"I never liked her. She was just convenient."
I stopped walking.
Daniel's voice carried clearly across the courtyard.
Convenient.
My fingers tightened around the plastic cup in my hand. The ice inside cracked as I squeezed too hard.
"She's sweet, though," someone said.
"That's the problem," Daniel replied. "She's too sweet. Too predictable. No edge. I got bored."
Laughter.
Not quiet laughter. Not awkward laughter.
Real laughter.
My heartbeat started pounding in my ears. For a second I thought maybe I misheard. Maybe he was talking about someone else.
But then he said my name.
"Maya's just not that girl."
Not that girl.
I stood behind the brick pillar near the vending machines, frozen. I could see them through the gap. Daniel leaning back on the bench like he owned the world. Relaxed. Smiling. Not stressed. Not confused. Not conflicted.
Just comfortable.
"I'll break up with her tomorrow," he continued. "I just don't want drama."
One of his friends smirked. "She looks like the type who'll cry."
Daniel shrugged. "Yeah. Probably."
Something cold settled in my stomach.
Not heartbreak.
Humiliation.
I had skipped my study group to surprise him. I had walked fifteen minutes carrying iced coffee because he said he was exhausted.
He wasn't exhausted.
He was bored.
And I was the boredom.
My hand loosened. The cup slipped from my fingers and hit the ground. The lid popped off and coffee spread across the pavement.
Daniel looked up.
For half a second, our eyes met.
And in that half second, I saw it.
Not guilt.
Not panic.
Just annoyance.
He stood up. "Maya—"
I turned and walked away.
I didn't run. I didn't cry. I just walked.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
People passed me. Someone brushed my shoulder. A bike nearly clipped my side.
None of it registered.
Convenient.
Too predictable.
Not that girl.
By the time I reached my dorm room, my chest felt tight like something was pressing against it from the inside.
I locked the door.
Then I finally let myself sit on the floor.
Still no tears.
Just this burning embarrassment crawling up my neck.
How long had he felt that way?
A week?
A month?
The entire time?
I grabbed my phone.
Three messages from him already.
Daniel: Hey.
Daniel: You heard that wrong.
Daniel: Can we talk?
I stared at the screen.
He didn't say sorry.
He said I heard it wrong.
My throat felt dry.
Another message came in.
Daniel: Don't overreact.
That did it.
A laugh slipped out of me. It sounded strange. Hollow.
I put my phone face down.
Overreact.
Right.
Getting publicly humiliated by your boyfriend and being told you were a temporary placeholder probably counted as "overreacting."
I dragged myself to my feet and looked in the mirror above my desk.
Average.
That's what I saw.
Average height. Average face. Average body. No striking features. No sharp angles. No magnetism.
Nothing that made someone afraid to lose me.
I pressed my palms against the desk.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe I was too safe.
Too easy.
Too available.
My phone buzzed again.
Daniel: Let's just meet tomorrow morning and talk like adults.
Adults.
He wanted to break up calmly. Maturely. Clean.
Like I was a subscription he was canceling.
I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling.
I didn't want to cry in front of him tomorrow.
I didn't want to beg.
I didn't want to look small.
But I knew myself.
I cared too much.
I always cared too much.
And that was my problem.
"I wish I wasn't like this," I muttered.
The room was silent.
Then—
A sharp metallic chime cut through the air.
I sat up.
That wasn't my phone.
Another chime.
It echoed slightly, like it wasn't coming from any direction at all.
"What the—"
Light flickered in front of me.
Not bright.
Not blinding.
Just… forming.
Lines of blue light connected in midair, assembling into a rectangular panel. Transparent. Glowing faintly.
I stopped breathing.
Text appeared.
Perfect Life System Activated.
My first thought was that I'd finally snapped.
Host Identified: Maya Hart.
Emotional Catalyst Detected.
Synchronization Complete.
"What is this?" I whispered.
New Window Opened.
Status Panel.
Name: Maya Hart
Age: 19
Beauty: 51 / 100
Intelligence: 63 / 100
Charisma: 38 / 100
Stamina: 46 / 100
Confidence: 27 / 100
My stomach dropped.
