Harem Survival System: Stranded On An Island With Beautiful Women

His eyes flicked back to Mia, who was still talking, completely unaware of the notification floating in front of him.

He forced himself to stay calm.

Alright. Alright. This was good information. Very important information.

If he wanted to maximize his survival on this island, he needed to keep building relationships. Strengthening bonds. And apparently… raising Lust, too?

Lucas internally smirked.

'Now that sounded like something he could get behind.'

"Lucas, are you even listening?"

He snapped back to reality again. "Uh — yeah! Of course, Mia. You were saying… something about… uh…"

She sighed. "You're hopeless."

"Hopelessly charming," he corrected, flashing her a wink.

Mia rolled her eyes, but he didn't miss the small smile tugging at her lips.

His gaze flicked back to her stats one last time.

[Affection: 58]

[Trust: 55]

[Lust: 24]

Still a ways to go.

But at this rate? He was feeling pretty damn confident.

Leo sat nearby, watching as Lucas and Mia continued their back-and-forth.

He wasn't trying to eavesdrop — okay, maybe he was — but it was hard not to when the two of them were so damn obvious.

Lucas had game.

Leo had always known it, but actually seeing it in action was something else.

The way Lucas effortlessly tossed out jokes, the way Mia laughed just a little longer than necessary, the way she kept pushing her hair behind her ear while looking at him — it was textbook flirting.

And it worked.

Leo felt an annoying little pang in his chest.

Not because he had a thing for Mia — at least, not that he'd admit — but because he wished he had the same kind of easy confidence Lucas did.

He and Lucas always joked about it, calling it 'the art of the game,' but watching it unfold made it clear — Lucas wasn't just talking about it. He was living it.

Shaking his head, Leo decided to stop torturing himself and turned away, focusing on his food.

Meanwhile, Lucas had no idea he had an audience.

He was too busy teasing Mia.

"Alright, be honest," he said, leaning in slightly. "You like talking to me, don't you?"

Mia scoffed. "What kind of question is that?"

"A simple one. Yes or no?"

Mia pursed her lips, pretending to think. "Hmm. If I say yes, your ego will get even bigger. If I say no, you'll probably just keep talking until I admit it anyway."

Lucas grinned. "You know me too well."

Mia rolled her eyes but smiled. "Fine. Maybe I do enjoy talking to you."

Lucas gasped dramatically. "Mia! Are you saying you — like me?"

"Don't push it."

Lucas chuckled. "Too late. Pushing is what I do best."

She sighed, shaking her head. "You're insufferable."

"And yet, here you are. Still talking to me."

Mia opened her mouth to retort but paused. Instead, she just shook her head, biting her lip to hide her smile.

And that was when Lucas saw it.

Her stats.

[Affection: 70]

[Trust: 70]

[Lust: 32]

He blinked.

Wait. That meant —

Before he could fully process it, he noticed something else.

Something changed.

It wasn't obvious, but Lucas felt it.

Mia was acting the same as before — still teasing him, still rolling her eyes — but there was a subtle shift.

The way she leaned in just a little closer, the way her gaze lingered on him a second longer, the way her voice softened when she spoke — it was like a switch had been flipped.

And then it hit him.

The System notification.

A woman whose Affection and Trust both reach 70 is in love with you!

'Oh shit.'

Lucas hadn't expected to hit that milestone so soon. He had been messing around, flirting as usual, but he hadn't actually thought it would get to this point so quickly.

But now?

Mia liked him.

Like, actually liked him.

And it wasn't just playful banter anymore — there was something real behind it.

Lucas barely managed to keep his expression neutral. He couldn't let her know he knew.

Instead, he smirked. "You're looking at me a lot, Mia. See something you like?"

Mia scoffed, but there was a tiny hint of pink dusting her cheeks. "In your dreams."

"Every night," Lucas shot back smoothly.

Mia definitely blushed this time.

And Lucas definitely noticed.

His brain was racing.

So this was what happened when a girl hit 70 in Affection and Trust. It wasn't just about stats — it changed how they acted.

He had to admit, he liked it.

