I stretch as I wake up, feeling... good. Like actual, legitimate contentment. It's unsettling. This feels odd to me, but life has been going well recently. Maybe it's the whole "having a friend" thing. And, well, having a system certainly doesn't hurt either.
I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom for my skincare routine, cleanser and moisturizer in the mornings, then using all three products at night. I apply the products with the kind of practiced ease that suggests I've been doing this my whole life instead of, you know, a week. I'm basically a beauty guru now. It's become almost meditative, which is a weird thing to say about rubbing expensive goop on your face, but here we are.
Breakfast is the usual affair until Selene wanders into the kitchen.
"You look better today!" she announces cheerfully, pointing at my face like she's presenting evidence in court.
I blink. "Uh... thanks?"
"No, seriously." She leans forward, squinting at me. "Your skin looks way better. When did this happen?"
Oh right, the +2 Appearance from my reduced acne is actually visible now. That's... actually really cool.
"Oh... just been doing a new skincare routine," I say, trying to sound casual about it.
Bianca, still practically asleep, opens one eye long enough to scan my face with the kind of analytical precision she usually reserves for critiquing art. "Huh. It's working. Keep it up."
Coming from Bianca, that's practically a standing ovation. I feel this stupid grin spreading across my face as I finish breakfast.
School passes by in its usual blur of classes, and I spend most of it thinking about fourth period.
Fourth period means computer science. Computer science means Luna.
The moment I walk into the classroom and see her already at her desk, practically drowning in that oversized purple hoodie, I feel this weird flutter of... happiness? Is that what this is? Having a friend is still so surreal that I'm not entirely sure I'm processing the emotion correctly.
"Hey," I say, dropping into the seat next to her.
She looks up, and for a split second, those violet eyes light up before she ducks her head shyly. "H-hey, Adam."
We fall into easy conversation, well, as easy as conversation gets when one of you is perpetually two seconds away from hiding behind your hair. Mr. Zhao starts class, and I quickly memorize everything he's saying while occasionally exchanging whispered comments with Luna about the latest anime episode we both watched.
Then lunch hits, and we claim our usual small table in the corner. I notice people staring at us, or more specifically, at her, but she seems oblivious. She takes out another perfectly made bento box.
"So," I say, deciding to continue our ongoing debate from yesterday, "top five hottest anime characters?"
Luna's eyes go wide, and she nearly drops her chopsticks. "W-what? That's... that's embarrassing..."
"Come on, we literally spent twenty minutes yesterday arguing about whether Lovy from Titan Attacks counts as hot or just intimidating. You owe me your definitive rankings."
She fidgets with her hoodie strings, but I can see the tiniest smile tugging at her lips. "Fine... but you can't judge me."
"No promises."
She lists her top five, and I examine her choices, noticing a pattern.
I lean back in my chair, grinning. "So let me get this straight. Your type is: tall, buff, handsome, and charismatic."
She flushes, her pale cheeks turning pink. "I-I just like how they're written... They have good personalities!"
"Uh-huh. Personality. That's what we're calling it."
She covers her face with her hands, and I can see her ears turning red. "Stop analyzing my taste in fictional men!"
"I'm just saying, you have a very specific type. I bet if I showed you a picture of any tall, muscular, confident anime guy, you'd be into it."
"That's not true!"
She makes this strangled sound of embarrassment and actually hides behind her lunch bag. "You're the worst..."
"And yet, you're still hanging out with me."
"...barely."
We spend the rest of lunch like this, arguing about anime, comparing notes on games we're playing, and generally being the kind of nerds that probably confirm every stereotype about computer science students. It's... nice. Really nice. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Luna to suddenly remember that I'm a five-foot-two loser with unruly, unstyled hair and a face that's still decorated with acne, but she just... doesn't care.
The rest of the school day passes quickly.
I walk home with my backpack slung over one shoulder, taking my usual route through the quiet suburban streets. The afternoon sun is warm on my face, and despite being exhausted, I'm in a good mood.
The moment I step through the door, though, I head straight for the bathroom. I don't know why, maybe it's curiosity, maybe it's vanity, maybe it's because Luna's "type" made me want to examine myself, but I find myself standing in front of the mirror, really looking at myself for the first time in... a while.
My face looks better. That's obvious. The acne has faded noticeably, it's not gone, but definitely improved.
But it's my body that catches my attention.
I pull off my hoodie and shirt, standing there in just my jeans, and examine myself critically. My body has... improved? Slightly? I flex experimentally and spot an actual hint of muscle definition in my arms. That's new. A week ago, my arms were just... soft. Undefined. Now there's this tiny bit of shape that wasn't there before.
But I'm still overweight. That's the reality. My stomach still jiggles. My face is still round and pudgy. I look better than I did, sure, but "better than before" and "actually attractive" are two very different things.
I want to change that.
Ding!
Quest Log Updated!
I blink. "What?"
The mental notification hangs in my vision, and I pull up the quest log with a thought.
Available Quests:
Acne III (1/28) - Flawless skin, here we come! - [5 Evolution Points]
Workout III (1/14) - Lightweight baby! Lightweight! - [5 Evolution Points]
Join a Club! - If the club looked interesting, try to participate! - [2 Evolution Points]
Get Closer to a Friend! - You made your first friend! That's great! Really! Now, you get to enjoy their company! - [10 Evolution Points]
Find a Part-Time Job! - Must be service-related! (One month minimum) - [10 Evolution Points]
From Rags to Average - Get every physical stat up to 10! - [100 Evolution Points]
Healthy Eating - You are what you eat! So, choose to eat better! - [3 Evolution Points]
Runnin' - Time to get those legs moving! Run those calories off! - [1 Evolution Point]
Well. That's convenient. Suspiciously convenient. I literally just thought about wanting to change my body, and suddenly I have quests for it? It's almost like the system is reading my mind, which is either really helpful or deeply concerning. I'm choosing to go with helpful.
I mentally select the new quests to see their descriptions:
Healthy Eating
Description: Fuel your body right! You are what you eat, and right now, you want to be someone better. Let's make that happen!
Quest Details:
Cook and eat 5 healthy, balanced meals
Quest Progress:
Healthy Meals [0/5]
Quest Rewards:
3 Evolution Points
Runnin'
Description: Time to get those legs moving! Cardio waits for no one! Yes, it's painful! No, that's not an excuse! Your heart needs this, and so do you. As always, I believe in you, Adam!
Quest Details:
Complete a 5 KM jog
Quest Progress:
Distance Ran [0/5 KM]
Quest Rewards:
1 Evolution Point
Both quests look... surprisingly simple. Cook some healthy food. Go for a run. Easy.
I should start now.
Push-ups first.
I get into position, hands flat on the carpet, and lower myself down. Up. Down. Up.
One. Two.
Holy shit, I just did two real push-ups. Not knee push-ups, not half-reps, real, honest-to-god push-ups where my chest actually touches the ground.
I knock out about ten more on my knees before my arms turn to jelly, then move on to squats. Ten normal ones, five assisted ones where I hold onto my desk for balance. Then a twenty-second plank that makes my core scream, followed by twenty jumping jacks.
By the end of it, I'm breathing hard and covered in sweat, but I feel good. Accomplished.
"Wow," I mutter to myself, staring at my slightly shaking arms.
But I'm not done yet.
I need to complete that running quest.