After going to the gym and getting a decent workout in, I decided that was enough for the day.
There was no need to push too hard and end up unable to move tomorrow. I could always come back and continue where I left off. Consistency over ego, right?
So I headed back to my apartment.
On the way, I started to feel that soreness creeping in.
At first, it was manageable, just a dull ache here and there. But by the time I got closer to my place, it had spread all over. My arms felt heavy, my legs slightly stiff, and even simple movements started to feel a bit annoying.
Yep… I definitely overdid it a little.
When I finally got inside, I didn't even bother doing anything productive. I just decided to rest for the rest of the night. I grabbed my phone, lay down, and started scrolling like any normal person avoiding responsibility.
That was when a headline caught my attention.
"Samantha Nyxford stated to be cast in the latest drama series as her debut as an actor."
Her face was right there, clear as day.
And yeah, I recognized her instantly.
She was the same woman I met right after I awakened the Love Quest System. Out of all the random encounters in life, that one still felt like something out of a weird setup. Like the universe just decided to throw a famous person at me for no reason.
So she was actually famous.
I mean, I had my suspicions before. I had already seen her on the front page of a modeling issue, so it wasn't like she was some unknown person. But seeing her in a headline like this made it more official somehow.
And somehow, I had her number saved on my phone.
Thinking about that part still felt strange. Like I accidentally skipped a few steps in life.
As I kept browsing, I came across more information about her.
Apparently, she had been dealing with stalkers for quite a while now. And not the harmless kind either. Some of the things mentioned were seriously disturbing. It wasn't just obsessive fans. Some of those people had crossed into full-on criminal territory.
That made me pause for a bit.
It wasn't exactly comforting to read.
I also found out that she had been working as a model since she was young. Basically raised in that kind of environment. On top of that, she was studying computer science somewhere near my university.
That part caught me off guard.
I didn't expect her to be that close. Like, geographically close.
But then again, when I thought about the first time we met, it actually made sense. It happened at a convenience store that I work at. So yeah, not that surprising in hindsight. Just one of those things you don't connect until later.
I kept scrolling for a bit longer, but at some point, my eyes started getting heavy.
Next thing I knew, I had fallen asleep.
I must have been more tired than I thought.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
When I woke up, the first thing I did was look at the mirror.
At first glance, nothing seemed different.
It was me. With the same face, same slightly tired expression, and same everything.
But the longer I looked, the more I noticed something.
"My face looks a bit sharper now… doesn't it?"
It wasn't some crazy transformation.
Nothing that would make people do a double take immediately. But there was a subtle change. My features looked more balanced. More… put together, I guess. Like someone had slightly adjusted things to make everything line up better.
Symmetry, maybe.
Whatever it was, it looked better.
Not that most people would notice. Let's be honest, no one really paid that much attention to me before.
But I would notice. I see this mug every day. If something changes, even a little, I'm going to pick up on it.
Still, no point staring at myself like I just discovered a new species.
I got ready for university.
After that, I also planned to check on the renovation progress later. Might as well see if anything actually got done.
When I arrived, I parked my motorcycle in the usual parking area.
And of course, perfect timing.
Minne was there, walking toward the university grounds.
When she saw me, she paused for a second. Her expression shifted into confusion, like she wasn't entirely sure who she was looking at. Then, just as quickly, it turned into a glare.
For a moment, it almost felt like she didn't recognize me at all.
Did she notice the change?
It was possible. Even if we didn't talk anymore, we had known each other for years. From kindergarten all the way up to the first year of university. If anyone could spot something different about me, it would be her.
After glaring for a bit, she turned her head away and continued walking like I didn't exist.
I didn't bother reacting. I just moved on and headed into the university.
Once I got inside, I started noticing something strange.
People were looking at me.
Not in the usual way.
Before, it was always judgmental looks and whispers, that kind of thing. The usual reaction you'd expect from someone with my reputation.
But now?
It felt different.
I couldn't quite put my finger on it at first.
Maybe it was because I showed up on a motorcycle. That kind of thing tends to grab attention.
Yeah, that was probably it.
