Ethan woke up surprisingly early, especially considering how hard he had worked two nights in a row.
It was good because he had to go down and pick clothes.
Luckily, he was still in that safe eight-hour window, and he saved them without any smell.
Just to make sure, he still washed them a second time quickly.
Then he turned to his real problem.
How to spend his day.
The ideal thing to do would be to rest, maybe go for a quick outing to see how much more he could earn as a street musician.
Especially since he was not just more skilled, but also more handsome.
Significantly so.
He had always been decent-looking, and the Attractiveness stat didn’t make any major changes, but looking in the mirror, it was hard to believe.
A slightly better arc for his eyebrows, slightly more symmetry, lips obeying fully as he smiled… And, suddenly, he was actually handsome.
But then, people were willing to torture themselves under a blade for small changes like that.
He had a feeling that he would easily surpass his earlier twenty, the only question being whether his cello skills or his looks would play a bigger role.
Difficult to decide.
He didn’t immediately leave.
Instead, he once again started searching, doing something rather rude … finding Haley Dunphy’s social media accounts.
It was easy, considering she was trying to become an influencer and detailed her daily life quite a bit.
A little peeking showed that she usually woke up around noon, went for a jog in the same park, and ate lunch.
Then, instead of throwing on a random shirt-jean combo like he always did, he put his fashion reward to work and made sure his outfit enhanced what was already there.
He grabbed his cello, then, on impulse, he picked his camera as well.
He took a quick uber to the park, even though it was somewhat distant from his current home.
Luckily, it was also distant from the Dunphy residence in Santa Monica, near Griffith Park.
A good location to tempt tourists.
He made a quick stop halfway to purchase a few memory cards, feeling as though he would need them.
Ethan set up on a corner near a cluster of boutiques near the park, right where Haley usually passed according to her social media.
His camera bag was tucked behind the cello case, where it was visible but not obtrusive.
It was the perfect spot.
He started with something safe.
A Bach suite, the kind of thing that bored the audience, but he wanted to test how much better he was.
He was better, even though no one cared.
Then he shifted.
The opening of Thunderstruck growled out of the cello, low and mean, the bowing aggressive enough to make a passing couple stop and stare.
After improving from Novice to Intermediate, the changes were incredible.
It was actually good rather than merely passable.
A small crowd gathered.
Not large, maybe a dozen people, people going in and out.
A few phones came out.
Someone filmed a short clip.
Tips appeared in the case.
Mostly singles, but a few fives and a twenty joined in less than half an hour.
It was good.
He finished to scattered applause, transitioned into a moody arrangement of Sad but True, then switched to Beat It.
That alone was enough.
Less than an hour passed, and he had already accumulated a hundred dollars.
Not a small amount.
Certainly not.
Haley was standing at the edge of the small crowd, a phone in one hand, iced coffee in the other, watching him with the particular attention of someone who had just found something social media-worthy.
He noted that, just like Alex and Penny, she was even prettier in person than she was on TV, yet still recognizable.
More importantly, she looked rather amazing: large eyes that begged for attention, a shapely jaw, a posture that absolutely owned her otherwise short stature; all enhanced by her rather incredible fashion choices, even for a jog in the park.
She was already holding up her phone, filming.
He made eye contact with her and shifted into his Thunderstruck encore, playing directly to her without being too obvious about it.
Just enough attention to make her feel seen.
There, he enjoyed the pretty privilege.
Haley had always been vain, and his new looks helped wonderfully.
When he finished and called for a recess, the crowd clapped and dispersed in the way street audiences did.
Before Haley could leave, he waved to her, and she stayed.
“That was actually really cool,” she said, approaching with the confidence of someone who had never in her life hesitated to talk to a stranger.
“I have seen a lot of nerds play cello, but what you did … you owned that crowd.
Are you a musician?” she said.
“Undecided.
I’m mostly focusing on auditions, but music is a fallback,” he said, smiling.
“You recorded all of it, right?” he said.
“May I see it?”
She started the recording, and he examined it.
“It’s good,” he said, acting surprised.
That earned a chuckle.
“A little arrogant, don’t you think?” she said playfully.
“Not me, though I look fabulous,” he teased her.
“It’s your camera instincts.
You are really good,” he said.
“The angle, the light positioning, everything.”