Lucas soon stretched his arms, letting out a dramatic yawn.

He wasn't actually that tired, but it was the perfect excuse to step away. After all, he had to keep the game moving at his own pace.

"Well, that was a good meal," he said, standing up. "Guess I should go drop this off."

Mia, still sitting across from him, glanced up. "I'll come with you."

Lucas smirked.

Bingo.

She didn't even hesitate. Not that he was surprised. After all, with her Affection and Trust both at 70, it was obvious she wanted to be around him.

"Sure," he said casually, as if he hadn't just seen concrete evidence of her feelings floating above her head.

They walked side by side toward the designated drop-off point for the plates.

There weren't too many people left milling around — most of the students had already finished eating and were heading back to their tents.

A few groups still lingered by the fire, chatting in hushed tones under the dim glow of the flames.

Lucas glanced at Mia out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't saying much, but she was walking just close enough for their arms to brush now and then.

Interesting.

"So," he said, breaking the silence, "you had fun talking to me, huh?"

Mia scoffed. "Don't get cocky."

Lucas grinned. "Oh, it's way too late for that."

She rolled her eyes, but he could see the corner of her lips twitching upward.

They reached the drop-off station, where a couple of students were stacking plates and cleaning up. Lucas set his plate down, watching as Mia did the same.

And then — hesitation.

She lingered.

Most people would have just walked away after dropping off their plate, but Mia? She stayed put, fiddling with the edge of her shirt, looking almost like she was searching for an excuse to prolong their time together.

Lucas knew that look.

He had seen it before — on girls who weren't quite ready to say goodbye.

He tilted his head, amused.

'She really doesn't want this to end, huh?'

"Well," Mia said finally, rubbing the back of her neck. "I guess I should, uh — "

"Head back to your tent?" Lucas finished for her.

Mia nodded. "Yeah."

But her voice lacked conviction.

Lucas smirked. "I'll walk you."

Mia blinked, surprised. "You don't have to — "

"I want to."

Mia's lips parted slightly, but she didn't argue. Instead, she simply nodded and turned, leading the way toward the tents.

They walked in comfortable silence.

Most of the camp was quiet now, save for the occasional murmur of conversation or the rustling of leaves in the night breeze. The moon was high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the island.

Lucas breathed in deeply. The air smelled of salt and firewood, a strange but oddly pleasant combination.

And then — Mia.

Even in the dim light, he could see her.

The way her hair caught the faint glow of the fire. The way her eyes darted toward him now and then, only to quickly look away when he caught her.

She was nervous.

Not in a bad way — more like… expectant.

And that's when it hit him.

She was waiting.

Lucas felt his lips twitch in amusement. He had seen enough romance movies to know exactly what was happening.

They were alone. It was nighttime. The mood was right.

Mia was expecting something.

Her footsteps slowed as they reached her tent.

She turned to face him, her hands clasped together in front of her, as if bracing herself.

Lucas took a step closer.

She smelled good.

Which was crazy, considering they barely had access to soap. But somehow, somehow, Mia still carried a soft, natural scent that made him want to lean in even closer.

And then — her eyes fluttered shut.

Her lips puckered ever so slightly.

Her heart was probably racing.

Lucas almost laughed.

'Oh, Mia…'

She was waiting for it.

The kiss.

The moment.

Lucas stared at her, debating.

Should he do it?

He could.

He was allowed to.

Hell, with her stats at 70, she'd probably melt into him if he did.

But…

Where was the fun in that?

A smirk tugged at his lips.

Slowly, carefully, he leaned in.

Closer…

Closer…

Mia held her breath.

And then —

Lucas pressed his lips against her forehead.

A soft, lingering kiss.

Mia's eyes snapped open.

Before she could react — before she could process what just happened — Lucas grinned, ruffled her hair, and bolted.

"Goodnight, Mia!" he called over his shoulder, laughing as he ran off into the night.

He didn't need to look back to know she was standing there, completely frozen.

But he did glance at her stats.

[Lust: 35]

Lucas chuckled.

'Yeah… that worked.'