Adrian walked into the main lecture hall, his new life starting to sink in. The sheer size of the room dwarfed any classroom he'd ever been in. Rows of seats rose in a semi-circle, each filled with students chatting or preparing for class. At the center stood a raised platform with a holographic display flickering to life.
The System's voice buzzed in his head.
[Heads up. First impressions matter. Don't screw this up, dumbass.]
Adrian muttered under his breath, "Do you ever shut up?"
[Nope. Now focus. See that girl in the second row? That's Sophia Hart—one of the heroines. Fiery attitude, trust issues, and a hatred for guys who think they're clever. Sound familiar?]
He followed the System's direction. There she was: long auburn hair tied into a high ponytail, sharp emerald eyes glaring at something—or someone—across the room. Her crossed arms and impatient tapping foot screamed, Don't mess with me.
"Tsundere central," Adrian murmured, smirking.
[Careful, genius. Her favorability starts in the negatives. You need to work your way up, and no, being a cocky prick won't help.]
Adrian ignored the jab, considering his options. He couldn't just waltz up and strike a conversation. Sophia Hart wasn't the type to entertain strangers, especially not random extras.
His gaze shifted to the guy she was glaring at—a tall, blonde, clean-cut student with a million-dollar smile. Alexander Reid. The protagonist.
"Of course," Adrian muttered.
Alexander leaned casually against the desk, his laughter infectious and his aura magnetic. Sophia's glare intensified, though it was hard to tell whether it was annoyance or begrudging interest.
[Protagonist's luck. Everything he does somehow works out. Meanwhile, you'll need to sweat for scraps.]
"Thanks for the pep talk," Adrian shot back.
Still, he had no time to waste. He needed an in—something that would draw Sophia's attention without making him look like a desperate fool.
---
The lecture began, the professor droning about advanced business strategies. Adrian barely listened, his mind occupied with plotting his first move. His System was annoyingly quiet, offering no suggestions, as if daring him to fail.
Halfway through the class, an opportunity presented itself. Sophia raised her hand, challenging the professor on a point he'd made about risk mitigation.
"That only works if you assume a static market environment," she argued, her voice firm but controlled. "In a volatile economy, those strategies fall apart. You'd need a more adaptive approach, like flexible hedging or multi-layered options."
The professor frowned, caught off guard by her detailed response. A murmur spread through the class, admiration mixed with surprise.
Adrian saw his chance.
As soon as the lecture ended, he approached her, careful to keep his tone neutral but confident.
"That was impressive," he said.
Sophia glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "What?"
"The way you handled the professor's argument. You didn't just challenge him; you backed it up with solid reasoning."
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to flatter me?"
"Not at all," Adrian replied smoothly. "Just giving credit where it's due."
Sophia studied him for a moment before shrugging. "Well, at least you're not as clueless as the rest of the guys here."
[Small win, but don't get cocky. Her favorability is still barely above zero.]
Adrian ignored the System, focusing on Sophia. "I'm Adrian Blake, by the way. New transfer."
"Sophia Hart," she said curtly.
"I know. You're hard to miss."
Her eyes sharpened. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Adrian smiled faintly. "It means you stand out—not in a bad way. Confidence like yours isn't exactly common."
For a moment, Sophia seemed caught off guard. Then she smirked, crossing her arms. "You've got a decent tongue, I'll give you that. But don't think you can charm me that easily."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Adrian said, his tone light.
Sophia rolled her eyes but didn't dismiss him outright. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
---
Later that day, Adrian spotted Sophia in the campus gym, sparring in the boxing ring. Her punches were quick and precise, her movements fluid. A small crowd had gathered to watch, including Alexander, who looked impressed but stayed on the sidelines.
[Warning: Protagonist proximity detected. Don't let him steal the spotlight.]
Adrian sighed. "Noted."
He waited until Sophia's match ended, then approached the ring.
"You're good," he said.
She wiped sweat from her brow, glancing at him. "What, you box too?"
"I've dabbled," Adrian lied.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Care to back that up?"
Adrian hesitated. He wasn't exactly a fighter, but backing down wasn't an option.
"Why not?" he said, climbing into the ring.
The crowd murmured in anticipation. Even Alexander seemed intrigued, though he remained silent.
Sophia smirked. "Hope you can keep up."
[You're an idiot. She's going to destroy you.]
"Shut up," Adrian muttered under his breath.
The match began, and Sophia didn't hold back. Her punches were relentless, her footwork impeccable. Adrian dodged and blocked as best he could, but it was clear he was outmatched.
Still, he refused to give up. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up, earning a flicker of respect in Sophia's eyes.
After a grueling ten minutes, she called it off.
"Not bad for a newbie," she said, offering him a hand.
Adrian took it, breathing heavily. "You're… relentless."
Sophia chuckled. "You're not half bad. For an extra."
Her words stung, but Adrian didn't let it show. Instead, he smiled. "Thanks for the lesson."
[Favorability increased slightly. Keep pushing.]
---
As Adrian left the gym, battered but not beaten, he couldn't help but grin. Sophia Hart was a challenge, but one he was determined to conquer.
The System chimed in smugly.
[Not terrible, Adrian. You might survive this after all.]
"Just watch," Adrian muttered. "I'm going to win this game, one heroine at a time."
The road ahead was long and brutal, but Adrian wasn't backing down.
---