The lecture dragged on, but Jason barely heard a word. His professor's voice became background noise — just a dull echo behind the thoughts bouncing around in his head.
Why didn't Lily recognize me?
He kept glancing her way. She sat two rows ahead, her posture perfect as always, eyes locked on the whiteboard. Not once did she turn around. Not once did she look back at him.
It stung more than he expected.
Just a few days ago, he was confessing his feelings to her. Just a few days ago, she crushed his heart with a laugh and the words he'd never forget:"Eww! Why would I want to date you?"
And now? She didn't even know who he was.
Jason clenched his jaw. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe this was the system's way of giving him a clean slate. A new life. A chance to live without being tied to the pain of the past. But even as he told himself that, part of him still longed for something more — not Lily's pity, not her fake friendship… but recognition. Validation.
The professor finally dismissed the class. Students stood and shuffled out the door, chatting and stretching after the long hour. Jason stayed seated, waiting a few seconds before making his move. He watched Lily close her notebook, slide it into her bag, and stand up to leave.
He took a deep breath and rose from his seat.
This was his chance.
He approached her calmly, smoothly, his strides no longer shy or hesitant like before. As he got closer, Lily looked up. Their eyes met.
She paused. Her brows furrowed slightly.
Jason gave a small nod, a polite smile. "Hey. You dropped your pen."
It was a lie — she hadn't dropped anything. But he needed an excuse. Something. Anything.
Lily blinked, looked at her desk, then back at him. "Oh, uh… thanks?"
Her voice held the same familiar tone, but the warmth she used to give him was gone. She tilted her head. "Do I… know you?"
Jason almost laughed. Not out loud — just inside. That single question cut deeper than any insult.
He shrugged casually. "I don't think so. First day here."
Lily smiled — the kind of smile you give to strangers in an elevator. Polite. Distant. She nodded and walked past him, brushing by as if he were just another face in the hallway.
Jason stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the crowd.
He had changed everything — his looks, his presence, even the way people felt when he entered a room. But she didn't feel anything.
Not even a flicker of recognition.
Maybe that's what I wanted, he thought.
But it didn't feel like victory.
As he stepped into the hallway, the energy shifted again. Students turned their heads when he passed. Some of them whispered. A girl tripped over her own feet and giggled nervously as he helped her up. A pair of cheerleaders asked if he was new on campus and invited him to a welcome party.
He hadn't even said a full sentence yet.
"Are you a model or something?"
"Wait, are you the transfer student from California?"
"What's your name again?"
Jason offered only small smiles, a few nods. His deep voice, now confident and rich, carried when he spoke. People listened. They leaned in. Girls blushed. Guys looked annoyed or confused.
It was strange.
Back then, no one even looked his way. Now, it was like the entire campus had their eyes on him. And while it was flattering… it was also exhausting.
He finally reached the grassy quad, hoping for a moment of silence — and that's when he heard it.
"Hey! You!"
Jason turned, expecting another student.
Instead, it was a tall guy in sunglasses, wearing a designer shirt and a smug smile. He walked up with a small group behind him — all dressed in expensive brands, all radiating the same rich-boy energy.
"I've been hearing about some new guy turning heads," the guy said. "Didn't expect him to look like he just stepped off a fashion runway."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "You need something?"
The guy chuckled. "Relax, man. Just curious. Name's Drew. I run the student business society. Ever heard of it?"
Jason shook his head. "Nope."
"Well, we host networking events — finance, tech, investing. You look like you belong more at a Fortune 500 table than in a dorm room." Drew extended a hand. "What's your name?"
Jason hesitated. What if he Googled it? Looked up his past? The name Jason Brooks still carried the weight of the boy who was forgotten, the kid who ate lunch alone and failed gym class.
But then again... maybe it was time to own that name.
"Jason," he said. "Jason Brooks."
Drew tilted his head. "Huh. Sounds familiar."
Jason gave him a tight smile. "It shouldn't."
Drew didn't press it. He handed over a sleek business card. "You've got the look. If you've got the brain too, come to our event this Friday. Smart faces belong in sharp places, right?"
Jason took the card, nodded, and turned to leave.
Later that night, back in his dorm room, Jason finally let himself relax. The room was quiet. The system's screen floated calmly in the air, waiting.
And then it flickered.
[New Notification]
System Update: Public Reaction Rating - 93% Positive. You are now officially a Tier-2 Presence Host.
New Features Unlocked:
Charm Boost Level 1
Passive Attraction Aura (Local Radius: 10 meters)
Perception Control: Voice Tuning & Eye Contact Enhancement
Jason read the message slowly. His appearance wasn't the only thing changing anymore. Now... people's reactions to him were being influenced, too.
Was this still him? Or was the system turning him into someone... else?
He lay back on his bed, eyes staring at the ceiling.
They don't see me. They see what the system made me.
And somewhere deep in his chest, that lonely ache still lingered — the one he thought would go away once he was "handsome enough."