My Scumbag System Chapter 449: Rope Enough

From upstairs, yet another crash reverberated.

All eyes turned toward the ceiling.

"What’s up there?" Luka asked.

"My room." I stood up. "Probably just...stuff falling over. Old building. Happens all the time."

"Want me to check it out?"

"No!" Too fast. Too loud. "I mean, it’s fine. I’ll handle it after lunch."

Kimiko took a sip of her tea, her face showing no emotion.

"You know," she remarked casually, "when you were little, you used to hide things from me all the time. Under your bed. In your closet. Behind the dresser."

"Okay?"

"You were terrible at it." She placed her cup down. "I always knew. I just waited until you were ready to tell me the truth."

The message came through loud and clear.

I’m giving you rope. Don’t hang yourself with it.

"Noted," I replied.

Yet another crash echoed from upstairs.

Emi stared at me with eyes wide open.

I observed Kimiko’s gaze following every move between Natalia and me. How my stepsister’s fingers intertwined with mine. The slight tilt of her body in my direction. The shielding arch of her shoulder.

My mother built a psychological profile right then, piecing together fragments I urgently wanted apart.

"Should we—" Emi began.

"Nope." I dropped back into my seat, hoping it appeared casually assured. "Everything’s under control."

Natalia squeezed my hand fiercely, her nails biting into my skin. A warning. A threat. A vow.

She leaned in near, her warm breath tickling my ear as she murmured, "If your cat destroys my room, I’m killing you both. Slowly."

"She’s in my room," I murmured in response.

"Even worse." Natalia’s tone turned to a sharp hiss. "That means she’s probably rummaging through your stuff. Discovering things. System things."

The jealous sharpness in her words might have been funny if I weren’t battling conflicts on several fronts.

Kimiko observed us with that aggravating motherly grin—the sort that twisted my gut. The type that indicated she recorded each exchange, each look, each contact, each hushed phrase. Erecting her accusation against me, stone by stone. Collecting proof with a lawyer’s patience who was certain of the accused’s guilt.

She merely bided her time for the ideal instant to trigger the snare.

Luka, as usual blind to the mental battle unfolding mere feet from him, continued chattering eagerly about Gate tactics and best team setups. Talk of how B-Rank groups required superior crowd management and the VHC’s uniform gear proved wasteful.

I offered fitting nods of approval while inwardly howling.

My phone vibrated on the table.

I turned it slightly to glimpse the display.

A text from Carmen:

One right after from Jacob:

I flipped the phone screen-down and fought the impulse to bury my face in my palms.

This was fine.

Everything was fine.

Five soul-bonded women, every one an explosive mix of envy and ownership. One wild, lustful catgirl familiar right now wrecking my bedroom. Two worried parents—one capable of spotting lies like a damn lie detector. An entire building packed with observers ready to relay info to the VHC anytime.

What could possibly go wrong?

Kimiko placed her teacup down and smiled at me once more.

"Satori, sweetheart. Why don’t you show me your room? I’d love to see how you’ve been living."

Natalia’s hand froze like ice in my grasp.

"Actually," Celeste cut in seamlessly, "I was hoping to show you our training facilities first. We’ve made some interesting modifications that might interest you."

"Oh?" Kimiko’s focus turned. "What kind of modifications?"

"Tactical ones." Celeste rose, motioning to the rear door. "Professor Miller gave us permission to restructure the combat arena. It’s quite impressive."

She provided cover.

Gaining me precious time.

I met her gaze, mouthed thanks, and she offered the slightest nod.

"I’d love to see that." Kimiko stood, with Luka trailing. "Lead the way."

The group headed to the house’s back.

The moment they vanished, I raced up the stairs.

My door stood shut.

I eased it open.

Maki perched on my bed in human shape, nude save for my shirt, amid the ruins of my lamp, various books, and what seemed Bartholomew’s full terrarium gear.

Bartholomew himself crawled across the carpet below, acting as if nothing occurred.

"I can explain," Maki chirped cheerfully.

"Please don’t."

"I was practicing lightning and it got away from me and then the lamp exploded and I tried to catch everything but I have two hands and there were like eight things falling and—"

"Stop talking."

She halted.

I surveyed the chaos.

The shattered glass.

I stared at my familiar, her enormous hazel eyes locked on me while her two tails flicked with anxiety.

"Transform. Cat form. Now."

She pouted. "But—"

"Now."

Darkness twisted around her, and instantly a black cat perched where Maki had stood.

A highly smug black cat with two tails.

"Stay." I jabbed a finger at the bed. "Don’t move. Don’t break anything. Don’t exist loudly."

The cat let out a meow.

It rang with sarcasm.

I seized the trash can and began tidying up.

