Chapter 98: 98 | Important

Jason stared at the screen.

[Awaiting Host confirmation.]

He blinked.

"Confirmation?"

The system window remained there.

Jason rubbed his eyes and looked again.

It hadn't changed.

"What exactly am I confirming?"

No response.

He waited.

Nothing.

Jason sighed.

"Fine."

He tapped the screen.

"I confirm."

The system immediately reacted.

[Confirmation received.]

[Temporary Quest Objective has been updated.]

Jason's expression became serious.

The next window appeared.

[Objective: Spend meaningful one-on-one time with Vivian.]

[Time Limit: 5 Days, 21 Hours, 03 Minutes.]

Jason stared.

That was it?

He read it again.

There was no additional requirement.

No location.

No specific activity.

No number of hours.

Just Vivian.

One-on-one.

Meaningful time.

Jason frowned.

"This is your big objective?"

The system remained silent.

He leaned back against the headboard.

Yesterday, he'd imagined something much worse.

Something that would force him into an impossible situation.

Something that would directly threaten his relationship with Sarah.

Instead, the system had given him something deceptively simple.

Spend time with Vivian.

But Jason knew better than to underestimate the system.

The last time it had given him a vague objective, there had been consequences hidden underneath it.

He opened the quest details.

Nothing.

He checked the reward.

Nothing.

He checked the failure penalty.

Nothing.

Jason stared at the screen.

"You're really not going to explain anything?"

Silence.

He dropped the phone onto his bed.

Then he remembered Vivian's words from last night.

I think I need some distance.

Jason groaned.

"Of course."

The system had given him an objective involving the one person who had specifically asked him for distance.

He got out of bed.

He had barely taken two steps when his phone vibrated again.

Jason picked it up.

Sarah.

Sarah: Morning.

Jason smiled.

Jason: Morning.

Sarah: Did you sleep well?

Jason hesitated.

Jason: Eventually.

Sarah: Same.

A second later:

Sarah: I'm still thinking about yesterday.

Jason stared at the message.

Jason: Good thoughts or bad thoughts?

The reply came quickly.

Sarah: Both.

Jason smiled faintly.

That sounded like Sarah.

Sarah: But mostly good.

Jason: That's something.

Sarah: Yeah.

There was a pause.

Then:

Sarah: Are you free today?

Jason's thumb stopped.

Today.

Of all days.

He glanced at the system notification.

Spend meaningful one-on-one time with Vivian.

Jason slowly typed.

Jason: What did you have in mind?

Sarah: I don't know yet.

Another message appeared.

Sarah: I just want to see you.

Jason smiled.

Jason: I'm free.

Sarah: Good.

Then:

Sarah: Come over later?

Jason: Sure.

Sarah: Good.

The conversation ended there.

Jason placed his phone down.

For a moment, he felt relieved.

Then another thought surfaced.

If he spent time with Sarah today, would that count against the objective?

Obviously not.

But the system wanted Vivian.

And Vivian wanted distance.

Jason walked into the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth, he kept thinking about it.

He couldn't simply approach Vivian and say, "The system wants me to spend time with you."

That would obviously be impossible.

So what was he supposed to do?

Invent an excuse?

That felt wrong.

He could wait for her to approach him.

But she had already said she wanted distance.

Waiting could mean wasting an entire day.

Jason spat into the sink.

"Great."

He looked at his reflection.

For the first time, the system wasn't simply asking him to accomplish something.

It was asking him to navigate people.

And people were much harder to control than quests.

By the time Jason finished getting ready, it was almost ten.

He picked up his phone.

There was another message.

Not from Sarah.

Vivian.

Vivian: Morning.

Jason stared at it.

His first reaction was surprise.

She had been the one asking for distance.

He typed.

Jason: Morning.

Three dots appeared.

Vivian: Did you sleep?

Jason: Eventually.

Vivian: Same.

Jason frowned.

Something felt different.

He typed:

Jason: Everything okay?

The typing indicator appeared.

This time, it remained there for several seconds.

Vivian: Yeah.

Then:

Vivian: I just wanted to check on you.

Jason stared at the message.

Before he could reply, another notification appeared.

[Quest Progress Condition detected.]

Jason's eyes widened.

[Interaction with target: Vivian.]

[Current progress: 3%.]

He nearly dropped the phone.

"What?"

He looked at the message again.

Just talking to Vivian had increased his progress.

Jason's expression became complicated.

So the objective wasn't simply about physical time.

Meaningful interaction mattered.

He immediately understood why the system had made the objective so vague.

It wanted him to build something naturally.

Jason shook his head.

"You're getting smarter."

He typed another message.

Jason: Thanks for checking on me.

Vivian: You're welcome.

A pause.

Vivian: About yesterday...

Jason waited.

Vivian: I hope I didn't make things awkward.

Jason: You didn't.

Vivian: Really?

Jason: Really.

Vivian: Good.

Then another message appeared.

Vivian: I meant what I said, though.

Jason's smile disappeared.

Jason: About needing distance?

Vivian: Yeah.

Jason stared at the screen.

He could feel the system sitting invisibly behind the conversation.

It wanted him to move closer.

Vivian wanted to step back.

Jason had never faced a more obvious contradiction.

He typed carefully.

Jason: I understand.

Vivian: Thank you.

Jason: You don't have to thank me.

Vivian: I do.

A pause.