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⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Your LOOK is high enough that you managed to gain a bit of popularity among the ladies. Because of this, your CHARISMA has slightly increased.
[+5 CHARISMA]
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
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I see...
That explained it.
"Who is he? Do you know him?"
"Isn't he that guy? The one involved in that stalking incident?"
"That's him? I heard the police were involved."
"Yeah, that's what people said."
"Wait… you're telling me that's the same person? I didn't expect him to look like that. If someone like him was the one stalking me… I don't think I'd mind."
"You really like those types, huh? The crazy ones?"
"I mean… isn't it kind of hot? Someone being that obsessed with you?"
Yeah. That was definitely new.
Most of the people talking were girls this time.
About me.
Was my appearance really that different now?
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⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Some people are starting to doubt the truth behind the rumors about you. Because of this, your REPUTATION has slightly increased, and your INFAMY has decreased.
[+1 REPUTATION]
[-2 INFAMY]
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
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Well, that was something.
At least some people were starting to question things.
Even if the change was small.
A single point in reputation and a slight drop in infamy wasn't exactly groundbreaking. It wasn't like everyone was suddenly going to see me differently overnight.
But still, it was a step.
Not that I was planning to actively clear my name or anything.
People believe what they want to believe. Trying to argue against it usually just makes things worse.
So yeah.
I'd just let things play out on their own.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
After the morning lecture, I decided to head over to the restaurant and check how the renovation was going.
The project manager had already been updating me regularly, going into detail about the progress and what had already been done. Still, hearing about it and actually seeing it are two completely different things. I've learned that the hard way. Sometimes people make things sound better than they actually are, not even intentionally. So yeah, I figured I'd just see it with my own eyes instead of relying on reports.
As I was walking toward where I parked my motorcycle, though, something caught my attention.
There was a group of students gathered nearby.
Actually, not just a group. A full-on cluster. Way more people than usual for that spot, all gathered together like something interesting was happening. Naturally, that kind of thing pulls attention.
They were all facing the same direction too, whispering among themselves like they were trying not to be too loud, but failing anyway.
"Is that really her? Why is she here?"
"I heard she was transferring schools, but I didn't expect it to be here. Are we really going to attend the same school as her?"
"T-There's no way, right?"
It was definitely someone important, considering their reactions.
"Please, let us pass. And kindly refrain from taking photos."
Right as the murmuring was getting louder, the crowd suddenly split apart. Not slowly either. It was almost instant, like everyone just knew to move out of the way without needing to be told twice.
Then she appeared.
She was surrounded by several people who were very clearly bodyguards.
My eyes widened a little when I saw her.
She walked forward calmly, one hand lightly holding her hair as it moved with her steps. Everything about her felt composed, like she was completely used to this kind of attention.
I had seen her before.
On a modeling page. And just last night, I had come across her photos again while scrolling through social media.
Still, seeing her again, in person, at my university of all places… I didn't expect that.
It was Samantha.
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⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Samantha
Affection: 15♥︎
Mood: 30♥︎
Lust: 10♥︎
Status: Stranger
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
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At some point, our eyes met.
"Oh," she said, her eyes widening slightly. "It's you."
So she recognized me.
"Or wait… is it really you? You look kind of, like, different. But yeah, that's definitely you, right?"
For someone labeled as a Stranger, she was acting pretty familiar. A little too comfortable, honestly. Not that I was complaining.
I didn't say anything, though.
Partly because I didn't know what to say, and partly because I didn't feel like saying anything.
She looked at me for a few seconds, like she was trying to confirm something in her head, then casually looked away.
"Oh well. I'll probably, like, talk to you again anyway, so… I guess I'll see you, like, later," she said.
Then she continued walking toward the university. Her bodyguards followed closely around her, keeping the same tight formation.
It really did feel like watching someone important pass by. Not just someone rich, but someone used to being treated differently.
I guess… she really was a big deal.
As I stood there for a moment, watching her walk away, something suddenly popped up in front of me.
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⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
NEW QUEST!
Samantha might want to talk to you. Make sure to text her using her number later!
Reward: 10♥︎ Affection
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
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…It was a new quest.