"Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for checking on me."
She smiled, glanced at the heart monitor, and said, "I’ll go get your physician to run another check."
"Wait—hold on," I called out to her. "Can I ask you something first?"
She paused mid-step and looked back. "What is it?"
Now was the perfect time to test my skills.
"About my condition... what did the doctor say?"
She glanced around nervously. "I don’t think it’s my place to say. I need to follow protocol and call Dr. Kim."
My first attempt didn’t work. As expected, this wasn’t the kind of ability I could just spam right from the start.
"Go on... you can tell me," I said, looking her straight in the eyes while secretly triggering my ability again.
"I really can’t do that." She lifted her chin and shook her head with resolve.
I started to feel like this was some cruel prank—that no skill existed and the system was nothing more than a hallucination
Was there something I’m missing? Checking my status, I activated my Method Acting Skill.
A card floated into my vision, and on it was written: Ace Mercer Card.
When I focused on it, it shattered into pieces, and instinctively, I knew how to act like him.
"I..." I coughed, my voice shaking. "I just... I just want to know the truth. The doctors... they kept things vague so I wouldn’t worry... Please."
Begging, I let my expression mirror someone who had spent years trapped in a paralyzed body. Every tiny movement of my face carried the weight of that suffering, making the pain feel real.
I triggered a reaction. Her eyes emitted a faint white glow for a split second, followed by a change in her expression.
"Alright... I suppose it’s fine." She took a deep breath. "I overheard them talking... you’re recovering, slowly, but the chances of you ever walking again are still really low."
Tears started flowing from my eyes. The Method Acting skill was so powerful that I truly felt like the real Ace Mercer.
"I understand...," I let just enough sadness seep into my tone.
She stepped forward, feeling guilty about what she just said.
Exactly what I was aiming for. My first question was just a way to get the conversation started.
"May I ask your name, Miss...?"
"It’s Claire." Her voice was warm and honest.
"Miss Claire... thank you for being upfront with me."
I made sure to use her name right away, establishing a subtle connection early on. It was a common sales tactic.
"Looks like I’m trapped here... for good. I knew it deep down, but imagining that I could fall asleep at any moment, never knowing if—or when—I would wake up... it’s terrifying
Tears began to roll down my cheeks again, slowly at first, then pouring freely all at once.
She quickly leaned in, and gently dabbed them with a tissue.
"Please, don’t give up. I’m sure the doctor will find a way to cure you."
"You’re too kind, Miss Claire...But I’m just... tired of all this. If I regret anything, it’s never getting the chance to feel what love’s really like."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the look of pity on her face. This was my chance.
"I know this might sound weird..." I paused midway.
"What is it?" she asked, gently pressing my shoulder. "Tell me... Maybe I can help."
That was my cue. Time to go big.
"Would it be selfish of me to ask for just one favor?"
"Of course not. You’ve suffered enough—there’s nothing you could ask for that would make you selfish."
She shook her head gently, wiping the remaining tears from my cheeks.
I closed my eyes, letting the feeling build, amplifying the drama of the moment.
"I just... I don’t want to leave this world without ever knowing what a real kiss feels like... Could you... kiss me?"
She paused, taken aback by my request, but her eyes soon lit up. Seeing someone so close to dying made her lose her composure for a moment.
Soon, a bittersweet smile bloomed across her lips.
"Sure" she whispered.
My theory worked perfectly. A few well-placed words, and she agreed to something she would usually never go along with.
Once the ability slipped through an opening, it did the rest on its own.
That said, if I started making outrageous commands, like asking her to kill someone, the effect would fall apart.
It also helped that the Method Acting skill let me channel the real emotions of Ace. Without it, no amount of talking could have convinced her.
"Um... where should I... kiss you?"
"I... I guess... on the cheek,"
She took a small, hesitant step closer, her eyes darting away from mine. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure she could hear it.
I might talk big, but I was still a virgin. Never been kissed, never been touched. Plus, with the Method Acting in effect, it only made me act even more innocent.
Slowly, almost timidly, she lifted her hand and brushed it against my cheek.
’This is really happening... her soft lips are actually going to touch mine,’
She leaned in and pressed her lips gently against my cheek, and I could feel my face heating up, blood rushing as I turned bright red.
Pathetic. Just a tiny peck, and I’m already this flustered?
"Can you kiss my lips too?"
Yep, I’ve officially leveled up from blushy cheek pecks. Now it’s time for the... advanced curriculum.
Soft pink lips hovered nervously in front of my face, inching closer to me. Cheeks flushed, she kept glancing away, forcing herself to follow through.
At last, our lips finally met.
Her lips moved softly against mine, awkward at first, but soon growing more natural as we both started to enjoy it.
The wetness was intoxicating, a slick bridge connecting us, pulling us deeper into the kiss.
Her hands found their way to my chest, gripping the fabric of my shirt, as if she needed something to hold onto.
"Use your tongue" I commanded.
Her mouth opened a bit more, her tongue brushing lightly against my bottom lip before slipping inside.
’Shit... I wish I could move right now.’
My most important lump of muscle was going wild. I needed to focus just to keep my heart rate steady.
The kiss deepened, our mouths moving in sync, saliva pooling and trickling down our chins.
I had always been curious about a girl’s lips, and the real thing tasted sweeter than anything I imagined. It left me lightheaded.
For a second, it was like my paralyzed body was trying to move, every part of me wanting to break free just to do more lewd things to her.