The sight of his apartment building in flames and black smoke was surreal, blocking out all sound except the wail of sirens. Akira felt the shock down to his core. His home was gone.
He stood there as Mrs. Tanaka rushed him. "Akira, thank God! I thought you were inside when the fire started. I was calling your name; no response. So I called your mother, told her you were not around. They're sending emergency funds, but they need you safe right now."
"Where am I supposed to go?" Akira asked, soaked and numb.
"Your mother's friend, Mrs. Kasai, the realtor. She owns Rosewood Residences near the private academy," Mrs. Tanaka explained. "Your mom made the arrangement. She's allowing you stay with her. A car is coming."
Akira nodded, trying to wrap his head around the fact that his old life was gone. He didn't have a house anymore, there was no family nearby, and there was also the supernatural threat Ai had told him about.
Ai purred in a voice dripping with dark pleasure. "Now that this is out of the way…"
"Hold on, Ai. Did you do this?"
"I decline to answer."
"Seriously?"
"Look at the bright side… I mean, aside from the brightness of the fire. You are now untethered to this place."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means the fire burned away weakness, darling. Now you have a clean slate for revenge and to build an empire."
As soon as she finished speaking, a new notification appeared before him.
[NEW QUEST: SECURE LONG-TERM SHELTER & RESOURCES. REWARD: +5 CHARM, UNLOCK [RESIDENCE] H-SCENE.]
Just then, a black sedan arrived. The driver drove him across the city to a set of shiny modern towers lit up by the city lights… Rosewood Residences.
After knocking a few times, Akira tried the door and realised it was unlocked, so he went in.
"Hello?" he called as he walked into the living room.
There, lounging with her legs tucked under her, was Mia Takahashi, scrolling through her phone. She glanced up and her jaw dropped.
"Akira? What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, snapping the phone shut.
Akira met her gaze, unflinching. "My apartment burned down, Mia. My mother's friend owns the place; She offered to allow me stay here pending when my parents can return and fix things."
Mia stared, then grinned wickedly. "No way. My aunt owns this complex. I'm crashing here at the moment. You're serious? About living here?"
"Looks that way."
Ai chuckled. "Mia's Affinity spiking. Finishing touches incoming."
Mrs. Kasai strode in, holding a clipboard in hand. "Ahh… Akira, you're here. Welcome."
"Mrs Kasai, thank you for allowing me to crash here on short notice."
"Come on, Akira. You don't have to thank me. And you can call me Mrs Mei. We will be living as one big family here."
Akira nodded. "Okay, Mrs Mei. thanks again."
"It's fine. Now there's a bit of an issue. The storm caused damage to the electricity in the upper floor. So… three tenants will be joining us in the spare bedrooms, temporarily. Maybe for a few weeks. So… Akira, be a gentleman."
Three girls entered with duffels.
Akira recognised the first girl with short, sporty hair, looking pretty serious. That's Rina, Kenji's girlfriend, the one he saw him banging in the closet. She wore expensive clothes but had a distant look in her eyes.
The second girl was smaller and more tidy, wearing glasses and holding onto some textbooks.
[ROMANCE ROUTE DETECTED: AOI SAITO (The Quiet Shy Girl)]
The third one had long, silver hair that gave it an almost otherworldly quality. Her calm, cold eyes gave off an unsettling presence, and there was a graceful way she moved that felt unique and somewhat foreign.
[ALERT!!!]
[LOW-RANKED SUCCUBUS DETECTED]
[THREAT LEVEL: LOW]
Akira's eyes widened. "Succubus? Likee…"
Mrs Mei's voice broke his thoughts. "Akira, meet Rina and Aoi. You all attend the same school. Then this, is Ayaka. She's transferring to your school."
"Uhmm… hiii," Akira managed to say, though he was still processing the fact that Ayaka was a succubus.
"Yes, Akira. Ayaka is not from this world. She's a low-level succubus, probably attracted by your energy."
[ROMANCE ROUTE DETECTED: AYAKA SHIRATORI]
"Seriously?"
The girls shared nervous looks with Mia, and Akira clenched his jaw. It was a complicated situation; living with his first conquest, his hated bully's girlfriend, an innocent girl, and a demon spy.
Ai whispered, "Five waifus, one suite, no parents, demon in the bed. Destiny accelerated. First prize of Harem House?"
