My Romance Life System
Chapter 92: System Update

Chapter 92: System Update

"I... I’m not going back there."

Kofi looked at her.

’Of course she isn’t. Why would she?’

It was not a reasonable expectation to return to a place where she was assaulted while everyone filmed it.

"Okay. You don’t have to."

Thea looked up at him.

’He is not going to argue?’

She expected a lecture about school, about responsibility, not this simple acceptance.

"But... my stuff is there. My bag, my books."

"I’ll get them for you. I can go after school and pick them up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It’s not a big deal."

Thea looked down at her empty plate, then back at him.

"Okay."

---

After breakfast, Kofi was in his room with the door closed, sitting on the edge of his bed and staring at the wall.

Thea was in the guest room, probably just sitting there.

’We need to go shopping.’

That was the immediate problem. Thea needed clothes, toiletries, things that were not his oversized sweatpants. The stipend the doctor promised was not there yet, and he checked his bank account on his phone. His own funds were getting thin. He had enough for a few days of groceries, not a whole new wardrobe.

’Crap. This is a problem.’

He was responsible for her now. The thought was a heavy one.

He was staring at his bank balance when the air in front of him shimmered, and the translucent window appeared.

[Hey, Kofi. It’s me.]

He just stared at it.

’It me? Wait, could it be the goddess from back then? What does she want now?’

[I’ve been watching. Things have been... eventful.]

’Eventful? You call this eventful? I got punched, blackmailed someone, and unofficially adopted a traumatized fourteen-year-old. Eventful doesn’t cover it.’

[Yes, that was all quite... unexpected. My apologies. The system’s original parameters were not designed to account for your sudden shift in genre from ’slice-of-life’ to ’melo-drama’.]

’So it’s my fault the story got weird? Woooow.’

He decided to just go with it.

’So, you saw the part where your system penalty almost made me puke my guts out in front of the whole class? Were those also unexpected genre shifts?’

[Those incidents were... regrettable. My calculations regarding appropriate penalties may have been slightly miscalibrated.]

’Slightly? I’m pretty sure my ribs are still mad at you.’

[Look, about the system... I may have made a mistake.]

’Just one? I feel like we’re on mistake number five or six at this point.’

[I designed the ’Romance Life System’ to help you with your social life, to make some friends, maybe get a girlfriend. It seems your life has taken a detour into more... serious territory.]

’You think? My current biggest problem isn’t getting a date, it’s figuring out how to buy clothes for the girl who is now living in my guest room because her entire family abandoned her. The Romance System isn’t exactly helpful for that.’

[Precisely. Your current situation requires a more practical application of the system. The rewards for friendship quests are insufficient for your financial needs.]

’No kidding. Ten grand for Jake’s hopeless love life is nice, but it’s not going to pay for another person’s entire existence.’

[So, I have a proposal. I can reconfigure the system, giving you access to standard, non-romance-related quests. They will be simple, task-based missions that provide more substantial and immediate monetary rewards.]

’Standard quests? What, am I supposed to go kill slimes in the sewer now?’

[Nothing so dramatic. These are mundane quests. Finding a lost pet, helping someone move furniture, delivering a package. The system will function as a broker, connecting you with these opportunities.]

’So... it’s a gig economy app. But run by a goddess who makes a lot of mistakes.’

[That is a crude but not entirely inaccurate summary. The rewards will be deposited directly into your bank account. This should alleviate your immediate financial concerns.]

’And the catch? What’s the penalty if I fail to find Mrs. Higgins’ lost cat? Do I get struck by lightning?’

[There is no catch. The penalties will be far less... severe. This is my way of correcting my previous miscalculations and ensuring this situation does not negatively impact my next performance review.]

’So you’re just covering your own ass.’

[You are very direct. But yes. So, what do you say? Would you like to switch from ’Romance Mode’ to ’Standard Quest Mode’? Your mission to help Jake will remain active.]

He considered it. More money meant he could help Thea properly. It was an easy decision.

