Chapter 26: The Rival With the Golden Rolex

The debt was killing me.

Not metaphorically. Literally. My chest felt tight, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and every time I checked my phone the numbers just got worse. Negative twelve CP. The app had compounded overnight like some kind of predatory loan shark.

I needed points. Desperately.

My finger hovered over Sato-kun’s profile in the hallway. Easy target. Quiet kid who sat three rows behind me. One command and I could earn maybe five CP.

The app screen flashed red.

TARGET REJECTED: MONOPOLY PROTOCOL ACTIVE

AUTHORIZED TARGETS: ELIZABETH ASHFORD, SEDA HARTLEY

ALL OTHER USERS LOCKED

My stomach dropped. The app had actually locked me out of everyone except them. This was insane. This was rigged. This was a system designed to trap me in an endless debt spiral.

I was so screwed.

The contract Elizabeth made me sign sat in my bag like a bomb. I’d tried reading the fine print again during homeroom. Body heat claims. Mandatory contact quotas. Asset temperature regulation. Every clause was more deranged than the last.

How was any of this legal?

The lunch bell rang. Students flooded into the hallways, heading toward the cafeteria or their usual hangout spots. I stayed pressed against my locker, trying to formulate a plan.

Maybe I could talk to Elizabeth. Renegotiate terms. Explain that the debt structure was literally impossible to escape. She seemed reasonable sometimes, right? When she wasn’t forcing me to sign contracts or monitoring my heart rate through fitness trackers.

Yeah. That could work. Just had to find her and—

My brain short-circuited.

Elizabeth stood twenty feet away near the northeast stairwell. Same spot where she’d ambushed me this morning. But she wasn’t alone.

Some guy stood way too close to her. Tall, pretty-boy face, uniform that looked custom tailored. His blazer probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. A gold watch caught the light on his wrist, the kind of watch that screamed generational wealth.

He was holding her hand.

Actually holding it. His fingers wrapped around hers like he had the right. Like she belonged to him.

Rage exploded in my chest like a flashbang grenade.

Who the hell was this guy? Where did he come from? Why was Elizabeth letting him touch her?

The guy leaned closer, saying something that made Elizabeth smile. Not her usual calculating smile. Something softer. More genuine.

My hands clenched into fists. My vision tunneled. Every nerve ending in my body screamed danger, threat, enemy.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

I’d spent weeks getting manipulated by these girls. Suffered through debt and contracts and systematic domination. And now some random pretty boy just showed up and got hand-holding privileges immediately?

This was an NTR scenario. Classic netorare setup. The protagonist gets cucked by some rich rival while he’s too weak to fight back. I’d read this exact plot in like forty different manga.

No way. Absolutely not. I refused to be that protagonist.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out with shaking hands.

The screen displayed a new notification.

TERRITORIAL DEFENSE MISSION ACTIVATED

OBJECTIVE: INTERRUPT THE CONVERSATION

REWARD: DEBT REDUCTION -10 CP

PENALTY: NTR PROTOCOL INITIALIZATION

NTR Protocol. The app actually called it that. Some programmer had coded an entire cucking system into this thing.

My panic hit critical levels.

The timer appeared at the bottom of the screen. Sixty seconds. Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight. Counting down with mechanical precision.

I had to move. Had to do something. Couldn’t just stand here watching Elizabeth get stolen by some Rolex-wearing trust fund baby.

My legs started moving before my brain caught up. Autopilot engaged. Fight-or-flight activated. Except I was choosing fight for once in my miserable life.

I made it five steps before realizing I had no plan whatsoever.

What was I supposed to do? Walk up and challenge him? Demand he stop touching Elizabeth? Assert dominance through pure willpower?

Yeah right. I’d panic and run like always.

But the timer kept counting. Forty seconds. Thirty-nine. Thirty-eight.

The penalty flashed again. NTR Protocol Initialization. Whatever that meant, it couldn’t be good. Probably locked me out permanently while Elizabeth dated this guy. Or maybe forced me to watch their relationship develop through app notifications.

Actual nightmare fuel.

Twenty seconds.

