Day after day felt boring for Nic. He had just finished basketball "practice" at his basketball club, although it wasn't really practice; in fact, Nic spent most of the day being teased. Not because he wanted to join, but because the extracurricular club was mandatory. Every day he was treated badly made him very sick, and he gets that treatment almost every day, whether because he looks nerdy or what, he is definitely always the target of bullying at this time.
The only one who kept him going was Vivi.
Vivi, a beautiful and popular girl at school. Tall, athletic, and with beautiful short pink hair, the boys are eager to see her at basketball practice. But to Nic, Vivi wasn't just another pretty girl at Solis Academy. She was someone he'd secretly admired since he'd first entered Solis Academy. The girl who makes his heart beat fast just by glancing at her from afar.
Sadly, Vivi probably didn't even know his name.
"Nic, you useless piece of shit! If all you can do is run around, you'd be better off sitting on the bench!"
One of Nic's classmates, Jack, shouted while throwing a basketball at him. The throw missed, but the laughter that followed hurt more than the ball that always hit him.
Nic just looked down, picked up the basketball, and stared at it. "If I could leave... I would've left a long time ago... damn it," he muttered softly.
When the long whistle blew signaling a break, the coach walked over—a big man with a deflating ball in his hand.
"Hey kid, you in the corner. Go get a spare ball from the old storage room. This one's no good anymore. Be quick, alright?"
The coach didn't wait for an answer.
Nic sighed. This wasn't the first time he was sent to do tasks like this. Somehow, he was always the one chosen for the petty jobs. Refusing wasn't even an option.
The old storage room was located behind the school, hidden behind a garden and a neglected building. The wooden door was very worn. Dust floated through the sunlight streaming in from the cracked window. The air inside was damp, smelling of mildew and rust.
Nic stepped in carefully, brushing away cobwebs and passing rusty metal shelves filled with old but still usable equipment. But then, his eyes caught something.
A sleek black phone was sitting on a low wooden shelf, too clean and luxurious for a dusty place like this. It looked... out of place, as if someone had intentionally put it there.
"What the...? Why is there a phone here?" Nic frowned. Hesitantly, he reached for it. Curiosity began to rise.
The screen lit up the moment Nic touched it. No buttons. No apps. Just a single message filled the screen:
[ Welcome to the Cheat Million Love System! Want to make someone fall in love? Confess your feelings, and the system will make her love you back. ]
Nic was shocked. "What is this? A joke? Some prank love app?" he thought. He looked around, hoping he wasn't being set up. Maybe Jack and his gang were trying to trick him.
But… the curiosity inside him, the part that still believed in miracles, began to whisper, What if this is real?
What if... this could change everything?
Nic slipped the phone into his pocket and returned to the court.
The situation hadn't changed. The students were still chatting, drinking. The students passed by him without paying attention.
But Nic had made a decision.
He wanted to know if this was just a joke—or something more.
Nic stepped into the middle of the court, his heart pounding, boldly approaching Vivi without waiting for a quieter moment.
"Vivi!"
Everyone immediately fell silent.
Vivi turned, blinking in confusion. "Yes?"
Nic looked straight into her eyes. This was it.
"I-I... I like you! So, would you be my girlfriend?"
One second. Two seconds. Silence.
Then thunderous laughter.
"HAHAHA! Nic? What possessed that loser to suddenly confess to Vivi?!" Jack laughed hysterically, and the others joined in. Some looked at him awkwardly, others seemed sympathetic.
Vivi didn't say anything. She just stared at Nic for a moment, then slowly turned around and walked away.
No answer. No rejection. Just silence.
Nic stood frozen as laughter echoed around him like thunder. Some students threw basketballs at him.
"Here! A love ball for Vivi! Haha, this is hilarious!"
Nic ran out of the basketball court, unable to bear the shame.
He kept running until he reached the back staircase of the school and collapsed, hugging his knees. His hand gripped the black phone tightly.
"Tch, lies... This phone is full of lies," he whispered. "Nothing's changed. How stupid of me to believe this toy phone."
Footsteps approached. A tall senior guy wearing a basketball jersey walked past, drinking from a bottle.
"Oh, who's this... what are you doing there?" he said mockingly. "Finally realized how pathetic you are, huh? You should've known better than to confess to a girl from a different class."
Nic didn't respond. He just kept his head down as the guy walked away, laughing.
Eventually, Nic stood up and brushed off his uniform pants. He walked through the school hallway quietly, avoiding eye contact. Whispers followed him like shadows.
"That's him. The one who confessed to Vivi."
"Seriously? Out in the open like that? So funny."
When he got to class, Jack stood up and announced, "Make way for the heartbroken loser!"
More laughter.
Nic didn't say a word. He just sat down and stared at his desk, though it was clear he was upset.
For the rest of the lesson, he didn't say a single word.
When the final bell rang, he left quickly. The sky had turned orange. The evening wind touched his face as he walked toward a small bridge over the stream.
He stood there, regretting what he had done earlier.
"Why did I believe..." he muttered. "This phone... is just another cruel joke."
He raised the phone, ready to throw it into the water—to end the humiliation, erase the false hope.
But before he could—
The screen lit up.
[ Ding! Process initiated. Vivi will fall in love with you in 12 hours. ]
Nic froze.
"Huh? What... does that mean?"
He didn't know what had just happened. But one thing was certain:
His life would change tomorrow, because the phone... was real?
To be continued...