As the safe space ended, Rhys popped his hand over his nose and acted as though he were in pain.
His nose was still dripping with blood thanks to the safe space ending, but he no longer felt as much stinging pain since ten minutes actually passed.
As the man came back with tissues, Seth began to help wipe Rhys' nose for him, the two profusely apologising.
"Isn't it unsanitary of him to wipe my nose for me?" Rhys said to Kane, who only replied with a quick read the room.
Using his smiling skill, Rhys hoped his charisma worked as he told them he was perfectly fine, and not to worry, even telling the man he should just go back and leave them be.
To Rhys' amazement, it worked. He didn't completely sugar coat his words, but the man and Seth didn't seem to care about why he was being a little rude.
"I love this attribute." Rhys thought as he focused on Seth, taking the tissue he held and throwing it away.
"Just so you know, your charisma works because they're low level background characters in an easy world, and he's just Seth, you'll have to upgrade it more in harder worlds." Kane reminded, much to Rhys' dismay.
Returning, he tried reassuring Seth by taking intertwining their hands and pulling them towards him, looking up at Seth with a smile.
"So heartwarming, he's learning how to hold hands." Kane said wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.
Ignoring him, Rhys continued on. "I'm really fine, see? My nose doesn't even hurt anymore! The blood is drying, don't worry about it. I'm just happy you're fine."
Hearing that, Seth's affection rose by three, putting him at a total of twenty-two affection points. Seeing it as a success, Rhys let go and straightened himself as he asked Seth to go pack up.
"You should try getting hit in the face more," Kane teased. "It may give you brain trauma and you could become a better host." He muttered the last part.
As the two begin to argue, Xavier and Erin ran back into the gym, immediately making their ways towards Rhys.
"I heard what happened, are you okay?" Erin said, sounding slightly panicked. Xavier on the other hand was all over Rhys smushing his face, turning it side to side.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Rhys tried to say, but it sounded more muffled and gibberish like thanks to Xavier death gripping his face.
"His grip hurts more than the basketball." Rhys thought to Kane, who only started cackling.
"Just what are you happy about?!" Rhys scolded Kane, bringing his attention back to the targets.
"You're really an idiot, you know? You could of just pushed Seth out of the way instead of swapping places." Erin sighed.
Xavier stopped squishing Rhys' face and violently nodded, scolding Rhys too. "Oh I would of loved to if it weren't for the fact the mission said I had to take the hit." Rhys thought.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight! I just didn't want Seth to get hit, my bad." Rhys said, apologising for worrying them.
As the situation calmed and Seth came back, the boys made their way to the car, being slightly annoying with their "can you see properly?" jokes.
"This is the last time I take a hit for someone." Rhys hissed to Kane, who only laughed along with them.
The drive home was peaceful, everyone having discussions about their day, and what they had to do, dinner suggestions, and more.
When they got home, they went their separate ways for the next few hours, deciding to start hanging out after dinner.
After quickly prepping the meat, Rhys made his way to his room and began to practice his skills, this time keeping a whole box of tissues close to him.
"You're cautious now, huh host? Why not just do your work in the bathroom instead?" Kane suggested, jokingly.
"Actually-" Rhys weighed the pros and cons of doing it in there, as Kane smacked him on the head, telling him that that he'd keep a look out.
Pulling out his stationery and phone to play some podcast, he got to work. For the next three hours straight, he had spent it crying, cramping his hand up, and breaking his ears.
At long last, Rhys took a break and checked on the status of his skills. Master listener was level 4, signatures, please was level two, and his skill crocodile tears, had evolved.
"Crocodile tears skill now level (5). Requirements met, now evolving." The screen read, Rhys excited to finally have a better crying skill.
"Wait is that something I should even be happy about? Just me being better at being a crybaby?" Rhys thought for a second, the system was tainting him.
"Crocodile tears now waterworks, host is able to cry on command and make it seem somewhat genuine based on their acting skills. Does not lose affection points. Using this skill repeatedly allows host to level it up." The screen read.
"At least now you can cry in front of people other than just the targets! That would be useful in harder worlds." Kane said, as Rhys sighed.
