Sophie Turner sat with a stern expression, her eyes cold.
Above the desk in front of Julian, there was a grayish bubble hovering that only he could perceive.
This bubble was less substantial than the one the waitress had produced.
Julian studied the bubble with a mix of disgust and intrigue.
Does it really have to be this small?
Julian thought to himself.
Ah, I see now. The system informed him that the negative emotion value Sophie had at the moment was 17 points, which explained the bubble's diminutive size compared to the one from the waitress, which had 38 points.
The size of the bubbles is influenced by the negative emotion value, it seems.
What kind of abilities could be concealed within the bubbles that Sophie drops?
Sophie, a young woman of exceptional character and academic promise, would surely offer valuable skills regardless of the subject.
Julian's thoughts raced as he reached out eagerly, his fingertips grazed the bubble, and it shattered into a beam of light that entered his body.
"The host has acquired a skill from the shattered bubble: Chest Unbuttoning +1. Today's progress is 2/10."
The system's voice chimed in, "This skill enhances the host's dexterity in unbuttoning chest buckles, regardless of their complexity."
What's this? Julian wondered, taken aback by the unexpected skill.
I'm a guy; why would I need this? He mused before returning his attention to the task at hand.
Sophie, however, was visibly uncomfortable with Julian's recent behavior, her cheeks flushing as she unconsciously covered her chest.
Julian had noticed the change in the number of skills he could obtain daily. It seemed like there was a limit to the amount of bubbles he could collect.
Interesting, he thought, realizing that not all bubbles contained useful abilities.
Maybe the darker ones signify that the person lacks good skills or has insufficient negative emotion.
Sophie's bubble likely contained better skills, but her negative emotion value wasn't high enough to release them.
Julian felt a thrill of excitement as he contemplated the possibilities.
But then, Sophie's voice cut through his thoughts, "Julian, I told you to act like my boyfriend, not a delinquent!"
Julian, caught off-guard, fumbled for words, "Ah, I don't know what you're talking about, Sophie. Let's just order some food."
But Sophie wasn't about to let it go. She accused him, "You clearly knew what you were doing!"
Julian had no choice but to concede, "Okay, okay, I won't do it again. You're right."
The situation had escalated quickly, with Sophie's negative emotion points spiking to 65. Julian's eyes grew wide as another, more impressive bubble appeared before her.
This bubble was a deep shade of blue, hinting at the advanced skill within. Julian eagerly reached out.
"The host has picked up a skill from the fully charged bubble: Stanislavski System Acting Skill - Realism +1. Today's progress is 3/10."
"Reminder: You excel in portraying naive and genuine characters."
Julian felt a sense of triumph, thinking, I've acquired a practical skill for free.
The principle of bubble acquisition was straightforward: induce negative emotions in others.
Now that he understood the system, he knew he could obtain skills from various individuals.
Across the room, Sophie abruptly left the café with clear annoyance on her face, standing in a daze on the steps outside the door, visibly upset.
Julian didn't appear to follow or even acknowledge her exit, which was unexpected. Usually, he would make an effort to reconcile.
Sophie was at a loss. Julian was acting completely out of character today.
As she pondered the situation, a loud, somewhat coarse voice broke the silence.
"Hey, isn't that Sophie? What's the deal here?"
Sophie looked up, surprised, and noticed Rusty Stripe, a muscular boy with spiked hair, approaching her with a few other boys.
Her heart raced as she felt a touch of fear. Before she could react, Rusty Stripe was already in front of her, inviting her to be their team's cheerleader for an upcoming event.
"Rusty, I'm sorry but I'm already taken," she replied, trying to smile through her discomfort.
His frown deepened. "Who?"
Inspired, Sophie glanced through the window at Julian, who remained oblivious to the unfolding scene.
"Him," she said, pointing.
Rusty Stripe's expression was one of incredulity and outrage. "An Asian guy? He's worthy of you too?!"
Without waiting for a response, he stormed into the café with his group of friends, some of whom were brandishing weapons like butterfly knives and iron wrenches.
Sophie's expression shifted to one of alarm, and she quickly followed them inside...