Harem Streamer System: Every Crime I Broadcast Wins Me a Superheroine - Chapter 101

Chapter 101: ~Intermission~ Unintended Feelings
“Give me back my doll, Ken!”

A young Gwen shouted while her blonde pigtails bounced as she sprinted after her older brother.

Ken, a boy of about ten with a devilish grin, held the doll high above his head, just out of her reach.

“Come and get it, shorty!”

Ken taunted, laughing as he dashed down the hallway.

“You’re so mean!”

Gwen yelled, her face red with frustration.

In the living room, Tess, their mother, sighed and set her book down on the side table.

She stood, hands on her hips, and called out.

“Hey! What’s all this noise about?!”

Ken skidded to a stop, his grin faltering as he darted behind Tess for cover.

Gwen rushed in front of her mother with her little fists clenched as she cried.

“Mom! Ken took my doll, and now he won’t give it back!”

Tess pinched the bridge of her nose and let out another exasperated sigh──you could just tell she was tired of these two bundles of happiness.

“I can’t believe you two are making such a racket. Do you remember what I told you earlier? We’ve got a new friend coming today. You’d better behave and make a good impression. He hasn’t had an easy life, you know.”

Gwen folded her arms and huffed.

“Pssh—whatever. I just want my doll back.”

Ken snickered, stepping out from behind Tess.

“Good thing you’ll never get it!”

Just as Ken was about to bolt again, there was a knock on the door.

Tess gave both of them a sharp look.

“If you two don’t behave, I’ll call Daddy.”

The threat made both siblings stiffen.

“Yes, ma’am!”

They chorused, saluting her like little soldiers.

Tess couldn’t help but snicker as she walked to the door.

She opened it to reveal a stunning woman with sleek black hair and striking blue eyes. Her beauty was ethereal, though her nervous smile gave her a fragile air. Beside her stood a young boy, his head down, avoiding Tess’s gaze.

“Martha…” Tess greeted warmly.

Martha McQueen nodded, her hands gently resting on her son’s slender shoulders.

“Tess, thank you so much for agreeing to take care of Scott. I… I don’t know what I would’ve done otherwise.”

Tess smiled kindly. “Will you be coming in?”

Martha shook her head quickly.

“No, I can’t stay long. The doctor… he said it’s best if I don’t… linger. For Scott’s sake.”

Tess’s face softened.

She glanced at the boy, who still hadn’t looked up.

“Well, come on in, Scott. Make yourself at home.”

Scott brushed past her silently, ignoring her warm smile.

Tess turned back to Martha.

“He’s, uh… quite the bundle of sunshine.”

Martha sighed heavily.

Her beautiful face was deeply marked with stress.

She looked like someone who was tired of life.

“Don’t blame him. It’s my fault he’s like this. I’m just grateful his scars aren’t… permanent.”

Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke.

Tess placed a hand on her chest as her hazel eyes clouded with sympathy.

“I’m glad that phase is over. It was heartbreaking to see him so pale and…”

“Tess…”

Martha interrupted sharply, her face tight with pain.

“Please. I know I’m a terrible mother, but I don’t need a reminder. That’s why I’m leaving him with you—to give him a chance at something better.”

Tess quickly put her hands on Martha’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You’re not terrible. At least you recognized the problem and did something about it. That takes courage.”

Martha nodded weakly as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Thank you.”

She hesitated for a moment before pulling an envelope from her jacket.

“Give this to Scott when he’s ready.”

Tess took the envelope.

Her heart ached as she watched Martha walk away.

･･･

Shutting the door, Tess turned back to her children, who stood frozen in the living room.

She walked to her chair, then sank into it with a sigh.

“Alright, listen up, guys. That boy back there? That’s Scott McQueen, your new brother. So, say hi and make him feel welcome, okay?”

Ken and Gwen turned to Scott, who was leaning against the wall with his duffle bag at his feet.

“Hi, Scott! Nice to meet you!”

Gwen chirped as she waved enthusiastically.

Scott scoffed. “Can you not talk to me like I’m some mentally-challenged freak?”

Gwen’s smile faltered.

She took shaky steps forward and stomped her foot.

“Hey! That’s no way to talk about people with intellectual disabilities! Daddy says it’s wrong.”

Scott smirked darkly.

“Did Daddy ever tell you you’re an annoying little brat? No? Guess Daddy lies too, stupid blonde.”

“Ooooo, snap…”

Tess muttered under her breath as she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Ken stomped over, grabbing Scott by the collar.