Vivian: You're actually making this harder.

Jason frowned.

Jason: How?

The typing indicator appeared.

Then disappeared.

Finally:

Vivian: Because you're being too understanding.

Jason stared.

Jason: What am I supposed to do?

This time, there was a longer pause.

Vivian: I don't know.

Jason leaned against the wall.

He didn't know either.

Then his phone vibrated.

[Quest Progress: 5%.]

Jason's eyes widened.

He hadn't even done anything.

Apparently, whatever was happening between them was enough.

He locked the phone.

This was going to be complicated.

Very complicated.

An hour later, Jason left his apartment.

He had promised Sarah he would visit.

That was the easy part.

The difficult part was figuring out what to do about Vivian.

He walked toward Sarah's apartment.

His phone vibrated halfway there.

Sarah: Where are you?

Jason: On my way.

Sarah: Good.

Then:

Sarah: I have something for you.

Jason smiled.

Jason: What?

Sarah: Surprise.

Jason: Should I be worried?

Sarah: Maybe.

Jason laughed.

When he reached the building, Sarah was already waiting downstairs.

She spotted him immediately.

Her expression softened.

"You came."

Jason smiled.

"I said I would."

Sarah walked toward him.

For a second, she simply looked at him.

Then she hugged him.

Jason wrapped his arms around her.

"Morning."

"Morning."

She pulled away.

"You look tired."

"I didn't sleep well."

Sarah frowned.

"Because of yesterday?"

Jason hesitated.

"Partly."

She studied his face.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be."

"I know."

She took his hand.

"Come upstairs."

Jason followed her.

As they walked, Sarah squeezed his hand.

Neither said anything.

But Jason felt something settle inside him.

This was what he had been afraid of losing.

Not simply Sarah herself.

This.

The ordinary comfort.

The ease.

The feeling that he belonged beside her.

When they reached the apartment, Sarah opened the door.

Vivian wasn't there.

Jason noticed immediately.

Sarah noticed him noticing.

"She's out."

Jason nodded.

"Okay."

Sarah closed the door.

Then she turned around.

"Good."

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Good?"

"I wanted you to myself today."

He smiled.

"That's a little possessive."

"Maybe."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the living room.

They sat together.

For the next hour, they talked about completely ordinary things.

School.

Food.

Their plans for the coming week.

Things that didn't matter.

And somehow mattered more than everything else.

Sarah eventually rested her head against his shoulder.

"You know what I realized?"

"What?"

"Yesterday wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Jason looked down at her.

"That's good."

"I thought I'd be angry."

"You were."

"I was."

She smiled.

"But I'm not anymore."

Jason's chest tightened.

"Why?"

Sarah was quiet for a moment.

"Because I trust you."

Jason didn't answer.

Sarah lifted her head.

"Don't make me regret saying that."

"I won't."

"You better not."

"I won't."

She smiled.

Then kissed his cheek.

Jason looked at her.

"What's the surprise?"

Sarah's expression became playful.

"Oh."

She stood.

"Wait here."

"Why?"

"Because if I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

She disappeared into the bedroom.

Jason smiled.

For a few minutes, he simply sat there.

Then his phone vibrated.

He looked at the screen.

Vivian.

Vivian: Are you with Sarah?

Jason froze.

He typed:

Jason: Yeah.

A few seconds passed.

Vivian: Okay.

Jason stared at the message.

Then another one appeared.

Vivian: Good.

He frowned.

Jason: Why?

No response.

He waited.

Nothing.

Then the system appeared.

[Target interaction detected.]

[Progress: 7%.]

Jason stared at the screen.

"What are you doing?"

The system gave no answer.

He put the phone away.

Sarah returned carrying two drinks.

She handed one to him.

"I remembered you liked this."

Jason looked at the drink.

Then at her.

"Thanks."

She sat beside him.

"So?"

"So?"

"Do you like the surprise?"

Jason smiled.

"Very much."

Sarah smiled back.

For the next few hours, he stayed with her.

And despite everything, he found himself enjoying it.

He didn't think about Vivian.

He didn't think about the system.

At least, not constantly.

For once, Jason simply allowed himself to be Jason.

Then, near evening, his phone vibrated.

[Quest Progress: 8%.]

Jason frowned.

He hadn't spoken to Vivian in hours.

Why had the progress increased?

He opened the notification.

[Meaningful relationship development detected.]

Jason's expression changed.

He slowly looked at Sarah.

She was watching television.

Completely unaware.

Jason's phone vibrated again.

[Target relationship has become emotionally significant.]

Jason's eyes narrowed.

There was something else hidden in this quest.

Something he hadn't understood yet.

And whatever it was...

The system wasn't measuring Vivian alone.

It was measuring all three of them.

Jason looked at Sarah.

Then at his phone.

A cold feeling settled in his stomach.

The quest wasn't asking him to spend time with Vivian.

It was watching what happened between them.

And suddenly, Jason understood why the system had called their relationship unstable.

It wasn't trying to force a decision.

It was waiting to see what he would choose.

His phone went dark.

Jason slowly put it back into his pocket.

Sarah turned toward him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She smiled.

"You're saying that a lot."

Jason laughed softly.

"Maybe today isn't important."

Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"That sounds familiar."

Jason smiled.

"Yeah."

But this time, he didn't believe it.

Today was important.

Very important.

Because whatever happened next would determine the direction of all three of their lives.