Another two weeks had passed. Two weeks of watching from the sidelines as Cassius executed his plan with the precision of a special forces operative and the shamelessness of a seasoned degenerate.
It turned out that 'teasing' didn't trigger an NTR event notification. The System was surprisingly picky apparently, it only cared about the big, messy, soul crushing moments where the corruption became irreversible. So, I hadn't gotten the pleasure of watching the actual fireworks through the voyeur's lens. Cassius had kept me updated verbally instead, which, honestly, was almost worse for my mental health.
The man was a fucking prodigy.
Since that day in the cafeteria, Cassius had been a constant, shadowy presence in Rose's life. In class, he'd sit close enough that their sleeves brushed. During meals, he'd linger near her. On outings with Jin, he was the supportive friend who just happened to always be within arm's reach.
And oh, did he talk about it. Every time we met for our 'consultations,' he'd recount his progress with terrifyingly vivid detail. He described exactly how his hands roamed over her the way her thighs trembled when he grazed them, the way her breathing hitched when he'd explore the swell of her breasts, the way she'd whimper when his fingers found her slick heat.
Goddammit, Cassius, I'm trying to run a strategic operation here, not listen to your dirty laundry reports! I screamed at him internally, even as my own body betrayed me.
Every time he described a new 'milestone,' I felt that familiar, traitorous heat pooling between my own legs. My body was reacting to his words like they were physical touches. So, naturally, I had been spending my nights in a desperate, self inflicted battle with my own anatomy, trying to burn off the tension.
[ SP: 1140 ]
I stared at the number. I was ashamed, sure if you asked the old me, the college student who thought masturbation was a private, dignified act, he would have died of embarrassment. But this new Ellen? This Ellen was starting to realize that her body's lust wasn't an enemy to be conquered, but a resource to be managed. The reluctance was fading, replaced by something far more dangerous: curiosity. And that realization was more terrifying and exhilarating than any monster raid.
My phone buzzed on my nightstand, startling me out of my thoughts. It was Cassius.
"Hey, Ellen." His voice was low, rough, and carried that unmistakable edge of triumph. "When do you think I can go to the next phase?"
I sighed, leaning back against my pillows. My nightclothes were already feeling too tight. "Next phase? Didn't you just finish the 'teasing and psychological warfare' phase? Aren't you supposed to be playing hard to get now?"
"I am playing hard to get," Cassius said, and I could practically hear the cocky smirk through the phone. "I'm playing hard to get with the entire damn world. But Rose... Rose is getting impatient. Every time I pull away, she looks at me like she wants to devour me. The hunger is mutual, Ellen. I can feel it."
Of course you can, you magnificent bastard. You're literally feeding her hunger like you're feeding a pet.
"So you want to escalate," I said, my voice flat despite the way my pulse hammered. "You want to move from 'lingering touches' to 'full on corruption.'"
"Exactly. I want to make it impossible for her to look at Jin without thinking about what I do to her when no one's watching. I want to bridge the gap between 'childhood friend' and 'secret lover.' What's the move, Boss?"
I closed my eyes, running the calculations. The timing had to be perfect. The escalation had to be sudden enough to overwhelm her, but gradual enough that she didn't flee.
"The next phase requires a change in venue and intensity," I said, my mind already three steps ahead. "You need to create a situation where she feels she can't say no, and where the risk of being caught feels like part of the thrill."
I drummed my fingers against my own thighs, the rhythm of a general planning a siege.
"Okay. When is your next outing with Jin and Rose?"
"Sunday," Cassius replied instantly.
I nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Okay, then. On Sunday, I want you to find a park or something. Someplace with actual foliage, not just a bench next to a vending machine. And find a way to sneak off with Rose, leaving Jin alone. Distract him. Tell him you saw a rare monster vendor, or whatever it is that boys like you find fascinating. Get Rose alone."
"Alone," he repeated, his voice tightening with anticipation.
"Alone. And there, you finish what you've been starting for two weeks. Make her cum, Cassius. For real this time. No more edging her into a puddle and walking away like a smug demon. She's been starving for two weeks. Feed her."
There was a pause on the line, and then a low, hungry exhale. "And then?"
"And then," I continued, my voice as blunt as a tax audit, "you make her give you a handjob. Willingly. That's the non negotiable part. She has to want to do it. She has to be the one who reaches for you. If you have to ask for it, you've failed."
I said it without sugarcoating, because honestly? Why would I? This was an eroge world. In my past life, saying 'make her cum and then have her jerk you off in a park' to a male friend would have gotten me either punched or a restraining order. Here, it's just Tuesday advice.
God, I've really internalized the genre, haven't I? Past me would be sobbing into his economics textbook. Present me is giving handjob logistics consultation over the phone like it's a quarterly report. Character development, baby.
"Willingly," Cassius echoed, and I could hear the grin spreading across his face. "That won't be hard. She's already looking at me like... like she wants to eat me alive. Two weeks of buildup, Ellen. She's primed."
"Good. Because here's the psychology, so listen carefully." I shifted on my pillow, staring at the ceiling. "An orgasm she receives is a gift. A handjob she gives is a choice. The gift makes her feel good. The choice makes her complicit. Complicity is what kills the 'childhood friend' bond forever. After she's touched you voluntarily, knowingly, while her body is still buzzing from her own climax she can never go back to seeing you as just Jin's shadow. She'll see you as the man she made come in a park. Those two things cannot coexist in one brain, Cassius. It's like trying to fit a dragon and a hamster in the same cage."
"...You have a truly disturbing talent for metaphors," Cassius said.
"I have a talent for results. The metaphors are free."
"Right. So: park, separate her from Jin, make her finish, then let her take the initiative." He paused. "And if she hesitates?"
"She won't hesitate. And if she does and this is critical, Cassius you do NOT push. You kiss her, you hold her hand over your pants for one second, and you wait. If she pulls back, you smile and say 'another time.' That's it. Patience is what separates a lover from a predator, and Rose needs to feel safe choosing you."
"Another time," he repeated. "Got it."
"Text me Sunday night with a full report. Concise version. I don't need the locations of every freckle."
"No promises," he said, and I could HEAR the smirk. "Goodnight, Boss."
He hung up.
I stared at my phone, then at the ceiling, then at my own traitorous hands, which had apparently been resting on my thighs with intent this entire conversation.
...No. No, Ellen. Don't you dare. You just gave a fifteen minute consultation on public handjobs and now your body thinks it's been invited to the event. This is a professional operation. You are a professional. You are...
[ SP: 1140 ]
...Okay, fine. BUT THIS IS THE LAST TIME THIS WEEK. Probably. Possibly. Shut up.