Chapter 161: What Are You Doing?
Hugo's lips hovered dangerously close to Loli's. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin, the moment so electric it could have powered an entire city.
His heart pounded in his chest like a drumbeat, fast and loud, urging him to just lean in. 'This is it,' he thought. 'The moment every guy dreams of. It's happening.'
But then—like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky—Loli jerked away from him so suddenly that Hugo almost lost his balance.
Her wide eyes locked on his, filled with a mix of emotions so jumbled they were hard to read. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she bit her lower lip nervously.
"W-what are you doing?" she stammered, her voice soft and shaky, as if even speaking those words required all the courage she had.
She looked shy, almost dazed, like she wasn't sure what had just happened—or what almost did.
But there was something else there, too. A hint of fear, like a startled rabbit caught in the open, unsure if she should run or freeze.
Hugo froze, too. For a long, awkward second, he just stared at her, his lips still slightly parted.
Then, instead of panicking or apologizing, he leaned back into the couch and let out a soft, amused breath.
A slow smile spread across his face, one of those smiles that made you wonder what was going on in his head. He said nothing.
'She pushed me away,' he thought. 'Alright, no big deal. I won't push her either. Not now, anyway.'
Hugo was smart enough to know that trying to force the moment would just make things weird.
If there was one thing he'd learned from his system and its crazy missions, it was that patience was key.
Everything would fall into place sooner or later.
For now, his focus would be on making her feel comfortable around him. 'Baby steps, Hugo,' he reminded himself.
He had to build trust, make her laugh, and show her he wasn't some creep. He had to make her want to be closer to him, not just physically but emotionally.
And when that happened? The rest would take care of itself. Naturally. But there was no doubt in Hugo's mind—he was going to win her over. No matter how long it took.
She was just too beautiful. Too perfect! Mad to think she was a 9!
Hugo's eyes drifted to the notebook on the coffee table in front of him. It looked ordinary enough, but curiosity got the better of him, and he picked it up.
On the first page, neatly written in small, looping letters, was her name: Hilary Foxe.
"Hilary Foxe," he murmured, testing the name out loud. It rolled off the tongue nicely, elegant yet simple.
He liked it. 'It suits her,' he thought. There was something classy about it, like it belonged to a princess or a heroine in a fantasy story.
He smiled again, imagining what kind of person she was underneath all that shyness.
.....
Three hours later, Hugo stumbled into his dorm looking like he'd been run over by a truck. Or a stampede of angry ostriches.
His hair was a mess, his shirt was wrinkled, and his legs felt like jelly. He flopped against the doorframe, letting out a groan. 'What a day,' he thought.
Two of his three assignments had already been submitted online, but the last one had to be turned in physically.
And of course, because fate liked to mess with him, he'd nearly missed the deadline.
He'd sprinted across campus like a man on fire, dodging people and nearly crashing into a janitor's cart, all while praying the professor wouldn't lock the door before he got there.
"Those professors are evil," Hugo muttered to himself as he kicked off his shoes. 'They must have a secret club where they sit around drinking coffee and brainstorming ways to ruin our lives. "Oh, let's give them three essays due on the same day!" Wicked people.'
Experience tales at empire
As he walked down the living room toward his room, the muffled sounds of slapping and loud moans caught his attention. He groaned again, this time in frustration.
Of course, he knew what those slapping noises were!
"Collins," he muttered under his breath. Of course, his roommate was at it again. Now that Collins had gotten that shiny new Benz, it was like the guy had unlocked cheat codes for life.
'A Benz for Collins is like giving a tiger wings,' Hugo thought. Now his friend was unstoppable, roaring through life with no brakes.
He shook his head as the noises got louder. "Some people just have it all," he grumbled, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the slaps as he walked past Collins' room.
Finally, Hugo reached his own room and closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh of relief.
It was quiet now, peaceful. His little sanctuary. He tossed his bag onto the floor and headed straight for the bathroom to freshen up.
A quick shower later, Hugo sat on his bed in fresh clothes, staring at the ceiling. His mind drifted back to the rewards he'd earned from that insane death mission—the one that nearly got him killed.
Thanks to it, he still had 2,000 credits and 2,000 points burning a hole in his system balance.
Hugo's lips curled into a grin as he opened the system interface. It was time. Time to buy some new auras. Time to spin the gift box wheel.
His heart raced with excitement as he imagined the possibilities. Maybe he'd get something that would make Hilary laugh or something to boost his charm to the next level.
"Let's do this," he said to himself, rubbing his hands together. The night was young, and Hugo was ready to take his next step toward greatness.
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I have a bad feeling about this. Who else does? Hehe...
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Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!