I activated the app’s movement assist feature. Something I’d discovered yesterday called Robo-Walk. Supposedly it guided your body through social situations using optimal pathing.

My legs moved smoother, more confident. My posture straightened. I was doing it. Actually approaching them without immediately panicking.

Ten seconds.

The guy noticed me first. His eyes tracked my approach with obvious disdain. Rich kid expression. The look that said I wasn’t worth his time.

“Elizabeth-san, you have admirers.”

His voice dripped with condescension. Smooth, practiced, designed to make other guys feel inferior. It was working.

Elizabeth turned. Her eyes met mine. Blank. Empty. That hypnotized expression she wore when the app was supposedly active.

Except I knew the truth now. Knew she was faking. Knew she was in complete control while pretending otherwise.

But what was she doing right now? Testing me? Pushing me? Seeing if I’d actually fight for her?

Five seconds.

I opened my mouth to say something cool. Something confident. Something that would make this Rolex guy back off immediately.

My foot caught on absolutely nothing.

I stumbled forward, arms windmilling, Robo-Walk completely failing. My shoulder hit the wall. My bag slipped off and hit the floor with a loud thud.

Smooth. Very heroic. Peak performance.

The guy actually laughed. Sharp, mocking sound that echoed down the hallway. Other students looked over, wondering what the commotion was about.

“Who is this commoner?”

Commoner. He actually said commoner. Like we were living in some feudal society instead of modern Japan.

I wanted to die. Just melt into the floor and cease existing.

But the timer hit zero. The mission completed. Objective achieved through sheer humiliation.

MISSION COMPLETE: CONVERSATION INTERRUPTED

REWARD: +10 CP

CURRENT BALANCE: -2 CP

Negative two. Still in debt. Still trapped. But slightly less screwed than before.

Elizabeth’s blank expression didn’t change. She stood there holding this guy’s hand, waiting. The app’s interface suggested she was under my control, receptive to commands, ready to obey.

The guy—I needed to know his name. Couldn’t keep thinking of him as Rolex Guy.

“I’m Ryuuji Kanzaki. Transfer student from Osaka.”

He said it like I should be impressed. Like his name meant something important. Maybe it did. Kanzaki sounded vaguely familiar. Some business family or something.

Didn’t matter. He was touching Elizabeth. That was the only relevant data point.

“Alfred. Regular student. Not from Osaka.”

Brilliant introduction. Really showcased my wit.

Ryuuji’s smile widened. Predatory. Amused. He was enjoying this.

“Alfred-kun. How nice. Elizabeth-san and I were just discussing dinner plans.”

Dinner plans. First name basis. Already making moves. This guy moved fast.

The jealousy meter I’d seen earlier suddenly made sense. Elizabeth had activated it deliberately. Set up this entire scenario. She wanted me jealous. Wanted me territorial. Wanted to see if I’d actually fight.

Fine. She’d get her show.

My thumb moved across the app interface. Commands scrolled past. I needed something dramatic. Something that would establish dominance immediately.

But I was still in debt. Using commands while negative had triggered fees before. The contract Elizabeth made me sign probably had clauses about this exact situation.

The app helpfully displayed a warning.

PREMIUM SERVICE CHARGE APPLIES TO ALL COMMANDS WHILE IN DEBT

FEE: 15 CP PER COMMAND

PROCEED?

Fifteen CP. That would put me at negative seventeen. Deeper in debt. Worse position. Elizabeth would own me even more completely.

But Ryuuji was still holding her hand. Still smiling that condescending smile. Still treating me like I didn’t matter.

Screw it.

I selected the command and hit execute.

“Hold my arm and look at me with adoration.”

The words came out steadier than expected. Actual confidence in my voice. Maybe desperation sounded like courage.

Elizabeth’s expression shifted instantly. The blank look vanished, replaced with something bright and warm. Her eyes lit up like I’d just saved her from a burning building.

She pulled her hand from Ryuuji’s grip and moved to my side. Her arms wrapped around mine, pressing close, clinging with intensity that made my brain malfunction.

Soft. She was so soft. Her uniform blazer couldn’t hide the warmth radiating through the fabric. Her perfume hit me like a truck. Something floral, subtle, absolutely lethal at this range.

