The Heart System

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

The next morning was my off-day. No work, no alarms, just me and the faint ache of last night’s failure gnawing in the back of my head. I ended up at the corner coffee shop, a chain that pretended it wasn’t a chain. Edison bulbs hung overhead, indie music whispered through the speakers, and the place smelled like roasted beans and vanilla syrup. Faux-wood tables filled the room, and laptops glowed like fireflies across them.

I sat with a tall glass of cold brew sweating on the table, the ice clinking every time I tipped it back. The caffeine bit sharp, bitter and clean.

Behind me, two guys were talking way too loud.

”Bro, I’m telling you,” one bragged. ”I downloaded that dating app last week? Now I get all the bitches. For real. They line up.”

The other guy cracked up. ”No way. That easy?”

I stared into the melting ice, jaw tight. Dating apps. I tried that shit after my girlfriend left me. Swiped till my thumb cramped. Nothing but bots, silence, and women who acted like I didn’t even exist. No luck. No matches. No second shot.

I drank deeper, letting the coffee scrape against the edge of that memory.

And then...

-------------------------

DAILY TASK AVAILABLE

-------------------------

Title: Hands-On

Task: Smack a Woman’s Ass

Reward: +15 EXP

-------------------------

Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

-------------------------

The screen pulsed in my vision like it was mocking me. My pulse jumped. Smack a woman’s ass? What kind of insane shit is this system pulling on me?

Before I could even process, the café bell jingled.

”Yo, Evan? That you?”

I turned. Richard, my coworker. Tall, always grinning like he’d just pulled something over on the world. And walking beside him was his girlfriend.

Holy. Shit.

She was a knockout. Black crop top so tight her tits looked ready to spill out, the kind of chest that made it hard to look anywhere else. High-waisted jeans painted across her hips, every curve sculpted. Her ass was fat, round, the kind of shape that made a man want to grab it just to prove it was real. Long, silky hair framed her face, and her smile had the kind of heat that made every other girl in the café look plain.

”Didn’t think I’d see you here,” Richard said, guiding her toward my table.

”Yeah,” I muttered, forcing a laugh, ”off-day ritual.”

He pulled a chair out for her, all casual. ”Evan, this is Kayla.”

Kayla leaned forward, offering her hand with that smile that could melt steel. Her nails were perfect, her skin soft, her tits pressing subtly against her top as she leaned closer.

”Nice to finally meet you,” she said. Her voice was smooth, low, like velvet on skin.

I shook her hand, my throat dry. Goddamn.

Richard sat down, slinging his arm around her shoulder. ”So, what’re you up to, man? Just chilling?”

”Pretty much,” I said, raising my cup. ”Coffee, peace, that’s it.”

Kayla laughed lightly, crossing her legs, the denim hugging every line of her thighs. ”Sounds like a good day to me.”

”Man, you should’ve been at the station yesterday,” he started. ”Some drunk stumbles in, reeking of cheap vodka, tries to buy cigarettes with pennies.” He laughed, shaking his head. ”Next thing I know, dude pukes all over the floor, chunky, right by pump three. Place smelled like death for hours.”

Kayla wrinkled her nose. ”Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

”Yeah, and guess who had to clean it up?” Richard jabbed a thumb at himself. ”This guy. Not exactly the highlight of my week.”

I chuckled, taking another sip of cold brew. ”Sounds like hell, man.”

We kept trading stories, boring shifts, dumb customers, who stocked what wrong. It was easy, familiar banter. Until Richard grinned that wicked grin of his and dropped:

”Speaking of customers... you ever notice how half the drunk guys can’t shut up about dick sizes?”

I froze. ”Come on, man,” I muttered. ”Not here. Not in public.”

Kayla laughed, her eyes sparkling. ”Oh my God, really? That’s what you talk about at work?”

Richard shrugged, unbothered. ”Hey, guys are insecure. They bring it up themselves. Average size this, average size that. I swear, it’s like therapy at two in the morning.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. ”Can we not?”

