It... it spoke?
Shen Mo bolted toward the door and grabbed the handle. He twisted it—nothing.
!!!
In less than a second, he twisted it again and again, but the door refused to budge.
W-What is this? Magic?!
Frantically, he grabbed a small knife from the shelf nearby and backed up to the door, holding the blade toward the balcony.
It was a green butterfly knife—just a toy, blunt and harmless.
He'd only bought it to play with when bored.
"Could you open the door already? Standing there like that—I'm not going to eat you." The black cat's voice came again. It was neutral, neither male nor female.
Open the damn door? Like hell I will! Don't come any closer!
"A-Are you a cat... or a ghost?" Shen Mo's scalp tingled.
Talking cats that sometimes turn into cute catgirls? That's anime.
This? This was straight-up horror movie territory.
"I'm not a ghost," said the cat.
Yeah right.
"Then how can you talk?!"
"Why is that strange? You can talk too, can't you?"
Good point... Wait no, that's not the same! I'm human, you're a cat!
"Don't be scared, kid," the cat said casually, its expression surprisingly animated for a feline. "What's so strange about a talking cat? You've got a special ability too, don't you?"
It knows?!
Shen Mo froze. He hadn't told a soul about his power.
"If you're not opening this door, then don't blame me." The black cat placed its front paws on the glass and smiled eerily. "Worst case, I smash this door. Later, you can tell your landlady I did it."
You break it, I pay for it—typical.
Shen Mo's right eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
How could something as fluffy as a cat say something so vile?
"You're really not here to mess with me?" he asked, hesitant.
"Nope. I came here for a reason."
After a moment of inner struggle, Shen Mo chose to believe it.
To be honest, after that weird chat, most of his fear had already melted away.
He opened the glass door, and the black cat strolled in.
Thus, this 35-square-meter apartment welcomed its second true inhabitant.
(Cockroaches and the occasional mouse don't count.)
The cat walked lazily across the room, then stopped in the not-so-clearly-defined living room space, right in front of the couch.
It raised its hind legs.
"Wait—!" Shen Mo shouted.
Too late. The black cat leapt up and sat on the couch, gazing at him.
"What?"
"N-Nothing."
The cat tilted its head -Then why do you look like your soul just left your body?
Shen Mo, known for his near-obsessive cleanliness, stared at the shedding fluffball now claiming his sofa. He was momentarily speechless.
Guess I'm not using that couch again.
"So... who are you really, and what do you want with me?" he asked, pulling over a small stool to sit.
"I do have a name, but I can't tell you yet. For now, call me whatever you like."
Mysterious much?
Without thinking, Shen Mo blurted, "Butch. How about that?"
It was the name of Tom's rival in Tom and Jerry—a black stray cat.
Probably no one else would remember that detail. Shen Mo only did because he had too much free time.
"Sure. Butch it is."
"I'm Shen Mo."
"Got it."
"So, Butch, what exactly did you come here for?"
Butch's expression grew serious. "It's a bit complicated. Listen closely."
Shen Mo nodded.
"My name is Butch. This form is just a disguise. I can't reveal my true identity yet."
"..."
Shen Mo suddenly had the urge to punch something.
"According to the prophecy, I should've come to you a few days ago. Luckily, you didn't screw up yesterday—or you'd be toast by now."
"Prophecy? What prophecy?"
Butch didn't answer. Instead, it shifted topics.
"Do you even know what your real superpower is?"
Shen Mo raised a brow.
Isn't it the All-Seeing Eye?
"You awakened a power today, right? I don't know what it is exactly," Butch said. "But I do know this—you'll continue to awaken more abilities in the future. Because your true power is—"
He locked eyes with Shen Mo and declared:
"—Every time you reject a romantic confession from the opposite sex, you'll randomly gain a new superpower the next day."
"...Huh?"
Shen Mo stood frozen.
What kind of ridiculous setting is that?
Superpower Awakening: Becoming OP by Being a Jerk?
Wait. Does that mean someone confessed to me yesterday?
When?
His thoughts started racing. He began retracing every moment of the previous day.
Woke up. Ate breakfast. Took the bus. Worked a shift at the bubble tea shop. Chatted with coworkers...
Coworkers?
One face popped into his mind: Jiang Baibai, a petite, sweet-looking girl doing a summer job like him.
Timid and soft-spoken—the kind of girl who'd be swarmed by thirsty physics majors if she were on campus.
Last night, just before they clocked out, she had awkwardly said:
"Sh-Shen Mo, have you heard? There's a new restaurant on Qingshan Road."
"No idea. Sounds pricey. Probably not my scene," he'd replied, already rushing home to game.
That... was a confession?
Shen Mo frowned.
Qingshan Road only had one legit new place lately—a Western restaurant that opened last week.
Its name?
Two for Love.
A couple's restaurant.
Shen Mo slowly turned to look at his phone charging nearby.
Was it too late to salvage this?
She was cute. Sweet. They might've worked out...
Wait. Would that make me a simp?
"When you said 'you didn't choose wrong yesterday'—you meant I shouldn't have accepted the confession?" he suddenly asked.
"Exactly. That's the side effect of your power."
Of course. It was never going to be that easy.
The whole "wake up with powers, become a genius, dominate school, win at life, date hot girls, start a business, conquer the world" thing? That's just webnovel fantasy.
In real life, you don't get something for nothing.
Still, this side effect...
"So what if I confess to someone instead?" he asked.
Butch shook its head. "Love's a two-way street. If the other person accepts, it counts as you accepting. Same outcome."
So basically, I'm cursed to be single.
"What happens if I do accept a confession?"
Butch stared at him with glowing eyes.
"Simple. There's only one consequence."
"Which is?"
"The end of the world."