Jason blinked once before letting out a quiet, awkward laugh.
"Seriously?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers lingering there a little longer than necessary as his mind scrambled for an explanation that sounded believable.
"I dropped it earlier and just as I was about to pick it up I heard your knock on the door and then I guess I just forgot."
He shrugged with practiced indifference, though even he knew it sounded suspicious.
"I didn’t think a fall like that would actually crack it"
Sarah’s expression softened immediately, and she nodded without a trace of doubt, accepting the explanation exactly as he had hoped she would.
’She’s way too trusting’ Jason thought, almost feeling guilty
Almost
Taking a slow step forward, he reached for the phone, their fingers brushing for the briefest moment as she handed it over. Upon contact, her fingers felt warm and soft.
He instinctively looked away first, the shattered screen reflecting his face back at him through a web of cracks, tiny fractures spreading across the glass like frozen lightning, each one catching the light from the room differently.
"Damn"
This time, the sigh wasn’t forced. He turned the phone over once, then back again, searching for any sign that it wasn’t as bad as it looked. There wasn’t one.
His thumb absentmindedly traced one of the larger cracks before instinct took over and he got a flashback of when the system presented his account balance to him
Account Balance: $147.56
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. One hundred and forty-seven dollars yesterday, that number had seemed manageable. Today, it suddenly felt microscopic. If the phone needed a full screen replacement, or worse, if the internals had been damaged, there was no way he could afford it. His grip around the phone tightened ever so slightly.
Then something clicked.
His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. The system. The words echoed inside his head. The rebate. His heartbeat quickened. If it’s real, his gaze slowly shifted toward Sarah. She was the only woman he spoke to with any consistency, the only woman whose number he actually had, the only woman he could even register. If there was ever a chance to verify whether the system wasn’t some grief-induced hallucination, it was standing barely two meters away from him.
Sarah, you’re literally my only option.
His thoughts spiraled faster. Register her, buy something, get the rebate if it works. His breathing grew just a little shallower. If it actually works.
"Jason?"
Sarah’s voice gently pulled him back to reality. He blinked, realizing he’d been staring at her for several seconds. She tilted her head slightly, her black hair shifting against her shoulders.
"So" She pointed toward the cracked phone still in his hand.
"What are you planning to do about it?"
Jason glanced down again before exhaling through his nose.
"I honestly don’t know."
He gave the phone another helpless look.
"I’ll probably have to get it repaired if it’s even repairable."
There was a pause.
"Do you know any repair shops?"
He thought about it. Actually thought. After several seconds, he slowly shook his head.
"No."
A dry chuckle escaped him.
"I’ve never broken a phone before."
He scratched his cheek.
"I was thinking of asking one of my friends. They’d probably know somewhere."
Sarah lowered her gaze, a faint blush quietly spreading across her cheeks. Her fingers, calm only moments ago, began fidgeting with one another before clasping together, as if she needed something to steady herself. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unable to meet Jason’s eyes for more than a fleeting moment.
It was subtle.
The kind of nervousness most people would’ve overlooked.
Jason didn’t
"I" She hesitated for a moment
"I-I know a place."
Her voice came out softer than before. She looked back up, almost immediately looking away again.
"I’ve been there once."
Another small pause.
"I can’t promise they’re the best but they’re pretty affordable."
Her fingers squeezed together just a little tighter.
"If" She drew in a quiet breath.
"I-If you’d like, I could take you there."
Silence settled between them. Jason simply stared. His brain had heard every single word but it just refused to process them in the correct order.
She wants to go with me?
His thoughts immediately betrayed him.
Wait
Just the two of us? Isn’t that basically a date? The thought landed with all the subtlety of a truck. Reason immediately tried to intervene.
Idiot, you’re repairing a phone, not confessing, she’s just helping you.
But another voice answered just as quickly
Yeah, but it’s still just the two of you.
And somehow, that single realization made the tiny apartment feel just a little warmer than it had a moment ago.
Jason stared at her for another heartbeat before finally finding his voice.
"Sure. I’d like that" He tried to sound calm
The answer slipped out far more easily than he’d expected. For the briefest moment, Sarah simply blinked, then her entire expression softened. The corners of her lips lifted into a smile she clearly hadn’t been expecting herself, her eyes brightening as though someone had quietly lit a pair of tiny stars behind them, and the faint pink that had already touched her cheeks deepened ever so slightly. She quickly looked away, trying and failing to hide how pleased she was.
"Really?"
She let out a small laugh, one she seemed to catch halfway before it escaped completely.
"Then um..." She tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear
"How about six this evening?"
Her fingers met behind her back as she shifted lightly on her feet.
"I’ll be waiting outside the store after my shift."
Jason blinked. Everything was moving strangely fast
’Today?! She wants to go today?! I’m definitely not mentally prepared for that adventure’
’But I can’t let go of this opportunity, I mean...she’s really pretty’
He scratched the side of his face.
"Yeah... sure."
Another smile bloomed across Sarah’s face.
"Great." She nodded twice, almost too quickly.
"Then it’s a promise."
She grapped his hand and crossed her pinky finger against his performing a ritual popularly known as a Pinky Promise and then as their hands broke apart she took a step toward the doorway before stopping halfway.
"I should probably head back now. The store’s still open."
Jason nodded instinctively.
"Right."
"See you later, Jason."
She gave him one last smile before stepping outside, the apartment door beginning to swing shut behind her. Jason’s gaze followed her without meaning to, it was just naturally attracted to her beauty.
Her black hair swaying gently with each step she took down the hallway, the simple skirt she wore fluttering faintly around her thighs, and even from behind there was an effortless grace to the way she carried herself. She disappeared around the staircase corner, yet his eyes remained fixed on the slowly closing door, the gap growing narrower, smaller, smaller, until
CLICK!
There was now silence
Jason continued staring at the closed door for several more seconds. Then every ounce of tension he’d been unconsciously holding escaped him all at once, his shoulders slumping, his knees weakening just enough that he stumbled backward onto the edge of his bed, letting out a long breath that sounded suspiciously close to surrender.
"What the hell was that?"
He dragged both hands down his face.
"A girl—!"
He laughed once, a dry, disbelieving laugh.
"A girl just came to my apartment and not just that, she literally invited me out."
He looked toward the ceiling as though searching for hidden cameras.
"Am I dead?"
No. That couldn’t be it. Hell would’ve been less confusing than what he was currently experiencing
His breathing gradually settled, and then his eyes drifted toward the translucent pink screen still floating patiently in the corner of his vision
[Register Sarah?]
The system. Right.
His expression slowly became thoughtful. If this thing was real, then there was no point delaying anymore. Sarah was the only woman he spoke to regularly, the only one who knew him beyond exchanging names in class, and if the rebate system truly depended on registered women, there wasn’t anyone else who made more sense. It wasn’t because he expected anything from her. It was simply the most logical choice.
Jason let out one final breath before speaking.
"Register Sarah" he said out loud
The floating screen shimmered, a soft chime echoing through the apartment.
[Registered Women: 1]
[Sarah Whitmore]
Jason instinctively focused on the name, and the interface expanded.
Name: Sarah Whitmore
Age: 19
Relationship: Convenience Store Clerk
Attraction Level: 21%
Jason stared. Once. Twice. Three times. His eyes slowly widened.
"Twenty-one percent?"
The words escaped almost as a whisper. Then his head snapped back toward the screen.
"What the fuck?"