Aaron Miles turned twenty-one on a Tuesday.
Not a weekend.Not a holiday.Not even a day when the universe pretended to care.
Just… Tuesday.
The kind of Tuesday that smelled like leftover curry, disappointment, and unfulfilled dreams.
The Miles family dining table was small, slightly crooked, and had one leg that made a complaining noise every time someone leaned on it. On the table sat a homemade chocolate cake—baked by his mother with sincere love and zero aesthetic talent. The cream leaned left, the strawberries leaned right, and the words "Happy 21 Aron" were written with terrifying confidence.
Aaron stared at it.
"…Mom," he said carefully, "there's an extra 'A' missing."
His mother waved it off with her spatula like a seasoned warrior."Eat first. Grammar later."
Classic Mom logic.
Across the table, his big brother, Jason Miles, leaned back in his chair like he owned the house, the street, and possibly the country.
Jason, age twenty-six.Occupation: Currently between destinies.Confidence level: Unreasonably illegal.
He flicked his hair—yes, flicked—and smirked.
"So, little bro," Jason said loudly, making sure the entire building could hear him, "twenty-one, huh? Time flies. When I was your age, girls were lining up for me."
Aaron's fork paused mid-air.
From the corner of the table came a soft snort.
His little sister, Emily Miles, age sixteen, honor student, professional truth assassin, adjusted her glasses.
"Oh?" she said sweetly. "You mean lining up to block you?"
Jason's smile twitched.
Aaron coughed to hide his laugh. Failed. Laughed anyway.
Jason slapped the table."Hey! I had options, okay? I was just… selective."
Emily tilted her head."Selective about unemployment too?"
Critical hit.
Their father, a retired clerk with permanently tired eyes, sighed deeply and picked up his tea."Can we eat without starting World War Three?"
Their mother lit the candles with a proud smile."Make a wish, Aaron."
Twenty-one candles. Flickering. Mocking.
Aaron stared at them.
Make a wish…
He closed his eyes.
I wish… I wish I wouldn't die single.
He blew.
The candles went out.
Nothing else changed.
Jason clapped loudly."Alright! Birthday boy! So—got a girlfriend yet?"
Silence.
Not the comfortable kind.
The deadly kind.
Emily slowly turned her head toward Aaron.
His parents paused.
The cake leaned further to the left.
Aaron smiled.
A calm, handsome smile. The kind that made people think he had his life together.
"I'm… focusing on my future."
Emily's eyebrow rose.
Jason laughed."Translation: Still single."
Their mother frowned gently."You're such a good-looking boy, Aaron. Tall, white hair, calm face… You look like a CEO."
Their father nodded."But your bank account looks like a criminal record."
Aaron felt his soul take damage.
Emily stabbed the cake with her fork."Brother, be honest. Have you ever held a girl's hand?"
Aaron opened his mouth—
—and closed it.
Jason leaned forward."…Oh my god."
Emily gasped dramatically."HE HASN'T."
Their parents exchanged a glance.
Their mother whispered, "Is that… bad?"
Jason stood up like he was attending a funeral."Bro. Even my class nerd has two girlfriends."
That sentence hit Aaron harder than any slap.
Even. The. Class. Nerd.
The dinner ended with forced laughter, awkward silence, and Jason stealing two extra slices of cake "for energy."
Aaron retreated to his room.
His room was small. Clean. Minimal.
A desk. A laptop. A bed.
And a mirror that reflected a truth he couldn't deny.
White hair—natural, annoyingly eye-catching.Sharp eyes. Calm expression. Clean features.
He looked like someone who belonged in a luxury office, signing million-dollar contracts.
Instead, he belonged here.Counting coins.Avoiding romance.
He dropped onto his bed.
"…How did it come to this?"
College flashbacks attacked him without mercy.
first year.A girl smiled at him in class.
He smiled back.
She tripped.Fell.Blamed him.
Second year.He helped a girl with homework.
She thanked him.
Then introduced him to her boyfriend.
Third year.A girl confessed to him.
He panicked.
Lied.
Said he was already taken.
She cried.
He apologized.
She dated his roommate the next week.
Aaron covered his face with a pillow.
"I'm cursed…"
He wasn't dumb.He wasn't ugly.He wasn't poor-poor.
He just had… legendary bad luck.
Night fell.
The house grew quiet.
Jason snored from the next room like a dying engine.
Aaron sat up, grabbed a cheap bottle of beer he'd hidden under his bed—for emergencies.
Tonight qualified.
He drank.
And drank.
And drank a little more.
Scrolling his phone, he saw couples everywhere.
Holding hands.Laughing.Being annoyingly happy.
"Everyone…" he muttered, eyes blurry, "has at least one girlfriend."
He slammed the bed.
"I have ZERO."
Even the nerd.Even Jason.Even—probably the mailman.
"Is being single at twenty-one not a crime against humanity?!"
His phone buzzed.
A notification popped up.
You have been added to a group chat.
Group Name: El God Lounge
Aaron blinked.
"…Huh?"
He frowned.
"I don't remember joining a meme group."
He tapped it.
The chat loaded.
Five names.
God of LuckGod of LoveGod of WealthGod of MisfortuneGod of Trolls
Aaron stared.
Then laughed.
"Wow… even spam groups are mocking me now."
Messages appeared.
God of Trolls: Oho? A human joined.
God of Love:He smells lonely.
God of Luck:Not my fault.
God of Misfortune:Oh. This one's mine.
Aaron squinted at the screen.
"…Am I drunk enough to hallucinate gods?"
He typed.
Aaron:If gods are real, then why am I still single?!
The chat exploded.
God of Trolls:HAHAHAHAHAHA
God of Love:Bold question.
God of Luck:Skill issue.
God of Wealth:Have you tried money?
Aaron's fingers flew.
Aaron:Frauds. All of you.People pray every day and still suffer.If you're real, do something useful!
God of Misfortune:Careful, human.
Aaron took another swig.
Aaron:Careful? What, you'll trip me again?I already have bad luck premium subscription.
God of Trolls:I like him.
God of Love:He's fun.
God of Luck:He's doomed.
Aaron laughed bitterly.
Aaron:You sit there with divine powers while I eat instant noodles alone on my birthday.Some gods you are.
Three dots appeared.
Then—
SYSTEM WARNING
The screen flashed blinding white.
Aaron's beer bottle slipped from his hand and shattered.
A cold mechanical voice echoed in his head.
51 Hearts Destiny System Activated
His vision spun.
"W–What…?"
Text burned into the air before his eyes.
Objective:Make 51 women reach 100% affection.
Failure:Instant Death
Success: Immortal Happiness Unlimited Wealth Unknown Reward
Aaron's knees gave out.
He collapsed onto the floor.
"…Fifty… one?"
His phone buzzed again.
God of Trolls:Congrats.
God of Love:Survive if you can.
God of Misfortune:This will be fun.
Aaron stared at the glowing words, heart pounding like it wanted to escape his chest.
"I just wanted… one girlfriend…"
The system text blinked.
Welcome, Candidate Aaron Miles.
Darkness swallowed his vision.