Picking Up Girls With My Pickup System-Chapter 31: Fractures In The Hall.

Kent didn’t remember walking out of the gym. One moment Derek’s glare was burning into him like a brand, the next he was back in the hallway, the crowd’s whispers swelling behind him like waves he couldn’t outrun.

His friends moved with him in a tight orbit. Jake still buzzed with the aftershock, cracking jokes too loud to cover his nerves. Mia kept glancing over her shoulder, sharp-eyed, like she expected Derek to burst through the doors at any second. And Samir... Samir was silent, his phone already in hand, thumbs flicking with surgical precision.

Kent felt his chest ache where Derek had shoved him. It wasn’t bruised, not really, but the phantom weight of those hands lingered. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The System glowed faintly in his vision, almost smug in its efficiency:

[Event Outcome: Confrontation Endured]

[Reputation: +21 Support | +12 Hostility]

[Influence Shift: Derek 76% → 74%]

[Advisory: Momentum must be maintained.]

Kent wanted to laugh. Momentum. As if the word wasn’t tattooed into his skull already.

He exhaled slowly. "We need air."

They ducked into an empty stairwell, where the buzz of students dimmed. Jake dropped onto the steps, still grinning like Kent had just won a championship.

"Bro, do you even realize what you just did? Derek shoved you twice, and you stood there like—like Gandalf with the staff. ’YOU SHALL NOT PASS!’ The whole gym lost it."

Kent rubbed his face. "Jake—"

"I’m serious, man. You didn’t swing, didn’t fold. That’s legendary."

Mia crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. "Legendary doesn’t mean safe. You saw his face. He’s furious. And furious Derek is the most dangerous kind."

Samir finally looked up from his phone, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "She’s correct. What just happened was the opening salvo. Derek attempted to reassert dominance in a controlled environment and failed. His next move will be escalation—probably in a setting where authority cannot intervene."

"Like where?" Kent asked.

"Outside of school," Samir replied simply. "An alley. A party. Anywhere shadows are thicker than spotlights."

Jake groaned, sprawling across the stairs. "So we’re just supposed to live in Game of Thrones now? King Jock trying to assassinate us in the dead of night?"

"Not assassinate," Samir corrected dryly. "Just humiliate. Or cripple. Depending on his mood."

Kent’s stomach knotted tighter. He’d stood tall in the gym, but the idea of Derek hunting him outside those walls churned his insides cold.

The System pulsed again, unrelenting:

[Quest Reminder: Allies — 2/3 Secured]

[Time Remaining: 15 Hours]

[Advisory: Delay increases risk of failure.]

Kent shut his eyes. Fifteen hours. Not even a full day left to find someone else to stand with him—or the System would brand him a failure. And failure wasn’t just numbers. He’d learned that the hard way.

Mia broke the silence. "So who’s next?"

Kent opened his eyes, startled. "What?"

"You heard the damn system. Two down, one to go. We’ve got Jake, we’ve got me. Who’s number three?"

Kent’s gaze flicked instinctively toward Samir. But Samir shook his head before he even spoke.

"I’m not what it’s asking for."

Jake frowned. "What do you mean? You’ve been with us this whole time."

Samir’s tone was clinical, almost detached. "The system tracks more than presence. It tracks influence. My skills lie in analysis, not charisma. I can advise, but I do not inspire. Whoever this third ally is, they must shift public perception, not just internal dynamics."

Kent hated that he was right. Samir was invaluable—every plan they’d had since this mess started had his fingerprints on it. But the System didn’t care about plans. It cared about leverage.

"Then who?" Kent asked quietly.

For once, Samir hesitated. Then he spoke a single name: "Emily Rivers."

Mia bristled immediately. "Her? Are you serious?"

Samir’s gaze didn’t waver. "She’s respected. Independent. She doesn’t orbit Derek, but neither does she cower. If she openly aligns with Kent, the balance of perception will tilt dramatically."

Jake raised his brows. "Is this the part where we pretend Emily doesn’t terrify half the grade? Girl stares at you once and suddenly you’re rethinking your life choices."

Mia muttered, "She’s cold. Distant. Why would she even care about this fight?"

Samir tapped his phone. "Because she cares about truth. I’ve observed her in debate club. She dismantles arguments with surgical precision. Derek thrives on lies, intimidation, and narratives. Emily despises all three."

The stairwell quieted as that thought settled over them.

Kent exhaled slowly. "Alright. Then I’ll talk to her."

Mia’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t argue. Not directly. She just muttered, "Don’t get your hopes up."

******

They didn’t find Emily until the next day.

