Class ended and Malakai packed quickly, dashing out the door so as to not give Hao Sheng a chance to intercept him. Not that the person in question had any plans to do so.
Hao Sheng watched him go with a small, imperceptible, smile.
Hao Sheng found it kind of cute how despite this huge misunderstanding, he had no intention to resolve right away, Malakai still found him somewhat attractive and still very much liked him. Even crazier was that the love gauge did not go down even though Hao Sheng was very prepared for it to drop slightly when he put this into motion. Despite the betrayal and hurt Malakai may have been feeling, he still like him.
Hao Sheng felt his interest in Malakai grow a bit as he leisurely packed his things into his bag.
Although that did not show on his face. Currently, he was supposed to be a dejected puppy who was just rejected, he would not blow his own cover just yet.
He walked out of the classroom slowly, looking a bit sad.
As soon as he got to his locker, he found a sad, concerned Luxia, with her recently present beau.
"How did it go?" she asked tentatively.
Hao Sheng sighed and opened his locker.
Luxia let out a silent 'oh'. "I'm guessing it didn't go so well".
Hao Sheng gave her a sad smile. "He ignored me and then ran out before I could even talk to him…"
Luxia scrunched up her face in worry.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly.
Hao Sheng looked at her and gave her a warm smile, "You have nothing to be sorry about".
Luxia pursed her lips but didn't anything. Although she didn't outright say it, Hao Sheng could tell she didn't believe him.
Hao Sheng and Ling Xing shared a look and Ling Xing pulled Luxia into a hug.
"Don't worry about it too much. Malakai will come around soon enough. He always does" she said half comforting Hao Sheng and half for Luxia's sake.
Hao Sheng smiled. "Yeah. I'm sure he'll stop avoiding me and talk to me by the end of the week".
Luxia nod slowly. "Yeah. I'm sure he'll come around".
Hao Sheng finished up at his locker and the three went their separate ways. All hoping this would get better.
But things did not get better. Malakai continued to evade Hao Sheng and Luxia all week. Not coming to their usual lunch table, blatantly turning around and going the opposite direction when he saw either of them. Even going as far as to pretend he didn't know who either of them were when asked about it.
He wasn't even trying to hide it at this point.
Hao Sheng didn't know whether to laugh or slip him a book on more covert ways to avoid people.
Of course he couldn't do any of that so he just went about his week as normally as he could.
Soon Friday afternoon came around and there was still no development.
Luxia sat in one of the benches outside the school main building, with Xing Ling.
"Why do you look sadder about this than I am?" Hao Sheng teased as he sat down beside her.
"Because I am!" she said with a huff.
"What about you?!" she said point a finger at him chest. "Shouldn't you be a bit more bothered about this whole thing than you are!?"
Hao Sheng shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I've kind of come to terms with it and am just waiting for him to be ready to talk to me first" he said nonchalantly.
"Your boyfriend think you're dating another girl" she said incredulously. "How are you so indifferent?"
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Same difference!"
Hao Sheng smiled. "Not really but okay…"
"My point is, I would be freaking out by now if I were you" Luxia said.
Hao Sheng raised a brow. "Then why aren't you? Did your girlfriend not misunderstand?" he asked slyly.
"Nah. She's too obsessed with me for that. Didn't doubt her for a minute" Xing Ling drawled with a smirk.
Luxia swatted her, blushing slightly. "Oh shut up."
Xing Lind smiled sweetly before turning to Hao Sheng. "Anyway, it really doesn't help to just sit ere and talk about things. I heard there's going to be another party tomorrow. You should go, it might help you take your mind off things".
Hao Sheng considered it before shaking his head. "No thank you. It's not really my scene. I'll just mope a bit more at home".
Xing Ling shrugged. "Well, do what you want. It's not really my business anyway". She turned to Luxia. "Wanna have a sleepover at yours then? I could use some company this weekend." She said with a wink.
Luxia smiled. "Sure. I'd be happy to have you."
Hao Sheng coughed, loudly. "Thank you for reminding me I'm single. Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking my single ass home". He stood up and gave then a mischievous smirk.
Luxia stuck her tongue out at him but waved nonetheless. "Sure. I'll see you Monday."
"Wish you the best with everything" Xing Ling said with a nod.
Hao Sheng made his way home and carried on like it was a normal Friday, seemingly unbothered.
The same could not be said for 333 however. He was content to just stand back and let the host do his thing, but he was starting to get increasingly worried now. The target was actively avoiding the host! He wasn't even being smooth with it either…
The point was that although neither bars got worse, they didn't get any better either! If things kept going this way, the mission would stagnate and soon the target might even loose feelings! After all, there is that one human saying that says 'time heals all wounds', if the target is given time, he'll eventually forget all about the host and the mission would be a failure!
333 couldn't let that happen. If the mission failed, he would get demoted. Again. Worse than that, he might not get paid… He really needed that money. He wasn't going to let a chance like this go because of the likes of his stupid host who didn't want to act accordingly and just did whatever he wanted.
