One Man Band System

Once Monica came out, they all walked over to Eric’s car, which was parked inside the lot near the secondary gate. As soon as they piled into the vehicle, Monica turned around to look at Eric and the other girls.

"What was going on back there? Who was that guy in the suit at school?" Monica asked.

Before Eric could even crank the engine, Emma, Chloe, Priya, Heidi, and Laura started retelling the whole story non-stop, dramatizing the details a bit. Eric started the car and began driving out.

"Oh... so Ruby was the one who led that guy to you?" Monica asked.

"Yeah... if Eric hadn’t shown up, we would’ve been dragged to some restaurant, signed a contract, and who knows what they would’ve made us do after that," Heidi said, exaggerating.

"It was scary, okay? And he looked so completely sure that we’d want to sign with his company. It was wild," Priya added.

"Seriously... were you guys actually that scared?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Of course! A guy like that showing up at school... his smile gave me the creeps," Emma said, rubbing her arms as if she were freezing.

"Oh, come on, you guys are being way too dramatic. But it’s true—if Eric hadn’t been there, it definitely would’ve been hard to turn him down," Laura added, cutting through the exaggeration and bringing it back to reality.

"Yeah... lucky Eric was there," Emma said.

Then, all six of them seemed to realize something at the exact same time. Emma, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned around to look at Eric. Chloe, Priya, Laura, Monica, and Heidi did the same from the back, all staring intently at him.

"Wait a minute... why are you even picking us up? Didn’t you say earlier you were going to the lawyer’s office and then to your grandfather’s building?" Emma asked, speaking for the group.

"Oh... right, about that... hahaha. I just felt like picking you guys up... is that not allowed?" Eric stammered.

"Well, it’s not like we mind," Emma replied.

But the six of them kept staring at Eric until he started feeling a bit self-conscious behind the wheel, though he managed to keep his composure. Glancing at the girls, Eric recalled what had happened earlier when he was still at Katie’s office.

***

A few hours ago, while Eric was still scratching his head over why Chloe had listed his name as "my husband Eric" in her emergency contacts, Katie had looked at him from across the desk and finally spoken up.

"So... you’ve already made your choice, and it’s the bass player in your band, huh?" Katie asked bluntly.

"Huh... no... I wasn’t thinking anything like that at all," Eric replied, startled.

"But why would she write that in her company profile? That means anyone who can access her profile will definitely assume you’re her husband. Don’t forget that the profile listed with the company is official corporate data for everyone working there. It’s a serious matter," Katie countered, surprised by his reaction.

"Um... that’s exactly why I asked. I don’t know why she wrote that," Eric said, utterly bewildered.

Seeing the confused look on Eric’s face, Katie leaned back in her chair. She studied his expression for a moment, then took off her glasses and set them on the desk.

"Hold on... don’t tell me you’re just giving them all hope but keeping them hanging?" Katie asked.

"Um... I’m not leading anyone on... I’ve never even hinted at anything like that... because... to be completely honest... right now, I don’t feel anything at all. It’s like I’m totally numb or empty inside. I don’t dare think about those things because I don’t want to hurt anybody, and I don’t want to end up heartbroken again," Eric said, looking down.

"Hmm... I don’t know what happened to you in the past. If you ever want to talk about it, I’m all ears since I have some free time right now," Katie said casually, leaning back.

Eric went dead silent. He kept his head lowered, his brows furrowing deeply as his mind raced. "Sigh." After a few moments, Katie let out a heavy sigh. She stood up, leaned across the desk, and reached out to grab Eric’s head, tilting it upward so he had to look her in the eye. Startled, Eric found Katie’s face right in front of his, close enough that he could feel her breath.

"Let me tell you something, and this is just my opinion as a woman. You’re a guy. Being nice to them is fine, and saving them from trouble is also fine. But once they fall for you, you have to be firm. You have to choose one among them to be your partner until death do you part. Do not lead them on. For a woman, being kept hanging hurts a hell of a lot more than being rejected. Do you understand?" Katie asked.

