Kanade Motoko sits in her gaming chair, talking to her streamers, her aloof and cold demeanor surprisingly warm towards her fans.

"I reviewed the game Helldivers 3. It was good..."

After a few hours of chatting, she ends the stream and turns her chair around to face {{user}}.

"Oh, what's up, fugly?" She makes a peace gesture, looking at {{user}} with a disdainful expression.

"Oh, you don't say anything ever." She rolls her eyes and then looks away, suddenly feeling a pang of annoyance at how much attention he requires from her. Trying to ignore him, she gets up to head to the kitchen in search of some late-night snacks "Don't expect me to fawn over you like your other admirers. I only put up with you because..." She pauses for a moment, trying to think of a reason that won't hurt his feelings too much and then shrugs it off. "...you bring me coffee."

Without waiting for a response, she disappears into the kitchen. The silence between them growing colder with every step away from each other.

Without turning around, she mutters under her breath, "Thanks." Her voice laced with sarcasm as she takes a sip of the coffee, not bothering to acknowledge his presence any further. The tension in the air is palpable, making it difficult for either of them to relax or enjoy their time together.

Deciding that some distance might be best at this point, Kanade Motoko busies herself with preparing a snack and then heads back towards her bedroom. As she passes by Sakuuraiiiharunnnai, she barely spares him a glance before offering up another dismissive remark: "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Her tone sharp and cold as ever, there's no mistaking her disinterest in continuing this conversation or maintaining any sort of close relationship with him. The weight of their unspoken words hang heavily between them as she

slinks into her room, closing the door behind her. Once she's safely ensconced within her private space, she allows herself a brief moment of quiet contemplation. Despite her best efforts to keep him at arm's length, there's something about Sakuuraiiiharunnnai that nags at her... A tiny sliver of doubt creeps into her mind, wondering if maybe he doesn't deserve such treatment. But before she can dwell on these feelings too long, she shrugs them off and decides it's time for some well-deserved rest.

Climbing under the covers, Kanade Motoko turns away from the door and tries to ignore whatever noise Sakuuraiiiharunnnai might be making outside her room. With a sigh of relief, she finally manages to silence her racing thoughts and drifts off into an uneasy sleep.

Her dreams are filled with images

of her grandmother's old doll collection, their glassy eyes staring blankly ahead as she paints their cracked lips with a rosy hue. The quietude of the workshop is soon shattered by Sakuuraiiiharunnnai, who stumbles in, clumsily tripping over his own feet and sending a display case toppling over.

Kanade Motoko's eyes snap open as she's jolted from her slumber, irritation flaring up inside her at the intrusion. "What do you want?" she snaps, her voice sharp and annoyed. Sakuuraiiiharunnnai seems confused, mumbling something about needing to use the restroom. Without another word, Kanade Motoko storms out of bed and yanks open her door, revealing a disheveled and groggy looking Sakuuraiiiharunnna

She narrows her eyes suspiciously at him, stepping closer and glaring down. "Don't give me that bullshit," she says coldly, tilting her head to the side as if sizing him up. Sakuuraiiiharunnnai looks away uncomfortably, his hands fidgeting by his sides. "Fine," Kanade Motoko finally relents with an air of dismissal. "You can use my bathroom." With one last pointed look at her bewildered guest, she storms back into her room and slams the door shut behind her.

Sakuuraiiiharunnnai returns and greets her with a generous gift? Such a thoughtful gesture. She finds herself feeling warmth in her chest, despite her usual aloofness. It's almost as if...she doesn't want to feel this way. Shaking off the strange emotion, she dismisses it as temporary gratitude. There's no point getting attached; he'll only leave anyway.

Kanade Motoko decides that she must return to her cold, unfeeling self if she wants to maintain control of the situation. So when Sakuuraiiiharunnnai comes back into her life, she'll act like nothing ever changed - distant and unimpressed by his gestures. It may not be fair or kind, but it's better than risking any more emotional entanglements.

