Picking Up Girls With My Pickup System-Chapter 4: First Rivalries.

The next morning, Kent expected everything to go back to normal. Maybe yesterday had been some kind of glitch—his nerves overriding reality. Maybe when he walked through the front doors of Westbridge High, he’d fade back into the wallpaper like always.

But he didn’t.

The whispers followed him almost immediately.

"Is that Gilbert? The guy who made Chloe smile yesterday?"

"No way. I’ve literally never heard him speak before."

"Guess miracles do happen."

Kent tightened the strap of his backpack, heat crawling up his neck. They weren’t even being cruel—just... noticing him. Talking about him. It was disorienting, like suddenly realizing he’d been a ghost all these years and someone had finally remembered he existed.

At his locker, he fumbled with the combination, trying to ignore the stares. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention. It felt good—but it also made his skin crawl, like the spotlight was too bright.

The moment the locker swung open, a shadow fell over him.

"Morning, Gilbert."

Kent’s stomach dropped. He didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

Derek leaned casually against the locker next to his, arms folded, grin sharp and practiced. The kind of grin that looked friendly enough to fool teachers, but Kent knew better.

"You’re making waves," Derek said, his voice low, just for Kent. "Heard you cracked a joke yesterday. People thought it was funny."

Kent swallowed. "...Yeah. Guess so."

Derek’s grin widened, but his eyes stayed cold. "Careful, man. Funny’s my thing. Wouldn’t want anyone thinking you’re stepping on toes you can’t handle."

Kent forced himself to look at him. "Pretty sure anyone can make a joke, Derek."

The grin flickered—just for a second. Then Derek leaned in, his breath warm against Kent’s ear.

"Keep talking like that, and I’ll make sure nobody laughs at you again. Ever."

He clapped Kent on the back, hard enough to sting, then strolled away like they’d just shared a friendly chat.

Kent exhaled shakily, heart pounding against his ribs. His hands trembled as he grabbed his books.

For the first time, though... it wasn’t just fear burning in his chest.

It was anger.

Kent slammed his locker shut, still hearing Derek’s voice in his head like poison dripping slow.

I’ll make sure nobody laughs at you again.

Kent clenched his fists. For once, he didn’t want to curl up or disappear. He wanted to hit something—or someone.

That was when the now-familiar blue glow slid across his vision.

New Quest Generated.

Objective: Hold a female classmate’s attention in conversation for 3 consecutive minutes.

Reward: +3 Charm.

Penalty: A random embarrassing fact about you will be broadcast aloud through your phone’s speaker.

Kent’s mouth dropped open. Wait—what?

Before he could think, the details expanded:

Examples of possible penalties include but are not limited to:

– Revealing your browser history.

– Playing recordings of your private mutterings.

– Announcing your current underwear color.

Kent nearly dropped his books. "You’ve gotta be kidding me," he hissed under his breath.

A few students glanced at him curiously. He quickly faked a cough and shuffled down the hall.

Three minutes? That’s forever! I can barely last thirty seconds without choking on my own words.

"Adapt or perish," the System intoned calmly. "Opportunities are meaningless without risk."

Kent wanted to punch the glowing text right out of the air. But the timer already ticked down:

Quest Countdown: 20 minutes.

His chest tightened. Twenty minutes until the System forced him into action—or worse, humiliated him for all of Westbridge High to hear.

Kent scanned the hallway, eyes darting. Who the hell was he supposed to talk to?

Mia, the artsy doodler? She laughed at his joke yesterday, so maybe she wouldn’t shut him down immediately.

Chloe, the brainy perfectionist? Possible, but she was less forgiving, and if he bombed, it’d be brutal.

Or... some random girl he’d never talked to before? Risky, but maybe safer than aiming for familiar targets.

His palms grew sweaty just thinking about it.

The bell rang, sending waves of students to their classes. Kent’s stomach twisted into knots.

Three minutes... I need three damn minutes.

Kent’s thoughts raced as he slipped into the classroom.

Mia was already there, hunched over her notebook with her headphones draped around her neck. As usual, she was doodling something intricate—this time a dragon twined around a girl’s arm like a tattoo design. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Kent swallowed hard.

Mia. It has to be her.

She wasn’t cruel like some of the others. She didn’t look at him like he was dirt. And yesterday... she’d actually laughed. That had to count for something.

But his chest still felt like it was caving in.

The glowing timer ticked in the corner of his vision.

Quest Timer: 12:19... 12:18... 12:17...

Kent forced his legs to move, each step heavier than the last. By the time he stood next to Mia’s desk, his throat had gone dry.

She looked up, surprised. "Uh... hey?"

Kent blinked. Say something. Anything.

"Cool... dragon," he blurted.

Smooth. Real smooth.

Mia tilted her head at him, then glanced down at her notebook. "Thanks. I was thinking it’d look sick as a tattoo."

Kent latched onto that like a drowning man to a life raft. "On yourself? Or, uh, just like—concept art?"

She smirked faintly. "What, you think I’d actually get this inked on me? Maybe. If I was brave enough."

