He finished drying the last dish when Debbie walked into the kitchen, a soft smile playing on her lips. Travis wiped his hands on his pants and turned to face her.
She stood there in a flowing blue gown that skimmed her curves, but it was what she wore underneath that caught his attention—a delicate two-piece purple bra and matching panties that peeked out teasingly beneath the fabric.
"You know, women love a man who does his chores," Debbie said with a sly smirk. "So if you keep this up, you'll have all the ladies chasing you."
Travis chuckled, stepping a bit closer. "Will I have you chasing me though?"
Before he could gauge her reaction, the system buzzed loudly inside his mind.
[Error!
Lack of charisma to use Smooth Talk! Raise charisma or risk dropping affection.
-1 Affection]
『4%』
'What the fuck! You didn't tell me you could do that!'
[Yeah, but you should have known better. So yeah, try harder.]
Debbie's smile faltered as she heard the sudden shift in his tone. She frowned slightly, then shook her head gently.
"Oh no, I'm too old for that, Travis," she said softly.
"I was just kidding, Debbie," he quickly reassured her.
"Well, I know. You really should try looking for girls your age, alright? Goodnight," she said, stepping forward to tiptoe and plant a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Debbie walked away with a playful sway in her hips, and Travis couldn't help but stare at her juicy booty, craving the feel of his hands on it.
'Man, that loss of affection pissed me off. How do I even raise my charisma? I'm no guru at this stuff,' he thought, finishing the dishes and wiping his hands on a towel.
Suddenly, the system chimed again:
[Mission #3: Raise Your Charisma by 3.
Rewards:
■ $300
■ 2 Stat Points]
'You just gave me a mission, not a solution. Wait… maybe I can raise it by reading,' he thought, a spark of determination lighting up inside him.
He sprinted up the stairs, heart pounding from the workout and the sudden urgency. Just as he reached his room and reached for the door handle, Jenny stepped out, wearing an impossibly tight shirt that clung to every curve.
"Hey, could you come here for a second? I need you to help with something," she said, her voice calm but direct.
'Do my ears deceive me?!' Travis's face froze in shock as he stared at her.
Jenny frowned at his stunned expression, then grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them.
"Travis, I need some money for something. Borrow me $100, I'll pay you back," she said flatly, with none of the usual edge. Travis immediately realized Jenny had slipped back into her usual no-nonsense self.
"I don't have money, to be honest. But if I did, would I have given you? Cap. What do you even need it for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's none of your business. Now get out."
"Alright," Travis said with a smirk, stepping back and leaving her alone.
As soon as he closed the door, his grin grew wider. He pulled out his phone and started searching for books on charisma.
He found one almost immediately and began reading. The content was boring as hell, but he couldn't deny he was learning important things.
Determined, Travis dove headfirst into the grind, skipping sleep and devouring the entire book through the night. By sunrise, he was sprawled on the couch, eyes blurred from staring at the screen.
He pushed open the curtains to let the morning sun flood his room.
'Man, I'm never doing that again,' he thought, stretching and heading over to open the window for fresh air.
That's when he spotted Tammy, completely naked, hurriedly dressing just outside his window. Travis snapped his head away instantly, heart pounding.
'This whole town is horny, I swear,' he muttered.
Suddenly, a system notification chimed loudly:
[Mission #3: Raise Your Charisma by 3 (COMPLETE)
Rewards:
■ $300
■ 2 Stat Points
Good work!]
'Well, that was worth it.'
Without hesitation, Travis allocated his two new stat points to strength and endurance.
■ Endurance: 6/10
■ Strength: 5/10
He felt rejuvenated, the fatigue of the past few days melting away.
'What happens when I reach 10?' he asked the system.
[It'll turn to 20. Then 30. Max stats is 50, so get to work, brother.]
'Fucken hell, mate. Do I have to figure out everything myself? Can't you just tell me everything at once?'
[I would, but I myself don't know everything about myself.]
'What does that even mean? Oh well,' Travis shrugged.
He peeled off his clothes and began a fresh round of exercises, wanting to keep his progress steady. While working out, he planned his day — heading to the mall to buy the computer parts he desperately needed.
So far, the system had generated about $700 for him.
'It's not much, but it'll do. I gotta hit the gym, too. Meet that new girl… What's her name again? Doesn't matter, she's bad,' he thought with a smirk.
He worked out for an hour straight, his muscles screaming in protest with every rep. Sweat dripped down his forehead and traced its way down his jawline, soaking into the collar of his shirt. His breathing was heavy, chest rising and falling like he'd just finished a sprint. Every push-up, every sit-up, every curl left a dull burn in his body, but it was the kind of pain he welcomed—pain that meant progress.
When he finally stood up, his arms trembled slightly from fatigue, but there was a faint pride in his smirk. Travis walked over to the mirror, running his eyes over his reflection. His shoulders looked broader, his arms more defined, and though his abs weren't fully sculpted yet, there was a faint outline of a six-pack starting to form. He gave a small approving nod, the corner of his lips curling upward.
With that, he peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt and headed to the bathroom for a shower. The cold tiles under his feet were a sharp contrast to the steam-filled warmth that soon surrounded him. The water pelted against his skin, washing away the layer of salt and grime, and leaving him feeling fresh but still faintly buzzing from the workout.
A few minutes later, he stepped out, his damp hair sticking slightly to his forehead, a towel lazily wrapped around his waist. Drops of water slid down his chest and disappeared into the faint ridges of muscle along his stomach.
Just as he reached his room, the door to the bathroom opened. Jenny stepped out, her eyes briefly widening before she masked her reaction.
' Woah… when did he get that body? Has he been working out in secret?' she thought, her gaze lingering for a split second longer than she intended.
She forced herself to look away, brushing past him casually, the faint scent of his soap trailing after her. Without saying a word, she walked into the bathroom.
The moment she opened the door, she was greeted with a wave of warm steam clinging to the walls and mirror. Jenny frowned, waving her hand in the air as she walked over to crank open the windows. Cool, fresh air began spilling inside, slowly pushing out the haze.
' Yesterday he was clearly checking out my tities,' she thought with a faint, knowing smirk. ' Which isn't surprising. I mean… even a gay man would look at my pretty boobs. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.'
She sat down on the toilet, her expression thoughtful as the sound of Travis's door clicking shut echoed faintly down the hallway.
TO BE CONTINUED