Chapter 40: THIS IS GOOD

Hubert opened the door with his phone still pressed to his ear. The second he saw me, his expression soured like he’d just stepped in something foul.

"I’m gonna call you back," he said curtly, then ended the call. His eyes narrowed. "The fuck do you want?"

I kept my voice casual, almost sheepish.

"I’m looking for my cat. Have you seen her? Small black one."

Before he could answer I took a small step forward, just enough to cross the threshold, and glanced past him into the apartment like I was genuinely searching. The living room looked the same as always, messy, lived-in, a little neglected.

"Woah, woah, woah!"

Hubert’s hand shot out and shoved me hard in the chest. I stumbled back into the hallway as he stepped forward, filling the doorway completely.

"I’ll fucking sue you if you set foot in my house again, you little rat," he snarled. "Who the hell do you think you are? YOU FUCKING FAGGOT!"

I raised both hands in surrender, forcing an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, sorry. Just trying to find her. She’s sneaky. If you’ve got any windows open she might’ve slipped in."

Hubert’s face twisted with pure disgust.

"I’ll fucking slice that thing up and eat it if it comes in here," he spat. "Now fuck off. Don’t you ever try to come into my house again. You hear me?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

He slammed the door so hard the frame rattled.

I stood there for a moment in the sudden silence, listening to him stomp away on the other side. Then the familiar golden notification bloomed in front of my eyes. Quest complete. Just like that. Free 100 EXP for getting shoved out of someone’s apartment. I couldn’t help the small, cold smirk that tugged at the corner of my mouth as I turned and headed back downstairs.

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MAIN MENU

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NAME: Chance Brooks

LVL: 9 [105/505]

RANK: Homewrecker

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[ CORE STATS ]

> CHA: 22

> END: 11

> PER: 22

> LCK: 4

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[ ENERGY ]

> LUST: 180/180

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[ACTIVE PERKS: Expand]

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SIN POINTS: 1320

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I descended the stairs and unlocked my door.

Back inside my own flat, I dropped onto the couch and opened the quest list again, scrolling with one finger.

Most of the available missions were the usual low-effort garbage. Then one new entry near the top caught my attention. The border around it was darker than the others, almost red.

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CRUCIAL QUEST

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[!] MISSION:

Visiting?

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> OBJECTIVE:

Grope Sarah in her workplace.

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> REWARD:

+500 EXP

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I read it twice. Then a third time. Five hundred EXP. That was enough to push me well into the next level in one go. Maybe even further depending on how the system calculated it.

But the objective itself... Grope Sarah at her workplace. She worked as a waitress in a decently busy cafe. Not exactly a private environment. Cameras. Coworkers. Customers. One wrong move and this could go very, very badly. Maybe she’d hate me for it? Maybe she’d think I was being playful? Damn, this quest was good... but somehow bad at the same time.

Still...

My mind was already turning over possibilities. Closing time. The back hallway near the storage room. Maybe the employee bathroom if I timed it right. Or catching her during a quiet stretch when the place was nearly empty.

It would take preparation. And more importantly, it would take her willingness, or at least her hesitation long enough for me to make the move.

I leaned back against the couch, staring at the glowing quest window. Risky as hell. But the reward was too big to ignore.

"Can’t know if I don’t try," I murmured to myself.

A slow smile spread across my face.

"Right?"

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The coffee shop was on the second floor of the mall, between a phone accessory store and a small bookstore. The mall itself was already getting busy with morning foot traffic, people carrying shopping bags, groups of friends talking, the distant sound of some pop song playing over the speakers. Through the big glass storefront of the café I could see most of the tables were occupied.

Inside, the place had a warm, modern look. Exposed brick walls, hanging pendant lights with soft yellow bulbs, wooden tables, and the strong smell of fresh coffee and pastries in the air. A long counter ran along the back where the actual baristas worked the machines, while the waitresses moved between the tables taking orders and delivering drinks.

I stepped inside and spotted her almost immediately.

Sarah was carrying a tray with two cups toward a table near the window. Her white work shirt was tight across her chest, the fabric stretching over her full, heavy breasts with every step. The black apron tied around her waist only emphasized the wide curve of her hips and the thick thighs underneath her black pants. When she leaned forward to set the cups down, the movement made her tits shift noticeably under the shirt. She looked unfairly good for someone just doing her job.

I walked over and took a seat at a small empty table against the wall, giving me a clear view of most of the shop.

After she finished with the other customers, Sarah noticed me. Her expression brightened as she came over, still holding her empty tray against her hip.

"Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hi." I smiled back. "Wanted to get some coffee. Happened to be in this part of the city."

"Well, you came to the right place." She chuckled. "We have the best coffee."

"In that case, I’ll have a black coffee."

"Coming right up." She jotted it down quickly. "Anything else?"

"That’s all. Thanks."

"Okay. I’ll be back in a bit."

She turned and walked toward the counter to put the order in. My eyes dropped without shame, following the sway of her hips and the way her ass filled out those black pants. The fabric clung to each cheek with every step. Damn.

I leaned back in my chair, pretending to check my phone while my mind started working.

How the hell was I supposed to grope her in a place like this? The shop was busy. People everywhere. Cameras almost definitely watching. Doing anything obvious out in the open would be stupid. An "accidental" touch when she brought the coffee felt too risky. Maybe during her break, if I could get her somewhere quieter, the back hallway, near the employee restrooms, or even just outside by the service entrance.

While I was thinking, I noticed something else.

A woman sitting two tables away was looking at me. When our eyes met she held the contact for a second longer than normal before glancing down, a small smile on her lips. Another one near the counter looked over as well, then leaned in to whisper something to her friend while still glancing in my direction.

It took me a second to understand. Charisma 22. They were actually checking me out.

A few minutes later Sarah returned with my black coffee, setting it down carefully in front of me. "Here you go."

"Thanks."

She stayed by the table for a moment, shifting her weight onto one hip. "My break is in five minutes. If you’re alone... I can sit with you for a bit."

I looked up at her. "That’d be awesome. Thanks."

She smiled a little wider at that, then glanced back toward the counter where more orders were already waiting.

"Alright. I’ll be back soon."

"I’ll be here."

She walked off again, and this time I openly watched the way her hips moved until she disappeared behind the counter.

Five minutes.

I just needed a plan.

This time I met eyes with another woman across the shop. She held my gaze for a second before looking away with a small smile. Damn. I was actually getting attention in public now.

Those five minutes dragged on forever. Finally Sarah walked over, untying her apron as she came. She looked tired but still damn good, the tight white shirt still stretched across her chest, and the way her hips moved made it hard to focus.

Alright... what now? ’Hey, let me grab that ass real quick?’ Yeah. That was a one-way ticket to getting slapped.

"Thanks for waiting," she said, sitting down across from me. "I help clean the back room sometimes too."

"Hope they pay you extra for that."

"I wish." She chuckled. "So what are you doing here?"

"I was around. Trying to get outside more... be a little more active."

"Good for you." She smiled. "You should be proud of yourself."

"I am. A little tired, though." I took a sip of the coffee. "You were right. This is good."

"It is, right?"

I leaned back, mind racing. How the hell was I supposed to complete this quest? I was already bad at talking to women. Trying to grope one in the middle of a busy café felt impossible. Part of me wished I’d just ignored the quest entirely.

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PERCEPTION CHECK: ✓

[Needed: 10] - [Result: 14]

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The table behind you has

a wet chair.

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Earned: 50 SP

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