Your Girlfriend Calls Me Daddy

Chapter 103 - 104 | One Problem at a Time is a Lie

They disappeared into fitting rooms. I found a chair near the entrance and sat down. Pulled out my phone. Checked messages.

Nothing from Nolan. Expected. Guy was probably reviewing battle strategies for the hundredth time.

One from Noel in the team group chat. Tomorrow 9am sharp. Don’t be late D’Angelo.

One from Usagi replying. I’ll be there! Good luck everyone!

One from Solana. Reminder all students battle trials begin 10am. Report to your assigned arena 30min early for equipment check.

I responded to the group chat with a thumbs up. Pocketed my phone. Waited.

Ten minutes passed. Mera emerged first wearing the black bra and matching panties over her regular clothes like she was modeling. The saleswoman looked mildly scandalized but held her professional composure.

"What do you think?" Mera asked.

"Looks good."

"Just good?"

"Looks great."

"Better." She disappeared back into the fitting room.

Cheon came out next. She’d tried on the blue lace set. Kept her skirt on but the bra was visible under her unbuttoned shirt. Her face was bright red. Her hands kept tugging at the fabric like she wanted to cover up.

"This is too revealing."

"It fits perfectly," the saleswoman said.

"That’s not the issue."

"Then what is?"

Cheon glanced at me. Then away. "It’s impractical."

"It’s lingerie. Impractical is the point."

Mera stuck her head out of her fitting room. "Cheon you look hot. Buy it."

"I look indecent."

"Same thing."

I stood and walked over. Cheon’s hands stopped fidgeting with the bra. Her breathing got faster. The drain opened automatically. Not wide. Just a trickle. Enough to taste her Essentia sparking against mine like static electricity.

"You look good," I said. Kept my voice low. "The blue works."

"You’re just saying that."

"I’m not."

"How would you know?"

"Because I can see you."

Her grey eyes locked onto mine. The drain pulsed wider for two seconds. Her Essentia flooded through warm and bright and tasting like honey mixed with lightning. Then she pulled back. Physically and energetically. The drain snapped shut.

"I’ll take this one," she said to the saleswoman. "And the green set Mera picked."

"Excellent choice."

Cheon retreated into the fitting room without looking at me again. I returned to my chair. Mera emerged fully dressed with an armful of selections.

"Got everything I need. Your turn to suffer Panda."

Cheon’s muffled voice came through the door. "I’m almost done."

"Take your time. We have all afternoon."

Another twenty minutes of trying things on and consultations between the three of them. Eventually both women emerged with final selections. Mera had black, red, purple, and something that looked like it was made entirely of straps. Cheon had blue, green, white, and one black set that Mera had insisted on.

The saleswoman rang everything up. I handed over my card without looking at the total. Didn’t matter. Money was something I had and they needed clothes. Simple transaction.

We left the store with two large bags each. Moved to a department store for basics. Toothbrushes, skincare products, hairbrushes. Cheon took charge here. Made sure we got duplicates of everything. Organized the items by category as we shopped.

Mera kept poking me whenever Cheon wasn’t looking.

"What?" I asked for the fifth time.

"You’re thinking about Aurora."

"I’m thinking about tomorrow."

"Liar. You’ve got that look."

"What look?"

"The one you get when you’re planning something."

"I’m not planning anything."

Her tail wrapped around my leg. Squeezed. "Want to know what happened during our meeting?"

"Not particularly."

"Telling you anyway." She pulled me aside near a display of body wash. Cheon was comparing ingredient labels thirty feet away. "Aurora sat across from Nolan instead of next to him. First time she’s done that. Nolan noticed. Looked hurt."

"So?"

"So she was avoiding him. On purpose."

"Maybe she wanted space."

"Nope. She wanted distance. There’s a difference." Mera’s grin was pure satisfaction. "Then I mentioned you. Her whole body language changed. Got defensive. Started asking why you told me about coffee."

"What did you say?"

"That you mention lots of things. That you probably noticed she was hot."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because it’s true and I wanted to see how she’d react."

"How did she react?"

"Nolan dropped his pen. Aurora looked like she wanted to disappear. I had fun."

Cheon appeared beside us with a basket full of toiletries. "What are you two talking about?"

"Aurora," Mera said.

"Again?"

"She’s interesting right now."

"She’s Nolan’s girlfriend."

"Secret girlfriend," I corrected. "And apparently having second thoughts based on Mera’s intel."

Cheon set the basket down. "That’s not our business."

"It is if Rome’s drain is affecting her without consent."

"It was barely ten seconds of hand contact."

"Ten seconds is enough apparently." Mera looked at me. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Boring answer."

"Honest answer. I’m focused on tomorrow. Everything else can wait."

We finished shopping. Casual clothes next. Jeans and shirts and comfortable things for wearing around the apartment. Mera picked bright colors. Cheon stuck with neutrals. I carried bags and tried not to think about Aurora’s hand trembling in mine.

The drain had opened automatically. That was new. Or maybe not new but newly noticeable. Either way it meant my control was slipping or the ability was evolving past what I understood.

Neither option was great.

We loaded everything into the trunk. Marco started the engine and pulled out of the parking structure. The sun was setting properly now. Painting the city in gold and shadow.

Mera’s head rested against my shoulder. "Tomorrow’s going to be interesting."

"Tomorrow’s going to be exhausting."

"Same thing." Her fingers traced patterns on my thigh. "You nervous?"

"A little."

"Don’t be. Your team’s good. You’ll win."

Cheon glanced over. "Confidence without preparation is just arrogance."

"Good thing we’re prepared then."

"Are we?"

"Noel knows her role. Usagi’s finding confidence. Rome has whatever bullshit abilities he’s copied. We’re ready."

I wanted to believe her. Really did. But the quest timer in my peripheral vision showed eighteen hours remaining. Team Two against whoever we drew. Noel’s grudge. Usagi’s nerves. My ability set that most of the class still didn’t fully understand.

And Aurora sitting in some dorm room probably still feeling the warmth from where our hands touched.

The system wanted me to build a harem. Fine. But every girl I pulled in created new complications. New relationships to manage. New feelings to navigate.

Mera on one side. Cheon on the other. Aurora somewhere ahead in territory I hadn’t mapped yet.

The car turned toward my building. Marco navigated evening traffic with practiced ease. Mera’s tail curled tighter around my leg. Cheon’s hand found mine on the seat between us.

"You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"You look stressed."

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"Tomorrow. Aurora. Everything."

Her fingers squeezed. "One problem at a time."

"That’s what I’m trying to do."

"Good. Then stop overthinking and focus on tonight."

Mera lifted her head. "What’s tonight?"

"Whatever we want it to be."

"I like that answer."

The Mercedes pulled into the garage. We unloaded bags and rode the elevator up. My apartment door unlocked with a beep. Inside everything was exactly as we’d left it that morning.

Except now two women had wardrobes here. Had space in my closet and drawers and bathroom. Had claimed territory in ways that felt both temporary and permanent.

I set the bags down. Mera immediately started unpacking. Cheon organized everything by category first. I watched them move through my space like they belonged there.

Maybe they did.