Chapter 19 – Bonding with Merry

The time has arrived, the big moment was ahead of us. I was going to walk around the uni campus after my transformation for the first time. Head high, body radiating power and confidence. Wait for it, all the girls are going to turn their heads after my figure as I walk past them.

Mhm, even the guys were looking, probably in a mix of jealousy and admiration. I can't say I was into it, but that's something. Men and women, nobody could resist my newly upgraded sex appeal.

"Why are you puffing your chest? Are you trying to scare them off?" Merry poked my chest with her finger and giggled.

'Ah right, they're all looking at her,' I recalled with a sigh, having a hot sister was tough. Yup, looking more closely they were all interested in the second-ranked rose of our school. Their eyes were fixated on her.

"Shh, I said I would protect you as your big brother, I need to look intimidating," I answered jokingly, quickly getting over my shattered fantasy. Those people couldn't hold a candle to Nyssa, so their opinion didn't matter much.

"Haha, I'm counting on you, Big Brother," the curly girl laughed merrily. She always laughed MERRILY. Because her name was MERRY, got it?

Never mind, sorry.

"Hello, Little Sister Merry."

Oh, someone came to my rescue, breaking this awkwardness. It was even a bigger douchebag than the previous three, a silk pants kid with an even richer daddy and mommy than Steven.

Amar of the Sode family, wearing a flashy purple suit that only a narcissist could wear in a university where even professors dressed casually.

The Sode family was one of the biggest four families in Heyang, my hometown, the ninth-biggest city of my country, Chanya. His family owned many of the best restaurants around the city, all of which I could not afford to set foot in. Temporarily.

Other than that, they also owned shares in different companies, and the biggest was Sode Corporate which had daughter companies that produced hygiene brands, including the ones we use at home.

"Hello, Amar," Merry never added any honorifics to others' names, even if they added some to hers. Maybe she didn't believe in the concept.

"I heard from Steven you had a beautiful voice, he described it, and I quote, 'She has an angelic voice that makes you want to force her to continue singing forever,' what do you think about it?"

"Steven is right that my sister has an incredible voice and a bright future in the music industry should she choose to enter it, but she doesn't like it when others try to force her," I stepped forward, feeling a burst of confidence by the new status only I knew I had.

"Hmm, you are…?" Amar frowned, his long nose wrinkled as he tried to recognize me. He probably thought he should know someone who dared talk to him. That assumption was wrong, he had no idea who I was.

"I'm Nikolas, I'm Merry's big brother."

A polite smile and hand stretched for a handshake, following basic human courtesy, are an unreliable way to leave a good first impression, and I followed this tradition. I stressed the 'Big Brother' part to give myself more credibility and responsibility. Nobody is impressed by twin brothers.

"Mhm, nice to meet you," He smiled back and accepted my handshake. Not like he had a choice if he wanted to leave a good impression on the beauty next to me. Pretending to be a big brother of various beauties to force friendly reactions out of people sounds funny, but that's just my mind getting distracted by weird thoughts again.

"Good to meet you too," We shook hands for a short moment.

"I was just about to offer a great opportunity to your little sister. I thought to invite her to an audition in our new studio. My family purchased lately MelodyCraft, a company that produces professional music. if she is hired, she could get everything she needs to become a star," his words were concise, getting to the point while providing tempting promises.

"Hmph, isn't it the company that failed so much lately they were almost bankrupt?" I asked with an unjustified confidence. Honestly, I had no idea who they were, but I figured they must have been in trouble if they sold their company.

It's not even a smart assumption, but why else would the son of the owners go around scouting for talents?

Oh right, because he wants the talent for other purposes. Or because he wants to prove himself useful to the family, or other reasons.

"It was managed poorly," another frown, again thanks to me. He was either a grumpy person, or he wasn't used to having others doubt him. "Now it's managed well, so it will take off to the sky. Like I said, it's her chance, she could become the very core and the face of our studio, which would give her a lot of influence and benefits. Here's my card, you can contact me."

Amar placed the card in my hand and turned around to leave, joining three of his friends who waited in a safe distance to let him talk to us. They were more tasteful than Steven in that sense, as one person was much less intimidating. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I made him seem, but I'm a possessive guy and that's what we do!

"Haha," Merry's melodious laughter reminded me she was watching the whole scene, making me feel some heat in my cheeks that I hoped was not visible. It's hard to act differently next to people who are used to your old behavior, but it's something that must be done if you want a change.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked, not knowing what to expect.

"It's like magic, you really turned into a man overnight!" She exclaimed, and I didn't know if it was a compliment, but it probably was, "You dealt with him very well, you even made him run away with his tail between his legs, now we even have leverage in future talks. How did you know that company was struggling?"

"I didn't, it just sounded logical," I admitted and shrugged, expecting another burst of well-deserved laughter.

"Wow, that's even more impressive," she nodded in a serious voice, surprising me with her response. "He was here expecting to extort us with bad terms, but you made him believe you knew stuff on the topic. You were lucky this time, but as long as it's a success it counts. Next time you could simply tell him you'd think about it to buy time and do your research before you see him again."

Right, Merry majored in business, she knows some useful negotiation techniques.

"Thank you," I said with a smile. I've been giving her the bad name of a spoiled brat, which she was, but she was also a very supportive girl, and she rarely mocked others in an unconstructive way or with ill intentions. Sure, she might be too playful sometimes, but her sweeping temperament made it loveable. She wasn't toxic.

"Thank you for protecting me like you promised," her sweet smile made me happy I did, regardless of whether she needed it or not.

She probably did; having theoretical knowledge didn't mean she'd be able to execute it in a practical situation where someone powerful pressured her. It was easy to become helpless in that situation, only to realize later what you've done wrong.

"No problem. It's unfortunate he ran away before I could make him frown again," I grinned, matching her mood.

"Third time the charm! Let's have lunch together later, it's my treat today," she offered, trying to make it up to me for going for breakfast with Steven the other day. It was just yesterday, but so much happened that it seemed like weeks ago.

"Where do you get all this extra money?" I blurted, finding it weird how she lived in a standard beyond our financial situation. Her scent hinted at an expensive perfume, her clothes were fancy, and to top on all this, she rarely ate lunch at home nor did she take food for lunch from home.

Merry shifted her weight from one leg to another, contemplating whether she should tell me. "Do you want to know?" she whispered, looking to the sides to check nobody was watching.

"Yes," my curiosity was piqued.

"Come here, I will whisper it," she gestured with her hand and I leaned forward in expectation, fearing the possibilities. Just don't let it be prostitution, just don't let it be prostitution, I chanted in my heart.

"You see…" she whispered, her warm breath tickling my ear. She was so close I thought her fragrance would stay on me for hours, "When you are as pretty as me, you just get free stuff all the time."

"You…" I facepalmed, barely controlling my hand. She deserved a spanking. She earned it.

"Haha, you asked and I answered!" She stuck out her little pinkish tongue, giving me an urge to pinch and pull.

"Oh, yeah? And why did we need all this drama like you were selling love by the hour?!"

"Hey, that's rude! I'd never do that!" she pouted.

"You're right, sorry…" I said and leaned back to her ear, "You still deserve a good spanking."