17 Chapter 17

It has been a few hours since Urataros, inhabiting Ace's body, has been flirting with girls. He is currently surrounded by a couple of girls. Urataros' "hook" seems to have reeled them in, as the girls around him are fawning over him.

"Kyaa! Ace! You're so cool."

"Thank you, my little fishies… I have to say, you all are quite the catch."

"Kyaa!" The girls screamed as their hearts fluttered to his compliments.

Urataros is making use of Ace's charm to its full capabilities and combined with his techniques. He can confidently get any girl he fancies.

"Alright, my little fishies. Let's go have some fun."

"Okay~"

All the men who saw him walking with multiple women cursed their luck and sent piercing glares toward Urataros.

"Why does he have so many women!"

"Just because you are a little good-looking. Grrrrrr!"

Urataros heard them, but he took it in stride and ignored their disapproving looks. Meanwhile, a woman clung to his arm and started flirting with him. "Hey, how about we go somewhere private? Just the two of us…"

Urataros was impressed by this woman's boldness. But she was shoved to the side by another one.

"Hey! Who do you think you are? If anyone is going anywhere with him it's me."

"Huh! What does that mean? Him going out with you? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"You wanna go bitch!"

"Bring it!"

"Hey, Ace~ how about we leave these two and go on our own." Another woman takes advantage of the chaos to get closer.

"Hey! He is mine!"

"No! He's mine!"

The women were vying for his attention, but he calmed them down to avoid more fights.

"Now now my little fishes. I'm grateful to see you all love me very much but… Seeing you all fight like this. Hurts my heart." He shed a tear for dramatic effect

"We are not fighting, see! We are just friends with a bit of a disagreement."

"Yes yes, what she said."

The women stopped fighting after he spoke those words. It pained them to see him get hurt.

'*smirk* that hooked them in.'

'You're amazing Urataros…' said Ace

'I can teach you, Ace. All you need to do is watch and learn. And soon you will be a master of fishing women.'

'I don't know if I want to do that…'

'What do you mean? Aren't you already luring your two friends already? Gwen and Mary Jane are a great catch. If you manage to lure them in. you should be proud of yourself.'

'Those two are just my friends.' said Ace not wanting to continue this topic

'For now…'

With all the women stopped fighting and making up. They all went to the nearby mall to have fun. They went through so many stores and the girls offered to pay for the purchases.

"Ace, let me pay. Think of it as a present."

"No! Let me pay!"

"Thank you, everyone, but as a man, I can't let you pay."

"No no, you don't have to worry, Ace. Let me pay. I have to spoil my little boy after all." said the woman while pinching Ace's cheeks

The girls were very insistent, so he had no choice but to relent, much to Ace's dismay.

'Is this okay? I feel we are taking advantage of them.' said Ace

'Let them do what they want. The more fulfilled they feel the more happy they are. So it is okay to let them spoil us a little.'

'Okay… just don't go overboard.'

They went through clothes, trying to find the perfect outfit that suited Urataros' look. The girls argued, each thinking their pick of clothes was the best.

"I think he would look better wearing this."

"No, he would definitely look better with this style."

"A simpler style would suit him better. It would compliment his looks better."

The girls were about to argue again, and Urataros had to mediate between them once more

Everyone was hungry, so they went to eat, and the girls took turns feeding Urataros.

"Here, say ahhh~"

"Aaahhh~, um~ it's delicious. It was even more delicious because you are feeding me."

"Kyaa!"

They went around the mall a few more times until Urataros spotted a girl alone who caught his eye. She had short brown hair with a white streak at the front, and she was dressed in gothic attire, wearing gloves that covered most of her skin. She looked at the couples around the mall with an envious gaze.

"Hooo~ she looks interesting. And I can sense she could be a great catch."

'She looks familiar… Have I seen her somewhere before? Be careful Urataros. The girl may not be normal.'

"I know, that is what makes her interesting to reel in."

This caught Urataros attention and Ace swore she seemed familiar.

"Sorry everyone, something came up. I have to leave." Urataros excused himself saying he had to leave. This made all the girls sad 

"Ehhh~ I want to have more fun with you Ace."

"Don't worry, let's exchange contacts."

They exchanged contact information, and he promised to text them all so they could plan to hang out another time. This promise brought joy to the girls.

…

The goth girl glanced around and noticed couples holding hands throughout the mall. She was jealous and wanted to experience such intimacy. She and her friends were bored staying in the boarding school where they lived. So, they secretly went out to hang out in the mall. She wanted some time for herself, so she strayed from her friends for a moment.

She has a power that causes harm to anyone she has skin-to-skin contact with and she hates it very much. She questioned why she had been bestowed with such a power, when all she wanted was to live as a regular girl and to experience the love she wanted. Frustratingly, the world seemed to deny her that very wish.

