Harem Stealing System

Eiden had a few guesses on what, who, and why Lyra had suddenly asked him to hang out. The most likely reason he could think of was Crysty that little devil messing around with Lyra's phone again. Maybe she forced Lyra to write the message. Or worse, maybe she replied for her. Hmph, did Lyra even know? Or was it just another one of Crysty's solo operations?

"Anyways, I'll find out tomorrow," Eiden muttered, rubbing his head. "But first… outfit planning." He stared at his wardrobe like it was a boss battle. "I can't treat the hangout tomorrow like I do with Sasha," he said to himself. "With Sasha, I don't need to mind my clothes, but this… this is the first time I'm hanging out with a girl that isn't Sasha. I can't appear as a sloppy mess. Especially not when I don't even know what her preferences are!"

He stood up, paced twice, then paused again in front of his wardrobe. "Alright, safest choice of clothes… nothing too strong, nothing too weak." Eiden pulled out his phone and searched the internet for advice. "Safest fashion choice for a casual date," he whispered as he typed, then suddenly paused. "Wait… date?"

He repeated the word again. "Yeah… date. It's basically a date, right?" A weird chill ran down his back. But also… a tingle of anticipation.

Still, the search results didn't help much. Then he remembered something. "Oh, right." He opened his drawer and pulled out a black shirt, a pair of plain white pants, and a thin black jacket. The combo Sasha had gifted him on his last birthday. They were a bit expensive, definitely more fashionable than anything else he owned, and Sasha clearly knew more about fashion than he ever would. If a girl picked it out, surely it would work on another girl… right?

He nodded in satisfaction at his choice, folded it carefully for tomorrow, changed into sleepwear, and got into bed. Thoughts of what might happen tomorrow buzzed in his head like gnats. But eventually, his eyes closed, and sleep took him.

A few minutes earlier, in another room, Lyra sat alone. Crysty had gone home, leaving her to her own storm of thoughts. She stood in front of her own wardrobe, arms crossed.

What should I even wear tomorrow? "It's just a casual hangout," she told herself. "Not a date. Definitely not a date." She repeated that several times… until even she stopped believing it. She stared at her wardrobe, her options much more plentiful than Eiden's. She tried to pick one, then stopped. Tried again. Stopped. Why am I worrying so much?

"It's Crysty's fault I'm in this mess anyway," she whispered bitterly. She clenched her fists, exhaled a long sigh, and tried to relax. Eventually, her eyes landed on a soft white one-piece dress, simple but elegant. She smiled and whispered, "Got it."

The next morning, Eiden woke at 8 a.m., washed up, dressed, and quickly scarfed down breakfast. While doing so, he checked the quest system again.

[Target: Lyra Ding – Progress: 64%]

No changes. He nodded. "Figures," he muttered and left the house. At 10:01 a.m., Eiden arrived at Caribbean Park, a small but popular public park where they had agreed to meet. "I'm early," he said, checking his watch.

He strolled casually through the paved path, the early sun painting soft shadows along the stone benches and neatly trimmed hedges. Then he stopped. His eyes widened. She's here already?

There she was Lyra wearing that white one-piece dress with a sunhat, exuding an innocent purity with a hint of youthful charm. She looked like a breeze that belonged in spring. "She's early too," Eiden murmured under his breath. He approached, and the two exchanged soft greetings quiet, almost, Eiden then said " You look great " to which Lyra replied " You too" .

They started walking toward the nearby bus station. Silence hovered awkwardly between them, tension and uncertainty thick in the air.

Eiden decided to take the initiative. Be a man, break the ice. "Wanna go to the newly opened aquarium?" he asked.

Lyra's eyes brightened. "Yes! I love those shows!" Bingo on my first try, Eiden thought, fighting the urge to smirk. He began talking about random fish facts he vaguely remembered from TV shows and anime. To his relief, Lyra listened attentively, asked questions, and occasionally added her own tidbits. Gradually, the awkward tension melted.

It turned out she really liked animal shows. She also watched anime more than Eiden expected. And she read novels, some of which he had also read. But Eiden restrained himself from geeking out too hard. He didn't want to seem too nerdy. Instead, he focused on asking Lyra more about herself.

Like many girls, she talked in long streams when she got going about school, hobbies, siblings, how annoying Crysty could be, her weird food preferences, and more. Eiden absorbed what he could, but he forgot some things mid-conversation. Still, he smiled and nodded, pretending he remembered.

A bus soon arrived. They boarded and, after a short ride, got off at their destination. The new aquarium stood like a gleaming glass dome, drawing in tourists and locals alike. As they walked side by side, Eiden noticed Lyra's pace quickened the closer they got. Wow. How much does she like animal shows?

At the ticket counter, Eiden confidently stepped forward and bought two tickets.

Inside, Lyra became a blur of excitement. She dashed from one massive glass tank to another, squealing softly, her eyes lighting up with every new discovery. She named nearly every fish they passed, spouting trivia like a walking encyclopedia.

Eiden tried to keep up, but it was hard to remember half the names. At one point, Lyra grabbed his sleeve and pointed eagerly. "Look, look!" It was an octopus, lazily moving through the water.

Suddenly, Lyra realized what she had done. She released his sleeve, cheeks flushed.

"I-I'm sorry. I got too excited. This is probably boring for you…" But Eiden cut her off. "A Humuhumunukunukuapua'a! They have these too?" He grinned. "Aren't they also called reef triggerfish? They've got weird lips, hahaha." He turned to her, eyes bright. "I think they're found in Hawaii, right?"

Lyra blinked in surprise, then slowly smiled. "Yes. In Hawaii, but also in the Indo-Pacific."

"Hehh, that's pretty far," Eiden replied, scratching the back of his head. Phew. Saved.

Lyra's blush faded, and she laughed. Crisis averted.

A few seconds back,when Lyra had realised that Eiden wasn't really paying much attention and had no interest at her rambling about the fish she was ashamed and became hesitant ,which Eiden had clearly noticed And began frantically glancing around for something to comment on , to keep the mood going, Just then Aha! That fish! I know that one from an anime! He used the info from anime to appear interested and avert the awkward silence that was about to brew once more .He then had a sigh of relief .

After that he guided Lyra toward the dolphin show. But just as they neared the stage, Eiden stopped dead in his tracks. His stomach dropped.

"!!! Shit. Deuel?? What the f*ck is he.Eiden's eyes darted around. Then he saw three more familiar faces Harry and John and this time Petter too

What the hell?! Why are those guys here?!