Hearing that, Selena looked momentarily flustered. She gently shook her head, the movement soft and graceful, clearly meaning nothing of the sort.
Max was, of course, just teasing. He had no intention of making her uncomfortable.
He stepped fully into the classroom. His newly bought leather shoes tapped lightly against the wooden floor, producing soft clicking sounds that echoed clearly through the quiet space.
Max stopped a few steps away from Selena, close enough to catch a faint scent drifting from her blue hair. It was light and refreshing, like ocean perfume mixed with a hint of mint, perfectly matching her pure appearance that subtly hid a touch of wildness.
"You seem pretty good at this," he said casually. "Mind teaching me a trick or two?"
"How could I mind?"
Selena hurriedly shook her head.
"Senior, you misunderstood. Of course I wouldn't find it bothersome."
She stood up and pulled out the chair she had been sitting on, gesturing for Max to take a seat. He didn't hesitate, sitting down immediately and feeling the lingering warmth left on the chair.
Refreshing.
Selena's warmth.Right now, she had warmed the chair for him. Given a little more time, this beauty would surely warm an entire bed.
Naturally, Selena had no idea about these rather indecent thoughts. She stood beside him, enthusiastically showing him how to place his hands and how to press the keys.
As for Max, he was completely clueless when it came to the piano.
The first time touching the instrument, there was no way he could play properly. His fingers were clumsy, the rhythm a mess, the sounds no different from auditory torture. But that was entirely expected. Selena remained patient, showing no sign of irritation.
After all, learning music was just an excuse.
What Max really wanted was a legitimate reason to get closer to her and farm favorability. Selena didn't have an obvious weakness like Emily, money couldn't solve things directly.
And precisely because of that, she was even more interesting.
"By the way,"Max asked while fumbling with the keys,"why did you choose to learn piano? Is it your hobby? You seem to really love it."
"Mm."
Selena closed her eyes and nodded slightly.
"That was easy to guess, wasn't it?"
Her voice carried a hint of sweetness.
"Actually, I've gotten the chance to perform a duet with a famous female singer at the Grand Final, season three."
"You have to come cheer for me then, Senior."
Max raised his head slightly, clearly intrigued. Seeing his reaction, Selena couldn't help feeling a little proud. She subconsciously straightened her posture, causing her soft curves to shift subtly.
"Violet Ashford,"she asked."You know her, right?"
How could he not?
Violet Ashford was a young female artist who had won countless prestigious awards, highly praised by both the public and music critics alike. Max had listened to several of her songs before.
He clutched his head dramatically.
"My god, how could I not know her?"
"So does that mean I'll be able to brag later that I know someone who's performed with Violet Ashford?"
Even though she knew Max was deliberately exaggerating, Selena still couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing softly.
[Ding Ding Ding][Selena's favorability toward the host +2][Favorability toward the host: 77/100]
Max thought to himself.
When a handsome guy teases, it's flirting.When an ugly guy teases, it's harassment.
With a face buffed by the System to Hollywood-actor level, as long as he didn't say anything too outrageous, favorability would steadily rise.
"…So,"Max lowered his voice, pretending to be pitiful."Am I bothering you?"
"I figured you need to focus on practice. Am I getting in the way by being here?"
His voice grew softer, as if he feared rejection.
Selena looked at him, warmth unconsciously blooming in her chest.
"Um, how could that be?"
"Talking with you is really fun, Senior."
"Besides, practicing nonstop is actually very unscientific."
"Practice needs to be combined with relaxation to be effective."
"If I spent all my time on it, I'd be stressed to death."
Just as their conversation was flowing comfortably, the classroom door was suddenly flung open.
The harsh sound shattered the quiet atmosphere. Selena startled and turned around.
Standing at the doorway was Josh, the bald guy who'd "touched grass" and whom Max had run into that morning.
"Selena!"
Josh roared.
"You bitch. So you're just like the rest of them."
"You rejected my confession, but you're secretly dating some disgusting-haired bastard like this."
Selena was so angry she couldn't even speak. One unreasonable situation after another had pushed her emotions to the breaking point.
After "touching grass," Josh's skin seemed to have grown thicker than concrete. In a short period of time, he had confessed to twelve different girls, and every single one had rejected him. The resentment kept piling up.
Selena was his final target.
After stalking her for nearly a month, he knew this practice room was usually empty. In his eyes, Selena was weak and easy to bully.
But he hadn't expected to see her here with a strange man.
A man with hair.
It felt as if his twisted worldview had been betrayed.
Josh stepped into the room. Each heavy step slammed against the wooden floor like the toll of a bell. Selena backed away in fear, her soft hand instinctively pressing against Max's back.
That sight only made Josh angrier.
Seeing that Max still hadn't turned around, he sneered.
"Kid."
"Too scared to even turn your head?"
"Don't think you can get away like that. Just being alone with her is more than enough reason for me to put you in the hospital for a month or two."