The bell's metallic clang still echoed in Kent's skull as chairs screeched across the floor. Books zipped into backpacks, voices rose, and the classroom buzzed with movement.
But Kent didn't move. He sat frozen in his chair, gripping the edge of his desk like it might keep him from floating away. The faint blue glow of the System screen still burned at the corners of his vision, no matter how many times he blinked.
Marcus and Tyler practically pounced on him.
"Dude—what was that?" Marcus whispered, leaning so close his spiky hair brushed Kent's shoulder.
"You actually—like, she blushed! Emily Tran!" Tyler's voice cracked with excitement. "Did you hypnotize her? Bribe her? Bro, what kind of black magic did you just pull?!"
Kent's lips parted, but no sound came out. What was he supposed to say? Oh, nothing, just got a pop-up quest from the imaginary voice in my head and somehow completed it.
He croaked, "I—I don't know."
"Don't know?" Marcus grabbed his desk and rattled it. "You walk back in here, say one dumb line, and the Ice Queen of our class actually—actually—turns red? And you don't know how?"
Tyler jabbed a finger at Kent's chest. "Spill, man. You've been hiding cheat codes this whole time, haven't you?"
Kent opened his mouth again, desperate to spit out some excuse, but another voice cut through the noise.
"Well, well."
Derek's lazy drawl slid over the classroom like oil. He sauntered past, hands shoved into his pockets, smirk curling across his face. A couple of girls trailed behind him, giggling as though his shadow was enough to keep them entertained.
"Gilbert," Derek said, stopping beside Kent's desk. "You really think one cheap joke makes you somebody?"
Kent stiffened. Marcus and Tyler both went quiet.
Derek leaned closer, lowering his voice so only Kent could hear. "Don't forget—you're still at the bottom. Try to act cool all you want, but everyone knows who you really are."
Kent's throat tightened. The brief glow of triumph he'd felt seeing Emily blush shriveled under Derek's smirk.
Derek tapped his desk once with two fingers, then walked off, laughing with his friends like he'd already won again.
Kent clenched his fists under the desk, nails biting into his palms. He wanted to shout something, anything back—but the words jammed in his throat.
The classroom emptied around him, leaving Kent stuck in his seat, pulse racing. Marcus and Tyler lingered, frowning.
"Man, don't listen to him," Marcus muttered. "That was amazing. You actually did it."
"Yeah," Tyler added, his grin flickering uncertainly. "For real though… how did you do it?"
Kent shook his head quickly, grabbing his bag. "I don't know. I just—I don't know."
He stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder, and brushed past them without another word.
Because if he stayed, he might break down and admit the truth:
That he wasn't the same Kent Gilbert anymore.
Something had changed.
Something terrifying.
******
The late afternoon sun pressed down on the cracked sidewalks as Kent trudged away from school, backpack hanging low on one shoulder. His sneakers scuffed against loose gravel, each step heavier than the last.
The laughter from Derek's voice still rang in his ears. So did Marcus and Tyler's questions. But more than anything, the soft electronic chime haunted him—the one no one else could hear.
Kent dragged a hand down his face. "What the hell is happening to me?"
The answer came immediately, like a whisper curling at the base of his skull.
"You are the Host of the Pickup System."
Kent jolted so hard his backpack nearly slipped off. He spun around, but the street was empty—just rows of houses, a barking dog behind a fence, and the hum of a passing car.
"No," he muttered. "Nope. I'm not doing this. I've officially lost my mind."
"You are not hallucinating." The voice was calm, feminine, almost smug. "The Pickup System has bonded to you. Missions will guide you toward completing objectives. Rewards will be given. Penalties will be… enforced."
"Penalties?" Kent croaked, his pulse jumping.
"Failure is not tolerated. For every quest you decline or fail, a penalty will be applied."
Kent stopped dead on the sidewalk. "Wait, hold on—what do you mean penalty?"
A new screen shimmered into view before his eyes:
Penalty Examples:
– Forced embarrassing confessions.
– Stat reductions.
– Social exposure events.
– Public punishments.
Kent's mouth went dry. "Social… exposure? What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means you don't want to find out."
He staggered forward again, gripping the strap of his bag like a lifeline. "This can't be real. It's—it's a prank. Some AR glasses or—"
"Your denial is irrelevant. The System is bound. You cannot log out. You cannot uninstall. Completion is your only option."