”Why not?” Kayla teased, leaning her chin on her hand. ”I mean, everyone wonders. It’s not like it’s a secret taboo.”

Richard smirked. ”Yeah, come on, Ev. What’s the harm?”

I shifted in my chair, uncomfortable. ”Drop it.”

Kayla tilted her head, lips curling into a sly smile. ”No, really. How big are you, Evan?”

The question hit me like a slap. I glanced at Richard, expecting outrage, jealousy, something, but he was just watching, curious, waiting for me to answer like it was no big deal.

My pulse kicked. ”I said drop it,” I muttered, but they weren’t letting go. Richard chuckled, Kayla’s eyes stayed locked on me, playful and sharp.

”Come oon!” Kayla insisted.

”Yeah.” Richard said. ”Tell us fuck sake!”

Finally I sighed, running a hand through my hair. ”Seven point one.”

The second the words left me, I regretted it. Richard didn’t even react, grabbing his coffee. But Kayla... I saw it. The flicker in her eyes as they dipped down to my crotch, the way her lip caught between her teeth for just a moment before she looked away.

Heat climbed up my neck. I coughed, pushed my chair back. ”I, uh... got some errands to run.”

”Already?” Richard asked, surprised.

”Yeah,” I said quickly, standing, avoiding Kayla’s eyes. ”Stuff to take care of.”

I grabbed my drink, gave them both a half-wave, and slipped out the door, the bell chiming behind me.

My chest was tight as I hit the street. Her look, that tiny bite of her lip, replayed over and over in my head.

-------------------------

EVENT

-------------------------

Kayla’s Interest +5

-------------------------

Interest? I wasn’t trying to flirt with my co-worker’s girlfriend. Not at all.

I looked around the street, taking in the crowd. With a quest requiring me to smack a woman’s ass, my eyes naturally scanned every passerby—round, curvy, perfectly framed.

I didn’t stare too long at anyone; after all, I still had the ”No Masturbation” quest active. Keeping my head up, I started walking toward the nearby bus station, scanning the surroundings while keeping the quest in mind.

I plopped down at the bus station bench, setting my coffee on the armrest. The street buzzed around me, but my mind was stuck on that little ”Interest +5” notification.

Curious, I opened the UI menu in my head:

-------------------------

EVAN MARLOWE

-------------------------

Stats Shop

Crafting Inventory

Quests Women

-------------------------

I tapped the Women tab, and the screen changed. There they were—Jasmine and Kayla—hearts floating above their names showing how close we were. Jasmine had seven, Kayla five.

-------------------------

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

-------------------------

Jasmine: Interest: 7 / 20

Kayla: Interest: 5 / 20

-------------------------

Progress:

★☆☆☆☆ - 20 Interest: Milestone reward

★★☆☆☆ - 40 Interest: Milestone reward

★★★☆☆ - 60 Interest: Milestone reward

★★★★☆ - 80 Interest: Milestone reward

★★★★★ -100 Interest: Milestone reward

-------------------------

Select a woman to track progress.

-------------------------

At the bottom, a line of stars explained progression. Every 20 points filled one star. When a star filled, I’d get a small reward—a little reminder that I was moving forward. Nothing magical, nothing hidden. Just a measure of how far we were from each other.

I leaned back, sipping my coffee. That +5 from Kayla earlier? Already showing up. One step closer to the first star. And seeing it here, visually... it made my pulse tick up.

”Jasmine...”

My mind drifted back to that night with her. Hell, I could still picture it—her body twisting, trembling, my hands gripping her thighs. I made her cum so fast, so hard, she and I lost count after ten. That oil... yeah, it really worked. Turned her into a shaking mess under me.

Just remembering it made my cock twitch, pressing against my jeans. Heat rushed through me, pulse thumping in my ears.

”No masturbation. No masturbation...”

—