Harem Stealing System

Eiden woke up and went straight for the mirror to admire his looks again. His Charm had finally reached 7 above average and for the first time in a long while, he could see the difference. He looked at himself, giggling almost like a little girl who got her favorite toy.

During this process, System-chan's voice echoed sweetly in his ears.

"Someone is in a good mood."

Eiden, a little embarrassed and suddenly coming to his senses, awkwardly brushed his teeth, washed his face, and took a shower. Afterward, he got dressed for college.

He was walking the same route to Fors High. Nothing had changed no new buildings, no new sceneries. It was the same old route. But something was different. Just like yesterday, he was no longer a Charm 6. He was now a 7.

With Charm 7, Eiden was far more confident than he used to be. He had combed his hair neatly and taken extra care of his face, even borrowing Sasha's creams. Before, he didn't really care about how he looked. But now that he knew his Charm stat could increase, he had become far more interested in his appearance.

With his head held high and his stride long, Eiden marched toward college with renewed pride. But then swoosh! a car passed by, and his eyes drifted toward it. It was no ordinary car. A black, sleek Range Rover glided past, and inside it, he caught a glimpse of none other than Ruel, looking smug as always.

In that moment, reality hit Eiden like a truck.

"Damn... I'm not rich."

Sure, he was now somewhat good-looking, but so what? Fors Hieght was a prestigious college. Most of the students here were geniuses or second-generation rich kids. Eiden wasn't either of those. He didn't get in through merit or family connections he got in purely by dumb luck. And that luck? Probably used up.

"How can I forget the most important thing? I'm not rich. I don't think girls will like me just because of my looks, not when there are wealthy, stylish, second-gen elites studying here too. Even if I manage to break someone up from a harem… what then? How do I make her choose me?"

He clenched his fists.

"I don't have anything girls would want. They could just pick someone better. If I don't get girls, I won't get points. If I don't get points, I won't level up. And if I don't level up, I'll never get the girls. I'm screwed… I'm in a constant lose-loop."

As Eiden spiraled into anxious thoughts, a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind. "Ahhh!!" he yelped, jolting in place.

"Woah, you don't have to overreact like that," said a playful voice. It was Sasha, her smile slightly mischievous. She sized him up with a raised brow. "Hmmm, today you seem weirdly well-dressed and composed. Did you get a girlfriend or something?"

Eiden coughed and turned his eyes away. "What do you mean? I'm always well-dressed and handsome."

"I don't remember adding the handsome part," Sasha said, smirking. "It's the same. Who cares," Eiden muttered. "You wish," she replied teasingly.

As they bantered back and forth, Eiden's anxiety from just moments ago slowly started to fade. Sasha had that effect whether she meant to or not. As they walked together on their way to college, another thought entered Eiden's head.

"Wait a minute… I'm close to Sasha on a sibling level. She studies at the same college as me, and her parents are wealthy her mom's an actress and her dad's a businessman. Don't I have a shot with some of her friends using her as a bridge? I mean… it feels kinda wrong… but what other options do I have?" He hesitated for a second.

"Hmm… but would she even agree though? I don't know. Doesn't hurt to try."

He glanced at her, then asked, a little nervous, "Say… can you introduce me to some of your friends?"

Sasha stopped walking. Her eyes narrowed slightly, clearly confused. "Eiden… are you sick?" Eiden frowned. "Huh? What do you mean?" She crossed her arms, her tone now more serious. "Since when did you start thinking so highly of yourself? Didn't that rejection from Linda hit you hard enough? And don't forget, you only got into college by sheer luck. I'm pretty sure you used up all your luck just getting accepted. I doubt you've got any left." Eiden's frown deepened with each of her remarks. "Okay, okay, stop! I get it, geez," he burst out. Sasha raised a brow. "Are you… horny or something? You weren't interested in girls before. But now, all of a sudden, you confess to Linda, get rejected, and then try to hook up with my friends? You really that desperate?" Eiden's ears turned red as he snapped, "Forget it," and walked faster, leaving Sasha behind with a flushed face full of embarrassment. "Ugh, I need to fix my life. This is ridiculous." His mind was racing again.

"I can increase Intelligence bit by bit. That's possible. But the real problem is money. Shit. I need to find a way to earn some. Part-time jobs won't cut it, and the system's in its early phase right now. I'm basically just a slightly good-looking broke guy." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Maybe I just need to get through the Lyra quest first. She seems… different. Like someone who's lacking attention or emotional connection. She doesn't seem to care about wealth that much either. That could work.". He took a deep breath.

"I'll focus on her. Hopefully, my Charm 7 won't go to waste. After the quest finishes, I'll need to carefully allocate the point I get. Probably into a stat that can help me make money or get me more girls. Yeah… that's the only way forward right now." With that in mind, he steadied his nerves and continued walking toward college.

[STATUS SCREEN]

Name: Eiden

Gender: Male

Level: 1

EXP: 10

Height: 5.8 ft

Strength: 15

Speed: 17

Intelligence: 25

Charm: 7

Status Points: 0

Skills: None

Harem Count: 0

"The system's in its baby steps, and so am I."

"Let's just hope Lyra is step one... not a dead end."