infinite Rebate System: 10x Rewards for Conquering And Taming Heroines

As they walked side by side along the brightly lit pedestrian street, the conversation flowed easily~movies, random campus stories, nothing important~but the air between them had shifted. It felt warmer. Heavier. Every so often their hands brushed by accident, a brief graze of skin against skin, then pulled apart just as quickly. Each tiny contact sent a quiet jolt through Emma.

She stole a glance at Jason, then immediately dropped her eyes again. She wanted him to take her hand. She could have reached for his herself, but some stubborn, hopeful part of her still wanted him to be the one who made the first real move.

Come on, you blockhead...

The system chose that exact moment to speak.

[Ding!]

[At nineteen you were played completely by Olivia Hayes. You handed over fifty thousand dollars of hard-earned money and never even held her hand. Now your childhood friend Emma Reed is walking beside you on a real date. Find the courage to take her hand.]

[Mission: Hold Emma Reed’s hand]

[Reward: Beginner-level Self-Defense Skill]

Jason’s expression didn’t change. Outwardly he was still scanning the food stalls, looking interested in the smell of grilled meat and fried dough. Inwardly he registered the mission with mild amusement.

Emma finally gathered her courage. She bit her lower lip and slowly, carefully, began inching her hand closer to his.

They were almost touching when a rough voice cut through the noise.

"Watch it! Coming through!"

An older man pushing a heavily loaded cart was barreling straight toward them, his view completely blocked by stacked boxes. There was no time to step aside cleanly.

Emma’s first panicked thought wasn’t even about getting hit~it was that she had been this close to holding Jason’s hand and now it was ruined.

Before she could react, a strong, warm hand closed firmly over hers and yanked her sideways. The cart rattled past in a rush of air and noise.

When she opened her eyes she was pressed against Jason’s chest, one of his arms locked securely around her. The solid heat of his body, the faint scent of his cologne, the sudden closeness~everything hit her at once. Her face flooded with heat that raced down her neck and lower. Her heart slammed so hard she was half-convinced he could feel it.

Jason looked down at the girl in his arms.

Emma was soft and fragrant and completely flustered, cheeks burning, eyes wide. For the first time since the rebirth he felt something that wasn’t calculation or cold strategy. It was simpler. Sharper. The real, physical thrill of wanting someone who actually mattered.

In his previous life every relationship had been surface-level~charm, money, physical release. This felt different.

"Emma?" he asked, voice low. "You okay?"

She blinked up at him like she was coming out of a daze. "I... I’m fine."

"Good."

He didn’t let go of her hand. Instead he adjusted his grip so their fingers were properly laced and started walking again, pulling her gently along with him.

"Let’s keep going."

"Okay..." she whispered.

Emma kept her head down, mind spinning, taking small steps as she let him lead. After a long minute she finally dared to look at their joined hands. A bright, private joy bloomed in her chest. When she lifted her eyes to his face, her expression was soft and open and completely unguarded.

[Ding! Mission Complete]

[Reward: Beginner-level Self-Defense Skill]

Jason glanced back at her just as she was staring at him with that melting look. The second their eyes met, Emma panicked and dropped her gaze like she’d been caught doing something forbidden. A second later she peeked up again, only to find him watching her with a quiet, knowing half-smile.

The look sent a visible shiver through her. She tried to pull her hand back on instinct, but his fingers tightened just enough to keep her there.

"Something wrong?" he asked, clearly teasing.

"N-nothing..."

They kept walking. After a while Emma stopped trying to free her hand. The contact settled into something natural, something she quietly accepted.

They passed a snack stall where the vendor called out cheerfully, "Hey, you two~grilled squid skewers? Fresh and hot!"

Emma’s eyes locked onto the golden, crispy skewers. She swallowed without meaning to, then looked up at Jason with hopeful, watery eyes.

"Do you want some?"

Jason smiled. "Sure. One’s enough for me."

He already knew the rule: when a girl asks if you want something, she usually wants it herself.

Emma hesitated, clearly worried about looking greedy, but hunger won.

"Then... three skewers, please. Mine just a tiny bit spicy~really tiny. And Jason, do you want spicy too?" She even stuck her tongue out a little as if she could already feel the heat.

"Same as yours," he said, still smiling at how cute she looked. "How much?"

"Twelve," the vendor answered, already tossing the skewers onto the grill.

Jason reached for his wallet. Emma’s hand shot out and caught his wrist.

"I’ll get it."

She still thought he was a broke college student whose mother was in the hospital. The idea of letting him spend money on her made her uncomfortable. She had considered just giving him cash earlier, but she knew most guys got weird about pride. Paying for small things herself felt safer. Smarter.

Jason let her pay without argument. Being treated by a pretty girl actually felt pretty good.

As they waited for the skewers, his thoughts drifted. The system had once labeled him a "nice guy." He still found that mildly insulting. Once he got the fifty thousand back from Olivia, that label could finally die.

He focused inward.

System, show relevant missions.

[Ding!]

[Mission: Recover the host’s hard-earned money from Olivia Hayes by any means necessary]

[Reward: Amount recovered ×3, +10 Charm]

Fifty thousand recovered meant one hundred fifty thousand from the system~enough to cover the first wave of his mother’s treatment without stress. And once that money was back in his hands, the real business moves could start.

Jason’s eyes cooled for a moment as he thought of Olivia.

You have no idea what’s coming.

The vendor handed over the skewers. Emma took hers with both hands like a prize, already smiling again, and the two of them continued down the glowing street~fingers still laced, the night still young.

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