The Affection Multiplier - Chapter 228: New dynamics. (Patreon)

Monday lunch hour. This time that means spending it with the working women of your group in Emma’s office. In a way, it’s less suspicious to have 4 co-workers sharing lunch in the same room than a teacher and three students, for example. But at the same time, it’s more suspicious that you’re the only student here. Well, ever since you started helping at the student council, Mrs. Hayes has stopped really caring about what you do. That’s one obstacle fully cleared, then. However…

“You’re going over your set limit, love.” Emma tells you in a lightly teasing tone, chuckling when she sees you groan.

“I was hoping you’d forgotten about that…” You say.

“What limit?” Julia asks after swallowing her food, raising a curious eyebrow. “What did I miss.”

“I’m in the dark as well.” Mia says, blinking.

“Oh, that’s right. He said this before you officially got together.” Emma laughs. “We played truth or dare once with the other girls and we asked him if he had a self-imposed limit on how many girlfriends he’d have.”

“Oh? What did he answer?” Anzu asks.

“Ten. That was back when he and Sophia had just gotten together and Mia was trying to figure out if she was okay dating a younger man.” Emma explains.

“So let’s see…” Julia says and starts counting with her fingers. “Emma, Mia, Anzu, Emily, Megan, Sophia, Katherine… now Jessica, Olivia, I guess Lilian and finally me. Oh boy, that’s eleven.” She laughs.

“Officially over the limit, sweetie.” Mia grins teasingly.

“Limits are meant to be broken, right?” Anzu says, giggling.

“I don’t think that applies to this situation.” You sigh. “I… I don’t know how this happened, alright?”

“We thought that was a lifelong limit but you went over it in less than a year.” Emma says, resting her cheek on her knuckle. “I know we’ve talked about every new girl and that we’ve given everyone the okay, but any more and you simply won’t have time for any of us.”

“Ugh.” You flinch. Emma’s right. At this point it’s not a matter of compatibility or anything. It’s just that the harem plan worked a little too well. “Y-You’re right.”

“The worst part is that I’m sure he’s following both his heart and his lower head.” Mia sighs. “It’s going to be such a weird wedding.”

“Expensive, too.” Anzu nods in agreement.

“Oh man, that’s eleven wedding dresses.” Julia bites her lip.

“A-Aren’t we being too hasty? I barely even started dating those three…” You say. But that comment is received with all four women raising an incredulous eyebrow at you. “…Yeah, I’ll shut up.”

No one even questions that you’re entering a relationship with a full future in sight at this point.

“You really are too quick to fall in love.” Anzu chuckles. “And I mean it. It’s not just an infatuation. You’ve been serious about all of us from the start.”

Anzu’s right.

…

“I’ve been thinking that perhaps this thing is affecting me as well.” You say, taking your phone out of your pocket and looking at it.

“You mean…” Emma mutters.

“I can’t confirm it, but there’s a chance the multiplier works both ways. I know for a fact it’s tracking my own scores with you, like I told you, but maybe it’s not just tracking them, but also multiplying them.”

“That WOULD explain why you’re so serious about every girl you start dating.” Julia nods.

“And why you’re dating so many.” Mia nods in agreement.

“You’re really making it hard for me to be the non-believer of the supernatural here.” Anzu sighs.

“If the AMA really is also making you like people faster, is there anything you can do about it?” Emma asks. “Or WANT to do about it, for that matter?”

“I don’t think so. And that goes to both questions. I haven’t found anything related to it in the traits or the glossary. And, well, I think it’s fair if I’m also affected, right?”

“But what about my mother?” Julia realizes. “She definitely didn’t fall in love, like, ever.” She sighs.

“Well, there’s their personalities too, right?” Mia offers. “David’s more… innocent, in certain areas, so it makes sense that he’d be more prone to developing a crush on someone.”

You groan. “I can confirm that.”

“Mmm.” Julia nods, following that logic.

“But we’re digressing from the main topic.” Emma says. “Look, I’m sorry love, but I really think more girls than we are now will only start hurting our relationship. No matter how well we get along, there’s only so much you to go around.”

“I have to agree, sweetie.” Mia says, smiling wryly.

“Yeah, I can see it.” Julia says. “I mean, I already feel like I don’t get to spend enough time with you because of work.”

