Chapter 44: Elite Physique Upgrade…

Akira watched Mia swiftly gather her clothes and the tattered remnants of her underwear. The intensity of their public encounter had completely purged the aggressive jealousy from her.

She was still flushed, and her movements were stiff from their just-concluded activity. Her eyes were tracking him constantly, but now they held a soft, hungry devotion instead of rage.

“Let’s… let’s change, Akira-kun,” her voice still sounded rough from screaming. “We can still get a quick workout in.”

Akira nodded.

She disappeared into the girls’ changing room, and Akira let out a long breath. He felt a strong pressure inside him, like a buzzing energy that came from the climax and the transfer of Essence.

“Excellent work, darling. The display was necessary. Mia’s dominance profile is complete, and Yuki has received the necessary shock to initiate the Obsession stage,” Ai commented. “You have successfully leveraged their emotional damage to solidify your position. Now, let’s see if you can manage a proper workout after that performance.”

Akira smirked, walking toward the boys’ locker room. “We’ll see. A little adrenaline rush is a good pre-workout.”

He changed quickly, pulling on a clean, grey athletic shirt and shorts. As he passed the mirrored wall of the locker room, he paused in surprise.

He hadn’t been paying close attention to his physique lately, considering how ’busy’ he’s been now.

The reflection staring back was very different from the somewhat soft, “pudgy” image he carried in his memory.

The slight padding around his waist was gone, replaced by a subtle definition. His shoulders and chest were slightly broader, and his arms showed newly corded muscle lines. His clothes, which had been a comfortable fit just weeks ago, now hung slightly loose, particularly around the midsection.

He ran his hand over his cheek. His jawline looked sharper, giving his face a stronger and well-defined appearance.

“Like what you see, darling?” Ai asked with a teasing tone. “That’s a result of the Basic Physique Upgrade you bought back then. It took a while, but it was necessary to maintain realism in the eyes of others.”

“Oh, I see,” Akira thought back.

“Plus, the essence you’ve been absorbing, your body is optimising itself to handle the power. The Prime Physique Upgrade is now available.”

Ai informed him.

He remembered Mia’s cruel dismissal during their early interactions, something about how she can’t look at his ugly face during sex.

That thought, coupled with the new physique, sparked a decision. He wasn’t just going to look better; he was going to look unstoppable.

“Buy and activate Elite Physique Upgrade.”

[REQUEST RECEIVED]

[PURCHASING ELITE PHYSIQUE UPGRADE – COST: 75PP]

[2085 PP – 75 PP → 2015 PP]

[ACTIVATING…]

—

Akira and Mia managed a full, intense workout session in silence, the charged energy between them serving as its own motivation.

Mia pushed herself harder than ever, driven by the desire to prove herself worthy of his attention.

Afterwards, Akira told Mia to go home and that he would join her there.

“Can I come with you?” Mia asked, batting her eyes and trying to put on her best puppy-eyes expression. “Please? I promise I’ll be good.”

“No, Mia. I have some things to take care of.”

Her expression darkened slightly. “Things? Or someone?”

“Just errands,” Akira said firmly. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

Mia’s jaw tightened. She stepped closer, and her voice dropped to something dangerous. “You better not be going to meet her. Or anyone else. Because if I find out you did…”

“Mia…”

“They’ll be my next target,” she said flatly. Her eyes held no humour, just cold promise. “I’ve been itching to do something about the competition anyway.”

Akira frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

Mia blinked, then forced a laugh. “I’m joking! God, relax. I’m just messing with you.”

But her body language said otherwise. Her hands were clenched, and there was a tension in her shoulders that showed she was trying hard to hold herself together.

“I’m serious, Mia. Don’t do anything I will frown at.”

“I won’t,” she said sweetly. Too sweetly. “As long as you come home to me and only me. That’s all I’m asking.”

She grabbed her gym bag and headed toward the exit, pausing at the door to look back at him. “See you at home, Akira-kun. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

The door closed behind her, and Akira let out a long breath.

“Well, that’s concerning,” Ai said cheerfully. “Your little yandere is developing some… aggressive tendencies.”

“You think?” Akira muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I need to keep an eye on that.”

“Or you could use it,” Ai suggested. “A weapon pointed at your enemies can be quite useful, darling.”

Akira didn’t respond. He just grabbed his things and left.

