My Scumbag System Chapter 488: Everyone Thinks They’re The Favorite

"Where did you acquire those skills?" I managed to ask after she turned a stubborn knot near my neck into pliable putty.

"Hunter training," she responded, her focus shifting downward. "Basic field first aid and recovery methodologies."

"They instructed you in massage?"

"We were taught how to maintain our teammates’ functionality when medical provisions are scarce." Her thumbs pressed into my lower back, compelling me to suppress another groan. "Muscle fatigue can be as lethal in the field as any injury."

A period of quiet followed, punctuated only by my infrequent, muffled exclamations when she found a particularly tender point. It felt remarkably intimate, perhaps even more so than physical intimacy. There's a certain sincerity in willingly placing oneself in another's care, trusting them with your vulnerability.

Natalia’s hands eventually lessened their intensity, her touch transitioning from therapeutic to almost caressing. Her fingers gently traced the contours of my shoulders, then moved down my spine with a feather-light sensitivity.

"Feeling better?" she inquired, her voice surprisingly close to my ear.

I turned my head, finding her face mere inches from mine. "Much improved."

Her gaze drifted to my lips before returning to my eyes. "Good."

A rap on the door startled both of us.

"Hey, Nakano!" Skylar’s voice projected from the hallway. "Your fifteen minutes are up. Let’s move."

Natalia’s expression soured. "And where are you headed?"

"I owe Skylar some ice cream," I replied, wincing internally at my own words.

"Ice cream." Natalia's tone was devoid of inflection.

"Yes."

She scrutinized me for a prolonged moment before exhaling. "Very well. Proceed. However, our conversation regarding this morning is far from concluded."

I gave a nod, relieved she wasn't pressing the issue further. "Understood."

She dismounted the bed, adjusting her attire. "And ensure you engage in stretching this evening. I have no desire to hear complaints tomorrow when your entire body seizes up once more."

"Yes, ma’am."

She rolled her eyes and proceeded to the door, revealing Skylar propped against the opposite wall, engrossed in her phone.

"He is now yours," Natalia stated coolly, brushing past Skylar.

Skylar observed Natalia's departure, then turned her attention to me, an eyebrow raised inquisitively. "Interpersonal conflict?"

"She is displeased regarding this morning’s events," I explained, rising to retrieve my jacket.

"Ah. The unsanctioned Gate excursion." Skylar pushed herself off the wall. "Prepared for saccharine delights and a thorough interrogation?"

"Eagerly anticipating it."

We departed the dormitory and traversed the campus towards the modest commercial area serving the Academy. The sun remained positioned high in the sky, its intense heat causing the air to visibly ripple above the stone walkways.

"So," Skylar initiated after several minutes of comfortable quiet as we ambled along the sun-drenched path, her voice piercing the background hum of distant training exercises, "you and the 'Queen'."

I maintained my forward gaze, observing the heat's distortion of the stones. "What is it you wish to know about 'us'?"

"Nothing concerning an 'us,'" she corrected with deliberate emphasis, her tone acquiring a slightly sharper edge. "Merely you and ." She slanted a glance at me, one eyebrow arched with that distinctive brand of skeptical curiosity she wielded so effectively. "An intriguing pairing for a Gate run, is my observation."

I offered a shrug, my expression carefully neutral. "She extended an invitation; I accepted. It’s that straightforward."

"With you, Nakano, nothing is ever straightforward." She nudged my arm with her elbow, a casual movement that somehow felt accusatory. "Come now. What was her objective? And spare me the pretense of a ‘simple favor.’"

I sighed, sensing the focus of her attention. Skylar possessed an almost unnerving perceptiveness, and attempting to elude her questioning was akin to hiding from a thermal imager. "She harbored curiosity," I conceded, allowing a sliver of truth to escape. "Regarding myself. Concerning my capabilities."

"Are we not all, in some regard?" She gave a smirk, yet genuine interest flickered in those gradient purple eyes. "So? Did you uncover anything noteworthy within the Gate itself?"

"Predominantly standard C-Rank fare," I stated with feigned indifference. "Insects the size of canines, arachnids employing cunning tactics, and a peculiar Boss entity at the conclusion resembling someone’s nightmarish hallucination of a mantis."

"Sounds rather mundane."

"Indeed it was," I concurred readily. Then, I paused, carefully selecting my subsequent words. "However, she dedicated the entirety of our excursion to scrutinizing me as if I were a specimen under laboratory examination. Every action I took, every skill I deployed—she was meticulously documenting it mentally."

Skylar let out a scoff. "That is characteristic of her. In my former guild, she would attend all strategic briefings, despite not holding an official leadership position. She remained silent, merely observing. It instilled considerable unease in everyone present."