“I think they’re right, David.” Anzu agrees. “Jealousy might not be a factor, but neglect still is.”

“I hear you, I hear you!” You say, letting out a heavy breath. “Eleven will be my stopping point. This is where the harem stops, I promise. I’m sure the others think the same.”

And when you think about it, how many people have more than 10 extremely close friends in their life? Most keep to three to five. Right now you have so many people you care about and who care about you in return. You can’t let the quantity of your relationships negatively affect the quality.

You need to work harder.

______________________________________________________________

“Wait, so I’m the only one here who’s not ‘officially’ in a relationship with him?” Lilian ask the group, taking a seat on one of the benches at the rooftop. Sophia sits next to her, and the rest also find spots to sit.

Weird to think that Olivia, Lilian and Jessica would end up hanging out like this with girls like Emily and Katherine. Life can take strange turns, that’s for sure.

“I guess, but don’t try to rush things for some stupid reason like you’re feeling left out.” Sophia tells her bluntly. “Go at your own pace.”

“I agree with her.” Olivia nods. “The last time you had a boyfriend was the first semester of high school senior year, and you didn’t even like the guy enough to kiss him. You owe it to yourself to think your relationships more thoroughly.”

“How do you even enter a relationship with a guy you don’t even like?” Emily asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Come on, are we seriously talking about this?” Lilian groans, but when she sees them all nod as if they’d come to an agreement beforehand, she gives up. “He was the basketball team captain, he asked me out and I said yes because… well… because he was the basketball team captain.”

“…That’s it?” Megan asks.

“…Yeah.”

“…But why?” Megan asks with a puzzled look.

“Popularity equals authority.” Olivia explains with a sigh. “The more well-known you are around school, the more people hear what you say. Having the ability to have your voice heard throughout the school in less than a day is power in and of itself.”

“I hate it, but she’s right.” Sophia groans.

“How so?” Emily asks.

“Imagine you dislike someone,” Olivia says. “And said someone pissed you off. To get back at them, you can easily spread a bad rumor about them. Regardless if it’s true or not, the seed is planted and people will be whispering about that person, wondering if it’s true or not that she was having sex with the teacher.”

“That was YOU?” Katherine asks, mouth hanging open. “You were the reason that girl was expelled and they fired Mr. Rivera?”

“That actually wasn’t us.” Jessica calmly shakes her head. “I promise. Besides, she really was having sex with Mr. Rivera, so it wasn’t a false accusation.”

"It wasn't Mr. Rivera who we got fired..." Olivia mutters lowly to herself. And when the others looks at her with curiosity, Lilian speaks louder.

“I still wonder how David hasn’t been caught.” Lilian says.

“Probably since he’s such an honors student, no one questions why he’s seen talking to the teachers. He can say he’s helping out or asking questions.” Sophia says.

“They do call him the teachers’ pet.” Lilian nods. “Huh. Perhaps a bad rep can be useful.”

“It obviously is in this case.” Katherine nods. “In return for letting people say what they want, he gets away with being more friendly with them at school.”

“And speaking of getting friendly…” Sophia grins, and her tone is so purposely sleazy that it makes Olivia, Jessica and Lilian flinch, knowing what’s coming. “It’s time you finally tell us how your dates went. More specifically, how far you went.”

The three friends share a nervous look, but eventually Lilian swallows hard and speaks first.

“We just kissed.” She reveals. “Okay, I guess with him it’s not ‘just’ a kiss, but you get it. Other than that… I just convinced him of trying on a couple of swimsuits. I did the same, so he showed me and I showed him.”

“Nip slip?” Megan asks casually.

“W-What? N-NO!”

“Boring.” She just says, sticking out her tongue.

“I had fun, okay? Leave me be!” Lilian pouts, crossing her arms.

“Sorry. I’m just teasing.” Megan laughs.

“You’ll get used to her.” Sophia sighs with a tired smile. “You?” She asks, looking at Jessica.

“We just got to kissing, too.” She reveals. “N-Not because we didn’t want to go further, but because, well… it didn’t feel right until Olivia had had her date, too.”

“Same.” Olivia says, and although her cheeks are getting red, her tone is as nonchalant as always. “We kissed for a good while and I let him grope me. You know, making up for all the merciless teasing back then.”

“Painful teasing, you mean.” Katherine offers.

“…Yeah, okay.” Olivia sighs. “I already apologized to him about that, okay?”

