Harem Streamer System: Every Crime I Broadcast Wins Me a Superheroine - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Progression
The morning sunlight poured through the big glass windows and filled the bedroom with a soft, golden glow.

The navy-blue sheets were crumpled and messy, but Scott didn’t mind.

He was lying on his side, leaning on one hand, just watching Emma sleep.

She looked so peaceful.

Her face was calm and relaxed, and her long brown hair messily spread across the pillow.

Every now and then, she let out a tiny snore that was quiet and steady, like the rhythm of a gentle breeze.

Scott couldn’t help but smile.

He reached out gently to brush aside a few stray bangs that fell over her face. His fingers lingered for a moment, then traced the outline of her cheek before retreating.

She groaned lightly and mumbled something.

“Hnnn, Scott… best…”

Then, she shifted onto her side and turned her back to him.

“Pssh──honestly…”

Scott muttered with a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.

Moments later, as if she could feel him watching even in her sleep, Emma shifted and rolled onto her other side. Her face ended up turned back toward him again.

“Hnnn────Scott…”

She seemed restless and moved around a little as her body tried to get comfortable. She tugged at the blanket, pulling it up and then pushing it down in small, absent movements.

Scott seized the opportunity.

With a small smile, he slipped an arm under her waist and gently pulled her into his arms. She instinctively curled into him and her soft breaths warmed against his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and stroked her soft hair in soothing motions.

…

The quiet moment lasted for a while, but about an hour later, Emma’s eyes slowly opened.

“Uhnn… so tired…”

Still groggy from sleep, she blinked a few times and looked at the empty spot next to her. Her hand reached out instinctively and her fingers brushed against the cold sheets where Scott should have been.

“Would be so weird if I dreamed all this…”

She yawned softly.

As she stretched her arms over her head, her hand accidentally bumped into someone behind her.

“Eh…?”

Startled, she quickly turned around and saw Scott sitting calmly on the edge of the bed. His face was hard to read, but she could guess he was amused.

“Morning, sleepyhead…”

A warm and casual greeting from Scott.

Emma’s cheeks went red as she smiled shyly, then dipped her head beneath the duvet like a turtle retreating into its shell.

Scott’s grinned mischievously.

With zero hesitation, he flipped the duvet up and slid under it with her.

“Hey──!”

Emma squealed between loud giggles as they rolled and wrestled beneath the covers.

“You’re such a jerk!”

“C’monnn, teach me that condom trick!”

“Kahaha! I don’t think guys need to learn that!”

“WHO CARES?!”

━ ━ ━

Half an hour later…

Emma was padding down the stairs.

Her long legs were barely hidden under an oversized T-shirt that fell just past her thick thighs.

She was rubbing a towel over her damp hair as she hummed a soft tune.

“Lala~ lala~!”

Scott was walking toward her from the living room, dressed simply in an unbuttoned black shirt and matching pants. His hands were tucked casually into his pockets and his pace was very unhurried.

Emma glanced up and let out a low whistle.

“Okay, seriously, you should be a model. Grow your hair out a bit, maybe work on that jawline, and you’d be the next big thing. I’m so tired of women simping over that William Roosevelt guy. Ugh. He’s just a rich, European dick.”

Scott didn’t say a word. He stopped right in front of her and plucked the towel from her hands.

“Uhh… what’s going on?”

Emma asked as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Scott didn’t answer.

Instead, he draped the towel over her head and began rubbing her hair gently to dry it with care.

Emma blinked in surprise.

“Eh…?”

Before breaking into a wide smile.

She closed her eyes and let him work as her body swayed slightly under his touch.

“Not bad… but don’t think this means I forgive you for last night’s smug comments.”

Scott chuckled softly, his focus narrowing as the towel slid lower, revealing only her lips.

Scott chuckled quietly.

But, his attention remained fixed on her as the towel slipped down slightly and stopped just above her lips.

『Her lips are so thin…』

That was all he could look at.

They were bright and cherry-colored.

Impossibly distracting.

Without realizing it, he started leaning in closer as his heart beat just a little faster.

But just as their lips were about to touch, Emma quickly pulled the towel down to cover her mouth, leaving only her playful, teasing eyes visible.

The two stared at each other.

And the silence stretching unbearably, until—

“Pfft────!”

They both burst out laughing.

━ ━ ━

Minutes later…

They were seated on the big couch in the living room, facing the massive 70-inch TV.

A super popular podcast called Critical Cape was playing in the background.

