My Scumbag System-Chapter 270: This Balcony Scene is a Critical Success

I stopped my approach. Watched the scene with something unexpected blooming in my chest. Pride. Genuine pride.

I wasn’t building a flock of sheep. I was building a pack of wolves.

I made my way back to the booth. Emi had already returned and was checking on Soomin. As I approached, a hand grabbed my tie. Yanked me sideways. I looked down to find Natalia. Her purple eyes blazing.

"My turn," she hissed. Pulled me toward the dance floor.

As if on cue, the DJ switched to a slower, more sensual track. Heavy bass line that vibrated through the floor. The lights dimmed. Cast the dancers in shadows punctuated by occasional flashes of blue and purple.

Natalia pulled me close. Her body flush against mine. This wasn’t the playful dance I’d shared with Emi. This was war. Fought with hands and hips and whispered words. Her nails scratched lightly down my back as she pressed closer.

"Having fun playing with your new toys?" she whispered. Her lips brushed against my ear.

I slid my hands down her back. Cupped her ass and pulled her tighter against me. "Just keeping them sharp for my Queen."

She bit my earlobe in response. Hard enough to make me wince. "Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing."

"And what am I doing?"

"Testing boundaries. Pushing buttons." Her hips ground against mine in a slow circle. "My buttons, specifically."

"You’re imagining things."

"Am I?" Her hand slid between us. Brushed against the front of my pants. "This says otherwise."

I caught her wrist. Brought her hand back up between us. "Careful. People are watching."

"Let them." Her eyes held a challenge. "Maybe they’ll learn who you belong to."

I spun her suddenly. Pulled her back against my chest. My lips brushed the shell of her ear. "Possessive today, aren’t we?"

"You have no idea."

As the song reached its climax, I dipped her low. Her back arched perfectly. Her purple hair nearly touched the floor. Her lips parted in expectation as I leaned in. My face hovering inches above hers. The world around us faded away. The music, the lights, the crowd. There was only Natalia. Her eyes fluttering closed.

I flicked her forehead with my finger.

Her eyes snapped open in shock and outrage as I pulled her back up. "Patience, my dear," I whispered. For her ears only.

"You absolute..." She cut herself off. Aware of our audience. Her expression settled into a controlled mask. But her eyes promised violence.

As we walked off the floor, she grabbed my arm. Her nails digging in painfully. "Later," she whispered furiously. "And you better not have kissed anyone else by then. I mean it, Satori."

I checked the quest timer. Just over an hour to midnight. Time was running out.

I surveyed the club. Emi was talking with Soomin. Kept glancing my way. Her expression hurt and confused after witnessing my dance with Natalia. Soomin was still recovering from her encounter with the handsy Viper student. Carmen was nowhere to be seen. Probably challenging Braxton to a drinking contest somewhere.

That left one target.

I found Skylar on the club’s outdoor balcony. She leaned against the railing. Looking down at the city lights spread out below. A glass of something amber rested in her hand. Her headphones were back in place. Though only covering one ear.

"Nice knife work back there," I said. Joined her at the railing.

She didn’t look at me. "He was an asshole."

"Agreed."

"I wanted to stab him."

"I’m glad you showed restraint."

"Barely." She took a sip of her drink. "What do you want, Satori?"

"Can’t I just enjoy the view?"

"You can. Somewhere else."

We stood in silence for a moment. Looking out at the city. The music from inside was muffled here. Replaced by the distant sounds of traffic and the wind.

"The simulation today," I said finally. "That was impressive."

She glanced at me. Her expression guarded. "It was adequate."

"Better than adequate. We broke the record."

"Barely."

"Still counts."

Another silence. Less strained than the first.

"Why are you really out here, Skylar?"

She sighed. Removed her headphones completely. "I hate crowds. I hate small talk. I hate pretending to be impressed by people who aren’t impressive."

"So you hide on balconies."

"I don’t hide. I strategically relocate."

"Of course. My mistake."

The ghost of a smile touched her lips. "At least you admit it."

I checked the quest timer again. Thirty minutes to midnight. It was now or never.

"You know," I said carefully. "You never answered my question. In the simulation."

She raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"About what you see now. When you look at me."

Skylar studied me for a long moment. Her violet eyes unreadable in the dim light. "I’m still deciding."

"And what’s the current frontrunner?"

She turned to face me fully. Set her glass on the railing. "You’re dangerous. That much is obvious. You’re manipulative. Also obvious. But there’s something else." She tilted her head slightly. "You actually care."

"Is that a compliment?"

"It’s an observation."

I moved closer to her. Testing the waters. She didn’t back away. "Any other observations?"

"You dance well. For a stray dog."

"High praise from someone who refused to dance at all."

"I have standards."

"And I don’t meet them?"

"I didn’t say that." She looked up at me. Her expression softer than I’d ever seen it. "Maybe you’re working your way up to adequate."

I laughed softly. "Progress."

The timer showed fifteen minutes to midnight. I had to act now.

"Skylar," I said. My voice low. "I’m going to try something. Feel free to stab me if you object."

Before she could respond, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.

For a moment, she froze completely. I prepared for the feel of her knife between my ribs.

Then, to my surprise, she kissed me back. Active participation. Her hands came up to my chest. Fisted in my shirt as she pulled me closer.

The kiss was nothing like I’d expected. A conversation. A negotiation. Give and take in perfect balance. Her lips were soft. She tasted faintly of whatever she’d been drinking. Whiskey, maybe. With a hint of something sweeter.

The quest timer disappeared from my vision. Success.

But I found I wasn’t in any hurry to end the kiss. Neither, apparently, was Skylar. Her arms wound around my neck. Her body pressed against mine as the kiss deepened.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing harder than normal. She looked up at me. Her violet eyes wide with surprise. As if she couldn’t quite believe what had just happened.

"Well," she said. Her voice slightly unsteady. "That was..."

"Adequate?" I suggested.

She laughed. A real, genuine laugh that transformed her face completely. "Shut up, Stray Dog."

And she pulled me in for another kiss.

This one was different from the first. Less tentative. More sure of itself. She bit my lower lip gently. I responded by pulling her closer. One hand tangling in her pink and indigo hair. The other sliding down to the small of her back.

She made a small noise in the back of her throat. Something between surprise and approval. Her nails dug into my shoulders through my shirt.

We broke apart again. Both of us slightly dazed.

"So," I said. My voice rougher than usual. "Still deciding what you see when you look at me?"

She considered this. Her lips were slightly swollen. Her usual bored expression had been replaced by something more open. More vulnerable.

"Maybe I’ve made up my mind," she said finally.

"And?"

"And you’re still an arrogant stray dog who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else."

"But?"

"But maybe that’s not entirely a bad thing." She touched her lips. Like she was confirming what had just happened was real.

"Maybe you’re worth the risk."

I knew what she meant.

I cupped her face in my hand. My thumb brushing across her cheek.

"For what it’s worth, you’re worth the risk too."