“I’m an influencer,” she said.
“Are you interested in photography?” she said.
He chuckled and showed his professional but beatdown camera.
“Oh, really?” she said.
He smiled.
“Do you have, like, twenty minutes?
It’ll be amazing if you can use my camera to take a few photos.
I’m struggling to find someone to take photos.”
“Why?
No friends?” she teased.
“Right on cue,” he said, which surprised her.
“I just moved in a few days ago,” he said.
“I see,” she said.
“Is this why you are playing in the street?”
“No.
That’s for grocery money and ego validation.
Tonight’s mostly ego.”
She laughed.
It was bright and easy, the laugh of someone who didn’t overthink things.
The anti-Alex, in that specific regard.
“I love the whole vibe,” she said, gesturing at his setup.
“The cello, the corner spot, the whole tortured-artist thing.
Even your outfit is surprisingly coordinated.
Luck or preference.”
“”Well…” he said before he spewed a few facts about cuts, lines, and movement of attention, his fashion skill proving very useful.
“Oh, you know fashion?” she asked.
“I did some fashion photography, enough to pay for college,” he lied shamelessly.
“Really?” she said, impressed but also suspicious.
“Tell me about my outfit then.”
He smiled.
“Straight to the interview, then,” he said, then made some comments about her fabric choices, patterns, and how it fit with her hair.
He doubted he caught all of it, considering Haley was actually competent in fashion — a detail the show sidelined — but it was enough to prove his point.
“Oh, you’re good,” she said, smiling even more warmly.
“Alright, I’ll take some photos, but only if you return the favor and take my photos,” she said.
Just like that, he had passed her test.
“Oh, I would do that for free.
You have the perfect face for the camera.
Beautiful, striking … especially your eyes.”
The compliment landed exactly as intended.
Haley had been called pretty her whole life.
She knew she was pretty.
Even with that, her other insecurities meant that she had doubled-down on that fact, making compliments very useful to get onto her good side.
It worked doubly, since there was a difference between being called pretty by someone who was hitting on her and being called beautiful by someone who had earned her respect as a professional.
“Thanks,” she muttered, blushing.
“Let’s do it.”
“Not now,” he said.
“We either need to wait a few hours, or find somewhere with decent shade.
The sun is too sharp for anything half-decent without half a dozen deflector setups, and I don’t have any with me,” he said.
“We can’t wait until evening.
I have a club promotion thing, and I need to prepare,” she said.
“But, I know just the place for it.
Follow me,” she said.
He put his cello in its case, gathered the cash, which was just over two hundred dollars, surpassing his expectations quite a bit.
Then, he followed Haley, chatting about fashion and photography.
Fashion, the skill helped, and photography, his improved intelligence helped him to bullshit more accurately.
It was surprising just how quickly she was losing any sense of distance, giggling and playing with her hair.
But then, maybe he shouldn’t be surprised.
She spent her whole life being dismissed in the areas she was competent in; though, if he was being honest, most of it was self-inflicted.
Soon, they were between a small hill, their heads covered with thick branches.
“Let’s start with me,” he said as he removed his cello, picked a rock to sit on, and started posing.
Meanwhile, after a few questions about settings, Haley started taking his pictures, her directions sharp and accurate, far better than his own performance, he decided.
He really needed to try to get a reward from her.
Meanwhile, he did his best to strike poses.
For ten minutes, he obeyed her directions.
“How about something a little braver,” he said as he removed his shirt, and winked.
She blushed.
“That … that works,” she said.
“A striking choice, especially from the side.”
[Achievement complete.
Impress Haley Dunphy with good looks.
Challenge: Easy]
[+2 Attractiveness
1 Random Bronze Skill
1 Random Bronze Reward]
He immediately went for the skill, hoping for photography.
He didn’t get it.
But he wasn’t complaining about his reward either.
[Novice Social Management]
[Common Skill: You are strong gossip.
You’re competent enough to understand the relationships between people and if necessary, shift those dynamics.]
Also, he wasn’t surprised to get Attractiveness.
He then continued to show off, letting his newfound good looks to best use.
He let her took a few more photos, then stood up.
“Let’s switch,” he said as he took the camera, and switched the memory card.”
“Why did you switch the memory card?” she asked, even as she examined his looks.