She looked up at me with genuine adoration in her eyes. Fake adoration. Scripted adoration. But damn convincing.

“Alfred-kun.”

Her voice carried this breathy quality that probably violated several public decency laws. Other students were definitely staring now. Phones came out. Pictures were being taken.

Tomorrow’s gossip would be legendary.

Ryuuji’s confident expression cracked. Confusion flickered across his features. His hand hung in the air where Elizabeth’s had been, empty and forgotten.

“What—”

Victory surged through my chest. Pure, unfiltered triumph. I’d actually done it. Stolen her back. Asserted dominance. Became the alpha in this scenario.

My phone buzzed.

The notification appeared immediately.

PREMIUM SERVICE CHARGE APPLIED

COMMAND COST: 15 CP

ADDITIONAL FEES: RIVALRY PROTOCOL ACTIVATION (8 CP)

CURRENT BALANCE: -25 CP

STATUS UPDATE: INDEBTED SERVANT

ACTIVE EFFECT: RIVALRY TARGET (RYUUJI KANZAKI)

Negative twenty-five. The debt had more than doubled. The victory lasted exactly four seconds before reality crushed it completely.

Elizabeth pressed closer, her grip tightening on my arm. Her warmth, her scent, her presence—everything about this moment was perfect.

And it was costing me everything.

“Alfred-kun, you came for me.”

Her voice dripped with manufactured affection. She was playing her role flawlessly. Making Ryuuji think she was under my control. Making me think I’d won something.

But the debt counter pulsed on my screen. Negative twenty-five. Growing by the second as interest compounded.

Ryuuji recovered his composure. His expression hardened, friendly mask dropping completely.

“I see. She’s already claimed.”

He straightened his blazer, adjusting that golden watch with deliberate slowness. Power move. Showing off wealth casually.

“Temporary situation, I’m sure. Elizabeth-san and I have family arrangements to discuss.”

Family arrangements. What did that even mean?

Ryuuji turned and walked away, designer shoes clicking on linoleum. His whole exit screamed confidence. This wasn’t over. Just the first round.

Elizabeth maintained her adoring expression, arms still wrapped around mine. Other students whispered and pointed. The hallway buzzed with gossip.

I’d created a spectacle. Publicly claimed Elizabeth Ashford. Made myself a target for every guy who’d been interested in her.

And I was twenty-five CP in debt.

The app screen updated again.

NEW PROTOCOL ACTIVE: RIVALRY ESCALATION

RYUUJI KANZAKI MARKED AS PRIMARY THREAT

TERRITORIAL MISSIONS WILL INTENSIFY

Intensify. Great. Wonderful. Exactly what I needed.

Elizabeth’s grip loosened slightly. Her expression shifted back to neutral. The adoring look vanished like someone had flipped a switch.

She leaned close, her breath tickling my ear.

“That command cost you dearly, Alfred-kun. But you looked so jealous. So desperate. So perfectly territorial.”

Her voice carried satisfaction. Pure, calculated satisfaction.

“See you during lunch. We need to discuss your repayment schedule.”

She pulled away completely, leaving my arm cold where her warmth had been. My phone displayed the debt counter prominently. Negative twenty-five CP. Indebted Servant status. Rivalry Protocol active.

I’d won the battle and lost the war completely.

Elizabeth walked away, hips swaying, looking absolutely pleased with herself. Other students gave me looks. Confused, jealous, impressed, mocking. Everyone had an opinion about what just happened.

My phone buzzed one final time.

REMINDER: FIRST PAYMENT DUE TODAY

FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL PENALTIES

I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor. My bag sat beside me. The hallway slowly cleared as students lost interest in the drama.

Negative twenty-five CP.

Indebted Servant.

Rivalry Protocol active.

And Elizabeth owned me more completely than ever before.

This was fine. Everything was fine. Totally under control.

My hand trembled as I checked the app one more time. The debt counter pulsed like a heartbeat. Each pulse seemed to whisper the same thing.

You’re screwed, Alfred-kun. Completely and utterly screwed.

Yeah. That sounded about right.