Alex's heart felt as if it were pounding against the walls of his chest; his breathing was fast and shallow, his torso rising and falling as his legs moved like tightly wound springs. Even though he kept his head down, he knew the girl was only a few meters ahead; a slight increase in his walking pace would be enough to reach her. Drops of cold sweat slowly slid down his forehead, seeping along his eyebrows to the edge of his eyes. The itching sensation quickly forced him to raise a hand to wipe them, giving him the chance to sneak a glance forward.
A pair of long, slender legs came into view. His gaze rose to reveal perfectly fitting jeans hugging well-defined hips, her confident stride making the fabric sway gracefully. Above, she wore a short-sleeved blue cotton T-shirt, through which the faint white line of her underwear could be vaguely seen.
"What am I going to do? Should I really do it?" Just a simple look at her was enough to make Alex feel dizzy with nerves. He swallowed hard, filled himself with some foolish determination, and took a deep breath.
"Let's do this!" Alex quickened his pace, starting a short sprint. His arms swung naturally like pendulums. His palm grew even more sweaty as he got closer: 6 meters, 3 meters, 1 meter…
Pa! A sharp, crisp sound rang out.
Right as Alex passed by the girl, his right hand shot out in a blind impulse, landing just above her left hip. Soft yet firm—he felt the fleeting contact just before it vanished.
"Ahhhh!" the girl screamed, immediately covering her mouth. But she quickly shouted at the attacker beside her, "Hey! You! Stop!"
The moment his palm made contact, Alex's brain had turned into mush, as if he'd been electrocuted. However, the inertia of his body forced him to take a few more steps forward. He stopped stupidly when her voice echoed behind him, unable to take another step even though his instincts screamed at him to run.
"You just slapped my butt!" The girl's voice cracked with restrained rage, growing rougher with every word as she breathed heavily.
Alex lowered his head; he didn't have the courage to look at her. He had no idea how to deal with the situation. His legs felt weak, ready to give out at any moment. He knew he had to defend himself or he'd never escape this—even jumping into the Grand Canyon wouldn't erase the offense. After all, he had touched her.
"N-no I didn't!" Alex somehow squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"What's your name? What class are you in? Lift your head so I can see who you are!" The girl—Chloe—shot out three demands in rapid fire before falling silent.
Alex slowly raised his head; he could feel his face burning red, maybe as red as a tomato. Still, he didn't dare disobey her. Sweat kept dripping, and he was already regretting everything. If this reached the Principal or the Discipline Committee, his parents would definitely be informed—and he'd be expelled.
"How could I be so stupid?! Ah! I-It wasn't me!" Alex felt like crying; honestly, it felt as if he'd been possessed for a moment.
"Then who touched me just now?" Her voice suddenly hardened, making Alex tremble in fear.
"It wasn't me! I swear!" Alex shook his head violently.
"Okay, it wasn't you," Chloe said, taking a step forward. Alex finally relaxed a little, letting out a breath.
"Was… my butt firm?" Chloe asked casually, turning slightly as she spoke.
"Yes!" Alex blurted out—then instantly realized his fatal mistake. He saw Chloe's expression shift drastically, ready to pounce and bare her fangs at any moment.
Alex's complexion turned deathly pale; he thought this might truly be the end for him.
At that moment, the sound of bells echoed.
It was the bell signaling the beginning of class, a sweet tone like a heavenly chime. The girl hesitated for a moment before turning around to rush to her classroom, still glaring at Alex with wide, furious eyes.
"Here!" Alex's whole body was soaked in sweat as he stood at the classroom doorway. He lowered his head when he noticed the Math teacher, Mr. Harrison, looking at him with raised eyebrows.
Alex could feel the eyes of the entire class on him for one or two long minutes; it felt like ants crawling across his skin. The impatient voice of Mr. Harrison cut through the silence: "Come in!"
He rushed to his seat in one breath, head down. Pulling out his textbook, he glanced at the board. Once Mr. Harrison saw that Alex had sat quietly, he said nothing more and resumed teaching.
Alex sat up straight, pretending to focus on the board, but at the same time, a strange space suddenly appeared in his mind. Something like an LCD screen floated at the front, displaying a line of text accompanied by a cold, synthetic mechanical voice.
"Mission: Touch Chloe's butt (COMPLETED)Reward: 100 USD."
"[Flower Collection System] has successfully initialized.Bonus Reward: High School Mathematics Mastery (Basic Level)."
"Withdraw!"
Alex was already familiar with this LCD screen; it had reminded him of this mission every day. He had been anxious at first, but eventually he worked up the courage to attempt it today. Now the words had changed.
Selected: Withdraw!
A white flash flickered in the strange space. Alex shuddered immediately; he felt his body relax as a pleasant sensation flowed through him, like drinking a bottle of ice-cold soda on a scorching day, followed by a luxurious feast.
At that moment, his right hand—inside his desk drawer—touched some bills. When he pulled them out, the bills were bright green. He secretly took the money out to check if it was counterfeit. Nothing seemed wrong.
"This is real! I didn't think this 'Flower Collection System' was actual!" Alex fought the urge to shout, but he couldn't stop a tiny, unconscious laugh from escaping.
"ALEX!" Mr. Harrison's expression suddenly darkened when he saw Alex laughing. He threw the chalk in his hand at Alex's desk. His aim was impressive—only those who had practiced for years could achieve that level of accuracy.
"Alex, how do you solve this problem?" The teacher's eyes widened. If looks were knives, Alex would have turned into a hedgehog.
"Huh?" Alex stood up immediately to look at the set of numbers on the board. His brain had turned to mush again. Math was not one of his strengths; he barely passed every exam with great difficulty. His mind went blank as Mr. Harrison glared at him.
"You come late to class, you don't listen to the lecture—are you here to study or to sleep? You're wasting the time you have, disappointing your parents! Don't come to class if you don't want to be here!" Mr. Harrison seemed outraged; the more he spoke, the more agitated he became. And when he saw Alex's innocent expression, his anger only grew. He pointed toward the classroom door.
"Get out of the classroom right now!"