The sun poured gently through the campus windows the next morning, catching flecks of dust in the air like tiny stars. Jason stood in front of the mirror again, brushing a hand through his now-perfect dark hair. His skin glowed with a natural warmth, his features sharp, clean, and undeniably handsome. His jawline could probably cut glass, and his calm, stormy gray eyes looked back at him with quiet confidence.
He didn't recognize himself anymore.
But more than that—he knew the world didn't recognize him either.
And that was both a blessing and a curse.
As he walked through the main hallway toward his second lecture of the day, students turned their heads again—whispers fluttering like paper in the wind.
"Is that him?"
"He's in our year? I swear I would've noticed…"
"No way that guy's a freshman."
Jason kept his steps slow, deliberate. He wasn't cocky, just… composed. Everything about him now demanded attention even when he didn't want it. It was like his presence pulled gravity.
And then it happened.
He turned the corner.
And there she was.
Lily.
She stood in front of her locker, chatting with her usual small circle of friends. Her long dark hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore the same subtle perfume he remembered from high school. The same laugh. The same soft expression.
Except… this time, her face changed the moment she spotted him.
Her voice faltered mid-sentence. Her eyes widened. For a second, it looked like her heart skipped a beat.
Jason met her eyes.
And this time, he didn't look away.
Lily stared. Really stared. Her jaw almost dropped, and her hand slowly covered her mouth as she stepped slightly forward, squinting like she couldn't trust her own eyes.
"Wait…" she said aloud, eyebrows scrunching. "Wait, are you…?"
Her friends turned to look too.
Jason stopped walking.
A few nearby students paused as well, caught in the tension.
"Are you really… him?" Lily asked again, her voice softer now, disbelieving.
Jason tilted his head. "Him?"
Her eyes didn't blink. "Jason…?"
Jason didn't respond right away. He just looked at her—this girl who once stood by his side for years, then turned her back on him when he needed her most. The one who laughed when he was vulnerable. The one who saw him cry and said, "Eww."
Her voice trembled slightly. "Jason Brooks?"
More students started to gather around now, listening in. Whispers passed like wildfire.
"No way—he used to be that quiet dude?"
"Jason? The ugly one from senior year?"
"Bro must've done plastic surgery or something."
Lily stepped closer, stunned. "Jason… it is you…"
Jason gave a small, unreadable smile. "Didn't expect to hear that name today."
Lily's eyes were searching his face, like she was trying to piece together a puzzle. "You—how… you look completely different. Like… it doesn't make sense. How?"
He shrugged coolly. "Guess college changes people."
One of her friends leaned in and whispered, "Isn't he the guy you used to hang out with in high school? You told us he was… uh…"
Lily looked flustered. "Yeah, but—he didn't look like this. I didn't even recognize him yesterday. I swear, I—" She turned back to Jason. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Jason chuckled dryly. "Didn't think you'd want to talk to someone like me."
Her face turned pale. "That's not—Jason, come on. That's not fair."
"No?" he said calmly, stepping closer now. "You said I was disgusting. That you were only comforting me out of pity."
Students around them gasped and murmured. Some of them started recording on their phones.
Lily looked shaken. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just… I was confused."
Jason's expression didn't waver. "No worries. You made it pretty clear."
She reached for his arm, but he gently pulled back.
"I'm not mad," Jason added. "Really. I'm just not the same guy anymore."
Lily looked heartbroken for a moment, like she was realizing she had thrown away something she didn't understand. "You've changed so much…"
Jason nodded. "I have."
Then, turning away from the crowd, he started walking again—past Lily, past her friends, past the recording phones and the stunned faces.
But the whispers followed.
"He is Jason Brooks."
"No f**king way."
"Bro looks like he stepped out of a fashion magazine now."
"I'd date him. Right now. I don't even care."
He ducked into the library, needing a quiet place to breathe. The weight of recognition was heavier than he thought. He didn't want drama. He didn't want stares or judgment or people crawling back now that he looked different.
He just wanted peace.
But the System had other plans.
As he sat down at a table in a far corner, the blue screen flashed in front of his eyes again.
DING!
System Notification: Host Identity Revealed (Trigger Event: Public Recognition)
+300 Reputation+1 Charm Point+1 Charisma Boost (Temporary)
New Quest Available:
"Face Your Past, Own Your Future"Objective: Deal with unresolved emotions and confront key figures from your former life.Reward: Hidden Trait Unlock – Emotional Fortress
Jason leaned back in his chair.
It was happening.
Everything he once ran from—now crawling back to the surface.
But this time, he wasn't afraid.
He wasn't broken.
He was rebuilt.
And this was just the beginning.