Confidence: 27.
That number hurt more than Daniel's words.
System Notification:
Host has experienced social devaluation event.
Corrective Optimization Available.
Social devaluation event.
"You mean I got dumped."
Correction: Pending breakup.
My jaw tightened.
"So you show up now?"
Affirmative. System activates under high emotional stress when potential growth threshold is exceeded.
I stared at the floating panel.
"If I ignore you?"
Warning: Host trajectory indicates continued decline in Confidence and Social Value Rating.
Decline to what?
System responded instantly.
Projected Path Without Intervention:
Confidence: 18 within 3 months.
Charisma: 30.
Increased likelihood of future abandonment events.
My chest felt tight again.
"You're saying this keeps happening?"
Statistically probable.
A new line appeared.
Daily Mission Available.
I swallowed. "Show me."
Mission 1: Physical Activation.
Objective: Run 2 kilometers before 8:00 AM tomorrow.
Reward:
Stamina +4
Confidence +3
Beauty +1
Failure Penalty: Confidence -6
Trigger: Public Embarrassment Event within 24 hours.
My mind immediately imagined tripping in front of Daniel. Crying in the cafeteria. Dropping something during the breakup.
"Public embarrassment event?"
Randomized.
I almost laughed.
"This is insane."
The screen pulsed softly.
Insanity does not negate opportunity.
My eyes dropped back to the stats.
Twenty seven confidence.
That was me.
That was the girl who would show up tomorrow, sit across from Daniel, and try to keep her voice steady while he politely erased her from his life.
I hated that version of me.
A new notification appeared.
Bonus Event Detected: Breakup Conversation.
Secondary Mission Available.
Objective: Maintain composure. No tears. No pleading. Maintain eye contact.
Reward:
Confidence +5
Charisma +4
Unlock: Hidden Feature
Penalty for Failure: Confidence -8
Increased Rumor Probability: 62%
I stared at that number.
Sixty two percent chance of rumors spreading if I broke down.
"Hidden feature?" I asked.
Locked.
My heart was pounding now.
Not from sadness.
From adrenaline.
"You're telling me I can… level up?"
Affirmative.
"And if I complete everything?"
Long term optimization pathways will unlock including Wealth Generation and Influence Expansion.
Wealth.
Influence.
The words felt unreal.
Daniel's face flashed in my mind. Relaxed. Laughing.
Convenient.
Too predictable.
Not that girl.
My eyes hardened.
"What happens if I succeed?"
System Response:
Host becomes irreplaceable.
Irreplaceable.
That word hit differently.
Time Until Mission Window: 6 Hours 41 Minutes.
I looked at the clock.
1:19 AM.
Six hours.
I hadn't run voluntarily since high school.
But the alternative was worse.
Confidence minus six.
Public humiliation.
Rumors.
I slid off the bed and walked to my closet.
My sneakers were buried under old clothes.
I pulled them out and set them on the floor.
My phone buzzed again.
Daniel: Don't make this weird tomorrow.
Weird.
My grip tightened around the phone.
Tomorrow morning, he expected the same girl.
The soft one.
The predictable one.
The one who would nod and accept it.
The system panel flickered slightly.
Mission Awaiting Acceptance.
I stared at it.
Then I spoke clearly.
"I accept."
Mission 1 Activated.
A new line appeared immediately.
Emergency Clause Added.
If both missions are successfully completed within 12 hours:
Major Reward Granted.
Reward Type: Classified.
My pulse quickened.
"What kind of major reward?"
Classified.
I exhaled slowly.
Fine.
Tomorrow morning, I would run.
Tomorrow afternoon, I would not cry.
And tomorrow night…
I would not be the same girl Daniel thought he was leaving.
The panel dimmed slightly.
Time Remaining: 6 Hours 32 Minutes.
I lay back down on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time since hearing his voice in the courtyard, I didn't feel small.
I felt challenged.
And somewhere deep in my chest, something unfamiliar started to grow.
Not hope.
Not sadness.
Hunger.
If I was never the main character before…
Then tomorrow, I start acting like one.