"This is so fucking good."
Liam took a big bite out of his large pepperoni pizza; it’s been a while since he had eaten anything with his own hands. Clara, who ordered a veggie pizza because she was a vegan, was looking at his way with confusion.
"How hungry are you?"
"Oh! Sorry about that. Why are you not eating?
Liam smiled; he had eaten three large pizzas already, and this was his fourth one. Although he was seated across from Clara, he didn’t care much about it, but you couldn’t say that for this small pizza cafe they were in; everyone was glancing at Clara from time to time. She was just that beautiful.
"Because I want a pepperoni pizza now."
Clara stared at Liam, and seeing how deliciously Liam was eating, she decided to drop the veggie pizza slice back to the plate and even demanded a pepperoni pizza instead.
Well, she will be going to a community college here, and we might never meet again, for old times’ sake.
Liam rolled his eyes and pulled the pizza box, which he was eating, closer to him, then ordered one for her; he doesn’t like to share food anymore, not after dying from hunger once.
"I thought you were a vegan."
"I was for the last three months, but from now on, not anymore. I thought to be with you, I have to eat what you eat."
Liam, who was happily dipping his pizza crust into the garlic butter sauce, paused; his expression also froze. He looked up and saw Clara was smiling at him, as if she were proud to make him confused.
"I am moving to Princeton; we will be almost over two thousand miles and half a country apart, so you don’t have to be with me, or you can’t be with me."
"Why? Can’t you drive ten miles in your expensive SUV?"
Clara crossed her legs with a smug look, while Liam squinted his eyes in confusion once again; he was not grasping what she was talking about. In his last life, today was the day they saw each other for the last time.
"I don’t get it?"
"Well, I wanted to go to the community college here and then become a police officer just like my dad, but I also have another opportunity; I got an acceptance letter from Rider University."
"Rider University?"
"It’s just ten miles apart from Princeton University. Although it’s not an Ivy League, it’s not bad. I have decided to go there."
"Of course you have."
Liam was flabbergasted; he felt like this pizza he was about to eat lost all its taste. He had never seen a person making life-changing decisions so fast.
"Here you go, ma’am. Is there anything else you would like to order?"
A steaming hot pizza arrived as Liam was looking at Clara’s way with a stupefied face; the waiter was staring at Clara for her response.
"Michelob Ultra, two little bottles, please."
Clara smiled at the waiter and ordered two beers, then gently pulled out a slice from the plate and, while smiling, looking Liam in the eyes, took a big bite just like what he was doing.
"Of course."
"Nope, nope, we are not old enough for beer; just bring us some cola."
Liam stopped the waiter before he could leave. Liam’s mannerism was that of an old man’s, and Clara, whose face might look young, her body tells a different story; she was extremely voluptuous, which does her favor in this kind of situation; she can get away with almost anything.
"Wow, you’re such a buzzkill."
Clara smiled. Liam waited for the waiter to leave and then didn’t ask anything of Clara; instead, he focused on his plate. He ate his pizza in no time, and the table suddenly fell into a strange silence.
"Why?"
Liam asked, then took a big gulp from the ice-cold cola and looked at Clara. There was no restlessness in his eyes anymore; he had calmed down a lot from his initial shock from the butterfly effect that his regression brought, and he was ready to face them head-on.
"Why? Because I wanted to drink some beers with my boyfriend. We are eighteen, and I say we are old enough.
"You know I am not talking about that."
"I know, first explain this to me."
Clara smiled mischievously, then pulled out her phone and gave it to Liam. Liam took the phone in hand with a confused face and saw what made his face flush with embarrassment.
#CLARA, I got accepted into Princeton. I worked hard just for you all these years. When I become wealthy enough, I will ask you out again. Your love is like a fire in my heart burning forever.#
"Explanations?"
Clara took the cold cola glass in hand and rested her back in the steel chair; she was directly looking Liam in the eyes with a playful look.
"I have none. I am sorry I sent you this message. To make up for it, this meal is on me, and we forget anything like this ever happened."
Liam was just not sure how much of an embarrassment his old self was at this point, so he owned up to his mistakes while pointing at a $9 Veg pizza Clara had just wasted.
"Well, I am a traditional woman, so of course my boyfriend will pay for the food when we are on a date."
"I am not your boyfriend."
Clara was nonchalant about it while all Liam could see was a young girl fooling around; sure, he understood in this body he was very young as well, but there was this uneasiness in his heart that he couldn’t let go of yet.
"Well, you wanted to be right?"
"Not anymore."
...
The Range Rover was speeding at a perfect speed of 25 mph. Liam’s blue eyes were glowing slightly as he observed the entire road while driving. After he got the God Tier Driving skill, there was this built-in bird’s-eye view map in his mind, which was live and changing in real time.
This map was around twenty square miles big, and Liam can see even a speck of dust on the road just by being seated in a vehicle; it was his passive ability; he doesn’t have to close his eyes or anything; it works alongside his eyes.
"So? Should we go together? To New Jersey?
"I don’t think so. You have to talk with your dad first about this whole new jersey, Rider University thing. This is an important decision, you know."
Liam casually replied he just wanted to drop her home and escape; soon the area changed, and graffiti could be seen here and there. There were groups standing around each block, wearing purple bandannas.
"I will convince my dad; he likes you, but I must warn you, he thinks you’re gay."
Clara took Liam’s phone in hand and casually started to browse through it; she didn’t care about his constant rejection; she was chill and relaxed.
"I don’t doubt that; he left me alone with you in your room once."
Liam parked the car in front of a red apartment; the building looked old and had five floors in it. It didn’t even take a second for Liam to park his long car in the tight space between two cars; he felt like it was nothing.
"So, I will wait for you at seven sharp in the morning right here; pick me up and don’t be late."
" I... "
Clara opened the door and left with a wink. Liam wanted to say he wouldn’t but couldn’t; shaking his head, he was about to press gas and drive out.
[Updated]
[Side Mission Completed: Order a pizza]
[Reward: Clara’s Infatuation 1% increase]
[Explanation: The system has decoded that the host has an immense amount of affection for Clara, so it’s giving a little boost in his love life.]
"Huh?? What kind of mad system is this? I don’t have affection for the girl old Liam had. Wait, is this his system? The red one is mine? If I am not wrong, the red one did say something like Host has been found and reawakening."
[AMPLIFYING THE REWARDS BY 10,000X...]