Chapter 36: No.36: Chilling In The Park
The park turned out to be much larger than he remembered.
’Prolly cause I was too preoccupied with dealing with the rich twerp to notice at the time.’
Though recalling it was a bit spiteful, other than the fact that he’d gained a lot from the interference, of course, this was in fact one of the reasons Bruce chose this place to begin with.
As despite it being the place where they’d encountered the twerp, it was also the same place he’d given Summer the Panda earrings and gone on to spend a quiet night in each other’s company.
Though brief, it didn’t make it any less memorable.
As such, Bruce decided to use this opportunity to completely overwrite the memory of the rich twerp. Leaving only memories of their time together whenever they passed by the park.
With this in mind, the duo went on to explore the parts of the park they were unable to last time, admiring the scenery as they did.
The park was filled with greenery everywhere, all of which appeared neatly trimmed and well maintained.
In truth though, the grass was mostly artificial, like most plants in the City, as having live plants posed the risk of them mutating over time. And since they couldn’t easily track their Radiation Limit like they could with people, they decided against it for the time being.
As such, the park used decorative, life-like carpet grass, shrubs, trees, hedges, and the like, creating the illusion of actual plants. Mainly for visuals and decoration.
Located at the centre of the park stood a massive fountain with glittering water, which seemed to be one of the park’s main attractions, as people could be seen sitting on nearby benches to enjoy the sight.
Most of them seemed to be couples, holding hands or sitting close to one another while admiring the sparkling water.
Returning with two large ice creams he’d bought from a nearby stand, Bruce handed one to Summer.
Taking a bite of his ice cream, he sat beside her, keeping a bit of distance so as not to put her on the spot.
The two watched in silence as they enjoyed their ice cream before Summer eventually spoke.
"What exactly about this is supposed to be worth paying a fee just to see? It’s basically just a giant, fancy faucet that never stops running. The only difference is, you can’t drink from it. Other than that, there’s really nothing special about it, right?"
Hearing this, Bruce sighed in relief before replying.
"Phew! Thought I was the weird one for not seeing what all the hype was about. Glad to know there’s an even weirder person sitting right next to me."
"Hey!"
"Ouch! Alright, I’m sorry. Haha..."
Rubbing the spot Summer had pinched upon hearing his response, Bruce admitted defeat, causing the duo to laugh at their silly banter.
Upon entering the fountain section of the park, they’d been asked to pay a fee of 15 Kepto per person, as it was a popular spot for couples and the like.
Despite saying that, they couldn’t deny the fact that the sight was truly eye-catching.
But what made it special wasn’t the fountain itself, but rather, sharing the experience with someone they held dear.
As they laughed, Bruce noticed Summer subtly inching closer to him over time, causing a knowing smirk to briefly appear on his face as he also moved a little closer.
Once close enough, she rested her hand on the bench, to which Bruce did the same.
Their hands inched closer by the second until their fingers eventually brushed against one another, causing Summer to hesitate for a moment as she instinctively pulled back slightly.
Not giving her the chance to retreat, Bruce gently interlocked his fingers with hers on the bench, causing the tips of Summer’s ears to redden upon feeling his soft yet somewhat firm hand.
A warm smile appeared on her face as she noticed Bruce had reciprocated the gesture.
Gazing at the fountain, the sight somehow seeming more radiant this time, they sat in silence, quietly enjoying the view together.
At some point, Bruce received a notification that Summer’s Affinity Level had increased by +2, but he ignored it, choosing to enjoy their moment instead.
As time passed, it eventually reached the point where Summer had to leave, as it would soon be time for her next shift.
Since it was Wednesday, her workload tended to be a bit heavier than usual, though nowhere near Monday’s rush hours.
Knowing this, Summer hesitated for a bit before bidding Bruce farewell.
However, after taking a few steps away, she suddenly came to a halt.
Pausing for a few seconds, she hesitated before finally making up her mind.
Turning around, she quickly walked back towards Bruce.
Surprised by her sudden action, Bruce immediately recognised the look of determination on Summer’s face.
’That’s the look of a woman on a mission.’
Realising this, he braced himself, awaiting whatever was to come.
Upon getting close, Summer suddenly leaned forward in one swift motion, pulled him closer, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Not bothering to wait for a response, she practically dashed away immediately afterwards.
Her entire face turning beet red, while her ears burned hot as she left.
Shocked by this, Bruce froze in place for a few seconds as he watched Summer’s figure disappear into the distance.
’Oh, it was just a peck on the cheek. Almost had me worried for a sec.’
Having expected she’d go for a kiss on the lips, Bruce was somewhat disappointed that it was merely a peck on the cheek.
However, upon seeing her flustered figure as she hurried away from him, a warm smile appeared on his face.
As this happened, a series of notifications immediately flashed before him.
[Affinity Level: ...65]
[Host has successfully strengthened the bond with a Target]
[Processing Rewards based on performance...]
[Analysis Complete!]
[Congratulations on Spoiling Bonded Target, Summer Monroe, with Affection]
[Host has been Rewarded 360 Rebate Coins]
{5% has been deducted from the amount earned}
{Current Rebate Coins: 164.75 » 506.75}
[Congratulations on another successful splurge on Bonded Target]
[x40 Rebate has been awarded on the total amount spent during the splurging session]
[Amount Spent: 56KPT]
[Reward: 2240KPT]
[Daily Rebate Session: 1/3]
-------
’Whoa!’
Surprised, Bruce paused as he read through it once again.
Having already expected things to become more difficult, Bruce wasn’t surprised that the Affinity Level had only increased by +3 despite the progress in his relationship with Summer.
Instead, it was the amount of Rebate Coins he’d received this time that shocked him, the amount being nearly 100 more than the previous reward.
Regaining his composure, he checked the time.
Upon confirming that it wasn’t afternoon yet, as he’d completed the deliveries on time today while also arriving earlier, Bruce sighed in relief.
’Phew! Luckily, I didn’t spend too much time today. Or else, I’d be in trouble again.’
Though he wasn’t necessarily out of the woods yet, he had completed his plan about an hour earlier than yesterday.
Deciding it was still too early to celebrate, Bruce quickly made his way to the gym in hopes of meeting Naomi in a good mood today.
’Hopefully, she doesn’t torture me today too.’