Kenji's heart wouldn't calm down. The night air was cool, but his blood felt hot, pumping with a rhythm that matched his pounding footsteps as he hurried home.
The words still echoed in his head:
> [Rhythm God System bound. First skills unlocked.]
He rushed into his small apartment, shut the door, and leaned against it, chest heaving. The world outside could laugh, but in here—this was his sanctuary.
His room was cramped, a mess of old band posters on the wall, a desk stacked with failed lyrics, and a cheap keyboard that had never produced anything worth listening to.
But tonight, everything felt different.
Kenji dropped his schoolbag and sat at the desk. The keyboard, once a symbol of his failures, now looked like a throne waiting for its king.
"System," he whispered, almost afraid the voice wouldn't answer.
But it did.
> [Awaiting command.]
Kenji swallowed. "You said I unlocked something… a virtual studio?"
> [Correct. Would you like to access the Virtual Studio?]
"Yes!"
The room blurred for a moment, and suddenly his vision shifted.
Kenji found himself standing in a massive, glowing hall made entirely of light. Holographic instruments floated around him—guitars, drums, violins, turntables, even entire mixing consoles. The walls pulsed like soundwaves, each beat syncing with his heartbeat.
"This is…" His breath caught. "A producer's dream."
> [Welcome to the Virtual Studio. Here, you can compose, practice, and master music without limitations. Any song created here can be exported as a real-world track once completed.]
Kenji's eyes widened. "Real-world… tracks? As in, I could actually release songs made here?"
> [Correct.]
His knees almost gave out. For years, he had tried writing songs, but his skills were amateurish. His voice ruined everything. Now…
Now he could change everything.
A soft chime rang.
> [Beginner Mission: Create your first original track. Reward: Skill – Lyric Mastery Lv.1.]
Kenji's lips curled into a trembling smile. "Alright… let's do this."
He touched the holographic keyboard. Instantly, the keys responded to him like silk under his fingers. He tapped out a melody—simple, hesitant at first. But as the notes echoed, the system guided him. His fingers moved smoother, the chords blended cleaner.
The melody grew. From the keyboard came warmth, rising like sunlight at dawn.
Drums joined in, steady and deep. A bassline rumbled, lifting the tune higher.
Kenji's eyes widened. This wasn't clumsy trial and error—it was instinct. The system was syncing with his emotions, translating them into sound.
And those emotions were raw.
Loneliness. Pain. Humiliation. But beneath them, a burning spark of hope.
Kenji's lips parted. The words came without thinking.
🎵 "They laughed at my voice, they tried to break me…
But a song can't be silenced, a dream can't be erased…
I'll rise with the rhythm, I'll burn through the night…
This voice is my weapon, and music my light." 🎵
The studio itself seemed to vibrate. The instruments glowed brighter, harmonizing with his words. The song flowed naturally, as if it had been waiting inside him all along.
Kenji's chest tightened. This was it. His first song. His true beginning.
When the final note rang out, silence followed—then the system chimed.
> [Mission Complete. Reward Granted: Skill – Lyric Mastery Lv.1.]
[New Song Created: "My Voice." Export successful.]
Kenji gasped. "It's real?"
> [Check your desk in the real world.]
His vision blurred again. He was back in his messy room, trembling. On his desk sat a flash drive with glowing runes etched into it.
He picked it up with shaking hands.
"Don't tell me…"
He plugged it into his old laptop. There it was—a polished audio file. He clicked play.
His room filled with music. His music.
It wasn't just good—it was professional. Clean. Emotional. The kind of song that could make strangers stop and listen.
Kenji sat frozen, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"This… this is mine."
The next day, Kenji dragged himself to school, headphones blasting My Voice on repeat. For the first time in forever, he didn't dread facing people. The same students who mocked him yesterday gave him sneering looks, but their laughter slid off him like water.
Because he knew the truth.
He had a weapon now.
At lunch, his only friend, Haru, plopped down beside him. Haru was tall, with dyed blond hair and an easy grin, the type of guy who laughed through everything.
"Yo, Kenji. Rough night, huh?" He scratched his head awkwardly. "People are still talking about… y'know, last night."
Kenji winced but forced a smile. "Yeah. But… I'm not giving up."
Haru raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You planning another suicide attempt on stage?"
Kenji leaned in, lowering his voice. "No. I've found something… a way to change everything."
Haru snorted. "You? Change? What, you gonna buy a new throat?"
Kenji only smirked. "Something like that."
That night, Kenji sat at his laptop again. He stared at the file of My Voice. His finger hovered over the upload button.
He could post it online. A no-name singer with no face, no reputation. Nobody would expect anything.
But maybe—just maybe—someone would listen.
He took a deep breath.
"Alright… Rhythm God System. Let's start."
He clicked upload.