Hi everyone. I just want to say that I absolutely HATE SYSTEMS. Maybe this is a mental breakdown, writer's block, or maybe I'm simply exhausted from System novels altogether. Same templates, same cliches, same bullshit every time. At this point, it's becoming painfully repetitive, with writers forced to stay trapped within the system's limitations. The reason I'm saying this is because I might not show the system too often anymore, and the MC will just power up normally. I don't want to drop this novel, which is why I'm clarifying it.

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I got to the academy earlier than usual. As I walked toward the veil and moved towards the campus, I spotted Shinro leaning against one of the pillars with that bored expression he always had when he arrived too early. The moment his eyes landed on me, his brows lifted.

"Damn, I rarely see you these days. What have you been up to?" he asked, pushing himself off the pillar.

I shrugged, but before I could say anything, he squinted at me like he was analyzing something deeper. "And what's going on between you and Riley? I noticed she lost some weight. Are you two fight or something?"

I let out a long sigh. I already knew this conversation would come eventually. "Riley got pregnant," I said quietly.

Shinro froze. "Huh?"

"And… we had to abort it," I added, keeping my voice low. "It was complicated. And painful for her. That's why she hasn't been herself."

Shinro's eyes widened as the shock hit him, his mouth slightly open. "Bro… I'm so sorry. You should've told me."

"Riley didn't want words spreading," I explained. "It meant a lot to her to keep it quiet. But you're my friend, so I figured you deserve to know."

Shinro looked genuinely hurt, but not at me, more like at the situation. "I feel so bad for her. And for you too, man. That's… that's rough. A shame I can't even console her or anything."

"It's fine," I said, patting his shoulder. "Come on, let's get to class before the lecturer decides to use us as sacrifices."

He cracked a weak smile and nodded. We walked into the classroom together, took our seats, and spent the next few minutes pretending to focus on whatever the lecturer was rambling about.

---

After class, I met up with Riley and Shinro again at the usual place. Riley stood beside me, and as we started walking out of the campus, my hand naturally rested on her waist. She stiffened a bit and looked at me with this strange expression. Just… unreadable.

Noticing it, I leaned closer. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she replied quickly, looking away.

Before I could push further, Shinro groaned dramatically. "You two are making me jealous, man. Walking around like the main couple in some romance novel."

Riley laughed and nudged him. "Then what about that girl you were chasing? How did that go?"

"Man…" Shinro dragged a hand down his face. "The girl was a gold digger. Only looking for someone to suck up to. She said she can't date a poor person like me."

Me and Riley exchanged the same expression—half pity, half annoyance. "That sucks," we said simultaneously.

Shinro gave a defeated shrug. "Whatever, aside from my tragic love life, how were the exams?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Today's the first day of the semester exams and honestly, it's crazy how fast time flies."

Shinro didn't let that slide. "I know time flies. I mean how were the exams?"

"Oh." I smirked a little. "Pretty simple actually."

Shinro stopped walking and stared at me like I just said the sky was green. "Simple? Bro… that exam was hard as hell!"

He turned sharply to Riley. "Riley, tell me I'm not insane."

Riley tilted her head thoughtfully. "It wasn't too hard."

Shinro clutched his chest like he was about to drop dead on the pavement. "I can't compare to you two freaks of nature. I studied my ass off and still felt like crying."

"Relax," I said. "There's still more papers. Maybe they'll throw you an easy one."

"I doubt it," he muttered, dragging his feet as we walked.

---

Soon after, we decided to stop at the nearby park to cool off. The atmosphere felt lighter, and we ended up messing around for a while, talking trash, playing around, laughing louder than necessary. After a while, Shinro stretched his arms and sighed.

"Alright, I'm heading back to the dorm. You two enjoy your lovey-dovey moment."

He waved lazily and left, leaving me and Riley alone in the park. The sun was starting to set, casting a warm orange hue across everything.

I went to sit on one of the swings, and Riley joined me by settling herself on my lap. She leaned against me comfortably, her hair brushing my cheek as her legs dangled from the swing. For a moment, it was peaceful. Quiet. Almost nostalgic.

"What are you planning to do after exams?" she asked suddenly. "During the holidays."

"I'm going to be a full-time Adventurer during the break," I answered honestly.

Riley's expression shifted immediately. She slapped my arm lightly. "Dumbass."

"Eh?? What did I do?" I asked, confused.

"Aren't you going to see my parents?" she said, pouting a little. "Even though my mom is bedridden, I believe she can still hear what I say. And my dad… he still cares about me a lot even though he remarried."

Her voice softened during the last part, and I felt a faint sting in my chest. It wasn't anger. Just guilt. Pure guilt for not thinking about something so important.

I wrapped my arms around her waist more securely. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that."

"You never think," she grumbled lightly, though there was no real heat behind it.

I pressed my chin against her shoulder. "I'll come. I'll see your parents. And…" I inhaled deeply. "I'll ask your dad for your hand in marriage."

Riley froze. For a moment I thought she didn't hear me, but then her breath hitched, and she slowly turned her head to look at me. Her eyes shimmered with a mix of surprise and emotion.

"You promise?" she whispered.

"I promise," I said, tightening my arms around her as the swing gently swayed.

She then leaned in for a kiss, her fingers slipping between mine. My confidence genuinely stunned her. Asking for her hand in marriage doesn't mean we're tying the knot immediately; it's more like an unspoken agreement, letting her parents know about our relationship and the future we're aiming for.

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