I'll Indulge her at fear of exploding.

I pondered Samira’s words as I set up my classroom. She clearly felt that there were girls I could “conquer” here. No doubt this is that Concubine Creation skill of hers showing itself. And though I was loath to ever lay my hands on my students, I’d much rather do that than explode. Besides, There are probably several students’ lives I can improve with some wishes. It’ll be a… a net positive.

At least that’s what I told myself as I entered the school. Skyview High School is smack dead center in the middle of the city. It is as huge as it is varied. With classrooms capable of accommodating its 7000 students. Despite being a public school, there are many honor students with promising futures, there are many average students with middling futures, and there are many delinquent students whose future plans (if you ask them) extend about a week, maximum.

The school has operated for a few years now on a 4 period schedule. Each teacher holds a class for 3 of those 4 blocs, with one period for meetings, break, and really whatever they want. The only period wherein every teacher must hold a class is 1st period, for two reasons. Firstly, it would otherwise be the most desired (and thus most contentious) break spot. The last thing the school wants is to show favoritism, so taking a break for 1st period is impossible (by-the-way, this decision mainly pissed off students, as senior students are allowed to take a break period as well, and all of them used to pick first period to sleep in). The second reason is because every student’s first period teacher is their official advisor for that semester. They provide additional services in both schooling advice as well life advice, including presenting options post-graduation.

Furthermore, because every teacher and student must be present on campus during 1st period, as well as the fact that the powers that be want students to bond with their advisor, many “hobby” classes are taught during 1st period. I’m an English teacher, normally, but my hobby class is ethics. A fact that I now realize is ironic. I saw Samira measuring up some of the students. She must be on the prowl for my first… conquest. I shook my head. Anyway, my daily schedule is Ethics, English 4, Break, and Advanced Placement English.

I entered my classroom on the 2nd floor of the building. At this school, every teacher is assigned their own classroom, unusual for a period structure. Every one of their classes is taught from that classroom, any complications with that be damned. Some of my students were already here, despite class not starting for another 15 minutes. You might recall me saying that I typically arrived an hour early and left an hour late. The reason for that used to be the volatility of city traffic. My sister, Katie, complained when I lived with her that we leave to arrive an hour early, but that’s only if we don’t hit copious traffic. We usually arrive about now; she’s quite the drama queen. I chuckled to myself; I bet Katie’s going to have a rude awakening when she realizes she needs to leave at the same time I always used to in order to reliably make it to class.

My classroom is slightly larger than average, designed to comfortably fit 20 desks, so naturally that means there are 30. The flooring is old tile, stained by the rubber soles of the many students that I teach on a daily basis. Along one wall is a window providing a thrilling view of the next building over.

Samira floated into the classroom, donning and snapped her fingers. She was now wearing what was very technically school-appropriate clothes: Leggings and shorts, a tanktop with spaghetti straps fighting a losing battle against her massive rack, and no jewelry. She conjured a phantom chair next to mine at my desk, and sat down.

“Hey, Mr. Whistler! Your loyal teacher’s aide Samira reporting for duty! I hope we have a fun day!” It was very cute. A nice change of pace from her more seductress style. She was clearly getting into the teenage spirit.

“So you-” I began to say to her before I realized that I would appear to be talking to no one.

She guffawed at that, “Nice job, nerd,” I gave her a scornful look, causing her to squirm a bit. I guess she really is a sub. Still, I would like a way to talk to her in public… Oh! I dug through my desk’s drawer. There it was. A Bluetooth earpiece. It was dead, but I wouldn’t actually be calling anyone with it. I’d only need to look like I was talking to the earpiece instead of the ghost who was definitely in the room with us right now.

I donned it and then posed for her subtly, hoping not to draw attention from the growing number of students. She clapped in response, “Thank you, let’s have a good day” I said to the air.

“Mister Whistler?” came a small voice from behind me, barely heard over the growing sounds of students’ morning greetings, “Can I ask you a question before class starts?” The short Korean girl in front of me was Taeyeon Kim. She wore all-black clothing: black jeans, a black t-shirt, and converse. If she wore goth makeup I’d be worried about emo tendencies from her. But her makeup was either subdued or nonexistent, making no effort to hide her fairly round features. She’s just a dark-ish, average adult teenage girl. But she looked quite distraught about something regardless.

“Sure, Ms. Kim, how can I help you?” I asked. There was still a little time before class started, so I was free for some light advising. I called out to the class to take the volume down a little bit, and they complied a little bit. I retrieved a chair and placed it directly where Samira was sitting, eliciting a raspberry from her. I gestured to Taeyeon to sit there as Samira set herself on my opposite side.

Taeyeon pulled out an opened envelope, “I got accepted into NYU,” she said with reserved pride. Samira perked up next to me with an oooooohhh.

“Congratulations,” I said to her, “That’s no small feat.” I held up my hand for a high five, which she reciprocated unenthusiastically, “so what’s the problem?” I asked, trying to **** her to make her point.

She sighed, “I haven’t told my parents I applied.” Oh dear. I cracked my neck and stretched a bit. This was going to be a rough one.

“Why not? Money problems?” I asked her pointedly, refusing to break eye contact.

“Not really. My mom is a lawyer and my dad is an executive at a modeling agency,” she flicked her hair, a meaningless gesture for hair as short as hers, “But there’s a lot of our extended family living in this city, and we’re pretty tight-knit.” She cleared her throat, “They allowed my brother to go off to college; he’s apparently on the reserve to become an astronaut.” She looked away, “My sister never left home but joined a modeling agency with some of dad’s connections. Dad said he’d get me an admin job there, too.”