Kent clenched his teeth, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "So I'm your… your lab rat now? You're just gonna keep giving me stupid missions until I screw up?"
"Correction. Until you succeed. With every success, you gain Charm, Confidence, Luck, and Skills. With enough progress, you may transcend your current status entirely."
Kent snorted, his laugh sharp and hollow. "Transcend? Lady, I can barely ask a cashier for extra ketchup. You expect me to—"
[New Quest Available.]
The words slammed into his vision so hard he stumbled.
Quest #2: Obtain a girl's phone number before reaching home.
Reward: +3 Charm, +2 Confidence.
Penalty: Public humiliation event triggered automatically.
Time Limit: 30:00 minutes.
The glowing numbers began their cruel countdown.
29:59… 29:58…
Kent's stomach dropped through the sidewalk. "You've got to be kidding me."
Kent froze in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes locked on the glowing countdown ticking down in the air before him.
29:21… 29:20… 29:19…
"This isn't happening," he whispered, his throat bone-dry. "This is not happening."
"Mission accepted automatically," the System chimed sweetly. "Good luck, Host."
"I didn't accept anything!" Kent hissed, earning a weird look from a woman walking her dog across the street. He yanked his hood up and hunched his shoulders, muttering into his chest. "This is insane. How am I supposed to—how do you even get someone's number?! Just—what, walk up to a random girl and ask?"
"Correct."
The voice was maddeningly casual.
Kent ran both hands through his hair, pacing in small frantic circles. "That's not how real life works! I'm not some smooth-talking player, I'm—"
"28:43 remaining."
He stopped cold. The timer wasn't waiting for his meltdown.
"Oh my god," Kent groaned, gripping the strap of his bag tighter. "Okay. Okay. Think. A girl. Any girl. Just—just ask. Just like that. Easy."
His eyes darted around the quiet neighborhood. An old man mowing his lawn. A group of kids on scooters. A woman unloading groceries from her trunk. No teenage girls in sight.
"Perfect," he muttered. "The one time I need to embarrass myself, the universe gives me tumbleweeds."
He forced himself to walk faster, scanning every corner, every street. His pulse raced in time with the countdown hammering at the edge of his vision.
27:10… 27:09…
His palms were slick with sweat by the time the fluorescent glow of a convenience store sign flickered into view up ahead. Relief surged through him—stores always had people. People meant possibilities.
Kent swallowed hard. "Okay. Okay, maybe this isn't so bad. Go in, grab a soda, find… someone. Ask. Done."
He stepped through the glass doors, the faint ding of the bell overhead loud enough to make him flinch. The cool blast of air-conditioning hit him, carrying the faint scent of instant ramen and floor cleaner.
And there she was.
At the far end of the aisle, crouched in front of the refrigerated drinks, a girl maybe a year or two older than him, denim jacket slipping off one shoulder. Long black hair framed her face as she studied the bottles, her phone balanced in one hand.
Kent's stomach did a full somersault.
The System purred in his head. "Target acquired."
Kent almost bolted out the door.
Kent ducked behind a shelf of instant noodles, heart hammering like a drumline in his chest.
"What am I doing?!" he hissed under his breath. His eyes darted toward the glowing numbers in the corner of his vision.
23:44… 23:43… 23:42…
The girl hadn't noticed him. She was humming softly to herself, tapping her nails against the glass door as she compared bottles of green tea.
Kent's knees felt like jelly. "Nope. Nope. Can't do this. Not happening."
"Failure to comply will result in penalty," the System reminded him, its tone cheerful, like it was reciting a weather report.
Kent slammed his eyes shut, groaning. Penalty. Public humiliation. Whatever that means. Probably something like my pants falling down in front of the football team or my phone blasting porn in class.
He peeked around the corner again. The girl had moved slightly, crouching lower, her phone sliding into her pocket.
Kent's hand shook as he clutched the strap of his bag. Just go. Just say something. Worst case, she ignores you and you run out of here looking like a creep.
He took one shaky step. Then another. The soles of his sneakers squeaked faintly against the linoleum, and his breath came in shallow gasps.
She stood up just as he reached the end of the aisle, turning her head slightly. Their eyes met for the briefest second.
Kent froze. His brain blanked. Every possible word evaporated into static.
The System beeped. "Tip: Begin with a greeting. Compliments increase Charm probability."
Kent's throat clicked as he swallowed. Compliment? What do I even—her shoes? Her jacket? Oh god, I'm gonna die.
