The next day dawned bright and humiliating.
Machio Araki walked toward Heiron High School with all the enthusiasm of a cat going to the vet. Behind him, Tachibana walked with graceful poise, parasol in hand, dressed in the school's perfectly ironed uniform. Her crimson eyes sparkled, her long hair flowing like a shampoo commercial in slow motion. No one knew she was a vampire, of course. As far as everyone was concerned, she was just the ridiculously hot, mysterious transfer student from Tokyo , "or maybe Vampire Land ?"
But Machio?
Machio was now publicly known as:
"The Panty Thief of 3-B."
It started with whispers.
"That's him… the one with the lacy heist…"
"I heard he smelled them first before getting caught."
"My cousin's senpai's friend's goldfish saw it happen!"
Then the memes hit the group chat.
A photo of Machio's yearbook pic with a caption: 'Trust no one. Not even your underwear drawer.'
Another, showing him Photoshopped wearing a crown of panties like some kind of degenerate underwear pope.
Nariyuki met them at the gate, grinning ear-to-ear like an idiot with no concept of shame.
"There he is! Lord Pantybane! Hero of Locker 23C!" Nariyuki threw confetti made of torn-up gym uniform pamphlets.
"Nariyuki," Machio hissed. "Stop talking about it!"
"Why? Own it, man! You're famous! You're a legend! My grandma called me last night and asked if you were single!"
"I hate everything," Machio muttered.
Tachibana, meanwhile, looked unbothered. In fact, she even tightened her hold on Machio's arm, pressing just a little closer.
"Don't worry, Machio," she said with a small smile. "As your vampire girlfriend—"
"SHHHHHHHHH!" Machio threw a hand over her mouth. "You can't say the V-word out loud!"
She licked his palm slowly, eyes glowing with unholy amusement.
"…I regret nothing," she whispered.
Before Machio could respond, a crowd of students stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the two of them—Machio the Alleged Panty Bandit, and Tachibana the Gorgeous Mystery Girl—walking together like some weird anime power couple born from a cursed fanfic.
"Wait. Is she his girlfriend?!"
"She's holding his arm."
"She must be possessed."
"Or blind."
"Or both."
Nariyuki clapped. "Congrats, bro! You're now dating the girl every guy in school wrote sad poetry about after first period."
"I didn't sign up for this!" Machio groaned.
They made it to class, barely, before another ding sounded.
A System screen popped up in front of Machio with all the subtlety of a chainsaw.
System Alert!
New Achievement: "Campus Infamy Unlocked!"
Reputation Modifier: -27
Buff Activated: Girls Avoid You (Except the Weird Ones)
Machio sighed. "Great. What's next, a quest to steal bras from the principal?"
Nariyuki leaned in. "Actually, that was last season's plot. You're the reboot."
Before Machio could process that horror, the classroom door slammed open.
Enter: Matsumi Mihara.
The temperature dropped ten degrees. Her ponytail whipped in slow motion. Her glasses glinted with anime menace. She marched in, heels echoing like boss music had started playing.
Everyone froze.
Tachibana sipped her strawberry milk calmly. "That her?"
"Yeah," Machio whispered. "That's the one who once stabbed my bento because it didn't have enough emotional seasoning."
Matsumi stopped in front of them and slowly looked Tachibana up and down.
"You. You're the new girl." She crossed her arms. "The one who's… soul-bound to my ex."
Tachibana gave a polite nod. "Correct. He belongs to me now. It's quite romantic, in a traumatic sort of way."
Machio wanted to die. Preferably via spontaneous combustion.
Matsumi's eye twitched. "So you're a couple now?"
"Yes."
"In love?"
Tachibana shrugged. "He's growing on me. Like a fungus. A tragic, slightly perverted fungus."
"HEY!"
That's when the second ding of the day hit.
NEW QUEST UNLOCKED
Title: "Ultimate Fabric Duel – Panty Feeding Showdown"
Objective: Feed panties to your girlfriend's best friend before your ex does!
Location: Gymnasium Arena
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: +1 Intimacy Rank, +10 Respect (possibly), +5 Physical Resistance
Bonus Reward: Unlocked if done with style.
Consequence of Failure: Lingerie-Related Detention and Emotional Trauma
Machio read it. Re-read it. Blinked.
"Tachibana. Please tell me your best friend isn't nearby."
From behind them, the door burst open with a glitter cloud and a voice shouting:
"HI-CHAAAAN~!"
Enter: Yuzu Aihara. Tachibana's friend since she enter the school . The human embodiment of bubblegum chaos. She wore pink lace thigh-highs and had a habit of talking like a magical girl with ADHD.
"OHMYGOSH, are we doing a panty feeding game?! I LOVE THOSE! I brought my sparkle panties for emergencies!"
Machio's soul left his body.
Matsumi stepped up. "You think you can win this? This is my battlefield."
She pulled out another pair of underwear, this time black with glitter skulls.
"Let the Panty Feeding Battle… BEGIN!"
The gym transformed.
Literally. The System turned it into an arena with floating hearts, slow-motion wind effects, and confetti. Nariyuki somehow became the MC with a microphone made of snacks.
"WELCOME TO THE FIRST ANNUAL FABRIC OF FATE SMACKDOWN! In the left corner, we have MACHIO 'LACY LUNATIC' ARAKI! In the right corner, MATSUMI 'THE UNDERWEAR ENFORCER' MIHARA!"
Yuzu waved. "Hi, I'm the fork!"
Tachibana sat in a throne made of volleyballs, sipping tea. "Let them entertain me."
The battle began.
Machio, shaking, held up a pair of pink bunny-print panties. "Say ahh…"
Yuzu, giggling, opened her mouth.
Matsumi lunged in with black lace. "NO! Eat these! They're silk imported from France!"
Yuzu chewed. "Mmm, tastes like betrayal."
Panties flew.
Tension rose.
Nariyuki narrated every second like it was Olympic figure skating.
"Ohhh, Machio goes for a Double Lacy Dive! Matsumi counters with a Silk Reverse Slam! Yuzu has no idea what's happening but is vibing!"
At the final second, Machio pulled out Tachibana's emergency frilly red pair.
Everyone gasped.
He held them to Yuzu.
"Do it for love!" he cried.
Yuzu bit them.
DING!
Quest Complete!
Winner: Machio Araki
Bonus Style Points: +69
Unlock: Title – "Lover of Lingerie, Defender of Dignity"
Tachibana clapped once, very slowly. "You have pleased me, underwear knight."
Matsumi screamed into her blazer.
Yuzu burped softly. "I think I'm full."
Nariyuki high-fived a wall. "This is the best day of my life."
Machio collapsed.
"To be continued…" the system whispered ominously.
Next time on Nariyuki try to become Panty Thief To Become Famous and Have Threesome With Hot Girls.
Stay Tuned
Side Story : The Interdimensional Cat Café of Secrets
Nariyuki accidentally opened a cursed portal while chasing a stray kitten into an alley—and poof! The trio found themselves in a velvet-laced café where cats served tea and reality bent like overcooked ramen.
Then it happened.
A ghost in fishnet gloves possessed Nariyuki. His eyes sparkled. He struck a pose.
"Oppa Gangnam Style," he whispered.
"Is he… okay?" Machio asked.
Tachibana blinked. "He's possessed by a K-pop ghost. We have 24 hours before he joins a boy band."
As Nariyuki twerked atop a table singing BTS lyrics, the System chimed:
NEW QUEST: Save your friend. Or Stan Forever.