Picking Up Girls With My Pickup System-Chapter 35: Pressure Points.

Kent didn’t sleep.

The photo burned against his palm no matter how many times he shoved it under his pillow, or into the drawer, or faced it down on the desk like it was just paper. It wasn’t just paper. It was proof. A blurred flash of black steel behind Derek’s grinning face.

Every time he shut his eyes, he saw it again—saw Derek laughing while a gun sat in reach. Not rumors. Not whispers. Real. Tangible.

The System didn’t make it easier.

[Quest Log: Predator or Prey – Countdown: 71h 05m]

[Warning: New variable – Potential lethal force confirmed.]

It ticked away in the corner of his vision like a merciless metronome, each hour bleeding into the next.

Kent sat hunched at his desk, ribs aching, cheek pressed to his folded arms. The glow of his alarm clock said 3:42 a.m. The world outside his window was quiet, too quiet, like even the night didn’t want to move.

He should have felt tired. He was exhausted, muscles still bruised from Derek’s chokehold, eyes burning. But exhaustion didn’t bring sleep. It brought thoughts. Too many of them.

What if the Outliers were lying? What if the photo was staged? But what if it wasn’t? What if Derek really was reaching higher, pulling in people who could put more than bruises on him?

Mia had been right—showing up at the old gym was stupid. But not showing up would’ve left him blind. And now? Now he was standing in the middle of two storms.

The phone buzzed again. His stomach lurched as he grabbed it, half expecting another message from Rafe. Instead, it was just Jake.

[Bro, you awake?]

Kent stared at it. Of course Jake couldn’t sleep either. He typed back:

[Yeah.]

Jake’s reply came instantly, like he’d been waiting on the screen.

[You still have that look on your face, don’t you. The one that says you’re thinking of running headfirst into trouble again.]

Kent’s lips twitched into a humorless smile. Jake wasn’t wrong.

The System chimed again, as if reading his hesitation.

[Choice Reminder: Withhold photo / Expose to allies / External escalation.]

[Timer: 70h 59m]

Kent dragged his hands down his face. The numbers ticked down, no pause, no mercy.

He wasn’t sure what terrified him more—Derek with a gun, or the fact the System clearly believed he’d need to face it.

******

Kent dragged himself into Ridgeway the next morning like a ghost wearing his own skin. Every bruise screamed with each step, every whisper followed him down the hall like a shadow he couldn’t shake.

By second period, the whispers had sharpened into full-on commentary.

"Look at him—he actually showed up."

"Derek’s letting him breathe too long. It’s a setup."

"Emily’s probably protecting him. She’s the only reason he isn’t paste."

Kent kept his eyes forward, jaw tight. Normally, he’d be shrinking, sliding through halls unnoticed. But now, even silence felt like spotlight. And the weight in his pocket—the folded photo—dragged at him with every step.

Jake slammed into him from behind, arm slung around his shoulders like they hadn’t both nearly walked into a gang recruitment last night. "There he is, Ridgeway’s favorite trending star. How’s it feel being internet famous, bro?"

Kent grimaced. "Like being a bug under a magnifying glass."

Mia appeared on his other side, arms folded. She didn’t waste time on jokes. "You didn’t show Samir the photo, did you?"

Kent froze mid-step. "What—"

Her eyes cut sideways at him. "Don’t lie. I can tell."

Jake’s grin faltered, confusion flashing across his face. "Wait, what photo?"

Kent’s stomach sank. He hadn’t meant to spill this soon. But Mia’s gaze was relentless, and Jake’s eyes were already widening.

"Nothing," Kent said quickly. "It’s—just something the Outliers gave me."

Jake stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, voice climbing way too loud. "The Outliers gave you something? And you didn’t tell me?"

Mia hissed, "Quiet," and shoved him toward the wall as people turned to stare.

Jake dropped his voice, but not his volume. "Kent, what the hell? You’ve been sitting on this? You don’t keep secrets from your crew, man. That’s, like—step one in every action movie!"

Kent’s ribs ached as he exhaled. "It’s not that simple. If I show you, it puts you in the same danger I’m in."

Jake blinked, then actually looked nervous. "...So it’s bad-bad."

"Worse," Mia muttered.

The three of them slipped into the nearest empty classroom before the hall monitors could catch on. The door clicked shut.

Jake crossed his arms. "Okay, Gilbert. Cards on the table. What did they give you?"

Kent’s hand hovered over his pocket, the photo burning hot against his leg. His pulse pounded.

The System chose that moment to pulse across his vision, merciless:

[Critical Decision Branch: Reveal or Conceal]

Reveal to Jake and Mia: Unity strengthened. Danger shared.

Conceal: Keep group safer—for now. Trust fracture risk increased.

