Urban LitRPG System-Chapter 45: Another Special Mission.

"That was some nice steak. Thank the chef for us, Ms. O’Shea."

Max had ordered a bigger portion of steak this time, while Josefina ate a 350g sirloin. The table was neatly set with small side dishes—roasted potatoes, buttered vegetables, warm bread, and a light salad. Both chose sparkling water, no soda or beer, keeping it simple and clean.

The waitress came to check on them to see if they wanted anything else, but seeing their empty plates and relaxed expressions, she smiled softly and gave a polite nod.

"Tell me, O’Shea, how old are you?"

"Me? I am seventeen. I will be eighteen in two months."

*COUGH* *COUGH*

Josefina smiled when she noticed O’Shea glancing at Max again and again. She was clearly trying to tease him. Max, who had just taken a sip of water, coughed lightly, then looked at Josefina with a calm but slightly annoyed expression.

"Hmm? Max here is eighteen. He turned eighteen a few days ago, so you guys are almost the same age. What’s your full name, O’Shea?"

"S... Saoirse Aine O’Shea." (Sursha)

She was Irish, so her name was naturally hard for most people to pronounce.

"That’s quite a hard name you’ve got."

Josefina seemed a bit surprised hearing the name. As a Latina, she wasn’t used to such tough pronunciations. Saoirse had a petite figure, and when she heard Max was around her age, the blush on her face deepened.

"Josefina, you don’t have to say it like that. Ms. O’Shea, don’t mind her. She likes to joke around. My name is Maximilian. Not easy either."

Max dismissed the teasing calmly, his tone steady and respectful, without making her feel awkward. Seeing how naturally he handled it, Saoirse relaxed a little, the tension leaving her face.

"Y... Yeah, it’s hard for others to pronounce. In Ireland, where I am from, these kinds of names are common."

Seeing Max smile at her, Saoirse clenched her hands. The fabric of her pants wrinkled a little, but she still gathered the courage to speak. She was trying her best to stand up for herself, hoping she would be bullied less at her university.

<Special Mission>

[Special Mission: Help out Jennifer from her immediate crisis]

[Fixed Reward: Palladium Credit Card Upgrade, Charisma Increase by 15+ Status Points (Permanent)]

[New Special Mission: Save Saoirse Aine O’Shea from her bullies]

[Fixed Reward: Body Calibration (Passive) Tier upgrade, Charisma Increase by 9+ Status Points (Permanent)]

Huh?!!

Max froze for a second when the system window appeared. His eyes shifted back to Saoirse. He had thought she was just a passerby, but this mission clearly tied him to her.

"Which school do you study at?"

Max asked calmly. This time, Josefina was the one surprised. Such a stoic man suddenly taking interest in someone else, even though she had been openly flirting with him.

"I... I study at TUM."

"TUM? Oh? My friend Blanka also studies there. Are you a freshman like us? I am at LMU, by the way."

Hearing Max take interest in her, Saoirse blushed. Then old thoughts crept in. She remembered how she saw herself—clumsy, ugly, too skinny, with a head full of bright red hair that often made her stand out. It had been the reason people picked on her.

But to Max, she simply looked like a beautiful redhead, petite and delicate. Just very nervous. Now that both he and Josefina were focused on her instead of treating her like just a waitress, she didn’t know where to look. He noticed the sides of her pants were wrinkled, her hands clutching the fabric again and again.

"Y... Yes, freshman. I will start my classes tomorrow."

"What a coincidence. I will also start my first class tomorrow. Which department are you in?"

"Economics."

"Ah. I am in Human Medicine."

*COUGH*

Josefina coughed lightly when she noticed how naturally the two of them were talking. Both Max and Saoirse looked at her and realized they had gone on for a bit. Saoirse smiled shyly and quickly ran back to the kitchen, while Max already had a plan forming in his mind.

If I go visit Blanka, I can easily check on this girl, then slowly do the mission. But wait... if I complete both special missions, that will push my charisma to the human limit.

A faint frown appeared on Max’s forehead. He wasn’t certain what would happen when his charisma capped out, but he needed to complete the missions. He needed that Body Calibration upgrade and the Palladium Card upgrade. These were things you couldn’t buy, even with money.

...

Max paid 250€ for the meal. He tipped Saoirse 32€ for her fine service. He was now walking back toward the gym. Josefina had classes to take in the afternoon, and he still had to meet Finn to buy a bike.

Josefina wasn’t talking like she usually did. This time, she was just walking beside him. Max could tell she was upset, likely because he had been too friendly with the waitress.

"Do I look that ugly? Or is it because I am Latina and not white, or I am not your type?"

Josefina suddenly spoke. Max was caught off guard for a moment. She was very bold, like fire, the complete opposite of his calm nature.

Now that I think about it, only Jennifer and Danica are closer to my personality. Maybe, deep down, I love calmer personality?.

"You’re very pretty, very pretty. But I was just talking to her, not flirting. She was around my age, so I tried to make a friend. System, show me how many friends I need for that friend mission."

[Updated]

[Side Mission: Make Ten Friends: 8/10]

Hmm, close.

"Is that so? Mmph. See you tomorrow. Don’t be late."

As they reached the gym, Josefina smiled and ran off, clearly pleased after hearing the compliment. Max simply nodded. He wasn’t planning to be late either. He took a taxi and headed toward his university campus.

Max stood by the side of the road. The LMU campus was huge, almost like a small city of its own. The roads inside were just normal streets, with cars passing now and then. Finn picked up the phone almost immediately.

"Yeah, wait a second."

*BEEP-BEEP*

Finn ended the call right after saying that. Max looked at his phone screen, a faint crease forming between his brows.

This Finn can’t even give proper information. A second has already passed.

As he stood there, a car slowly pulled up beside him. Max glanced at the logo. Audi. The window rolled down.

"Yo! Max, come on in. This is my car. Cool, right?"

Finn leaned out from the driver’s seat. Seeing Max’s annoyed expression, he laughed first, then waved him over. Max let out a quiet sigh, walked over, and sat in the front passenger seat.

"This is an Audi RS3. I got it for my sixteenth birthday. Do you want to drive?"

"I don’t have a license."

"Then? You want to purchase a bike?"

"Just drive. I’ll explain it to you later."

Max sat back in the seat and closed the door quietly. The car felt comfortable, smooth, and refined. For a moment, he thought having a car like this wouldn’t be bad either.

But the system had suggested—no, practically pushed him—with a mission to buy a bike.

So he would follow it and see what the system wanted from him.