My Romance Life System-Chapter 42: Operation: Don’t Die Alone

The classroom buzzed back to life, kids whispering, chairs scraping, the usual chaos before the bell. I was still reeling from Nina’s whole "main character energy" stunt, my face probably redder than a shonen hero’s battle aura. I was at my desk, trying to act like I wasn’t the center of a social nuke, when Jake came barreling over, his eyes wide like he’d just seen a final boss spawn in real life.

"Dude," he hissed, leaning so close I could smell his cheap body spray. "What’s wrong with you?"

I blinked, pencil halfway to my notebook. "Uh, what?"

"Why are you so hot now?" he whisper-yelled, his voice cracking like he was accusing me of a crime. "Is this, like, a play for Ruby or something? Are you going after her?"

I stared at him, my brain buffering. Then I snorted, loud enough that the girl in front of me turned to glare. "Bruh, are you serious right now?"

Jake’s face was pure panic, hands gripping the edge of my desk like it was his only lifeline. "I’m just saying, man! You show up looking like some model, and I’m supposed to not worry?"

I couldn’t help it—I laughed, a real gut laugh that made my ribs ache. "Jake, chill. Ruby’s all yours. I’m not trying to steal her."

His shoulders slumped, the tension draining out of him like air from a popped balloon. "For real?"

"For real," I said, leaning back in my chair. "No Ruby heist here. Promise."

He nodded, still looking like he’d just survived a jump scare, then plopped into the empty seat next to me. "Okay, cool. Cool. I just... you know. Had to check."

I shook my head, smirking. "What’s this dock worrying about?" I muttered, mostly to myself, mimicking his frantic vibe. Jake just grinned, a little sheepish, and we settled into an easier silence.

The bell hadn’t rung yet, so we started tossing ideas around for Operation: Don’t Die Alone. It was too early for his "homework" report—watching Ruby’s patterns like some kinda creepy tactician—so we just vibed, talking about random stuff. Like, how Ruby was apparently a beast at claw machines, which Jake brought up again, his eyes getting all starry.

"She got that alpaca in one try, man," he said, shaking his head like he was describing a miracle. "One. Try. That’s, like, god-tier luck."

"Or she’s secretly a pro gamer," I said, doodling a quick sketch of a claw machine in my notebook. "Bet she’s got a whole strategy, like timing the claw’s sway or something."

Jake’s eyes lit up. "You think? Maybe I could ask her about it. Like it’s a casual thing, you know? ’Hey, you’re good at claws, what’s your secret?’"

I nodded, trying not to laugh at how he was already scripting this like a dating sim. "Solid opener. Just don’t say ’claws’ like you’re a second away from proposing."

He groaned, slumping forward. "I’m gonna mess this up, aren’t I?"

"Probably," I said, smirking. "But that’s why we’re stuck with me. I’m your tutorial NPC."

He chuckled, and for a sec, things felt... normal. Like we were just two dudes messing around, not plotting a romance arc like it was a military op. But then Jake’s face shifted, his grin fading into something serious. He leaned in, voice low, eyes searching mine like he was trying to find my hidden motive.

"Okay, but... real talk," he said. "Why’re you doing this? Like, why are you helping me? What do you get out of it?"

Crap. I froze, my pencil hovering over the claw machine sketch. I could see it in his eyes—Jake wanted the truth, something real. No way I could drop the bombshell about the Romance Life System, though. "Oh, yeah, a goddess gave me a video game interface to fix my loner vibes, and I’m getting 10K to wingman you." Nope. That’d get me a one-way ticket to the school counselor.

But I could still be honest. Just... in a different way.

I set my pencil down, leaning back, "Look, man," I started, keeping my voice low. "You ever feel like... you’re just stuck? Like, same boring loop every day, no save points, no progress?"

Jake nodded slowly, his eyes still locked on mine. "Yeah. All the time."

"That’s where I was," I said, my hands fidgeting with the edge of my notebook. "Just... coasting. No friends, no goals, just me and my manga. Then I almost died, and it kinda hit me—I don’t want to keep living like that. I want to do something. Even if it’s just helping some dock not crash and burn with his crush."

Jake’s mouth twitched, a half-smile breaking through. "So I’m, like, your charity case?"

"Nah," I said, smirking to cover the weird tightness in my chest. "You’re my side quest. Gotta grind some XP before I take on the main story, you know?"

He laughed, a real one this time, and the tension between us dissolved. "Okay, that’s fair. But, like... you’re sure you’re not getting anything out of this? No ulterior motives?" freēwēbηovel.c૦m

I thought about the system window, the 10,000 NAD dangling like a shiny loot drop. But that wasn’t the real reason anymore. Not entirely. Helping Jake, seeing him light up about Ruby, it felt... good. Like I was actually part of something, not just watching from the sidelines.

"Dude," I said, leaning forward. "The only motive is I’m bored of being a solo player. Plus, if you screw this up, I get to laugh at you. Win-win."

He grinned, shaking his head. "You’re a dick."

"Bet," I said, picking up my pencil again. "Now, let’s figure out how you’re gonna talk to Ruby without sounding like you’re auditioning for a rom-com."

The bell rang, cutting off whatever he was about to say. Everyone shuffled to their seats, and Jake slid back to his own desk, still grinning like he’d just unlocked a new achievement. I glanced across the room at Nina, who was doodling something in her notebook, her hair catching the morning light.

My heart skipped a beat again. ’Focus, Kofi,’ I thought, flipping my notebook to a fresh page. ’Side quest first. Don’t get distracted by your super cute friend.’

But as I started sketching a quick fireball—because why not?—I couldn’t shake the feeling that this whole "helping Jake" thing was just the tutorial. The real game was coming, and I had no idea what the next level looked like.

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