“I find that it’s better if I just give you the memory card rather than trying to pass them back and forth.
That way, even if there’s a problematic photo, you don’t have to worry about it whether I deleted it.”
“I trust you,” she muttered, her attention more on his shoulders and his crooked smile.
“Thank you for it, but it’s always better to act aboveboard just in case,” he responded.
“Now, what do I do?” she asked.
“Let me fix your hair first,” he said, and walked up to her, still shirtless.
She blushed while he played with her hair and even fixed her shirt.
He looked down, she looked up, her doe eyes beautiful.
He grabbed her chin gently, and kissed her.
It was a soft, hesitant kiss, but she responded quickly, her arms immediately around his sides, caressing his sides.
[Achievement complete.
Seduce Haley Dunphy while she’s in a relationship.
Challenge: Easy]
[+2 Attractiveness
1 Random Bronze Skill
1 Random Bronze Reward]
He wasn’t surprised that the challenge was still easy,
[Bonus achievement complete.
Netori effect in play
Challenge: Easy]
[+2 Charisma
1 Random Bronze Skill
1 Random Bronze Reward]
It was interesting to see Charisma as a different stat, but he wasn’t too surprised.
He also picked skills for both.
Rewards surprised him.
From Haley, he got what he was looking for.
[Novice Photography]
[Common Skill: You are a novice photographer.
You’re competent enough to work weddings, events, or uncomplicated portrait work.]
From the other unlucky candidate, he received something just as good.
[Novice Acting]
{Common Skill: You are a novice actor, you know how to portray yourself in the ways you want to be seen, play the camera, and manage the basics.
You’re good enough play minor characters.]
The latter, he immediately put to use.
He pulled back, his own eyes wide.
“I … I’m sorry.
It’s like your eyes are hypnotizing, so beautiful.
It’s … unprofessional,” he added, gulping to sell the impression.
“I would understand if you wanted to leave.”
“No, stay,” she said, immediately grabbing his hand.
“It’s just an innocent, friendly kiss.
No harm, right!”
He nodded.
No wonder the System designated the challenge of seducing her while in a relationship as easy.
Then, he smiled even brighter.
“Alright,” he said with a cough.
Let’s start with something simple.
Turn toward the light, your left.
Chin up slightly.
Not that much.
There.”
Click.
“Good.
Now shift your weight to your back foot.
I want you to look happy, like you have just seen your favorite boots are mislabeled, and you can buy them for a hundred dollars rather than a thousand.”
He asked her to take pictures for five minutes, not pushing her too much like he did Penny the night before.
Once again, his social media exposure from his old world helped, refined further by the skill.
He approached her and showed the photos.
Her beautiful eyes widened further.
“Wow, you’re good,” she said.
“Such clever framing, and the way you position these things…”
He leaned again to kiss her once more.
Once again, she responded enthusiastically.
This time, he didn’t pull back for a while.
“My eyes again?” she asked playfully.
“Well, this time I just wanted to kiss your beautiful lips,” he said with a smirk, and she blushed playfully.
“Now, more,” he said.
Better than Penny, cycling through expressions with fluency.
She sometimes lacked the vocabulary, but that was hardly a problem.
“So, the influencer thing,” Ethan said while shooting.
“Is that the career path, or a serious hobby while you focus more on fashion?”
“Career…” she started, then paused.
“Maybe a gateway that will lead to a job in fashion.
I interned with a reputable one, but it’s hard to get a job without a degree in fashion.”
“A smart choice,” he said.
“The industry’s moving in that direction fast.
Traditional advertising’s dying.
Social media is where business happens.
It’s just a start”
She blinked.
“Really?
Do you think so?
Most people just dismiss being a social-media-backed fashion business as a joke.”
“No, it’ll grow,” he said confidently.
“It’ll be a difficult job … but the really successful ones…”
She paused.
“It’s interesting.
Most people just dismiss them.
Even fashion, despite it making billions of dollars every year.”
“Well, we’re on the same boat, right?
I’m also trying to go through a non-traditional path.
Now, raise your chin, put a hand on the tree, and lean to the side.”
Click.
Click.
He might have felt guilty if he were lying, but he wasn’t.
She was truly on the right track, especially since it was actually true.
The genuine validation settled into her expression.
He captured it.
“That one’s great,” he said, showing her.