Kent’s fingers tightened. The weight of choice pressed down like a vise.

Kent’s throat felt dry as he pulled the folded photo from his pocket. His ribs ached when he bent, as though even his body wanted to keep it hidden.

Jake leaned forward, eyes wide. Mia didn’t move, her expression sharp, unreadable.

Slowly, Kent set the photo down on the desk.

The lamplight hit the glossy surface. Derek’s laughing face stared back—oblivious, arm slung around his buddy in the Riverside Lot. But it wasn’t Derek that made Jake’s voice hitch.

It was the blurred shape in the car window behind him. The unmistakable outline of a gun.

Jake staggered back, nearly tripping over a chair. "What the—are you kidding me? That’s—he’s got a—"

"Shut up," Mia snapped, snatching the photo and folding it again. Her voice dropped to a razor-thin whisper. "Do you want the entire hallway to hear?"

Jake’s face was pale, his usual bravado shattered. "This is insane. Derek’s a psycho, but—guns? That’s, like, felony level. We’re not just talking bruised ribs anymore. He’ll—he could—"

Kent cut him off, voice low. "That’s why I didn’t tell you."

Jake rounded on him, eyes blazing. "You think keeping me in the dark is better? Dude, we’re in this with you! What, you think I’d just laugh it off if you told me Derek’s packing?"

Mia stepped between them, her tone like steel. "Enough. Arguing doesn’t change what this means." She fixed her gaze on Kent. "The Outliers gave you this because they wanted to prove their value. They’re saying: we know what Derek’s hiding, and you need us if you want to survive it."

Kent rubbed his temples. The System’s text still burned in his vision:

[Choice Consequence: Group Unity +15 | Derek Threat Perception +20]

Jake paced the room like a caged animal, running both hands through his hair. "Man, this is nuts. We’re not superheroes, Kent! What the hell are we supposed to do against guns?"

Mia didn’t flinch. "We don’t panic. We think."

Jake spun on her. "Think? While Derek’s walking around strapped? How are we even supposed to go to school like normal?"

Mia’s reply was calm, but there was a storm beneath it. "By understanding one thing. Derek hasn’t used it yet. If he had, we’d know. Which means it’s leverage, not action—at least, not yet."

Kent swallowed hard. "So... he’s holding it back."

"Exactly," Mia said. "He’s saving it for when he wants to scare someone into breaking. Or worse—when he feels cornered." Her eyes flicked between them. "That’s why the Outliers stepped in. They want you to choose their leash before Derek forces your hand."

The words settled heavy, dragging silence with them.

Jake finally dropped into a chair, muttering, "This is above our pay grade, man. Way above."

Kent sat down too, the photo still heavy in his pocket, his pulse racing. For the first time, Derek didn’t feel like a bully. He felt like a storm waiting to break—and the Outliers like sharks circling the wreckage.

And Kent was stuck in the middle, drowning.

The System’s last message cut through the silence:

[Quest Update: 68 Hours Until Outliers Demand Answer.]

[Secondary Condition: Derek’s Silence is Temporary.]

The door creaked.

Samir stepped into the room, closing it quietly behind him. His eyes flicked across Kent, Jake, and Mia, lingering a fraction longer on the folded photo in Kent’s hand.

"I assume," he said evenly, "that our guest was not a ghost story."

Jake shot upright. "You knew? You knew they were gonna show Kent this?"

Samir adjusted his glasses, unruffled. "I knew the Outliers operate through intimidation layered with selective truths. I did not know the exact nature of their offering. Until now." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Mia held his gaze. "And?"

Samir crossed the room, took the photo when Kent reluctantly handed it over, and studied it like a scientist dissecting a specimen. His brow didn’t twitch, not even when his eyes passed over the shadow of the gun.

When he finally set it down, his voice was quiet—but sharper than glass. "Derek’s silence is his weapon."

Kent frowned. "What do you mean?"

Samir folded his arms, pacing slowly. "Consider the logic. Derek has access to something that immediately escalates him from schoolyard tyrant to criminal threat. Yet he has not displayed it. Why? Because silence gives him power. Rumors weaken him. Silence restores fear."

Jake’s voice cracked. "Fear? Dude, if that picture gets out, Derek’s toast. Expelled. Arrested. Game over."

Samir shook his head, his tone clipped. "You are thinking like a teenager. Derek is not. He is thinking like someone fighting for dominance in an ecosystem. If he uses the gun recklessly, he burns his future. But if he does not use it—if he only suggests he might—he gains every advantage without consequence. Intimidation, secrecy, psychological edge."

The weight of his words pressed into Kent’s chest. Derek didn’t even need to wave the weapon around. Just knowing it existed was enough to unravel them.

