Chapter 3: A Sustainable Affection Plan
“Tessa Vale… What a lovely name.”
Seraphina Frost’s clear, springlike eyes reflected Tessa’s slightly embarrassed face. A warm, healing smile rested at the corner of her lips as she repeated the name softly, as if she were tasting a piece of sweet candy.
“My name is Seraphina Frost. If you ever need anything at school, you can come find me.”
Her voice was quiet, but it carried a steady, comforting strength.
[Ding! Detected “Admiration” and “Fondness” from Seraphina Frost. Affection Points +3!]
[Ding! Affection Points +2!]
[Current Affection Points: 15]
A string of system alerts rang inside Tessa’s head. Her Affection Points, which had almost fallen into the single digits, inflated like a balloon until the number finally felt safe enough to breathe around.
The shadow of death that had been pressing over her heart finally faded beneath Seraphina’s smile, warm as spring sunlight.
The crisis was over.
Tessa looked at the flawless moonlit goddess in front of her, and a feeling of gratitude rose in her chest that she could not put into words. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the social anxiety buried deep in Evan Hale’s soul took over. In the end, she only blushed and gave a small nod, like a frightened fawn that had finally found shelter.
After saying goodbye to Seraphina, Tessa practically floated back to her dorm.
Never in her life had the walk from the academic building to the dorm felt this light and easy. The campus maples by the path seemed to be applauding her. Even the summer breeze brushing against her face carried a faint sweetness.
“I survived…”
As she walked, Tessa could not help pressing a hand over her wildly beating heart. The soft sensation beneath her palm once again reminded her that this body was real.
She was alive.
And she had survived thanks to a soft, sweet-smelling girl.
For a former straight guy trapped in a desperate situation, this was practically a survival route tailor-made by fate.
When she pushed open the dorm room door, the room was empty.
That made sense. At this hour, everyone else was probably still in class or out at clubs.
Tessa let out a long breath and dropped heavily into the chair that apparently belonged to “Tessa Vale.”
Just as she prepared to seriously study her future “sustainable development plan,” that flashy chibi little devil UI popped out again with another cheerful “biu.”
[Hehe. Congratulations, Master. You have temporarily escaped mortal danger.]
The syrupy mature voice sounded in her head.
[The mandatory beginner quest has now expired. A new main quest has been issued.]
A brand-new quest window opened in front of her.
[Objective: Raise your Affection Point reserves to 100 within 7 days.]
[Reward: Unlock new feature, [Glamour Eyes].]
[Failure Penalty: Random Succubus Debuff. Possible effects include tripping in public, a trembling voice, tripled body sensitivity, and other delightful surprises.]
“One hundred points… in seven days…”
Tessa stared at the quest, and her heart climbed right back into her throat.
The threat of immediate death might be gone, but why did the failure penalty sound worse than dying? Every single option was a public humiliation event waiting to happen.
While she was still getting a headache over it, a sudden burst of pain slammed into her mind. It felt as if countless memory fragments that did not belong to her had been forced into her head all at once.
“Ugh…”
Tessa clutched her head and let out a pained groan.
Halewick University’s campus map, the first-year public course schedule, which station in the dining hall had the best food, which professor was known as a grade-killer… Countless pieces of “common knowledge” about this world surged into her mind like a flood, blending and tangling with her original memories.
It took a long while before she finally recovered from the wave of information.
Now she understood.
This was a parallel world that was almost ninety percent identical to her original one. She had not possessed some girl who happened to be named Tessa Vale. Instead, she had been dropped into this world like a bug in reality, wearing this perfect succubus body out of nowhere.
She had no parents. No past. Every piece of identification she had in this world had been fabricated by the system.
She was now Tessa Vale, a first-year student in Halewick University’s Arts Department who had supposedly transferred in not long ago.
“I really can’t go back…”
Tessa slumped in her chair and stared blankly at the ceiling.
She had already suspected it, but having the truth placed directly in front of her still brought a crushing loneliness that swallowed her before she could resist.
Luckily, that feeling lasted less than a minute.
Deep in Evan Hale’s soul, the unique coping mechanism of a shut-in gamer swiftly seized control. It was the powerful, shameless ability to shrug and think, Well, it is what it is.
If she couldn’t go back, then she couldn’t go back. Her old world had been the same three-point routine every day anyway. A socially anxious shut-in life. Other than her gaming buddies online, there was not much worth clinging to.
She lowered her head and examined her new body again.
Fair, smooth skin. Slim, straight legs. A waist narrow enough to make her nervous. Curves that made her face heat up just by acknowledging them.
She walked to the mirror and looked at the face staring back at her. It had that perfect innocent-yet-dangerous charm that made it hard to look away. Unable to resist, she pinched her cheek.
The soft, smooth feeling made her heart flutter.
“Fine… If I have to look like this, maybe… maybe it isn’t that bad?”
Tessa muttered under her breath.
With this face and this body, the universe was practically handing her a winning ticket. More importantly, she could now have a perfectly legitimate reason to get close to gorgeous older girls and adorable classmates.
When she thought about it that way, maybe this was not completely unacceptable.
Grrrr.
The protest from her stomach interrupted her wandering thoughts.
After everything that had happened, she was so hungry her stomach felt glued to her back.
But the moment she imagined going to the crowded dining hall, Evan Hale’s social anxiety started twitching again.
“Forget it. I’ll check my schedule first and figure out how to hunt… no, how to sustainably manage my major clients.”
