Alex shut the door behind him and stepped back into the dim glow of his apartment. The soft hum of his refrigerator filled the silence. For a while, he just stood there, staring at the wooden door as though Mrs. Rivera's presence still lingered in the hallway.
He shook his head. "Get it together, Alex. You were about to install a dating app, not… not stare at your landlady like some creep."
He walked over to the bed, flopped down, and reached for his phone. But before his thumb could tap the screen, it buzzed violently in his hand.
[Ding!]
The familiar golden glow spread across the display.
[New Mission Generated!]
[Mission: Become the Sugar Daddy of Mrs. Rivera.]
[Reward: ₵500,000]
Alex's eyes widened. His stomach dropped like a stone. "Wait, WHAT?!"
He sat upright so fast he nearly dropped his phone. "No, no, no—that's… that's insane! I was just about to… I was looking for a girlfriend! Normal college dating, okay? Not—this!"
But the system wasn't done. Another line of text scrolled across the screen, shimmering in golden letters.
[Target Identified: Mrs. Rivera.]
[Current Affection Level: 34/100.]
Alex's jaw slackened. "…Affection level? What the hell is this, a dating sim?!"
The screen pulsed again, almost like it was alive.
[Affection Level measures how much the target likes, trusts, or feels close to you. Increase it through kindness, gifts, and emotional connection. Higher levels unlock greater rewards.]
He dropped the phone onto the mattress and buried his face in his hands. "You've got to be kidding me… I just wanted to survive college, not—become some… some sugar daddy protagonist in a bizarre system game!"
His heart raced as he replayed the scene in his mind—Mrs. Rivera standing in the doorway, her soft smile, the sadness behind her eyes. He felt a pang of guilt even thinking about it.
"She's… a widow," he whispered. "She's raising a kid. And the system wants me to—" He cut himself off, shaking his head violently. "No. No way."
[Ding!]
Another notification blinked stubbornly.
[Reminder: Mission active. Time limit: None. Progress will be tracked.]
Alex groaned and rolled onto his back, staring at the cracked ceiling. His chest was tight, caught between disbelief and dread.
"I can't believe this… The system could've picked anyone. Anyone on campus, any girl I could actually date. But no… it has to be her."
He grabbed his pillow and hugged it tightly, as though that could shield him from the glowing letters still hovering on his phone.
[Affection Level: 34/100. Mission progress: 0%.]
The numbers glared back at him, unchanging.
For the first time since the system appeared, Alex wasn't thrilled. He wasn't laughing at the absurdity of it all. He was scared. Confused. Torn.
And yet, deep down, a small, guilty voice whispered inside him:
"…But… maybe it isn't impossible."
He shut his eyes, trying to silence the thought.