As Travis got dressed, the familiar chime of the system rang in his mind.
[System Notification]
Affection +2% — Jenny's current affection: 7% → 9%
『9%』
' My aura is working overtime, I guess. I should get ready for the mall,' he thought, buttoning up his shirt.
He reached for the money, and as always, it materialized right in his hands with a soft glow. Travis smirked, rubbing the bills between his fingers.
' Soon enough I'll be holding a million. Is it even possible to hold that much? I'll never know until I try to,' he thought with quiet confidence.
Stepping out of his room, he made his way downstairs. As he passed the living room and turned into the kitchen, he was greeted by an unexpected sight. Debbie was bent over, reaching for a spoon she had dropped. Her blue gown had ridden up her legs, revealing the soft curve of her ass and the snug fabric of her panties framing it perfectly.
Travis froze for a split second, taking in the view before forcing his gaze elsewhere.
' Bloody hell… this is the seductive Joseph went through,' he thought, forcing his composure as he stepped closer.
"Hey Debbie," Travis greeted, deliberately keeping his tone calm and eyes level with hers.
Debbie straightened up with a smile, instinctively stepping forward as if to hug him, but he casually stopped her with a raised hand.
"I'm going out to the mall. You need anything?" he asked, voice neutral and lacking his usual spark.
"Oh, umm… no, not that I can think of right now," she replied, the cheer in her voice faltering just slightly.
"Cool, then I'll see you," Travis said simply before turning and leaving the kitchen. Moments later, the front door closed behind him.
Debbie stood there, her smile fading.
' Did I do something wrong? He's back to the way he was before… maybe it's because of how I reacted to that remark he gave me. I should apologize — the last thing I want is for him to distance himself from me,' she thought, staring at the empty doorway.
Footsteps sounded from the stairs. Jenny appeared, heading toward the dining room, but her gaze caught on Debbie still in the kitchen. The sight made her pause — the hem of Debbie's gown was still dangerously high, giving away far more than she probably realized.
"Are you trying to seduce Travis or something?" Jenny asked dryly, crossing her arms with a smirk.
"What? What makes you say tha—" Debbie began, but then she felt the cool air on her exposed skin. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed crimson as she quickly pulled the gown down into place.
"Oh… sorry, I didn't notice," Debbie said, forcing a small awkward smile.
Jenny just shook her head, muttering under her breath as she turned away. Without another word, she made her way to the dining room before heading downstairs to grab her laundry.
..
Travis stepped outside, the warm afternoon air carrying the scent of freshly cut grass — though not from his yard. The tall weeds swayed lazily in the breeze, taunting him.
' Yeah… I'll have to cut that when I get the time. Can't have the place looking like a jungle,' he thought, locking the door behind him.
He made his way to the sidewalk, sneakers crunching lightly against bits of gravel. Passing by Erik and Mia's house, he glanced at the familiar front porch from the game, now strangely more alive in the real world. The place was quiet, blinds drawn.
A right turn at the corner brought him onto a longer stretch of road, and in the distance, his old school loomed into view. It was bigger than the game's depiction — three full stories, sprawling across the block, with the glint of sun reflecting off rows of classroom windows.
' Huh… guess reality doesn't cheap out on the textures,' he smirked to himself.
After crossing the road twice, Travis stopped in front of the library. The glass doors stood open, a faint smell of paper and coffee drifting out.
' Jane works here… Jenny's best friend. I'll check it out later. She's pretty cool, honestly,' he thought, making a mental note.
Continuing onward, he passed Saga Financial — its clean, modern facade and glass front making it look more upscale than he remembered — before crossing another street. The mall rose ahead, wide and bustling, its sign casting a long shadow over the entrance.
Inside, the space buzzed with life: chatter echoing from the food court, the hum of escalators, the faint melody of a pop song playing overhead. The layout was far bigger than the in-game version, easily housing over a dozen shops.
He spotted the store he needed: Consumr — the name plastered in bold, blocky letters.
' What a dumb name…kinda creative though' he thought.
Inside, the air was cool, tinged with the faint scent of detergent and cardboard. He wove through aisles stacked with household goods and electronics.
' This place is huge… but I'm only here for like two or three items, tops,' he reminded himself.
After browsing for a bit, Travis grabbed what he came for — a neatly boxed PC part — and spotted a row of red gas jugs on the lower shelf.
' Just like the game… except now it's just a jug,' he thought, smirking as he set it in his cart.
He paid at the till, exchanging a polite nod with the bored cashier, and glanced around one last time. No Veronica in sight.
' Guess she's not here. No point hanging around.'
But as he reached the mall's main hall, he paused.
' Debbie's probably still overthinking our kitchen talk earlier… maybe I should get her something. A peace offering.'
After a few minutes of wandering, the sweet smell of icing drew him to a cake shop tucked in the corner.
Display cases sparkled under soft lighting, each shelf lined with perfectly decorated desserts. He eyed the price tags, grimacing slightly.
' Yeah… definitely not Bill Gates right now. Cheapest option it is.'
With a small boxed cake in hand, Travis headed out of the mall, the weight of his shopping bags balanced on both arms. The walk back felt easier, his mind already shifting to the quiet evening ahead.
By the time he reached his street, the sun high above his head, painting the rooftops in warm gold. He stepped onto his porch with the satisfaction of a day's plans checked off.
Travis walked inside, the soft carpet muffling his footsteps. The warm morning light filtered through the curtains, casting gentle shadows across the living room. He found Debbie curled up on the couch, sipping coffee and watching a movie — the quiet hum of the TV the only sound in the room.
" Hey Debbie," Travis called softly, making her turn her head with a bright smile. She quickly reached for the remote and muted the volume.
" Hey sweetie. You're back already?" she asked, setting her cup down and standing up gracefully.
" Yeah, I was just at the mall for some computer parts. Nothing too exciting, but I did see a cake shop and thought I'd get you something," he said, pulling the neatly boxed cake from his bag.
Debbie's face lit up instantly, and without hesitation, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. Travis barely had time to react before she was holding him close. Tears slipped down her cheeks — not from sadness, but pure happiness.
" Thank you so much, this means a lot to me," she whispered, her eyes locking onto his, her face just inches away.
" It's nothing. I was kinda rude this morning, so I thought this might make up for it," Travis replied, his voice warm.
Debbie shook her head gently, wiping a tear away. " No, it was totally my fault. I shouldn't have brushed off your compliment like that. Though… I am a bit too old."
The system chimed quietly in Travis's mind, the Smooth Talk skill activating perfectly, boosted by his growing charisma.
■ Charisma: 4/10
With a confident smile, he said, " No, you're not. I'm sure if I walked around the mall with you, people would think you were my sister."
Debbie's cheeks flushed a soft pink, her smile growing even wider. " You think so?"
" Of course," he assured her.
She hugged him again, this time even tighter. Travis wrapped one arm gently around her waist while the other kept hold of the cake box.
' Yep, perfect,' he thought with satisfaction.
Eventually, she let him go, realizing she'd been holding on for too long.
" You should probably go change into something more comfortable. Then let's eat the cake together. Invite Jenny too," she suggested with a hopeful glance.
" Will do," Travis said with a nod, turning to leave the living room.
Debbie watched him go, a soft, warm smile lingering on her lips.
' I really got lucky with this fine boy. He reminds me so much of Frank. I guess he truly never left,' she mused silently.
Just then, Travis's mind pinged with a system notification.
[System Notification]
Affection +6% — Debbie's current affection: 4% → 10%
『10%』
' Yeah baby, that's what I'm talking about!!' he thought, feeling a rush of satisfaction and renewed confidence.
TO BE CONTINUED