Tessa shook her head and found “her” class schedule on the desk.
The moment she saw that her first class tomorrow morning was Art Appreciation, her eyes lit up.
Because Seraphina Frost’s name was right there on the roster.
This was it.
The opportunity had arrived.
Tessa felt both nervous and excited, like she was about to challenge a high-reward epic dungeon.
Night fell.
The dorm room door clicked open.
“Tessa! How are you feeling today? We’re back!”
A bright, lively voice rang out, crisp as a songbird.
A petite girl with twin ponytails and a sweet face bounced into the room like an excited rabbit. She was one of Tessa’s roommates, the cheerful Chloe Hart.
“Whoa, you look way better now!” Chloe ran to Tessa’s side and looked her up and down with wide, curious eyes.
[Ding! Received “Concern” from Chloe Hart. Affection Points +1!]
Two more roommates walked in right behind her.
The first was Iris Lane, a tall, cool-looking dance scholarship student. She gave Tessa a brief glance and nodded. “Mm. Your color is better than it was this morning.”
[Ding! Received “Goodwill” from Iris Lane. Affection Points +1!]
The other was Vanessa Rose. She had the most striking figure of the three, gentle long curls, and the calm, intelligent air of an older student who knew exactly what she was doing. She set down the books in her arms, walked over to Tessa, and touched her forehead with the back of her hand.
“Are you really okay now?” Vanessa asked softly. “Do you need us to email your professor for you tomorrow?”
[Ding! Received “Tender Care” from Vanessa Rose. Affection Points +2!]
“N-No, I’m much better now. Thank you for worrying about me.”
The sudden triple strike of concern left Tessa completely flustered. She could only blush and answer in a tiny voice.
The summer night was hot. As soon as the three girls returned to the dorm, they could not wait to peel off the T-shirts and pants sticking to their skin and change into cooler sleepwear.
Chloe changed into a strawberry-print camisole nightdress, her pale, slender legs swinging lightly as she moved around the room.
Iris was even more direct. She wore a sports tank and shorts, revealing a flat, toned stomach and the kind of clean muscle definition that made people quietly jealous.
The one Tessa had the hardest time dealing with was Vanessa. She changed into an oversized white button-down as sleepwear. The soft fabric draped over her figure in a way that looked casual but dangerous for Tessa’s peace of mind. The hem fell low, making her long legs look even straighter.
That easy, mature charm made Tessa’s heartbeat miss a step.
Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look.
Tessa screamed inside her head. On the outside, she could only stiffly lower her head, pick up her phone, and pretend to scroll through videos. Her ears went so red they looked ready to drip.
For someone whose mind was still very much that of a straight guy, this was far too intense.
Unfortunately, Vanessa was sharp enough to notice Tessa’s awkwardness.
She picked up her wash basin, walked over with a bright little smile, then set it down. Leaning forward, she placed both hands on the armrests of Tessa’s chair, trapping Tessa neatly between herself and the seat.
Vanessa moved close. A loose strand of hair, carrying the fresh scent of shampoo, brushed lightly across Tessa’s cheek. Warm, sweet breath drifted toward her.
“Well, well. Why is our little Tessa’s face so red?” Vanessa asked with a teasing smile. “Were you watching something naughty on your phone?”
Boom.
Tessa’s brain went completely blank. Heat shot straight to the top of her head.
She jerked backward so hard her back slammed into the chair. “N-No! I was… I was watching a calculus lecture!”
“Pfft.”
“Hahahaha!”
The terrible excuse detonated the entire dorm room. Chloe and Iris doubled over with laughter.
“Tessa, you’re way too cute!” Chloe laughed until tears gathered in her eyes. “Who watches calculus lectures in their dorm at night?”
Vanessa straightened up too, her smile deepening as she looked at Tessa’s mortified face. She reached out and lightly tapped the tip of Tessa’s nose with one finger.
“All right, all right. I won’t tease you anymore. Go take a shower. You smell like sweat.”
“I-I’m going right now!”
As if she had been pardoned from death row, Tessa bolted for her closet. She grabbed the most conservative short-sleeved shirt and long pants she could find, snatched up her shower caddy, and rushed into the bathroom.
The door shut with a bang.
Tessa leaned back against it, gasping for breath. Her heart was still pounding wildly out of control.
Calm down, Evan. Calm down.
You’re a girl now. It’s not like being close to another girl is going to kill you.
While trying to talk herself down, she undressed and stepped under the shower.
Warm water spilled over her body. As she looked at the unfamiliar, fair, well-proportioned girl in the mirror, Tessa fell into deep thought all over again.
How… was she supposed to wash this?
Back when she had been a guy, soap and a rough scrub cloth had solved everything in a few minutes. But now…
Tessa looked at her smooth, pale skin and had no idea where to start. She was afraid that if she used even a little too much force, she would scrub herself red.
In the end, this battle ended with Tessa rinsing herself in a panic and not even daring to use body wash.
She changed into conservative long sleeves and long pants, then climbed into bed like a guilty thief and wrapped herself tightly in her blanket.
Inside the dorm, the girls’ laughter and the lingering scents of fresh showers wove together into an atmosphere Evan had never experienced before. It was strange, warm, and somehow comforting.
Tessa closed her eyes.
Her mind was a complete mess.
The fear of nearly dying. Seraphina’s gentle smile. The easy, natural closeness of her roommates.
All of it swirled together until sleep finally began to pull her under.