"Travis, a little late, but you made it. Take your seat, I'm marking the register," Ms. Bissette said, her tone calm and routine as she clicked her pen against the paper.
He nodded and moved to his desk, sliding into his seat with practiced ease.
"Travis, you good?" Eve's soft voice came from beside him. She leaned slightly toward him, her long lashes framing eyes that carried a trace of concern.
"I'm great," he said with a small smile, brushing off the earlier incident. "Oh, sorry for not pulling up yesterday. I got caught up with something. Why don't you take my number so you can check if I'm coming or not next time?"
"Yeah, that'll make things easier," she agreed, lips curving into a warm smile as she pulled out her phone. "Here, put yours in, and I'll put mine in yours."
They exchanged phones, fingertips brushing for the briefest second as they handed them over. A flicker of warmth lingered in the air as each typed their number, saving it with care before returning the devices.
"Now tell me, Eve," Travis leaned in just a little, his grin playful, "are you ready for the One Punch Man anime to return?"
Eve's eyes lit up instantly, a sparkle of excitement breaking through her calm demeanor. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and giggled, the sound light and genuine. "Of course I am!"
"Good. Why don't you come over to my place, and we'll watch it together?" he suggested, his tone casual yet laced with intent.
"Sure," she agreed without hesitation, her smile stretching wider, almost bashful yet eager.
Travis leaned back, watching her for a moment—her eyes still bright, her lips still curled in that smile meant just for him. Slowly, he raised his gaze to the faint shimmer of the System.
『19』
'Wow, didn't expect it to be that high for someone I barely even knew back in high school,' he thought, suppressing a smirk.
As they chatted, completely engrossed in their conversation, two girls from across the room—Mia and Judith—watched them closely. Both couldn't help but notice the connection between Travis and Eve.
"They're so close. I'm honestly jealous," both girls thought, their eyes narrowing almost at the same time. Judith quickly looked away, focusing on her notebook, but Mia lingered, her gaze fixed on Travis, her lips tightening ever so slightly.
After marking the register, Ms. Bissette began the lesson. Since they had her period today, she wanted to review their homework.
Fortunately for Travis, he wasn't included, being new to the class. As she made her way to the front, he leaned back, observing her as she wrote across the board. Her neat, looping handwriting filled the surface while her hips swayed slightly with each movement. He smirked, wondering if she even realized how distracting she looked.
Just then, his phone buzzed softly in his pocket. He discreetly slid it out, glancing down at the screen. A new message from Mia—along with three others from last night.
'Damn, I got so caught up with my computer that I completely forgot about her,' he thought, a pang of guilt hitting him. 'I should text back quickly before she thinks I'm ignoring her.'
[Yesterday]
Mia: HI Travis, it's Mia.
Mia: Have you done the homework?
[Today]
Mia: Heyyy Travis
Me: Yo, what's up?
Across the room, Mia's phone lit up. The second she saw his reply, her heart skipped a beat. A soft smile tugged at her lips, and she instinctively tucked her hair behind her ear, sneaking a glance in his direction. Sure enough, he was focused on his phone. He was waiting for her reply.
Her fingers flew across the screen.
Mia: I'm great. How are you?
Me: Alright, so you up for studying today?
Mia: Yes, I'm so excited! By the way, I've been thinking about the location. Why not just do it in my room?
Travis chuckled under his breath. Bold.
Me: Let's do that when I achieve sneak 100.
Mia: 🤣 Is that even possible?
'Wow, she understood the joke. Then again, she did have some freedom before, so she might have played games back then,' he thought, impressed.
Me: Well, I don't know. Okay, let's do this: we'll study in the library this week just to get closer, then next week I'll try sneaking into your room.
Mia: That's alright. By the way, are you and Eve friends or something else? 😏
Travis blinked. There it is. He smirked to himself, noting the faintest trace of jealousy hidden behind her teasing tone.
'You can't hide behind that emoji,' he thought, his mind sharpening like a blade.