“Hey! You better not talk to my sister like that again, or I’ll… I’ll────Grrr!”

“You’ll what?”

Scott interrupted with a cold voice.

“Show me just how dumb you really are? Might be a great time for me to know just how much stupidity is soaked into those genes… so go ahead. My life’s already a tragedy; maybe you’ll give me a laugh.”

“…”

Ken didn’t know how to respond to that.

Not because he felt verbally defeated.

Rather… he felt pity for Scott.

With that, Scott shoved Ken.

… THUD!

The young boy fell to the floor.

Right after, Scott picked up his duffle bag and disappeared down the hallway.

Gwen crossed her arms and pouted.

“If I had a big butt like that lady who just left, I bet he wouldn’t be so mean to me.”

Tess’s eyes widened. “Gwen! What did you just say?”

“Uh…”

Gwen hesitated, then pointed at Ken.

“It was Ken! He was on some weird website last week!”

Tess rounded on her son.

“Ken, what have you been watching?!”

“Mom, no!”

Ken yelped as he scrambled to his feet and ran as Tess chased him.

Gwen stuck her tongue out at her brother.

“Bleeeghhhh…”

･･･

Scott’s new room.

It was a few photons from complete darkness.

There was only a single streak of sunlight breaking through the old blinds that cast patterns on the slightly dusty floor.

Scott sat cross-legged on the hardwood, unpacking his duffle bag with an almost mechanical focus.

The boy moved quietly, carefully taking out item after item… mint-conditioned comics encased in protective sleeves, action figures still in their original packaging, and miniature dioramas of heroes mid-battle.

Gwen peeked from the doorway as her blonde pigtails stuck out like antennae. She craned her neck to get a better look, her small hands gripping the edge of the doorframe as she leaned in.

Bit by bit, she caught glimpses of his collection.

『Weird… who even has this many superhero toys? And half of them aren’t even the cool ones.』

Her head poked out just a little too far.

“I can see you, you know…” Scott said sharply.

Gwen yelped, almost toppling over, but somehow managed to stumble back gracefully, leaning against the doorframe with exaggerated nonchalance. She folded her arms and smirked, masking her embarrassment with her usual sass.

“Meh, nothing really. I was just uhhh… taking a look at your collection…”

She spoke while waving a dismissive hand.

“Not that I’m interested. They look pretty bland. What’s with all these bootleg heroes anyway?”

Scott froze as his fingers tightened around the box of a vintage action figure he’d just taken out.

Slowly, he looked up at her, his blue eyes narrowed.

“Bootleg?”

He repeated in an offended tone.

“These ‘bootleg heroes’ are golden age heroes. They fought for this country, this world decades ago. Show some respect, alright?”

Gwen snorted, walking further into the room with the confidence of someone who owned the place. She stopped a few feet from Scott and leaned in slightly with an impish smile.

“Aww, did I hurt Mr. Golden Age Superhero’s feelings? Boo-hoo. Chill out. It’s not that deep.”

Scott’s jaw clenched, and his grip on the box tightened, the thin cardboard starting to bend under the pressure. He inhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down, but the irritation in his eyes was clear.

Gwen chuckled, then took another step closer.

“Besides… there are way better heroes than these guys. Like Blue Atom—you know, the guy who saved the planet from Gremulaxx? Or Mega Man, who—”

“Shut up!”

Scott snapped, then shoved Gwen with enough force that she stumbled backward and fell against the bedframe.

… bam────KRAAAK!!

Her arm hit the edge with a dull thud.

“OW!”

Gwen screamed, clutching her arm as her face scrunched in pain. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her cheeks turned bright red.

“Did you really have to push me like that?! It’s not funny, you jerk!”

Scott’s anger instantly melted into panic.

He dropped to his knees beside her and his hands hovered uncertainly over her arm.

“I—I’m sorry!”

He stammered like he was going to cry.

“I didn’t mean for you to get hurt! I just—when you said his name, I got ang—”

He stopped abruptly as Gwen started giggling.

At first, it was just a small chuckle, but it quickly grew into full-blown laughter.

She let go of her arm and waved it around dramatically.

“Gotcha!” she declared with a wide grin.

Scott stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.

Then his expression shifted to one of pure annoyance as he realized what had happened.

“That’s not funny…” he muttered, looking away.

Gwen climbed to her feet, placing her hands on her hips as she threw her head back and laughed.

“Bahaha! You’re so gullible!”

She leaned down and tapped him on the forehead.

“What’s not funny is hitting a lady.”

Scott’s face twisted into a deadpan glare.