"Genuine based off my acting? What do they expect me to be a grade A actor each time I want to use the skill?" Rhys mumbled, drying off his tears as he made his way downstairs to finish making dinner.
"On a side note, I think your writing speed has increased host! Not only did you manage to do all your assignments normally, but you also managed to level up your signatures, please skill!" Kane commented.
"I found a loophole. It only requires you to write a certain amount of full pages before it levels up, so if I keep writing down the same two words and alter back and forth, it counts." Rhys said, putting on his apron.
"No wonder you got it done so fast, I was wondering how you could think of so many different things to write." Kane replied, thinking back on how Rhys would only write hate letters about the system to level up his skill.
"Stop talking and help me make dinner." Rhys said as he began to wash the vegetables, Kane getting the other ingredients out.
A bit after half an hour later, the chicken breasts were baked and the vegetables were fried up. Letting Kane set the table, Rhys made his way upstairs to call everyone down.
Knocking on everyone's doors and telling them dinner was ready, he nearly felt like his own mom for a second, remembering when he was smaller and she'd knock his room door while he spent his time learning the piano, calling him for dinner.
"How did I go from a well known musician to an unofficial mom?" Rhys thought to himself as he made his way down with Erin in tow.
As they ate dinner, they went over the plans for tomorrow. Either later tonight or tomorrow, they have to pack their bags and double check they have everything they need. When they're getting ready for school, they'd put their bags in the trunk and not return back to the house.
"I also have to pick up the flowers." Rhys added in as they nodded, talking about what else to pack, and how long it would take.
That's when another system mission popped up again, causing Rhys to nearly choke on his food. Why now, of all times?
"OPTIONAL SYSTEM MISSION"
"Go to the jewellers in the mall and buy your dad a yellow gold ring with diamonds in the middle, by outbidding the competition. You will be rewarded upon completion, no punishment."
"Why not, host? You have a lot of spare change. Judging from the type of ring, it can't be more than a thousand, so you could definitely outbid them." Kane commented after reading the mission as well.
Debating it for a minute, Rhys decided why not, it'd be a waste to just have all this money anyways, and he still had over $200,000 so it wouldn't hurt to give his dad a proper gift.
Acting like he suddenly remembered, Rhys clapped his hands to get the target's attentions. "I just remembered! Would you mind if I stopped by the jewellers really quickly? I want to buy him a ring for his birthday." Rhys asked.
Finding no problems with it, they all agreed and Rhys sealed the deal with the mission, determined to get the ring and complete it.
"Will every world have this many missions, though?" Rhys complained to Kane. Shrugging, Kane went ahead and ate some of Rhys' vegetables.
After dinner, the boys cleaned up and spent the next two hours watching a movie and playing some games, before leaving to pack up, Xavier repeatedly reminding them to bring their games too.
"I think I'm the only one without a suitcase." Rhys suddenly said as he remembered not finding a suitcase when he first cleaned the house.
"Just improvise? I'm sure your parents haven't thrown out your old clothes within a month." Kane replied.
"If I go without clothes I blame you completely." Rhys said as he packed some of his consoles in his school bag.
"I guess this is it? I mean, I should have all my necessities at my parent's house." Rhys said, still not feeling like visiting his parents in this world was 100% real.
"Back to practicing skills, then! I'll let you sleep when it turns to midnight!" Kane said as he pushed Rhys to his desk.
"Hey wait, can't I take a shower first?! And that's almost three hours away!" Rhys cried out, exhausted already.
"Nope, work on your skills, you'll thank me for this later on." Kane replied as grabbed a pencil and notebook for Rhys to write with.
Using both his signatures, please skill and master listener skill for the next three hours, Rhys felt as though he were completely dead. His body was going to be sore the entire next day, and not to mention the car ride.
"You're overreacting, you won't have time to train your skills tomorrow, and I'm prepping you for your next world." Kane said as he threw a pair of pyjamas at Rhys, letting him get changed at last.
Reading the pop up screens, he read that master listener had finally evolved, and signatures, please was at level 4, his writing speed slowing down as his hand cramped frequently.
