I went back to the academy.
As I pulled in, I could already feel the shift in attention.
A lot of people were looking my way, and not in that subtle, polite glance kind of way.
No, this was the full-on stare.
It didn't take a genius to figure out why. It was obviously because of my new ride.
I mean, it stood out.
It was new, clean, and way too expensive-looking for someone like me.
Honestly, even I still wasn't fully used to seeing myself on it.
There was no way anyone our age could casually afford something like that unless they had some absurd background, like being the son of a corporate owner or some ridiculously rich family. And yeah, that definitely wasn't me. If anything, I was the complete opposite.
I removed my helmet, and the moment I did, the air hit my face.
It felt surprisingly refreshing, like I had just stepped out of a closed space without realizing how stuffy it had been inside.
I looked around for a bit, letting the moment settle, before putting the motorcycle on standby. Even then, I could still feel eyes on me. Not that I cared enough to react.
After that, I made my way toward the university building.
It was already past lunch, which meant I had technically missed half the day. Normally, that would be a problem somewhere else, but university wasn't exactly strict about attendance. As long as you showed up enough to exist on paper, you were fine. At least, that's how it felt.
While walking, I ended up crossing paths with Minne.
She was with a group of girls, chatting like usual.
They looked comfortable, like they had their own little world going on.
When her eyes met mine, her expression immediately shifted. It wasn't even subtle. She made a face, then quickly looked away like she didn't want anything to do with me.
I didn't stop. I just walked past her.
"Is that guy still stalking you, Minne?"
"No… fortunately."
"That's good, but seriously, how is he still showing up here after everything he did? Doesn't he feel embarrassed at all?"
"I think it's because he still has feelings for you, Minne."
"It's honestly disgusting how guys like him act when you show them even a little kindness. They start thinking they own you or something. He's a fucking loser."
Yeah. Loud and clear.
I could hear every single word.
Not that it mattered anymore. This kind of thing had become routine for me. It wasn't even surprising at this point. Just another normal day.
The stalking incident I got dragged into was a mess. It blew up way more than I ever expected. It even made it to the news, which was honestly ridiculous when I think about it. Ten days in prison was the result of that whole situation. Ten days that pretty much sealed how people would see me from then on.
There wasn't really any fixing that kind of reputation.
Minne used to be my childhood friend. We had known each other since kindergarten. We stayed friends through the years, through school, through all the changes that came with growing up. Even after high school, we were still in each other's lives.
Now, though, that connection was gone.
But honestly, I didn't feel anything about it anymore.
The past was the past. Holding onto it wasn't going to change anything. If anything, it would just drag me down. So I let it go. Whatever attachment I used to have for her, it wasn't there anymore.
As I continued walking and turned a corner, letting out a small sigh without even realizing it, I ended up bumping into someone.
It was Clara.
"H-Hey… good afternoon."
"Yeah. Good afternoon."
The exchange was simple, but there was something awkward about it. It wasn't obvious on the surface, but you could feel it. Like both of us were holding back something, or maybe just unsure how to act around each other now.
"W-Well then… see you later."
"Okay."
That was it.
After she walked past me, I found myself watching her for a moment.
Not intentionally, it just kind of happened.
"Hey, did you see that?"
"Wasn't Miss Clara talking to that creep?"
"And she looked really uncomfortable too."
"I heard they work together at the library."
"Yeah, and also at a convenience store, right?"
"That's way too much to just be coincidence."
"Do you think he's stalking her too?"
Of course. Why not add more to the list?
Now people thought I was stalking Clara as well.
The funny part was, I didn't even try to defend myself. There wasn't any point. When people already have a fixed idea of who you are, they'll twist everything to fit that version. Explaining yourself just feels like talking to a wall.
It's easier to just let them think whatever they want.
That's just how people are.
***
After classes ended, I headed to the library where I worked. My shift there was pretty straightforward. Organizing books, handling returns, pretty much the usual quiet routine. It wasn't anything exciting, but it was steady.
Once I finished, I said goodbye to Senior Sonia and left.
From there, I went straight to my other job at the restaurant.
I was juggling multiple jobs at once. It was exhausting when I actually thought about it. Maybe I could drop one of them eventually, but for now, I just kept going.
At the restaurant, I worked as a waiter in a family-style place.
It was already late, so there weren't many customers around. The place had that calm, almost sleepy atmosphere. I usually worked there for about two hours before closing, so it was manageable.
I was expecting a quiet shift. The kind where nothing really happens and time just passes slowly.
But of course, things never stay that simple.
At one of the tables, there were two people arguing.
"I can't believe you. You're the worst," the woman said, her voice sharp and full of frustration.