“Yeah, sure… lady…”

He spoke very dryly──obviously this child was no lady.

Still grinning, Gwen straightened up and started walking toward the door. But then she stopped, turned back, and gave him a warm smile.

She raised her hand in a cute, little wave.

“Hey, I don’t know why you’re always so angry, but it can’t be worth it. My name’s Gwen, by the way. Nice to meet you, uh… Scott. I hope we can be friends, alright? So yunno… take it easy on me.”

Scott stared at her for a moment.

His fists went tight.

Finally, he muttered, “Al… alright.”

Gwen’s grin turned sly as she placed a hand over her mouth and let out a posh laugh.

“Awww~ was that your first time making a friend… huh, little Scottie?”

Scott’s face turned red as he stomped his foot.

“Hey! I have friends! I—I have… uh… Scottie… and…”

His voice died out, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

“I… I swear I can call more than just my sister’s name… d-, damn it all──!!”

Gwen’s smug expression softened.

“Well, you’ve got me now…”

Her tone was very gentle, oddly… lady-like.

“So, when someone asks, you can tell them Gwen’s your friend, okay?”

Scott looked up at her, his blue eyes wide and uncertain.

“R-, Really?”

For a brief moment, Gwen felt her cheeks grow warm.

She looked away, fiddling with one of her pigtails.

“Y-, Yeah, sure…”

Clearing her throat, she quickly turned and walked away.

But just as she reached the door, she poked her head back in with that same flustered face.

“A-, And it’s not like I’m being nice to you or anything! I just think you’re a loser who needs friends!”

Scott sighed, shaking his head. “I can manage that.”

Gwen’s face went pale.

『Oh no! Now he’ll think I’m a jerk!』

Before she could spiral further, Scott piped up.

“Oh… and uhm, Gwen?”

“Y-, Yeah…?”

“Sorry… about what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it.”

“Eh?”

Gwen blinked, surprised.

She hesitated for a moment before smiling softly.

“It’s fine.”

Scott gave her a small, almost shy smile in return.

“Cool.”

Gwen’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly shook it off by pinching her thigh.

“Uhm, yeah… cool…”

With a final wave, she disappeared down the hallway to leave Scott alone in his new room—though, for the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel entirely alone.

By the time Gwen reached a safe distance from Scott’s room, she pulled up the sleeve of her arm to reveal a deep purple bruise forming where it had struck the bedframe. She winced sharply, then bit her lower lip to stifle a cry of pain.

“Yeeesh… this really hurts…”

She murmured to herself.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she gently tugged the sleeve back into place and swallowed her discomfort. She glanced around to ensure no one had noticed before quietly retreating to her room.

Unbeknownst to her, Ken had been watching in silence.

His eyes shifted from Gwen’s leaving figure to the door of Scott’s room.

The mere thought of Scott made his frown deepen with each passing second.

“Anyone who hurts Gwen doesn’t deserve kindness. I hope that bastard pays for this.”

Straightening his posture, Ken turned on his heel and stormed back to his room.

･･･

… 5 years forward

The wooden floors creaked beneath Gwen’s footsteps as she stomped down the living room, the soles of her school shoes hitting the ground with a final thud-thud.

She folded her slender arms, then tilted her head impatiently as she called out.

“Done! What about you, bro?”

Scott sat on the couch, hunched over as he fumbled with his shoes. His fingers worked awkwardly against the stiff leather straps.

Adjusting his glasses, he muttered.

“Tch. Jake showed me some ‘easier’ way to do this… not that it helps. And it’s not like Jake even goes to our school. Ugh, this just sucks!”

Gwen shrugged, tugging on her skirt to straighten it out.

“Yeah, well, I hate these stupid shoes anyway. And this whole preppy school vibe? Ugh. It’s the worst.”

She tugged at her collar dramatically as she started cooking a sarcastic voice in her throat.

“Oh, look at me, I’m a sophisticated private school girl who probably doesn’t know basic math!”

“Well, you actually don’t…” said Scott.

Gwen chuckled. “Pssssh──shut up, dork.”

“I’m not a do──!!”

“I just hate private schools if I’m being honest…”

Gwen folded her arms again and sulked like a puppy.

Scott glanced up briefly, rolling his eyes.

“Right, because public school’s just so much better.”

Gwen grinned impishly as she yanked her skirt up a few inches to reveal more of her thighs.

Her body was maturing fast, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

Most of the older guys in the neighborhood could already tell whenever they saw her hopping on the bus or running errands for her mom. But none of it was for them. She was doing it for someone else… someone special.