“Fine. That’s the last one.” Katherine shrugs.

“Alright. Then, do you have something planned for you-know-what or are you hoping he surprises you?”

Again, the three girls share a nervous look.

“No idea.” Olivia says, biting her lip. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to jump him as soon as I can,”

“Classy.” Emily says, unamused.

“Thanks.” Olivia nods. “But I don’t know what would be… appropriate? Like, do you girls are against anything?” She asks.

“Can I be brutally honest?” Megan asks.

“Go.” Lilian nods.

“I’m not sure I want you alone with him.” Megan says, making the three girls flinch. “You know why, right?”

“Y-Yeah.” Jessica nods.

It’s because, if they wanted to do something bad to David, alone time during sex would be the perfect moment. A picture for blackmail or something like that. It wouldn’t be particularly hard to accuse him of rape through social media.

“I get what you mean,” Katherine says with a faint scowl on her face. “But we’ll get nowhere if we don’t trust them. I feel the same as you, Megan, but if we’re going to keep being suspicious of them, then we shouldn't have given our approval in the first place. ”

“…Okay.” Megan nods, grimacing. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“No, we earned that distrust. It’s fine.” Olivia says with a complex expression. “What can we do so that you won’t feel that way? It’ll obviously bother David that you’re thinking this.”

“Of course it will.” Emily groans.

“Um…” Jessica starts to say something, but she’s fidgeting in place and seems hesitant to say it.

“Out with it, girl.” Sophia urges her.

“W-What if… we recorded it?”

“Eh?” Six exclamations in unison.

“We let you have a recording so that you can use it against us if we try anything.” Jessica offers.

“…”

There’s a bit of a silence between the girls for a moment.

“I mean, it would be hot,” Sophia says. “But I don’t like the reason for doing it.”

“Yeah…” Megan grimaces. She bites her lip hard until it leaves a mark, then quickly stands up from her seat with a loud groan. “Ugh! I hate this!”

She takes the hands of Olivia, Lilian and Jessica and holds them in her own. She looks at them firmly and straight in the eyes before she speaks. “Sorry for what I said. Just promise me, from the bottom of your heart, that you won’t do anything bad to him. PROMISE ME! Because if you hurt him, I’m gonna beat you three to a pulp myself. THAT I promise!”

The three girls are completely taken aback by the sudden outburst and the weight of Megan’s words. None of the really know how to react to it.

“S-Sure…?” Olivia says, and she immediately knows that’s not the right answer. Megan’s grip on their hands tightens.

“Promise me!” She repeats.

“W-We promise!” Jessica says, returning Megan’s gaze, resolute. “I don’t want to hurt him. I promise I won’t.”

Megan nods and turns to Lilian and Olivia with expectant eyes.

“Of course I promise.” Olivia answers as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I promise.” Lilian nods.

“Good.” Megan nods, smiles brightly and releases their hands. “That’s enough for me.” She then goes back to her seat as if nothing had happened, yet with clear relief in her eyes.

“You’re so fucking weird sometimes, I swear.” Emily comments, shaking her head.

“It’s part of her charm.” Katherine laughs.

“That’s that, then.” Sophia sighs. “You heard her. We still need to talk it over with the others, though.”

“I’m not a fan of all the bureaucracy, but I get it.” Olivia says. “We’ll be patient.”

“And hey, if you don’t mind me making a small suggestion…” Sophia trails off.

“Seriously?” Emily asks, raising a curious eyebrow as if she already knows what Sophia’s going to say.

“Hey, if we’re going to trust them, might as well let them go all out.” Sophia shrugs. “Like I was saying, why not just go all three at the same time?” She suggests with a mischievous grin.

“W-W-W-Wha…!?” Lilian’s face starts getting red, which is very noticeable with her paler complexion.

“Y-You mean…” Jessica swallows and looks back and forth from Olivia to Lilian.

“B-But… would he…?” Before Olivia can even finish her question, Sophia raises eight fingers.

“Eight people, Olivia. Eight.” She simply states.

“A-At the same time…!?”

The four other girls nonchalantly nod.

Well, there’s something to consider. He’d probably really like it. No, Olivia doesn’t even need to think much about it. That breast lover would go crazy, no doubt.

“So… You girls willing to share any tips?” Olivia asks.

And oh boy do they have tips.