The next person Jason had set his sights on was Holly Larson from the University's Dance Department.
One thing Jason appreciated about the arts crowd was that their social media was practically a free intel network. The campus gossip forum had a whole subgroup dedicated to tracking events and hangouts, and that morning Jason spotted a post saying Holly and her friends had gone to Oceanview Beach.
Oceanview wasn't far—only a fifteen-minute drive from campus. With the summer sun high and the breeze perfect, Jason hopped in his car and made it there in no time.
After parking in the lot, he strolled casually down the boardwalk, taking in the sound of the waves and the smell of sunscreen and fried seafood from the nearby food stands. He wasn't in a rush—if he found Holly, great. If not, hey, it was still a day at the beach.
But Holly was the kind of person who stood out anywhere. It didn't take long before Jason spotted her.
She was stretched out on a towel with a few friends, the soft afternoon sun catching on her tan skin. Her swimsuit was stylish without trying too hard, and her figure had that perfect balance—lean, toned, and just enough muscle definition to hint at serious athletic training.
If Madison Carter was sultry, and Brielle Quinn was elegant, then Holly Larson was all fire and athletic confidence. Her right-angled shoulders, flat stomach with faint abs, and perfect posture gave her an almost model-like presence.
The girls around her were all attractive in their own right, but next to Holly, they felt like background extras.
Not far away, a trio of guys were sitting on the sand with rented surfboards, stealing glances at Holly between conversations.
"Man," Ethan muttered, "I thought she had a great figure when I saw her perform at the spring showcase, but in a swimsuit? That's next level. She's not just fit—she's… substantial."
"No kidding," Tyler agreed. "And she's got that confident vibe. I've heard a lot of girls have crushes on her too."
Jordan shrugged. "I usually go for the curvier type, but I gotta admit… she's magnetic."
Ethan glanced at the nearby jet ski rental booth, then smirked. "What if I invite her to ride one with me? Two-seater, out past the break. You think she'd say yes?"
Tyler snorted. "Do you even dare?"
Jordan grinned. "If you manage to ask her—and she says yes—I'll buy you dinner at that steakhouse you like."
"Bet," Ethan said, though his confidence didn't quite match his words. He took a deep breath, stood up, and started walking toward Holly. Halfway there, he veered sharply, pretended to check out a volleyball game, and slunk back to his friends.
Tyler and Jordan burst out laughing. Jordan shook his head with a self-deprecating smile—he wouldn't have dared either. Holly had a presence that made most guys hesitate.
While they were still joking about it, another guy walked straight up to Holly without a hint of hesitation.
He wore swim trunks and sunglasses, his hair styled with that effortless California beach look.
"Hey, Holly, right?" Jason said, his tone casual and confident. "I'm Jason, from the University too. I'm here solo today, but I've been wanting to try the jet skis. I heard you're kind of a pro at it. Mind giving me a quick lesson?"
Ethan, Tyler, and Jordan froze mid-laugh.
What the hell?
They hadn't even dared to offer her a ride, and this guy was asking her to teach him?
Ethan clenched his jaw. "No way she says yes…"
Jordan frowned. "She might. He's got that good-looking, laid-back surfer thing going on. And she seems like she could be friendly to confident guys."
Tyler crossed his arms, uneasy. "If she says yes, I'm gonna be pissed."
Holly glanced at Jason, gave a small, amused smile, and shook her head.
"If you're new, the rental booth's got instructors for that. You should grab a lesson there. Plus, the line's been crazy today—we've been waiting for our turn and still haven't gotten called. You'll probably need to make a reservation."
Jason just smiled and shrugged. "Fair enough. Thanks for the tip."
A few women sitting under the beach umbrellas stole glances at Jason, whispering behind their sunglasses.
The guy had just walked up and started talking to Holly Larson—one of the most gorgeous girls on campus. That took guts.
At that moment, Jason's system pinged in his mind.
[Ding!] Holly Larson – Favorability +5
Name: Holly LarsonAge: 21Attractiveness: 8.4/10Height: 5'6" (168 cm)Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)Favorability toward "Jason" (current identity): 0 → 5Favorability toward "Jason Steele" (known identity): -25Note: When she learns your real identity, both favorability scores will merge.
Jason blinked.Wait… what?
After thinking for a moment, it made sense.Holly must have heard all those exaggerated rumors about him "simping" after Brielle Quinn, which tanked her opinion of the real Jason Steele to a pathetic -25.
Right now, she didn't recognize him.To her, he was just some random classmate she hadn't officially met before.
Two different impressions. Two different favorability scores.When she eventually connected the dots, the values would merge.
Jason didn't really care. As long as he could raise her favorability now, he'd take it. And judging from the +5 bump, even though she'd turned him down earlier, she wasn't truly put off by their short conversation.
He smiled and said, "You know… I think the staff here's actually pretty reasonable. If I have a quick word with them, we might be able to get you guys priority access."
Holly arched a brow, intrigued. "If you can pull that off, I'll owe you one."
"Deal." Jason gave a confident nod, then strolled past the line—not toward the beachside rental shack like everyone else—but straight into a sleek, glass-front jet ski dealership a few yards away.
The moment he left, the girls started whispering.
"That guy's not just hot—he's bold," Jil murmured.
"Seriously. I mean, Ethan and Tyler have been eyeing Holly for months, but they've been too chicken to even talk to her," Courtney added. "Ethan even walked over earlier, circled around like he was lost, and then slinked away. We all had to pretend we didn't notice so it wouldn't be awkward."
"Honestly, he looks kind of familiar. Do you know him?"
"I thought so too… I just can't place it. Probably from our college. I swear I've seen him somewhere."
A few minutes later, Jason walked back down the boardwalk carrying a set of keys, the ocean breeze ruffling his hair. He waved to the group with an easy grin.
"Talked to the boss," he called out. "We're up next."
Holly and her friends exchanged glances.No way. Not that fast.
Curious, they headed over.Behind them, Ethan, Tyler, and Jordan trailed along, clearly skeptical.
Then they saw it.
One of the dealership staff rolled out a jet ski—not some scuffed-up rental—but a brand-new luxury model, handing the keys to Jason with a polite smile.
"Mr. Steele, your watercraft is ready. If you need anything, just flag me down."
The girls froze.
This wasn't just "priority."This was an upgrade.
The machine gleamed under the sun, its design sleek and aggressive, the metallic paint shimmering with every wave of light. Compared to the rentals bobbing along the shore, this was like parking a Lamborghini next to a line of old scooters.
Holly's eyes widened in recognition."This… this is a Sea-Doo GTX 300… These things start at thirty-two grand. They don't even rent these to tourists—it's not worth the risk."
Jason just smirked, twirling the keys around his finger.
"Shall we?"