Since I'd already showered and changed into my school clothes, I stayed in my room a little longer, sitting in front of the old computer by the desk.
The fan hummed loudly as it struggled to keep the system from overheating.
I didn't mind.
I was too focused on the screen.
This was a parallel world.
Something I'd only ever seen in novels before yet now I was living in one.
Still, no matter how many times I reminded myself of that fact, some things continued to surprise me like music.
Scrolling through the playlist saved on this body's account, I realized something strange.
I didn't recognize a single band.
Not one.
At first, I thought it was just bad taste but the more I searched, the clearer it became. Many of the artists, songs, and even entire genres that had dominated my previous world… simply didn't exist here.
Nightcore I grew up listening to. Songs I knew by heart. Lyrics engraved into my memory.
Gone.
"…This world is seriously empty," I muttered.
In my previous life, I liked rock and nightcore. Heavy rock, indie rock I knew a ridiculous amount of music by heart, lyrics included.
'Would this be a good way to make money?' I thought.
Given my current appearance, it would probably be difficult to get gigs at bars or live venues right away.
Still, learning to sing while playing guitar and finding a way to record and upload my music could work as a long-term plan.
A lot of people dreamed of following a musical path, but most lacked individuality.
I didn't.
I had decades' worth of successful music from another world stored in my memory. Even if I didn't copy anything directly, taking inspiration from different styles would already give me more originality than most people here.
Making quick money through live gigs would be difficult with my current appearance.
No bar owner would take a fat high schooler seriously, no matter how good his music was.
But MeTube…
This world's video platform was still underdeveloped. More niche. Less saturated.
If I learned how to sing properly and paired it with a guitar, I could upload covers or "original" songs and slowly build an audience.
Long-term.
Safe.
Scalable.
For now though, I didn't have the time to seriously pursue it. I still had school to deal with.
So I searched for vocal training resources online and bookmarked a few guides, planning to practice whenever I had spare time.
A few minutes later I checked the time and stood up.
It was time to wake Aoi.
Before doing that, I made my bed and organized the room. It was something Ren used to ignore completely, but I knew how much a clean environment helped maintain focus and stability, especially in a stressful life like ours.
Once everything was in order, I gently shook her shoulder.
"Hey, Wake up. It's time."
Aoi stirred, blinking groggily before slowly sitting up. She didn't say much, just nodded and shuffled toward the bathroom, still half-asleep.
She didn't even notice the change in my hair.
Once she was up, I grabbed my bag and headed to the kitchen.
Breakfast was simple eggs, toast, and silence.
Living alone with Aoi meant mornings were usually quiet. Neither of us talked much unless there was something important to say.
I ate quickly, then waited for her to finish getting ready.
Once we were both done, we left the apartment together.
On the walk, she glanced at me once, then again.
"…You cut your hair."
"Yeah."
"It looks better."
That was all she said, but it was enough.
At school, we split up at the gate. She headed toward her building while I walked toward mine.
Knowing what I was about to face, my mood dipped slightly.
Ren hadn't been popular. He barely had friends, and the few he did have were awkward people he didn't really connect with. On top of that, some students still treated him as an easy target.
If they come looking for trouble, I won't stay quiet, I thought as I entered the building.
First period was math.
Great.
I walked into the classroom and took my usual seat last row, last chair. With my size, sitting anywhere else would block someone's view.
As soon as I sat down, a notification appeared.
[Buff Acquired!]
[Math Classroom]
Effect:+50% bonus when learning math-related content.Duration: While in the classroom.
I blinked in surprise.
Since I had nothing better to do, I opened the math textbook and started reading.
Normally, the formulas would have given me a headache within seconds. This time, though it felt… manageable.
Not easy but understandable.
A few minutes later, another notification appeared.
[Intermediate Math Lv 1 (+18 levels)]
Effect: +19% easier to understand and apply intermediate math concepts.
With the skill acquired, the learning speed increased even more. Concepts that used to take several rereads now clicked noticeably faster.
Before I realized it, class had officially started, and I was still focused on the book.
That was when the teacher called out.
"Ren. Can you tell me the result of the calculation on the board?"
I looked up.
If I relied on Ren's old knowledge I would've struggled. Fortunately, it was something I had just studied.
I thought for a moment.
"The value of X is 16," I answered.
A few students snickered.
Then the teacher checked the answer.
"…Correct."
The room went quiet.
With an Intelligence stat of 9 slightly below the average of 10
It wasn't like I was suddenly a genius. Still, Ren wasn't known for academic success, so the reaction made sense.
I ignored the looks and went back to reading.
Another notification appeared.
[+1 INT]
I exhaled slowly.
As the stat increased, a strange feeling washed over me not just clarity, but certainty.
Not about math.
About direction.
Music. Fame. Influence.
This world lacked stars.
And for the first time since waking up here, I knew exactly what I wanted. To shine as brightly as possible, being the beacon of hope my previous self couldn't.
"…I'll do it," I murmured.
At that moment, the familiar system screen flickered violently.
[System Re-evaluating User Path…][Core Aspiration Detected]
The interface froze.
Then shattered.
A new screen rebuilt itself from fragments of light.
[System Name Updated]
[Peak Superstar System Activated]
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
A grin slowly spread across my face.
"So that's how it is," I whispered.
This world didn't know it yet but it was about to get a star.