Sarah’s expression softened.
"Okay."
"And I told him that if he was the boyfriend, he shouldn’t mess it up."
Jason’s heart skipped.
Sarah looked at him.
"You told her that?"
Vivian nodded.
Jason didn’t know what to say.
Sarah looked almost amused.
"Apparently Vivian has been giving you relationship advice without knowing she was talking to the person involved."
"Apparently."
Vivian looked embarrassed.
"I didn’t know."
"I know."
Another silence.
This one felt different.
Less threatening.
Then Sarah’s gaze moved toward Vivian.
"Did you ever like him?"
The room went completely still.
Jason stopped breathing.
Vivian’s eyes widened.
"What?"
Sarah didn’t blink.
"You heard me."
"Sarah—"
"Did you ever like Jason?"
Vivian stared at her.
Jason’s heart began pounding.
"Like him how?"
Sarah’s expression didn’t change.
"You know exactly what I mean."
Vivian looked at Jason.
He couldn’t read her expression.
That was unusual.
Usually, Vivian was easy to read.
Now she looked almost exposed.
"I thought he was attractive," she said.
Sarah nodded slowly.
"Okay."
"I think most people would."
"Okay."
"And I liked talking to him."
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
"Okay."
"But I didn’t know he was your boyfriend."
"I know."
"If I had known—"
Vivian stopped.
Sarah waited.
"If you had known?"
Vivian looked down.
"I wouldn’t have let myself get close to him."
Jason’s stomach tightened.
Sarah’s expression shifted.
"How close?"
Vivian didn’t answer.
Jason did.
"Not that close."
Sarah looked at him.
"Jason."
"We’re friends."
Vivian nodded.
"That’s all."
Sarah studied both of them.
Then she leaned back.
"Fine."
Jason didn’t believe her.
Neither did Vivian.
Sarah was thinking again.
Jason could almost see the gears turning.
Then she said something that made his chest tighten.
"Do you like him now?"
Vivian looked at her.
"Sarah."
"I’m asking."
Vivian remained silent.
Jason’s countdown flickered in the corner of his vision.
Six days.
He had forgotten about it again.
The system had been strangely quiet since he arrived.
Usually, the timer remained present, a constant reminder of the deadline waiting for him.
Now it felt almost irrelevant.
Because this wasn’t a system problem anymore.
It was a human one.
Vivian finally spoke.
"I don’t know."
Sarah’s expression changed.
Jason looked at her.
Vivian continued.
"I didn’t know he was your boyfriend. I didn’t even know the person I was talking to was the same person you were talking about."
"I understand."
"But now I do."
"And?"
Vivian looked at Jason.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
"I still don’t know."
Sarah nodded.
Jason felt something heavy settle in his chest.
Not excitement.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Uncertainty.
Sarah stood.
"I’m going to make coffee."
Jason blinked.
"Coffee?"
"Yes."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I don’t know what else to do."
Vivian stood too.
"I’ll help."
"No."
Vivian paused.
Sarah pointed toward the couch.
"Sit."
Vivian slowly sat back down.
Jason almost smiled.
Sarah caught him.
"Don’t."
"I didn’t say anything."
"You were about to."
"I wasn’t."
"You were."
Vivian looked between them.
"You two do this a lot?"
Sarah and Jason both turned toward her.
"Do what?"
"Argue about things neither of you actually care about."
Jason thought about it.
"Yes."
Sarah nodded.
"Unfortunately."
Vivian smiled.
This time, it lasted longer.
Sarah walked into the kitchen.
Jason and Vivian were left alone.
The moment she disappeared through the doorway, the room changed.
Neither spoke.
Jason looked at Vivian.
Vivian looked back.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"You?"
"Not really."
She gave a tiny laugh.
"Same."
Jason leaned forward.
"I didn’t know."
"I know."
"I swear."
"I know."
"I would have—"
"I know."
He stopped.
Vivian stared at him.
"You really didn’t know?"
"No."
"About me?"
"No."
"About Sarah being my roommate?"
"No."
She nodded.
"Okay."
Jason frowned.
"Okay?"
"Yes."
"You believe me?"
"I do."
"Why?"
Vivian looked at him for a long moment.
"Because you look genuinely terrified."
Jason almost laughed.
"That’s reassuring."
"It wasn’t meant to be."
She looked toward the kitchen.
Then lowered her voice.
"Jason."
"Yeah?"
"This changes things."
He knew exactly what she meant.
"How?"
"I don’t know yet."
"Okay."
"But it does."
Jason nodded.
"I figured."
Vivian looked at her hands.
"For weeks, I’ve been talking to you without knowing who you were."
"Yes."
"I’ve told you things."
"Yes."
"You’ve told me things."
"Yes."
"We’ve spent time together."
"Yes."
"And now I know you’re Sarah’s boyfriend."
Jason said nothing.
Vivian swallowed.
"I don’t know how I’m supposed to act around you now."
Jason leaned back.
"Normally?"
She looked at him.
"Can we?"
"I don’t know."
"Neither do I."
They both fell silent.
From the kitchen came the sound of cups being moved around.
