The cafe smelled like burnt sugar and bitter coffee, and Luna's cup sat untouched between them. Ethan watched her fingers as they slowly traced the rim of the mug, round and round, while her eyes stayed locked on him. He could feel the weight of her silence pressing on him, like she was waiting to see what he would say next, or maybe what he would hide.
"So," she said eventually, her voice low but steady, "what exactly is it you want from me?"
Ethan tried not to flinch. "I told you. I want to get to know you."
"That's not an answer. That's a line."
He gave a soft laugh, not because it was funny, but because she was right. "Okay, you're right. Let me try again. I'm not good at this. I didn't come here with some perfect plan. I didn't come to impress you with fake charm or fancy words. I came because I keep thinking about you."
Luna didn't move, but something in her eyes shifted. "Thinking about me why?"
"I don't know," he said honestly. "It started when I saw you in the library. You looked like you were somewhere else completely. Like everything around you was noise, and you were in your own world. I think I wanted to be part of that world."
"You don't even know me."
"I know that you like to sit near the window because you like the natural light. I know you don't drink your coffee unless it's cooled down. I know you read the same paragraph twice sometimes before you move on, like your mind is racing ahead but your heart is trying to catch up. I know you're smart and quiet and that people don't really get you."
She blinked, then slowly pulled her hand away from the cup.
"You've been watching me?"
"I notice things. It's not creepy, I swear. I just... I started seeing you more, and the more I noticed, the more I wanted to know what else I'd missed."
Luna looked at him with unreadable eyes, and for a moment, Ethan wondered if she was going to stand up and leave. But she didn't. She leaned forward instead.
"You sound like someone who's hiding something," she said.
"I probably am," Ethan said softly.
"You gonna tell me what it is?"
"Not yet."
She sat back again. "Then this won't work."
"It's not something I can explain. Not now. You wouldn't believe me anyway."
Luna stared at him for several seconds. "Try me."
Ethan hesitated. The system buzzed faintly in the back of his mind, but it didn't say anything. No warnings. No advice. Just silence.
"I can't," he said finally. "Not yet. But I swear to you, it's nothing that would hurt you."
She looked away. "You think people only hurt each other with intention? Sometimes it's the things we keep to ourselves that do the most damage."
Ethan nodded. "I know."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. The cafe wasn't busy, and the hum of a machine behind the counter filled the air. Ethan kept watching Luna, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She didn't look angry. Just tired.
"Do you have secrets too?" he asked.
"Of course I do," she said. "Everyone does."
"Would you tell me yours if I told you mine?"
"Maybe," she said. "But not out of pity. Not because you begged."
"I'm not asking for pity. I'm asking for patience."
Luna sighed and finally lifted her cup. She took a sip, then placed it back down. "If you want me to be patient, you have to give me something."
"Like what?"
"Anything real. Not a compliment. Not a nice word. Something true."
Ethan looked down at his hands. "I'm scared."
She didn't speak.
"I'm scared that if I screw this up, I'll lose something I never really had. And I don't even know why it matters this much already, but it does."
She nodded slowly. "Now that's honest."
He met her gaze again. "I want to be more of that with you."
Luna took a breath, then reached for her bag. "Okay. One coffee doesn't mean anything. But if you really want to get to know me, you'll show up. You'll keep showing up. And when the time comes, you'll tell me everything."
"I will."
She stood, tossed a few bills on the table, and looked down at him. "Don't wait too long. I'm not the kind of girl who sticks around if she feels like she's being played."
"I'm not playing anything."
"We'll see," she said.
As she walked out of the café, the system's voice finally returned.
"Affinity increased. Current progress: 25%."
Ethan exhaled and leaned back against the booth.
He didn't know how long this thing with Luna would last, but she was already getting under his skin. Not because of the mission. Not because of the system. But because she saw through him in a way no one else had.
He got home around nine. Trevor was gaming again, yelling at his screen with a headset on.
"Bro, you look like you just got dumped," Trevor said without looking away from his game.
"I didn't," Ethan said. "We talked. It went well."
Trevor turned and gave him a skeptical look. "You're serious about this girl?"
Ethan shrugged. "Yeah. I think I am."
Trevor laughed. "Damn. That's new."
Ethan flopped onto the bed, arms behind his head. "She's not like other girls."
"They never are," Trevor said, turning back to his screen. "Until they are."
Ethan ignored him.
The system flickered again.
"New event unlocked: First Confession. Optional path available."
"Optional?" Ethan said aloud.
"Confessing earlier may speed up bond development. Risk: Emotional backlash if trust level is too low."
"Yeah, let's not do that," Ethan muttered. "She's already suspicious."
"Recommended course: Continue emotional development through shared experiences."
"Like what?"
"Study sessions. Walks. Rainy nights. Shared trauma. Physical proximity. Low-stakes vulnerability."
Ethan snorted. "That's oddly specific."
"You chose a slow-burn route. Emotional build-up is required."
He closed his eyes. He was already tired, but his thoughts were racing.
He had no idea how this was going to end, but he had a strange feeling he'd already crossed a line he couldn't uncross.
The next day, Luna showed up at his apartment without warning.
Trevor answered the door in his boxers and stared at her. "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Ethan," she said.
Trevor pointed behind him. "Back room."
She stepped past him like she belonged there. Ethan looked up from his laptop and almost dropped it.
"Luna?"
"You said you wanted to get to know me. So let's do that."
He blinked. "Now?"
She looked around the messy room and then back at him. "Unless you're busy."
"No. No, I'm not busy."
She sat on the edge of his bed. "Then talk."
He smiled slowly. "You always this direct?"
"Only when I'm trying to figure someone out."
Ethan closed his laptop and sat across from her.
"What do you want to know?"
"Start from the beginning," she said. "Tell me who Ethan really is."
He took a breath and began.
He didn't tell her everything. Not yet. But he told her about his mom, who worked two jobs and barely slept. He told her about his scholarship, how he was trying to balance school and work. He told her about his fear of failure, of being forgotten. He told her about wanting something more than just surviving.
She listened without interrupting. And when he finished, she didn't speak for a moment.
Then she said, "That's not everything."
"No," he admitted. "But it's more than I've told anyone in a long time."
Luna stood and walked to the door.
Before she left, she turned back.
"I have secrets too," she said. "When you're ready, I'll show you mine."
The door clicked shut behind her, and Ethan stared after her, heart pounding.
"Affinity increased. Current progress: 31%."
He didn't smile this time.
This wasn't a game.
This was real now.