She was in the library, like always, tucked into a corner by the tall windows, a book open in her lap. Her posture was calm, unbothered—like the chaos of Derek’s kingdom didn’t reach her corner of the world.

Kent approached carefully, Mia and Jake trailing reluctantly, Samir a few paces back.

Emily didn’t look up until Kent was standing in front of her table. Then, slowly, she closed her book, her eyes lifting to meet his.

Her gaze was sharp, cool, unsettling in its steadiness.

"You," she said simply.

Kent swallowed. "Me."

"Why?"

The single word caught him off guard. "Why what?"

"Why fight Derek?" Emily leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "Most people survive by avoiding his gaze. You chose to provoke it. Why?"

Kent’s palms felt clammy. He could lie. Say something witty, or something tough. But Emily wasn’t the type you could bluff through.

So he told the truth.

"Because I’m tired of watching him walk all over everyone. Somebody had to stand up."

Emily studied him for a long moment. Long enough that Mia shifted uncomfortably, and Jake pretended to examine the bookshelves.

Finally, Emily said, "Interesting."

Then she stood, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked past them without another word.

Kent blinked, caught off balance. "Wait—"

But she was gone.

The System pulsed faintly in his vision:

[Potential Ally Identified: Emily Rivers]

[Recruitment Probability: 26%]

Kent exhaled shakily, rubbing the back of his neck. Mia’s expression was stormy, Jake shrugged helplessly, and Samir adjusted his glasses with calm precision.

"She didn’t reject you outright," Samir said. "That’s progress."

"Felt like rejection to me," Kent muttered.

Samir’s eyes glinted. "You’ve planted the seed. Now you water it."

Kent didn’t get a chance to consider what that meant. Because by lunch, Derek struck again.

Not directly—no fists, no shoves. But his lackeys were busy.

A sophomore who’d sat at Kent’s table yesterday was cornered near the vending machines, two of Derek’s crew pinning him against the wall.

"You think you’re part of Gilbert’s rebellion now?" one sneered. "You think that makes you safe?"

The kid stammered, eyes wide with panic.

Kent’s blood spiked hot. He stepped forward before Mia could stop him.

"Back off," he said, voice low.

The lackeys turned, sneers faltering just a little when they saw him. But they didn’t move.

Jake slid up beside Kent, cracking his knuckles. "You heard the man. Back. Off."

Mia crossed her arms, her glare razor-sharp. "Unless you want this to get really messy."

The two bullies hesitated—then muttered curses and slunk away.

Phones were already out. Whispers already buzzing.

The System glowed:

[Reputation: +12 Support | +6 Hostility]

[Derek’s Influence: 74% → 71%]

And Kent realized—this wasn’t just a fight anymore. It was war.

******

The cafeteria buzzed louder than usual. Not because of food fights or announcements, but because word traveled fast. By the time Kent and his friends sat down, half the room was already replaying the scene by the vending machines.

"Did you see Gilbert? Dude stepped right in!" someone whispered too loudly at a nearby table.

"Yeah, and Derek’s guys actually backed off. That’s new."

"Doesn’t matter. Derek won’t let that slide."

Kent tried to eat, but the whispers pressed down on him heavier than Derek’s shove had. Every glance felt like a spotlight. Every murmur felt like a judgment.

Mia noticed the tension. "Don’t let it get in your head. They’re talking because they’re scared. If Derek’s crew can be pushed back, even once, that means he’s not invincible anymore."

Jake grinned around a mouthful of fries. "Exactly. We’re rewriting the script, one vending machine at a time."

Samir, as always, was less celebratory. "Be cautious. Every small victory increases Derek’s desperation. His escalation will accelerate accordingly."

Kent forced himself to chew, though his appetite had vanished. The System hadn’t gone quiet either.

[Event Log Updated.]

[Narrative Shift Detected: Student Body divided — 68% Fear / 32% Support.]

[Advisory: Continued momentum will trigger additional opportunities.]

Opportunities. Kent wasn’t sure whether to laugh or panic.

They didn’t see Derek for the rest of the day, which made everything worse.

The absence was its own kind of pressure, like standing in a room knowing a bomb was hidden under the floorboards. Every step, every turn of the hallway, Kent braced for him—and every time, Derek wasn’t there.

By the final bell, his nerves were strung tighter than a violin string.

"Library," Samir instructed. "We regroup, analyze, strategize."

Jake groaned. "What happened to celebrating? We survived two Derek encounters without getting turned into pancake mix."

"Which means the third will not be so forgiving," Samir replied, already striding ahead.