Mia nodded slowly. "So that’s why the Outliers acted. They know Derek’s silence is a battlefield. They want to pull Kent into their side of it before Derek decides to break it."

Samir glanced at her, then back to Kent. "Precisely. They did not give you information. They gave you leverage."

Kent’s stomach twisted. "Leverage to do what? Blackmail Derek? Threaten to expose him?"

Samir’s lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "No. Leverage to ensure you remain alive. To them, your survival benefits their agenda. And they calculate Derek will not strike openly if you carry the burden of his secret. That is the trade."

Jake slumped forward, dragging his hands down his face. "So we’re pawns. Freakin’ pawns in a game between psychos."

"Correction," Samir said softly, "you are the king piece Derek cannot afford to ignore. And kings do not move like pawns."

Kent pressed his hands against his temples. The System text pulsed again, almost mocking:

[New Modifier: Psychological Pressure +25 | Mental Stamina -10]

He exhaled shakily. "So what’s the move? Do we side with the Outliers? Do we just... do nothing?"

Samir stopped pacing. His glasses caught the light, hiding his eyes. "We wait."

Jake gaped. "Wait?! That’s your genius strategy? Just sit here while Derek decides whether to—"

"Patience," Samir cut in. His voice was calm, but beneath it was steel. "If we act now, we play into their hands. Both Derek and the Outliers. If we wait, we force them to show their next moves first. Observation is our shield."

Mia’s gaze flicked toward Kent, steady and firm. "Samir’s right. We can’t outmuscle Derek. We can’t outmaneuver the Outliers yet. But we can refuse to be rushed."

Kent looked between them, his pulse hammering. Every instinct screamed at him to act, to do something. But their faces told him the truth: sometimes, survival meant stillness.

The System confirmed it:

[Choice Path Locked: Endure Until the Next Strike.]

[Time Remaining: 64 Hours.]

The silence in the room felt like a storm waiting to break.

******

The next morning, Ridgeway felt... wrong.

The halls buzzed with the usual chatter, sneakers squeaking on the tile, lockers slamming—but beneath it all was a hum, low and constant, like a wire pulled too tight. Kent could feel eyes on him before he even reached his first class. Not just the curious stares he’d grown used to, but sharp, calculating ones.

Jake stuck close, a bundle of restless energy, muttering half to himself. "They know. I don’t know how, but they know. Derek’s people. They can smell secrets. Like blood in the water, man."

Kent tried to focus on walking straight, ribs still aching. Every step echoed with Samir’s warning: Derek rules through silence.

He didn’t have to wait long to see it in action.

By lunch, the whispers had sharpened into something heavier. As Kent entered the cafeteria, a ripple moved through the crowd—like a dropped stone spreading waves. Conversations hushed, eyes shifted, and for a moment, it felt like the entire room tilted toward him.

Then he saw it.

On the wall near Derek’s usual table, taped with casual arrogance, was a sheet of paper.

Kent froze.

It was his face. A blown-up printout from a school photo. But across his forehead, someone had scrawled in bold black marker:

"DEADLINE."

Jake swore under his breath. "Oh, hell no. Hell no."

Mia appeared beside them, sliding into step without explanation. Her eyes locked on the word, her jaw tightening. "Subtle," she muttered. "Almost clever."

Students were already pointing, whispering, trying to figure out what it meant. Some laughed nervously. Others avoided looking at Kent at all, like the poster carried a curse.

Kent’s throat tightened. His stomach turned to stone. Derek hadn’t said a word, hadn’t laid a hand on him. Just one picture, one word, and suddenly the silence felt suffocating.

The System pulsed cold in his vision:

[New Threat Detected: Psychological Warfare.]

[Effect: Public Pressure +30 | Mental Stability -15]

Jake yanked the poster down, crumpling it in his fist. "That’s it. That’s freakin’ it. We go to the principal. To the cops. To the FBI. Whatever. This—this is not normal!"

"No," Mia snapped, snatching the paper from him. She smoothed it out, eyes scanning every corner. "Notice anything?"

Jake blinked. "Yeah. That someone’s got a sick sense of humor."

She tapped the bottom corner. Kent leaned closer. A faint stamp, barely visible under the marker.

Ridgeway’s print room watermark.

Jake’s mouth dropped open. "Wait. You’re telling me Derek used the school printers to make death threats? Is he brain-dead?"

"Not brain-dead," Mia said coldly. "Bold. He wants people to know it was him without ever saying it. No deniability, no signature—just enough rope to hang Kent in the court of public opinion without tying the knot himself."

Kent’s pulse hammered. The word "DEADLINE" burned in his head. Was it just intimidation? Or was Derek counting down to something?

