The Heart System

Chapter 401: Chapter 401

I sat back on one of the sunbeds on the balcony, legs stretched out, shoulders sinking into the cushion. It was night already, a little past seven, and the city below was wrapped in that quiet, glowing haze that only came with snowfall. The balcony was fully closed off now, floor-to-ceiling glass panels sealing it from the cold. The glass was thick and clean, curving slightly at the edges, framed with dark metal. A single control panel sat near the wall; one button and the entire structure could lift and retract, turning the space back into an open balcony whenever we wanted. Right now, though, it was warm, insulated, and calm, the hum of the city muted into something distant and harmless.

Outside, snow drifted lazily between buildings, catching neon lights and streetlamps, turning them into smeared ribbons of color. Cars moved far below like slow constellations, their headlights blurred by the glass. It felt unreal in the best way.

I pulled up my status and checked my EXP.

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Evan Marlowe (Lvl 17)

==========================

Age: 21

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 76 kg

==========================

EXP: [██░░░░░░░░] 2826/9922

╰────────────────────╯

Good. Not amazing, but progress. Real progress.

Next, the shop.

╭────────────────────╮

SHOP [Page 2]

==========================

• Hypnotic Perfume (40c)

• Time Stop (90c)

• 500 Dollars (50c)

• 1 Ability Point (150c)

• 1 Mastery Point (160c)

• Desire Aura (100c)

• Reputation Point +30 (200c)

• Mastery Evolve (1500c)

• Random Passive Skill (1700c)

==========================

Credits: 2105c

╰────────────────────╯

I smiled faintly. Two thousand one hundred and five. Bliss Multiplier sitting at one-thirty really was doing its job. Every decision I’d made there had paid off, and for once, I didn’t regret leaning into it.

I reached down, grabbed the beer glass from the ground, and took the last sip. Empty. I set it beside the sunbed and let out a slow breath, eyes drifting back to the city.

Cozy. Quiet. Almost peaceful.

My phone buzzed against the cushion. I picked it up and saw Carrie’s name on the screen.

’Are you coming?’

I stared at it for a moment, thumb hovering, then locked the screen and set the phone back where it was. Not now. I leaned back again, enjoying the warmth and the faint hum of the balcony’s heating system.

The glass door slid open behind me, and something small and fast rushed past, knocking the empty beer glass over. It clinked harmlessly against the floor. I bent forward, picked it up, and looked back.

Tessa stood there, one hand still on the door, stepping inside with that familiar casual confidence.

Ahead of us, Mik was pressed up against the glass wall, tail flicking, meowing at the frozen city beyond like she expected it to respond.

"I thought Mik was the lazy type," I said, setting the glass aside.

Tessa reached over, moved my phone a little farther down the sunbed so she could sit, then dropped beside me. "Guess she just didn’t have the right friend to play with," she said with a shrug. "You told me Minne’s mother wasn’t really... active, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "She gets tired fast. Can barely walk for long."

"Well," Tessa went on, nodding toward the cat, "turns out our little Mik here is pretty energized."

I huffed. "She nearly knocked me off the sunbed."

"Don’t be dramatic." She bumped her shoulder into mine. "I also started giving her a bit less food. She needs to lose that belly fat."

"What’s wrong with having a little belly fat?" I shot back. "You see me giving you less food?"

She turned her head slowly. "Huh? You calling me fat? You got a death wish or something?"

I chuckled. "I’m joking, don’t kill me. You’re actually pretty fit, and you know that."

"Fuck yeah I know it." She raised an eyebrow. "You told us Kayla has the biggest ass."

"Well," I said, spreading my hands, "Kayla’s... Kayla. She does. You can’t argue with that."

Tessa exhaled through her nose. "Yeah. If I was a man, I’d fuck the shit out of that ass."

I grinned. "Now you understand me."

We sat there like that, the warmth of the balcony settling around us. Mik eventually gave up on the window, padded over, and hopped straight into Tessa’s arms, curling up almost immediately.

"Huh," I said. "She’s tired already."