Mrs. Kasai clapped. "Mia, you know the building. Help settle them."
Mia smirked. "Sure, Aunt Mei."
"Questions?"
Rina dropped her bag. "This is bullshit. Now, I'm bunking with randos?"
Aoi adjusted her glasses. "I'll take the quietest room. Studying for midterms."
Ayaka smiled faintly. "Any room works. I adapt."
Akira cleared his throat as he moved to locate his room. The rest trailed behind him. Mia sidled close beside him. "Almost made it in the gym earlier, sadly, Kenji cockblocked us."
"Tell me about it," Akira muttered.
Rina snorted. "Kenji? My boyfriend's an ass, but at least he has a place."
Aoi blushed. "Language, please."
Ayaka's eyes lingered on Akira. "Interesting energy here. Smells... powerful."
Ai giggled. "Succubus senses you. Play carefully, or play hard."
They walked into an open-plan living, with four bedrooms off a hall, and a massive kitchen.
Mia pointed. "Pick rooms."
Rina claimed the biggest spare. "Dibs. Need space from you losers."
Aoi took the smallest. "This is fine. Thank you, Akira-kun, Mira-chan."
Ayaka chose the one opposite of Akira. "Close enough to... borrow sugar."
Mia flopped on the couch. "I'm crashing the common areas. Aunt's orders to keep an eye on things."
Rina rolled her eyes. "Great. Delinquent babysitter."
Mia grinned. "Watch it, cheer-bitch. I bite."
Aoi sighed. "Can we be civil? One roof."
Akira leaned against the counter and said, "Alright, since we're all living together, let's agree on a few rules: keep the place clean, avoid drama, and respect each other's space."
Rina smirked. "You giving orders, Creep King? Cute."
"Call me Akira," he said firmly.
System pinged.
[MIA AFFINITY: 78]
[RINA AFFINITY: 10 (HOSTILE)]
[AOI AFFINITY: 20 (CURIOUS)]
[AYAKA AFFINITY: 30 (INTRIGUED)]
Mrs. Mei popped her head in, "All settled? Great. Akira, you are in charge; the pantry keys are on the hook. If there's an emergency, just call me. And girls, remember to behave!" Then she walked out.
Silence fell.
Mia broke it. "So, roommates. Who's hungry? I raid fridges like a pro."
Aoi raised a hand. "I brought cup ramen."
Rina scoffed. "Lame. Let's order pizza… my treat."
Ayaka smiled. "Pizza sounds... sinful."
Akira's stomach growled. "Pizza works."
Mia picked up the phone and placed the order.
While waiting, Aoi set books on the table. "Study group? Anyone?"
Mia snorted. "Hard pass. Gym tomorrow, Akira?"
"Yeah," he said. "Early."
Rina perked. "You gym? With Mia? Explains the almost-catch earlier."
Akira froze. "What?"
"Saw you two on the floor," Rina teased. "Kenji interrupted your 'cramp massage'?"
Mia smirked. "Jealous, cheer-slut?"
"Hardly. Kenji's enough dick for me."
Ayaka sat back on the couch and a playful grin spreading across her face as she listened. Aoi felt her cheeks heat up and quickly said, "Come on, please stop."
Just then, the pizza arrived, and the delicious smell filled the room. They dug in, sharing slices and chatting, the earlier tension melting away with each bite.
Mia nudged Akira. "Suite's got a hot tub on the balcony. Midnight dip later?"
Rina overheard. "Count me in. Need to unwind."
Aoi shook her head. "Homework."
Ayaka's eyes glowed faintly. "Water... relaxes barriers."
Ai purred. "Hot tub H-scene potential. Choose wisely… or choose all."
Akira swallowed. "Maybe."
As night fell deeper, the girls settled down for the evening. Akira, alone in his bedroom, gazed up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Outside his window, the city lights twinkled like stars, but his mind was elsewhere, drifting through memories and dreams.
"Five waifus under one roof," he whispered.
"Destiny's gift," Ai said. "Quest complete soon. Shelter secured."
[QUEST COMPLETE: +5 CHARM]
[CHARM: 9/100]
[RESIDENCE H-SCENE UNLOCKED]
"Tomorrow," Akira said. "We start building the empire."
Ai laughed softly. "Sleep, darling. Dreams will be... educational."