Once class ended, Wilson stood up, making his way out of the damned classroom, his OOC-pass walking right behind him. From the front of the classroom, Miss Panicker called out to them.
"Ryder, Sylvester, a quick word if you guys don't mind."
At the teacher's desk, Miss Panicker handed both the students a slip of note each. It contained their respective contribution to the class average. Wilson frowned when he realized that he brought the whole class back by 5 points. Craning his neck over Jennie's shoulder, Wilson quickly peeked. A contribution of positive five.
A slow smirk spread out on Wilson's face. It didn't go unnoticed by Miss Panicker. She pushed her glasses up, "Before you can make up some cheesy Gen-z pickup line, let me tell you: this is not something to be proud of."
She turned to Wilson, "I know your interests are in finance. But hold on until this year. Once in college, you can have your pick of the majors. But if you can't do at least moderately well in high school, you might not be accepted there either."
'But money can solve anything–'
"And money won't give you a free pass into college. College professors won't give a shit how many bucks you have to offer." She assessed Wilson, "And your substandard marks are sure to land you a substandard college only. So I suggest you pick up your pace, Ryder. I know you have potential."
Then Miss Panicker turned to Jennie, smirk back on, "And you, Miss Sylvester. Your knight has chosen you. Can I trust you with this tremendous responsibility?"
Blushing, Jennie nodded before firmly replying, "Yes ma'am. I'll do my best."
***
In the cafeteria, Wilson got a plate of huge hamburger with fries to his usual seat beside Jennie. He shook his head when he saw her eating salad.
"Girls these days don't understand that us men want something to grab on. Eating like a bird isn't going to help with that..."
"Wh-what?! What did you say?" Jennie choked on a lettuce.
"Oh, did I speak out loud? My bad." Wilson's tone was nonchalant, but his fire-engine red ears let Jennie know that she wasn't the only flustered one here.
***
'Damnit. I need to control my words around Jennie. It wasn't a problem back in my first mission since Ethan was chill with it. But I can't seem to zip it when I'm around her...'
"Host, I suggest you try–"
Wilson cut the voice off by splashing his face with a handful of cold water.
'No. Thank you. I'm not planning on celibating myself just so your OOC analyzer can get off of it. At least I got the blushing under control...' He looked into the mirror, studying his self. Wilson leaned over the counter, palming his face.
"Host... Can you stop imagining her naked? My camera lens is burning up!" The system begged him.
Smirking, Wilson asked, "What else do you expect me to think of when the girl's just a wall away, naked and bathing in my shower?"
Yes, Wilson had managed to get Jennie to come over on the pretence of the tutoring. And thankfully, without raising any major suspicions since the previous host was a self-obsessed, germaphobe of a jerk who never invited his own family into his apartment. And Jennie knew of this.
When he walked out of his bathroom, Jennie's phone was ringing on the coffee table. Running a cursory glance towards the guest room, he picked up the phone.
'Charlie' it read.
Wilson's brow rose. Charlie. Jennie's younger brother. There wasn't much information about him in the original host's memory. Neither was the nine-year-old boy a major character in the original plot. No wonder.
Deeming it alright, Wilson accepted the call. "Where are you?!" The loud bratty voice startled him, reminding him of another brat from another lifetime.
"She's at my place."
The other side was silent for a second.
"WHO ARE YOU!!!"
"Ouch..." Wilson massaged his ear. "Calm it, bud. I'm your brother-in-law."
"No..." The voice quivered. "GIVE IT TO MY SISTER!!!"
'Jesus. What's this kid's issue?'
Before he could make a scathing remark, the phone disappeared from his hand. Jennie stood behind the couch, the phone in hand, comforting the ruffled kid.
"Hey. Charlie. I'm sorry..."
"Yes, I'm really sorry."
"I know, I know. Can we reschedule it, please?"
"Yes, two ice creams. Promise!"
"Uhh... Four? Uhmm... Alright, if you behave."
"Yeah, I'll be back by ten, at least. Don't stay up..."
"Next Friday... Yes, definitely."
She finally ended the call, sighing heavily. By the bits and pieces he heard, Wilson could piece together that he had just disrupted a brother-sister bonding session.
The phone rang again. Jennie frowned before picking up the call. The other side said something and Jennie hesitated, before handing Wilson the phone.
'Wants to talk to you.' She mouthed.
Wilson took the phone and the moment he said hello the same bratty voice shrieked, "Don't you dare try hog my sister like that again! I will hunt you down and feed you to Tiger."
Wilson smiled wryly, thinking of the allergy Wilson had for furry things, especially to German Shepherds named Tiger. He nonetheless played along with the boy. "Oh yeah? What about it? You know she's my girlfriend, right?"
"SHUTUP!!! She won't be for long! Don't act cocky. If you lay a single dirty finger on my sister, I'll blast your balls off this planet." The threat was delivered with such menace that Wilson subconsciously cupped his crotch.
Once he was convinced that his threats had been successfully received by the other side, Charlie tentatively cut the call.