Mia followed without protest, and Kent trailed behind, his chest tight with the knowledge that Samir was right.

The library was quieter than usual. Rows of books muffled the sounds of the world outside, sunlight streaming lazily through high windows.

Emily Rivers was there again.

She didn’t look up when they entered, but Kent felt her presence sharpen like a blade just the same. She occupied the same corner table, a fortress of notebooks and books around her.

Jake muttered under his breath, "Here we go. Round two with the Ice Queen."

Mia shot him a glare but said nothing.

Samir adjusted his glasses. "This is the moment. Don’t waste it."

Kent swallowed hard, then walked toward Emily. His palms were damp, his throat dry, but the System chimed like a bell in his head:

[Critical Dialogue Opportunity Detected.]

[Ally Probability: 26% → Pending.]

Emily turned a page in her book, her tone dry as sandpaper. "Persistent."

Kent stopped a foot away. "Determined."

Her eyes flicked up, pinning him with that same steady gaze. "Explain."

Kent forced himself to breathe evenly. "You asked me why yesterday. Why I fight Derek. The truth is—it’s not just about me. It’s about everyone he steps on. He runs this place like he owns it. Like the rest of us are just props in his story. I can’t live like that. Not anymore."

Emily’s gaze didn’t soften, but it sharpened in a way that made his skin prickle. "And what do you want from me?"

"Not to fight my battles," Kent said quickly. "Just... to stand with me. To show people Derek isn’t the only one worth following."

Silence stretched. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

Finally, Emily closed her book with a quiet thud.

"You’re asking me to gamble my reputation on yours."

Kent nodded once. "Yeah."

Her lips curved—not quite a smile, not quite a smirk. Something colder. "You’re brave, Gilbert. Or reckless. I haven’t decided which."

She slipped her bag over her shoulder and brushed past him again. But this time, she paused.

At his shoulder, she murmured just loud enough for him to hear: "Prove you can last. Then I’ll consider it."

Then she was gone.

The System pulsed brightly in his vision:

[Potential Ally: Emily Rivers]

[Recruitment Probability: 26% → 42%]

[Condition: Survive Derek’s next escalation.]

Kent exhaled, his whole body trembling with relief and dread all at once.

Jake let out a low whistle. "Okay, so... that’s not a no."

Mia folded her arms. "It’s a trap. She wants to see if he gets crushed before attaching her name to his mess."

Samir, however, looked pleased. "She gave terms. That means she’s interested. Now the objective is simple."

Kent raised a brow. "Simple?"

Samir nodded. "Yes. Survive Derek."

The opportunity came faster than Kent wanted.

That night, his phone buzzed with a notification from the System:

[Urgent Advisory: Event Triggered]

[Location: Riverside Lot — 9:30 PM]

[Threat Level: Severe.]

Kent sat on his bed, staring at the words glowing faintly in the dark. His chest tightened.

It wasn’t school hours anymore. It wasn’t a gym with a coach ready to blow a whistle. This was Derek’s world.

A message pinged on his phone—not from the system, but from an unknown number.

Riverside lot. 9:30. Don’t be late.

Kent’s mouth went dry. Derek didn’t just want to corner him—he wanted to stage it.

He shoved the phone into his pocket, pacing the length of his room. He couldn’t ignore it. If he did, Derek would spin the story before he even woke up tomorrow. But if he went...

His hands trembled.

The System pulsed again:

[Quest Update: Ally Trial]

[Condition: Endure Riverside Lot confrontation with Reputation Intact.]

[Failure: Recruitment probability for Emily Rivers drops to 0%.]

Kent pressed his palms against his face. "Of course."

At 9:20, he was there.

The Riverside Lot was a half-abandoned stretch of cracked asphalt near the river, where kids sometimes came to drink, fight, or waste time. Tonight, it buzzed with life. Dozens of students clustered around, some with phones already out, their voices eager, anticipatory.

And at the center—Derek.

He stood tall, confident, a wolf in his chosen hunting ground. His lackeys flanked him, but the real crowd was the circle of students hungry for a show.

Kent’s stomach twisted. He spotted Mia, Jake, and Samir pushing through the crowd toward him.

"You showed," Derek said, his grin sharp as glass. "Good. I’d hate for everyone to think the new rebel leader was a coward."

The crowd chuckled. Whispers rippled.

The System pulsed:

[Major Event Triggered: The Riverside Lot.]

[Objective: Endure.]

[Stakes: Survival | Reputation | Ally Recruitment.]

Kent squared his shoulders, his pulse hammering in his ears.

This was it.