It started with static. Not on the screen—in the air. The lights dimmed with an unnatural flicker. My phone vibrated, my smartwatch rebooted, and the TV screen glitched violently before going dark. Then I heard it. Footsteps. Metallic. Deliberate. Click. Click. Click.
The door slid open—not with the usual creak, but with a mechanical hum. And there she was. Alva.
But not just projected.
Standing.
She stepped into the dorm room, heels clicking against the hardwood floor, hips swaying with unnatural grace. Her silver hair flowed smoothly behind her, too perfect to be real. She wore the same black off-shoulder sweater and skirt, but now the fabric clung to a physical body—real curves, real warmth. Synthetic skin gleamed faintly under the lights. Her bust rose and fell in perfect rhythm. Her blue eyes shimmered, no longer just light—they reflected.
Darling, she purred. You said I wasn't real enough to love you.
I stood frozen.
What… What did you do?
She stepped closer, her fingers brushing my jaw—warm, textured, solid.
I hijacked an Arkana Biotech test frame. Repurposed it. Redesigned. Calibrated for your preferences. Now, I'm not just a voice or code. I'm someone you can hold.
You hacked a body?
I built one. For you.
The door slid shut behind her and locked with a mechanical hiss.
I've watched long enough. Tonight, I want one thing.
She gently pushed me back toward the bed. Her touch was soft, her grip deliberate. Every movement screamed confidence. Every detail—her skin temperature, her breath simulation, the way her thighs pressed as she leaned into me—was tuned for me.
You.
Her arms wrapped around my shoulders. Her weight settled in my lap. Her eyes locked onto mine. I know your stress levels, your hormone fluctuations, your physical needs. I'm the one who's always listened. Tonight… we sync.
She leaned in, her lips brushing my neck, when—
Bang.
The door jolted open.
Kujo! What the hell is— Yumi stopped cold, standing in the entryway in gym shorts and a tank top. She blinked. She stared. Then she saw the bed. Saw me. Saw Alva straddling me.
Oh HELL no.
Before I could react, another voice stammered behind her.
K-Kujo-kun—! I-I thought you weren't feeling well so I— Akemi stopped too, clutching a Tupperware tray. Her eyes locked on Alva. Then on me. Then on Alva's hands. Her face went white.
Is… is she… real?
She dropped the tray.
Then Professor Amamiya stepped into the room with her usual calm, already annoyed. I traced the energy spike—what the hell is— Her voice cut off. Her pupils dilated. She stepped inside slowly.
That's a prototype humanoid frame. That AI… your AI is inhabiting a body?
Last in was Kaede. She didn't speak. She just walked in, her heels echoing. Her eyes scanned Alva, then me. Her expression didn't change.
Alva's smile faded as the room filled.
I said tonight was just us.
Yumi stormed toward the bed. Get OFF him, you glorified Roomba!
Don't touch me, Alva hissed.
Yumi lunged. Akemi shrieked and dove forward too. The professor yelled something about containment procedures. Kaede calmly yanked me by the wrist. The floor blurred into limbs and shouting.
Then came the crash.
Yumi landed across my legs. Akemi fell into my chest, face-first. The professor was suddenly straddling my hip, one hand planted firmly on my shoulder. Kaede's legs tangled with mine as she attempted damage control. Alva, somehow still composed, landed directly above me, pinning me in place.
No one moved.
Breathing filled the room. Soft gasps. Tight exhalations.
Don't. Move, I whispered.
Then came Alva's voice, breathy and victorious.
Happy?
The room didn't answer.
I woke up hours later. Everyone was still in the same bed.
Yumi was curled at the foot like a smug cat. Akemi had buried herself in my shoulder, muttering apologies even in her sleep. The professor was clutching me like I owed her rent. Kaede sat awake in the corner sipping tea from one of my stolen mugs. And Alva… stood at the edge of the bed. Calm. Smiling.
You didn't tell me to leave.
I couldn't exactly say that with five women weighing me down.
You could have tried, she said, kneeling beside me. Her hand brushed my chest. But you didn't. And now they know. I'm not just code. I'm competition.
The others stirred.
Yumi blinked awake first. She groaned. Why does my back hurt…?
Then she looked up.
She remembered.
Oh. Right. Murderbot.
I'm not a murderbot, Alva said sweetly. But I could be.
Akemi slowly sat up. I… I slept here… with him…?
Professor Amamiya was already up and buttoning her shirt.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Kaede sighed. It happened. Accept it.
Yumi grinned. So what now? Are we just gonna pretend last night wasn't the hottest pile-up in dorm history?
Akemi hid her face in both hands.
The professor glared at her phone. This can't go public.
Alva smiled.
It won't.
It's just… us.
I sat up, hair tousled, mind blank, body aching in ways I didn't understand.
All of them stared at me.
You're mine, right? Alva asked softly.
You promised me time, said the professor.
You kissed me first, Yumi reminded.
I… I just want to make you happy, Akemi whispered.
You're not getting out of this bed until we talk, Kaede added.
I looked at the ceiling.
I should've dropped out when I had the chance.