333 had tried to hold on anxiously, hoping that maybe the host had a plan, but this stupid host didn't even seem bothered. He just did what he wanted and didn't even attempt to contact the target, except for a few half-hearted texts every day.
Finally, Saturday evening while the Hao Sheng was watching TV with the now constant noodles in hand, 333 gave up and decided to confront him.
[Uhm, dearest host, I don't mean to bother you but…]
[WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON DOING ABOUT THIS DISASTER?!]
Hao Sheng winced when 333 exploded unexpectedly like that.
'Are you crazy? Why did you do that? I could have spilled my food!'
[Forget your food! This is something bigger!]
Hao Sheng sighed and paused the TV.
'What's gotten into you? You've been kind of snappy lately. You seem stressed. Anything I can do to help?'
If 333 had a body with blood running in it, he is sure he would have popped a blood vessel by now. If he had any stress, who would be to blame for it all?! Of course he would be a bit snappy if all his interactions with his host ended with him in a bad mood. It was always this damn host. Why did he get so unlucky as to sign with host?
Systems had feelings as well!
333 silently felt like weeping. This host did not care about him at all. He always bullied him and made fun of him. Calling him stupid for not guessing his outlandish plans. He was near done. When he was done here he was going to write a full complaint report to the main system and complain.
With that in mind, 333 calmed himself down. He still had to talk to the host about how to solve this. Or else they were both, as humans put it, fucked.
[Look. That's not important right now.]
[This is about the target!]
Hao Sheng hummed. "What about him?" he asked, the disinterest strong in his voice.
333 was silent for a moment as he gathered his bearings.
[Okay.]
[This is serious host! I don't understand why you, yourself, are not bothered by this as well]
[The target has been ignoring and avoiding you all week ever since those rumours came out and you've done nothing to fix this misunderstanding!]
Hao Sheng sighed. 'It all part of the plan baby, don't worry about it and just keep doing your own thing.'
[What plan?]
Hao Sheng clicked his tongue and shook his head disappointed. 'I guess I'll explain it in detail since you're too dumb to get it.'
Hao Sheng put down his noodles and got serious.
'I call this 'Plan: Make Malakai jealous enough to get things moving'. I noticed that while things are moving smoothly, they weren't really moving. Malakai seemed to have the problem of being too oblivious to his obvious feelings for me. If things proceeded that way, I would be friendzoned for a long time before he finally realised his feelings for me. Normal something big would have to happen for them to become obvious like someone making a move on me or something. I could have waited for something like to happen but I'm not really a patient man so I just gave him a little nudge.'
[That was those rumours you started…]
'Exactly,' Hao Sheng said with a smile. 'After I realised that the development would be stagnated by a lot for the time being, I found some people online to sneak into that party and take any incriminating pictures of me. But the problem was that I was spending a bit too much time around Malakai so I found an excuse to leave for a moment and go create some incriminating evidence. Honestly I didn't expect the grand reveal with Luxia but I couldn't not take the opportunity. I do actual like Luxia as a friend and didn't intend to involve her but she just happened to be right there at the right time-'
[I told you she was in there…]
'-minor details.' Hao Sheng said with an eye roll. 'Anyway so after comforting her a bit, I went downstairs with her and got a few good pictures and review them that same night. After that I had them send an anonymous tip to that gossip blog and the rest was history.' Hao Sheng finished, looking a bit proud of himself.
[Sure. Congratulations host, your plan worked and now he is jealous and very aware of his feelings. But now, he's avoiding you.]
[Do you also have a plan for that?]
When 333 asked that, he was just being a sarcastic little shit, he did not expect Hao Sheng to smile with a nod.
[*sigh*]
[Oh dear host. Please bless this stupid, poor system with the knowledge of it is you plan to do.]
Hao Sheng grinned.
'Well since you asked so nicely…'
'Well after preparing him like this, all I have to do is strike and put him through a last little push that will cement out relationship.'
333 tsked.
'Oh come on. I know you think I'm a bad person but I promise I'm not. I just like doing things on my own. You can just think of me like one of those little authors who write romance novels. This is the plot they usually follow, I just copied it. Usually the coupe gets on and one refuses to admit their feelings. Something happens and bam! Feelings admitted, couple together. Those writers use jealousy as a tool to push things forward, so why can't I? I just made my own opportunity instead of waiting for one. This way I can safely make a move without the fear of rejection from an oblivious prick who doesn't know how he feels.' Hao Sheng shrugged. 'That doesn't make me a bad guy.'
333 internally rolled his eyes. He knew before but his host was really kind of self-centred.
[Okay, sure. But how are you so sure your plan will work and not backfire?]
'Because I practically studied those romance novels in preparation.' Hao Sheng said with a mysterious smile.
[What does that even mean?]
'Nothing you should worry your pretty head about'
[You know what, whatever.]
[Don't come crying to me when the target keeps ignoring you and his favourability drops.]
Hao Sheng hummed. 'Don't worry, my opportunity will come soon'.
Just then, Hao Sheng's phone rang and he smiled.
'See? Here's my opportunity already!'