Chapter 63: Target Proximity! Adrian and His Target
Adrian paused.
She sounded oddly casual about it, but for some reason, he was genuinely curious to hear what she had to say. That hadn’t been what he’d expected.
Maybe he was reading too much into it.
"Actually..." Jenna stirred the ice in her drink. "I’ve been thinking about what you told me. I just wanted to know why."
"What I told you?" Adrian swallowed what he was chewing. "Which part exactly do you mean?"
"The audition." She sighed. "You know? Me trying to be an idol and all."
That explained the shift.
Adrian leaned back in his chair. "You want it. You’re just worried about what comes with it."
"It’s not that." Jenna shook her head. "Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of being an idol." She looked down at her drink. "But it’s weird. I’m starting university, trying to figure out classes and assignments, and now there’s an audition hanging over my head."
"So, basically...." He paused. "you’re worried about the schedule?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what?"
Jenna was quiet for a moment.
"I don’t know..." Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup. "I guess I’m not ready to take in the possibility of failing."
Adrian watched her.
She wasn’t worried about knowing what to do. She was worried she wouldn’t be good enough.
That felt oddly familiar.
"You’re nervous because it matters to you."
Jenna frowned. "That’s your reassurance?"
"I’m being honest." Adrian shrugged. "Being nervous about something like that is normal."
Jenna looked away. "So you think I’ll mess up?"
"That’s not what I said."
"So you think I won’t?"
"I think you have the talent."
She looked back at him.
Adrian picked up his drink. "You’ve already done the hard part. You learned it. The audition is just showing them."
Jenna was quiet for a moment.
Then she smiled. "Hm. That’s new."
Adrian raised a brow. "What’s new?"
"You." She replied. "You’re surprisingly good at calming a lady’s mind."
Apparently, he was better at this than he’d realized.
"Don’t underestimate me, Jenna."
He added with a grin, "I can be useful sometimes."
"Oh yeah?" Her smile widened. "Like what?"
Tell her the system paid him for collecting girls?
Yeah. Probably not.
"You’ll find out."
She smiled, but it faded almost as quickly as it appeared.
"But there’s another issue, too."
Adrian took a sip of his drink. Creamy. Unusually tasty.
"Another problem?"
She looked down at her drink. "Yeah. I still need funding support. Paying for back-to-back audition rooms costs a lot, you know."
Adrian considered it for a moment.
"Don’t worry about that. I’ll cover it."
Jenna looked up at him, surprised. "You’ll cover it? It costs a ton of money. I can’t possibly ask for that."
That was true.
But if helping her moved her progression, the money probably wouldn’t exactly be wasted.
Jenna seemed to remember something.
"Besides, you’ve already got that red-haired slut to worry about."
Adrian slowly lowered his drink.
Jenna froze.
"Sorry." A beat. "I meant Rose."
Adrian stared at her.
Jenna burst out laughing.
"You should’ve just stopped at Rose."
"I know. I know." She laughed again, shaking her head. "I’m sorry. What I meant is, you’ve got plenty to focus on already."
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
"I can handle both."
Jenna’s smile faded slightly. She probably hadn’t expected that.
He hadn’t meant anything particularly deep by it. He just didn’t see why having his own problems meant he couldn’t care about hers.
She recovered quickly.
"Hm." She paused. "That was almost charming."
"Almost?"
"Don’t push it."
Jenna smiled into her drink.
Adrian smiled back, though he wasn’t sure whether he meant it or was only trying to keep things light.
"But I really do want the opportunity."
Her tone had changed again.
Adrian studied her.
"I just don’t want to walk into that audition and forget everything I’ve practiced."
"You think you will?"
"I don’t know." Her thumb traced the side of her cup. "That’s what bothers me."
Practicing alone wasn’t the problem.
"Then practice with someone watching."
Jenna gave him a skeptical look. "Who?"
"Someone you trust."
"That isn’t the same."
"No," Adrian said. "But it’s closer than doing it alone."
She fell silent.
"I’d need something closer to the real thing," she said eventually. "An actual room. Someone to run it like an audition. Maybe record me."
"How much would that cost?"
Jenna’s eyes narrowed. "No. I’m not letting you pay."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I didn’t say I wanted to."
She stared at him.
He didn’t deny it.
"If it helps you prepare, why not?"
"Because I don’t want you spending money on me."
"Jenna, it’s probably not that much."
She opened her mouth.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
Adrian glanced at his phone. Jenna stared at him, exasperation sharpening her expression.
"C’mon."
"What?"
"Why..." She searched for the words. "Why the hell does your phone keep buzzing every few minutes?"
Adrian went still.
He stopped the first answer on reflex.
The system was always active. Its notifications could cut through a conversation at any time.
The truth was impossible.
"It’s nothing," he said. "Just my mum."
"Your mum?"
"Yeah." He straightened. "She’s checking on me."
Jenna crossed her arms. She definitely didn’t believe him.
"I’m serious," he added, pulling out his phone. "I was supposed to call and tell them about my first day."
The words died.
Target Info: Rose West
Location: Approximately 20 meters away, moving toward the student café.
Mood: Docile.
Adrian froze. Rose. Twenty meters.
Of all the times for her to show up. He looked toward the entrance. Rose was already walking in their direction. Well, there goes his exit.
Adrian looked back at Jenna.
She noticed immediately. "What?"
What was he supposed to say now? Rose; his girlfriend, who was already suspicious of something between the both of them; was twenty meters away and getting closer.
He kept his gaze on her. Then he looked at the entrance again as though it could still be a possible exit. His stomach tightened.
Oh, fuck me.