Seeing Ken's pale face, Steve was confused. He knew that Ken wasn't a great fan of social outings, but he had never reacted like this before. He tried calling out to his friend, but the guy wasn't responding.
"I'm going." He stated, jumping off the treadmill and heading out of the gym.
"Wait up!" Steve called, scrambling to turn his machine off. He picked up the hoodie that Ken had left and followed after him as fast as he could.
As they exited the building, a cold draft blew, sending a shiver down Ken's spine.
"You forgot this." Steve said, throwing the hoodie to him. Only now that he'd stopped did Ken pay attention to his friend.
"Do I look any different to you?" Ken asked seriously, turning his face to Steve with a serious expression.
Steve was silent for a little while, scrutinizing his features before his eyes widened. "Holy crap! Have you always had brown eyes?"
"… Never mind."
"Hehehe~"
Steve's carefree laughter filled his ears as he turned and made his way back to the dorm room. He should have known that the guy would have taken this chance to pull a joke.
'I don't understand… How did the rewards get accepted?' Ken thought, his mind in disarray. He had not been planning on accepting them at all, hoping that the mission would expire and disappear eventually.
[I accepted the rewards on your behalf.]
Ken froze on the spot, causing Steve to bump into his back.
"O—Oi man, be careful." Steve complained.
However, Ken didn't even hear him. A flash of anger swept through him in that moment, tinged with a feeling of hurt and betrayal.
'Why? Why would you do such a thing?'
[As I said, the system rewards will only bring you benefits. It was foolish to not accept them in the first place.]
The monotonous and unfeeling words pricked his psyche, causing his anger to rise even further.
'What gives you the right to make such a decision on my behalf?'
[…It is in the user's best interest to accept these rewards.]
"SAYS WHO!?"
Ken yelled, not realizing that he had said this aloud. His emotions were in turmoil after suffering such a betrayal, affecting his judgment.
"W—Whoa man, what's gotten into you?" Steve said, placing his hand on the guy's shoulder.
Ken shrugged the hand off and stormed off, heading back to the dorm, leaving Steve completely mystified standing in the same spot.
[Ken, you forget that I am merely part of the system's will. It has judged that you will require these rewards in the future, therefore accepting them was only natural.]
He scoffed in reply, but his anger eased a little. Mika had almost never called him by his first name, merely referring to him as the "user".
However, this still didn't change the fact that his autonomy was compromised. How could he feel like he was in charge of his own destiny if the system was the one making decisions under the guise of it being for his own good.
Ken was already feeling as if the system was able to affect the world around him, and this overreach only added to this theory.
'You have betrayed my trust Mika. Regardless of the benefits, I should have the final say in such things.' He said seriously.
[Understood.]
The reply was monotonous, but Ken felt as if he could feel some remorse behind it.
Ken could only accept what had happened and try to move forward. By the time he had returned to the dorm, he went straight for the shower and ensured that both doors were locked before getting undressed.
With the warm water cascading down his body, Ken opened up the system and went to his skills. It was time to inspect the damage and prepare himself for what kind of troubles would arise.
Part of him didn't want to look, but he had no choice in the matter.
Magnetic Charm: A subtle yet compelling aura that draws others toward the user, making them inclined to follow his lead and trust his instincts.
"Hmm?"
Ken read the skill a few more times. "This isn't so bad, right?"
Unlike Charismatic Air which was vague in its description, Magnetic Charm outlined exactly what it did in comparison. Ken's face morphed a few times before agreeing that the skill was far less destructive than he'd thought.
'If it's like this, then it shouldn't be too bad.' He thought. If it was just like this morning where people like Archie would be compelled to talk to him, then it would only be a minor annoyance.
Suddenly, Ken felt a little guilty for going off at Mika earlier. If he had have known that the upgrade would be so tame, he wouldn't have hesitated accepting the rewards.
After washing himself and freshening up, Ken exited the shower and put on some clean underwear before staring at the mirror. He scanned his face and bare chest once more, looking for any visible changes.
In his eyes, nothing seemed to have changed since he looked yesterday. His jaw was still chiseled and his deep brown eyes still held a determined fire within them.
Knock Knock
"I'll be done in a moment." Ken replied, realizing that he was currently hogging the shared bathroom.
But before he could leave, the door handle clicked a few times before the door to Tara's room opened. Ken blinked a few times, seeing Tara's roommate Kate peak in, her eyes widening upon seeing his figure.
"Whoa! There's a hottie in our bathroom." She exclaimed, her head popping back into her own room for a brief moment.
Ken frowned, his annoyance evident. He had just told her that he would be done in a moment, yet she still had the gall to open the door.
"Where!?" Tara's head also poked in, feasting her eyes on the sight. However, her face changed, "That's my boss, don't be weird." She said, slapping her friend on the top of the head.