Joy barely slept. Through the night, the glowing panel had haunted his mind with its promise. By dawn, he sat at his desk, scrolling through the Charm System interface. The options were dizzying: skills, missions, stats, every line pulsing with possibility. He didn't know how it all worked, but he hoped he'd have the guts to try.
The morning light made everything look sharper but no kinder. He washed and dressed—same patched sandals, same thin shirt—but stood a little straighter, feeling a strange energy radiate deep in his chest. The first mission pulsed quietly at the corner of his vision: Make a visible impression in your group; bonus: impress Melissa Torres.
Outside, the campus throbbed with routine. Students moved in bright clusters, laughter echoing under mango trees. The humiliation still lingered from yesterday, but Joy forced himself forward. His phone vibrated once, and the faint blue panel whispered: Confidence Aura unlocked. Social presence improved.
He reached the classroom a few minutes early. The group assigned for today's project began filing in. Raghav spotted him and smirked, but said nothing. Melissa breezed in last—her hair in a loose ponytail, eyes sharp, notebook balanced on her hip, already owning the space. For a second, Joy met her gaze; she paused, then looked away, expression unreadable.
The usual routine would be predictable: Joy sidelined, bullied or ignored. But not today. As the group slid into argument over the assignment—statistics for the campus market survey—Joy felt the System pulse quietly, and confidence flooded through his body.
Raghav insisted they split the work based on "who actually gets marks." Priya argued they should follow the professor's template. Melissa, voice smooth and strong, cut through their fights with quick logic.
Joy waited for the moment to speak. When Priya snapped, "We'll mess this up if everyone keeps fighting," Joy leaned forward, voice steady, words coming easier than ever.
"Let's divide by strengths. Raghav, you're great at business modeling. Melissa, run the stats. Priya, handle outreach. I'll collate, proof, and run final calculations. We finish faster, waste less time."
The group went quiet. Even Raghav blinked. Priya nodded, surprised, and for the first time, Melissa looked thoughtful.
"Good plan," she replied.
The System chimed: Smooth Talk: Level 1 achieved.Impression on Melissa: Positive.
They pushed through the project. Joy guided the group calmly, adapted when tempers flared, and kept them focused. By the end of the session, even Raghav was grudgingly respectful. When Melissa stood to leave, she paused beside Joy—just for a moment.
"You surprised me today," she said quietly. Her tone was different—not sarcasm, but intrigue.
Joy smiled, pulse quickening as the System pinged: New side mission—Win Melissa's private interest.
As the group filed out, Joy caught Melissa's glance. She lingered, almost as if waiting. Outside, she spoke just loud enough:
"Could use your help with data charts later. My flat has better Wi-Fi."
He nodded, heart hammering. This was his chance.
Joy left the building with Melissa's voice still in his head. My flat has better Wi‑Fi.
It wasn't a date… yet. But the System's faint glow at the corner of his sight told him this wasn't just a casual invite either.
Back in his dorm room, he stared at the cracked mirror on the wall. Same old shirt, same old sandals — but today, the way he stood was different. His shoulders were straighter, his eyes sharper. He could still hear yesterday's laughter in the back of his memory, and it fuelled him now.
The blue panel pulsed.
[Side Mission: Win Melissa's Private Interest]
Task: Build relaxed, positive atmosphere in a private setting.
Reward: +7 Charm Points, Unlock (Intimate Tact Lv.1).
Time Limit: Before session ends tonight.
He swapped his shirt for the cleanest one he had — pale blue, just pressed a bit flatter with both hands — and polished his sandals until they almost passed for decent. The System chimed with a faint sparkle:
Presentation +5%.
The evening air was warm as he approached Melissa's block of flats. Students walked past with tea, couples lounged on bikes, but Joy's focus was a single address: C‑203.
When she opened the door, Melissa was barefoot, hair down, wearing a loose black top and soft shorts. She looked… different here. The confident queen of the campus replaced with something casual, almost private.
"Hey," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "Shoes off, Wi‑Fi password's on the fridge."
He did as told, heart steady but alert. The flat smelled faintly of jasmine and coffee. Books were scattered on the table beside open files. A glass of wine rested on the edge as if she'd forgotten about it mid‑sip.
Melissa sat on the couch, laptop open, legs crossed. "Alright, system boy," she teased, "let's make these charts look like they belong in a proper presentation."
He sat beside her, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her skin. The System triggered a faint hum in the back of his mind:
Confidence Aura – active. Recommended: light humor, subtle touch.
He leaned in to see the screen, letting his arm brush hers just slightly. She didn't move away. Her hair fell toward him, the faint scent making it harder to ignore the thrum in his chest.
"Looks like you collected the numbers perfectly," he said, adjusting a bar on the graph. "Just needed someone to make them look good."
Melissa smirked at the double meaning, but didn't comment. She kept working — and Joy knew the real part of the mission was only beginning.
Melissa's fingers moved quickly over her trackpad, eyes scanning the colorful columns and bars now forming on the screen. "Not bad," she murmured. "Much better than the mess we had before."
Joy smiled faintly and leaned back, letting her have the satisfaction of finishing the edit. He kept his posture open, relaxed yet attentive, every movement feeding into the Confidence Aura hum from the System. The interface flickered in the corner of his vision again.
[Proximity Comfort: Rising]
Partner is relaxed. Next step: increase rapport through shared moment or light personal topic.
He glanced at the wine glass sitting neglected beside the sofa.
"You planning on having that alone?" he asked.
Melissa followed his glance, then smirked. "Help yourself. Kitchen's over there — there's another bottle."
Joy returned with two glasses. She accepted hers with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't take you for the type to drink during work."
"I figured presentation charts look better after a little red," he replied.
That got a laugh — not loud, but genuine. They clinked glasses, and for a few moments the only sound was the quiet pop playlist from her speaker. The air between them felt less like a project meeting and more like… something hovering on the edge of personal.
As the minutes passed, their conversation drifted from campus logistics to half‑joking stories about classmates, then about places they wanted to travel. Melissa was a surprisingly easy storyteller, her voice rich with expression. Every so often, she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and each casual movement seemed to carry a kind of unspoken confidence that kept drawing his eyes.
When she reached over to point something on his laptop, her arm grazed his. She didn't pull back. Neither did he.
The System chimed softly.
[Private Interest: 62%]
Opportunity developing. Continue engagement until mission transition.
Joy sipped his wine, holding her gaze for a second longer than polite, letting his smile speak for itself.
Melissa didn't look away this time.