Chapter 14：Teasing (1/2)

When he spoke to the woman, Ben noticed a difference right away. The words flowed from his mouth like water, his voice sounded smoother, and even his body felt more comfortable!

As Ben delivered the opener and the joke, the woman responded well. She giggled!

[Congratulations! You've unlocked the Achievement: Curiosity Killed the Cat(common) - Make one woman curious]

[Distributing reward: PUA Points + 100]

There was nothing better than points! Ben didn't even mind the system's vague insult in the achievement title! He had enough to buy a Mystery Box, but he'd save that for later. Now, he needed to focus on the present opportunity.

If he could raise this girl's attraction level to interested, then he might get her phone number!

Ben persisted in chatting with the girl for a few minutes, but the mood only turned awkward. Despite the higher communication stat, he was still too lacking in experience and conversation topics. After some time, she excused herself and walked away, leaving Ben standing there frustrated.

He shook his head. 'It's fine. This is already a massive improvement.' He returned to Antonio and Beluga. They also observed that Ben had done much better and encouraged him.

Ben described to Beluga how well the joke went, but he needed more material to raise attraction.

Beluga said, ”The best jokes are situation specific. Not only will they be the most relevant, but they'll display your intelligence in adapting to the situation. Females will pick up on that and become more attracted...I could give you a fish, but it's better to teach you how to fish. So rather than hand you a jokebook, I recommend you try inventing teasing-style jokes on the spot to build attraction.”

”Teasing?” Ben questioned. He understood the word's general meaning, but not the specifics of doing it.

Beluga answered, ”Teasing is making a lighthearted joke targetting the female. You choose some item or attribute of hers: clothing, an accessory, a tattoo, something about her body or hair...Then you make a joke about that, poking fun at her in a subtle way.”

”Hmmm...I understand. I'll give it a try,” Ben said. Despite his inexperience, he discovered the boost in communication improved his creative thinking ability. That made it easier to generate conversation ideas. He amped himself up to give it a go.

Ben approached a woman stretching after a jog.

'Body part,' he reminded himself.

”Hey beer belly!”

***

As Ben walked back, Beluga and Antonio shook their heads hard. Ben knew it was no good. He moved to a new girl to try again.

'Clothing item,' he said to himself.

”What's up clown shoes!”

…