* * *
Operation: “Arouse Me.”
The original phrase had been much more explicit, vulgar, and downright filthy, but Ben had managed to sanitize it into something barely acceptable for polite conversation.
The gist of it was this: the “me” in “Arouse Me” was Ellyn.
And the one tasked with turning her on? Xenon.
Why?
Because Ellyn’s birthday was in a week, and apparently, that’s what she wanted as a present.
Coincidentally, there was also a small farewell party planned for Elgran and Lusna, who would be leaving [Integra] soon.
Xenon needed to prepare something to “arouse” Ellyn by then.
The problem?
Poor Xenon was agonizing over this strange and difficult assignment, something completely outside his experience. Ben’s job was to help him out.
Assignment?
This was no assignment—it was a prank.
A naughty joke at best.
All of it was just prep for some steamy night between those two, so why did he have to help?
And on top of that, he had to keep it a secret from Haimar.
Ben had asked Ellyn multiple times why they needed to keep it from Haimar, but she just gave him a knowing smile and insisted it was absolutely, absolutely not to be told.
Something about not wanting Haimar to know Xenon was preparing something for her in advance.
Ellie claimed that as long as she didn’t make her intentions too obvious, Haimar wouldn’t go out of her way to read her thoughts.
But since Xenon wasn’t exactly the secretive type, he just did his best to avoid her for now.
The problem was, Ben had to meet with Xenon a few times, and that made him feel guilty—as if he was plotting something behind Haimar’s back.
Saying things like, “I’m just heading to the bathroom…” or “I’ll grab some coffee,” could only cover for so long.
Ever since he got roped into helping Xenon, there were several times when he just walked out mid-conversation without even hearing Haimar’s response.
Honestly, it was surprising she hadn’t confronted him yet.
‘Ugh. My damn mouth.’
He couldn’t just take it back now.
If Xenon weren’t such a genuinely decent guy, Ben would’ve quit this a hundred times over.
Then again, in a way, Xenon was just another victim of Ellyn’s schemes.
Not that he could trash-talk Ellyn in front of Xenon, especially when it was painfully obvious the two liked each other.
So Ben was stuck.
‘Alright. Let’s think positively.’
He was just helping someone who needed it.
Even if the “help” involved planning an X-rated seduction event, it wasn’t like he had to perform it himself.
That’s what Ben kept telling himself to stay sane.
But honestly?
Planning a lewd, R-rated seduction wasn’t easy for someone like Ben, who had a relatively clean conscience.
Ellie could just wave goodbye with a “Can’t wait~!” and disappear, but Ben was stuck with Xenon, sitting in front of a laptop with adult product sites open, both of them holding their heads in frustration.
The guilt gnawed at him.
He kept checking the break room door every five minutes just to make sure it was locked.
“I don’t think I’m the right person for this…”
By the time Ben had checked the break room door for the sixth time in 30 minutes—despite having a clairvoyant Esper sitting next to him—he sighed and muttered while drinking some water to calm his fried brain.
“That’s not true…! It’s… it’s really lucky that you’re helping me, Mr. Ben.”
“…I’m not sure I’ve been much help.”
“Just having someone… to talk it over with… i-it really helps.”
Well, sure.
Talking about a problem with someone always felt better than suffering alone.
Even if he hadn’t offered any real solutions, if it made Xenon feel a bit lighter, that was something.
Still, nothing had been solved, and time kept ticking.
As Ben scrolled with the mouse, he asked,
“Have you tried asking the twins for advice?”
“I-I did! I wanted to ask Elgran too, but because of Lusna… h-he’s been busy…”
Ben had also messaged Elgran—swallowing his pride to ask for help regarding Xenon’s situation—and got a one-word reply: “Good luck.”
Damn it.
Once he and Lus have their next lovers’ quarrel, Ben swore not to lift a finger.
Clearly, in the middle of burning up with love and soul-bonded passion, Elgran had zero interest in Xenon’s awkward struggle.
“What did the twins say?”
“P-Penka said… something like dog ears… would suit me. And for you, Mr. Ben… rabbit ears—”
“No, no, I’m good.”
So that’s where the animal theme came from.
No wonder the adult site category they were browsing was overflowing with dog ears and tail plugs.
