Before Travis left the library, he decided to speak to Jane, who was sitting behind the counter, casually touching up her lipstick in a small compact mirror while waiting for security to arrive so she could finally clock out.
He quickly glanced at her stats.
『7%』
'Man, I have a lot of work to do,' he thought, shaking his head.
Jane was lost in her own world, twirling the lipstick back down into its case. I'm definitely not getting paid enough for this shit, she sighed internally, resting her cheek in her hand.
When she looked up, however, her boredom vanished instantly—Travis was walking toward her, tall, confident, and distracting as hell.
"Oh? Is the hunk looking for a number?" she teased with a playful smirk, raising a brow.
Travis smiled back casually. "No, not trying to get Jenny to kill me anytime soon."
Jane laughed, shaking her head. "Smart boy. So, what is it you want… or maybe ?" she asked, leaning forward over the desk. Her blouse dipped just enough to make the tease intentional.
Travis mirrored her posture, their faces now only a foot apart. "Well, I need a French dictionary."
Jane blinked at him, her smirk faltering for a second before returning. "That's unfortunate. You know, technically, you'll need to subscribe to the library for that," she said, feigning seriousness. Then, lowering her voice, she added with a grin, "That's what I tell the dummies. Just take a book—I'll sign you up for a library card later."
Travis chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks, Jane. Appreciate it."
She winked at him with a mock finger gun. "Anytime, babe."
He headed over to the shelves and soon returned with a worn French dictionary in hand. As he flipped through the pages, he frowned several pages were torn and missing. He held it up to Jane, raising a brow.
Jane pouted dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "Ugh, I hate my job. We don't have any other French dictionaries in stock. So just pray you don't need those pages, otherwise… tough luck," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, let's hope," Travis replied with a chuckle. Then, lowering his voice, he added, "By the way, what's up with that computer room? There's a camera in there. Have you caught people doing… you know what?"
Jane's smirk returned instantly, her eyes gleaming with mischief. She leaned closer until their noses were almost touching. "That's a secret. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." She slid a form across the counter. "Here—fill this out. Don't forget to bring it tomorrow. And now leave before I pin you down on this table."
Her tone was teasing, but her eyes lingered a little too long.
Travis grinned and, before she could react, reached out and flicked her nipple lightly through her blouse. "I think it'd be vice-versa," he said smoothly before turning on his heel.
Jane gasped softly, clutching her chest with both hands, staring after him with wide eyes. Slowly, her shock melted into a smirk.
"Cocky bastard," she whispered under her breath, amused despite herself.
[System Notification]
Affection +4% — Jane's current affection: 7% → 11%
『11%』
As he left, Jane slumped back in her chair, biting her lip without realizing it.
' Jenny, you're going to forgive me for this,' she thought, still feeling the ghost of his playful flick.
Suddenly, a harsh beam of light blinded her.
"What are you doing, young lady?" an old, wrinkled guard asked, his voice rasping like sandpaper, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Jane's temple throbbed, a vein popping on her forehead.' I hate this fucking job,' she fumed, forcing a tight, fake smile.
"Just finishing up here," she replied through clenched teeth, her tone dripping with irritation she barely managed to hide.
....
After a short walk under the dim streetlights, they finally arrived at Mia's house. The porch light flickered faintly, and Travis could see the curtains twitch slightly, as if her parents were still awake inside.
"So… we doing this again tomorrow?" Travis asked casually, his hands slipping into his pockets as he leaned slightly toward her.
Mia shifted her weight nervously, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "Umm… I'll have to check first, but I'll make sure to text you," she said softly, her voice carrying that shy warmth he was growing used to.
Travis gave her one of his calm, easy smiles before stepping forward and pulling her into a sudden hug. "Then I'll see you at school," he whispered, his tone smooth and reassuring.
Mia's face turned crimson instantly, her heart racing so hard she thought it might burst through her chest. She stiffened for a moment before quickly pulling herself back, her hands fluttering nervously as she stammered out,
"Y-ye-ah!" Her voice cracked adorably, betraying just how much his closeness affected her.
