It was already nighttime when the cal ended. Yuri felt a strange mix of relief and confusion; meeting the original Yuri's family left her both excited and a little guilty. However, she had no time to dwell on it because something more important needed her focus.
She quickly walked over to the full-length mirror. Until now, she had only paid attention to her face and hadn't noticed the rest of her body. If her aunt and uncle hadn't mentioned it, she might have missed just how thin and sickly the original Yuri really was.
Looking closely, Yuri saw that the body was tall and slim, with good, model-like proportions. But something was wrong. Her skin looked pale and unhealthy, and her limbs were too skinny, making her entire body seem fragile. This bothered her, especially since tomorrow was her first public appearance.
It wasn't a big event, just a meeting with the production team to finalize her attendance, but it still mattered. Yuri wanted to look strong and ready, not like someone who was barely alive. Showing up like a walking zombie didn't fit the stunning comeback she had imagined.
"Darn it! Yuri, you've really done it this time. You look less like a human and more like a poorly made paper doll. Honestly, if a breeze comes through this room, I'm going to have to be peeled off the ceiling," she exclaimed.
"I swear, my shadow has more muscle than I do. No, wait! The shadow has definition. I'm just the thin, pale shape it casts," she added, exaggerating as she stared at her arms.
Then she remembered the spicy food she ate earlier and sighed. "No wonder I still feel like I'm dying."
She peeled off the face mask she had forgotten to remove. Then, she walked over to the rows of wall cabinets, determined to find some clothes that could hide her thinness until she could manage her body better.
She tried on one outfit after another, but nothing really helped. She still looked too thin, almost like an anorexia patient. It didn't help that most of Yuri's clothes were covered in lace and frills. As part of her public image, Yuri always dressed like a doll. While the outfits weren't ugly, they were too girly for her taste. Sticking to the same style could also lead to public boredom and complaints that she was unimaginative or out of touch with changing fashion.
In a media environment that thrives on visual shock and novelty, sticking to one look made her stand out in the wrong way. It lowered her "paparazzi value" and risked making her seem less interesting in an overcrowded field.
'Not like I need more paparazzi attention right now.'
After failing to find a better option, she decided to check her system panel instead. Her screen showed 70 star coins, far too few to redeem any new skills. Not that she needed skills right now; her body needed serious attention first.
The system interface was nothing but black boxes and loading screens, which didn't help at all. She sighed and decided to try a different approach. Instead of searching on her own, she spoke to the system directly, hoping for an answer.
"Mr. System, can you help add these star coins to my current body and improve it?"
For a long moment, there was only silence. Then, a cold, mechanical voice replied.
[It can be done, but the star coins are not enough.]
Not the answer she expected, but fair enough.
'I bet the only unlimited thing I can access is the loading screen,' she thought silently.
Then, gathering whatever hope she had left, she tried again. "Can you put it on credit first? I promise to pay it back."
[Denied]
"Goddamn, you're ruthless!" Yuri muttered, shocked and speechless.
"Then what changes can you do to my body with 70 star coins?" She asked instead.
[The current coins can only improve the host's complexion to appear less sickly]
"Not enough. Those changes can be done with makeup," she said with a frown. The coins she had were too few to make a real difference. Yuri looked around, thinking hard. Then she spotted the baggy jeans she had tossed aside earlier, and an idea popped into her head.
"Can you make the changes more targeted? Like, only some parts of my body?" She asked hopefully.
[Yes. State the body part and the desired changes.]
"Great!" Yuri's eyes lit up. "Only make the changes on the upper part of my body. Make it gain a bit of weight, just enough to look healthy and add some slight muscle and toned abs, please!" she said quickly, almost eagerly.
[Denied. Not enough coins.]
"For the love of Pete! How many Star Coins does it need?" Yuri asked, exasperated.
[300 star coins.]
"Three hundred star coins for just the upper half of my body?" she said in disbelief. The screen stayed silent, giving no explanation.
Not getting any answers, Yuri decided to search online for an ideal body that would cost less. After scrolling through pictures, she found one that looked slim and healthy, glowing with natural light. She showed the image to the system.
"How about this? No muscle tone or abs, just a slim, healthy, glowing upper body," she suggested.
[140 star coins.]
The system finally replied. Yuri sighed in relief; at least the cost was lower than the original. The only problem was how to get those star coins fast.
"Spicy food it is, then," she thought, ordering another spicy dinner in a hurry.
It took Yuri forever to get enough coins. After she decided to eat some super spicy food, her stomach flat-out rejected it. First, she started farting uncontrollably, which was mortifying, and then came the dreaded bathroom disaster. The crazy part? That whole embarrassing event earned her an extra 120 Star Coins! Now her total was:
Current Star Coins: 190
Skills: Perfect non-lyrics singing
List to earn Star Coins:
Hangover: 20 star coins
Vomiting: 50 star coins
Eating spicy food: 20 star coins
Farting: 50 star coins
Diarrhea: 50 star coins
"Seriously, I'm going to die from something gross before I even get famous," she mumbled to herself, feeling really bummed out. The whole list of ways to get coins was getting weirder and grosser. She was seriously terrified about what kind of terrible stuff would unlock next.
But she didn't waste any more time freaking out. "System, just use all the coins and upgrade my upper body right now," she commanded. She needed to look better, fast.
[Understood, Host. This will take a few minutes.]
The system replied, then went silent.
A few minutes dragged by, and nothing happened. Then, suddenly, it felt like a million angry ants were crawling all over her entire upper half, inside and out. It was honestly terrifying! She couldn't breathe, and she was pretty sure she was about to flat-out die. Then, just as fast as it started, the awful, skin-crawling feeling vanished.
[Upper Body Upgrade: Complete] the System announced.
"Ugh! Is it going to feel like that every single time I upgrade my body?" Yuri yelled, still shaking from the whole weird, creepy sensation. The System didn't answer, just total unhelpful silence.
Super frustrated and still freaked out, she stormed over to the mirror. What she saw made her jaw drop. "HOLY COW, THAT IS TERRIFYING!" she shrieked.
The view was a stunning, yet unsettling, visual contradiction. Her upper body, framed by the ultra-low waistband of her shorts, was the essence of healthy, confident femininity. The simple white cropped top was perfectly snug, hugging a form defined by sleek, graceful lines. Her thin, tapered waist created an unbelievable, hourglass arch just above the dipping shorts, showing off an athletic tone without being harsh. Even her arms were subtly defined and carried a soft, healthy luminosity, radiating vitality and self-assured sexiness.
But then she looked down.
Her stunning, toned torso was standing on two pencil-thin, fragile-looking sticks. Her legs had zero muscle and no curves at all! The contrast was immediate and shocking. It was the most messed-up thing she had ever seen, like two completely different people had been poorly taped together. Anyone who saw her would definitely be shocked, and maybe a little concerned.