I was beginning to believe that this system did possess a sense of humor.
After yesterday's accidental guidance session making me a sort of flirtation seer, I was determined to keep my head down for a little while. Maybe put my nose in the books. Not meet anyone's eye. Act as if I hadn't just guided a girl to get her crush in thirty minutes with the strategic smile and strategic silences.
But plans were made by life itself. Or more specifically, Aria.
Aria Lin. The 2-C queen bee. Acid-tongued, more sarcasm-filled style, and the type of attitude that would reduce grown men to sobbing wrecks. She was the type of girl who strode down the hallway as if she owned it herself and talked as if everyone else was merely wallpaper.
And so when she strode into the seat next to me in morning homeroom like she owned the joint, I was finished.
"Good morning, Coach."
I gulped my water. Literally.
Cough. Sputter. Gasp. Embarrassment.
Aria didn't even blink. Just crossed her legs, draped an arm over the top of her chair, and regarded me like I was some new and interesting zoo creature.
"News spreads fast, Reiji. You assisted Sakura in her crush, didn't you?"
I hesitated. A trap? A setup? A prank?
"Perhaps," I said cautiously.
She smiled. Slow. Insidious.
"Good. Because you are also going to assist me."
SYSTEM ALERT: "New Flirt Mission Available!Client: Aria LinDifficulty: SSS-Tier**Warning: This target may be uncoachable. Proceed with caution.**"
Great.
"So," she said, twirling a piece of her shiny black hair in her fingers, "I've got someone in mind. Thing is, he doesn't know it. Thick as a brick. Adorable, though."
I slowly nodded. "Okay. So. You want me to get him to notice you?"
"Not so much. I want to learn your tricks. All of them. I need to be able to be proficient at this. what you called? Emotional manipulation? Power flirting?"
I blanched. "I didn't call it that."
She interrupted me. "Lesson number one. Teach me something. Now."
My mind reeled. This was not how this was going to go. I was the in-control one. Cool. Collected. The suave guide, not the target.
SYSTEM TIP: _"When coaching a dominant personality, direct their energy into curiosity. Ask questions, not command."
Yeah. I could do this.
"Okay, Aria," I said, settling in my chair. "Flirting rule number one: Eye contact. The quickest way to make someone feel noticed, connected. Too little and you're bored. Too much and you're. intense."
She edged closer. Focused on my eyes.
Didn't blink.
Swallowed hard.
"Like that?" she whispered.
"Not really. That's more a death stare. Tense it out. Pretend you look at something you want but aren't ready to admit."
She shifted. Leaned her head sideways. Smiled.
My brain stuttered for half a second.
"Better," I growled.
"You're blushing," she said.
"You're intense."
"You like it."
I blinked. "Wait, who's seducing whom here?"
She grinned. "Lesson two. Power plays. You can't win a game if you're not playing to dominate."
SYSTEM WARNING: _"Subject Aria is reverse-coaching you. Defensive measures recommended."
My palms were greasy with sweat. My heart was definitely not supposed to be thudding this hard.
The bell clanged, saving me from whatever spicy word inspection she was about to deliver me next.
When she stood, she leaned in a fraction too close, exhaled, "Lunch. Rooftop. You're not dodging this, Coach."
Then she was walking, hips swaying, eyes darting back to check that I followed.
I did.
I despised myself for it.
The roof at lunch was peaceful. Blowy. A holy room students would sleep, graze, or release feelings they were afraid to voice in classrooms.
It was also, clearly, my new office.
Aria came five minutes late. Intentionally.
She dumped down her bag and took out a notebook. Pink. Sparkly. Not remotely school-issued.
"Lesson two. Confidence. Give me the pitch."
I blinked. "You're writing notes?"
"Obviously."
"Alright, uh. Confidence isn't pretending to be perfect. It's pretending you fit in when you have no idea that you do. It's based on acceptance."
She gave me a raised eyebrow. "You found that on a quotes site?"
I let out a deep sigh. "Confidence is like. eating your favorite food in public wearing pajamas. People will criticize, but you know you're doing it."
She chuckled. "Now that's relatable."
We proceeded. Discussion careening from tone to posture to how one was supposed to manage tempo during a conversation. The whole time, Aria kept a keen eye on me. Too keen.
"You know," she said, halfway through scribbling down a note, "if you're so skilled at instructing other humans to flirt. you must be terrific at doing it yourself."
"That's not the way it works."
"Isn't it?" She leaned in. "Show me."
I blinked. "W-what?"
"Flirt with me. Now. No lessons. Just you. Let's see what you can do, Reiji."
SYSTEM PANIC MODE: ACTIVATED.
I paused. Then breathed out.
"Fine."
I glanced up, crossed her gaze, then leaned my head to the side, feigning a little confusion.
"You know, Aria, for someone who walks into every room like she owns the place. I think you're just looking for someone who sees through all that spark."
She blinked. Once. Twice.
"A person who can distinguish between your smirk and your actual smile. Someone who doesn't object to your flawless eyeliner but actually hears you when you're not speaking."
The rooftop fell silent.
She parted her lips.
Nothing escaped.
And then she stood up.
"This lesson is over."
She headed towards the stairs. Halted.
Turned slightly.
".That was inhumane, Reiji."
And she disappeared.
SYSTEM UPDATE: _"Vulnerability detected in Subject Aria: 8%. Bond level increased to 8%."
SYSTEM NOTE: _"You are no longer just coaching. You are in the game."_
And I wasn't sure I liked it, for the first time that this craziness had begun.
But I was definitely not quitting now.
To be continued.