Harem Streamer System: Every Crime I Broadcast Wins Me a Superheroine-Chapter 159: Brothers, A Hunter’s Presumptions

The white walls of Metro City Hospital’s ER seemed to close in tighter with every second that passed.

The antiseptic in the air was thick.

And the occasional beeping of the heart monitor was very difficult to miss.

Scott paced back and forth beside the hospital bed.

His arms were folded as his trench coat shifted with each agitated step. His sharp eyes exchanged between the floor and Jake’s pale, exhausted face. He shook his head, then muttered to himself before exhaling sharply through his nose.

"Urgh…"

A groan broke the silence.

Scott turned immediately and watched as Jake slowly bent his head forward with his eyes squeezed shut as another wave of pain pulsed through his body.

He looked miserable—drenched in sweat as his plump face contorted in agony.

"How’re you feeling?" Scott asked in an even voice.

Jake winced as he sluggishly dragged his fingers over his dry, cracked lips.

"Like my chest got run over by a big-ass road roller while my dick was getting shot by a damn machine gun."

He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut again.

Scott kept a straight face.

"Well, I got you here just in time. Doc says your vitals are stable, so you’re gonna be fine."

He barely gave Jake a second to process before his tone sharpened.

"Now, what the hell actually happened at the Rolling Stone Club, Jake? Why were you even there? The entire law enforcement agency put a damn ban on those places after the recent killings."

Jake’s face scrunched up in annoyance.

He turned his head slightly away, coughing heavily.

"Tch."

Scott’s eyes didn’t waver.

"I need to know what happened."

Jake let out a nervous chuckle, weak but forced.

"Must’ve been all that alcohol I took. Guess I drank more than I could handle…"

Scott’s exhale came slow and tired.

His shoulders sagged slightly.

He stepped closer to the bed, resting a hand on the metal frame as his dark eyes bore into Jake’s.

"You were with a woman."

His voice was steady, certain.

"I don’t even need to see the footage to know you would never touch alcohol—not even at a club. You’d rather drink orange juice or sparkling water."

Jake’s face froze.

"… Uhm, well uhm…"

He swallowed, then narrowed his eyes.

"How the hell do you know that? You checked the security footage or something?"

Scott shook his head.

"None of that. I know because you’re my best friend."

It came out so plainly—so effortlessly, as if it should’ve been obvious. Because it was.

But to Jake… it wasn’t.

His expression shifted, lips curling slightly in distaste before he looked away like Scott had just turned into a leper.

"Wow…"

He scoffed bitterly.

"Surprised you still know shit about me. Thought your famous ass would’ve forgotten my name by now, tch!"

That tongue click carried more anger than any punch could.

Scott’s face visibly drooped with exhaustion.

He ran a hand through his messy hair and let out his fourth tired sigh of the afternoon.

"Come on, bro. That’s not fair. I’m trying t—"

"YOU’RE NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING!"

Jake’s voice broke the room with that shout.

It was raw.

This was more than just frustration.

His face burned with barely contained rage, but then—just as quickly—it crumbled. He swallowed thickly and his voice took a painful dive to just a broken murmur.

"… If you were really trying, I wouldn’t be battling depression like some kind of loser."

His fingers curled into fists against the blanket.

"I’m not a loser, Scott. I’m a damn person. Just like you. Maybe I’m not as handsome, maybe I’m not some athletic prodigy, but I thought my best friend would at least make me feel like I mattered."

The sadness in his voice was impossible to miss.

Scott took a step back, slipping his hands into the pockets of his black trench coat. He lowered his head slightly, exhaling softly. His chest rose and fell in a deep, controlled breath before he looked back at Jake.

"… In-, Instead of giving explanations, I’ll just get straight to the point."

He smiled faintly.

"I’m sorry, man."

Jake blinked.

Scott continued with a quiet and steady voice.

"I know I haven’t been a good friend. Or a good boyfriend. Or much of anything these days."

He let out a small laugh—one without humor.

"Every day, it feels like I’m losing myself, and maybe I am… because I’m not with the people I started with."

For a moment, something softened in Jake’s expression.

He wasn’t sure why, but when Scott smiled at him, it felt… familiar. Like that dorky kid from years ago—the one who sat next to him in almost every class, the one who used to ramble on about dumb theories and laugh at his own jokes.

Scott’s voice dropped to something gentler.

"… and to be honest?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"I’ve really missed you, Jake. A lot."

Silence stretched between them.

Jake stared, lips slightly parted, but no words came out.

He wanted to say something—anything.

But for now, he just looked away, pressing his lips into a thin line as his fingers clenched the sheets beneath him.

『Tch──he can soften anyone’s heart with that face…』

It was undeniable at this point.

Scott took a step forward again as the tender corners of his lips quirked up a little more—but instead of faint, his smile was painfully awkward, like a kid caught doing something embarrassing.

