Common Sense Manipulation App-Chapter 60 - Blinded by Feelings, Chained by Stupidity

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Chapter 60: Chapter 60 - Blinded by Feelings, Chained by Stupidity

Eric Langley strolled into the fast-food joint with a casual air, scanning the room before his eyes landed on Lina. His smile widened as he approached the counter, completely oblivious to Karl standing there.

"Lina," he greeted smoothly, his voice carrying the practiced warmth of someone used to charming his way through life. "Didn’t expect to run into you here."

Lina, still strangely soft in her demeanor, smiled back. "Oh, Eric. Yeah, I work here. Just starting my shift."

Eric leaned slightly against the counter, then finally seemed to register Karl standing beside her. His eyes flickered toward him with polite curiosity. "Oh, are you a coworker?" He extended a hand with an easy grin. "Eric Langley. Nice to meet you."

Karl’s grip tightened on the counter. Of course, Eric had no idea who he was. To him, Karl was just another fast-food worker in a cheap uniform, easily overlooked.

Forcing himself to stay composed, Karl shook his hand briefly, his expression neutral. "Karl."

Eric nodded, his gaze briefly lingering before he turned back to Lina. "It’s nice seeing you outside of—well, you know." He chuckled lightly. "Anyway, I was just about to grab some breakfast. You got any recommendations?"

Lina tilted her head, as if actually considering his question. "Well... the breakfast sandwiches are decent. But if you want something filling, the deluxe combo is a safe bet."

Eric hummed. "Sounds good. I’ll take one of those, then."

As Lina rang up the order, Eric glanced between them, his expression turning thoughtful. Then, with a knowing smirk, he leaned in slightly. "You two seem pretty close. Coworkers who get along well, huh?"

Karl’s fingers twitched, but he forced himself to keep his posture relaxed.

Eric chuckled. "Just be careful. You know how it is. Workplace dynamics can get messy if feelings start getting in the way." He laughed, shaking his head. "Ah, but that’s just youth, right? Everything feels intense at this age."

Karl’s jaw clenched, but he kept his expression neutral. He wasn’t going to give Eric the satisfaction of a reaction.

Lina, however, simply laughed softly, as if the comment didn’t bother her at all. "It’s not like that," she said with a light smile.

Karl could barely believe what he was hearing. Not like that? A day ago, she was practically convinced he was her savior. Now she was brushing it off as if it was nothing?

This was bad. Really bad.

Eric, oblivious to Karl’s internal turmoil, simply grinned. "Well, that’s good. Keeps the workplace running smoothly." He took his tray from Lina as she handed over his order. "Anyway, I’ll let you guys get back to work. Thanks for the recommendation."

With that, he moved toward a table near the window, casually settling in as if he had no idea he had just set Karl’s entire mood on fire.

Karl exhaled slowly through his nose. He couldn’t react. Not here. Not now.

But one thing was clear—whatever was happening with Lina’s perception of him was getting worse.

And Eric’s presence was making it even more complicated.

The fast-food joint settled into its usual rhythm after Eric received his order. The kitchen buzzed with the sounds of sizzling grease, the occasional clang of a tray against the counter, and the low hum of conversation from a few scattered customers. On the surface, everything seemed normal.

But Karl knew better.

He kept sneaking glances at Lina as she worked beside him, her usual sharp efficiency seemingly intact. She rang up orders, filled drinks, and smiled at customers just like always. To anyone else, she was just another worker going about her day.

But Karl wasn’t anyone else.

He saw the slight tremble in her hands when she reached for the receipt printer. The way her posture stiffened whenever Eric’s voice drifted over from his table. The way her fingers clenched around a soda cup just a little too tightly before she caught herself and forced her grip to relax.

She was scared.

And Karl hated it.

Not because he cared, he told himself. Not because it actually mattered to him. He was just... aware. Aware in the way someone who had been manipulating people for fun and personal gain needed to be. Aware in the way that let him read shifts in behavior, spot weaknesses, take advantage of them.

That’s all this was.

Except...

He didn’t want to take advantage of Lina right now.

He wanted to do something else. Something he wasn’t used to feeling.

Empathy.

Karl frowned, pretending to check inventory on the register screen as Eric finally stood up from his seat, tossing his trash onto the tray with an effortless flick of his wrist. He stretched lazily, checking his phone as he strolled toward the exit.

"See you around, Lina," he called over his shoulder with a charming smile before pushing open the door and stepping outside.

The moment Eric was gone, the air shifted.

Lina stopped.

Her hands, which had been busy adjusting a stack of napkins, clenched into fists. She took a slow, shaky breath, her shoulders rising and falling with the effort of keeping herself together.

And then, just barely, she trembled.

Karl saw it. Felt it.

Without thinking, he grabbed a rag from under the counter, pretending to wipe down the register. "You okay?" His voice was casual, steady, like he wasn’t sure what he was asking.

Lina flinched slightly, then forced a tight smile. "Yeah. Just tired."

Liar.

