Love Challenge Game

The first level 3

You were down to three hearts, but you figured that should be enough.

After all, this wasn’t a combat game. As long as you didn’t provoke the guy too much, your chances of getting blocked again should be low.

If getting blocked means game over, then you just need to be careful. One heart could last a while.

But as soon as the game restarted, your screen shook three times, and the edges turned red, giving off a horror movie vibe.

Then you noticed a new hourglass icon on the top left corner, counting down from three hours.

Clearly, when the timer hits zero, it’s game over.

…

You regretted it. That lost heart was innocent—it didn’t deserve to be wasted like that.

Was this new rule triggered because you dropped below four hearts? Or did the game sense your slacking off and decide to punish you? You didn’t know.

But one thing was clear: no more goofing around. You even started wondering, if all five hearts disappeared, would you return to the real world… or be erased?

A chill ran down your spine.

This was exactly the kind of setup you’d expect from a typical novel, and it was hard not to jump to that conclusion.

The broadcast didn’t mention any of this.

It didn’t say whether beating the first level would bring you back to reality, or if you had to clear 10 levels. Looks like you’ll have to wait and see once you beat this level.

At first, you thought, "It’s free, so no harm in playing." But now you realized: the gifts from fate always come with a hidden price.

It might not cost money, but it could cost you your life.

If these five hearts are your five lives, you’re in real danger.

Each heart gives you three hours. So, with three hearts left, that’s nine hours total. You’ve got nine hours to complete this challenge and expand your social network.

The threat to your life snapped you back to focus.

This time, you played it safe, posting the same social media update as before.

Your childhood friend “Sweet Dog” left a comment, but you ignored him.

The target replied after about an hour.

You chatted about the topic for most of the day, but his responses got slower and slower. He wasn’t as eager to talk about pets as your roommate had suggested.

With the limited info you had, it seemed like he wasn’t much of a talker. Running out of ideas, you awkwardly asked, “So, how long have you had your golden retriever?”

His answer: “I don’t have a pet.”

You froze.

Turns out, it was a trap!

The detail you thought was the key to passing the level? Completely useless.

You could almost hear the game mocking you.

Ugh!

Time ran out, and that familiar gray screen swept over you.

Game over again.

Restarting, only six hours left!

You could try the same approach again, bringing up skiing or something similar to build a connection through small talk.

But who knows if it’d even work? Three hours later, he might still see you as just another random stranger.

You thought of a different strategy.

Time to go all in.

With the determination to storm a fortress, you sent him a message you’d never say to anyone in real life:

“I like you.”

It was the quickest way you could think of to establish a connection with a stranger—confession.

Works for any gender combo.

That line carries the weight of a long story and hidden feelings, sparking people’s curiosity. They usually want to know more.

But with how little you knew about him, you were still nervous.

You waited, unsure if an hour or two had passed.

But when you checked the clock, only five minutes had gone by.

You felt so nervous you wanted to puke.

Ten minutes later, he finally replied: “So, is that why you crashed into my bike?”

???

!!!

?!?!

Oh no!

You’d completely forgotten about that.

At first, you’d wondered about it, but brushed it off as some weird game plot point and didn’t think twice.

Well, now you knew how you’d ended up on his friends list.

“…I’ll pay for it,” you said weakly.

Great. Now he’d connected the dots, but all the bittersweet crush stories you’d prepared no longer applied.

He said, “That’s why I gave you my account.”

You paused for a moment before it hit you.

Maybe… he was asking for repayment.

What a stingy guy! Not cute at all!

But then again, it was your character who damaged his bike, so you couldn’t really argue.

You nervously opened the in-game “wallet,” relieved to see there was actually some money in there— $ 1,000, not bad.

“How much is the repair?” you started typing.

But then you stopped, deleted the message, and changed tactics.

You sent him a transfer instead.

Transfer amount: $520

Note: ^_^ lol

Your mood lifted as you wondered if he’d accept your “heartfelt” gift.

Him: “…”

You mischievously asked, “What’s wrong?”

He hesitated before replying, “You’re still short 2,150.”

He paused, then added: “I replaced the tires with high-quality ones.”

“…”

You stared at the screen, annoyed.

You wanted to tell him to stop showing off.

What’s the big deal about quality tires? How could they cost that much??

You didn’t believe him—unless he brought the tires over for you to inspect.

But, to be fair, whether in novels or games, the characters you’re supposed to win over are always rich. You hadn’t thought of that.

He probably wasn’t lying.

What now?

You didn’t have enough money!

You hesitated, thinking about playing the “I’ll only pay you 520” card, but decided against it. You were still practically a stranger, and that would only leave a bad impression.

Was this game trying to give you an impossible task?

Ugh, what kind of love is this if you have to buy it?

You slumped over your desk, pretending to cry for a bit, but the game wasn’t budging. So, you wiped away your imaginary tears and sat back up.

“This is all the money I have!”

“My fat orange cat eats like a king!”

“I’m broke!”

You sent three quick messages.

He didn’t respond for a while, making you feel even more hopeless. You sent one more message in desperation: “Fine, I get it. You don’t have pets, so you wouldn’t understand.”

You were already planning how to start over again.

Then, to your surprise, he replied almost instantly: “I’ll cover the rest. I didn’t ask you before getting such an expensive repair.”

He even returned the transfer, adding, “I don’t have pets, so keep it for yourself.”

Wow.

Fireworks exploded in your head!

Right, you suddenly remembered that from your last conversation with him, he actually was kind of considerate.

Even if he didn’t have a pet.

But now you felt embarrassed. You took a screenshot of your in-game wallet and sent it to him.

“I still have a little left. I’m not actually starving.”

“I can’t let you cover it all. Just take 900, I’ll keep 100.”

You sent the transfer again, this time without any silly notes.

Maybe he smiled?

You weren’t sure, but he replied: “My name’s Louis.”