The night after graduation was supposed to be peaceful — champagne memories, rooftop laughter, and the relief of finally being done with school.
But peace had never been part of Jackim's story.
He sat by the large glass window of his penthouse, city lights stretching endlessly below like an electric ocean. His phone buzzed non-stop — messages, interviews, invitations, and business offers.
The world suddenly wanted a piece of him.
And yet, he wasn't smiling.
Because in his mind replayed one moment over and over — Lina's confession.
The words "I love you" still hung in the air like smoke he couldn't clear.
Ariana had said nothing afterward. She'd smiled, but it was the kind of smile that hides a hurricane.
Now, in the cold quiet of his living room, the weight of it all pressed down.
---
Kelvin, his best friend and newly appointed vice-captain of BLACK ACE, entered, tossing his jacket onto the couch.
"You've been staring at that skyline for two hours, bro," Kelvin said. "What's wrong? You look like someone who just won the lottery and lost the ticket."
Jackim chuckled. "It's complicated."
"Complicated? You just got the whole campus chanting your name. You've got two women fighting for your heart and a company worth more than the city budget. What's complicated?"
Jackim sighed. "Exactly that."
Kelvin raised an eyebrow. "Ah, the love triangle. Bro, I warned you — never mix emotions with a system mission."
Jackim smirked. "You sound like my conscience."
"I am your conscience, just louder and more handsome," Kelvin grinned.
For a brief moment, the tension broke. Jackim laughed genuinely — the kind of laugh he hadn't had in weeks.
But deep down, he knew things were about to get messier.
The next morning came with a storm — not of rain, but of emotions.
Ariana showed up at his office without warning. Her eyes were red, not from anger, but from sleepless nights.
"Jackim, we need to talk," she said firmly.
The secretary froze halfway through pouring coffee — she could feel the emotional temperature drop instantly.
Jackim dismissed everyone with a wave. "Give us the room."
When the door closed, silence settled like dust.
Ariana crossed her arms. "You didn't tell me Lina was still in your life."
"She wasn't," he replied calmly. "Not until last night."
"You know what hurts?" she said, her voice trembling. "You didn't even deny it. You just stood there while she confessed in front of everyone."
Jackim took a slow breath. "What was I supposed to do? Reject her publicly?"
"Yes!" Ariana snapped. "You're mine, Jackim. You can reject a business deal without blinking — but when a woman throws her heart at you, suddenly you lose your voice?"
He stared at her — the same woman who'd believed in him when no one else did.
Her pain hit him harder than any insult or punch ever could.
He tried to reach for her hand, but she stepped back. "Don't. I'm not leaving you. But I'm not standing quietly either."
The System suddenly buzzed inside his head.
> 💬 "Emotion Conflict Detected — Triggering Mission Tier: LOVE EXPLOSION."
Task: Resolve romantic instability without heartbreak.
Reward: Emotion Insight Skill — Advanced Mode."
Jackim almost cursed out loud. "Even you now?" he muttered to the invisible voice.
Ariana blinked. "What?"
"Nothing. Just talking to my… system."
She shook her head. "Then tell your system to stop making me cry."
That line cut deeper than anything.
Later that afternoon, fate decided to play its own prank.
Lina showed up — bright smile, soft tone, completely unaware of the emotional wreck she'd caused.
The receptionist didn't know whether to warn her or run.
Ariana was still in the building.
And that's how it happened — both women in the same office, same floor, same man.
When Lina walked in, the room turned into a silent arena.
Ariana's expression hardened instantly. "Oh. You again."
Lina's voice trembled. "I just came to apologize. I didn't mean to cause—"
"Cause what?" Ariana interrupted. "Chaos? Drama? Or did you come to mark your territory like a cat?"
Jackim raised a hand. "Ladies—"
"Stay out of it, Jackim!" they both shouted in unison.
He blinked. "Oh great, they're syncing now."
Kelvin, watching from the hallway with popcorn, whispered, "This is better than Netflix."
Lina stepped closer. "Ariana, I didn't come to fight. I just needed to say how I felt. What he chooses is up to him."
Ariana laughed coldly. "What he chooses? You think this is some fairy tale? He doesn't need someone who only saw his worth after his wallet grew zeroes."
Lina's eyes glistened. "You think money's what I see? You think I didn't regret every single night I doubted him? You weren't there when he was breaking inside."
Ariana flinched — because she had been there, but in a different way.
Jackim stood between them, hands raised. "Enough! Both of you!"
His voice thundered through the office.
Silence followed. Even Kelvin dropped his popcorn.
"I didn't fight my way up from the streets to lose people I care about over pride," he said quietly. "You both mean something to me. In different ways. But I need space to breathe — to understand my own heart before I break someone else's."
Ariana's lip trembled. Lina looked down.
For a moment, they both seemed to see the same man — not the billionaire, not the legend, but the boy who once walked through campus with nothing but dreams.
---
That night, Jackim drove alone through the city.
Neon lights blurred past, reflections slicing through his thoughts.
He pulled over by the old university fountain — the same place he used to sit after lectures, imagining a better future.
He looked up at the stars. "System," he whispered, "what do I do?"
> 💬 "Host must follow the heart's frequency. Logic is ineffective in emotional turbulence."
He sighed. "You sound like a therapist now."
> 💬 "Correction: An upgraded emotional companion."
Jackim chuckled despite himself. "Fine, companion. Tell me this — who truly loves me?"
> 💬 "Analyzing emotional signatures…"
A soft golden pulse filled his vision.
Ariana's name appeared first — glowing steady, warm.
Lina's followed — flickering, fiery, unstable.
Both genuine. Both real. Just… different.
The System's voice softened.
> 💬 "Love cannot be ranked. It can only be understood."
He leaned back against the car, eyes closing. For the first time, he didn't feel like the System's master — he felt human again.
The next morning, he met Ariana at a quiet café. She looked tired but calm.
"I'm sorry," he said simply.
She looked up. "For what?"
"For letting things get out of hand. For making you doubt what you mean to me."
Her eyes softened. "I never doubted it. I just… forgot how to trust it."
He reached across the table, touching her hand gently. "Then let me help you remember."
She smiled — small, but real.
At that moment, Lina appeared outside the café window. She saw them, smiled sadly, and walked away.
Sometimes, closure doesn't come from words. It comes from silence.
That evening, when Jackim returned home, the System flickered to life again.
> ✅ "Mission Completed — LOVE EXPLOSION Resolved Without Heartbreak."
Reward Granted: Emotion Insight Skill — Advanced Mode Activated."
He felt it instantly — a calm awareness settling over him. For the first time, he could sense emotions not as noise, but as music — every person carrying their own melody.
He looked out the window, over the glowing city, and whispered with a faint smile:
"Maybe bragging isn't about showing off what you have. Maybe it's about proving what you can feel."
The System didn't respond.
It didn't need to.
The night was quiet, and for once, so was his heart.