Vivian lowered her voice even further.
"I don’t want to hurt her."
Jason looked at her.
"Neither do I."
"Then we need to be careful."
"Agreed."
Vivian nodded.
Then she looked at him again.
"Do you love her?"
The question caught him completely off guard.
He didn’t answer immediately.
Vivian waited.
Jason thought about Sarah.
The first time they’d met.
The way she had gradually become part of his routine.
The messages.
The dates.
The arguments.
The quiet moments.
The way she’d started trusting him.
The way he’d started thinking about her without even realizing it.
"Yes."
Vivian’s eyes dropped.
"Okay."
Jason watched her.
"You?"
She looked up.
"What?"
"Do you love anyone?"
Vivian gave him a strange look.
"That’s not the same question."
"I know."
She looked toward the kitchen.
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
Jason didn’t push.
A moment later, Sarah returned carrying three mugs.
She stopped when she saw the two of them sitting in silence.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," Jason said.
"Nothing?"
"We were talking."
"About?"
Jason glanced at Vivian.
"Nothing important."
Sarah looked suspicious.
Then she handed him a mug.
"Here."
"Thanks."
She sat down between them again.
For several seconds, they drank coffee.
It was almost normal.
Almost.
Then Sarah spoke.
"I think we should establish some rules."
Jason nearly choked.
"Rules?"
"Yes."
Vivian looked at her.
"What kind of rules?"
"Basic ones."
Sarah raised one finger.
"First, nobody hides things from me."
Jason nodded.
"Fair."
Vivian nodded too.
"Second, if either of you feels uncomfortable, you say something."
"Fair."
"Third, nobody uses the fact that we all know each other to make things weird."
Jason nodded.
"Fair."
Vivian hesitated.
"Okay."
Sarah raised another finger.
"And fourth..."
She looked directly at Vivian.
"If you ever start developing feelings for him, you tell me."
Jason’s grip tightened around his mug.
Vivian froze.
Sarah’s expression was completely serious.
"Don’t hide it."
Vivian looked at her.
"And what happens if I do?"
Sarah was quiet for a moment.
"I don’t know."
That answer seemed to surprise Vivian.
Sarah continued.
"But I’d rather know than find out later."
Vivian nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Sarah looked at Jason.
"And the same goes for you."
Jason frowned.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"If I develop feelings for Vivian?"
Sarah’s expression tightened.
"Or if you realize you already have them."
The words landed harder than Jason expected.
He glanced at Vivian.
She looked away.
"I don’t," he said.
Sarah studied him.
"Good."
Jason swallowed.
The silence returned.
Then Sarah leaned back against the couch.
"I think we’re done."
Jason blinked.
"Done?"
"For today."
"That’s it?"
Sarah gave him a tired smile.
"What exactly do you want me to do? Throw one of you out?"
"I don’t know."
"Neither do I."
She looked toward Vivian.
"You’re still my roommate."
Vivian nodded.
"And he’s still my boyfriend."
Jason nodded.
"So apparently we’re going to have to figure out how to live with this."
Vivian gave a small smile.
"Apparently."
Sarah stood.
"I’m going to finish making dinner."
Jason looked at the clock.
"You were making dinner?"
"Yes."
"I thought you said she was finishing something."
"I was making dinner."
Vivian looked at Sarah.
"You were making dinner?"
Sarah glared.
"Don’t start."
Vivian smiled.
"Okay."
Sarah disappeared into the kitchen again.
Jason remained seated.
Vivian looked at him.
"So."
"So."
"This is awkward."
"Extremely."
She smiled.
"At least we can agree on something."
Jason smiled back.
Then his phone vibrated.
He looked down.
The system notification was waiting.
[Temporary Quest Progress Update.]
Jason’s smile disappeared.
[Time Remaining: 6 Days.]
[Current Objective: Complete the assigned condition.]
He stared at the screen.
Vivian noticed.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
She frowned.
"You’re doing that thing."
"What thing?"
"Where you stare at your phone like someone just died."
Jason locked the screen.
"Work."
"On Saturday?"
"Unfortunately."
Vivian nodded.
"Okay."
He slipped the phone into his pocket.
For the first time since the system had appeared in his life, the countdown felt different.
Six days had always meant pressure.
A deadline.
A target.
Something he needed to complete.
But now there was another problem sitting directly in front of him.
Sarah’s roommate.
His friend.
A girl he had unknowingly spent weeks getting closer to.
A girl who now knew exactly who he was.
And for the first time, Jason wondered whether the system had really been giving him problems.
Or whether it had simply been preparing him for one.
He looked toward Sarah in the kitchen.
Then at Vivian.
Then down at his phone.
Six days.
The number seemed much smaller now.
Much more dangerous.
And somewhere beneath all the anxiety, one thought refused to leave his mind.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Not like this.
Not with Vivian.
Not with Sarah’s roommate.
And yet, somehow, it had.
The afternoon that was supposed to be a simple introduction had changed the shape of his entire life in less than an hour.
And Jason had the sinking feeling that Saturday wasn’t even finished with him yet.
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