Chapter 3 — SLAP
She blinked again, confusion flickering for a second behind the ice.
The hallway light slid over her, tracing every curves, like a work of art.
Tight white blouse tucked into a dark skirt that hugged her hips. Long smooth legs. Dark brown hair brushing her shoulders. Cool perfume that slipped into his senses and refused to leave. And, of course, a chest that made it hard for any sane man to remember math.
Her expression didn't just say don't talk to me.
It said don't even exist loudly around me.
Jade Turner.
She didn't smile. Didn't even bother pretending to be polite.
She simply looked at him like how a person looks at a chair — useful but unimportant.
The system's voice drifted into his mind with playful authority.
[PROXIMITY TRIGGER — ACTIVE]
[DESIRE METER INITIALIZING]
[TARGET: JADE TURNER]
Lust: 2%
Interest: 4%
Annoyance: 10%
Alex exhaled softly through his nose.
"You're seriously keeping a meter on her?"
[OBVIOUSLY]
[THIS IS A SCIENTIFIC PROCESS.]
[VERY SERIOUS.... VERY PROFESSIONAL.]
A tiny chibi-version of the system appeared wearing an oversized lab coat and pushing tiny glasses up its nose like it was curing world hunger. After all only he could see it.
She watched him for one, two… three seconds longer than she needed to.
Then she spoke calmly, voice like ice
"You're blocking the door."
He stepped aside, smiling a Bit awkwardly. "Sorry, You're a bit distracting."
She stopped again.
Those blue eyes turned fully onto him. Sharp.
"…Come again?"
The old Alex ... the one who lived through seventeen fake years ... would have apologized and backed away.
This Alex remembered Emily straddling Zack. He remembered the betrayal. He remembered the last kindness leaving his world.
The system pulsed.
[AURA OF SEDUCTION — ACTIVE]
[YOU NEED TO STALL HER]
Alex blinked.
"So I just need to stall her?"
[YES HOST]
[KEEP HER CLOSE]
[KEEP HER TALKING, JUST FLIRT WITH
HER]
"..Are you sure this is going to work?"
[NOT TOO SURE, BUT HEY LET'S FIND OUT]
"... shit! Please whoever gave me this system I want a refund".
He exhaled.
Shit this was going to be hard
The aura was already working — it just needed time.
He didn't want to flirt because he was shameless.
But He had to flirt because he needed to hold her here until the aura settled.
He looked at Jade and smiled.
"Guess I'll keep you busy for a minute."
So he leaned a bit closer.
"I said you're distracting," he repeated.
"Too beautiful, that I'm trying really hard to focus here."
Silence streched between them
Her expression didn't crack.
No blush. No twitch. Just colder.
"You're unbelievable," she said.
"Thank you," he replied instantly.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"It sure feels like it."
Her jaw tightened a little. Just a little. Enough for the system to hum.
[DESIRE METER UPDATE]
Lust: 4%
Interest: 6%
Annoyance: 18%
She brushed past him. No hesitation. She simply walked forward.
He let her pass, enjoying the faint touch of perfume like heat on cold hands.
His presence settled around them. Calm, warm, deliberate.
Her shoulders stiffened… barely.
They sat at the table facing each other.
Too close for strangers.
Perfect distance for his Aura of seduction.
She laid out books and papers with surgical precision. Every movement calm. Everything about her screamed control.
"Work," she said.
No questions. No small talk. No softness.
He rested his chin on his palm and watched her. Her lashes. The curve of her throat. The way the blouse hugged her too well to be an accident. The subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
The system purred.
[PASSIVE ATTRACTION IN EFFECT]
[THE TARGET IS NOW AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE EVEN WHEN NOT LOOKING]
Jade's fingers slowed, barely noticeable. Her pen almost paused. She didn't look up — which meant she wanted to.
The Desire Meter flickered.
Lust: 6%
Interest: 12%
Annoyance: 17%
She finally spoke.
"You stare too much."
"Only at beautiful things," he replied lazily.
Her head rose slowly
Those icy eyes met his without warmth.
"You're serious."
"Yes, Very."
"You don't even know me."
"I plan to," he said. "Extensively."
Her lips parted, then closed like she changed her mind about speaking.
The system squealed happily
[HOST HAS SELECTED THE SHAMELESS ROUTE]
[APPROVED]
[HIGH ENTERTAINMENT VALUE DETECTED]
The Meter ticked upward again.
