3. Meet Paige

When she woke up, it was already night. She washed up and grabbed a baggy jogging suit and put it on. She walked downstairs into the living room, seeing Lance sitting on the couch reading the novel she had left for him. It looked like he was nearing the end of the book. She nodded at him, though he didn't even acknowledge her presence. Rummaging through the kitchen, she took a yogurt and sat across from him, eating silently and thinking about how to talk to him about what was about to come. 

Lance put down the book, observing her eat. It was nicely cool in the apartment, a welcome change from the heat outside. 

"What's your name?" His voice was raspy from not having talked for a long time.

"Paige." She answered, putting down the cup.

Paige waited patiently until he asked for more.

"Who is the villain?" he waved the book in his hand.

At this, she had to smile helplessly. After a pause, she shrugged and pointed at herself. "In this story, it is I." She had to suppress a shudder from the electric shock running through her.

"You have a system?" he asked, noticing her in pain again.

"Y...Y... Yeah." Her whole body twitched, and she had to breathe deeply to calm down.

Lance nodded slowly, glancing at the book. "If you disclose information about the setting, you get punished?" he asked, but it was more like a conclusion.

She nodded; this time, her reaction was not as extreme.

"Mhmm," he mused, putting his finger under his chin, tapping it.

"If the answer is yes, then blink slowly instead of nodding or answering with words."

He continued: "I'm the protagonist, and you are the villain... So you told me all this despite getting punished because I retaliated against you at a later point in the story?" 

As expected of the protagonist. She slowly blinked. Surprised, she didn't feel as hurt as before. It was absolutely correct to cling to the protagonist tightly.

He was in a jogging suit himself and finally showered. He was like a different person. Light gray eyes noticed everything in front of him, not letting the slightest change in her expression go.

He was two heads taller than her, and only now, even seated, could she feel the presence of the male lead. She felt relieved to see him like this. When Paige saw him first hunched over, looking like a beggar, she felt a dissonance about him—he shouldn't have to live like this.

"My parents are rich?" He came to the important point. She blinked slowly in agreement.

"Do you know their name or how to contact them?" Again, she blinked slowly.

"You won't tell me who they are because you need my assistance?" he slowly carried on.

"J-J-Jane W-W-Walker and Ter-r-rence Walker. Rosemary Street, 95 in M-City, District 9." Sweat flowed over her face as she curled up on the couch, twitching. He stared at her in shock; never would he have thought that she would tell him this. Lance let the names of his parents roll over his tongue, not feeling any familiarity and neither the excitement he had anticipated.

"You had a good card in your hand. Why tell me? Now I can find them and leave you and your mission behind. I don't think you won't get punished for that." He asked in real curiosity.

When she was able to answer again, she said,

"I will never deceive you. I want to form a team and go through the storyline together. I can help you until you are recognized back in your family, and you will get the female lead. I want one thing from you. When we finished this transaction- please don't....." After thinking of the ending of Paige, her blank face twitched even without an electric shock from the system.

"Is what I will be doing to you this bad ?" He asked with curiosity, getting a numb nod from her back.

Coming back to her baiting him with, "The female lead....." he purred in contemplation. To be honest, he couldn't be more disinterested.