“That’s the face of someone who knows what she wants.”
She looked at the shot for a long time.
“Impressive.”
“I think that’s all we can take in your current outfit … unless,” he added, his smirk making it clear.
“That … maybe,” she whispered, her beautiful eyes widening.
“Follow me,” she added.
He grabbed his stuff and followed her deeper into the woods, and soon, they were in a nice nook.
The light was worse, but considering he saw her remove her shirt and show off her stylish sports bra, he wasn’t complaining.
She didn’t have the spectacular breasts of her sister, but they were still respectable, and she was fitter.
He ordered, and she followed, their energy shifted.
All he needed was to suggest indirectly, and she followed.
Even when everytime he showed her the picture, he accompanied it with a kiss, each time getting longer.
He was thinking about how to progress more, but after one photo, she wrapped her arms around his neck, jumped to wrap her legs around him, started kissing, and didn’t stop.
He was barely able to put his camera down.
He kissed her hard this time.
No pretending or taking it slow.
She kept her legs wrapped around him, her weight easy to lift.
Haley moaned softly into the kiss, grinding her hips against his erection.
“This is crazy,” she breathed, but her hands were already tugging his belt.
He used one hand to free his shaft, the other squeezing her ass.
He didn’t say anything, but just unhooked her sports bra, revealing her small but perky tits, smaller than Alex’s but beautifully shaped, with nipples already hard.
They rubbed against his bare chest.
Haley gasped, arching into his touch.
Meanwhile, he didn’t even need to try removing her panties.
They were tiny enough to be pushed aside.
He slipped inside, invading her aggressively.
He had to suppress her moans with his lips.
Haley’s eyes widened.
“Damn… you’re big,” she gasped while he invaded her rapidly, taking a step to press her against a smooth rock, their position perfect to hide their little dalliance.
“Please…” she begged, looking at him with those big, needy eyes.
“Harder.”
He gripped her hips and fucked her even harder, another kiss required to silence her in the meantime.
She was barely able to take his full size.
“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, you’re so deep…” she gasped.
He didn’t give her time to adjust.
He started fucking her with deep, powerful strokes, the sound of skin slapping skin echoing softly in their little hiding spot.
Every thrust made her perky tits bounce when she leaned back even slightly.
The public risk made everything more intense.
He knew it was rude, but he went and kissed her shoulder, leaving a hickey, while her fingers dug into his back.
Risky, considering he would meet with Alex soon, but also convenient.
It would make it easier for him to have that discussion about it not being exclusive.
He had a feeling convincing Alex to a threesome with Bernadette wouldn’t be that hard.
“You love this, don’t you?”
Haley moaned louder than she should have.
“Yes… God, yes.
Harder.”
He gave it to her.
His hips snapped forward faster, driving deep.
Haley came twice before he finally reached his limit.
“On your knees,” he ordered, and she followed, taking him to her mouth, her petite lips streching while her doe eyes looked up, looking particularly sexy.
He did it deliberately … after all, canonically, she was careless with birth control.
She swallowed while he quickly gathered her clothes and passed them to her.
[Achievement Complete: Public Sex with Haley Dunphy on the first day of meeting her.
Challenge: Hard]
[+10 Attractiveness
1 Random Gold Skill
1 Random Gold Reward]
[Bonus achievement complete.
Netori effect in play]
[+10 Charisma
Matching skill found.
Upgrade Novice Acting
1 Random Gold Reward]
Ethan chuckled at the notifications as he helped Haley back into her clothes.
She was still shaky on her legs, holding onto a rock to stay stable.
While she recovered, he picked his rewards.
Temptation of random gold skill or reward was there, but he once again went with Attractiveness, which was paying some excellent dividends already.
As for the second one, he was split between acting and Charisma … and went with Charisma.
Considering he was already planning some threesomes, it seemed like the better idea.
And, just like that, he felt his posture shift a bit, and he became even more aware of his … presence.
“I … I need to leave, but…”
“Let’s exchange numbers.
For professional collaboration,” he said, winking playfully.
“Yeah.
One thing.
What just happened needs to stay—”
“A secret, got it.”
“Really, just like that?”
“Well, a beautiful woman, especially one with the most enchanting eyes I have ever seen, gets whatever she wants.
No questions asked.”
“Hmm,” she whispered.