Lust: 9%
Interest: 18%
Annoyance: 23%
She dropped her gaze and began writing again. But now her handwriting wasn't quite as perfect. Her legs shifted. She adjusted her skirt even though nothing was wrong with it. She swallowed a slowly
He leaned forward slightly.
"Relax," he murmured. "I'm just enjoying the view."
Her pen froze mid-word.
Her gaze rose sharply. "You're pushing your luck."
"I like pushing things," he said with a straight face. "Doors, Boundaries, People into beds. You know, stuffs like that."
The pen almost snapped.
Her cheeks showed the faintest dusting of pink — the kind you'd miss unless you were looking too closely.
"You are out of your mind."
"Probably, you know I was married."
The words cut through the flirting.
She stilled.
Something warm flickered behind the cold.
"…And?"
"She cheated," he said simply.
"With my best friend. For fifteen years. Kids weren't mine. Life tried to break me. Well It didn't."
He smiled.
" so now I do whatever I want."
The air shifted
Jade scoffed not believing him for a moment
The system made an impressed sound.
[TRAUMA CONVERTED INTO CONFIDENCE]
[CHARM LEVEL RISING]
The Meter surged.
Lust: 11%
Interest: 27%
Annoyance: 21%
She studied him too long again.
"…You should see someone, for help " she muttered.
"I am," he said.
"Who?"
"You."
The pen rolled off the table.
She didn't pick it up.
Her lips pressed together too tightly. Her pulse ticked at her throat. Her big chest rose a little faster despite how still she tried to sit.
"You're impossible."
"And yet," he said softly, "you didn't leave."
She opened her mouth. No sound came out. She shut it again.
He leaned even closer now. Just inches away.
Her perfume grew stronger. So did the heat beneath her composure.
"You're dangerous," he whispered.
She frowned. "How exactly?"
"Because when you look at me like that," he said, "I think about kissing you."
Her chair scraped as she jerked back.
Color flooded her face.
The system wheezed laughing.
[OH HEAVENS]
[HE ACTUALLY SAID IT]
[HOST YOU ARE A PUBLIC MENACE]
The desire Meter spiked.
Lust: 18%
Interest: 33%
Annoyance: 42%
She shot to her feet.
"We are doing...the project, OK!" she snapped, voice finally cracking for the first time, revealing the heat underneath the ice.
"Yes," he said mildly. "We can multitask you know. Project... and you falling for me."
"I am not... anything regarding you," she hissed.
He smirked. "Yet."
Her hands curled into fists.
She stepped closer... invading his space.
Her eyes blazed.
Cold fire.
"You flirt with everyone like this?"
"No. Just you. Perfect mouth. Excellent glare. A+ legs. Ten-out-of-ten attitude problem. I'm a fan."
Her hand trembled once. She hated that it did.
Desire Meter rippled.
Lust: 23%
Interest: 41%
Annoyance: 55%
He tilted his head.
"So answer me."
"No."
"You didn't hear the question yet."
"I don't need to—"
He cut in gently
"Are you single?"
Gasoline met flame.
"WHAT IS FREAKIN WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Her voice hit the room hard.
She was right in front of him now. So close he could feel the faint warmth of her breath.
His grin only widened.
"Many things," he said. "But you're my favorite one."
Her fingers twitched upward.
The system made a delighted chime.
[EMOTIONAL INTENSITY REACHED]
[WARNING: SLAP CHANCE — 83%]
[PLEASE DO NOT MOVE I WANT A FRONT ROW SEAT]
He winked at the message.
She thought it was at her.
Her blush deepened violently. Her annoyance shot upward.
Her hand rose.
He didn't dodge.
He simply watched her, calm and warm, like she was sunlight he chose to stand in.
"You wouldn't," he said softly.
"Watch me," she said
The Meter screamed.
Lust: 29%
Interest: 47%
Annoyance: 71%
Her palm cut through the air in a furious arc.
The system howled with laughter.
[IMPACT IMMINENT]
[HOST YOU HAVE ACHIEVED PEAK SHAMELESSNESS]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST SLAP]
Time stretched.
Her hair shifted around her shoulders. Her eyes burned with heat and outrage and something she refused to name.
Her hand were inches away from his cheek.
He was smiling.
Shameless, Unapologetic, Alive
Their eyes locked.
The sound of a loud slap exploded through the room...