Heaven Defying System

Chapter 8: A Very Beautiful Wallet

"You're going where?"

Miles stared at Zevian as though he'd just announced his engagement.

"Out."

"With who?"

"Seraphina."

Miles grabbed his chest.

"Second date."

"It's not a date."

"Where are you going?"

"Don't know."

"Did she ask you to meet her?"

"Yes."

"Alone?"

"Probably."

Miles pointed at him.

"That's a date!"

"She didn't call it one."

Miles closed his eyes.

"God gives bread to people without teeth."

Zevian frowned.

"I have teeth."

"That's not the point!"

Ding!

[Daily Check-In available.]

Zevian ignored Miles' suffering.

'Check in.'

[Check-In successful.]

[Location: Auremont University Dormitory.]

[Reward obtained: Master-Level Driving Proficiency.]

A massive amount of knowledge entered Zevian's mind.

Ordinary cars, motorcycles, racing, defensive driving, difficult terrain, heavy vehicles - countless techniques suddenly became familiar.

Zevian was silent.

Then sighed.

"I don't own a car."

[...]

"What?"

[First, Host complained about Culinary Arts because there is a cafeteria.]

"True."

[Then Host questioned Instrumental Proficiency because Host is not a musician.]

"Also true."

[Now Host complains about Driving Proficiency because Host does not own a vehicle.]

Zevian nodded.

"You're following."

[WOULD HOST PREFER NOTHING?!]

"No."

[THEN STOP COMPLAINING.]

Zevian blinked.

"You've changed."

[I LEARNED FROM HOST.]

"That's unfortunate."

Several hours later, Zevian discovered where Seraphina had decided to take him.

An amusement park.

He looked at the enormous entrance.

Then at her.

"This was your mysterious plan?"

"Disappointed?"

"No."

Seraphina smiled.

Today was Day Five.

She had made a promise.

Zevian Rook would fall.

At the ticket booth, an employee smiled at them.

"We currently have a twenty-percent discount for couples."

Seraphina didn't hesitate.

"We're a couple."

Zevian turned toward her.

She waited for him to become flustered.

Instead, he looked at the employee.

"Twenty percent?"

"Yes, sir."

Zevian immediately placed an arm around Seraphina's shoulders.

"She's my girlfriend."

Seraphina froze.

The employee smiled.

"Enjoy your date."

Zevian accepted the discounted tickets.

Once they entered, Seraphina looked at the arm still around her shoulders.

"You didn't hesitate."

"Twenty percent."

"...Of course."

Her first plan came soon afterward.

The haunted house.

According to one of her friends, darkness, frightening surprises, and physical proximity were practically cheating.

Seraphina wasn't actually afraid of haunted houses.

But Zevian didn't know that.

A blood-covered creature suddenly jumped from behind a wall.

"Ah!"

Seraphina immediately grabbed Zevian's arm.

He looked at her.

Then at the actor.

"Good costume."

The monster paused.

"...Thanks."

Seraphina stared at Zevian.

They continued.

Another creature crawled from beneath a table.

Nothing.

A fake corpse dropped from the ceiling.

Zevian stepped around it.

Then-

Psssh!

A compressed-air blast suddenly erupted beside Seraphina's ear.

"Ah!"

This time, her scream was genuine.

She instinctively grabbed Zevian with both arms.

He caught her before she stumbled.

Seraphina's face ended up inches from his chest.

Zevian looked down.

"Thought you were only a little scared."

She immediately released him.

"Shut up."

A few minutes later, they encountered a game booth.

A giant stuffed bear hung among the prizes.

Seraphina stopped.

"Win that for me."

Zevian examined the game.

Then the entry price.

"No."

Her eyebrow twitched.

"I'll pay."

Zevian held out his hand.

"Give me the ball."

"..."

Seraphina paid.

With his reconstructed body and enhanced coordination, the game was almost insultingly easy.

Bang!

First target.

Bang!

Second.

Bang!

Third.

The attendant stared.

"Congratulations, sir."

He handed Zevian the enormous bear.

Seraphina extended her arms.

Zevian stared at her.

She stared back.

"What?"

"You won it for me."

"Oh."

He shoved the bear into her arms.

"There."

Seraphina hugged the enormous stuffed animal.

No sweet words.

No lingering gaze.

