-Chapter 5-

-The Next Morning-

-November 2, 2006-

-POV Clarissa-

‘Damn, why do I drink if it makes me feel like this every time? I really can’t hold my alcohol,’ I thought, massaging my temples.

“So, Princess, waking up after noon?” said an arrogant voice I’d recognize anywhere.

“What are you doing in my bed?” I said, surprised and a bit disoriented.

“What are you talking about, baby? You couldn’t have forgotten everything we did last night… and this morning too, for that matter,” he said with a smirk.

I felt a pang of anxiety until he said, sounding disappointed, “You really think I’m an animal?”

“We didn’t do anything?” I asked, relieved.

“Of course not, though you practically begged me to do certain things. I have some dignity,” he said.

“Why am I wearing this?”

“Because you threw up on your clothes and mine.”

Flashes of me in the shower, cursing him because the water was too cold, came back to me, and I said, hiding my face in my hands, “Sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” he said.

“Now get up because I have to go to work,” he said before leaving the bedroom.

He tossed a bag on the bed before saying, “There’s a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush, and some new clothes. Make yourself at home. I have to go, we’ll talk later.”

He didn’t give me a chance to say a word before he was already gone.

‘Did I just hurt him?’ I thought before falling back onto the bed.

---

-3 hours later-

-POV MC-

“So, you told her you were going to work even though you don’t even have a lead on a job other than being a waiter, and you’ll never become a waiter.”

“That’s right,” I said, running full speed on the treadmill in the gym.

He smiled and then said, pressing the stop button because we had just finished our 2-hour workout session, “Dude, you’re in deep shit because, first, she still has her ex on her mind, and second, you’ve been hitting on her since you were like 12. She’s so used to your heavy flirting that it’s what makes you her best friend.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” I said.

“Okay, think of it this way: today, all the best male friends of girls are gay. Why?” said Ryan.

I shook my head, confused, and then he said, “Because they know perfectly well that they can’t ruin a friendship by sleeping together or falling in love and then breaking up.”

“Yeah, but for me, it’s the exact opposite,” I pointed out.

“Exactly, she’s gotten used to your flirting and your charm. So used to it that you’ve trapped yourself in the friend zone.”

“Damn friend zone,” I said.

“Yeah, dude, it sucks for you, but I think you’re going to have to drop it,” said Ryan, grabbing his stuff.

I smiled and then said, “It’s okay, we’ll talk about it another time. I’m heading home to shower and then catching a flight to Las Vegas. I think I’ve found a plan.”

“Okay, bro, keep in touch.”

I hailed a passing taxi before getting in to check the gains from my daily workout.

I quickly noticed that for every hour of training, I earned one attribute point in the area I had worked on, so I spammed this by coming to the gym for weightlifting and running on the treadmill.

---

[Congratulations on completing the task ‘Daily Workout’]

[Reward Calculation in Progress]

[+1 strength point, +1 speed point, +2 endurance points]

[Congratulations on completing the task ‘Weekly Workout’]

[Reward Calculation in Progress]

[+7 strength points, +7 speed points, +14 endurance points]

[Achievement System]

{Attributes}

[Strength: 93]

[Speed: 88]

[Agility: 70]

[Intelligence: 81]

[Wisdom: 82]

[Perception: 75]

[Endurance: 100]

[Constitution: 81]

{Skills}

[Sniper LV6] [MMA LV5]

{Inventories}

[Reward Inventory: $16,500]

[Personal Inventory: /]

{Points}

[Skill Point: 0]

[Attribute Point: 0]

[System Point: 10]

---

I smiled, seeing that I had managed to accumulate enough points to rank among the world’s top athletes in terms of speed, strength, and endurance, as 100 was the first human ‘trainable’ physical limit according to the system.

-30 minutes later-

Upon returning, although I wasn’t surprised by Clarissa’s absence, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. All that was left was a small note with her new phone number.

She had changed it at the request of her ex, who found us too close, and honestly, he was right; I was a real threat to their relationship at that time.

I took a deep breath and then refocused because, even though I shouldn’t deprive myself of living, I shouldn’t lose sight of my primary goal, which was to prepare for the MCU that was going to start in less than two years.

So, I packed my bags, paid for the hotel room, and left for Las Vegas because I had my first professional opportunity waiting for me there.