"JESS!"
[Jess has been selected as your First Mission.]
The message confirming Jeff's answer is displayed on the mysterious holographic screen. However, that's not what Jeff was concerned about.
"What?!"
Jess thought that Jeff was talking to her. She looks at him with a pissed-off glare before talking with a furious tone in her voice.
Jeff, surprised by the sudden interaction between him and his childhood friend, didn't know how to explain that he was not actually talking to her. Yet Jeff was able to comprehend that if he told that to Jess, then she would surely be more furious than she already is.
As Jess glared at him, waiting for his reply, Jeff's mind did everything it could to process all the information that Jeff's eye could see to give an answer that would please and at the same quell Jess's anger.
...Light golden blonde hair color, long hairstyle, sharp gaze, attractive face, slender body, morena skin tone, tsundere personality, gyaru look, fragrance smell, white camisole, mini short jeans...
All of this information leads to one answer that Jeff's mind can come up with in a fraction of a second.
"Ummm... You look really beautiful today... I mean, not just today but as always... It's just that I haven't seen you or looked at you properly in a long time."
It was at least an acceptable answer, as it's the man's responsibility to compliment a woman's effort to dress nicely, even if it's for him or for herself. However...
"And who do you think whose fault is that?!"
Jess just got more angry after hearing the last part of Jeff's remark.
"Do you think that one compliment would be all it takes for me..."
Jess is about to tell all her resentments to Jeff. But before she could finish saying what was on the first of the hundred on her list, the bus service for their internship trip suddenly arrived.
"We're not interfering in a lover's quarrel, aren't we?"
The male instructor in charge of supervising the internship trip made a joke upon seeing the intense argument between Jeff and Jess. Then, their fellow students, who are also part of their internship, follow up with the instructor's remark.
"They are no lover, so it's not a lover's quarrel, Sensei"
"Jess has a good-looking hunk-rich boyfriend, so it's definitely not."
"If it's one thing, Jess is probably turning down Jeff's confession."
"Hey! What's wrong with Jeff. He's tall and handsome too!"
"And he's smart!"
"Is he rich?"
"Faq you!"
"FAQ YOU!"
"Hey, enough of that fight. You two lovers, please get on the bus. We're already running late."
Following the instructor's request, Jess picked up her suitcase and handbag and went inside the bus. She started ignoring Jeff once again as she sat on the back side of the bus to where her female friends were.
Jeff follows up with his duffle bag at hand and backpack as he stands in front of his friends on the front side of the bus.
"If you need a shoulder to cry on, you can rent mine for 10 USD per hour."
"I can offer you a hug and a pat on the back with an extra 5 USD each if you want."
Jeff's close male friends, Kris and Marc, make fun of Jeff, trying to cheer him up. They expected to receive a bit of repulsive feedback for the jokes that they said but were surprised when Jeff pulled out 20 USD from his pocket, shoved it on their hands, sat between them, and covered his face with his duffle bag to hide that's he's about to cry.
"Wait... Did you really confess and get turned down?"
"Sensei! We have an emergency! We need to go to the hospital right now!"
"SHUT UP!... AS IF THE HOSPITAL CAN HEAL A BROKEN HEART!"
.
.
.
Jeff continues to feel depressed as their bus continue to head toward the East-Seacoast City.
To pass the time, like his friends Kris and Marc, who had already fallen asleep after their service of shoulder to cry on plus a hug and back pat, Jeff decided to keep on fiddling with the mysterious holographic screen that still lingerie on the corner of his eyes.
Conveniently, Jeff can manipulate the mysterious holographic screen or, rather, the Returner Fantasy System at his will without the need to touch it with his hands and look like an idiot.
After fiddling with the Returner Fantasy System for more than an hour, Jeff was able to learn a few things.
First, the Returner Fantasy System is a faqing money-based System.
To influence his Target with the power of the Returner Fantasy System, Jeff has to spend real-life money. Right now, the total amount of his money which is in his bank account is the 5,000 USD that he earned from his internship.
...Why does 99 percent of the world run on the concept of money?...
Second, the Returner Fantasy System is not a fixed System for Jeff.
To maintain the power of the Returner Fantasy System and to continue staying in the past to change the future, Jeff has to pay a monthly fee of 10,000 USD.
...How would a college student earn that amount of money?...
Third, once Jeff selects a person as a Mission or Target, he would be able to access certain information about them. That includes how he could save and interfere with the fate of the person who is his Mission or the location of the person who is his Target.
Fourth and last, Jeff can select his Mission or Target by simply seeing their face and knowing their name.
With what he has learned about the Returner Fantasy System, Jeff decides to proceed with his plan to save Jess from her fate and change her future. That plan is to select Jess's current boyfriend as his Target.
As for how Jeff was able to see Jess's boyfriend's face and know his name, all Jeff needs to do is check Jess's social media account.
Jeff thinks of his commitment to get revenge on the bastard who abandoned his childhood friend as he says the most made-up name he has ever heard.
"Turd."
"Huh?... Do you need to poop? How close are you at the range of 1 to 10 with 5 as it is about to come out?"
"Sensei! We have an emergency! Just stop the bus at any place with tall grass!"
"SHUT UP!... We're about to reach the bus stop in a few minutes. So just hold it in!"
"No... I mean, Trud."
[Trud has been selected as your First Target.]