Karl didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he kept wiping the counter, his movements slow and deliberate. "You sure? You look kinda... I dunno. Like you just saw a ghost."

Lina’s smile twitched at the edges. "A ghost would be easier to deal with."

Karl’s grip tightened around the rag. There it was. The crack in her armor.

He exhaled, setting the rag down. "If you need a break, I can cover for you."

Lina blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

Karl shrugged. "You don’t look great. If you need a minute, I got it."

For a second, Lina just stared at him. Then, as if realizing how obvious her reaction had been, she quickly shook her head, straightening her posture. "I’m fine. Really."

Karl didn’t believe her, but he didn’t push.

Instead, he just nodded and went back to work, letting her have the illusion of control.

But something inside him had already shifted.

A days ago, he wouldn’t have cared. He would have seen this as an opportunity. A way to break her down, slip into her vulnerabilities, twist the situation to suit him.

But right now?

Right now, he just felt like punching Eric in the face.

*****

Karl walked home as the city lights flickered to life, the sky turning deep shades of indigo and violet. The streets were still busy, cars passing by in blurs of red taillights, but he barely noticed. His hands were stuffed into his jacket pockets, his head down, his thoughts tangled in ways he wasn’t used to.

It was supposed to be simple.

Use the Common Sense Manipulation App. Change a few perceptions. Get what he wanted.

That was the plan. That had always been the plan.

And yet, here he was, walking home after a long shift, unable to shake the image of Lina trembling behind the counter.

The more I get to know someone, the harder it is to take advantage of them.

Karl collapsed onto his couch, rubbing his face as exhaustion weighed on him. His mind was a mess. He wanted revenge, but the path forward felt hazy. Eric had power, connections—destroying him wouldn’t be as easy as humiliating some random nobody.

He pulled out his phone.

The screen flickered, and Chillie appeared in a swirl of digital static, hovering above his screen like a villain making a grand entrance.

But this time, she wasn’t just smirking.

She was mocking him. frёeωebɳovel.com

"Oh, Karl, Karl, Karl," she sighed, raising a delicate, ghostly hand to her forehead in exaggerated despair. "You truly are a fascinating subject. So full of potential... and yet, so incredibly stupid."

Karl frowned. "What now?"

Chillie gave him a slow, disappointed shake of her head, like a noblewoman unimpressed by a peasant’s incompetence. "Must I spell it out for you? Must I, the great and infinitely superior Chillie, guide your every step like a tutor teaching an especially dim-witted student?"

Karl sighed. "If you’re gonna insult me, at least get to the point."

Chillie’s smirk widened. "The point, dear Karl, is that you are letting this pathetic thing called ’empathy’ cloud your judgment. How utterly tiresome." She spun dramatically, as if the mere concept disgusted her. "You hesitate. You feel conflicted. And for what? Because you saw a girl tremble at the mere sight of Eric Langley? Oh, how tragic!" She clapped her hands together in mock sorrow. "How utterly heart-wrenching!"

Karl’s fingers twitched around his phone. "I get it. You think I’m weak."

"No, no, my dear idiot," Chillie said sweetly. "I think you’re being inefficient."

She leaned in, her red eyes glinting with amusement. "Why are you wasting time trying to find his victims one by one? Do you enjoy playing detective? How dreadfully tedious."

Karl tensed. "You have a better idea, then?"

Chillie beamed.

"Of course! And it’s so beautifully simple that even a sentimental fool like you can execute it." She snapped her fingers, her voice dripping with aristocratic condescension.

"Make him do the work."

Karl blinked. "What?"

Chillie let out an exaggerated sigh, floating down until she was eye-level with him. "Karl, Karl, Karl. My poor, slow-witted Karl. Why would you waste your precious energy digging through dirt... when you can make Eric Langley spill his own filth for you?"

Karl’s breath hitched.

"Think, darling," Chillie continued, her voice turning almost fond, as if speaking to a particularly dumb but lovable pet. "Use the Common Sense Manipulation App. Tweak his perception just a little—just enough to make him believe that confessing his sins, publicly, is completely normal."

She giggled, twirling in the air. "Imagine it! He strolls into a meeting, into a café, into a casual conversation, and—oh, what’s this? He just happens to start listing off the names of all the women he’s hurt? My, how peculiar!"

Karl’s grip tightened around his phone.

"Once he talks, Karl..." Chillie’s smirk turned razor-sharp. "You’ll have everything you need. Every name. Every victim. Every dirty little secret he’s ever buried."

Karl swallowed.

It was too easy.

Too perfect.

Chillie let out a delighted laugh, floating back with an exaggerated flick of her wrist. "Oh, but wait! Perhaps you’re still hesitant! Perhaps that wretched little thing called empathy is still whispering in your ear!" She placed a hand over her chest dramatically. "Oh, Karl, must we really do something so cruel? Is it not too much? Is it not unfair to make a man suffer for his own actions?"

Her voice dropped, her smile turning cold. "Spare me."

Karl exhaled slowly, his heartbeat steady but heavy.

"You know I’m right," Chillie whispered.

And the worst part?

She was.

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