'Yeah, you could say that. I just want to have a normal college life, I don't need people staring at me all the time or treating me like a celebrity.'
[I understand.]
Ken felt a little better hearing this and let out a yawn, feeling his tired body ache slightly.
[Activating sleep protocol.]
'Hmm? Thanks Mika.'
As Ken's vision began to grow dark, the system window in front of him changed slightly. For a brief moment he thought he'd seen some words flash by, but he quickly lost consciousness.
The next morning, Ken woke up at 5am and stretched deeply, feeling refreshed. There was nothing more therapeutic than Mika's sleep protocol, something he would never take for granted again after losing it for 18 months.
Like usual, Ken eased himself out of bed and nudged Steve. "Wake up, time for our run."
Without waiting to see if he heard his words, Ken began to get dressed into his gear. It was still freezing outside since it was late January, but such weather would not stop him from exercising.
By the time he was ready, Steve was putting on his shoes, looking half asleep still.
But the moment they stepped outside, a chill ran down Ken's spine. Seeing the snow in action, he decided to change tactics. "How about we hit the treadmill again instead?"
Steve grunted in approval and followed Ken closely, using his body as a shield against the wind and snow.
The facilities were essentially empty, save for a few who were using the gym at this time of morning. Ken recognized a few familiar faces, but he had never spoken to them before. Usually they would just silently nod at each other from across the room upon entering or leaving.
Seeing one of the regulars, Ken nodded as usual, however he was surprised to see the guy gawking at him. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Ken averted his gaze and moved towards the treadmill.
Thinking it was weird, he sent another glance back, only to see the guy approaching.
'Ah damn it. Why is he coming over?'
"Hey man… The name is Archie, I've seen you a few times in the gym this past month." He said, holding out a hand.
The guy was muscular, but not over the top. He looked like one of those athletes who would burst with speed rather than power, his frame holding almost no body fat.
"I'm Ken, and this is Steve. We're on the baseball team." He stated lamely, grabbing the outstretched hand. He didn't care about his tone, in fact, if it would help him avoid a conversation, he was all for it.
"Oh cool. I'm the Captain of the track team, at least for now." He said with an impish grin. "Hey if you're not busy, we're holding a party at the Sigma Nu fraternity house at the end of the week. You should come."
"Eh?" Ken was taken aback. He had never been invited to a party, let alone a frat party since attending Columbia. Despite the many times he'd seen Archie in here, the two had yet to speak, let alone reach such terms as to deserve an invite to a party.
"Oh hell yes, we'll be there." Steve replied, pumping his fist.
Only now did Archie seem to notice that there was another person besides Ken in the gym. His eyes skimmed over the guy briefly before ignoring him, waiting for an answer from Ken.
Ken felt a little awkward. He could feel Steve's enthusiasm bursting from the seams next to him and could tell that if he declined, he wouldn't hear the end of it.
'I guess we could use a little change of scenery.' He thought inwardly.
"Alright, we can stop by for a bit." Ken agreed, seeing Steve once again pumping his fists from the corner of his eye.
"Excellent! I'll add you on Instagram and send through the details." Archie said before heading back to his spot in the gym and leaving the two.
Once he'd left, Steve just about jumped for joy. "Dude, it's a frat party… There's gonna be drinks and hot chicks. You can finally do your part and be my wingman."
At the mention of alcohol and women, Ken instantly regretted his choice. He had already sworn off alcohol and cigarettes in this life, choosing to pursue his athletic career instead. Added that he was already in a monogamous relationship, none of what Steve said was appealing.
Feeling a headache coming along, Ken let out a sigh.
"Just start the damn treadmill."
"Yessir!"
Ken started to feel better when he'd worked up a sweat. Whenever he was running, all of his worries seemed to melt into the back of his mind. It was as if there was nothing else but him and the path in front.
It was a little harder to gain the same immersion while on a treadmill, but Ken's willpower was one of his best assets.
After running 12 miles, Ken peaked over and saw that Steve still had just under a mile to go. This was one of the issues he had when using the treadmills.
Ken cranked it down to walking speed and began to cool down, his mind at peace. While Steve was finishing the last bit of the run, Ken looked around before opening up his system window.
To pass the time, he liked to look at his stats as well as skills.
'According to Mika's training plan, I should be able to catch up to the Elixir's buff in another 8 months. By then I should hopefully have some Elixirs from the inevitable College season mission.'
Ken licked his lips in anticipation, his eyes moving up to the Missions tab to see if it had arrived just yet. However, his face fell when he saw that there was no active missions currently.
'What the hell?'
Feeling slightly panicked, Ken opened up the mission window, only to let out a cry of shock.
#HIDDEN MISSION: Make an Impression
REWARDS:
>Increased Fame and recognition. [Claimed]
>Upgrade Charismatic Air skill to Magnetic Charm. [Claimed]
'No… no no no.'