After ten minutes, the room appeared nearly respectable.

I’d stashed the shattered lamp inside my closet. Shifted furniture to mask the burn scar on the floor. Placed Bartholomew back into his fixed terrarium.

From the bed, the cat observed, her tails jerking with pent-up vigor.

"Good?" I asked her.

She meowed once more.

Utterly sarcastic.

Footsteps echoed along the hall.

Kimiko’s voice: "...and this is Satori’s room."

I yanked the door open before she could knock.

"Hey. Tour done already?"

"Celeste gave us the short version." Kimiko glanced beyond me. "May I?"

"Sure."

She stepped in, Luka blocking the doorway behind her.

My mother’s gaze scanned the room with expert precision.

The bed, messy but harmless. The desk, neat. The terrarium, whole.

The black cat poised on my pillow, eyeing her with sharp golden eyes.

"You got a cat." Kimiko approached. "When did this happen?"

"Recently. Her name’s Maki."

"She’s beautiful." Kimiko extended a hand, and Maki accepted it, purring strongly. "Two tails. That’s unusual."

"She’s special."

"Clearly." Kimiko rubbed behind Maki’s ears, and the purring grew louder. "Does Braxton allow pets?"

"He said as long as she doesn’t set anything on fire, we’re good."

"Sensible policy."

Luka laughed. "Remember when you told me Satori wanted that hamster? What was his name?"

"Mr. Whiskers," I said flatly. "And he died in three days."

"Poor Mr. Whiskers." Kimiko’s focus shifted to me. "Well. Your room is cleaner than I expected. No suspicious substances. No contraband. No hidden girlfriends."

That last bit struck differently.

"Nope. Just me and the cat."

"And Natalia, sometimes," Kimiko added lightly.

Natalia, who’d shown up in the doorway, stiffened.

"We study together," she said quickly. "Academic collaboration."

"Of course." Kimiko’s smile held steady. "That’s exactly what I thought."

The room’s tension could’ve been sliced with a knife.

Luka, totally unaware, clapped his hands.

"Alright! Who’s hungry? I’m starving! Let’s see what you kids have in the kitchen!"

He departed, heavy footsteps fading down the hall.

Kimiko hung back.

She glanced at me, then Natalia, then me again.

"You’re being careful, right?"

The question came from left field.

"Always."

"Good." She brushed my cheek softly. "Because I’m too young to become a grandmother."

"Understood."

She left.

Natalia slumped against the doorframe.

"That was terrifying."

"She didn’t even do anything."

"Exactly." Natalia shoved off the frame. "She didn’t have to. She just...knew. And let us know she knew. Without saying anything direct."

Maki shifted back to human form, seated cross-legged on my bed.

Still clad only in my shirt.

Still utterly shameless.

"I like your mom," she declared. "She smells like cookies and danger."

"Transform back. Now."

"But—"

"Maki."

She pouted but obeyed, darkness swirling anew.

The cat curled up on my pillow, tails wrapped around her.

Natalia gawked at the cat, then at me.

"That’s your familiar."

"Yep."

"She’s a person."

"Also yep."

"And she was naked."

"That’s kind of her default state."

Natalia’s eye twitched. "We’re having a conversation about this later."

"Can’t wait."

She departed, muttering what sounded like Russian.

Downstairs, laughter erupted.

Luka’s booming enthusiasm.

Emi’s nervous chatter.

Akari’s smooth interjections.

I dropped onto my bed next to the cat.

"You almost ruined everything."

Maki meowed, utterly unrepentant.

"You’re going to be a problem."

Purring.

"A massive, catastrophic problem that I’m going to regret pulling from the gacha."

More purring, louder now.

I scratched behind her ears anyway.

Her tails curled in delight.

"Stay up here. Don’t break anything. Don’t transform. Don’t exist."

She nudged her head into my hand.

Translation:

I headed downstairs to confront whatever new chaos lay in wait.

Somehow, Kimiko managed to coax everyone in the kitchen into sitting down for a proper meal. The dining table brimmed with people. Luka dominated one end, waving his arms excitedly as he recounted a recent Gate run. Emi sat next to him, captivated by every word. Akari and Skylar claimed opposite corners, glaring at each other like prowling panthers. Celeste held impeccable posture while sipping her tea. In the seat beside mine, Natalia pressed her leg against my thigh beneath the table.

At the opposite end, directly across from me, sat Kimiko.

Her eyes met mine.

She smiled.

"So," she said pleasantly, "tell me about your teammates. I want to know everyone who’s been keeping my son alive."

Silence descended over the table.

Five pairs of eyes turned toward me.

Waiting.

I took a long swig of water.

This afternoon was shaping up to be endlessly long.