The hosts were talking excitedly about Nightwatch’s recent fight against the UN’s GSI assassins, giving all the credit to The Peak as the genius behind the win. The segment then moved on to news about The Peak receiving a Medal of Honor from the Mayor of New York City, along with the possibility of being promoted to S-tier.

Neither Scott nor Emma seemed to care.

Scott was sitting cross-legged with damp hair.

Emma perched on the backrest of the couch with a small jar of purple cream in her hands as she rubbed it into his hair.

“This stuff is a game-changer!”

She spoke like an obsessive marketer.

“It’s a special formula. Should help your hair grow out quickly, and then—bam—I can help you style it into something killer. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Scott tilted his head slightly, letting her work.

“And here I thought you just liked playing with my hair.”

Emma scoffed as her fingers weaved through his strands.

“Oh, please. I’m not that sentimental.”

A small, coy smile appeared on Scott’s lips.

“Sure you’re not.”

As she worked, Emma leaned forward with dangling legs and a soft tone.

“You know, you’re not half-bad, babe. But if I ever catch you turning into someone like The Peak, I’m out.”

Scott laughed.

“If I ever become that corny, you have my full permission to put me out of my misery.”

“Deal!”

She grinned as she smoothed his hair down with her palm.

…

The sizzling sounds of Emma’s cooking.

Scott stood beside her and leaned casually against the counter, watching as she moved around. She was concentrating so hard on the pan in front of her that she barely noticed him watching.

Her brow pressed together as she flipped the sizzling meat with quick and efficient movements—though, the occasional clumsiness hit her, making Scott chuckle softly to himself.

She turned to grab the knife, and Scott, almost without thinking, placed his hand on her waist, then pulled her just a little closer.

“Hey, I need some space here if you want me to cook this properly…”

Emma gave him a look, but Scott didn’t move.

Instead, he smiled and kissed her neck softly.

“I’ll eat whatever you cook. You know that.”

He murmured into her skin.

Emma sighed, shaking her head but grinning.

“No flattering, man. You’ll make me burn the food.”

But Scott, still in that relaxed mood, kissed her again, just a gentle press of his lips.

“I’ll still eat it…” he repeated.

His hand slid from her waist as she shifted away to tend to the stove, but before she could get too far, he kissed her again, this time, longer.

She didn’t pull away this time.

Instead, her hands dropped the spatula, and she leaned into him as her thin, cherry lips pressed against his for a kiss even more passionate than last night.

When they finally pulled apart, a flush crept up her neck, and she punched him playfully in the chest.

“You’re such a bad boy~”

She could barely hide her smile.

“Now you’ve made me mess it all up. Sigh~ I’ll definitely burn everything.”

Scott laughed quietly.

His arms found their way back around her waist as she turned to finish her meal.

The moment was light, but his mind was somewhere else, deep in thought. He didn’t say anything at first and just let his hands rest on her as his chin rested on her shoulder.

Emma looked up at him.

She could feel the silence.

“What? You still thinking about the hero thing?”

Scott half-smiled.

“Not exactly. More like… wondering if this is real. If this is my dream, you know?”

His voice was soft, like he wasn’t sure whether he should say it aloud.

Emma looked over at him, arching an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Just… this whole thing. I don’t dream often, but if I did, this would be one hell of a long dream. A whole damn life in a month, and I can’t shake the thought that, maybe, it’s too much to be real.”

Emma didn’t respond right away.

She just took a deep breath, sliding the pan off the burner and turning to face him.

“You’re pretty much still here, though. Guess that counts for something.”

Scott’s smile grew faint as he watched her, enjoying the warmth of her body against his.

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

His hands tightened slightly around her waist as his fingers slipped under her shirt to touch her bare stomach. But his mind wasn’t fully here—he was somewhere else, deep in the thoughts that had been lingering for days.

“I always thought I knew what being a hero meant. I had this idea, this… picture of what it was supposed to be. Saving the world with a big smile, no casualties, just good guys against bad guys…”

Scott’s voice was loud enough for her to hear, but just soft enough to make it feel like a secret.

“But then I realized… sometimes, a hero’s gonna have blood on their hands. Sometimes, doing the right thing means… hurting others.”

He paused and his eyes went distant, as though he were seeing something far beyond the kitchen, something only he could see.

“But that’s not the part that gets me…”

His voice was a little quieter now.

“It’s that I have to keep going. I have to keep fighting. I can’t stop. Even when it scares the hell out of me. It’s like… an addiction. I can’t help but want to prove that altruism still matters. That heroism… it’s not dead, no matter how many people tell me it is.”