’Just promise me one thing. No more puking. Or diarrhea. Or socially-triggered hiccups. Can you manage that?’

[I will endeavor to ensure all future penalties are... less biologically disruptive.]

’Your best wasn’t so great last time.’

[...]

’Fine. Switch it over. I need the money.’

The system window in front of him flickered, and the words ’Romance Life System’ dissolved, replaced by a new, cleaner interface.

[System Reconfiguration Complete.]

[Welcome to the Quest System.]

A new box appeared with a flashing icon that said ’New Quests Available’. He tapped it, and a list appeared.

[Daily Quests:]

[Help an elderly woman carry her groceries up three flights of stairs.]

[Reward: 2,000 NAD.]

[Find a lost kitten in the West End park district.]

[Reward: 5,000 NAD.]

[Clean the graffiti off the wall behind the convenience store on 3rd street.]

[Reward: 3,500 NAD.]

He just stared at the list. They were simple, normal jobs, but the rewards were not small.

’Huh. This might actually work.’

He got up from his bed, he had a plan now, a way forward, and he walked to his door and opened it. Thea’s door was still closed.

’Let’s get started.’

He walked over to her door and knocked.

A few moments passed, then the door opened a crack. Thea peered out at him.

"I was thinking we should go out," he said.

She just stared at him from the small opening.

"Out? Where?"

"Shopping. You need clothes that fit you. And other supplies."

The door opened a little wider. She was still wearing his oversized t-shirt and sweatpants.

"I don’t have any money."

"It’s fine. I’ll handle it."

She looked down at the floor, then back at him.

"I don’t want to be a bother."

"You’re not a bother," he said. "But you can’t just stay in here all day. Come on. It will be quick."

She hesitated for another long moment.

"Okay."

The door closed, and he heard the faint sound of her moving around inside.

---

They walked down the street toward the mall.

Thea kept her head down, her eyes fixed on the sidewalk in front of her. She walked a few steps behind him, as if she were a shadow.

He was thinking about talking when a quest arrived.

[New Quest Nearby!]

[Objective: Help an elderly woman carry her groceries up three flights of stairs.]

[Location: Green Leaf Apartments, 100 meters ahead.]

[Reward: 2,000 NAD.]

He glanced ahead.

The Green Leaf Apartments was a boring, beige building right before the mall entrance. Standing by the front door was a small, elderly woman, surrounded by a mountain of plastic grocery bags. She was looking up at the building with an expression of pure defeat.

’Alright. First mission.’

He turned to Thea. "Hey, wait here for a second."

She looked up, confused, but just nodded.

He walked over to the old woman.

"Excuse me, ma’am. Do you need a hand with those?"

The woman looked at him, her face breaking into a relieved smile.

"Oh, would you, dearie? That would be a lifesaver. I live on the third floor, and the elevator is broken again."

"No problem."

He gathered up most of the bags, the plastic handles digging into his hands. They were heavy but nothing he couldn’t handle. Thea watched from a distance as he followed the old woman into the building.

He made two trips, his ribs complaining a little on the second one, but it was manageable. When he came back down, the old woman was waiting for him, holding out a few bills.

"Thank you so much, young man. Please, take this for your trouble."

"You don’t have to do that."

"Nonsense. A good boy like you deserves a reward."

She pressed the money into his hand.

He walked back over to Thea, the system window already flashing in his vision.

[Quest Complete!]

[Reward: 2,000 NAD has been deposited to your bank account.]

He pocketed the cash the woman had given him. It felt more real than the digital notification.

Thea was looking at him with a curious expression.

"What was that about?"

"Just helping someone," he said. He gestured toward the mall entrance. "Come on. Let’s go buy you a notebook and some drawing pencils."

They walked into the mall. The bright lights and the noise of the crowd made Thea flinch. She stayed close behind him as they walked toward the clothing store.

You would think he would take her to one of those cheap cloth stores but nope, he wanted to treat her good, get her some real clothes. So he took her to a brand store, where everything is expensive.

’What in the- why would he bring me to such an expensive store.’