Chapter 102: A Thank You For Ten Grand Is Crazy

That was Dina.

The girl from the VJ event.

More specifically, the girl tied to the Regret Investment Module; the same module that had somehow led to him spending ten thousand dollars on her.

Adrian glanced at her.

She hadn’t noticed him yet.

Or maybe she had and was pretending not to.

Either way, there wasn’t much reason to make the situation awkward. Talking to her wasn’t exactly going to yield anything useful, especially when she’d sat down beside him without making a move.

So Adrian turned his attention toward the front of the classroom.

Students were still settling into their seats. A few conversations blended into the general noise, along with the occasional scrape of a chair against the floor.

Nothing worth listening to.

A few seconds passed.

Then he felt it.

That strange sensation of someone looking at him.

Adrian kept his gaze forward.

Maybe it was just in his head.

It wasn’t.

"Adrian?"

There it was.

He turned his head.

Dina was already looking at him.

"Dina..." he muttered.

Then he turned toward her properly, wearing the expression of someone who had only just realized she was sitting there.

"Oh. Hey."

Her expression shifted slightly.

Apparently, she hadn’t expected him to answer so casually.

"I didn’t know you were in this class."

"Neither did I."

Dina smiled.

It looked genuine, at least genuine enough.

Adrian leaned back in his chair.

For some reason, finding something to say felt unnecessarily difficult.

"How have you been?"

"I’m good. I’m good."

She gave a small nod.

Adrian nodded too.

"I mean, I know it’s not exactly... good to hear."

He frowned.

That sounded terrible.

"Last time we saw—I mean, yesterday, of course. I mean the last time we saw each other..."

He stopped.

Dina rescued him from whatever sentence he’d been trying to construct.

"You mean when you saw me at the porn shoot audition line?"

Adrian paused.

Well.

She certainly wasn’t trying to hide it.

"Uh... yeah."

He glanced toward the front before looking back at her.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay, you know?"

Dina tilted her head.

"So what? You’re worried about me now?"

"You say that like it’s a bad thing."

"Shouldn’t I be worried about my friend?"

She smiled.

"We’re friends now? Is that it?"

Adrian squinted at her.

"You know what?"

He turned back toward the front.

"Never mind."

"Wait, wait."

He looked back.

Dina’s smile had disappeared.

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude."

She lowered her voice.

"It’s just... I haven’t exactly had the best weekend."

Adrian’s expression softened.

"It’s okay. I get it."

"Easy for you to say."

She looked toward the front.

"You’re not the one who experienced it."

Adrian was quiet for a moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Dina didn’t answer.

She simply turned toward the front of the classroom.

Adrian waited.

Then he shrugged.

"You don’t have to answer right now."

Her eyes shifted toward him.

"I’m not pushing you. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay."

"Settle down, students."

The lecturer’s voice cut through the remaining chatter.

Adrian turned toward the podium.

A slender woman had entered the classroom and was arranging her materials.

He pulled a book from his backpack and placed it on the desk.

Probably time to look like he belonged here.

The lecture began.

Adrian caught the first few sentences, lost the next few, then started writing down whatever looked remotely important.

Beside him, Dina remained quiet.

A few minutes later, he heard her whisper.

"Thank you."

Adrian paused.

He turned slightly.

Dina was looking at him.

Their eyes met for barely a second before she turned back toward the lecturer.

Adrian faced forward again.

"No problem."

He hesitated.

"Anytime."

A few seconds passed.

Then Dina whispered again.

"Why did you do it?"

Adrian glanced at her.

"What?"

"Take out ten thousand dollars to help someone."

She lowered her voice.

"You don’t exactly look like a nepo baby."

Adrian almost smiled.

That’s what we’re going with?

He glanced down at himself.

Black T-shirt. White overshirt left unbuttoned. Blue jeans. Decent sneakers.

Nothing about the outfit screamed billionaire.

Maybe I really did need to improve my wardrobe.

"I guess I’ve got you fooled."

Dina looked confused.

Adrian shook his head.

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I don’t know."

He looked toward the lecturer.