"If you also used waterworks you'd have leveled it up." Kane muttered, only for Rhys to yell a shut up at him.
"What are you trying to do? Make my eyes constantly red and looking swollen?" Rhys hissed at the mere thought of it.
"Master listener skill now level (5). Requirements met, now evolving." The screen read, and changed.
"Master listener now eavesdropper, host is able to listen in to things within a five meter radius without paying any attention for ten minutes."
"Now this is a skill I could actually get behind, one that lets me not pay attention and retain information for long amounts of time." Rhys said to himself, feeling a little accomplished with this skill, considering how long it took to finally evolve it.
Before Kane could reply, or go on a long rant on how amazing the system was Rhys had plopped onto the bed and went to sleep.
Sighing, Kane spent the next twenty minutes trying to drag and put him in proper sleep posture, before putting the blanket over him and going to sleep as well. "You should really cherish me, host." Kane said.
The next morning, Rhys got up groggy and annoyed, before stumbling into the bathroom to take a shower, nearly shrieking from how cold it was.
Adjusting the temperature properly, he tried again as he tried to wake himself up. After fifteen minutes, he dried himself off and changed, before grabbing his bag and bringing it downstairs, getting ready to make breakfast.
Going through their morning routine, Rhys finished up soon before waking Xavier, no matter how much he said to himself he was prepared to be kissed, a blush was still on his face.
Wrapping his arms around Xavier, he carried him down the stairs and played with his hair a little, before placing him in his seat, Xavier thanking him, his affection rising by one, putting him at twenty-nine.
"Since he's nearly at thirty, will I get that thing like the tutorial? Once they reached 30 I got a information dump thing?" Rhys questioned.
"You only get that when all targets reach a minimum quota." Kane said, sitting down next to Rhys' plate and digging in.
"I'm making good progress anyways, so it doesn't matter whether I get that information now or later." Rhys thought, digging in.
Breakfast was peaceful as they went over everything they had packed, and dispersed to clean or take their showers, and in Xavier's case take a shower, do his homework, and pack in half an hour.
"Procrastination is rough, huh." Rhys thought as he could hear Xavier's loud and panicked footsteps.
"Where's your bag?" Seth questioned Rhys, trying to make small talk with him, since he was all ready.
"Since it is my house I don't really need to pack much, right?" Rhys said with a smile, causing Seth to let out a little oh, seems like he too, forgot about it.
The two had idle chatter about if Rhys was feeling better, and what playing basketball was like. Seth's affection had raised by one too, putting him at twenty-three.
"Is asking him about himself really something that makes him happy enough to raise an affection point?" Rhys asked.
"You really don't understand people. Anyone would be happy to share their hobbies or interest with a friend, especially someone who seems excited or happy to learn more." Kane replied, feeling like he was teaching a toddler.
As the other two boys made it down awhile later, they put their things in the trunk and left, saying goodbye to the house for the weekend.
The drive was a bit hectic with all of Xavier's constant mumbling and changing the subject, but the three of them managed, somehow, to persevere through it.
Making their way to school, they all went their separate ways, much to Rhys' happiness, and he got started with his smiles, greeting everyone around him, with his hopes high.
"Let's hope by now, a few people assume Xavier and I like each other." Rhys said to Kane, entering the classroom.
Instead of hearing rumours about his relationship with Xavier, he was met with disappointment that everyone just wanted to talk to him about his day or their own day so far.
"I thought rumours would spread quickly in a novel world!" Rhys cried to Kane who only shrugged at him.
"I mean, it's not like you're the female lead or anything, not all novel logic applies to you." Kane responded, watching Rhys get slightly annoyed.
"I guess you'll have to find a different way to bring up Xavier's affection points." He snickered, making his way to Rhys desk.
"I swear I'm going to kill this system. What's up with them giving me only the worst novel logic, like being surrounded by crowds, but not having people spread rumors about me!" Rhys yelled in his head, trying to get to his seat.
"I think you're the one who's flawed, I mean, who normally asks for rumours to be spread about them?" Kane muttered to himself.
"Work hard host, you're not even at the mission part yet and you're already struggling." He said to Rhys, laughing.