“Honestly? At least they don’t make us wear skirts this short. These things scream, ‘please objectify me.’ I only want one nerd to do that… ugh, imagine sex crazy monkey style in these, cinematic climax~”

Scott froze and his cheeks turned red as he immediately looked away. Adjusting his glasses for the third time, he cleared his throat.

“M-, Maybe you shouldn’t… uh, do that. You know, guys will stare. They’ll… talk.”

His voice dropped lower.

“They already do… in class. I-, I don’t really like the way they talk about your butt… and stuff…”

Gwen raised an eyebrow as her lips curled into a sly smile.

“Ohhh? And since when did you start caring about what guys say about my ass? A bit… controlling, no?”

Scott finally fastened his shoe straps, grabbed his backpack, and stood up.

He straightened his glasses with exaggerated composure.

“I’m not controlling. Why should I be? I’m not your boyfriend or anything.”

Gwen stepped closer, her grin widening.

“Hmm~ That’s true. But wouldn’t it be fun if you were?”

“Wh-, What are you talking about?”

Scott blinked, suddenly backing up.

Gwen leaned in, step by step, until his back hit the wall.

She placed a hand on the wall beside his head, her face inches from his.

“Imagine it, Scott. You… me… the nerdy kid and the popular blonde chick. You’d be the coolest guy in school.”

Her voice dropped into a teasing whisper that he’d never heard her speak with before.

“You should propose sometime. You know, to really make it official.”

Scott’s face turned crimson as he struggled to avoid her gaze. His glasses fogged up slightly, and he pushed them up his nose.

“Y-, You’re insane…”

Her laughter was light, almost melodic, as she leaned in even closer. Her nose brushed against his, and before Scott could react, her lips pressed against his.

… Mmmm~ ❤️

She pulled back slightly as her teeth grazed his lower lip.

When she stepped back fully, her smug grin returned.

“Hmm. Maybe next time, skip the garlic bread, yeah? Not exactly the kiss of a prince.”

She glanced downward and raised an eyebrow.

Surprisingly, the thing that was supposed to be poking out by now wasn’t.

“And… nothing? Seriously, Scott? Not even a little reaction? Should I be offended?”

Scott clicked his tongue, gently pushing her to the side as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.

“M-, Maybe I’m just not feeling it! We’re too young for this stuff anyway!”

Gwen burst into laughter as she watched him stomp off toward the door.

“Oh geez, do you have to be so awkward? Seriously, Scott, take off those glasses, mess up your hair a little—you’d have girls all over you.”

She shook her head, still chuckling.

“Tch. Loser.”

As she reached for her own backpack, Tess’s voice rang out from behind her.

“Oh, Gwen and Scott seem to be getting… close.”

Gwen froze. Her backpack slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a thud. Whipping around, she waved her hands frantically.

“N-, NO! No, no, no! You’ve got it all wrong! We weren’t doing anything weird! I mean, sure, I kissed him, but it was totally platonic! I swear!”

Tess raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

“Uh-huh. And that wasn’t you staring at his pants earlier? I wonder why…”

Gwen’s face turned as red as Scott’s had earlier.

“I-, I wasn’t staring at his pants!”

She paused, her voice lowering to a nervous mumble.

“… Much.”

Tess sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Honestly, I don’t care what you two were doing. But—”

“Wait, really?”

Gwen tilted her head with great relief.

“So you wouldn’t care if I… borrowed some of his gym clothes?”

Tess’s eyes widened.

“YOU! You’re the reason his clothes are always covered in sticky mess that smell weird?!”

“Uhh…”

Gwen scratched the back of her head, her grin sheepish.

“Kinda?”

“…”

“And… just putting it out there—they don’t smell weird, mom. I eat a lot of pineapples so trust me it tastes like apple slices and orange juice down there.”

Gwen then pointed at her crotch.

Tess pointed a finger at her and kept her tone sharp.

“That ends today! You’re more than done creeping on that young man, got it?”

Gwen’s grin faltered. “Wh-, What?! Why?!”

“Because it’s weird!”

Tess threw her hands up in exasperation.

“Gwen, you need to forget whatever… feelings you think you have for Scott. It’s pointless.”

Gwen stared at her, pale as a ghost. “Pointless?!”

Tess folded her arms, her tone firm.

“Yes. Pointless. Now hurry up before you miss the bus.”

But as Tess walked away, Gwen stood frozen as her hands clenched into fists.

Her voice came out in a whisper.

“We’ll see about that…”