Traumatized, Wilson turned to look at Jennie. Having no clue of what transpired between her brother and boyfriend, Jennie blinked back at him innocently from across the coffee table.
Sighing, Wilson put the threats away, making a note in his heart to not provoke the devil again. And thus ensued a tutoring session where Jennie taught and Wilson pretended dumb to avoid OOC.
***
I was surprised when I taught Wilson. I knew he is intelligent. But this is something else. I mean, who gets Trigonometry on their first try? And the questions he asked were very thought-provoking.
We are taking a five minutes break. I'm scrolling through cute couple tiktok compilations on YouTube cuz why not.
Suddenly, I'm aware of a shadow falling on me. I turn to find Wilson staring at my phone screen. Embarrassed, I hide my screen, before scowling at him. "Invasion of privacy. I could sue you."
He scoffed, "Big deal. Go talk to my lawyers." Rounding the couch, he plops right beside me on the extremely comfy couch. And I'm left trying to get my heart rate in control from his proximity.
His side is completely pressed to mine and he casually stretches a hand over my head and behind my shoulders on the couch. Like this, he completely encloses me, his eyes burning into mine. Or maybe I'm just making up the intensity. Wilson never showed such interest before. Why would he now?
His free hand comes forth to grip my chin. Tugging my face upwards, he leans in. I close my eyes anticipating a kiss like that time behind the chapel.
But it never comes.
I open my eyes to see his smirk. I glare at him. He did that intentionally. And I'm furious with what he chooses to say next.
"So I was right. My girlfriend's feeling so desperate that she has to resort to pathetic couple tiktoks to feel love, huh?"
"Shut up, dumbass." I snap at him, turning my face away.
His fingers on my chin wrap around my cheeks before squishing them. He makes me face him again, placing a peck on my duck-like lips. I struggle vehemently to get lit of his grip, and when he finally lets me go, I rant.
"No. You don't get to preach to me like that. Guess who made me so frustrated?" I jab a finger on his chest pushing him off me and into the couch. "Guess who decided that skinship isn't a necessary part of our relationship three years ago?" I jab again. "Guess who thought it was okay to ignore his girlfriend and never put any effort into this damned relationship?!" I finally burst, nearly tearing up.
His smirk is gone. And there's a solemn expression on his face that puzzles me. His arms come forth and grab me by the forearms. And like an octopus, they pull me into his strong embrace. Strong because I can feel that trying to get out won't work. And a teeny tiny part doesn't want to get out of here either.
"I'm sorry." The apology is whispered. But it still freezes me just the same. Moments like these, the kiss at the chapel, his demand for me to be his tutor, his apology right now... They leave me breathless even when I think about them. They seem so unrealistic that I have to second guess if it was even real or just made up by my brain.
But when he repeats the apology in my ear and proceeds to kiss my ear lobe, I snap out of my daze. "You know sorry won't cut it..." I mumble into his chest, unable to hold back the heavy pout.
"I know..." He replies and starts rocking us. I realize how I am already seated so comfortably in his lap, and how well I fit here as if I was made to be here. "I know. And I plan to make it all right. You'll let me, won't you?" He pulled back to look into my face.
And when I saw the boyish grin, even if I was going to say no, it would have turned into a definite yes. Not trusting my voice, I simply nodded. His hand came back to my neck, pulling me back into his big frame, whispering, "Then that's all I will ask for..."
Thinking of something, I sat up, noticing how I still was shorter than him while sitting on his lap. "By the way–" I cleared my cloggy throat, "You weren't like this before. What brought on the change?"
He shrugged, "You know, when they say that you realize what you love after you lose it? I'm a step ahead. I realized I didn't want to lose you before I actually lost you."
I would have rolled my eyes at his conceitedness if I weren't so confused. Picking up on my dilemma, he sighed before laying back on the couch, taking me with him. "That Lawrence guy is a love rival to me. When I saw him force himself on you, I realised that I like you more than I was willing to admit. And I definitely didn't want to lose you to that jerk."
My brow rose, so all this was because his ego was bruised? Reading my angry expression, he improvised, "Don't misunderstand. You know how I am with words..." He turned away and my anger melted at the sight of Wilson Ryder blushing.
"If it was just the rivalry, I wouldn't be here apologising to you."
I nodded, conceding. He wouldn't do that if he were in it for the rivalry. Moreover, this is Wilson. I know this guy since we were in diapers. However cold he may look, the guy has a clean conscience. I can vouch for that.
***
'System... System.... Is that boob I feel?'
"Ugh, leave me out of this, host."
'System... System.... Can I grope?'
"Definitely not! Calm yourself, host. Your heartbeat is abnormal."
'System... System.... I feel like I'm in heaven... If heaven isn't like this then I'm not going there.'
"Don't worry your delicate brain cells, host. You were never headed there originally."
***
That night, Wilson surprisingly asked Jennie to a sleepover. Nothing nasty. He slept in his bedroom and she slept in the guest bedroom.