Netori: I Shall Steal All Of My Enemies' Women For Revenge!

\'Having too much fun soaking in the hot spring. Made a lot of new friends! It makes me forget about my phone, I\'m really sorry Mari!\'

She stared at the message, her lips pressing into a thin line. It had been an hour since his last reply, and while she wanted to believe his words, her mind buzzed with doubts.

Anxiously, she bit her thumbnail, oblivious to the masseur\'s movements on her feet.

Her friends had already advised her to calm down, reminding her she was overreacting, but their words barely registered. Her stomach churned with unease.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

\'Is it because I\'ve watched too many dramas about cheating?\' she thought, recalling countless over-the-top betrayals and love triangles.

She shook her head, trying to focus on something else.

Her friend\'s voice echoed in her mind: "The root of jealousy is insecurity."

But Mari couldn\'t identify any such feeling in herself. She was beautiful, smart, and kind—a complete package.

She wasn\'t lacking in any department, especially when compared to other women her age.

\'No,\' she reasoned, \'It\'s because Haruto is too perfect. If I could just find one little flaw—something embarrassing that would make other women cringe—I wouldn\'t feel this way.\'

She sighed deeply as the masseur\'s hands moved to her toes, tickling her slightly. She flinched and leaned forward.

"Um… could you skip that part, please?" she asked politely, offering an apologetic smile.

The masseur nodded silently, adjusting their focus.

"You seem anxious, young lady. Must be a man\'s problem."

Mari startled slightly, turning toward the voice. Beside her sat a man with striking red hair, lounging casually in a neighboring massage chair.

His posture was relaxed, but the numerous piercings on his ears and nose gave him an air of rebellion.

She blinked, unsure how to respond, so she laughed awkwardly.

"I\'m a man, so if you\'re dealing with a problem like that, you can talk to me. I\'ll give you some advice," the man said smoothly, flashing an easy grin.

Mari hesitated, weighing her options. Her parents\' warning against talking to strangers from her childhood briefly flickered through her mind, but she dismissed it.

She was an adult now, after all. It was just a conversation, right?

"Well… it\'s just that my boyfriend hasn\'t replied to my messages or calls for an hour," she admitted, fiddling with her fingers. "I started wondering if he\'s cheating on me."

The red-haired man nodded, his expression understanding. "I get it. That\'s normal for someone your age."

"Really? So, I\'m not overreacting?" Mari leaned forward, her voice tinged with relief.

"It\'s just… we were together earlier, and… well, after we had sex, I woke up and he wasn\'t there. Isn\'t that cold?"

The man\'s brows shot up, but he quickly smoothed his expression. "Cold? That\'s downright freezing! What a bastard move."

Mari bit her lip, looking away briefly. "He\'s not that bad…" she muttered.

"Ah, I\'m Miyamura, by the way," the man introduced himself, his grin widening.

The man\'s identity was Enji. He wanted to make sure to stir a little bit drama for Mari and Haruto as a payment for his friend being an asshole.

"I\'m Hayasawa," Mari replied politely, bowing slightly. "And… yeah, he\'s not terrible, but… ugh, I don\'t even know how to explain it."

"Not sensitive? Irresponsible? An asshole?" Enji supplied helpfully, ticking off each word on his fingers.

Mari cleared her throat, laughing nervously. "Maybe… something like that."

She hesitated before continuing, her voice dropping in embarrassment. "But what I\'m doing isn\'t wrong, right? I mean, I sent him about 50 messages and called him… maybe 20 times."

Enji widened his eyes in shock. \'Goddamn, this girl is a handful!\' he thought.

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Still, he kept his composure, leaning slightly closer. "Girl, you\'re not wrong—you\'re just too soft! You need to step up your game."

Mari blinked, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

He gestured dramatically, his tone earnest. "Men will always be jerks if you let them get away with it. You need to be more assertive."

"Get angry, curse him out, or hit him with the silent treatment! Make him realize how wrong he was. You\'ve got to show him your worth!"

Mari nodded eagerly, absorbing his words. "You\'re right… I shouldn\'t let him off so easily."

As she mulled over his advice, Enji leaned back in his chair, hiding a sly grin. Inside, he was laughing maniacally.

\'Hah! Eat that, Haruto! Let\'s see how you handle an angry girlfriend after this!\'

***

Haruto shivered slightly, rubbing his arms as a sudden chill ran through him. He sneezed, his brows furrowing.

"Huh? Feels like someone\'s talking about me," he muttered, glancing around.

Across from him, Asuka chuckled, her voice light and teasing. "Maybe it\'s one of your other women, you know?"

Haruto rolled his eyes. "I told you, I\'m here with Enji. There\'s no other woman."

Asuka shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I don\'t really care about all that. Sharing doesn\'t bother me."

Haruto blinked, his grin faltering for a moment. He was used to Asuka\'s unconventional attitude, but her casual acceptance of such a notion still puzzled him.

The very idea of one of his women entertaining another man was enough to stir an uneasy knot in his chest.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he asked, "Is it because… you have another man?"

Asuka\'s eyes widened briefly before she threw her head back and laughed—a deep, genuine laugh that made the water ripple faintly around her.

She reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder as she leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Are you jealous, Haruto?"

Her grin widened as she added, "Of course, I don\'t have another man. I just like you too much."

Her words struck him. The sincerity in her tone was undeniable, yet something about it felt unbelievable.

His gaze drifted to the bracelet around her wrist—a simple yet elegant piece he had given her.

That alone brought a quiet warmth to his chest.

\'That bracelet\'s power is gone, but she still keeps it. Guess she really does like me,\' he mused, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Asuka teased, nudging his arm.

"Are you so overwhelmed by my declaration of love that you\'re about to cry?" She clasped her hands together dramatically.

Haruto let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Well, I do love that you like me," he replied honestly, his voice steady and sincere.

His words seemed to catch her off guard. Her teasing demeanor softened as her eyes widened, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

She smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hm… if that\'s your idea of flirting, it\'s not going to work on me."

"Really?" Haruto quirked a brow, his grin returning.

"Then why do I see tears in your eyes?"

She gasped, lightly swatting his arm. "Oh my! I guess I really am moved by your words."

Their laughter mingled with the gentle rustling of ginkgo leaves drifting from the nearby trees.

The golden evening light cast a soft glow over the scene, the soothing warmth of the jacuzzi wrapping around them like a comforting embrace.

At that moment, the world felt far away, and all that mattered was the shared laughter and the unspoken connection between them.