The twins had been behind that suggestion.
To be fair, the animal-ear concept was pretty safe and inoffensive.
And items like ears and tails weren’t overly hardcore, meaning it was a manageable level for Xenon.
Though the flashing neon text and sparkly effects on-screen made Ben’s eyes ache, it was still the first decent idea they’d had so far.
“Um… Ellyn said… she’d l-like it too…”
If the twins’ advice aligned with Ellyn’s personal preferences, then the major hurdle had been cleared.
Now it was just a matter of picking the specifics—what kind of ears, what kind of tail, what outfit, and so on.
“Wh-what do you think would suit me best? Maybe… this one…?”
Xenon pointed to a few options among the hundreds on screen.
They all looked pretty similar to Ben, but while ears were fine, some of the tails had… fairly intimidating plug sizes and lengths.
Ben didn’t quite know how to respond.
He wasn’t exactly an expert in adult toys, and he had no idea how much Xenon could actually handle—so making a choice felt like walking a tightrope.
“I… isn’t that a bit too big?”
“Uh… um… do you think so…? I figured as long as the design is nice, size doesn’t really… really matter….”
Does love really make things like plug size irrelevant?
Ben quietly swallowed a small gasp as he watched Xenon calmly accept a plug he wouldn’t even dare try himself.
Then, using the one clear standard that mattered—the design—Xenon began earnestly picking out a product.
If size didn’t matter, then it was just a matter of choosing something that suited him, which made things easier.
In Ben’s opinion, Xenon had a soft, somewhat delicate impression, so either a very bright or very dark color might suit him best.
Something that gave off the vibe of a golden retriever or a Labrador might work really well.
“How about something like this?”
“I-I think… that looks great…!”
As Ben clicked through and recommended a few items, Xenon’s face lit up.
The floppy-eared headband in a color that matched his straw-colored hair, along with a fluffy-tailed plug of reasonable size and price, seemed like a good choice.
Even though Xenon had said money wasn’t an issue, Ben still didn’t want to recommend something outrageously expensive.
If he were some adult toy shop salesman, he might have been happy to rip Xenon off—but that wasn’t the case.
“Be… Ben, would you maybe… like to get one too? Something like… bunny ears…?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I-I was thinking I could… buy it for you….”
Ben placed a few of the chosen items into the cart and passed the mouse back.
Xenon began scrolling eagerly, but his face fell as he paused on something that wasn’t dog ears.
“That’s not worth wasting money on.”
No matter how wistful he looked, it wasn’t going to work.
There was no universe in which Ben would let something like bunny ears end up on his head.
That’s why he’d cut Xenon off earlier before the thought could even finish forming.
“St… still… I think they’d look good… on you….”
“I appreciate the thought.”
Ben figured Xenon must’ve felt awkward receiving help without giving anything in return.
But he really didn’t mind.
It wasn’t like he’d done anything amazing.
If Xenon truly wanted to thank him, just buying him a coffee from the café in the Central lounge would be more than enough.
The soft, snow-white bunny ears lined with pink fluff that Xenon was clearly still reluctant to give up on—those were definitely not necessary.
“Alright. I think we just need to check a few more things.”
“Okay… But, uh… wait, someone’s coming…”
Just as Ben tried to change the subject—pretending not to notice Xenon’s disappointment—a knock came at the worst possible moment.
Knock knock.
“Is someone in there? The door’s locked.”
“Why’d you lock the break room door? Should I just break it down?”
Ben slammed the laptop shut at lightning speed.
He’d been through all sorts of embarrassment since working with Haimar, but being caught browsing an adult toy website at work?
That would top the list.
It would’ve been nice if they could’ve used one of the private rooms assigned to staff—Xenon’s, for instance—but that had long since been taken over by Ellyn.
Meeting in a quiet, tucked-away break room had seemed like the safest option.
Locking the door had been a stroke of luck.
“Lili, you’re not seriously going to break it down.”
“I’m just saying.”
The voices outside belonged to Moria and Liran.
Ben knew them well.
Liran wouldn’t really break down the door, but with her instincts, she clearly knew someone was in there.
Dragging it out would only raise suspicion, so Ben quickly stood and opened the door.
* * *
