HPDBC Chapter 84 Just Don't Move Too Much.
Chapter 84 Just Don't Move Too Much.
Hugo stood outside the yoga studio with the smuggest grin plastered across his face. He was still riding high after scoring Luna's number—the Luna!
The light breeze tousled his hair, adding to his victorious aura. In his head, he was already composing cool texts he could send her.
But beside him, Daphne wasn't sharing his celebratory mood.
She leaned against the wall, her shoulders slightly slumped, her eyes fixed on the pavement as if it held all the answers to life's problems.
The usual fun and cheerfulness in her voice were strangely absent.
Hugo finally noticed the gloomy cloud hovering over her. His grin faltered. 'Why does she look so... sad? Oh no. Did I do something wrong?'
The realisation hit him like a yoga mat to the face. 'Oh crap. Did I make her feel bad when I was flirting with Luna? Did I ignore her? She tried so hard to jump in, and I just—'
He winced inwardly. 'Great job, Hugo. You're officially a jerk.'
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Hugo turned to Daphne. "Hey, uh... you okay?"
She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Yeah. I'm fine." Your next chapter is on empire
She was not fine.
"Come on," Hugo pressed. "You're way too quiet. Usually, you'd be telling me about how much you love eating beans by now."
That earned him a tiny smile, but it disappeared just as quickly.
He scratched the back of his neck, feeling guilt creep up on him. Then, in a burst of inspiration, he blurted out, "How about lunch?"
Daphne blinked, startled. "Lunch? Like... with me?"
"Yeah, you know, food," Hugo said, trying to sound casual. "I mean, we just survived yoga hell together. It's only fair we refuel, right?"
Daphne's face lit up, and her cheeks flushed pink. "If you don't mind... I mean, sure, if you're offering."
Determined to make amends, he forced a grin. "Alright, I'll take you to a nice spot. My treat."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah, and I'll even give you the VIP experience," he added. "We'll go on my bike."
Cut to two minutes later, and Hugo was seriously regretting his life choices.
His electric bike originally wasn't built for two people, let alone someone as... curvy as Daphne.
"'Surprisingly'?" Hugo repeated, feigning offence. "Wow, thanks. That's a real ego boost."
She giggled. "I mean it! You're funny, and, I don't know... you're not what I expected."
Hugo chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I aim to surprise."
As they chatted, Hugo learned more about Daphne. She worked as a barista at a small coffee shop, loved cheesy romance movies, and had a soft spot for stray cats.
She, in turn, bombarded him with questions about his life. "What do you do when you're not, uh... awkwardly hitting on yoga instructors?"
Hugo smirked. "Oh, you know, I'm between jobs. Just figuring things out right now."
Despite the easy banter, Hugo couldn't shake the little voice in his head. 'She's nice. She's fun. But... she's not a 7. The System won't reward me for this.'
Still, he couldn't bring himself to hurt her feelings. 'I'll just... make this lunch great for her, he decided.'
As they finished their meal, Daphne leaned in with a playful grin. "Alright, Hugo. Be honest. How many girls have you taken to this 'nice spot' of yours?"
"None!" Hugo said quickly. "This is a VIP experience, just for you."
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Really? Not even one?"
He hesitated jokingly. "Uh... well... there might have been a few..."
She laughed, clearly enjoying his jokes.
As they left the restaurant, Daphne was practically glowing, and Hugo felt... surprisingly okay.
Maybe today hadn't been about System rewards or big wins. Sometimes, just making someone smile was enough.
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[A/N: More exciting chapters soon to happen! Get ready for another round of dirty cliffhangers!]
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Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!