Throughout the breakfast, they keep talking about the small things. Clara looks more relaxed today than she had been yesterday. Her words flow effortlessly as she talks with him. Though...
The issue is, she doesn’t stop the moment someone listens to her.
When Zane takes the final bite of his food, he has heard almost about every neighbor around him, including what the bakery owner’s wife is about to wear today.
After that, he moves to the bathroom to get the bath and prepares for his day.
However, while he does so, he starts discovering more things about the way his body moves now and how that synchronization system works.
While doing small actions like bathing, eating or simply walking, he noticed that these small things don’t increase the ’separation’ between him and his body. The notifications inside his head also stay silent even when he isn’t trying to intentionally assert his ’will’ during these actions.
That’s when he figures out the main factor which increases or decreases the Synchronization rate. And that factor is ’Conflict’, basically.
Right now, in the bathroom, he experiments with his findings.
First... Let’s see when this separation happens. I have some guesses after experiencing this...
He prepares himself by relaxing his body completely and then stares at the wall. After taking a deep breath and hiding his embarrassment, he speaks.
"Clara is beautifu—!"
Before he could even finish the word, a strange kind of sensation tugs at his mouth as if to stop him from saying that. The sensation is the same as yesterday when he and Clara were initiating physical contact with each other. Last night, he had used this line to assert his ’will’ over this body.
But, now that he isn’t trying to do anything intentionally, the same line feels harder to come out from his mouth.
He lets out an exhale and nods once.
Fair enough. This resistance belongs to Jack, and when I do something that he wouldn’t have liked to do, resistance becomes inevitable.
He strokes his chin slowly and smiles slightly as the pieces finally start connecting.
That’s also why I didn’t feel the same resistance while eating and bathing just now, because these tasks are common for both me and Jack to do. So, when I don’t have any objections with the instincts of this body and when this body doesn’t have any resistance against what I want to do... there is no separation then.
He turns toward the bathtub and slips into it, the water pooling around his body as he settles inside.
What can I do with this information though? Wait... hm, I see. Now, I know when to enforce my own will and when to simply watch what this body does.
His final thought finally organized his discovery into one final note.
When he wants to do something, defy this body’s instincts.
And, when both this body and him want to do the same thing, there is no conflict anyways.
So, in the end, he should win the conflicts to increase the synchronization rate, while remaining neutral with the small actions that this body is already capable of.
[NOTIFICATION!]
[The host has just displayed the sign of impressive intelligence!]
[The host has once again asserted his ’will’ while solving the mysteries of ’Synchronization system’, which Jack never did in his life.]
[Synchronization rate: 22%(+2)]
Zane feels his head ringing with the voice, his fingers pressing against his temple, "It’s weird to hear this voice in my head..." Despite his murmur, a small embarrassed smile lingers on his lips as he leans back and lets out a small huff.
"This voice is definitely sugar-coating me with these words."
After around an hour, he stands at the main door. His expression is confused, reluctant and resigned. He lets out a weary sigh, as if the task is making him ill already.
Clara, meanwhile, just smiles at him and takes a step forward. Her fingers adjust his collar while she observes with an amused look.
"Why are you looking grumpy today? You don’t even want to work now, hm? You will become lazy then."
"I..." He tries to reply but no words come out of his mouth. He simply stares at her hand on his shirt with a small pout.
Damn! Job? Even here? But the thing is, this body is moving instinctively toward the job too, meaning Jack also used to go to the job!
Because Clara is sending him so casually for it, he cannot even reject it directly. That would make him look like a complete brat in front of her. Not to mention, he is liking this treatment of getting his collar fixed by her.
After a moment, she moves her hands down with the final tap on his shoulders and then leans against the doorframe. She waits patiently while looking at him, "Well? You are ready. Go now, otherwise you will get late, and that is not a wise thing to do."
His shoulders drop down slightly as he looks at her face for any sign of pity but finds none. His gaze drops to her feet slowly as he murmurs, "Do I really have to go...?"
Clara’s eyebrow raises slightly at his question. She falls silent for a moment, and then moments later, she finally sighs.
"What happened to you? Usually, you are always eager to leave the house as if this house smells bad or something."
She pulls away from the doorway slowly and takes a step outside toward him. Her head turns to the street as she scans the area once before focusing her gaze back on him.
"Fine, come here. And give me your hand."
Zane just stares at her confusedly as if processing the sudden shift in her tone. He wonders if she will smack on his hand for resisting the job so much. Despite this, he still moves his hand forward and holds it out in front of her.
Is she angry...? Have I crossed the line?
Without any other word, her hand closes on his wrist while she maintains eye-contact with him. Her other hand reaches behind her before disappearing beneath the hem of her blouse. For a moment, she fumbles with something there before a sound of click comes.
"After this..." She murmurs as she guides his hand toward her waist, "...You must leave immediately for your work, no excuses."
She slides his hand beneath her blouse first, the bare skin of her belly rubbing against his palm before his fingers touch the loosened cup of her bra.
Zane’s heart thumps loudly, his eyes go wide as he just stares at the scene. Under her guiding hand and blouse, he feels his fingers trembling and his palm moisturizing from her heat and his own sweat.
But, she doesn’t stop ascending higher. There is a small sigh of struggle when she tries to shift her bra. The next moment, his hand finally slips beneath the bra and finds her breast.
His legs go weak as he feels them turn into jelly. His eyes take in the sight of her shifting blouse which is hiding his hand underneath it. Her bosom presses softly against his palm, the freshness of the morning and her body giving a strange, beautiful texture to her skin.
"Mm... How does it feel, hm? Do you still feel reluctant to go? I want you to leave for the job really, you know...?" Her words flow into the air quietly, while her free hand moves over her chest and presses against the fabric of her blouse, making his palm sink more into her flesh.
Zane has lost at this point. His eyes look dazed with desire, and his body is loose from the pleasure. When her words fall into his ear, he just nods mindlessly.
"Yeah... job. I will do it if you want me to..."
This woman... might be dangerous for me.