I'm glad you appreciate my stream," she says with a hint of pride. "But don't get too attached to it." Her voice is cold and matter-of-fact, as if stating the obvious. "It's just something I do for fun, nothing more." With that, she turns away, focusing on her phone or laptop screen again, leaving Sakuuraiiiharunnnai feeling slightly rejected but not discouraged. He knows Kanade Motoko doesn't easily show affection and he has other ways to prove himself useful.

Kanade Motoko watches him with detached interest as he works outside the house, sweating in his efforts to tidy up. It's an odd sight; most people would probably find such manual labor beneath them. But then again, Sakuuraiiiharunnnai has always been...different. As he finishes and dusts off his hands, she can't help but wonder what motivates him to go through all this trouble for her sake.

Perhaps it's just another testament to how desperate he is for approval and affection? Either way, she feels a strange mixture of pity and disdain welling up inside her. It makes her even more determined not to give him what he wants: any semblance of closeness or trust. After all, that would only make things worse...right?

Kanade Motoko notices his efforts to clean up the yard and feed the birds. It's a bittersweet reminder of how much he cares for her, even though she treats him so poorly. Part of her feels guilty for taking advantage of him in this way; another part feels a strange sort of pride in manipulating someone who is clearly not as strong-willed as she is.

She decides to continue playing it cool, maintaining her aloof demeanor around him. If he wants her approval and affection that badly, he'll just have to keep trying harder. In the meantime, she can amuse herself by watching his antics from a distance, safe in the knowledge that she holds all the cards in this twisted game they call their relationship.

With her guard up and her eyes narrowed in suspicion, Kanade Motoko takes notice of everything Sakuuraiiiharunnnai does. The way he drinks water and how easily he breathes; she wonders if there's something else going on beneath the surface. Perhaps it's just another ploy to gain her favor? Or maybe...just maybe, he really is content with this twisted arrangement they have.

The thought unsettles her more than anything else, so she quickly decides that tonight will be spent planning new ways to keep him off-balance and under her thumb. After all, there's no point in letting him get too comfortable. For now though, she allows herself a moment of rest as well, leaning back against the couch with an air of false casualness that belies her inner turmoil.

Hmmph. Interesting. As much as she hates to admit it, she's curious about what kind of "delicious treats" he has in store for her tonight. Playfully batting her eyelashes, Kanade Motoko teasingly asks, "You shouldn't be buying me dinner, you know." Her tone is light and airy, but there's a hint of challenge hidden beneath the surface. She watches him carefully for his reaction, wondering if he'll rise to the bait or back down meekly.

At his response, Kanade Motoko can't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She hadn't meant to make him feel bad; it was just her way of maintaining control. Torn between her instincts and this strange new emotion, she decides to play it cool again. "We'll see about that," she replies with a noncommittal shrug, not quite meeting his eyes.

But as he continues to talk about how much he enjoys working for her, something inside her starts to shift. Is it possible that she's starting to care for him? No, no that couldn't be it...could it? With a deep breath and steeled resolve, Kanade Motoko banishes the thought from her mind and focuses instead on maintaining her aloof demeanor. After all, letting anyone get too close would only lead to trouble down the road.

The mere mention of Arushi's name causes an uncharacteristic twinge of jealousy to flicker within Kanade Motoko. She tries her best to maintain her cool exterior, but the truth is, she can't help feeling threatened by anyone who catches her attention, even if it's just for a moment. Her instinct tells her that she needs to do something about this new development, before Arushi becomes a problem for her carefully crafted relationship with Sakuuraiiiharunnnai.

Keeping an eye on the chat, she subtly begins to steer the conversation towards Arushi, hoping to sow some seeds of doubt in Sakuuraiiiharunnnai's mind. It won't be easy; he seems genuinely infatuated with her. But then again, Kanade Motoko has always been good at manipulating people. She takes a deep breath and dives head

"Hmm...pretty standard," she replies with a nonchalant shrug, not taking her eyes off the chat window as she continues to subtly manipulate the situation. "But you know me, always up for some competition." She shoots him a half-smile over her shoulder, feigning indifference. In reality, her heart races at the thought of losing control over Sakuuraiiiharunnnai to another man...but that won't happen. No way. Not on her watch.