Tessa nodded, gently scratching behind Mik’s ear. "Guess so. Poor thing must’ve been bored out of her mind back when she lived with Minne’s mother."

"Yeah," I said, watching the snow drift outside. "She’s in good hands now."

And for the first time in a while, I almost believed that applied to all of us.

I pushed myself up from the sunbed and stretched, arms over my head, feeling my back crack in a way that was way too satisfying. Tessa followed a second later, leaving Mik curled up on the cushion like she owned the place now.

I walked toward the glass wall at the edge of the balcony, hands slipping into my pockets. Tessa came up beside me, shoulder almost brushing mine as we both looked out over the city.

Snow kept falling, soft and unbothered, the lights below glowing through it like the whole place was underwater.

"Living in a dumpster of an apartment," Tessa said quietly, "and now this, huh?"

I snorted. "Yeah. It’s... different."

She hummed. "Different good or different weird?"

"Both," I said. "Working at a company like TechForge is also different. Still getting used to it."

I nodded to myself. "Sometimes I miss my old job."

She glanced at me, surprised. "Sometimes?"

"Very rarely," I added quickly. "But still. At least back then we didn’t have rats trying to leak info to the public. And it definitely didn’t have me crawling around vents like some off-brand action movie."

Tessa laughed. "Hey, that was some real James Bond stuff, by the way. Good job."

"Thanks," I said, a little embarrassed, a little proud.

The glass door slid open behind us.

"Master," Minne said softly, peeking her head out. "Dinner is ready."

I nodded and gestured toward the door. "Coming."

Tessa turned with me, and we stepped inside, warmth wrapping around us again as the balcony door slid shut.

Halfway across the living room, I paused. "Go ahead," I said. "I’ll be right back, forgot my phone."

She gave me a look. "Don’t get lost in your own penthouse."

"No promises."

I walked back out onto the balcony and grabbed my phone from the sunbed. Another message from Carrie.

A single question mark.

I stared at it for a few seconds longer than I meant to. The city reflected faintly on the glass, my own face layered over the lights and snow.

Then I glanced toward the dining area inside. Toward the table. Toward the warmth. Toward people actually there.

In forty, I typed.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket, stepped inside, and closed the glass door behind me.

I walked over to the dining table, the warmth of the penthouse settling into my shoulders as I pulled a chair out and sat down. The table was already set neatly, plates aligned, cutlery polished, glasses filled with water. The smell hit me a second later and my stomach reminded me that, yeah, I hadn’t eaten properly all day.

Minne had cooked. Of course she had.

There was grilled chicken glazed with some kind of honey–soy sauce that caught the light just right, steam still rising from it. A bowl of buttery mashed potatoes sat in the middle of the table, flecked with herbs, next to a pan of sautéed vegetables that looked way better than anything I’d ever managed to make myself. There was rice too, fluffy and white, and a small salad on the side with cherry tomatoes and thin slices of cucumber.

Tessa walked over to Mik’s little corner, crouched down, and poured food into the tray. Mik immediately appeared from nowhere and dove in like she hadn’t eaten in days.

"Traitor," I muttered, watching her.

Tessa smirked and came back to the table, taking the seat across from me. "She’s loyal to whoever feeds her."

"Smart cat," I said.

Minne stood there for a second, hands clasped in front of her apron, clearly waiting.

"You can sit," I said gently. "You don’t have to hover."

She hesitated, then nodded and took her seat, relief obvious on her face. She knew I didn’t have to tell her that but... I think she liked it. She liked me telling her to come and join us.

We started eating, forks clinking softly against plates. The first bite shut my brain up immediately. The chicken was tender, sweet and savory at the same time, and the potatoes were ridiculous. I let out a quiet sound before I could stop myself.

Minne looked up instantly. "Is it... okay?"

"It’s amazing," I said honestly. "You’re spoiling me."

Her shoulders relaxed, a shy smile spreading across her face. "I’m glad."

Tessa took a bite and hummed. "Yeah, this is really good. You’re officially hired for life."

Minne blushed hard. "Th-thank you."