2 Days Later
At 10 am, Ari arrived at the specified filming location for rehearsals 3 hours ahead of time.
The instructions they had been given said that rehearsals started at noon, but from all the gig work that he had done, Ari knew that the production team would absolutely be scrambling and shorthanded in their preparations for 200+ people, so he planned to go early for two reasons.
1. To complete the 'Hi, My Name Is' mission to introduce himself to at least 100 contestants.
2. Find the name and face of the boy who had gotten him killed.
With those 2 goals in mind, with a secret third goal of punching the boy if he could get away with it, Ari confidently entered the building.
As expected, staff members were running around, moving equipment, and setting things up in a frenzy.
Even though Ari had his face painted white and black with red lipstick, nobody really paid any attention to him for over thirty minutes until a fierce-looking woman with a blunt black bob, sharp makeup, and black lipstick wearing a staff shirt caught sight of him standing by the door.
"Hey! You! Kid with the face paint! Are you a contestant?"
"Yes. I came early to see if I could help out with anything. I'm stronger than I look, so I can help move equipment or-"
"Absolutely not! Do you know how expensive this equipment is? Get out of here and come back at the correct time. We don't have time to babysit you." The woman continued yelling as she marched toward him, her badge swinging on a lanyard around her neck.
[Sherill Lanole]
[Stage Director]
"Are you sure? I can do check-ins for people or help clean or deliver messages, whatever you need. I got dropped off and have nowhere to go until the rehearsals are done." Ari put on his best pitiful act, although he wasn't sure how effective it would be with his face paint on.
[You…are you trying to unlock the acting stat yourself?]
[For your information, that won't work.]
Ari ignored the system and kept trying to look pitiful for the staff member.
Before his face got injured and he got this strange system, this was a surefire kill toward older women, but this time….
"Stop that, you're not cute at all. I don't have time for this." The staff member immediately shook her head before glancing at the clipboard in her hands.
"Tsk, come with me." With a surprising amount of strength, she dragged him over to a large desk and sat him down.
"Sit here. Don't move until the correct time. If I catch you anywhere but here, I'm reporting you to the judges. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Ari promptly sat down with his hands on his lap, trying to portray the fact that he wouldn't cause any trouble, but the woman only clicked her teeth and turned away.
As she left, Ari could hear her mutter.
"Ugh. How uncharming. It's too bad because that's usually my spec. But it just gives off weirdo vibes and gives me the ick…"
Ari: "...?"
What was this? Uncharming? Me? I'm giving her the ick?
It was something that Ari had never heard in his 17 years of living, and he couldn't help but check with the system to confirm.
"NOVA, am I uncharming?"
[Have you looked in the mirror lately?]
[Face -> covered in weird paint.]
[Charm: E-]
[What part of that seems charming to you?]
"...really?" Ari muttered skeptically, "I thought that was related to appearance, not my charm as a person."
[The Charm stat is not just related to your visual appearance, it's a mixture of your confidence, charisma, how you carry yourself, how your body moves, and an inexplicable 'something' inside of you that attracts others that cannot be explained.]
[In your case, your confidence in yourself is high, and your personality is strong, but-]
[Visuals: F, Dance: F, Charm: E-]
[Your confidence can only take you so far, and the lack of charm will be detrimental to how people treat you.]
[Even up until now, the effects of the lack of charm have been apparent.]
"Really? Even after gaining you, I don't think I've had any issues with people finding me uncharming. Granny Choi and her family are kind, and I met her when I was covered in garbage."
[Be serious.]
[Grandmothers will love and try to care for anything as long as it's a hungry child.]
[Steven Choi is a priest whose doctrine is to love everyone as they are.]
[Why would they treat you badly when they pity you?]
Ari: "…."
Well, he couldn't find fault with that.
"Well, all the other people I've met have been decent to me."
[…have they?]
[Don't you remember the staff member recoiling at the sight of your face when you went to audition? She almost fell down and hurt herself.]
[Don't you remember the sight of Selena closing her eyes when you sang and avoiding eye contact when you stared at her?]
[Don't you remember the sight of the female teacher crying when she saw you?]
[Don't you remember the sight of Larry laughing as he examined your face throughout your audition?]
[Don't you remember your friend's father's antagonism toward you?]
[The rudeness of random people on the bus?]
"All that can be explained by my face being injured and ugly right now. Once I fix my visuals-"
[Visuals alone cannot make up the deficit for your charm stat.]
[It's already a crime to be ugly.]
[But it's a sin to be ugly and uncharming, especially in a field such as this, where your fans consume everything from your appearance to your personality, and how you are treated by others is wholly dependent on those things.]
Ari: "..."
[If you don't get booed and laughed off the stage tomorrow with such a low charm stat. I will be very surprised.]
"You're being dramatic. I don't think it will be that bad. My vocals are good, and despite other things, it will leave a good impression. Especially once I get part of my visuals back."
[...]
[Fine.]
[Do as you wish.]
[I look forward to the fallout.]
[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]
Seeing the system cleanly give up without trying to convince him more made Ari begin to think it through once more.
His original plan had been to fix his face in one go, which is why he was stockpiling stat points.
If he used the 7 points he had saved, he could bring his visuals straight from an F to a D+, which was basically a passing grade.
On the other hand, if he used the 7 stat points on charm, he could go from E to C+, which was one grade higher. If he completed his final mission on the mission board, his charm could theoretically hit a maximum B rank while his face could reach a maximum C- rank.
Honestly, it was a bit difficult to choose.
Especially because Ari was getting tired of spending over two hours painting his face white each time he needed to perform.
Truly, he wanted his regular, uninjured face back.
He needed more clarification.
"…..so what you're telling me is that rather than bringing back my face, I should focus on my charm?"
[For several missions, I have urged you to increase your charm.]
[Whether you listen to my advice or not is your prerogative.]
[It is your choice to lose 20 stat points when you fail the surprise mission tomorrow and get kicked out of the program.]
[You can afford to do so without dying now anyway.]
At such morbid words, Ari's face paled beneath the white paint on his face.
"….is the lack of charm really that bad?"
[I have shared all the relevant information, so you are free to make your own choices.]
[However, if you are genuinely seeking my advice,]
[I recommend you save your points, complete the mission to gain the ability to view other people's statuses, observe how they're treated compared to you, and make your decision.]
Seeing that the system was being reasonable and kind for once, Ari decided to do as it asked.
He simply relaxed on the chair until the time ticked downward, and as the staff members began setting up the check in station, he was rudely checked in, handed a bag that contained a school uniform in his size, and shoved into an open room to wait for other contestants to come in.
As Ari was standing there, shocked at the rough treatment, he saw a handsome red-haired contestant get led in by a staff member who carefully opened the door for them and even gave them a bottle of water and a snack before leaving.
Ari: ????
Why were they being so harsh with him and so gentle with this new guy?
What kind of discrimination was this?