"When can I find my own love…"

"What's got you down my lady? How about I soothe your troubles."

Suddenly, a handsome man her age called out to her. With his striking blue eyes and a blue streak of hair, she was taken aback by the unexpected attention, especially from someone so handsome.

"Uh… Hi, who are you?"

"Oh, where are my manners? Ace Ukiyo, it is nice to meet you. And you are?"

"Rogue…"

"Rogue, what a beautiful name. Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it…" Rogue felt a wave of confusion. Was this guy hitting on her? The question echoed in her thoughts as she shyly averted her gaze.

Urataros moved to grasp her chin, intending to meet her eyes, but Ace remembered who she was and tried to warn Urataros.

'Wait Urataros she is—"

He grabbed her chin and made her look into his eyes. "Mind if I reel you in?"

Rogue was stunned by his boldness, and it took a moment for her mind to fully process what was happening. As she realized he was touching her face, a wave of horror washed over her. She instinctively backed away to avoid causing him harm. However, when looking at him, she realized that he was okay.

"Huh?"

'Huh?'

Both Rogue and Ace were confused when they witnessed the scene. Rogue is a mutant, a member of the metahuman population in the Marvel Universe. Her unique ability allows her to absorb the powers, energies, memories, knowledge, talents, personality, and physical abilities of another being through skin-to-skin contact. However, these abilities are temporary and the duration of their manifestation increases with the amount she absorbs. It's worth noting that those she touches are often rendered unconscious and may even be put into a vegetative state.

As a result, Ace and Rogue found themselves puzzled. Normally, Rogue's powers would have activated the moment Urataros touched her, but for some reason, they didn't.

The reason for this is because of Ace's ghost powers. He can create a barrier around himself and unconsciously, he always has a thin layer of this barrier on his skin. It can only prevent him from getting scratched, but it is enough to prevent direct skin-to-skin contact with Rogue, while still allowing her to feel him. Ace is unaware of this ability, which explains his confusion.

"Can— Can I touch you for a sec?" Rogue asked, to make sure it was not a fluke. Her heart was beating loudly. She finally met someone she could touch without fear of causing them harm.

"Of course, I don't mind."

Rogue removed her gloves and slowly reached out for Ace's hand. She lightly tapped him with her index finger and noticed that her powers did not activate. Feeling more assured, she rested her palm on his and intertwined her fingers with his. Overwhelmed with emotion, she cried. She finally met someone she could touch and she longed for that feeling.

"Are you okay?" Urataros asked

"Yes, I'm okay. I'm just so happy right now."

He hugged her in an effort to offer comfort, and Rogue didn't hold back, returning the embrace tightly. She had been missing this kind of warmth and was determined to take full advantage of it.

'I wonder why she suddenly cried? Is my charm really that powerful?' said Urataros being narcissistic.

'No, Urataros. She did not cry because of your charms.' deadpanned Ace

Ace started to explain to Urataros who Rogue was based on what he remembered. While he didn't know her full backstory, Ace provided Urataros with enough information to give an understanding of the kind of person Rogue is.

'Truly an interesting person. A lonely fish who seeks warmth. This will be the easiest catch of my life! What's more, she is a big one.'

'Urataros… don't treat her as if she is a game.'

'Don't worry, I won't treat her as such. I respect women. I don't know why we are able to touch her but this is a chance. Since we are the only ones who can touch her. We can close the distance immediately.'

'Urataros…' Ace is beginning to worry about what he will do.

'Don't worry, just watch.'

"There there Rogue. What's making you cry?"

Rogue snapped out of it and realized she was too close to him. "Sorry, it's just. I have a condition in which I cannot touch other people. But I seem to be fine with you."

"Oh, then I am very lucky. I saw you here sitting alone. What's a lovely lady like you being alone here."

Rogue began to blush when he started flirting with her. "I just separated my friends for a bit. They are just around here."

"Oh, then you don't mind being separated from them for a bit longer do you." said Urataros as he leaned in closer to Rogue.

"What do you have in mind…" Rogue is loving the situation.

"Want to go somewhere? Just the two of us."

"Is that a date I hear?"

"Are you going to take it? My little fishy." Urataros extends his hand to Rogue

"Only if you show me a good time." said Rogue taking his hand

"Then, I better make sure to not disappoint you." Urataros smiles while they both run off and exit the mall.

In the distance. Rogue's friends spotted her running off with Ace.

"Hey, was that Rogue? And would you look at that? Rogue seems to have found a date." said a girl with brown hair tied in a ponytail.

"I believe so. Where is she going?" said a man with blue hair reaching his shoulders.

"Was she smiling? You don't see that look every day." said a man with brown hair.

"Should we go after her?"

"We probably should. Don't want to get her into any trouble."

***

Extra chapter for reaching 3000 cumulative power stones.

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