I woke up sandwiched between two women again. This was becoming a habit I could definitely get used to. Mera’s tail was wrapped around my ankle, her face pressed against my chest. Cheon had migrated during the night and now lay curled against my back, one arm draped over my waist.

The morning light filtered through the curtains I’d forgotten to close. Another day at Coastline Academy. Another day of the world finding new ways to fuck with me.

I carefully extracted myself from between them. Mera made a displeased noise but didn’t wake up. Cheon mumbled something about homework and rolled into the warm spot I’d left behind.

Standing in the shower, I let hot water pound against my skin while thinking about the day ahead. Finals match against Team One. Aurora would be there. So would Nolan, the protagonist who didn’t know he’d been replaced. Then there was Noel, who’d witnessed my drain activating on Vince. Professor Reeves wanted to turn me into a lab rat. And Vivian...

Jesus, Vivian.

My sister wasn’t my sister. Not really. She belonged to the original Rome, the spoiled brat whose body I’d hijacked. According to background lore, she had some weird fixation on her brother that bordered on obsessive. Great. Just what I needed—an incestuous sister with too much power and too little restraint.

I stepped out of the shower and wiped steam from the mirror. White hair. Mismatched eyes—one gray, one green. A face designed to look good on magazine covers. Specimen made sure every muscle was exactly where it should be, skin clear, jawline sharp. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"You look like shit," Mera said from the doorway.

I turned to find her leaning against the frame, wearing nothing but one of my shirts. Her red skin looked darker in the bathroom lighting, her horns more prominent.

"Good morning to you too," I said.

"You’re thinking too hard." She walked over and ran a finger down my chest. "I can practically hear the gears grinding."

"Big day today."

"Mm. You kick Nolan’s ass, then deal with your crazy sister, then let the professor experiment on you." Her tail flicked with amusement. "Just a normal Tuesday."

I pulled her against me, enjoying the way she molded to my body. The drain opened automatically, just a trickle. Cinnamon and smoke filled my senses.

"When you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous."

"It is ridiculous." She kissed my jaw. "That’s why it’s fun."

Fun wasn’t the word I’d use. Terrifying, maybe. Overwhelming. But Mera saw the world differently. To her, chaos was entertainment.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Early. Classes don’t start for two hours." Her hand trailed lower. "Want to make use of that time?"

Before I could answer, Cheon appeared in the doorway, her hair adorably mussed from sleep. She wore proper pajamas, unlike Mera.

"If you’re going to have sex in the bathroom, at least close the door," she said. "Some of us need to brush our teeth."

"You could join us," Mera suggested.

Cheon’s cheeks flushed pink. "Some of us also have responsibilities."

"So boring," Mera sighed dramatically. "Fine. Let’s get ready for school like normal people."

I kissed the top of her head and stepped aside to let Cheon access the sink. She moved with crisp efficiency even half-asleep, her routine so structured I could predict her next move.

An hour later we were dressed and headed for campus. Marco drove us in the Mercedes, silent as always. I sat between Mera and Cheon in the backseat, reviewing battle footage from yesterday on my phone.

"You realize people are talking, right?" Cheon said suddenly.

"About?"

"Everything. The video of you stopping those robbers. You arriving at school with both of us every day. The way you beat Vince yesterday with just a touch."

I shrugged. "Let them talk."

"They’re saying you’re collecting women." Her voice was carefully neutral. "That you’ve got some kind of harem situation."

"Well, they’re not wrong," Mera pointed out.

Cheon shot her a look. "That’s not the point."

"What is the point?" I asked.

Cheon hesitated. "The point is... people are watching you now. The school administration, the other students, even people outside Coastline. You’ve gone from anonymous transfer student to... whatever this is."

"Rich asshole with supernatural abilities and multiple hot girlfriends?" Mera suggested helpfully.

"Something like that," Cheon agreed, her tone resigned.

I considered this. The system had been pushing me toward notoriety from day one. The quest required me to become the Harem Lord—not exactly a position you achieved by staying under the radar.

"Good," I said finally.

Cheon blinked. "Good?"

"Yeah. Let them watch." I leaned back in the seat. "Watching is all they can do."

The car pulled up to Coastline’s main entrance. Students milled around the courtyard, many already dressed in hero uniforms for the finals. As soon as we stepped out of the Mercedes, I felt it—the shift in attention, the weight of dozens of eyes.

Whispers followed us across the quad. Not subtle ones either.

"That’s him—the one from the video—"

"—has two girlfriends—"

"—heard he knocked out Vince with just a touch—"

"—Angelo Corp heir—"

"—white hair, different colored eyes—"

A month ago, I’d been nobody. Now I was somebody. The villain turned protagonist. The playboy with powers no one understood. The guy who walked into school flanked by Mera—red-skinned, horned, and gorgeous—and Cheon—class representative with a figure that made the uniform look like a sin.

I caught snippets of conversation as we passed.

"—strange abilities—"

"—drained Vince’s energy somehow—"

"—team going to finals—"

"—must be nice being rich—"

I smirked. This was exactly what the system wanted. Attention. Reputation. The spreading of my name across campus like wildfire.

Inside the main building, the halls parted for us. Not dramatically, not like some cliché movie scene, but subtly. People stepped aside, conversations paused, eyes tracked our movement.

Mera’s tail swished behind her, pleased with the attention. Cheon walked with perfect posture, ignoring the stares with practiced dignity.

And me? I just enjoyed the show.