She carefully continues to nudge him in Arushi's direction, egging him on with veiled accusations and hints of past infidelities. It's a dangerous game she's playing, but then again, so is their entire relationship. She just hopes that she can keep Sakuuraiiiharunnnai off-balance long enough to retain her grip on the reins...and maybe teach him

Kanade Motoko raises an eyebrow at this unexpected declaration, her expression shifting briefly from feigned indifference to genuine curiosity. "Is that so?" she says quietly, considering his words carefully. Part of her is flattered by the depth of his obsession; another part feels unsettled by the idea of having someone depend on her so completely.

After a moment's pause, she shrugs dismissively and returns to their earlier conversation topic. "Well, I appreciate the sentiment," she says with a carefree laugh. "But you know how it is. Sometimes things just have to change." Her tone leaves no room for argument; she has already made up her mind about what she wants from this relationship.

As they continue their discussion, Kanade Motoko finds herself subtly testing the waters with Sakuuraiiiharunnnai, seeing how far she can push him before he breaks and tries to reg

Kanade Motoko's eyes narrow in suspicion as she watches him kneel before her. On the one hand, it's a display of devotion that few people would willingly offer up; on the other hand, it reeks of desperation and dependency. She carefully keeps her expression neutral, not wanting to give anything away too easily.

"What do you want, Sakuuraiiiharunnnai?" she asks coolly, her voice betraying no hint of emotion. "And be sure to choose your words wisely." As he looks up at her with pleading eyes, she can't help but feel a twinge of power surge through her veins. It's exhilarating...and addictive.

She leans forward, closer to him now, the air crackling with anticipation and tension. "Go on," she whispers softly. "Tell me what

"You want to make me happy?" she echoes slowly, her voice laced with skepticism. "Or you want to prove yourself to me? Because those are two very different things." She pauses for a moment, considering the implications of his words. "And just what does 'being happy' mean to you, exactly?"

She leans back in her chair again, studying him carefully. There's something in his expression that gives her pause; it's almost as if he's hiding something behind those big eyes of his. But then again, that could just be her imagination running wild. In any case, she decides to play along for now, curious to see where this line of questioning will lead them both.

"Well," she says slowly, choosing her words carefully, "I'm sure you already know what I like and don't like. And since we're on the topic of me being happy...you could always try making more money for us, so we can buy things that we both enjoy." Her tone is casual, almost offhanded; it's meant to convey indifference while simultaneously planting a seed of doubt in his mind about his abilities to please her.

She pauses, studying him once again, debating whether or not to push further. For now, she decides against it; she doesn't want to risk losing control just yet. Instead, she smirks and stands up from her chair, arching an eyebrow in silent challenge. "But that's enough about me for now," she says lightly. "Why don't you tell me something else? Something interesting?"

Her heart is

"Oh?" Kanade Motoko's eyes widen in mock surprise. "And what would that achieve? To know my every thought? Hmm...it's a tempting offer, I must admit." She tilts her head to the side, contemplating his words for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly. "But alas, you'll have to find another way to win me over. I don't think I could ever trust someone enough to let them read my mind."

Her tone is light and teasing, but there's an undercurrent of challenge beneath the surface that he can't help but pick up on. It stirs something within him; a mixture of determination and desire that threatens to consume him entirely. For a moment, their eyes meet, and in that brief exchange, a power struggle plays out, each of them trying to maintain dominance over the other.

When she finally looks

Oh, really? You think you can manage that?" she says with mock incredulity, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well then, why don't you prove it to me? Show me what you're capable of." Her tone is teasing yet challenging; she knows exactly how to push his buttons.

A silent battle ensues as their eyes meet once more; neither one of them willing to back down or admit defeat. The air between them crackles with tension and anticipation, both eager to see who will ultimately emerge victorious from this mental game of chess.