fork.

"But you're right. You're far too beautiful to be tied down."

The woman smirked, leaning forward slightly as if to close the gap between them.

Before Enji could press his advantage, his phone vibrated loudly against the table, breaking the moment.

He tried to ignore it, but the buzzing continued relentlessly, drawing a raised eyebrow from his companion.

"Why don't you check that?" she said, her tone teasing. "I'll wait."

With a sigh, Enji reached for his phone. His screen was a mess of notifications, all from Haruto.

He unlocked it reluctantly, his jaw tightening as he read the barrage of messages.

"What? What do you want now?" he typed back curtly.

The reply was instant: "Mari is in the spa! Help me divert her attention!"

Enji scoffed. "Who's Mari again? Which one is she?" he typed back, shaking his head.

Haruto then replied with a picture of a blonde woman with blue eyes like the sky.

She was a gorgeous woman to the point that Enji questioned how the hell his friend could get this girl.

"I'll be out in an hour. Make sure she's gone by then or later after I get out of the spa!" Haruto had added.

Enji grumbled under his breath as he typed his response. "I'm busy right now. Do it yourself."

Seconds later, another message popped up. "Enji, I'll tell your sister you went on vacation without her," Haruto threatened.

"You know how much she wanted to visit this ryokan."

Enji's heart sank. 'That bastard! How the hell does he know?!'

A bead of sweat formed on his brow. If his sister found out, she'd definitely tell their father, and the thought of his father—a policeman—discovering his "extracurricular activities" made his stomach churn.

It was already hard for him to hide all of his tattoos and piercings every time he went to his parents' home in a different prefecture. If his sister blew everything out, it would be the end of him.

With a heavy sigh, he glared at the phone.

"FINE! YOU ASSHOLE!" he typed back, his finger stabbing the send button with unnecessary force.

The woman across from him tilted her head, her voice low and sultry. "What happened? Are we not having fun anymore?"

Enji forced a smile, though his frustration showed in the tightness of his jaw. "Sorry, something urgent came up. I have to go."

She laughed softly, rising from her seat with a knowing smile. "That's fine. I wasn't really interested anyway."

"Just wanted to have a little fun."

Her heels clicked against the tiled floor as she walked away, leaving Enji to clutch his chest theatrically.

"Ahh… That woman is dangerous," he muttered to himself. "It hurts my heart."

With one last wistful glance at his unfinished meal, Enji pushed back his chair and made his way to the spa, muttering a string of curses directed at Haruto.