Samir’s voice echoed in memory: Silence gives him power.

And here it was. Everyone whispering. Everyone watching. No proof. No open threat—just the quiet certainty that something was coming.

The System chimed again, merciless:

[Quest Update: Predator or Prey]

Timer Reduced: 52 Hours Remaining.

New Condition: Derek’s Countdown In Motion.]

Kent clenched the paper until his knuckles ached. Around him, the cafeteria had already shifted back into noise, but every laugh, every whisper felt pointed, sharp.

Jake muttered, "We’re screwed, man. Totally screwed."

Mia’s eyes, however, were steady. Calculating. "No. He’s just playing louder. And the louder Derek plays, the more mistakes he’ll make."

Kent wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe any of them. But as he shoved the crumpled paper into his bag, all he could feel was the clock ticking louder in his head.

The rest of the day dragged like lead. Every class felt heavier, every tick of the clock pulling Kent closer to something unseen. Derek didn’t approach him once. That was the worst part.

No glares. No smirks. No whispered threats.

Just silence.

By the time the final bell rang, Kent’s nerves were frayed raw. Jake stuck close, muttering about booby-trapped lockers and poisoned cafeteria food. Mia was quieter, her mind obviously spinning, sharp eyes catching every glance that landed their way.

Kent was halfway down the stairwell when he noticed her.

The new girl.

She leaned against the wall at the landing, arms folded, hood shadowing her face. Students streamed past her without a second glance, like their eyes skipped over her existence. But Kent’s gaze snagged on her, the way it always seemed to.

When their eyes met, she straightened—slow, deliberate.

"Gilbert." Her voice was low, almost casual, but it carried a weight that cut through the hallway noise.

Jake nearly tripped on the stairs. "Oh, great. Mystery girl. Here to add to the nightmare?"

She ignored him. Her gaze stayed fixed on Kent. "Walk with me."

Mia tensed immediately. "Why?"

The girl’s lips quirked, not quite a smile. "Because Derek’s not the only one who can play with silence."

Before Kent could answer, she pushed off the wall and started down the hall. Not looking back, not checking if they followed. Just moving with the quiet certainty that they would.

And somehow... Kent did.

Jake groaned, trailing after him. "Yep. This is how we die. In a Netflix pilot, no less."

Mia moved too, her eyes wary, every muscle ready.

The girl led them outside, across the cracked pavement behind the science wing, where the noise of the school faded into a softer hum. She stopped at the edge of the old bleachers, her posture relaxed, but her presence sharp enough to cut glass.

Kent swallowed. "What do you want?"

She studied him for a long moment, then pulled something from her pocket. A folded sheet of paper. She handed it to him without a word.

Kent hesitated before unfolding it.

It was the same photo from lunch—his face, the word DEADLINE slashed across it.

But this copy had something more.

On the back, faint but visible under the light, was a smear of ink. A half-print from the watermark stamp. Not the generic Ridgeway seal, but the partial edge of a serial code.

Mia’s eyes widened slightly. "That’s... from the printer logs."

The girl nodded once. "Every machine leaves a fingerprint. Derek’s arrogance is useful."

Jake blinked. "Wait—you’re saying we can, like, CSI this thing? Track which printer it came from?"

"Exactly," the girl said, calm as stone. Her gaze slid back to Kent. "Proof. Or at least, enough to start cutting Derek’s silence apart."

Kent’s breath caught. For hours, he’d felt trapped by the weight of whispers, the invisible countdown Derek had unleashed. But here—here was a crack in it.

The girl stepped closer, her hood casting deeper shadows over her face. "But don’t mistake this for charity. You’re at war whether you asked for it or not. Every piece of silence Derek builds, you have to break. Publicly. Loudly. Or he’ll own you before you realize it."

Her eyes, dark and unreadable, pinned him in place. "The Outliers aren’t your only problem. Derek isn’t your only problem. You’ve been marked, Gilbert. And the moment you stop moving, you’re done."

The System pulsed hot in his vision:

[New Variable Identified: Ally or Opportunist?]

[Mysterious Girl: Role Undefined | Intentions Unknown.]

[Temporary Item Acquired: Printer Code Fragment.]

Mia crossed her arms, tension sharp in her jaw. "You’ve been watching him. Why?"

The girl tilted her head, expression unreadable. "Because sparks either die, or they burn. I’d rather not waste time on the first kind."

With that, she turned, melting back toward the building without waiting for response.

Jake gaped after her. "Okay... seriously, who is she? Batman’s cousin? The System’s DLC pack? I can’t—"

Kent barely heard him. His gaze stayed on the paper in his hands, the faint serial code shining like a thread of hope.

For the first time all day, the silence didn’t feel suffocating.

It felt... breakable.