First Blood

Jinwoo walked back to his dorm with his mind racing. The Football Lust System was real, and it worked. That simple touch had earned him a Lust Point. If that was all it took, then he was about to unlock a whole new path to improving his football skills.

He collapsed onto his bed and brought up the system screen.

[Football Lust System]

[Lust Points: 1]

[Current Quest: Score with an 8/10 or higher to unlock your first attribute upgrade!]

One point wasn't much, but it confirmed that he wasn't hallucinating. His heart pounded. If he could rack up enough points, he could finally compete at Dream Academy.

But first, he needed to focus on Minji. He had made progress today, but it wasn't enough. He needed to escalate things further.

---

The next day at school, Jinwoo was sitting in the cafeteria when Minji approached him, her usual composed expression tinged with amusement.

"You seem deep in thought. Stressing over math?" she teased.

Jinwoo chuckled. "Something like that. Are you offering another tutoring session?"

Minji sat across from him, resting her chin on her palm. "That depends. Are you actually learning, or are you just using me as an excuse to slack off?"

Jinwoo smirked. "Maybe a little of both."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "How about this? If you actually try today, I'll treat you to coffee after."

Jinwoo's heart skipped a beat. The system's quest echoed in his mind. This was his chance.

"Deal."

---

That evening, they sat in a quiet café near campus. The warm glow of the lights, the scent of roasted coffee beans, and Minji's effortless charm made it feel almost like a date. Jinwoo knew he had to make a move.

"You know, you're a really patient tutor," he said, stirring his coffee. "You don't seem like someone who wastes time on people who aren't serious."

Minji raised a brow. "Are you saying you're not worth my time?"

Jinwoo shook his head. "No, I'm saying I appreciate it. And I want to get better. Not just at math… but at football too."

She studied him for a moment before smiling. "Good. I was starting to think you were hopeless."

He laughed, but his eyes lingered on hers. The system notification suddenly popped up.

[Lust Point Opportunity: Engage in flirtatious banter or light teasing.]

Jinwoo leaned forward slightly. "And here I thought you just liked spending time with me."

Minji blinked, then smirked. "Cocky, aren't you? I tutor lots of people. Don't flatter yourself."

[+1 Lust Point Earned]

Jinwoo grinned. "Then I guess I'll have to make myself stand out."

Minji didn't reply immediately, but there was a flicker of intrigue in her expression. Jinwoo could feel the shift in the air. The system was guiding him toward something more.

---

Later that night, back in his dorm, Jinwoo checked his status.

[Lust Points: 2]

[Progress: 20% toward quest completion.]

He exhaled. This was going to take time, but he was getting somewhere.

And he had no intention of stopping now.

---

The following morning, Jinwoo arrived at football practice with renewed determination. He had to survive here, no matter what. The only way to do that was to improve, and fast.

Coach Park blew the whistle. "Alright, today's scrimmage will be three-on-three. Jinwoo, you're with Kang and Hyunseok."

Jinwoo nodded, his stomach twisting. He knew his teammates weren't thrilled about having him on their side. Kang, the team's main striker, gave him a glance of disapproval.

"Don't slow us down," Kang muttered before jogging onto the field.

The match began, and Jinwoo focused on positioning. He watched how the defenders moved, how the ball transitioned between players. The system's stats echoed in his mind—his offensive awareness was above average, but everything else was subpar. He had to compensate by being smart.

A pass came his way. He anticipated it, moving into the right space, but Kang intercepted it before Jinwoo could touch it.

"Tsk. You're too slow," Kang scoffed before launching a shot toward goal.

Jinwoo clenched his fists. He needed to do better.

As the game progressed, another opportunity arose. The ball deflected off a defender, bouncing unpredictably into the box. Jinwoo saw his chance. He dashed forward and positioned himself for a strike. He swung his foot—

And once again, he missed.

The ball rolled harmlessly to the opposing keeper, and the moment was gone.

"Seriously?!" Kang groaned. "Are you even trying?"

Jinwoo's face burned with embarrassment. He was failing, and everyone knew it. But he wasn't going to quit.

As the scrimmage ended, Coach Park approached him. "Jinwoo, you have good instincts, but instincts alone won't cut it here. Improve your technique or you won't last."

Jinwoo swallowed hard and nodded. He already knew that. And he knew exactly how he was going to get better.

With Minji's help, and the system backing him up, he was going to turn this around. No matter what it took.