Chapter 3

"Wait, doesn't that mean that I've already completed my mission? Why didn't you inform me that I could go back to reality and get my health back?" I asked warily.

The system grew embarrassed. "Well… I was hoping to earn that bonus. With your talent, you shot straight to the top of the leaderboard in such a short time. Which system wouldn't be tempted? As long as you put in just a little more effort, earning another 666 points would be a breeze for you!"

A warmth spread through my chest. Amid the surge of emotion, I forced myself to calm down. "Seventy–thirty. I take seventy, you take thirty. Agree, and I’ll keep playing."

"H-How could you—"

"You had better choose your words carefully. If you hadn’t deliberately kept this from me, I’d have gone home long ago. Why would I stay here just to be humiliated?"

The system babbled incoherently. After what felt like an eternity, it finally nodded and shouted toward the sky, "Looks like I ran into a real trickster!"

…

The bathroom was filled with rising steam.

For three years, I had lived every day in constant anxiety, trying every possible way to please Jake.

But now that I knew I was heading home soon, I could truly relax for the first time.

Water streamed down my body, washing away both the grime of the nightclub and Jake's lingering presence.

With a click, the bathroom door handle twisted.

"Who's there?" I quickly grabbed a towel nearby and wrapped it around myself.

"Who else could it be?" Jake said, a chuckle slipping from his lips. He stepped into the bathroom without the slightest hesitation.

At that moment, I suddenly remembered that the door lock had recorded his fingerprint. I hadn't gotten around to removing it yet.

"Get out! Can't you see I'm taking a shower?" I snapped.

Jake, however, didn't take me seriously. Just as he raised an eyebrow, I noticed that my progress bar had ticked up by 1%.

"And why can't I look at you? Weren't you quite enthusiastic before?" He stepped closer, his gaze landing on my bare shoulder. "I haven't seen you in days, Emma-Bear. Are you sure you can resist me?"

Whenever situations like this came up, I would usually swallow my anger and follow Jake's lead. After all, I couldn't afford to see my scores drop.

But now, things were different. I no longer cared whether his affection level for me was high or low. All that mattered was that it kept fluctuating.

Without warning, I grabbed the showerhead and aimed it right at Jake. Water splashed across him, leaving his carefully styled hair drenched.

"Get out!" I repeated.

Jake wiped the water from his face. When he looked up, impatience shone in his eyes. "Damn it, Emma! You know I don't like this whole 'playing hard to get' routine. We'll have a proper conversation once you start behaving."

Without uttering a single word, I stared at him, my expression growing colder.

Jake's brows furrowed, but after a moment, a confident smile spread across his face. As he flicked his fingers in the air, my progress fell by 10%.

In the past, a decline this significant would have thrown me into a panic. I would have compromised my own boundaries just to win him back.

Jake's smile remained fixed on his face. Out of nowhere, he placed a gift box on the sink. "I bought this for you. After your shower, put it on and let me have a look."

He swung the door open and walked out confidently. Once he was gone, I went to the box and opened it. It contained a set of alluring lingerie and black stockings.

It was obvious that Jake had come to test the results of his so-called "training".

As I picked up the sheer black fabric, a wave of disgust stirred within me.

Spinning on my heel, I reached for a turtleneck sweater and a pair of jeans from the back of the wardrobe. At the same time, I grabbed the black-rimmed glasses Jake despised most.

After wrapping myself from head to toe, I pushed open the bedroom door.

Jake was leaning against the windowsill, a lighter perched between his fingers. The tiny flame wavered and flickered in his grasp.

The instant he noticed my attire, he abruptly extinguished the lighter.

"What game are you trying to play now?" Veins bulged along his neck as he stared at my fully covered figure. "Where's the lingerie I gave you?"