A contract...
This wasn't exactly what Seiun Sky had in mind when she imagined their "next step."
But she would take it.
Sky had wanted to be Logan's Horse Girl for a long time. Just being near him was addictive; a day without seeing him felt like withdrawal. She had even rejected other Trainers, waiting for the day he would finally ask.
And today was that day.
Suppressing her excitement, Sky put on her usual mask. "Ara~ Did Trainer finally realize my charm and decide to claim Sei-chan for himself?"
She looked him in the eye, but her gaze faltered almost immediately.
Too close!
What kind of Trainer proposes a contract while physically pinned against the candidate on a tiny sofa? Anyone walking in would assume they were... busy.
Actually, maybe we should finish being busy first?
Her body was already heating up.
Resisting the urge to devour him right there, Sky tried to lean back, creating some space. But the sofa was narrow, and Logan was solid.
She could hear the heavy thump-thump of his heart and feel the searing heat radiating from his chest. Her blood began to boil. Her ears flattened against her head, the tips burning red.
She liked teasing him. She liked seeing him flustered. But when he was this aggressive, she was the one losing composure.
I'm supposed to be the active one, Trainer. You taking charge like this puts me in a difficult position.
Please let me tease you. Don't tease me back.
"Who can refuse the Green Cat?" Logan whispered. "I certainly can't. So, Sky... become my Horse Girl."
"Trainer... you really don't understand romance, do you?"
Sky gave up struggling. She surrendered to her desires, wrapping her arms around his broad chest. "Let's sleep first. When I wake up, I'll give you my answer."
When in doubt, slack off. That was the Seiun Sky way.
This response was different from what Logan expected.
In the Glitch World, her high affection would have made her compliant. But here, her personality added a layer of complexity. She accepted his closeness, but she stalled on the official answer.
Reality introduces variables, Logan realized. Even with max stats, they have their own agency.
This Sky was different from the one he knew.
Not long ago, in the Glitch World, he would hunt for the sleeping Green Cat in the bushes. While she slept, he would... experiment.
He would untie her ribbons. Rearrange her limbs. Sometimes, play Jenga on her forehead.
He always hoped she would wake up and yell, "Trainer! What are you doing?!" Even a punch would have been welcome. Anything to prove he wasn't alone in the universe.
But every time, she would just wake up, stare at him with those big blue eyes, and silently pull him into a hug, locking her pale thighs around his waist.
No miracle ever happened.
Until today.
He stroked her hair. Her tail, which had been drooping off the sofa, suddenly twitched and began wagging furiously.
Her texture is still top-tier.
Logan's hand naturally drifted from her hair to her back, pulling her closer.
In terms of "Sleep Companion" tier lists, Sky ranked higher than Teio. In the Glitch World, Sky's programming meant she could sleep anywhere—grass, beds, sofas.
And on top of Logan.
Her body was incredibly soft, and her voice had a soporific quality. Just lying next to her made him drowsy. After exercise, sleeping next to Sky guaranteed a full eight hours of restful oblivion.
The downside? It was addictive.
Without her, he developed insomnia. He literally couldn't sleep unless he was holding the Green Cat.
It got so bad that he had to program Teio with a specific command: "If you see me sleeping next to Sky, drag me away immediately." That was the only way he broke the addiction.
A dark chapter in his history.
Now, pressing against her soft form and stroking her fluffy ears, Logan felt the old urge returning. Sky's eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed, and the scent of dandelions drifted from her skin.
"Mmh~" Sky let out a sound that was pure, unfiltered allure.
Okay. Decided.
Reality or Glitch, it doesn't matter. I'm claiming this Green Cat today.
"Trainer..."
Before Logan could make his move, a voice cold enough to freeze hell echoed through the room.
Logan looked up. Standing in the doorway was Tokai Teio.
Her eyes were dead. The highlights were gone.
"Teio...? When did you get here?"
"Just now. The door was unlocked." Her dull, lifeless gaze shifted from Logan to the blushing girl in his arms.
Logan felt a chill pierce his soul.
Strange. Is that old command still active?
"Trainer, I don't mind if you sleep," Teio said, her voice monotone. "But why is she here?"
She reached out. With terrifying ease, she lifted Logan—a six-foot-tall man—off the sofa like he was a feather pillow. Her soft arms possessed the strength of a hydraulic lift.
"I was just discussing a contract..."
"Contract? Isn't having me enough?" Teio's voice rose, cracking with suppressed rage. "Lord Teio is invincible! I don't need these trash mobs getting in the way! If you focus all your energy on me, I will give you the Undefeated Triple Crown! Why do you need anyone else?"
Logan gulped, staring up at Teio from his position in her arms. Being princess-carried by a teenage girl was a new low for his masculinity.
Real Horse Girls are intense. Is this the price of Max Affection?
In the game, max affection added a heart icon. Teio's heart was currently pulsing a very dark, dangerous red.
While Logan dangled helplessly, Seiun Sky yawned and sat up. She glanced at the furious Teio, then turned her lazy gaze to Logan.
"Decided," she said, stretching like a cat. "Trainer, I'll become your Horse Girl."