CHAPTER 8: STAY OVER?

Niam's eyes widened.

He stared at Finn as if he couldn't hear what Finn was saying to him.

But Finn didn't care.

This was a good opportunity to raise the favorability of the first target, and he wouldn't waste that.

The parents wouldn't be around, and his mother would be busy doing everything else, but wouldn't worry about him.

So, Finn had made up his mind.

He would stay with the target tonight and please the target as much as he could!

Wouldn't that help him meet the second target faster, and he could complete the mission as soon as possible.

"Can I? I won't disturb your rest." He explained quietly.

Niam's fingers clenched, and he turned his head away. "Do you pity me?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Confusion flashed across Finn's eyes. "No, I want you to bully me overnight." He said excitedly.

With the whole night to bully him, the target's favorability should reach 99%, right?

Finn believed that should be so.

The target could bully him three or four times through the night, and by morning, he should be done with his first mission.

He couldn't wait!

However, Niam almost choked on nothing.

He coughed so hard that his face turned red.

Finn handed him a cup of water, which he drank, and only then did he feel better.

He rubbed his chest as he stared at Finn, hoping to see him laugh. But Finn kept staring at him.

Niam's brows twitched. "You want me to bully you throughout the night?" He asked as if hoping Finn would tell him he had heard wrong.

"Yes!" Finn said. The excitement in his clear eyes was obvious.

Niam closed his eyes.

He rubbed his temple as he turned around to leave.

"You should leave. I will tell the driver to take you back home." He said dismissively.

Finn's lips pursed.

He ran after Niam. "Are you worried about my parents?"

"I don't have a father, and my mother doesn't care about me."

"She works in a bank and stays there all day. She won't call or scold you for keeping me here."

"You also said your parents won't come home. Shouldn't we stay together then?"

"I can let you bully me as much as you like."

"Don't worry, I won't complain."

"Okay? Okay, Niam?"

Finn kept blabbing as he followed after Niam.

Niam almost lost his footing several times, and by the time they returned to the room, his face was all red.

But Finn didn't seem to notice.

"Don't you like bullying me?" He asked pathetically.

Could it be that he was the only one who enjoyed the earlier bullying?

The system told him the target loved to bully others. Could it be that the system was lying?

[I wasn't]

Then, was he not worthy enough for the target to bully?

Finn blinked as tears welled up in his eyes. What was he supposed to do then?

If the target refused to bully him, then what was he supposed to do?

"Take. Wear them after you shower."

Niam's voice snapped Finn out of his trance.

He lowered his eyes to look at the boxer and white shirt in his hands.

"I can stay?" He asked in a small voice.

His eyes were a little red.

Niam's eyes lingered on his, and he swallowed hard. "Yes." He said simply.

Finn's eyes lit up, and the tears disappeared as if they'd never been there to begin with.

He smiled widely and dropped the clothes on the bed. "Thank you." He said excitedly.

The target wasn't disgusted by him.

The target wasn't rejecting him.

Finn felt like life was bright again.

He quickly removed his school shirt, leaving behind a singlet before picking up the things Niam gave him, and he left for the bathroom.

Niam sat in bed, fingers in his hair as he lowered his eyes.

Finn blinked.

It seemed the target had something in mind...

Finn got into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

A new towel was in the bathroom, which he used to dry his body, and he wore the boxer and shirt.

The boxer was a fit, and when Finn checked properly, he realized it shouldn't be Niam's size.

He must have gotten a smaller size by mistake...

But the shirt was really too big. Not only did it get to his lap, but it kept falling from his shoulders, too.

Finn pouted as he dragged the shirt back to his shoulder and picked up another towel.

He came out with a towel wrapped around his hair.

Niam's eyes stayed on him as he walked to the bed. "You can go in." He said to Niam.

Niam nodded, but his eyes remained on Finn. His face was turning red again, and his body trembled slightly.

Finn felt troubled watching him.

It felt like the target was thinking about something.

But he could only watch as the target clumsily picked up his things and rushed into the bathroom.

A little over thirty minutes later, Niam came out of the bathroom in long black big pants and a grey top.

He dried his hair and lay in bed. "Let's sleep." He said.

But Finn wasn't obedient.