System Mission: Seduce the Final Boss [BL]-Chapter 68: My efforts...

’This... this bastard!’

Blake stomped forward, steps heavier than necessary, the sound echoing faintly against the sidewalk.

Of course, he had tried everything.

From the moment the day started, he had been careful: watching, adjusting, doing everything he could to keep Myles in a good mood.

And yet it was all useless, all of it!

He pressed his lips together, blinking a little harder than usual as he felt his eyes stinging a little. His heartbeat felt off, it was way too fast, then too slow, uneven in a way that made his chest feel tight.

It felt like they had fought.

Or, at least, not directly.

But, something in the corridor and something on the bus definitely happened.

Nothing that could be defined as a fight, and yet it really felt like one.

’How can he have a 13 and still be so wary of me, at times? Damn it...’

Blake dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.

Still, as his fingers brushed the back of his neck, he paused.

Because he couldn’t ignore it, that uncomfortable feeling.

I was in the wrong.

It’s not as if that was exactly the cases since Myles was... complicated.

He could be unexpectedly gentle. Careful, caring, even.

There were moments where he let Blake do whatever he wanted, without resistance, without question. Moments where he didn’t pull away from touch, where he even leaned into it, just slightly.

And lately, it looked as if he had been getting used to the closeness between them.

But then, there still were also too many unpredictable moments like this.

And Blake never knew what to do with those.

’What is he even so scared of?’

He clicked his tongue under his breath.

’No, scared isn’t right. Ugh, seriously, he can’t be this complicated and then just... act normally!

Blake frowned, slowing his pace slightly.

Maybe, this was something he had been ignoring.

Because, how was he supposed to get Myles to open up?

There was progress, that much was obvious.

They were obviously way closer than before.

More comfortable.

But when it came to anything deeper, Blake rarely asked or pushed.

And yet, strangely enough, even Myles sometimes did.

He would ask what Blake thought.

What he planned.

What he wanted to do next.

Those were small, subtle things. It wasn’t consistent, most of the time, he still acted recklessly, bluntly, without much regard.

Still, for someone like him, that was already something.

Blake let out a quiet breath.

"I’m such a coward... whatever, I can admit that," he muttered.

By the time he reached home, he pushed the door open without much care, shrugging his coat off and tossing it onto the table.

The air felt stuffy, it was hard to breathe.

"But he’s not any better," he added, frustration creeping back in. "If he acts like that, how am I supposed to ask for anything?!"

His legs felt weak.

He didn’t bother resisting it this time, letting himself fall back onto the bed with a quiet thud.

"Spoon, open the shop. Mask section."

[ Yes, Dear Host. ]

A faint interface flickered into view.

Blake squinted at it.

"Don’t tell me."

He scrolled.

And scrolled.

Then let out a dry laugh.

"Of course I can’t afford any of them. The cheapest one is 100 coins, are you kidding me?"

There were so many interesting ones he wanted, especially one caught his attention.

"Ivory Mask..."

It looked white, smooth and elegant. Lined faintly with black, it was simple, but refined in a way that drew attention immediately.

And the effect was quite scary...

"...A torture-level truth machine," he murmured.

If he asked a question, the other person had to answer honestly or, as punishment, they wouldn’t be able to harm him and, instead, get hurt themselves.

No limit on questions.

No escape.

Blake leaned back slightly, exhaling.

"...3000 coins."

Right, it was quite unrealistic.

"Spoon," he called, voice flat. "How much for favorability?"

[ 50 coins, Dear Host. ]

"...Is there anything I can do with 10 coins?"

[ I will display the available products, Dear Host. ]

A new list appeared.

Blake stared.

"Vegetables?"

He scrolled.

"A TV?"

More scrolling.

"...What is this supposed to be?"

Then, he paused.

"Hero Lab Disaster?"

[ That is the novel Hero Lab Disaster, HLB for short— ]

"I know that!" Blake snapped immediately. "I’m asking, can I buy the whole thing?!"

[ You can. It is currently priced at 50000 coins. ]

"Then why is it in the 10 coins section, you idiot?!"

[ Because for 10 coins, you may purchase a random paragraph from a page. ]

"A paragraph?" Blake repeated, deadpan. "Why not the whole fucking page?"

[ A full page costs 50 coins. ]

Blake stared at the screen for a long second.

Then slowly lowered his head.

"...When this is over," he muttered, voice quiet, "whether I succeed or not... let me beat you up. Just once."

His vision blurred slightly.

Annoyed, he rubbed his eyes before pushing himself up again, to the kitchen.

The pantry was completely empty.

"...Jeez."

He turned away, running a hand through his hair again before heading back to his room.

Kneeling slightly, he reached under his pillow, pulling out what little money he had left.

It was not much.

Blake sighed.

"...Well, it’s about time he sends more anyway."

Stuffing the money into his pocket, Blake grabbed his jacket again, slipping it on before stepping into his shoes.

When he opened the door, the cold hit him immediately.

It was worse than before.

"...Did it drop this much?"

He didn’t dwell on it, though.

Just started walking.

The grocery store wasn’t far.

And honestly, he wanted something warm, like a nice soup, for example.

He grabbed what he needed without much thought: vegetables, broth, a few extras, and paid before heading back out.

The bag felt light in his hand.

It was really way too light for the things it had inside.

Or maybe, he just felt off.

Because as he walked, the thought that he didn’t want to go home crossed his mind.

His steps slowed, then slowed again.

"What is this..."

His head felt heavy for no reason.

His thoughts drifted back to the dream from the night before.

Blake frowned slightly.

’Seriously, it was so weird. What was that whole thing even about?’

The faces were blurred, so he couldn’t make them out, no matter how hard he tried.

But the voices, tone and words... they were so warm at first, until they turned cold.

Blake’s breath hitched slightly as he tried to remember it

To grab onto something solid, but the harder he pushed, the tighter his chest felt.

"Tch."

His breathing grew uneven.

Before he realized it, he was already standing in front of his apartment building.

Blake stared at it.

A faint, ominous feeling curled in his stomach.

"Right."

He stepped inside.

The stairwell was quiet, so each step echoed as he slowly climbed up.

But his thoughts didn’t stop.

If anything, they got louder.

’Those weren’t just random dreams.’

His expression darkened.

’They were memories.’

More specifically, Blake’s memories, not his.

"Damn it..."

His grip tightened around the grocery bag.

Because that annoyed him, more than it should have, by now.

He had his own life.

His own family.

Somewhere else.

A real one.

And before...

Before all of this...

He hadn’t even been the type to remember his dreams.

So why now?

Why this?

’And also—’

He stopped mid-step, something warm sliding down his face.

Looking down, it was red.

The bag slipped from his hand, rolling down the stairs with a dull thud, as something, something wrong twisted in his mind.

His knees gave out.

"—ah..."

His vision tilted.

Then, he fell backwards.

Blake stared upward, dazed.

’What was my name?’

Then, he closed his eyes, awaiting for another dreadful dream.