"I just felt like being your guardian wasn’t a good enough reason to let you make a mistake that could screw up your life."

Dina stared at him.

"I guess I’m just not that kind of guy."

"You could’ve just left me."

Adrian looked at her.

Then smiled.

He didn’t answer.

He simply turned back toward the front.

Dina stayed quiet.

Adrian could feel her looking at him for another few seconds before she finally faced forward.

A minute passed.

Then another.

"You never accepted my thanks."

Adrian looked over.

"Hm?"

"I said thank you."

"I heard you."

"You didn’t really accept it."

Adrian almost laughed.

"What do you want me to say?"

She shrugged.

"I don’t know."

He thought about it.

"If you really want to thank me..."

Dina looked at him.

"You’re not going to ask me to pay you back, are you?"

"Not exactly."

"Because I can’t afford ten thousand dollars."

"I know."

"Unless you’re expecting me to pay it back over several years."

Adrian smiled.

"How about a favor?"

"A favor?"

"One favor."

He lowered his voice.

"Something normal. Friendly. If I ever need your help with something, you help me. That’s it."

Dina stared at him.

"So I owe you one?"

"Basically."

"For ten thousand dollars?"

"When you say it like that, it sounds worse."

A tiny smile appeared on her face.

"You’re weird."

"Probably."

She considered it.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"I owe you one."

Adrian nodded.

"Then we’re even."

For some reason, the smile remained on Dina’s face for another second.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I guess we are."

The lecture continued.

Adrian returned to his notes, and for a while, the conversation disappeared beneath the lecturer’s explanation.

Until—

"You. With the white top."

Adrian froze.

Fuck.

His eyes widened slightly.

He slowly looked up.

The lecturer was scanning the room.

"You. Stand up."

Adrian’s stomach dropped.

He hadn’t heard the question.

Not even remotely.

He started to rise—

Then the student directly behind him stood up.

"Oh."

Adrian immediately sat back down.

The lecturer directed the question toward the other student.

Adrian lowered his eyes to his book.

That would’ve been me.

He let out a quiet breath.

Close.

Way too close.

Beside him, Dina had already turned toward the front, apparently doing an excellent job of pretending she hadn’t just watched him nearly embarrass himself.

Adrian shook his head and returned to his notes.

Eventually, the lecture ended.

He shut his book.

At least he’d managed to get a few useful notes down.

Students began pouring toward the exit as the lecturer gathered her things.

Adrian swung his bag over his shoulder.

He was about to leave when he noticed Dina was still sitting there.

She was staring blankly toward the front of the room even though the lecturer had already left.

Adrian stopped.

"You coming?"

Dina looked up.

"In a minute."

He nodded.

Then he remembered something.

"Actually, next time, just text."

She smiled faintly.

"Okay."

"I mean it."

He adjusted his bag.

"I’ve done the disappearing thing before. Trust me, it doesn’t exactly get you anywhere."

Dina’s smile faded slightly.

Adrian continued before she could misunderstand.

"It just makes things harder for everyone."

She looked down at her hands.

"Oh."

"And check up on Miriam."

Dina looked back at him.

"She misses you."

There was a brief pause.

"I will."

Adrian nodded.

"Good."

He turned and walked out before the conversation could become any more serious.

By the time he reached the parking lot, he’d mostly stopped thinking about it.

His phone vibrated.

Once.

Then again.

Then a third time.

Adrian pulled it out.

Rose.

Jenna.

Drew.

Three messages.

He was about to open Rose’s when another notification appeared above them.

Adrian stopped.

It wasn’t a message.

It was the system.

[Investment Target: Rose West]

[Investment Potential: 79-> 80%]

[Target has reached Devoted Landmark.]

Adrian stared at the screen.

His eyes widened.

"What?"

He read it again.

Eighty percent.

Devoted Landmark.

His thumb remained frozen above the notification.

That wasn’t supposed to happen this soon.

Or at least, he hadn’t expected it.

Adrian looked toward the parking lot.

Then back at his phone.

A small smile slowly found its way onto his face.

Rose... what exactly did you do?

And more importantly

What the hell happens at eighty percent?

***

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