He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled.

"Man… this silence is pretty uncomfortable, yunno?"

Jake blinked.

Scott’s lips twitched.

"Kinda reminds me of that one Galactic Legends Club we wanted to open back in the day."

For a second, Jake just stared.

『Eh…?』

Then, like something had been unclogged in his memories, the most humiliating moments from that time rushed into his brain at full speed.

"Oh, shit."

His plump face twisted like he just bit into the world’s sourest lemon.

And then—

Laughter.

Uncontrollable, gut-wrenching laughter.

Scott followed him in an instant as his own laughter spilled out like a dam breaking. They didn’t even know why they were laughing so hard—maybe it was the exhaustion, or the nostalgia, or just the sheer stupidity of their past selves.

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But for that moment, nothing else mattered.

They just laughed.

Laughed so hard that their stomachs hurt.

And then, almost like an unspoken agreement, they both stopped at the exact same time.

Panting. Smiling.

The kind of smile that didn’t need words.

Anyone who saw them right now wouldn’t mistake them for anything else—they were two friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages.

And yet, some things never changed.

Scott lifted a fist.

Jake bumped it without hesitation.

They both shared the same level of joy and excitement in their youthful eyes.

Scott’s voice was quieter this time.

"I really missed this, man. A whole fucking lot."

Jake exhaled, then rested his head against the pillow.

His smile softened. "Yeah… me too."

And then—another silence.

But this time, it was different. It wasn’t uncomfortable or suffocating. It just… lingered. Like the burden of something unspoken had settled between them.

Scott noticed first.

His sharp eyes flickered as he tilted his head slightly.

"Alright, what’s wrong?"

Jake sighed heavily.

He ran a hand down his face, groaning.

"Dude… I did something stupid."

Scott lifted a brow. "Yeah, well. What’s new?"

Jake clicked his tongue.

"No, seriously."

He inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

"I—ugh, I almost kissed a woman I’ve never met before. And even worse…"

He pressed his jaw in regret.

"I lied to my mom that I was studying at a friend’s place when I was just being a dumbass trying to get laid by anyone at a club of all places. I just wanted to have something to post about since my life mostly revolved around stuff I do with you or Maya… it’s sad… but yeah."

Scott stared.

Jake groaned louder and slapped a hand over his face.

"What if I contracted some weird, incurable disease? Tch, imagine if they named it after me too, bruh… like who’s stupid enough to try and sleep with a random person they met at a club—"

Scott’s face immediately soured.

"Uhhh… well…"

He cleared his throat.

"I kinda did."

Jake froze. "… What?"

Scott winced. "Well, almost did."

Jake turned his head, his tired eyes narrowing.

Then, slowly, an impish grin stretched across his face.

"You sly son of a bitch."

A weak but firm punch landed on Scott’s shoulder.

Scott chuckled, rubbing his side.

"Yeah, yeah. Don’t get too excited, dude. It didn’t exactly end well."

Jake squinted. "What do you mean?"

Scott’s expression shifted.

"We ended up getting hunted down by some assassin with a mean face and a robotic arm. I think the guy’s name was Shockstrike or something like that…"

Jake’s brow lifted. "Eh?"

Scott blinked. "Uh, nevermind, bro."

Silence.

Then, Scott started snapping his fingers, as if that would somehow jog his own memory back on track.

"Okay, okay, okay—let’s focus on the main thing."

His sharp gaze returned.

"Can you tell me what the chick you met at the bar looked like? Black hair? Brown skin? Athletic body?"

Jake blinked as more and more descriptions left Scott’s mouth like a machine gun firing on full auto.

His brain struggled to keep up.

And then—

Vehemently, he shook his head.

"Dude."

He held out both hands, exasperated.

"I can barely fucking remember anything that happened back at the club besides that wise bartender. It was all a blur after I met her."

His face dimmed with disappointment.

He looked at Scott.

"Sorry, man… I’m useless."

Scott sighed, but his voice remained steady.

"Nah, it’s fine—"

Before he could finish, the ER doors burst open.

Lisa.

Jake’s mom rushed in with her coat half-off as she hurried straight to her son’s bedside.

"JAKE! JAKE! Oh my goodness, Jake… what in the world happened to you──?!"

Before anything else could be said, Lisa wrapped Jake in a tight hug.

Jake stiffened.

His eyes darted to Scott, who forced a smile.

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He should’ve been happy. And he was. But for some reason, that warmth—the way she held Jake so tightly—made something in his chest squeeze uncomfortably.

His hand curled into a tight fist.

Not knowing what else to say or do, Scott forced another smile and spoke up—

"Uh, Jake will be fine. The serial killer attacked while Jake was on his way home from school—probably? A lot of people got injured, but he managed to be one of the luckier ones."