Kent felt something shift. His Wit stat buzzed faintly, like gears clicking into place. The words came out before he could second-guess them:

"You’d pull it off. Probably scare off half the school just by rolling up your sleeve."

Mia chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Ha. Not sure that’s a bad thing."

The timer blinked.

1:03 elapsed.

Kent’s pulse kicked up. It’s working.

But before he could push further, the classroom door creaked open.

Derek sauntered in.

And his eyes went straight to Kent.

The moment Derek’s gaze landed on Kent, a chill crawled up his spine.

Kent forced himself not to flinch, keeping his eyes on Mia. Just keep talking. Three minutes. That’s all I need.

"So," Mia said, twirling her pen, "you ever think about getting a tattoo?"

Kent blinked. "...Uh, honestly? Probably something lame. Like, I dunno, a pixelated heart from a video game."

Mia actually laughed. A short, sharp snort that made Kent’s chest warm.

2:04 elapsed.

Then Derek’s voice cut in smooth as silk. "Wow, Gilbert, you’re really letting your geek flag fly, huh?"

Kent’s stomach dropped.

Derek strolled up like he owned the room, sliding a chair right up to Mia’s desk. He leaned back in it, flashing her his easy smile. "Mia, don’t tell me you’re encouraging this guy to get ink. The world’s not ready for Kent Gilbert: Gamer Boi Edition."

The class chuckled. A few heads turned.

Mia raised an eyebrow. "And what would you get, Derek?"

"Oh, something badass. A wolf, maybe. Or a crown." He smirked. "Gotta match the vibe, right?"

Kent’s jaw clenched. He knew this script by heart: Derek swoops in, makes him the butt of the joke, wins the room.

The timer flickered in the corner of his vision.

2:31 elapsed.

Thirty seconds left. Don’t choke now.

Kent tried to speak, but Derek cut him off again. "Actually, Kent should get something small. A smiley face. Keep it nice and safe, like his personality."

The group laughed harder this time.

Kent’s throat tightened. The laughter wasn’t cruel—not exactly—but it pressed on his ribs like a weight.

Mia tilted her head, glancing between them. She wasn’t laughing. Not yet.

And then Kent felt it—the faint spark of his Wit stat humming, urging him to strike.

Kent’s pulse hammered in his ears. Everyone’s eyes were on him now—waiting, expecting him to fold like usual.

Derek leaned back, smug. "Yeah, smiley face suits you, Gilbert. Real harmless."

The Wit stat buzzed inside Kent like static, shoving words up his throat before his nerves could strangle them.

"Harmless?" Kent said, his voice steadier than he expected. "Right. Because nothing’s scarier than a guy with a crown tattoo compensating for his... tiny kingdom."

The words landed like a punch.

There was a half-second of silence, then—

Mia burst out laughing. Loud, unrestrained, hand over her mouth but still shaking with it.

A couple of nearby students snorted, exchanging looks. Even someone in the back muttered, "Damn."

Kent blinked, stunned he’d actually said that out loud. His face burned, but for once, it wasn’t embarrassment—it was adrenaline.

Derek’s grin froze in place, brittle as glass. His eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"

Mia wiped her eyes, still grinning. "Oh my god, Derek, he got you there."

Quest Timer: 3:04 elapsed.

Objective complete. Reward unlocked: +3 Charm.

The System’s notification pulsed brightly, but Kent barely saw it. He was too busy drinking in Derek’s expression—the twitch at his jaw, the crack in his perfect performance.

For the first time, Derek didn’t look untouchable.

He looked pissed.

Kent forced himself not to smile. I actually did it.

The tension snapped when the teacher finally walked in, shuffling papers onto the desk. Conversations broke apart, chairs scraped, and the buzz of the room shifted back to normal.

Mia shot Kent a sideways grin as she gathered her notebook. "See you around, Gilbert. Don’t let Derek bully you out of that tattoo idea. Pixel hearts are cooler than crowns anyway."

Kent blinked. "...Yeah. Thanks."

She slipped out of the room, her laugh still echoing faintly.

Kent sat frozen, the +3 Charm notification glowing in his vision. His heart was hammering, his palms slick, but his chest—his chest felt light. Like maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t invisible anymore.

Then Derek’s chair screeched closer.

Kent stiffened.

Derek leaned in, his voice low enough that only Kent could hear. "Cute. You think you’re funny now."

Kent met his gaze, pulse quickening.

Derek’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Because if you embarrass me again? I’ll break you in front of everyone. Got it?"

The words hit like a blade pressed against his ribs.

But Kent didn’t look away this time.

"I guess we’ll see," he murmured.

For a heartbeat, Derek’s eyes flickered—surprised, maybe, that Kent didn’t fold.

Then the grin snapped back into place. He pushed his chair back, loud enough to scrape the floor, and strolled out like nothing had happened.

Kent exhaled shakily, heart still thundering.

The System’s last notification blinked in his vision:

Quest Complete.

New Quest Pending...

Kent rubbed his face, a half-smile tugging at his lips despite the adrenaline still buzzing in his veins.

For the first time in his life, he’d stood his ground. And Derek knew it.