Part 1Captivating the Heart of the Second Lead

The humming static of the System in my head sounded like a hard drive crashing.

I held the rose out to Sebastian Caldwell. "For you."

Sebastian—the boy who usually had every girl in the hallway swooning—seemed to have forgotten he was even hiding a flower of his own. I suppose when you’ve spent your whole life as the hunter, getting "hunted" back feels like a glitch in the matrix.

After a long beat, he scratched the back of his neck, his cocky facade finally cracking. "Thanks," he muttered.

He pulled his own rose from behind his back and handed it to me, his hooded, dark eyes shimmering with that familiar, flirtatious charm. "A fair trade."

I shook my head. I took his rose, and with a swift flick of my wrist, I tapped the two flowers together. Suddenly, they were bound by a silk ribbon I’d seemingly pulled from thin air.

I placed both of them back into his hand. "Now you have two. Both for you."

Sebastian blinked, completely thrown. He hadn’t planned for a second act. "Why?" he asked, his voice a little breathless.

The System finally rebooted, screaming: [Host! You have to be demure! Playing hard to get is the only way to hook a guy like Sebastian!]

Demure?

Understood. That meant I shouldn't be clingy or force a connection.

I took a step back, creating space. "Because I like you," I said simply.

The System: [...]

To be thorough, I added, "And I like giving beautiful things to people I like."

If emotions had a physical form, I’m pretty sure steam would have been pouring out of Sebastian’s ears right then. He gripped the roses so hard the stems probably bruised, turned on his heel without another word, and bolted down the hall.

I watched the tips of his ears glow red as he disappeared into the crowd. Did I do that right? I asked the System.

The System stayed silent for a beat before whispering: [That was... a pro move. 10/10.]