She looked around my age. Maybe a little older, but not by much.
Her face was covered with heavy makeup and lipstick, the kind that stood out even under dim lighting. Her outfit was even more noticeable. Leopard print top with thin spaghetti straps, a jacket thrown over it like an afterthought, short hot pants, and tight fishnet stockings hugging her legs.
She definitely wasn't trying to blend in.
"Do you seriously think I'd do something like that? I asked you for help, not this," she continued.
"Well, I'm not just giving out money for free," the guy replied, leaning back like he didn't care. "There's always some kind of exchange. You think things just come to you for nothing?"
"But you're my boyfriend. Shouldn't you at least lend me money? I already said I'd pay you back. I'm just a bit short right now."
"Bitch, please. That's not how this works. You already know why I even got with you. It's so I can taste your ass. Not because I love you."
Welp...
At that point, I already knew this wasn't something I wanted to get involved in.
For some reason, the system always had this weird sense of timing. And by weird, I mean terrible. It loved showing up exactly when I didn't need it, like some annoying pop-up ad you can't close fast enough.
And just like that, there it was again, casually appearing in front of me like it had something important to say.
__________________________
Denise
Affection: 0♥︎
Mood: -50♥︎
Lust: 30♥︎
Status: Totally not interested
__________________________
So now it was showing me her status.
Not just that, of course. It never stopped at just that. Right after, a new quest appeared, like it was trying to push me into doing something I didn't even ask for.
__________________________
NEW QUEST!
Denice needs help with money
Lend her 3000c
Reward: 5♥︎, 10♥︎ Affection
__________________________
I stared at it for a few seconds, trying to figure out what kind of logic the system was running on.
Honestly, I had no idea why it was giving me this kind of quest right now. Out of all the moments, it chose this one. And if I was being completely honest with myself, I could very much live without it.
I mean, I wasn't out here trying to get every woman I came across. This wasn't some kind of collection game where I had to unlock every character. I already had enough going on.
So yeah, I was pretty much fine ignoring this.
"Come on, just this once. We've been dating for two months now, and you still haven't given me what I want. It's starting to make me impatient, you know?" the guy said, his tone already irritating enough to make me want to leave the area.
"Do you seriously think I'm that low? I'm not a prostitute," the woman fired back immediately, not even hesitating.
"Oh? But I heard your mother is."
The moment he said that, I couldn't help but wonder if he even thought before opening his mouth. Because there was no way that line was going to end peacefully.
Her hand came flying straight toward his face without warning.
"Fuck you!"
The slap landed clean. Honestly, if there was a score for that, it would've been a perfect ten.
"I'm giving you a chance, and this is how you treat me?" the guy snapped, clearly pissed now. "Fine. Go ahead and figure out your own problems. If you want to whore yourself out just to get the money, then go for it."
And with that, he turned around and walked out of the restaurant like he hadn't just dropped the most toxic line possible and dipped right after.
Impressive, in the worst way.
The woman stayed where she was for a moment, just standing there. It was like her body hadn't caught up with what just happened yet. Then slowly, she sat down on one of the seats.
She looked completely drained.
Not the loud kind of emotional, not the dramatic crying type. She was just quiet, like everything hit her all at once and she didn't have the energy to react properly.
Welp.
That made things… awkward.
I was just there, existing in the same space, witnessing something I definitely didn't plan on seeing today. Honestly, I would've preferred not being here at all. This felt like watching a train wreck in real time, except I couldn't even look away properly.
Still… I had 3000c on me.
And the system clearly wasn't going to shut up about it.
So I guess… I might as well do something.
I walked over to her, trying to keep things as normal as possible.
"Do you need help, Miss?" I asked.
"Leave me alone," she replied immediately. "Can't you see I'm not in the mood to talk?"
Yeah, I could see that. Even without the system literally spelling it out for me, it was obvious.
Still, I didn't back off.
"You know," I said, keeping my voice steady, "I'm willing to lend you money."
That got her attention.
She looked up at me, her eyes narrowing slightly, like she was already expecting something shady.
"You want something from me too?" she said. "My body, right? Sorry, but I'm not that kind of person."
Honestly, after what just happened, I couldn't even blame her for thinking that.
"Well, saying I don't want you for your body would be a lie," I admitted. No point pretending to be some kind of saint out of nowhere. "But if you can help me out while I'm working, that would already be enough. Just until you've paid back what I lent you."
She blinked, clearly caught off guard by that answer.
"Work?" she asked, her tone shifting just a bit. "What kind of work?"
I shrugged slightly.
"Work here. With me. In this place."