Arriving at the ice cream shop, a quaint establishment adorned with vibrant awnings and outdoor seating, we found the queue surprisingly short despite the sweltering heat. It seemed most students were immersed in their afternoon cultivation training sessions.

"What do you want?" I inquired as we reached the counter.

"Mango sorbet. A double scoop," she replied, offering a rare, genuine smile to the server. "And bring extra spoons, please."

After settling the bill for her sorbet, I procured a simple chocolate cone for myself. We then located an unoccupied table beneath a shady umbrella.

"So," Skylar began, already delving into her dessert, "care to place a wager?"

I lifted an eyebrow inquisitively. "And what about?"

"About when Isabelle decides to make her move."

"What move are you referring to?"

"Oh, please." She gestured with her spoon. "She's intrigued by you. Not romantically," she clarified swiftly as I opened my mouth to object. "But she's certainly fascinated by whatever secret you're concealing."

"And you wish to bet on the timing of her... what? Confronting me?"

"Precisely." Skylar took another delightful bite of her sorbet. "My prediction is within the next three days. She'll corner you in a secluded spot and demand answers."

I mused over her statement. "And what are the stakes involved?"

"If I emerge victorious, you must comply with my every command for a full twenty-four hours."

My ice cream nearly made an escape. "That sounds like a perilous wager."

"Afraid?" Her violet eyes sparkled with a challenging glint.

"And in the event that I win?"

"The very same terms apply. I shall do as you bid for twenty-four hours."

Leaning back in my chair, I observed her closely. Skylar seldom entered into bets she deemed unwinnable. "What convinces you she'll act so swiftly?"

"Because I understand the workings of her mind." Skylar expertly licked her spoon clean, a gesture that held an oddly captivating quality. "Her approach is methodical. She's likely been compiling data on you for weeks, perhaps even maintaining a dossier. The Gate trial served as her final field assessment. She's now prepared for a direct confrontation."

"And you are confident I will forfeit this bet?"

"I believe you're underestimating her operational speed." Skylar extended her spoon, offering me a taste of her sorbet. "Care to sample?"

I leaned forward, accepting the offered bite. The taste was a delightful blend of tang and sweetness, the icy chill a welcome sensation against the day's oppressive heat. "Very well. You're on."

A grin spread across her face, a predatory expression that served as a potent reminder: Skylar, despite her seemingly laid-back demeanor, was one of the most formidable individuals at the Academy.

"Excellent. Shall we seal this with a handshake?"

I extended my hand, and she grasped it, her grip firm and surprisingly strong. Her skin felt cool, a remnant of its contact with the sorbet cup.

"May the most cunning strategist prevail," she declared, holding my gaze for a moment longer than strictly necessary before releasing my hand.

We concluded our ice cream in a comfortable silence, observing the flow of other students passing by. Some offered nods of recognition; others exchanged whispers behind cupped hands. News of my draw against Reyna had evidently disseminated rapidly.

"You know," Skylar commented abruptly, "you've really brewed up quite a predicament for yourself."

"Merely one?"

She emitted a short laugh. "One immediate predicament. All five of us—we each harbor the conviction that we are your favored one."

I blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation. "What are you talking about?"

"Your ladies." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a confidential level. "Each one of us genuinely believes, deep down, that she holds a special place in your heart that the others do not. It's quite a feat, really."

"I don't—"

"Don't even attempt to deny it." She scraped the bottom of her cup, collecting the last vestiges of melted sorbet. "Natalia believes she's your primary partner because she was the first. Emi feels unique due to her ability to heal you. Celeste is convinced she comprehends you beyond anyone else's grasp. Akari sees herself as your illicit indulgence. And I—"

She paused, her spoon hovering midway to her lips. A fleeting expression, perhaps vulnerability, crossed her face before vanishing so quickly I questioned its existence.

"And you?" I prompted, noticing her hesitation.

She offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I believe I'm the sole individual capable of seeing through your deceptions." She then placed the spoon in her mouth, her gaze locked with mine. "That makes me rather dangerous, wouldn't you agree?"

Before I could formulate a response, her phone emitted a buzzing sound. Glancing at it, she abruptly stood.

"My presence is required elsewhere. Braxton needs me for something." She collected her discarded trash. "Thanks for the ice cream treat."

"Anytime."

She turned to depart but paused, looking back over her shoulder.

"Oh, and Satori? When I inevitably win our bet, I intend to make your subsequent twenty-four hours exceptionally... eventful."

With that intriguing promise lingering in the air, she walked away, her headphones already in place, her hips swaying rhythmically with each step.

I watched her retreat, a distinct feeling of having struck a bargain with an alluringly dangerous entity settling upon me.

"That was quite an exchange," Nel commented cheerfully.