"Action!"
Cassius took a huge bite of the burger and started chewing.
Time to test out this upgraded emotional control!
He didn't try to force any exaggerated facial expressions. Instead, he instantly accessed his newly broken-through [Emotion] ability.
He recalled the ecstasy of tasting ice cream for the first time as a kid, fused it with the [Joy] attribute he had absorbed earlier, and then surgically removed any trace of "acting."
He focused all his attention on the taste experience in his mouth and the physiological satisfaction that followed.
His eyes squinted slightly—not on purpose, but as a natural reaction to the pleasure.
The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, pulling his facial muscles into a smile that was incredibly natural and infectious.
He even let out a soft, barely audible sigh, carrying the genuine scent of the food.
That expression... didn't look like acting.
The set went silent for a split second.
"Cut!"
The director jumped out of his chair, his face lit up with the excitement of discovering a new continent.
"God! That's it! That's the face! Perfect! What's your name? Kid, you're a fcking genius! Print it!"
Cassius put down the burger. Inside, he felt totally calm, maybe even a little amused.
Genius?
Nah. Just a cheater with a system.
He noticed a green orb drop at his feet: [Emotion Attribute: Satisfaction +2].
Even though he had broken through, it seemed he could keep stacking stats!
After wrapping, holding the two hundred dollars cash from the commercial shoot, Cassius felt lighter on his feet.
Breaking through the Emotion attribute felt like opening a door to a new world.
He passed a real burger joint and, on a whim, walked in. He bought a signature burger and sat by the window to eat it slowly.
The taste was honestly just okay.
But right now, he was chewing on more than just food. He was chewing on the exhaustion and perseverance of the past month.
He pulled out his phone and saw a new message from Rob:
Rob: Got an indie film audition tomorrow. Low budget, but the role has some weight. It's an Asian international student with a lot of internal conflict. I think you've got the right vibe. Interested?
Cassius looked at the message and took another bite of his burger.
Audition?
Internal conflict?
He licked the sauce from the corner of his mouth and replied: Send me the address!
Pocketing the two hundred bucks and the audition info, Cassius felt like he was walking on air.
The subtle control brought by his emotional breakthrough made the whole grey world look like it had a filter on it.
Back at his apartment building.
For once, he didn't head straight for the "frugal zone"—the discount aisle of the community grocery store.
Instead, he turned into a slightly nicer, Mexican-owned fresh market next door.
The lights here were brighter, and the vegetables didn't look so depressed.
Most importantly, they had pork and green peppers that looked relatively fresh.
Time to improve the food situation.
And pay back his roommate for feeding him lately.
Even though Lee So-yeon's cooking skills were limited to shoving frozen food into the oven or boiling things in a pot...
At least she made sure he had a hot meal when he got home, saving him from facing cold spaghetti and baguettes hard enough to be murder weapons every night.
He carefully selected a piece of marbled pork shoulder, a few bright green peppers, and painfully shelled out for a small bottle of soy sauce and rice vinegar.
That stuff was outrageously expensive in LA's Asian markets!
Garlic and ginger were essentials. He also grabbed a few eggs and a bunch of scallions.
At checkout, watching the numbers jump on the register made Cassius's heart bleed.
But thinking about not having to eat that plastic-tasting frozen pizza tonight made it worth it.
Carrying the bags upstairs, he put his key in the lock, but the door was pulled open from the inside.
Lee So-yeon stood there with messy hair, wearing a funny hoodie that said: "I Paused My Game to Be Here."
She sniffed the air like a puppy, her gaze instantly locking onto the bags in his hands.
"Mwo? You went grocery shopping?"
Her eyes went wide as saucers, like she was witnessing a world wonder. "Are we going to... cook with fire? Not the oven?"
Cassius rolled his eyes and squeezed past her.
"What else? You think we live in WALL-E and survive on nutrient shakes?"
He carried the stuff into the tiny but relatively clean open kitchen.
Lee So-yeon followed him like a curious baby.
She watched him rinse the meat and de-seed and slice the peppers. His movements weren't exactly chef-level, but at least he looked like a primate capable of walking upright in a kitchen.
"Oppa, you can cook?"
Her tone was filled with disbelief, as if Cassius had just built a nuclear reactor with his bare hands.
"You think I survived my first twenty years by photosynthesis?"
Cassius retorted while briskly chopping ginger and garlic.
"Where I'm from, not knowing how to cook isn't considered 'cute.' It's a basic survival skill, thank you very much."
He decided to make the classic, foolproof quick dish.
Stir-fried Pork with Green Peppers!
And Scrambled Eggs with Scallions!
The rice cooker—the most valuable appliance in the apartment besides the TV, left by a previous tenant—was already puffing out steam.
Heat the pan. Add oil!
Sizzle!
The aroma of ginger and garlic exploded, filling the tiny living room.
"Wah!"
Lee So-yeon dramatically took half a step back, but couldn't help leaning in. "This smell is so aggressive! But so good!"
Cassius ignored her theatrics. He slid the sliced pork into the pan and stir-fried it quickly.
He watched the meat turn from pink to an appetizing white, the edges curling slightly and browning.
Subconsciously, he applied his newly upgraded emotional control.
Not to act, but to feel.
To feel the ingredients changing under the high heat, to feel the anticipation and satisfaction of a home-cooked meal amidst the hustle.
It was a subtle emotional fluctuation, but it made the spatula in his hand feel more obedient.
[Emotion Attribute: Anticipation +1] (From the craving for good food)
[Emotion Attribute: Control +1] (From the mastery of the cooking process)
I can generate my own attribute points?
Cassius paused, then relaxed.
It seemed emotions were everywhere. Life itself was just a giant, improvised performance.
The pork was about done.
He poured in the soy sauce for color, then dumped in the pile of bright green pepper strips.
A louder sizzle erupted.
The steam mixed the fresh scent of peppers with the savory meat, exploding like a flavor bomb in the kitchen.
Lee So-yeon had gone completely silent.
She leaned against the kitchen doorframe, staring unblinkingly at the pan, her throat swallowing involuntarily.
That expression was a hundred times more real than when she played a tourist on the Walk of Fame.
[Presence Attribute: Craving +1] (From Lee So-yeon's obsession with Stir-fried Pork)
Cassius suppressed a laugh and tossed the pan quickly, coating every pepper strip in sauce.
Finally, just before plating, he drizzled a little rice vinegar along the edge of the hot pan.
Hiss! The vinegar aroma activated the "wok hei," elevating the soul of the dish instantly.
"Alright, serve the rice!"
When the Stir-fried Pork and the fluffy, golden Scrambled Eggs with Scallions were placed on the old coffee table serving as their dining table...
Lee So-yeon's expression went beyond shock. It was borderline religious awe.