"Gu Gu~" Su Daji leaned in, his voice lilting. "Are you free this Saturday?"
"No."
The reply came before Daji could finish blinking.
Gu Xi didn't even look up. He was focused on peeling the last layer of plastic from his bun wrapper. Daji deflated a little—but only for a second.
"B-But…" Daji's voice went soft. "I have a huge favourrrr to ask…"
Gu Xi froze.
No. Not that tone.
He looked up just in time to see it.
The Puppy Look™.
Chin tilted, lips pursed, wide eyes glistening just slightly—not from tears, but from pure weaponized cuteness. Su Daji practically sparkled in the sunlight, one hand delicately brushing back his bangs like he'd trained for this moment.
"…What is it?" Gu Xi asked warily.
"I need you to help me at my part-time job this Saturday," Daji said sweetly. "Just for one day!"
"Why?"
"I got a last-minute fanmeet ticket! I have to go!"
"No."
"I'll pay you!"
Gu Xi's chewing slowed.
That… wasn't something to dismiss.
Daji noticed the pause and leaned in closer.
"My boss is super chill. If she likes you, you could get hired properly. It's at Moondew Café, down in the plaza district. They need pretty boys with quiet voices and good posture. That's you!"
"I'm not—"
"You're clean and polite now!" Daji added quickly. "The acne's gone! You have that mysterious, aloof thing going on. Women eat that up!"
Gu Xi stared at him.
"…It's not even your shift, is it?"
"Nope~"
"So you tricked me."
"Just a little~"
He sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms. The truth was—he could use the money. His 'mom' hadn't deposited anything in weeks. The last thing she'd given him was a half-broken phone with a cracked back and a cracked policy: if he needed cash, he could "figure it out."
Which meant: ask and get ignored.
He stared at the table, thinking it over.
Then, right on cue—
[Ding—]
Hidden Quest Unlocked: "One-Day Wonder"
Objective: Impress the café manager and earn a formal job offer.
Reward:
– Skill: Barista +10
– Charm +5 (Assimilation: 12 hours)
Evaluation: "A quiet boy with gentle hands and a firm smile."
Gu Xi blinked.
The system was watching his life more closely than he thought.
He slowly looked up at Daji and gave the faintest smile.
"I'll do it."
"Aaaahhhh! Gu Gu!!" Daji squealed, lunging across the table.
Before he could react, Gu Xi was being crushed against his will—arms trapped, ears ringing with joy that should've belonged in a romcom. His face twisted.
"Get off me."
"No~! You're my angel!! My lifesaver!! My Gu Gu~!!"
"Stop calling me that."
Daji pulled back, beaming.
Gu Xi sighed.
He'd wanted to spend Saturday at the Pop Mart event in the shopping mall. They were launching exclusive figurines for Blade Princess. But maybe he'd stop by after the shift… if there was time.
If.
Later that day...
The library smelled like paper and something faintly antiseptic.
Gu Xi sat alone at a corner desk by the window, bathed in the soft afternoon light. A stack of exam prep books surrounded him—math formulas, essay outlines, a dog-eared copy of Analytical Thinking for High Schoolers.
He wasn't reading for pleasure today.
This was a grind.
Focused. Mechanical. Efficient.
His pen moved silently across the margin, noting questions and errors. From time to time, he underlined passages or flipped back to check citations.
Two hours passed without a word.
Just as he reached the final page of a mock test—
[Ding—]
Achievement Quest Unlocked: "Foundation of the Mind"
Objective: Study consistently and read academic material.
Progress: 4%
Reward: Wisdom +5 for every 20% completion milestone.
Gu Xi stopped mid-sentence.
"...I see."
So that was the pattern.
It wasn't just doing things.
It was doing them seriously.
Train sincerely, study deeply, work quietly—and the system rewarded accordingly. The quests weren't loud. There were no glowing beacons or flashy combat skills. Just quiet increments. Like life, but gamified.
He looked at the page in front of him again.
Only 4%?
Fine.
He flipped to the next chapter and picked up his pen again.
Slow and steady.