I nodded, I’d heard this kind of tale before. It never ends neatly. “But you applied to NYU anyway.”

She nodded, and seemed to shrink in her chair, “I’ve never left home. I want to see what’s out there. I just can’t do it without my family’s money, and I don’t think I can get it.”

“Wow,” Samira pitched in, “she’s fucked!” My face twitched at my wife's uncouth remark, but I tried to let it go since Taeyeon couldn’t Samira say it.

I agreed, “Taeyeon,” I said, getting her attention since I rarely use my students’ first names, “Do you mind if I share this with the class?” She looked horrified, “I won’t use your name, I assure you. We’ll use it as a Socratic exercise.” She looked scared still, but went along with it anyway, nodding.

“Thanks. Go to your seat.” The morning bell rang, and the students present went to their seats. They were still talking, but I’d-

My earpiece made a ringtone, causing me to jump. This thing shouldn’t even have a charge, how did-Oh. I looked at Samira who was on her phone. I sighed and pulled out my own phone, seeing a notification on the Conqueror’s Companion. Opening the app, lots of new heroines had been added. Many of them had details grayed-out but they had distinct facial profiles. The only ones colored in were Samira’s and Tayeon Kim. I opened her profile.

Taeyeon Kim, The Tutorial Heroine

STATUS: Crush, Fascinated, Type (Via Queen of Hearts)

DESCRIPTION: ‘A 2nd generation Korean American and youngest of three siblings. She enjoys reading and has already studied some textbooks for Pre-med, her desired college major. But every time she closes the book, the fear of the impending conversation with her family looms over her head. Taeyeon exercises to improve her figure, but hates how little progress she makes.’

CURRENT POWERS:

• Wealthy: Taeyeon’s immediate family is comfortable, and her extended family is wealthy. She is not wanting for funds.
• Subtle: Taeyeon isn’t very noticeable. This skill enhances that effect.

ACTIVE QUESTS:

1.) Home Is Where The Heart Is (CONQUEST; DECISION): Convince Taeyeon to stay in town.

• HINT: Some Quest Rewards may result simply by progressing the quest.
• REWARD: Heroine Conquered
• REWARD: New Skill for the Conqueror
• REWARD: Unsealing of Inferiority Complex
• REWARD: Failure of But The Stars Are Made Of Gold.

1'.) But The Stars Are Made Of Gold (CONQUEST; DECISION): Convince Taeyeon’s family to support her choice to attend NYU.

• HINT: They will initially be against it
• REWARD: Heroine Conquered
• REWARD: New Skill for the Conqueror
• REWARD: Failure of Home Is Where The Heart Is.

2.) Loner (Continuous): Taeyeon is bad at making friends. Make friends.

• REWARD (Continuous): Being less lonely! And deepen loyalty to the Conqueror somewhat.

FETISHES:

• Queen of Hearts (Rank 1): Taeyeon is somewhat attracted to white men more than men of other races. Wisdom Reduction when speaking to Caucasian men of certain attractiveness. Will be sealed upon being Conquered.
• Inferiority Complex (Familial) (SEALED): Taeyeon knows she is the least impressive member of her family. She consciously tries to overcome this, but knows deep-down that it’s pointless. Unsealing this skill will upgrade it into Cuckueanry (Familial).

According to this, if I convince Taeyeon to stay, she will be conquered but will develop such an intense inferiority complex to her family that she will actively want me to sleep with them instead of her. Or maybe, reading the quest hint, I convince her to stay by turning her into a cuckquean. But if I instead get her to leave, I will get some other nebulous reward. I guess her ultimate unsealed fetish would be to have a white boyfriend who would rather fuck her sister or something. She did say her sister was a model. Finally... her title is 'The Tutorial Heroine'? This app is mean.

I gave Samira a side-eye. She shrugged, “Don’t look at me like that, Mr. Whistler-sensei!” she said, painting her nails, “These details of hers would have been true regardless.” It was an unsatisfying answer,

I sent her a message through the app: ‘You said you couldn’t see the future. Why can the Companion App?’

She straightened up, causing her breasts to jiggle in her tank before answering my text vocally, “I said I wasn’t omniscient. However, the app is not me, it is the result of your wish upon my power. My wishes are omnipotent so long as they remain in their scope. You wished for a clearer method of tracking your conquest, and it provided that,” She finished her nails, they were a deep green, “However, it seems to have certain precognitive powers as a result. Unless you find a more easily-conquered heroine, you’d better get used to the idea of turning little Taeyeon into your mindbroken cuck by the end of the week…" She balked, "Or at least show me you’re actually making an effort. I’m not really going to enforce that exploding every week thing unless I think you’re being lazy.”

"Anyway!" She pointed at the clock. Class had been started for almost three minutes now and the students were looking confused. I was usually pretty punctual about this.

I stood up and addressed the class, “Okay, everyone. I'm taking off the last page of today's test." I think I heard a few of the guys 'hell yeah!' when I said that, "In exchange, for the first half of class, we’ll be having a Socratic Discussion on an issue that plagues many senior students. Bonus points for the test will be allotted to whomever I deem as having taken this discussion seriously.” They perked up at that. I didn’t know whether or not I would be pursuing Taeyeon Kim, she wasn’t exactly my type…