Lisa turned to him with deep confusion on her face.

"Oh… wasn’t he with you, Scott?"

Scott’s lips pressed into a thin, painful line.

But his smile didn’t waver.

"The important thing is that you guys are together."

With that, Lisa pulled her son into another hug.

Jake remained in shock, but his eyes couldn’t stop crawling towards Scott.

And Scott—

Was already walking away.

He didn’t say anything.

And Jake… wasn’t even surprised.

He stared at his best friend through the glass door and just watched as Scott came to a slow stop.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, ever so slightly, they nodded at each other.

Jake exhaled softly, looking down at his hands.

『That guy…』

A small smile ghosted his lips.

『That guy’s my best friend.』

━ ━ ━ ━

Metro City, Night

Judy walked along the empty roadside with a one gloved hand buried deep in the pocket of her thick coat while the other pressed her phone to her ear. Her brows pinched together as she muttered under her breath.

"Come on… pick up already."

The phone rang. And rang. And rang.

No response. Again.

Judy came to a stop, staring down at her phone screen with an exasperated huff. The cold air bit at her cheeks, but she barely noticed.

"This was the line Shadow gave me to use whenever I needed to reach him…"

She grumbled like a little child.

"And now that we’re working on this case together—or at least supposed to be working on this damn case together—he decides to be scarce?"

She scoffed, then her lips bent into a dramatic pout.

"I can’t believe this guy. Does he think he’s too good to talk to me or something──?!"

But then, her shoulders slumped slightly, and the playful pout faded into something softer. Sadder.

"Well… he probably is."

Her voice barely carried through the chilly night air.

After all, she was the one disturbing herself trying to get closer to him for some dumb reason. Something about their shared interest in alien tech and culture, maybe? It wasn’t like he gave her much to work with. Besides, he already mentioned having a girlfriend.

She should probably respect that at some point… right?

『That fucking sucks…』

She took a small step back and lowered herself onto the frosted roadside railing. The cold metal bit through her coat and made her shut her eyes with a wince.

"Yeeeesh… my butt feels so friggin’ cold."

A soft sigh left her lips as she lifted her gaze.

Across the street, a massive poster for the upcoming filming of the Blue Thunder movie stared back at her, featuring none other than Jessica Nocturne as the lead actress.

Judy rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I should stop calling his line so much… his girlfriend might think he’s cheating on her or something. Which he obviously isn’t. And I don’t wanna be responsible for a breakup in the relationship of someone I actually consider a friend…"

She hesitated, lowering her head a little more.

"… Even if it would, y’know, greatly benefit me."

She groaned and flopped back slightly against the railing, then stared up at the star-dotted sky.

･･･

Meanwhile, at the Metro Daily building.

Scott sat at a large desk, bathed in the bluish glow of countless holographic screens. His sharp eyes flicked from one screen to another, each displaying security footage he’d hacked from the Rolling Stone Club.

His gloved hand rested on his chin as he muttered—

"Hmm… that’s definitely her."

He zoomed in on one of the images—a woman approaching Jake. The same woman Brigid had sketched out from the memories of the dead body she had mind-read.

Scott tapped his fingers against the desk.

"I’ve set up sonic boom detectors all across the city. Anything flying at or faster than the speed of sound will be logged with full visual details."

He leaned back in his swivel chair with a smirk.

"Easy peasy."

However, he was forgetting something.

"Oh crap… I haven’t even called Judy yet. Damn, I’ve been so caught up in this whole ’Penis Hunter’ mess that I completely lost track of time—it’s already been over five hours."

He let out a tired yawn.

"Still… she was the one who said we’d meet here at night, and there’s no sign of her. Heh, well, I don’t really mind waiting. At first, I thought she was just another investigative journalist—one of those types who only care about getting a big story or making a quick buck, no matter how much it ruins someone’s life. But… she’s not like that."

A hint of affection crossed his face.

He thought about her quirky smile and the fire in her eyes when she spoke.

"I can’t exactly say I don’t like her… she’s actually kinda fun to be around."

But just as he reached for his phone, his System’s voice rang in his ear.

[Warning. A sonic detector positioned at an optimal angle and distance from the Metro Daily building has detected an unidentified object moving at speeds far surpassing supersonic levels.]

Scott’s brows shot up.

"Oh?"

He didn’t need a whiteboard breakdown to figure out who that was.

"That’s definitely th—"

A sudden, powerful whoosh swept through the massive office space.

Papers fluttered. Screens flickered.

Scott whipped his head to the side.

Standing there, completely unfazed by the wind disturbance, was Ezel.

Tall. Poised. Expression unreadable.

Her predatory eyes locked onto him as she spoke, voice as even and firm as ever.

"Scott McQueen, I presume."

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Scott blinked.

Then exhaled sharply as his lips quirked into something between amusement and resignation.

"Well… shit."