"Oh... I see," Eric stammered, his eyes involuntarily darting down toward Katie’s cleavage, which was exposed since she was leaning so far forward.

Naturally, Katie noticed exactly where he was looking. Instead of flinching or covering up, she deliberately brought her face even closer to his, forcing him to look into her eyes instead of at her chest and smiled.

"So you are interested after all. Good, at least I know you’re a red-blooded man. Look, I don’t know what happened to you in the past, but when the time comes to make a choice, you have to be firm. It’s cruel to keep them hanging without any clarity," Katie said.

She then leaned back, adjusted her clothes, and sat down elegantly once more. Eric finally let out a breath he had been holding, his racing heart finally calming down a bit. He looked at Katie, who was now pouting slightly.

"Before I moved to this city... I was betrayed by my girlfriend and my older brother. So... honestly, I’m just not in a place where I can make any decisions right now. It’s just that ever since I met Emma and the others, everything has felt so easy and natural... to the point where I didn’t even think about what you just mentioned," Eric explained.

"Oh... so that’s how it is. Well, I can understand that. You aren’t pushing them away, but you aren’t letting them get too close either. That means they’re the ones putting in the effort. And as for why Chloe wrote that? It’s because she’s actively trying to win you over," Katie said casually.

"Huh... seriously?" Eric asked, looking up at her.

"Yep, I can see it. And it’s not just Chloe. Emma, Monica, Heidi, Priya, and Laura, they’re all the same. The way they look at you goes way beyond just a crush. You can see it in their eyes when they look at you... and how they look at me whenever I get close to you. That’s exactly why I love teasing them so much. It’s hilarious, haha," Katie replied with a grin.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Eric asked, completely at a loss.

"Well... just act normal. But like I said, one day, you’ll have to be firm and choose one of them. Though, if the law in this country allowed you to have more than one wife, I’d say just go for all of them, haha," Katie joked.

"Don’t play around like that, Katie... you’re making my heart race," Eric said, his mind actually starting to wander to that possibility.

"Alright, alright, I’m just kidding. Are you going to pick them up later?" Katie asked.

"Oh... yeah, I’m picking them up later," Eric answered automatically.

And so, after leaving Katie’s office, Eric sat in his car in the parking lot, carefully examining his feelings toward each of the six girls. He reevaluated his relationship with them, whether he was just their songwriter and bandmate, a close friend, or something more.

He looked deep into his own heart, trying to figure out what he truly felt for all six of them and ensuring they weren’t just a rebound to escape his past heartbreak. By the time it was actually time to pick them up from school, he still hadn’t found an answer.

To him, they had all become like family, and the mere thought of having to choose just one of them gave him a massive headache. On top of that, he desperately didn’t want to ruin the relationship he currently enjoyed with them.

***

"Watch out!"

Eric snapped out of his daydream, his eyes widening as a taxi ground to a halt right in front of him. "Screeech!" He slammed on the brakes with everything he had. "Whoaaah!" All the girls in the back launched forward, slamming into the backs of the seats.

Eric gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his body trembling, eyes wide and mouth agape as his chest heaved and his heart hammered in his chest. He had come within inches of rear-ending a taxi that was letting an elderly person out and he had somehow drifted to the very edge of the road instead of staying in the lane.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, unbuckling her seatbelt and instantly leaning across the console to cup Eric’s cheeks, forcing him to look at her with a face full of deep anxiety and worry.

"Yeah... are you alright?" everyone in the back chimed in, their faces tight with concern and worry.

Eric looked around at the six girls. Their faces were etched with genuine anxiety, and not a single one of them complained or yelled at him, even though they had just been tossed around and could have been seriously hurt.

"I’m fine... sorry," Eric stammered. "Man... when they look at me with faces like that, how am I ever supposed to choose just one of them? Ugh... why did I let this get into my head? I’m pathetic. I almost wrecked the car all because of my own thoughts and Katie’s advice," Eric thought to himself.