Jack’s Reasoning

Achoo!

A chorus of sneezes could be heard from Anna as we sat around the table as Ami and Jack prepared breakfast. Anna looked around the room. "I keep feeling like someone's watching me..." she shot me a glare. "Could it be you!?"

The sleep deprived me sighed and pointed at Anna, then pointed at myself. "Do you really think you're in my league...?" Anna's face flushed in anger. "Well you're not exactly top tier either, John"

"Thanks, you just putted yourself lower."

Anna's face erupted in outrage, but had nothing more to counter my statement.

Just then, Jack entered the room with a plate something strange in his hands.

Anna and Naomi seemed to know exactly what it was and cheered.

"My specialty! Triple stacked pancakes!" Jack then drizzled brown-golden liquid across the pancake stack. "With syrup!" Jack then proudly displayed the dish in the middle of the table, while decorating the already beautiful pancakes with fruits.

"Hah! Weaklings!" Our heads turn as Ami brought out a seven stacked colored pancakes, each color a shade of the rainbow. Then, with food dye, she spread the rainbow pancakes with rainbow syrup.

They started voting for who's better with the System. The system, measuring their emotions, tallied up the vote.

3-1

I never knew the system could do something like that...

Jack gave me a look, begging me with his eyes. I was the last one who haven't voted yet.

4-1.

Jack looked completely destroyed, with his head on the table.

Then, Jack suddenly got a idea. He ran into the kitchen, with his wife in hot pursuit. A few minutes full of the popping and sizzling of the mysterious item cooking, Jack ran out victorious.

His children recognizing what it was, and cheered like mad men.

They began a weird chant, "bacon, bacon, bacon"

He placed the plate on the table, as Anna and Naomi stole a piece or two of this "bacon" within a second.

I took a piece myself, then took bite of the bacon and relished it. It was delicious.

I cut a small piece of the pancake with my fork and knife, and placed it in my mouth. I have never tasted anything so sweet before.

I gave a smile to Jack.

3-2

After we finished breakfast, Anna and Naomi both grabbed a bag and swung it on their backs. "See ya!" And off they ran. I looked with a confused face to Jack, who spoke first.

"Let's talk"

I looked straight at him. Has he figured out my identity?

"About what?"

Ami realized that Jack wanted to talk alone, and left for her bedroom.

He cleared his throat.

"Do you know why I wanted you to live in this house?"

"No, sir"

"You gave me a great first impression. You were a nice young man who kept your calm even though there was a man losing his in from of you. That great quality was the reason I wanted to introduce you to Anna."

He cleared his throat again.

"But there was another reason after I saw the fight between you and Anna. You subdued a A+ ranked fighter with nothing but your fists! It was that moment that made me want to keep you. Protection for Anna. You see, there is someone snooping around out house"

Wait, is he talking about me last night!?

"Someone watching Anna from the windows, someone that can even evade my wife's {Tracking Eyes Level 3}. We can't get a clear look at his identity, but we know he's there. A stalker, if you will. For over a month, my wife sensed him, but every time she did, it would disappear."

"What do you want me to do about it sir?"

"I want you to live together with Anna in the same room, and follow her everywhere like a stalker. I'll make a excuse that someone would be visiting late at night, so we have to keep the guest room open. The fact that you're 19 and don't have school makes it easier. To stop the stalker is your duty"

"I see."

I stood up and flashed a grin. "I don't like Anna, but I would do this as a favor for you, Jack".

Jack smiled back, giving me thanks.

I opened my system panel, and told him to write the address so the system could guide me there.

He said, "no need, I've place a location tracker on Anna's backpack to make this easier. I knew you were going to accept"

"You know me quite well"

I stretched my shoulders and walked out the front door, changing my slippers into my shoes. I leapt on a branch, jumping to Anna's school within a matter of minutes.

Stalking mission, begin!

Hiding behind a tree, I could see Anna well. I opened my system shop. 250 points left. 「You've spent 200 points for {Invisibility Level 1} and {Tracking Eyes Level 1}!」

Good enough.

「{Invisibility Level 5} has been activated!」

I swung around, but it was too late.

A kick to my chest launched me off the tree, as I landed on the ground with a grunt.

"You... I saw you before!" As the stalker casted off his invisibility. With his invisibility off, I could see that he was wearing full black, with a mask. With brown hair and cold blue eyes, he looked at me before continuing.

"You're the man that snuck into her room! She's mine! Beat it!"

I staggered back to my feet.

"Yeah, I don't think so buddy". With a grunt, I rushed forward with a feint, and tried to sweep his legs. He saw it coming and blocked my leg. He pulls out a knife from his side and stabbed forward. I didn't get a cut but my new clothes were.

I dashed back and opened the system. 「You've spent 50 points for [Top Quality Titanium Dagger]!」. Titanium was far better than steel for many things, especially the fact that it could channel mana better. I coated a small amount of {Scarlet Poison Level 8} and {Hyper Cell Poison Level 8} on the dagger, then enchanted it with flame affinity. The Titanium would increase the potency of the poisons a ten times fold.

The reason why I was using so much resources was because I couldn't use my full strength. He and I would be detected if we unleash our energy in a fight.

He ran towards me, slashing horizontally towards my face. I ducked and stabbed at his belly, which he jumped back before it could land. This time, I ran towards him and slash at his arms, to which he blocked with his dagger. I gave another kick at his leg, which he wasn't looking out for. He fell to the floor, and I slashed at him while he rolled away. One cut to his right biceps.

We both caught our breath and readied our position.

I decided to attack on the offensive again, and which I slashed vertically towards him. He blocked as I grabbed his knife and tore it away from him. He took a heavy breath and said

"you win this time"

"What do you-"

He unleashed his S+ aura, garnering the attention from the students at the school, as he casted invisibility and ran. I couldn't keep up with him, so I just ran away.

Oh well. I gave him a scar on his right arm, which was what the flame affinity was for. I can't track him with blood in the first place, so my goal here was just to give him noticeable scars.