Mu Xiaoxiao leaned back against the plush leather seat of the student lounge, a satisfied smile playing across his lips as he watched the afternoon sun filter through the windows. One month. Just one month remained before the end of the academic year, before graduation would officially mark the transition from student to... well, whatever he wanted to be. And as he surveyed his domain—the bustling hallways, the cherry blossom trees beginning to bud outside, the familiar faces passing by—he couldn't help but feel that this world was truly paradise for him.
When boredom struck, he hunted. A flicker of his power, a subtle manipulation of time itself, and the world would freeze around him. The ugly fatso harassing the cafeteria worker became a statue mid-leer, his greasy hand suspended in the air. Mu Xiaoxiao didn't even need to touch him—a mere thought, a focused intent, and minutes of the man's pathetic existence drained away. Time resumed, and the harasser slumped in his seat, his skin suddenly sallow, his hair graying at the temples. He looked ten years older, confused and exhausted, unable to remember why he felt so drained. The perverted old geezer cleaner in the parking lot suffered the same fate. A frozen moment, a drain, and he stumbled away with wrinkles deepening around his eyes, his back slightly hunched, his vitality stolen. The reckless gyaru-oh and his followers? Frozen mid-laugh, their cruelty captured in amber. Mu Xiaoxiao drained them all with a thought, leaving them looking haggard and diminished, their once-youthful faces now bearing the marks of decades lost. These encounters were background noise, minor chores in an otherwise perfect existence. He left them with barely two hours of lifespan remaining—old men on deathbeds who could still talk and walk but were weak, fragile, utterly broken.
The true joy came from the people he surrounded himself with. The women who had become part of his daily life, his strength, his reason for waking up sane each morning. They had all accepted the harem, each in her own way. Some had taken longer than others, wrestling with jealousy and insecurity, but eventually, love had won out over doubt. They understood now that his prowess kept them satisfied physically, and his heart was vast enough to hold them all, and they had found their own places within it. There was no more fighting, no more bitter resentment—just acceptance, and in some cases, even friendship among themselves.
---
The school club room was quiet when he entered, the afternoon class already winding down. Kaede and Suzu—the petite purple-haired twins who had become two of his favorites—were packing up their equipment. Kaede's hair was a vibrant amethyst, always slightly mussed from her energetic movements, while Suzu's was a softer lavender, perfectly straight and serene. They were small, barely reaching his shoulder, with delicate features that made them look like porcelain dolls—until one of them opened her mouth. Kaede's eyes sparkled with that distinctive azure marine blue, sharp and expressive, while Suzu's warm brown topaz gaze observed everything with quiet calculation.
"Oh, it's a pervert," Kaede said, her tone instantly shifting to one of exaggerated disdain. She flipped her purple hair over her shoulder and pointedly looked away, her cheeks already flushing pink. "What do you want, Mu Xiaoxiao? We're busy."
Mu Xiaoxiao grinned. Ah, Kaede's tsundere act never got old. The way her cheeks flushed the moment he walked in, the way she pretended to hate his presence while stealing glances with those striking blue eyes when she thought he wasn't looking—it was like a fine wine, improving with age. Suzu, by contrast, simply glanced up from her notes with her usual placid expression, her warm brown topaz eyes revealing nothing. The kuudere sister, always calm, always composed, always watching.
"Busy, huh?" He sauntered over, leaning against the table next to Kaede. "Busy doing what, exactly? Staring at the wall?"
"We're organizing our notes!" Kaede snapped, gesturing at the scattered papers. "Exam season is coming. Some of us actually want to graduate, unlike some people who just coast through life on charm and good looks."
"Jealous?"
"Of what? Your ego?"
"Of my charm and good looks."
Kaede's blush deepened, her azure eyes widening with indignation. "P-please! Like I'd ever be jealous of someone who can't even take anything seriously!"
"Suzu," Mu Xiaoxiao said, turning to the quieter twin. "Is your sister always this hostile, or is she just happy to see me?"
Suzu's expression remained perfectly neutral, but a hint of amusement flickered in her warm brown topaz eyes. "She's always like this when you're around. It's her way of showing affection."
"It is NOT affection!" Kaede sputtered. "I—he—we—Ugh! Suzu, whose side are you on?"
"The side of truth," Suzu replied calmly, returning her attention to her notebook.
"YOU TRAITOR!"
Mu Xiaoxiao laughed, the sound warm and genuine. He reached out and ruffled Kaede's purple hair, earning a squeak of protest. "You're cute when you're angry, you know that?"
"I am NOT cute! I am fierce! Fierce and terrifying!"
"Fierce and terrifying like a kitten."
"I will bite you!"
"I'd like to see you try."
Kaede's face was now the color of a ripe strawberry, her azure blue eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. She grabbed a stack of papers and threw them at him, but he caught them easily, his time-manipulation reflexes making the movement look almost lazy. Suzu watched the entire exchange with her characteristic stoicism, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward—the closest she ever came to a laugh.
"Kaede," Suzu said quietly. "You're going to run out of things to throw at him."
"Then I'll start throwing punches!"
"He'd catch those too."
"SUZU!"
Mu Xiaoxiao leaned in close to Kaede, his voice dropping to a murmur meant only for her. "You know, you could just admit you like me. It would save us both a lot of time."
"I don't—I would never—" She was stammering now, completely flustered. "I... You're impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Impossible to resist?"
"Impossible to TOLERATE!"
But she didn't move away. Her azure blue eyes met his for just a fraction of a second before darting away, and in that moment, he saw everything he needed to know. She was his, completely and utterly, even if she would never admit it out loud. And she had already accepted the harem—she just couldn't bring herself to say it directly. That was fine. He knew, so he put his lips towards hers and they made out, leaving the pouting Suzu annoyed. After ten minutes or so, he also kissed her.
Then without a doubt, Mu Xiaoxiao let the twins taste imported lollipops made in China that had milk inside.
"Same time tomorrow, ladies?" he called as he backed toward the door.
"Get OUT!" Kaede shouted, but the corners of her mouth were twitching into an involuntary smile.
Suzu gave him a small nod, her brown topaz eyes warm with unspoken affection—her version of a farewell. He left with the warmth of the interaction settling comfortably in his chest.