Netori: I Shall Steal All Of My Enemies' Women For Revenge!

Haruto was tidying up his school desk, slipping notebooks and pens into his bag, when his phone suddenly buzzed. The screen lit up with a call from an unknown number.

He lifted a brow, debating whether to answer. It could easily be spam, but his mood was unusually good today.

After a moment's thought, he shrugged and swiped to accept the call.

"Hello? Who's this?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, his tone casual.

There was a brief pause before a familiar voice responded.

"Is this… Haruto?" a woman's voice echoed through the speaker, soft but unmistakable.

Haruto straightened, his brow furrowing. "Yeah. This is… Wait—Erika?" His tone shifted, suspicion creeping in.

Her voice had been etched in his mind ever since he'd seen her with Ren at the aquarium.

"Yeah, it's me." Erika's voice softened, but there was a hint of hesitation. "I wanted to talk to you for a bit. Do you have time?"

Haruto's lips twitched into a faint smirk. 'Perfect timing.'

He'd been meaning to talk to her brother, Arataki, about what he saw.

"Funny you called. I'm meeting up with your brother today," he said, his tone light, but his eyes sharpened.

'She probably wants to talk about that aquarium incident.'

There was a slight pause before Erika's voice grew more troubled.

"Ah… About that," she murmured, almost guilty. "Can you keep this a secret from my little brother?"

Haruto's eyes widened at her request. His thoughts raced.

'Wouldn't this be the perfect chance to expose what I saw to Arataki? The gang wouldn't let something like that slide.'

But something about Erika's tone made him hesitate. 'There's more to this story, isn't there?'

After a beat, he sighed. "I can't promise anything… but fine. Let's meet."

"Thank you," Erika replied, relief evident in her voice. "Let's meet at Cappi Café. I'll text you the time."

The call ended, leaving Haruto staring at his phone screen, deep in thought.

He hadn't told Erika what he saw yet, but he planned to bring it up with Arataki soon. Still, her insistence on keeping things secret piqued his curiosity.

With a long exhale, he stood up and grabbed his bag.

"Ren…" he murmured, his expression darkening. "You're supposed to be next on my list. Let's see what you did to make Erika act like this."

Determined, Haruto left the classroom, ready to uncover the truth.

***

The Cappi Café was a cozy spot with an adorable capybara theme. Plush toys sat on the shelves, capybara-shaped statues stood near the entrance, and even the chairs resembled the round heads of the beloved animal.

The menu followed the theme too, featuring items like "Capy-burgers" and "Carrot Capy Juices."

Haruto sat at a table near the window, a capybara-themed burger on a plate before him. It had gone cold. He wasn't hungry—his appetite had vanished the moment he saw Erika walk in.

The cheerful atmosphere of the café did little to lighten the tension between them.

Erika sat across from him, nervously sipping her carrot juice through a straw. Her eyes wandered everywhere but toward him.

Haruto leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. His patience was wearing thin.

"So… What do you want to talk about?" he asked, his voice steady but edged with impatience.

Erika nearly choked on her drink, coughing as she quickly set the glass down. "Ah… um, maybe you should eat first. Your food's already cold," she said, pointing at his plate with an awkward smile.

Haruto shook his head. "I'm not in the mood to eat. Let's get to the point." His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. "I'm not here to play games."

Erika sighed, stirring her straw absentmindedly. "You're supposed to be the nonchalant, cool type… Why do you suddenly care about me like this?" Her voice was soft, almost teasing, but there was a nervous edge to it.

"Because I do care!" Haruto's voice rose, startling the nearby customers. He leaned forward, his expression dark.

"Don't you know how insane the guy you were with at the aquarium is? Even the devil would be ashamed to associate with him!"

"Shhh!" Erika hissed, frantically waving at the staring customers. She gave them a polite bow. "Sorry, sorry."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Haruto stood up, glaring at the onlookers. "What the hell are you looking at? Eat your damn food!" His voice carried across the café, making the patrons quickly avert their eyes.

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"Haruto!" Erika whispered harshly. "Sit down!"

With a huff, Haruto dropped back into his seat, crossing his arms again. His jaw clenched as he tried to steady his breathing. "I'm sorry," he muttered after a moment. "I lost my temper."