His first stop was a small, upscale boutique close to the station. He picked up some new athletic wear, tailored jeans, and a few sleek, simple shirts. Now, everything fits perfectly and shows off his sudden transformation.

His second stop was a barbershop. He sat down and had the shaggy, slightly overgrown hair cut and styled into a sharp, modern, yet practical look that framed his newly defined features.

The physical change was complete.

As he stepped out of the shop, he felt a wave of confidence that went beyond the system’s Charisma stat… this was real, hard-earned self-esteem.

He decided to check in with his family, needing a brief return to normalcy. He pulled out his phone and called his parents.

“Hey Mom, Dad,” he said when the line connected, trying to sound normal and relaxed.

His mother’s warm and slightly frantic voice came through the speaker. “Akira! You finally called! Are you eating well? School is going fine? Your dad was worried after your sister said you weren’t answering her calls.”

Akira rolled his eyes inwardly. His sister, Aki, was always a nuisance. “Everything’s fine, Mom. School’s great. I’m actually feeling much better lately, really energised.”

“You sound… confident,” his father, a stoic salaryman, noted. “That’s good. Focus on your studies. And your body?”

“Yeah, Dad. I’ve started working out. I think I’ve put on some muscle.”

“Oh, good. You were getting a bit soft,” his father remarked bluntly, a faint echo of Mia’s earlier assessment.

“Hope you are eating well? Make sure you don’t overdo it, sweetie. You need your rest.”

Akira grinned, a genuine, easy smile that felt new. Soft.

He thought back to Mia’s words. “I’m doing great, Mom. In fact, I think I’m doing the best I have in a long time. Everything’s under control.”

Akira smiled, a genuine and easy smile that felt refreshing. “I’ll be fine, Mom. Honestly, I think I’m feeling better than I have in a long time. Everything is under control.”

—

Akira was heading back to the apartment, his new gym bag slung over his shoulder and shopping bags in hand. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, and the air was cooling.

As he approached the building, he noticed Mei’s door was slightly ajar. Before he could wonder about it, the door opened wider.

“Akira-kun?” Mei called out. She stood in the doorway, looking nervous. “Can you… can you come in? Just for a minute. I really need to talk to you. It’s important.”

Akira paused, studying her.

She was dressed in an oversized cardigan and dark jeans… modest, conservative clothing. But her expression was anything but calm. Her hands were clasped tightly.

For a brief moment, the memory flashed through his mind: her on her knees, his cock in her mouth, the heat of the moment before Mia had interrupted them. The way she’d looked at him with desperate hunger.

He shook the thought away… for now.

“Sure, Mei-san,” he said, walking toward her door.

She stepped back quickly, allowing him inside the small, impeccably clean apartment.

She closed the door behind him and turned to face him, forcing herself to look him in the eyes, though her gaze kept flickering toward his chest.

“I… I need to talk to you about something,” she started. “I… I wanted to ask if you’ve… you know… told anyone about the other day?”

Akira set his bags down slowly. “Mei-san…,” he said. “I promised you I wouldn’t and we agreed, right?”

“Yeah, yes, I know, but…”

“There’s nothing to…”

“Please, let me finish,” she interrupted. She took a shaky breath, then the words tumbled out fast and desperate. “I took your joggers.”

“Uhn?”

“I was doing laundry and I… I took them. I used them for…” Her face flushed deep red. “I don’t know why I did it. I’ve never done anything like that before. And ever since that day when we almost… when I…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Akira-kun. It’s consuming me. Every night, every day. I dream about you. I think about that moment constantly. And I’m scared of what I might do next. This isn’t rational. I’m your friend’s mother figure. I’m supposed to be taking care of you, not… not feeling these things.”

Her hands were shaking now. “I need help. I need you to help me suppress these feelings. Please. Before I do something I can’t take back.”

The room was silent, except for her ragged breathing.

Ai’s voice purred in his mind: “A perfectly ripe harvest, darling. She’s broken by guilt and desperate for guidance. What will you give her? Freedom, or a brand new obsession?”

[CHOICE AVAILABLE]

[A: Help her suppress the feelings. Reward: +10 Charisma, Mei Affinity Stabilised

[B: Exploit the guilt and turn the obsession toward him. Cost: 120 PP. Reward: +500 PP, MEI ROUTE LOCKED IN (Submission)]

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