Love Challenge Game

The second level

“So, does this mean we’re friends now?”

You asked him.

“Yes,” he replied.

Your heart soared.

The moment you received that message, the screen in front of you lit up, confetti rained down, and the words “Level Complete” flashed brightly, making your joy feel even more real.

But the next second, you were back in that pink bubble space.

Huh?

You froze for a moment, realizing you hadn’t even told him your name.

“Congratulations to player Bloody Sweetie for clearing the level!” The mechanical voice sounded cheerful. “The system is now calculating your score, please wait…”

“Your score: 65.”

You instantly forgot about Louis, protesting, “How is that score calculated? What’s it for?”

“The score is based on your performance during the level. It takes into account 360 factors, including task completion, NPC interaction, and story depth. It’s absolutely fair and objective.”

You were floored by the “360 factors.” With that many variables, even if it was unfair, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

But what’s with the “NPC interaction” thing?

Your mind wandered to “Sweet Dog,” the friend you ignored the entire time. Now that you thought about it, maybe the people in your contacts weren’t just system-generated NPCs. After all, you didn’t even have anyone in your contacts at the start.

And “Sweet Dog” did actively respond to you.

Could it be that…

Maybe you were supposed to get help from him? He might’ve given you clues about your “first meeting” with Louis, or maybe he could’ve been your wingman in the conversation.

Now that you think about it, the whole level felt kind of random. You just used the “confession hammer” to knock out Louis, ha!

Well, anyway, you cleared the first level. Let’s see what the reward is.

You quickly changed the topic in your mind.

The broadcast continued: “Now, you can review the CG images that appeared during your game, or you can share your level-clearing experience on the forums.”

There are CGs?

Excited, you opened the album that appeared out of thin air.

First image: The Bold Move

It showed you grinning mischievously.

(Don’t be too aggressive when making friends!)

Second image: The Pointless Comeback

It depicted you happily “self-destructing.”

(Who can stop a brave youth from rushing toward doom?)

Third image: Needless Panic

The image showed you wide-eyed in shock.

(Assumed correctness is often the start of mistakes.)

Fourth image…

Before you could even check the fourth image, you wanted to throw the album away. You felt like the captions were full of sarcasm.

But curiosity got the better of you, and you opened the fourth image.

Fourth image: Sincerity

It showed Louis, without his goggles, smiling at his phone.

(Sincerity always strikes a chord.)

You stared at this CG for a while, feeling something you couldn’t quite describe.

If only he were real.

Maybe this was a good beginning. If so, maybe you really could have a shot at romance.

But after a brief moment of disappointment, you shook it off and remembered the most important thing. You asked the broadcast: “Now that I’ve cleared the level, can I leave?”

“Of course. Once you’ve completed a level, you’re free to leave this space. Or you can choose to stay and clear more levels. If you accumulate points from multiple levels, you can exchange them for better rewards.”

“And… if I fail a level? Will I die?”

“…”

The broadcast paused weirdly, then said, “No, of course not.”

Your heart went on a rollercoaster. “You scared me! Why do you take so long to answer serious questions?!”

“Why don’t you try and find out?”

Suddenly, you felt a chill, and trying sounded like the last thing you wanted to do. You were even starting to think about bailing.

But—

You hesitated. Part of you still wanted to see Louis again, even though you were just strangers who barely exchanged names. The unfinished conversation left you feeling unsatisfied.

At the very least, you wanted to tell him your name too.

You made up your mind. One more level and then you’ll leave!

You told the broadcast, “I’ll rack up points and leave after clearing the second level.”

“Understood. Your points have been recorded. Now loading the second level…”

The scene changed.

You were still in a room, but it wasn’t the same one as before.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself sitting in front of a vanity table. Where the bookshelf used to be, there was now a makeup cabinet, crammed with products you couldn’t even name.

Where’s your phone?

You grabbed it, only to realize it wasn’t your Orange phone anymore. Now it had a peach logo… a Peach phone?

It was a pink flip phone, covered in cute animal stickers, screaming “girly vibes.”

Wait a minute, what are the rules for this level?

As if reading your mind, transparent text appeared in front of you: “Rules for Level 2:

Target: Boyfriend

Task: Today is your first date. After putting on makeup, meet him at the movie theater (either on time or not) and make him say something like, ‘You look beautiful today.’ If he says that, you pass.

Reward: Confidential (Points will be added).”

It didn’t say when the date was.

And who exactly is this “boyfriend”?

You opened your phone to find it already on the messaging screen. There, you saw the time you and “boyfriend” agreed to meet—8:30 AM.

Who on earth schedules a date at 8:30 AM?

You checked the clock. It was already 7:30. From what you knew, your roommates needed at least an hour to do their makeup. Unless you had a magic portal to teleport you straight to the theater, you weren’t going to make it.

Completely baffled, but secretly a little excited, you opened social apps. This time, it was completely empty.

No Louis, no Sweet Dog.

You realized you were wrong—there didn’t seem to be any continuity between the levels in this game.