Sophie Turner sat back in her chair, her face a mask of anger. A small, gray bubble, invisible to everyone but Julian, hovered above the table in front of her. It was smaller than the one dropped by the waitress earlier, and Julian frowned. "This is too small," he muttered to himself.
He shook his head. The system had indicated Sophie's negative emotion level at only 17 points, explaining the bubble's diminutive size. It seemed the size of the bubble correlated directly with the intensity of the emotion. He wondered what skills lay hidden within Sophie's bubbles. As a future star, she likely possessed valuable skills – perhaps flawless English, exceptional acting techniques, or something else entirely.
Julian's heart quickened. He reached out, his eyes gleaming. As his fingertips brushed against the bubble, it shattered, releasing a burst of light that absorbed into his body. "Light!" a voice announced, "The host has acquired a new skill: Chest Button +1. Today's pickup progress is 2/10."
"Reminder: This skill enhances the host's ability to unfasten buttons. No matter how complex the button mechanism, it can be easily undone."
Unbuttoning? What kind of skill was that? Julian was taken aback. He was a man, not a doll! Of course, he realized that he had few skills at his disposal, and who knew when this one might come in handy. He quickly dismissed the thought, picking up the menu with a nonchalant air.
Sophie, however, had noticed his strange behavior. Her face flushed, and she instinctively pulled back, covering her chest. Julian, lost in thought about the bubbles, failed to notice her discomfort. He was focused on a new detail - the system message had mentioned a daily pickup limit of 10 bubbles.
He realized that not all bubbles were worth collecting. The two gray bubbles he'd absorbed had been useless, suggesting that either the person lacked valuable skills, or their negative emotions weren't intense enough to produce a useful skill. The waitress's bubble likely fell into the first category, while Sophie's, despite its small size, hinted at potentially valuable skills, but with insufficient emotional charge.
He concluded that the size of the bubble was indeed linked to the intensity of the negative emotion. Sophie, with her talent, undoubtedly possessed more advanced skills, but her current emotional state wasn't strong enough to release them.
How could he increase her negative emotions? As he pondered this question, gazing at Sophie with an intensity he didn't realize, she finally snapped.
"Julian," she said, her voice laced with indignation, "I asked you to play my boyfriend, not harass me!"
Julian jumped, startled. "I... I don't know what you're talking about, Sophie. Let's order something to eat."
But Sophie wasn't appeased. "You need to explain yourself!"
"There's no need for an explanation! We're just friends, right?" Julian raised his hands in surrender. "Besides, how could I possibly take advantage of you?"
"Friends?!" Sophie's forehead creased, a storm brewing. "And what was that, then?" She gestured towards him with a trembling finger.
European and American girls matured early, and at sixteen, Sophie was already conscious of her body. She was naturally beautiful, with long legs and the classic Southern English look, but her small chest was a source of insecurity. Julian's earlier behavior, coupled with his dismissive comments about being "just friends," had wounded her pride.
"Feeling 65 points of negative emotion from Sophie Turner, system bubbles being generated..."
Sixty-five points? That was a significant increase! Julian was momentarily stunned. Had he said something that offensive? He hadn't meant to upset her.
But then, he noticed a large, vibrant blue bubble hovering above the table, shimmering with an otherworldly glow. It was clearly more potent than any bubble he'd seen before. He immediately forgot about Sophie's anger. This was a treasure!
He reached out, his fingers trembling with anticipation. The blue bubble exploded in a shower of colors, the light merging with his being. "The host has acquired a new skill: Stanislavski System Acting Skill: Realism +1. Today's pickup progress is 3/10."
"Reminder: Your acting skills are now more vivid, particularly when portraying innocence and naiveté."
Perfect! He'd finally acquired a valuable skill, even if it seemed more suited for women. Julian felt a surge of excitement. His speculation about the bubbles was correct. By eliciting strong negative emotions, he could unlock valuable skills from others. It was an unorthodox method, but undeniably effective.
As for Sophie, he could apologize later. For now, he had a system to understand and skills to master. This rebirth promised to be far more interesting than he had initially imagined.
Meanwhile, Sophie stormed out of the cafe, her anger boiling over. She had expected Julian to chase after her, to apologize profusely. But he remained seated, seemingly oblivious to her distress. What had gotten into him? He was usually so attentive.
Just as she was about to give in to despair, a gruff voice cut through the air. "Hey, Sophie, fancy seeing you here!"
She looked up to see Rusty Stripes, a muscle-bound bully with a crew of equally intimidating friends. "Rusty Stripes," she said, her voice trembling.
"What do you say about being our team's cheerleader?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "If you become my girlfriend, you'll be the most popular girl in school."
Sophie forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Rusty. I already have a boyfriend."
Rusty Stripes frowned. "Who? That Asian kid back there?"
Sophie, in a moment of pique, pointed towards Julian. "Him! He's a total creep!"
Rusty Stripes's face darkened. "He's dead meat!" He and his gang stormed into the cafe, leaving Sophie with a sinking feeling. She had just made a terrible mistake. Those guys were known for their violent tendencies. They carried weapons - knives, wrenches, even a meteor hammer!
Panic seized her. She had to warn Julian.