Nothing.

She suddenly understood why people committed murder.

By sunset, they'd gone through more rides, games, and food stalls than Seraphina originally planned.

Eventually, they sat on a bench overlooking a small artificial lake.

For once, Seraphina wasn't flirting.

She was tired.

Zevian handed her a bottle of water.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You've been trying hard today."

Seraphina's fingers stopped around the bottle.

He noticed?

"Trying hard at what?"

"Making sure I'm entertained."

"..."

Wrong.

Completely wrong.

But before she could become irritated, Zevian leaned back.

"Thanks."

Seraphina looked at him.

"I had fun."

There was no teasing in his voice.

No ulterior motive.

Just genuine appreciation.

Something strange stirred inside her chest.

Seraphina quickly looked away.

"It's nothing."

'It's the game.'

Obviously.

She was simply pleased because the target was finally responding positively.

That was all.

The Ferris wheel was her final move.

Night had fallen by the time their cabin slowly rose above the amusement park.

Lights stretched across the city below.

Seraphina deliberately sat beside Zevian rather than across from him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Zevian looked outside.

"Yeah."

She moved closer.

"Zevian."

"Hm?"

"Did you enjoy today?"

"Yeah."

"Would you want to do something like this again?"

"Sure."

Seraphina's heart jumped.

Finally.

"With me?"

Zevian turned toward her.

"Who else would I do it with? Fatty?"

She nearly smiled.

This was it.

Seraphina leaned closer.

"Then..."

Her voice softened.

"What do you think about me?"

Zevian studied her.

Seraphina waited.

Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened.

"You're nicer than people say."

She blinked.

"What do people say?"

"Cold."

Her expression stiffened.

"Arrogant."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Difficult."

"Anything else?"

"Probably."

Seraphina glared.

"And what do you think?"

Zevian shrugged.

"You bought me dinner."

"..."

"Coffee."

"..."

"And you paid for today."

Seraphina's expression became increasingly dangerous.

"So I'm a wallet?"

"No."

Zevian looked at her seriously.

Seraphina waited.

"A very beautiful wallet."

She smacked his arm.

"You bastard!"

Zevian laughed.

Seraphina tried maintaining her glare.

She failed.

A laugh escaped her.

Then another.

Before long, she was genuinely laughing beside him.

It wasn't the elegant little laugh she normally used around other people.

It wasn't calculated.

It wasn't part of the Love Box.

For several moments, Seraphina forgot she was supposed to be making Zevian fall for her.

Later that night, she returned home carrying the enormous stuffed bear.

Her phone was already vibrating.

The Love Box group chat had exploded.

[Well?!]

[It's midnight!]

[Day Five is officially over.]

[Where's the confession, Sinclair?]

Seraphina dropped onto her bed.

She stared at the messages.

There was no confession.

Not even close.

She typed reluctantly.

[He didn't confess.]

The responses came instantly.

[HAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[NO WAY.]

[Seraphina Sinclair failed her five-day promise!]

[Should we commemorate this historic event?]

Seraphina's face darkened.

Another message appeared.

[Relax. The record is ten days.]

[You still have five days to save your dignity.]

Seraphina tossed her phone aside.

"Idiots."

Her gaze landed on the giant bear sitting across from her.

She stared at it.

Then remembered the amusement park.

The haunted house.

Zevian casually pretending to be her boyfriend for a discount.

And finally...

"Thanks. I had fun."

A small smile appeared on her lips.

Without thinking, Seraphina reached over and lightly touched the bear's ear.

She froze.

Her smile disappeared.

She slowly looked at her own hand.

"What the hell?"

Seraphina immediately shoved the bear away.

This was ridiculous.

She was Seraphina Sinclair.

Zevian Rook was a target.

Nothing more.

The objective was to make him fall for her.

Not the other way around.

Seraphina picked up her phone.

The Love Box chat was still active.

She typed:

[Five more days.]

Someone immediately replied.

[Confident?]

Seraphina glanced at the stuffed bear.

[Absolutely.]

She put the phone down.

Five days.

She would make Zevian confess before the tenth day.

She had to.

Because while Seraphina Sinclair had failed to make Zevian Rook fall for her within five days, she had yet to notice something considerably more dangerous.

For the first time since the Love Box began...

Seraphina was enjoying the game far too much.