"3RD PERSON POV"
As Aravind mulled over his predicament, the soft chime of the café door opening pulled him back to reality. The sound of heavy raindrops splattering against the pavement outside filtered into the warm, quiet space of Coffee and Beans.
He instinctively straightened up, putting on his well-practiced professional smile. "Good evening, and welcome to Coffee and Beans," he greeted politely, turning toward the entrance.
The moment his eyes landed on the customer, he paused.
A young woman, likely in her early twenties, stood in the doorway. She wore a fitted green long-sleeved blouse and black high-waisted shorts with zipper detailing. Her long, dark hair clung to her slightly damp clothes, droplets of rain trailing down her delicate features. But what truly caught his attention was the sadness etched onto her face—her eyes were slightly red and puffy, as if she had been crying just moments ago.
Their eyes met, and for a brief second, Aravind felt a strange pull, an unspoken connection that neither of them acknowledged.
Without a word, she stepped forward, her black high heels clicking softly against the wooden floor. Her movements were slow, almost hesitant, yet deliberate. As she reached the counter, she took a seat directly in front of him, her gaze never once wavering from his.
A silent moment passed between them.
Breaking the quiet first, Aravind calmly opened the drawer beneath the counter, pulling out a neatly folded, soft white towel. Holding it out to her with a small but warm smile, he simply said, "Here. Help yourself."
Hearing Aravind's words, the woman finally shifted her gaze away from him and looked at the towel in his outstretched hand. Taking it gently, she began to dab her face, wiping away the traces of rain while murmuring a soft, almost hesitant, "Thanks."
Her voice was low yet sweet, carrying a certain warmth that contrasted with the sadness in her eyes.
Aravind offered a reassuring smile. "It's my pleasure. So, what would you like to drink?"
The woman turned her attention to the menu board above the counter, scanning it for a brief moment before replying, "Mocha. Extra hot."
He nodded. "Right away."
With that, he stepped away from the counter and made his way toward the coffee machine. As he moved, he could feel the woman's gaze lingering on him, but he chose not to acknowledge it. Instead, he focused on the rhythmic actions of preparing the drink, letting the comforting routine take over.
Just as he reached for the coffee beans, SYS's voice echoed in his mind.
[Host.]
Aravind raised an eyebrow. 'What now, SYS?' he responded internally, his tone already laced with mild irritation.
As Aravind scooped coffee beans into the grinder, SYS's voice chimed in again.
[Ding! Host has just met and interacted with a Heroine.]
Aravind's hand froze mid-motion. 'What?'
Before he could question it further, more information flooded his mind.
[Name: Suryakantham]
[Basic Information: She is one of the two female leads from the movie Agnyaathavaasi. A confident and independent woman, she works for AB Group, the company owned by Govinda Bhargav. In the movie, she is a key employee and plays a significant role in the protagonist's mission. She is also part of the romantic subplot, developing feelings for Abhishikth Bhargav, who infiltrates the company under a hidden identity to investigate his father's murder. While she has comedic and romantic moments, her character lacks depth in the main storyline.]
[Mission: Help her with her problem.]
[Reward: You get her. What more do you want?]
[Penalty: None.]
Aravind stared blankly at the air, his fingers gripping the coffee machine. 'Are you serious right now, SYS?'
SYS remained silent, as if smugly waiting for his reaction.
Aravind felt his eye twitch as he stared at the floating system screen in front of him.
'What the actual fuck, SYS? We just finished updating the system a minute ago, and now I'm already getting dragged into some stupid plot to help a heroine? And what kind of ridiculous reward is that? If you want me to do something, at least give me something worthwhile!'
SYS responded in its usual emotionless tone.
[Host, you already used your good luck during the system update. That's why you received all those powerful upgrades. Rewards for missions are random, but if you don't like this one, I can offer a bonus reward if you manage to make her happy.]
More lines appeared on Aravind's forehead as he grumbled, 'Seriously? Do you think I'm going to fall for some random woman I just met? Do you think I'm that horny, SYS?'
SYS remained unbothered.
[Now you're starting to sound like a dense harem protagonist, Host. But you're right—I'm not forcing you to help her. I just think it would be fun. Besides, thanks to the update, you're going to get involved with heroines anyway, so you might as well accept your fate.]
Aravind let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples. 'Fine. What's the bonus reward?'
[Generating bonus reward… Please wait.]
A second later, a notification appeared.
[Ding! Host has received a bonus reward: 50 lakh rupees. Be happy, you got money.]
Aravind exhaled heavily. 'I already have more money than I need… but I guess extra cash is always welcome.'
[That's the spirit, Host.]
Rolling his eyes, Aravind dismissed the system screen and turned his attention back to the coffee machine. Whether he liked it or not, he was already involved. Now, he just had to figure out how to deal with it.
After finishing the coffee, Aravind walked toward Suryakantham, carefully holding the cup. As he placed it in front of her, she instinctively reached for her wallet, ready to pay.
Seeing this, Aravind smiled and gently shook his head. "It's fine."
Suryakantham paused, her hand hovering over the money. She looked up, meeting Aravind's eyes with a questioning gaze.
"I'm about to close the shop anyway," he explained. "Consider it on the house today."
For a moment, she simply stared at him before nodding slightly. "Thanks," she said softly, wrapping her hands around the warm cup. She took a small sip, letting the rich flavor settle on her tongue. Then, glancing at Aravind, she added, "It's good."
Aravind smiled. "Glad to hear that. I appreciate the compliment."
She nodded, taking another sip before looking around the café. "I didn't know there was a café here. Is this place new?"
Hearing that, Aravind let out a small sigh. "No, it's been here for two years now."
Suryakantham's eyes widened slightly. "Two years? But I've been using this route for the past few years, and I've never noticed it before."
Hearing that, Aravind leaned slightly against the counter and chuckled. "I guess it's my luck that not many people know about this place, even after all the promotions. Seems like most just pass by without noticing. But now that you mention it… how did you notice my little café today?"
Suryakantham looked slightly embarrassed as she glanced away. "Well… my car broke down right in front of your café because of the rain," she admitted.
Aravind nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. A lucky coincidence for me, then," he said with a grin. "But now that you're here, can I assume I've gained a new regular customer?"
For the first time, a small smile played on Suryakantham's lips. "Yes," she replied, though the lingering sadness in her eyes didn't go unnoticed by Aravind.
Not wanting to pry but also not liking the sight of someone so beautiful looking so down, he decided to lighten the mood. With a playful smirk, he said, "You know, a great person once said that beautiful girls don't look good when they're sad."
Suryakantham raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who's this 'great person'?"
Aravind grinned and pointed at himself. "Obviously, it's me—the truly great one."
Suryakantham blinked before bursting into soft laughter. "You're funny," she said, shaking her head in amusement.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Aravind replied with a playful shrug.
"It is a compliment," she confirmed, her expression softening.
Encouraged by her more relaxed demeanor, Aravind extended his hand with a friendly smile. "Name's Aravind."
Suryakantham set her cup down and, with a warm smile, took his hand in hers. "Suryakantham."
Their hands lingered for a moment longer than expected, a silent understanding passing between them. The rain continued to pour outside, but inside the little café, the atmosphere felt just a bit warmer.