Tessa's eyes lingered longer than they should have.
Malik didn't glance up — he didn't need to. He could feel the new attention, the shift in social gravity. Reputation wasn't earned in words, not here. It was how people paused before speaking, how voices dipped a little when someone passed.
Cameron Vale noticed it too.
He walked in late, like always, coffee in hand, sweater crisp like it'd been steam-pressed between classes. But as soon as he caught sight of Malik in the back row — those sneakers, that phone, the sudden air of control — something twitched behind his smirk.
"Damn," Cameron said, loud enough for the middle rows to hear. "They giving out lottery tickets in financial aid now?"
Laughter bubbled from a few followers. Malik didn't react.
Professor Kim barely glanced up. "Seats, Cameron."
The studio settled. Kim dimmed the lights and flicked on the projector. A new assignment flashed across the screen: Design a functional, high-concept urban micro-home. Budget: $15k. Deadline: 10 days.
"You'll work in pairs," Kim added. "Pairings will be random."
A soft chorus of groans.
Malik leaned back, phone still in hand. The system flickered.
New Opportunity: Collaborative Interaction DetectedReward Path: Life Experience Check-InAccept pairing challenge?[Accept] – [Ignore]
He tapped Accept.
Instantly, the name Tessa Monet appeared beside his on the roster projected on-screen.
Someone two rows up muttered, "No way."
Tessa blinked. She looked over at him, mouth parting like she was about to protest — but then, she tilted her head.
"Fine," she said flatly. "Let's see if you're more than pretty shoes."
Ten minutes later, they were at the drafting table near the back windows, sunlight spilling across sketch pads and laptops.
Tessa didn't waste time.
"You ever worked in metric?" she asked, flipping open a leather-bound notebook filled with clean diagrams and impossible handwriting.
"I breathe in feet, dream in meters," Malik said smoothly, sliding over a fresh page.
She raised an eyebrow. "You talk like a TED Talk and a mixtape had a baby."
"Yeah, but the baby dresses nice."
That got a ghost of a smile from her. Barely there. But real.
She leaned in, her pen already sketching base layout shapes. "You've got swagger. But this is architecture, not runway battle. If you don't pull your weight, I'll crush you."
Malik nodded, calm. "Bet. I got an idea already."
"Enlighten me."
He pulled the phone from his bag and tapped open the sketch app — crisp, flawless render quality. He'd mocked something up during the lecture: a three-tier convertible pod home with modular elements and solar skin.
She stared at the image.
Then at him.
"…That's not bad," she admitted.
"No," he said. "It's not."
Across the room, Cameron kept looking back.
His usual crowd had splintered — even Misha was whispering to another student, stealing glances at Malik.
Cameron's fingers tightened on his pencil.
He opened his group chat — Legacy Leaders ATL — and typed:
y'all ever heard of a Malik Carter?
A reply came fast.
Southside kid. Broke. Thinks he's slick.
Another chimed in.
Rumor says he's got some hustle. Fashion stuff?
I don't like him. Got that "main character" look.
Cameron grinned.
Let's humble him.
Meanwhile, Malik's system flared softly in his vision.
Life Check-In Complete: Collaboration Initiated🎁 Reward: Passive Skill — Spatial Intuition (Level 1)🧠 Effect: Enhanced visualization, 3D mental modeling, ergonomic awareness.
He blinked.
Suddenly the table layout, the studio room, even Tessa's posture in relation to the window light — it all clicked. Like seeing code behind the walls.
He smirked.
"Okay," he said, grabbing a pencil. "Let's build something nobody can copy."
By hour two, their table looked like a battleground of brilliance.
Sketches layered over render drafts. Coffee cups traded back and forth like tokens of respect. Malik's hands moved confidently now — the new Spatial Intuition skill humming under his fingertips like a ghost architect guiding every stroke.
Tessa sat back, watching him finish a section of the blueprint.
"…You weren't faking," she said.
Malik glanced up. "You expected I would?"
"I assumed most guys who wear limited-release kicks and quote real estate blogs were just style over structure."
He smirked. "Why not both?"
She rolled her eyes. But he caught the edge of a grin tugging at her mouth before she turned to her laptop.
The tension between them wasn't just creative. It had shifted. Quick glances lingered. Words came with edge. There was flirtation, yes — but also recognition.
They were equals.
And in this class, that was rare.
Cameron watched all of it from the far table, heat in his jaw.
He wasn't used to being ignored. Not by classmates. Not by girls like Tessa.
Especially not by Malik — some nobody who last week was walking around with duct-taped shoes and begging for job leads.
He clicked into the university server, pretending to pull up class resources. Instead, he sent a private message to Professor Kim.
Subject: Academic Concerns – Group Roles
Professor,Not sure if you noticed, but Malik Carter seems to be letting Tessa Monet carry their microhome project. Multiple classmates mentioned it. Worth watching.
He signed it, Cameron V.
Fake concern. Real sabotage.
Then, he returned to his table with the mask of professionalism back in place.
The studio session ended at 2:00 p.m.
Malik packed slowly. Tessa was quiet beside him, sipping her third espresso.
"Same time tomorrow?" he asked.
She hesitated.
Then: "Yeah. You surprised me. Don't make it a one-time thing."
He gave her a lazy salute and turned for the door.
As he stepped out into the hallway, the system flickered again.
⚠️ New Branching Path DetectedEvent Type: Rival SabotageResponse Options:
Confront — Face the source directly. Risk: Social Fallout. Reward: Intimidation Bonus.
Subvert — Use influence to reverse pressure. Risk: Minor reputation loss. Reward: Charm Bonus.
Outperform — Dominate next showcase. Risk: Resource drain. Reward: Skill Evolution Unlocked.
Malik stopped walking.
The air felt heavier suddenly — like the game had changed. Like this wasn't just about flexing anymore. This was about control.
He tapped Option 3: Outperform.
That night, back in his dorm, Malik pulled out the new phone.
He launched an advanced rendering app — one that shouldn't even exist on public systems. It let him simulate real-time materials, shadows, weight tolerances. Fully integrated.
Skill Boost Activated: Visualization Suite (Temp Access — 72 Hours)
He leaned in, eyes focused, fingers flying.
On his sketchpad, a new vision was forming: a modular microhome that transformed based on user weight, time of day, and solar energy intake. Something alive. Something futuristic. Something no student in that building had the right to create.
But Malik wasn't thinking like a student anymore.
The system pulsed softly.
Rival Trigger ImminentAuto-check-in available upon engagement
He closed the laptop.
Tomorrow, someone was getting humbled.