Now I Have No Choice but to Get a Happy Ending with Him

[If you want to read about the main couple, skip straight to Chapter 29]

[Extra chapters will be updated whenever I feel like it, whenever inspiration strikes]

After failing a mission, 003 faced a penalty of one hundred years' worth of mission time. Reluctantly, he bound himself to his next Host.

The new Host was young, lively, and good with people. As an inexperienced college student, he practically did everything 003 told him to.

003 was moved to tears: At last, a normal Host!

Determined to offset his penalty by completing missions with perfect performance, 003 worked day and night, from five in the morning until nine at night, and finally identified his target among the crowd.

He coaxed his Host: Go for it! Just win him over, and you'll have a happy, wonderful life!!!

His performance record! His retirement! Here he comes!

.

The ideal was wonderful, but reality was harsh. Once they got close to the Host's mission target, 003 sensed an unpleasantly familiar aura coming from him.

The human who was supposed to be won over remained unmoved by the Host's advances and even turned the tables on him. He saw right through the Host's every motive, refused to fall for the act, and completely wrecked 003's plans.

003: ?

Just as 003 was wondering what had gone wrong, he heard an irritating voice coming from that target: "Well, well, isn't this my dear senior? Is this how you live now that you've left me?"

!!!

003 was horrified.

Wasn't this the backstabbing 211, who used to trail after him calling him "senior" when he had just become a System, but conspired with others to scheme against him once he graduated?

Hadn't he been promoted early for completing his missions so well? Hadn't his access level been raised? Wasn't he supposed to be retired and enjoying his golden years? What was he doing here?

The System world was so vast. How had the two of them managed to run into each other?

.

After meeting 211, nothing went right for 003.

Who on earth manages to get a negative affection score on a romance mission?!!!

As if fate were playing a cruel joke, 211 was there to witness every time 003 got humiliated. Mockery wasn't enough: afterward, he would act as if he had 003's best interests at heart. "Why don't you ask me for help? I was still upset when you suddenly left with someone else back then, but I promise I won't make things difficult for you anymore once I've gotten over it."

003: ?

Wasn't it 211 who had set him up in the first place?

Seeing that 003 was wavering, 211 dangled the performance record he wanted most in front of him. "Just apologize like a good boy, and I'll unlock your access. I'll even let you have another shot at winning him over and go easy on you this time. How about it?"

It was too good a deal to resist. 003 obediently apologized, only to find out...

What did he mean by "just" apologizing like a good boy?!

That was a huge difference from what he'd promised!

Content warnings:

1. There will be quite a bit of interaction between the Hosts early on.

2. The love interest and the protagonist have a misunderstanding that goes unaddressed for a long time.

3. Forum posts appear in the story.

Blurb for my upcoming novel next door, "Chronic Illness":

Short version:

A younger man turns dark, and though he runs and is chased, there's nowhere to escape.

Long version (to be revised):

Once, Song Chihuai taught Wei Yunshen to read, to understand right and wrong, to respect his elders, and to follow the rules.

Later, he plunged a knife into Wei Yunshen's chest and watched as his blood and strength ran out.

"From now on, we owe each other nothing."

.

Later, Wei Yunshen captured him. He poured so much muscle-relaxing powder into his food and drink that it might as well have been free, and a chain as thick as two fingers pierced deep into his shoulder blades.

The young man who had fallen to darkness bent over his waist, using his own body to shield him from those unspeakable scenes. He breathed softly by his ear:

"Pay back everything you owe me first. Then you can tell me we owe each other nothing."

[Upright and kind at first, then a dark, unhinged younger gong x outwardly gentle, inwardly obsessive and self-destructive, beautiful but doomed shou]

Theme: If there's a misunderstanding, speak up and clear it up!