The moment Seraphina Frost made her request, Sophia Laurent instinctively tightened her grip around Kobe Gray's arm, clinging to
him like a small, protective bird.
She wasn't stupid.
A man who could casually spend money like that would naturally attract attention. If she wasn't careful, someone else might swoop in and take him away. And she had no intention of letting go of someone she had only just found.
Kobe Gray, on the other hand, looked slightly puzzled. For a brief moment, he wondered if Seraphina Frost had misunderstood his intentions, if she thought he was flaunting his wealth and wanted to get closer to him because of it.
Sensing his hesitation, Seraphina quickly shook her head and explained.
"Please don't misunderstand… think of that money as a loan! I might not be able to pay it back all at once, but I can repay you little by little every month if you agree."
Her eyes were clear and earnest, almost disarmingly so. There was a simplicity about her, the kind you only see in someone who hasn't yet been worn down by the world.
Kobe Gray waved his hand dismissively.
"There's no need," he said lightly. "Your phone's already been smashed. You should save up and get yourself a new one instead."
He had actually considered offering to buy her a replacement phone right then and there. But after a second thought, he held back.
'We've only just met… if I go that far, I might scare her off.'
If it backfired and lowered her impression of him, it wouldn't be worth it.
Seeing that he refused to accept repayment, Seraphina hesitated, caught in a dilemma. She clearly didn't want to owe him such a big favor.
Kobe Gray noticed her unease and added calmly,
"Besides, that whole mess was caused by that fat guy. If anything, I just paid on his behalf. When I get the chance, I'll make him pay it back. Debts should be settled by the one who owes them. Why should you be the one to carry it?"
His tone was steady, almost matter-of-fact, but the logic was hard to argue against.
Seraphina fell silent for a moment, unable to refute him. Still, the gratitude in her heart didn't fade.
"Then… at least let me treat you to this meal!"
Her voice carried a quiet determination.
Sophia Laurent immediately frowned.
That was supposed to be her chance to repay him. How could she let someone else take it?
"No need," Sophia said quickly, tightening her hold on Kobe Gray's arm. "I already said this meal is on me. Don't try to take it from me."
Her gaze even flicked briefly toward the reception desk, as if she was considering rushing over to pay first just to secure it.
Kobe Gray couldn't help but laugh softly at the two of them.
"Alright, alright. I won't refuse Sophia's kind offer," he said, raising a hand to calm them. Then he looked at Seraphina with a faint smile. "As for you, Sera… if we happen to meet again in the future, you can treat me then."
It was a casual remark, but deliberate.
A line cast into the water, waiting for a future catch.
Neither girl objected.
But then, Seraphina suddenly paused, her brows knitting slightly as something clicked in her mind.
"…Wait. How did you know my name?"
Kobe Gray froze.
Only then did he realize, they had never introduced themselves.
He had only known her name because of the system.
'Crap… how do I explain this?'
'I can't exactly say I have some kind of mind-reading system…'
His gaze flickered for a split second… and then landed on her chest. An idea sparked instantly.
"You've got it written right here," he said, pointing casually at her name tag, forcing himself to stay calm.
Seraphina blinked, then looked down.
Only then did she remember, the hotel required all staff to wear name tags with their names engraved on them.
'His eyesight is really sharp… most people wouldn't notice that unless they were close.'
The moment passed without suspicion.
…
With the incident finally over, Seraphina returned to her duties, and Kobe Gray and Sophia Laurent went back to their table.
"I'm really sorry," Kobe said after sitting down, a trace of guilt in his voice. "I ruined your meal."
It was supposed to be a pleasant evening, a first dinner in a high-end restaurant with a beautiful girl. Instead, it had turned into chaos.
Sophia waved it off without a second thought.
"Ruined? Not at all," she said, smiling brightly. "You were amazing just now."
She even gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes shining with admiration.
Just then, the rest of their dishes were served, the aroma of freshly prepared food filling the air.
Sophia lifted her glass, her smile playful.
"Come on. Let's toast, to leaving that clueless first love behind."
Kobe paused for a brief moment.
The memory still stung, just a little.
But he raised his glass anyway, clinking it gently against hers.
"Then let's also celebrate… making my first friend in Oxford."
…
The tension faded, replaced by laughter and easy conversation.
They finished their meal in good spirits.
Sophia Laurent's favorability remained steady at 60 points.
Since it was still the first day of registration, neither of them wanted to return too late. After dinner, Kobe Gray said goodbye to her and took a taxi back to campus.
…
That morning, he had been the first to arrive at the dormitory.
By now, his roommates should have arrived.
'I've been running around all day… still haven't even met them.'
On the way back, he stopped by the campus service area and casually bought three large bags of barbecue.
'We're going to live together for four years. Might as well start things off right.'
By the time he reached the dorm, it was already 10 p.m.
The lights were still on.
Good, no one was asleep yet.
Kobe knocked politely before pushing the door open.
Inside, three shirtless guys were gathered around their computers, the glow of their screens lighting up the room.
At that exact moment, a match ended.
Three bold red words flashed across their screens:
Defeat.
"You guys are actually hopeless," one of them groaned.
The boy with the afro. Caleb Scott, leaned back in frustration.
"I carried the early game so hard and you still couldn't win that?"
The other two lowered their heads, clearly guilty.
Just then, the boy with thick-rimmed glasses. Miles Parker, noticed Kobe out of the corner of his eye.
His eyes widened.
"Whoa—who are you?"
Kobe scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed at the sudden attention.
"I'm your roommate. Kobe Gray," he said with a friendly smile. "I was out all day and didn't get a chance to meet you guys, so… I brought some barbecue as an apology."
The moment the words "barbecue" landed…
All three of them turned.
Then, like starving wolves, they pounced.
"Bro, you're a lifesaver!"
"Damn, this is a lot… are you rich or what?!"
"Say less, we're digging in!"
As they devoured the food, they introduced themselves between bites.
The afro-haired one was Caleb Scott.
The bespectacled one was Miles Parker.
And the buzz-cut guy was Tyler Knox.
Kobe nodded, quickly remembering their names.
"You guys were playing just now?" he asked, glancing at the red defeat screen.
Caleb stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth and wiped his greasy lips.
"Yeah. These two have been dragging me down all day," he said, jerking a thumb at the others. "You play Championship of Heroes? Join us if you do."
Kobe nodded.
He used to play at internet cafes, since he didn't own a computer himself.
"I do… but I haven't bought a computer yet," he said with a shrug. "So I can't join tonight."
Before he could finish…
Tyler Knox suddenly stood up and pushed his chair back.
"I've played enough for today," he said casually. "You can use mine."