When there was a minute and a half left, Thomas stood up and knelt in front of Belle.
"What's wrong, Master? Don't you want to keep receiving my caresses?"
Thomas didn't hesitate. With his heart pounding at a thousand beats per second, his impulses out of control, and the pressure of the seconds ticking away, he threw his hands at her.
"Ah~…," Belle murmured in a tone so delicate and high-pitched that it went against everything about her slender, dignified bearing—the same bearing he had always known her for.
Thomas's hands were on Belle's breasts.
'I-I'm touching her! I'm touching Belle Snow, the number one heroine in the world! And, of course, my greatest platonic love!'
His hands squeezed, feeling the soft texture of her breasts. They moved up and down, pulling at them. When he tried to pinch her nipples, he noticed a smooth texture.
'Damn it, she's wearing a bra. But I shouldn't be doing this! It's so immoral! Well, just this once! Just once and that's it, I promise!'
He slipped his hands inside her dress and unclasped her bra. Belle remained kneeling, her posture submissive, while her cheeks grew warm and her breath came out hot.
After undoing her black lace bra, he tossed it aside and began squeezing her nipples. Now he was feeling her bare, warm breasts.
"Belle, I love you so much…," he whispered.
As he squeezed her nipples, he glanced at the System's counter; only forty seconds remained. Thomas opened her dress to see them better and kept squeezing them. Then, without letting go, he focused on what really mattered:
'If I hadn't been so skeptical when using that gift item, I could've asked for something a hundred times better—something better than my stupid teenage lust… even if I blame myself for this, Belle is the heroine I admire the most, and her beauty captivates me; I can't stop touching her.'
He opened his eyes and met Belle's intense, serene gaze, while her cheeks were flushed and her breath spilled from her mouth.
'I want to kiss her… but…'
He refocused on what mattered. When the gauge reached twenty seconds, Thomas released her breasts and adjusted her dress properly to cover them.
"Miss Belle, is there something or someone so incredibly important to you that, if someone were to save them, you'd feel grateful enough to reward that person with something?"
"Yes, Master, there is. My younger brother; he means everything to me, and he's the reason I always give my best in front of the cameras. I want him to always admire me."
Twelve seconds.
"Where exactly is he? And what is his name?"
"He lives in the house I bought for him, at 792 Veladoria Street, and his name is Adam. No one knows he's my brother, because it's a secret."
'This System is… truly terrifying. Even for the number one heroine in the world…'
"Does your brother look like you, and what school does he attend?"
"No. He has my mother's genes, he's blond, and he attends the private high school Heroes of Tomorrow."
Five seconds.
Thomas sighed once more and thought again.
'Truly… terrifying.'
His gray eyes looked at the time, just about to run out, when he realized something very important. Belle's bra was lying beside him, completely exposed.
"Damn it!"
He lunged for it and quickly shoved it under his shirt just as the gauge hit zero. A small chime rang out, and the following message appeared in white letters:
[Silent Gift Request Completed.]
[The Affected Will Lose All Memories, but the System Will Remember Everything.]
[Calculating Bond Created…]
"Huh?" Belle murmured softly. "Where…?"
Thomas trembled when he heard the question behind him.
'Damn it, is she going to stay here?! I thought she'd leave automatically like when she arrived!'
"Hey, white-haired kid…"
"Eek!"
"Who are you?" Belle asked, standing up.
Thomas hunched his shoulders, his heart beating in a wild, erratic rhythm. The bra was clumsily hidden beneath his shirt, and he didn't dare face her directly.
'There's no flipping the page or playing dumb now. I need to think of something realistic. Something believable.'
"Um, Miss Belle Snow… are you feeling better?" he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder.
"Better?" she looked down at him as if he were trash—or something even lower. "Huh? What is this feeling?"
Belle looked down at her own body. Nothing could fool her.
'Why do I feel so agitated and… weak? Even my nipples are hard. They're visible through my dress.'
Her reddish eyes narrowed as they fixed on Thomas. The boy trembled, but before fear could completely take hold, he spoke up:
"You're still acting really strange. Are you sure you're okay?"
Belle raised her right leg and pressed Thomas's head against the edge of a piece of furniture. He groaned from the impact as she spoke:
"You bastard. What did you do to me?"
"W-wait, wait! I don't know what's going on, I swear! You're the one who showed up here without any warning! I'm the most confused one here!"
With one eye open, he could see crimson letters displayed across his System in front of him.
[Bond Created: 0%]
Synchronization: -1
Reputation: -2
Anomaly Load: +2
[Risk of Silent Request Completion: CRITICAL.]
'Damn it, now all the warnings show up. That should've happened before!'
Belle pressed her foot down against Thomas's head as she said:
"The last thing I remember is being at a conference, answering questions. And now I suddenly appear here, with my body all worked up. You filthy, perverted scum—did you do something to my body?!"
"N-no, I swear! You're the one who came into my room acting weird! I-I don't even have a decent power!"
"It's true that men rarely possess abilities beyond mediocrity. For that reason alone, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. So explain everything that happened in full detail. And of course… show me your power."