Erika's dark eyes softened, her serious expression lingering. "I… I invited you here because I thought you'd understand. But seeing you like this… I'm not so sure anymore."

Haruto ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. "I do understand. That's why I'm angry. I don't want you anywhere near that bastard." His voice lowered, the anger replaced by something more vulnerable.

"I know what happens to women who get close to him…"

Erika's fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress. She looked down, avoiding his gaze. "Thank you… for caring," she whispered.

"But this isn't about Ren. It's about my brother. I need you to promise not to mention what happened at the aquarium to him."

Haruto frowned. "Why? He deserves to know."

Erika's voice trembled. "Because I know how my brother is. He acts indifferent, but he cares too much. He always has." Her gaze dropped to the table, where her reflection shimmered faintly on the polished surface.

"He's made sacrifices for me… sacrifices I never asked for. And now he's involved with a gang because of it. I don't want his future to be ruined."

Her voice broke, sadness washing over her features. "I feel sorry for him… really."

Haruto's gaze darkened. His voice, cold and sharp, cut through her like a blade.

"And how do you repay his sacrifices? By going out with the very man who made him like this?"

Erika flinched.

"Don't you realize how worried he is about you? How scared he might be, knowing you're still tangled up with that devil?"

Haruto's tone grew more intense. "He's willing to do anything to protect you, Erika. He's risked everything for you. And you repay him by going back to the one person he swore would never touch you again?"

Erika's hands clenched the fabric of her dress tightly. Her head lowered, shame evident in her posture.

"I… You don't understand," she murmured, her voice trembling.

Haruto's frustration boiled over. "Then tell me! What don't I understand?"

Tears welled in Erika's eyes, spilling down her cheeks as her shoulders shook. Her quiet sobs echoed softly in the cheerful café, creating a stark contrast to the whimsical decor.

Haruto's anger wavered as he watched her cry. He clenched his fists, feeling a pang of guilt twist in his chest. He hadn't meant to push her this far, but seeing her with Ren had hit too close to home.

In his mind, he saw his sister. He had wanted to protect her, too. He'd sacrificed everything for her, only to watch her be destroyed by the same man he wanted to protect from and it was because she willingly did so.

Erika and Haruto sat in heavy silence, broken only by her quiet sobs. The curious gazes of nearby patrons flicked toward their table, but Haruto ignored them, his focus solely on Erika.

"He… he kidnapped me with his gang," she finally confessed, her voice trembling between breaths.

"They beat my ex-boyfriend—he is dying now in the hospital. He said the same thing would happen to my brother if I tried to leave him…"

Haruto's brows furrowed, his hands clenched into fists. "Erika, come on. You're smarter than that. You know gang wont let that happen to your brother, right?" His tone was firm but laced with urgency.

She shook her head, her tears falling freely. "You don't understand. Shohei's brother is still part of that gang and Shohei is your gang boss, even Kikuchi and Nakamura have their limit,"

"I… I can't keep dragging Yuto into this. What if the gang wants more? What if they actually follow through? I can't let that happen to him."

Her voice cracked as she buried her face in her hands. "I'm so scared, Haruto. They're everywhere. If I try to leave, Ren will hurt the people I care about."

"He also said he'd expose Yuto's connection to the gang to our parents… Yuto would be disowned. Our father is strict, he is a politician, his career would be over if that happened."

Her words tumbled out, frantic and choked by sobs. "It's not just my brother. Ren threatened to hurt my friends, too. And me… he's already hurt me. I don't know if I can take it again." Her body trembled as though reliving the pain.

Haruto inhaled deeply, his jaw tightening as he fought to contain his fury. Every fiber of his being wanted to storm out and confront Ren, but he knew better. Instead, he reached across the table, his hand gently covering Erika's.

"Erika," he said softly, his voice steady and reassuring. "You're not alone in this. I'll talk to Arataki, and together, we'll deal with Ren. We don't need the gang for that. Just trust me, okay?"

Erika's teary eyes met his, searching for a flicker of hope.

"For now," Haruto continued, "just reject Ren whenever you can. Keep your distance. We'll figure this out."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his expression softening. "You'll be fine, Erika. I promise."

For a brief moment, her tears began to dry, though the shadows of fear lingered in her eyes. Haruto's resolve hardened—Ren would pay for what he'd done. But for now, Erika needed comfort, and he wouldn't let her down.