Me: Why? Are you jealous? 🤔
Across the room, Mia bit her lip as her thumbs hovered over the keyboard. She hesitated—her pride telling her to deny it, her heart telling her otherwise. Finally, she typed:
Mia: Absolutely not! Remember, I'm not allowed to date, so even if I did like you, I wouldn't be able to be with you.
The moment she hit send, she froze. Her eyes widened in horror. Did I just admit that? A hot flush spread across her cheeks, and she immediately considered deleting it. Her finger hovered over the message, panic rising—until she saw his reply.
Me: Why don't we just keep it a secret? I mean, who is your mom to stop our love for each other?
Her heart thudded in her chest. She read the words once. Twice. Three times. Each repetition made her pulse quicken.
'He… likes me? No, he must be joking, right?' she thought, her breath catching.
But he hadn't deleted the message. He hadn't clarified. He'd left it hanging, dangling just enough hope in front of her.
Mia: Are you serious?
Travis smirked, fighting the urge to laugh like Light Yagami. He could practically hear the "just as planned" music playing in his head.
He typed carefully, deliberately, every word designed to burrow deeper into her thoughts.
Me: Let's talk later. I have something important to tell you.
And just like that, he closed the book on their conversation.
Mia stared at her phone, her heart hammering, her palms clammy. The unanswered question burned into her brain like a brand. Something important? What did he mean? Was he confessing? Was he teasing? She wanted to scream, to demand clarity, but the cliffhanger had her shackled.
Travis leaned back in his chair, sliding his phone into his pocket with a grin.
One of the easiest ways to make someone think about you constantly is to leave them in anticipation. Humans hate cliffhangers—like finishing a series that ends without closure. That frustration lingers, scratching at the subconscious, demanding attention.
Now, Mia was caught on his hook. And she wouldn't escape until he allowed it.
'Am I smart, or Am I Smart?' he thought with a satisfied smirk, eyes flicking toward Mia just long enough to see her staring down at her phone, completely lost in her own world.
[A/N: I genuinely still wonder why all this knowledge comes to mind when I'm writing a fanfic. I said this before and I mean it again. Lowkey where did I even learn this. ]
Mia read the text and was instantly put on pause, her mind racing with thoughts about what Travis might want to say to her. She answered some of her questions internally, but none of her own answers satisfied her. Every scenario she imagined seemed either too hopeful or too risky. She wanted Travis to explain everything in person, but all she could do was wait, her fingers lingering nervously over her phone as her heart thudded against her ribcage.
Meanwhile, Travis leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to the bright sky outside the window. Sunlight spilled across the desk, catching on the edges of his bag and casting soft glints across the classroom floor. He felt unstoppable at that moment—well, unless someone literally put a gun to his head. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he imagined all the possibilities.
But then, his mind sharpened. He realized that no victory was ever guaranteed. There was always a risk, some obstacle that could throw everything off. He needed a plan—an approach to every potential problem. Otherwise, the excitement, the control, the momentum he felt would slip through his fingers.
Suddenly, a sharp, clear beep echoed in his head, slicing through the daydreams.
[ DING! ]
Strength and Endurance Increase. Due to you working out everyday.
[ 📊 STATS:
■ Strength: 8/10
■ Intelligence: 4/10
■ Charisma: 4/10
■ Endurance: 7/10
■ Libido: 5/10
■ Luck: 1/10 ]**
Travis's eyes widened slightly as he absorbed the numbers, a thrill coursing through him. His muscles felt subtly tighter, more responsive. His body tingled with a faint energy that hadn't been there before, as if every fiber of him were humming with potential.
'Oh nice, I wonder what I can do with this new strength,' he thought, flexing his fingers and testing a small push against the desk. Even the simple motion made him grin. He could feel raw power now, the kind that could change the way he moved, the way he carried himself, the way people would perceive him.
The bell rang sharply, its echo bouncing through the classroom and snapping him back to reality. The mundane routine of the school day returned, but Travis moved with a newfound confidence.
He grabbed his bag, swinging it over his shoulder, and noticed how light his body felt. Even walking to the door felt different, like he was stepping on air, each movement fluid and sharp.
'I'm going to enjoy this,' he thought, a mischievous smile creeping across his face.
TO BE CONTINUED