The timer ticked mercilessly on.
21:12… 21:11… 21:10…
The girl raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for him to move or speak.
Kent's mind screamed run! but his feet betrayed him. He opened his mouth—
"Uh—uh, hi."
The word croaked out like a dying frog.
The girl tilted her head, lips twitching. "...Hi?"
Kent wanted to slam his own head into the fridge door.
"Uh, hi."
Kent's voice still echoed in his ears, thin and pathetic. He wanted to melt into the floor, but the girl was looking at him now—curious, a little cautious, but not immediately walking away. That counted for something… right?
She shifted the bottle of tea in her hand. "Do… I know you?"
Kent's mouth went dry. "N-no. I mean, maybe. If you, uh, go to Ridgeway High? Or not. Maybe you don't. Do you?"
The girl blinked. A tiny smile tugged at her lips, like she wasn't sure if he was joking. "I'm in college. So, no."
Great. Perfect. She's older. I'm officially screwed.
Kent rubbed the back of his neck, heat crawling up into his ears. "Right, right, yeah, college. That's cool. Super cool. You, uh—you like… tea?"
He wanted to punch himself. 'You like tea'? What am I, a malfunctioning chatbot?
But the girl actually laughed—soft, amused. "I mean… yeah. Kind of why I'm buying one."
Kent's heart kicked into overdrive. The laugh didn't sound cruel. More… entertained.
The System chimed. "Positive reaction detected. +5% success probability."
Kent flinched at the words flashing in front of his eyes, but forced himself to keep going. "Cool. Yeah. I like… uh… soda. And tea. Sometimes. Depending."
The girl gave him a look like he was the weirdest thing she'd seen all day. But she didn't walk away.
The timer glowed behind her head.
17:58… 17:57… 17:56…
Kent's pulse thundered. If he didn't do it now, he'd never do it. His legs already felt ready to bolt.
"Okay, um—this is gonna sound really stupid," he blurted, words tumbling out in a rush. "But, uh… could I maybe—possibly—have your number?"
The silence that followed nearly killed him.
The girl blinked once. Twice. Then she laughed again, shaking her head. "Wow. That's… direct."
Kent's stomach dropped through the floor. She's laughing at me. This is it. I failed. I'm dead.
But then she sighed, pulled her phone out of her pocket, and held it toward him. "Sure. Why not. You've got guts, at least."
Kent stared, dumbfounded. "Wait. Really?"
She smirked. "Don't make me change my mind."
Fumbling so hard he nearly dropped it, Kent pulled out his own phone, thumbs clumsy as he tapped in the digits she recited. His hands were shaking so much he double-entered one digit and had to backspace, cheeks burning.
Finally, it was done. The contact saved. His phone screen glowed with proof: Nora (Convenience Store).
The System dinged like a slot machine jackpot.
Quest Completed!
Reward: +3 Charm, +2 Confidence.
Current Stats Updated.
Kent's whole body sagged, relief crashing over him in a wave so strong he nearly laughed out loud.
The glowing blue text lingered in front of Kent's eyes, brighter than the fluorescent lights overhead.
Quest Completed!
+3 Charm.
+2 Confidence.
His phone buzzed in his hand, not from a message but from the System itself. Another screen unfolded, numbers sliding upward like they'd been yanked by invisible strings.
Charm: 4 → 7
Confidence: 2 → 4
Kent blinked at it, brain short-circuiting. "Holy…"
The girl—Nora—was still standing there, smirking faintly. "You good?"
"Uh—yeah! Totally. Fine. Thanks. I mean—for the number. Thanks."
She laughed again, shaking her head as she grabbed her tea and strolled toward the counter. "Weird kid," she muttered under her breath, but there wasn't malice in it.
Kent stuffed his phone into his pocket before his hands could shake it right out of them. His heart was still racing, but not just from fear this time. He felt… lighter. Taller, even, like he could breathe easier.
As he left the store, the System's voice purred in his ear. "Congratulations, Host. Two quests completed. Momentum established."
He walked down the sidewalk, the evening air cool against his flushed face. "This is insane. This can't be real. But… it worked."
The thought made him grin like an idiot before he could stop himself.
For the first time in years, Kent Gilbert wasn't just the quiet loser in the back row. He had… something. Something powerful.
The countdown timer was gone, replaced by a calm screen:
Next Quest: Pending…
Kent shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is insane… but maybe… this is my chance."