She practically bolted to the door, fumbling with her keys before slipping inside.
[System Notification]
Affection +4% — Mia's current affection: 17% → 21%
『21%』
'Nice,' he thought smugly, watching the door click shut.
From inside, Travis could faintly hear Mia squealing in embarrassment, the sound muffled through the door but clear enough to make him smirk. ' She's definitely falling,' he thought.
Without wasting another second, he crouched slightly, then suddenly took off in a sprint toward the park. His strides were long and effortless, the cool night air rushing against his face. The streetlights blurred past him, and his speed made it look like the world itself was moving slower.
Every step he took was silent, precise—he was moving far faster than any normal person could.
' Good. At least I can stretch my legs a bit,' he thought, enjoying the rush of momentum building inside his body.
As he entered the park, the sound of crickets filled the quiet night, and the faint glow of the moon spilled across the empty field. Travis slowed his pace, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for what was to come.
A few moments later, he arrived at the park, the sound of the fountain's steady trickle greeting him. Sitting on the stone edge with her notebook open across her lap was Eve, her headphones draped loosely over her neck as her pencil scratched lightly against the paper.
She looked completely absorbed in her work until her eyes flicked up and caught sight of him.
Her expression brightened instantly. With a smile that lit up her face, Eve set her notebook and pencil aside, lowered her headphones, and hopped to her feet.
"Hey, Travis! I'm glad you made it! You came right on time too. I guess we'll stay here for about an hour before we leave," she said with an excited bounce in her tone.
He nodded and slid down onto the fountain beside her. "Sure, that's cool. Now… what are you drawing?" His hand reached out before she could protest, lifting the pad into his view.
Eve scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Oh, it's just a rough sketch I just started," she admitted.
The lines were still light and unpolished, but Travis could already see the strength in her strokes. It was a striking image of a red-haired woman, arms outstretched in a Superman-like flying pose, wearing a suit that faintly resembled his own.
Travis blinked, realizing who it was almost immediately. "Wow… this is good. Who is it?" he asked, genuinely impressed.
Eve's lips curved into a small, warm smile. "It's my big sister, Grace."
He raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eyes. "If that's how you see her, then she must be your role model or something."
"Yeah, you could say that," she replied softly, her cheeks coloring as her smile turned shy again.
Travis leaned back against the fountain, tilting his head at her. "You know, I just realized—I don't know much about you at all. Other than the fact that you're an anime nerd."
Eve laughed nervously, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um… not sure where to start. How about my family?" She took a breath, her tone steadying. "I live with my older sister, Grace the one in the drawing. She owns the tattoo place just across the street, and we live in the building above it. She… basically owns the whole thing now. I don't really have other family members—well, I did, but they all died in a car crash when I was young. Grace used the money they'd saved up to buy the building, and she raised me from there. So yeah, we're pretty independent now, I guess."
She brightened suddenly, as if remembering something important. "Oh! We also live with a girl named Odette. She's pretty cool too."
Travis listened without interrupting, his eyes steady on her. He felt a pang in his chest for her loss, but at the same time, he couldn't help but admire the resilience in her story the way Grace had taken on everything to give her a stable life. "It sounds like you two have built a really strong life together," he said sincerely. "Grace must be an amazing sister."
Eve smiled, her gaze softening. Then she snorted lightly, breaking the emotional weight with a playful grin. "Honestly, I was expecting you to say something like, 'That's a pretty sad origin story. Are you planning to be Batman or something?'"
Travis chuckled, shaking his head. "I was honestly thinking it, but I decided not to say it."
Their laughter echoed lightly through the quiet park, the sound mingling with the fountain's steady rhythm.
For a moment, it didn't feel like a mission, or a calculated step—it felt real, like the kind of moment that built something lasting.
[System Notification]
Affection +3% — Eve's current affection: 19% → 22%
『22%』
'Things are going well,' Travis thought, standing as their laughter faded into a comfortable silence. 'Tomorrow, I need to talk to Judith about a date or something. That way I can finish this mission.'
TO BE CONTINUED