Emma turned her head slightly. The cool night breeze caught her hair and lifted it away from her face, the soft strands catching the glow of the streetlights. She looked at Jason, lower lip caught gently between her teeth, eyes full of quiet concern.
"Jason... when we get home, I’m giving you some money. University costs add up. You’re not allowed to say no~just treat it like pocket money from me."
She had hesitated earlier, worried that handing him cash might bruise his pride. But the thought of him skipping meals or scraping by while his mother was in the hospital made her chest ache.
"You don’t have to do that," Jason said.
He wasn’t used to relying on anyone, especially not a woman he cared about. Between the daily system allowance and the missions, money was no longer the same problem it had once been. Once he dealt with Olivia and leveled up, the gap would only grow wider.
Emma stopped walking, planted her hands on her hips, and gave him a mock-glare.
"Are we not close anymore? When we were kids your mom wouldn’t give you pocket money because she was scared you’d buy junk food. Who snuck you out for snacks with their New Year’s money? Me. This is the same thing."
Jason felt a genuine warmth settle in his chest. He smiled.
"That’s not what I meant. You don’t need to worry. I bought a domain name a little while ago. A buyer already reached out and wants it for a solid price. We’re meeting in a few days to close the deal. I’ll be fine."
He was quietly grateful for the SwiftBite domain. It made the perfect cover. He hated lying to Emma, but the system was the one secret he could never explain. The domain gave him a clean, believable reason.
Emma’s eyes widened, peach-blossom bright with surprise. "Wait, seriously? When did you buy a domain? You never mentioned it."
"Just a couple of days ago. Mom’s medical bills are going to be huge. Part-time jobs were never going to be enough, so I started looking at other options. This domain is basically my first real shot at a starting fund. The sale isn’t final yet, so I was going to tell you after everything was signed."
Emma’s expression softened into pure support. "Whatever you need, I’ve got your back. If your business ever needs an extra pair of hands, call me. Don’t you dare act like you’re too good for help."
Her eyes shone with open admiration. Most of the guys she overheard in the library spent their time talking big about startups and "catching the next wave." Jason had actually gone out and done something.
"If I need help, I won’t be polite," he said.
He checked the time. "We already came all this way. We’re watching the movie. Let’s head to the mall~the show’s going to start soon."
Emma nodded, a small spark of anticipation returning to her face. She let him keep hold of her hand and matched his quicker pace.
The shopping mall rose ahead of them, bright and alive. Glass storefronts spilled light onto the polished floors. The air carried overlapping scents of perfume, pretzels, and coffee. People moved in steady currents between the shops.
Emma tipped her face up, eyes bright. "There are so many places to eat. Can we come back another day and just wander?"
"Yeah," Jason said. "How about in a couple of days?"
She smiled like he’d just handed her a present.
While they rode the escalator toward the cinema on the upper level, Jason quietly called up his status.
[Host: Jason Carter]
[Age: 19]
[Height: 6’0"]
[Physique: 72 | Intelligence: 80 | Charm: 15]
[Daily Reward: $100]
[Level: 1]
[Next Level Reward: Business Starter Package]
[Evaluation: Nice Guy]
[Charm 20 required to reach Level 2]
Still Level 1. The climb was slower than he liked, but every mission pushed the numbers higher.
When they reached the cinema entrance they both stopped.
Couples stood in a short line at the ticket counter. One after another, pairs leaned in, shared a quick kiss, then collected their tickets and walked inside hand-in-hand, looking entirely too pleased with themselves.
Emma’s face went pink almost instantly. She dropped her gaze to the floor, suddenly finding the tiles fascinating.
Jason blinked. Even with everything he had seen in his previous life, this was new.
A staff member approached them, professional smile already in place. His eyes flicked over Emma and lingered a second too long before he remembered himself.
"Good evening. Tonight’s our one-year anniversary promotion~couples get half off. To keep people from gaming the system, anyone buying the couple tickets has to share a kiss at the counter before we can let them in."
Jason’s mind went completely still for half a second.
The system mission to kiss Emma had just been handed a perfect, public excuse on a silver platter.
He turned his head and looked at her.