Emma’s hands rested on his chest and her head tilted to the side as a small smile formed on her pretty face. She didn’t interrupt, just listened, waiting for him to say what he needed to.

“I’m kinda scared, I think?”

It was difficult for him to word it.

But maybe being with her made it easier.

“I’m scared I won’t make it. That I’ll die before I can make a real difference. But I can’t stop. I don’t know how to explain it, but I just… I have to keep doing this.”

Emma’s lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but Scott held a finger to her lips, silencing her softly.

“I’ve got blood on my hands already. And I’ll have to do worse in the future, I know it. But…”

He sighed and looked down.

“You know what? Maybe I’m not trying to bring back that golden age of heroism. Maybe it’s not about perfection. Maybe heroism is about doing what needs to be done, even if it means losing some morality. Even if it means doing something people don’t expect from the ‘good guy.’ Yunno?”

Emma tilted her head from side to side, trying to make sense of his words.

“That’s a little too…”

“I know, it’s confusing… but what I mean is… being a hero is all about self-sacrifice. A true hero is someone who’s willing to do what needs to be done, even if it’s something others might judge them for, like making tough or morally gray decisions for the greater good. Some heroes have strict lines they won’t cross—like refusing to kill—because they believe it’s not the right way. But then there are heroes who will take on that burden, making those hard choices so the people they’re protecting don’t have to.”

“Ahhh…”

Emma’s eyes softened, and she pulled away just enough to look up at him.

“Is that how you see yourself? A anti-hero?”

Scott chuckled as his hands came to rest gently on her attractively slender shoulders.

“I don’t know. I think I’m still figuring that out. But… I want to be a hero for people who need someone, even if it’s messy. Even if I’m not the perfect hero they expect.”

The quiet between them lengthened, but it was comfortable, familiar. Emma stepped closer and her arms wrapped around him again as her cheek rested on his chest.

“Well, I don’t know what kind of hero you’ll turn out to be, honey… but I think you’re doing alright so far.”

Scott smiled as he kissed the top of her head.

“Yeah. I’ll figure it out.”

━ ━ ━ ━

Somewhere else…

A girl was perched on a swivel chair in an Asian squat, her bright green eyes locked on the only source of light in the room—the glowing monitor in front of her.

Her hair was a wild mess, barely visible under the big white blanket draped over her entire body.

A few snacks sat next to her, some already crawling with ants, but she didn’t seem to notice.

She was completely focused on the screen.

Her fingers moved across the keyboard, and with a quick press of [enter], she sent another donation to the livestream of the man she couldn’t stop watching.

“Nightwatch…”

She sent another donation.

[@NutBuster5000 has donated $400 — you were great today, I hope you stream tomorrow!]

And then another.

[@NutBuster5000 has donated $1000 — I don’t have much, but this my allowance for this month!]

And another.

[@NutBuster5000 has donated $300 — You did great again today my glorious, blue-eyed prince! I hope you’re staying long in Meteor City… it would be nice to know where you plan to stay long-term! Also, have you ever thought of a meetup? That would be so fun!]

She anxiously bit her fingernails as she stared at her screen, hoping he would give an immediate reply.

“C’mon… answer me already…”

A tired, sloppy grin appeared on her face.

[Ding! The mindbender heroine is inspired by you!]

━ ━ ━ ━

Black Industries, New York City…

Anthony Black leaned back in his chair and brought the phone to his ear as he cleared his throat softly.

“Grave…”

“I’ve got the technophages. I’ll be transporting them to the lab in Meteor City soon.”

“Excellent. I’ll speak with Lady Adira Crowe to make sure you don’t run into any trouble during the transfer. Now, about your payment. It was $10 million, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Perfect…”

Anthony said as he spun slowly in his swivel chair while keeping the phone against his ear.

“I have to say, I’m impressed with how you handled everything. That said, I’ll need to send someone to Ashgate Penitentiary to… take care of Trickshot. I can’t risk him spilling the beans about how I orchestrated this whole fiasco just to get the technophages into Black Mechanica’s hands without suspicion from my father.”

“…”

Grave didn’t respond.

Clearing his throat again, Anthony continued.

“Anyway, I’ll get your payment squared away soon. I like how clean your work is, so how about sticking around for a while longer? We still need to track down that technophage egg, and I have a feeling it’s going to cause some problems.”

“Not for long…” Grave replied curtly.

“Also──”

Before Anthony he could say anything else, the line went dead.

Lowering his phone, Anthony chuckled to himself.

“Typical…”

━ ━ ━ ━

Note: Volume 1 ends ^-^!!