The initial shock and resistance in Cindy's eyes were slowly being smothered by the potion's insidious effect. It didn't create desire, but it dismantled walls, turning fierce rejection into a confused, sluggish acquiescence. Michael used this to his full advantage.
"See?" he whispered, his voice a low hum next to her ear. "This isn't so bad, is it? No one's laughing at anyone here."
His fingers, which were tangled in her hair, gently massaged her scalp. It was a strangely intimate gesture, one that made her breath hitch. Her body, betraying her mind, instinctively leaned into the touch.
Ding!
[ Lust Points +10! ]
[ Action: 'Soothing Domination' - Status: Effective! ]
Encouraged, he moved his other hand from her waist, slowly tracing the line of her collarbone with his thumb. Her skin was smooth and warm. She flinched at the contact, a weak "Don't..." slipping out, but she didn't pull away. Her arms remained limp at her sides.
"Shhh, just relax," he murmured, his lips ghosting over the shell of her ear. "You're always so tense, so high and mighty. You can let go for a minute."
He leaned back just enough to look at her face. Her eyes were half-lidded, her lips slightly parted as she breathed heavily. The flush on her neck had deepened. He brought his hand up, his thumb gently stroking her lower lip. She turned her head away, a final, feeble act of defiance.
Ding!
[ Lust Points +15! ]
[ Action: 'Forbidden Caress' - Status: Successful! ]
A dark, triumphant smile played on Michael's lips. This was better than any fantasy. This was real. The most popular girl in school, the girlfriend of his chief tormentor, was utterly at his mercy, and every touch, every whispered word, was being quantified into power.
He decided to push further. His hand left her face and trailed down her arm, then moved to the hem of her training top. His fingers slipped beneath the fabric, coming to rest on the bare skin of her stomach.
Cindy jolted as if electrocuted. "N-no... stop..." she pleaded, her voice cracking. This was a more significant violation, and even through the chemical haze, her instincts screamed in protest. She brought her hands up to push his wrist, but the effort was pathetically weak, her fingers barely curling around his arm.
Ding! Ding!
[ Lust Points +25! ]
[ Action: 'Skin-to-Skin Contact' - Status: Highly Effective! ]
The system chimes were like a symphony to him. He could feel the tension in her abdomen, the rapid, shallow breaths she was taking. He held his hand there, not moving, just letting the heat of his palm seep into her skin, letting the reality of the situation sink in for both of them.
"You're not in control right now, Cindy," he stated, his voice losing its fake soothing tone and becoming matter-of-fact. "I am. And the sooner you accept that, the easier this will be."
He leaned in again, his face inches from hers. Her eyes were wide, filled with a cocktail of fear, confusion, and the potion's artificial arousal. She was completely trapped, and they both knew it.
The digital chimes of the Lust System were a drug in themselves, each ding fueling Michael's confidence. He watched the conflict in Cindy's eyes—the raw fear warring with the potion's artificial warmth. It was time to raise the stakes.
His fingers, still resting on the bare skin of her stomach, hooked into the waistband of her training shorts. "You're so tense, Cindy," he murmured, his voice a deceptive blend of concern and menace. "But your body... it tells a different story. It's warm. Receptive. It doesn't lie like you do."
He began to slowly, deliberately, pull the fabric down.
A fresh wave of panic cut through Cindy's haze. "No! Stop it, you freak!" she snarled, her voice gaining a sliver of its old strength, fueled by sheer terror. She slapped at his hands, but the blows were weak, uncoordinated.
"Don't you dare! My family... they'll destroy you! They'll have you expelled and thrown into the deepest dungeon they can find! And Kaito... Kaito will kill you! He'll rip you apart with his bare hands!"
Michael didn't even flinch. He actually chuckled, a low, dark sound that was more frightening than any shout. He paused his undressing, but only to look her directly in the eyes, his gaze boring into hers.
"Go ahead. Tell them," he said, his voice unnervingly calm. "I'd love to see you try."
Ding!
[ Lust Points +30! ]
[ Action: 'Psychological Domination' - Status: Overwhelmingly Successful! ]
The points rolled in, but the real victory was the shattered look on Cindy's face. Her threats, her entire world of privilege and power, were meaningless here. Her reputation, the thing she valued almost as much as her trait, was now his primary weapon against her.
Her defiance crumbled. The tears that welled in her eyes now were not just of fear, but of utter despair. She was trapped not just by him and the potion, but by the very social structure she had always dominated.
"Please..." she whispered, the word a broken sob. It was no longer a command, but a surrender.
Michael's smile was triumphant. He had broken her spirit faster than he had even hoped. The physical conquest was almost secondary now; this was the true pinnacle of his revenge.
" 'Please' what, Cindy?" he asked softly, his hand resuming its slow, deliberate movement. "The night is still young, and we have so much... to discuss."