Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 29

Zoey totally silent for a sec, looking hella unsure before she continued. But the hijack effect was still banging strong, pushing her to spill more.

"Yeah, Karl, I... like actually got a problem with kleptomania. It's been mad long I couldn't control the urge to nick small stuff. Even at this workplace, I'm always snatching things I don't even need," spilled Zoey in a low voice, acting like she had just realized the heaviness of her own confession.

Karl went quiet, processing the new info he just heard. "Kleptomania? So you're really into swiping stuff here?" he asked, trying to keep it chill even though he was already plotting in his head.

Zoey nodded slowly, feeling both embarrassed and relieved 'cause she could finally be real. "Yeah, I know it's wrong. But damn, that urge is too strong sometimes, and I feel like I can't hold it back. I always make sure the stuff I snatch ain't too pricey to avoid suspicion."

Karl eyed Zoey carefully, processing her confession about kleptomania. Momentarily, his mind flashed back to the past, when Jane, the manager, used to whine about the messed-up stock balance at the store. Small items, like snacks and accessories, would go missing without a trace. Karl was the only one handling the stock back then, and all the shortages were seen as his fault or negligence.

As a result, Karl often had to bear the burden of these losses as debts. Every time something went missing and couldn't be explained, Jane would deduct the amount owed from Karl's salary. "What can you do, Karl? It's your responsibility," Jane would say with a firm tone back then, not giving him a chance to defend himself.

In an instant, a realization flooded Karl's mind.

Zoey. All of this was Zoey's doing. Her kleptomania causing the stock imbalance that made Karl bear debts. Karl felt anger starting to simmer in his chest, his hands clenching tight, but he tried to hold back from unleashing his emotions right away.

He took a deep breath and tried to stay calm in front of Zoey. "So, you're always snagging stuff around here, huh?" he asked with a tone that sounded relaxed, but with a hint of stiffness in his voice.

Zoey seemed not to notice Karl's change in tone. "Yeah, but just small stuff. I make sure not to take too much to avoid standing out."

Karl felt a bitter taste crawling up his throat.

Not too much? That's enough to wreck my finances!

His inner thoughts screamed. But, he still tried to maintain his cool demeanor. "No wonder. So that's what's been making the stock unbalanced," he muttered, as if talking to himself.

Zoey looked a bit puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Karl stared straight at her. "All this time, whenever there was a stock shortage, Jane always put all the costs of the losses on me. I had to bear it from my salary. And apparently, it was all because of your actions."

Zoey looked shocked, her eyes widening and her face paling. "Karl, I... I didn't know you had to bear it. I thought... I thought no one would care 'cause it's just small stuff."

Karl forced a bitter smile, his anger starting to boil even though he tried to sound calm. "Well, turns out it's not just me who cares. My salary has been cut because of your kleptomania, Zoey."

Zoey opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Karl took a long breath, trying to contain himself from lashing out in the workplace. "Don't worry, I won't tell Jane. But you owe me, Zoey. And I'll make sure you pay it back, one way or another," he said in a low tone, but with a hidden threat.

System notification pops up.

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[ Quest Completed! ]

- 150 Hijack Points, 40 XP

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Karl stared at the system panel screen that appeared before him. A sense of satisfaction surged in his chest, even though behind it, there was a lingering sense of unease that wasn't fully gone. He had successfully completed the quest and gained some points, but the issue with Zoey was not resolved. There was something weighing on his mind, as if the demand for justice was not entirely fulfilled.

Zoey was still standing in front of him, looking anxious and guilty. Her face seemed even paler than before, and her hands were shaking slightly. "Karl, I'll pay back whatever you spent because of me. I... I'll try to fix this," she said with a trembling voice, as if searching for the right words.

Karl remained calm, realizing that this was the right moment to leverage the situation. He wouldn't let go of the opportunity to maximize the benefits from Zoey's confession. "I have an idea," he said while looking at Zoey with calculating eyes. "You can help me with a few things. Consider it as a way to repay your debts."

Zoey looked relieved that Karl didn't straight-up report her to Jane, but fear still seeped through her expression. "What do you want?" she asked, though her voice sounded hesitant.

Karl rubbed his chin, pondering various scenarios. "You'll work extra for me. Whenever there's an additional task from Jane or work that I don't wanna do, you'll handle it. We'll see it as a repayment for your debts."

Zoey could only nod. "Okay, I'll do it," she said softly.

Karl gave a thin smile, feeling as if he had won this little game. "Great. Starting tomorrow, we'll see how fast you can pay off that debt."

And it didn't take long for universe do the magic.

"So like Karl, my relationship with Adam is like super complex." Zoey said. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"H...uh?" Karl squinted.

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[ Hijack Duration ]

- 00:00:00

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Karl sighed, "Damn, so the universe flips people's memories this fast. And i just forgot it, shit...I totally got sucked into the vibe." Karl grumbled in his mind.

When the hijack effect finally ended, Karl sensed a subtle change in Zoey's way of speaking.

Her tone became more normal, like a regular convo, but Karl didn't know what topic was planted in Zoey's memory.

Zoey looked at Karl with confusion. "Why do you look weird, Karl? Did I say something wrong?" she asked with a cautious tone.

Karl tried to normalize his expression. "Nah, everything's cool," he replied with a faint smile. "I was just a bit surprised by your issue earlier. It was... quite shocking."

Zoey gave a slight smile, then her face turned serious again. "Yeah, I know. I never really talked about it with anyone. But I feel relieved to finally be honest about this. Even though you're a total beta male, you're a good listener."

Karl could feel the annoyance bubbling up inside him, his fists clenched tightly. "Bitch!" he cursed silently in his head.

******

The work hours felt even more annoying than usual for Karl.

When Karl almost finished his shift, two fresh-faced employees showed up. Karl eyed them, "Wow, so pale," Karl muttered.

Out of the blue, the system gave Karl a weird notification, a notification he had never seen before.

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[ DING ]

[ Uncommon Creature Detected ]

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