A gentle breeze flowed through the VIP hospital room, sunlight streaming in through the window and spilling across the crisp white bedsheets, creating a warm, cozy vibe.
Luke lay in the hospital bed, propped up against soft pillows, eyes closed, resting quietly.
Truth be told, his injuries weren't that serious. A few days of rest at home would've done the trick. But at Yuffie and Director Cohen's insistence, he ended up checking into the hospital.
They say America's a paradise for the rich—money gets you top-notch service.
This hospital stay proved that to Luke.
His room was more like a small apartment, easily over 500 square feet.
The space was decked out with lush green plants and fresh flowers, none of that harsh antiseptic smell you'd expect. The window faced a beach, with the vibrant blue ocean and sky giving off an energizing, lively feel.
In the corner of the room sat a finely crafted piano. If a patient wanted, a talented, good-looking nurse could play a few tunes for them.
No extra charge—it was all covered in the hefty hospital bill.
The steep cost of the VIP room easily justified these little perks.
Though, Luke couldn't quite wrap his head around why having a nurse play the piano was considered a special service. If they were going to play an instrument, shouldn't it be something like a flute?
Still, it showed just how attentive and thorough the VIP ward's service was.
Staying in a room like this made it easy to feel relaxed, without the heavy, sterile vibe of a regular hospital ward.
After two nights here, Luke felt pretty comfortable—more so than in a hotel, even.
It'd been a long time since he'd had a real break. Months of nonstop work had left him no time to breathe.
This was the perfect chance to rest up for a few days and ease his mental exhaustion.
Ding-dong! The door to the room opened softly.
A tall, curvy blonde nurse walked in.
"Mr. Luke , time to check your blood pressure," she said with a gentle smile.
Luke extended his left arm.
A few days ago, the extreme cold and low pressure had caused some burst blood vessels, leaving his arm bruised and purple. But it was looking much better now.
The nurse carefully wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his arm and said, "Your arm's doing a lot better. You're recovering fast, Mr. Luke . What kind of action scene did you shoot? Even a superhero like you got hurt—we're all dying to know."
Since day one in the hospital, every doctor and nurse he'd met had claimed to be a fan.
Luke had endured some arm pain to sign autographs for them all.
The hospital had signed an NDA about his stay, and the staff assigned to him were under strict orders to keep quiet.
So, technically, the nurse's question was crossing a line.
But Luke didn't think she meant any harm. Nobody could hide their true intentions from him.
"It was a pretty intense action scene, and I'm proud of it. But I can't spill the details. You're welcome to check it out in theaters when it's out," Luke said with a smile.
"Now I'm even more curious! I'll definitely be there to support your movie!"
"Thanks."
"Blood pressure's normal, all your vitals look good," the nurse said, packing up her equipment.
Her face flushed slightly as she lowered her voice. "You haven't, uh, used the bathroom in a while. Need any help with that?"
God knows how many men she'd seen as a nurse. But the thought of possibly seeing Luke's made her heart race with excitement and a hint of shyness.
Luke caught the eager look in her eyes and shook his head with a smile.
The first couple of days in the hospital, Yuffie wouldn't let him get out of bed and stayed by his side the whole time.
The nurse had offered to help with bathroom duties back then, too, but Yuffie took over, not giving her a chance.
Since Yuffie wasn't used to it, there were some funny moments early on.
"Gentler, or it won't fit in the bedpan."
"Oh! How'd it splash? It got on my face!"
"You jerk! It's actually getting harder?"
Even thick-skinned Luke felt a bit embarrassed.
But Yuffie took her girlfriend duties seriously, staying by his side and taking care of him.
It wasn't until this morning, when she saw he was clearly recovering well, that she went back to the film set at Director Cohen's request.
The nurse, a bit disappointed by Luke's polite refusal, said, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know."
Then, reluctantly, she left the room.
Luke wasn't surprised by her interest.
A guy like him—top-tier in every way, a perfect six-sided specimen—didn't need wealth to attract attention. His looks alone were enough for someone to think they'd hit the jackpot, something to brag about to friends for years.
Once the nurse was gone, Luke pulled up his interface.
His injuries had delayed him from allocating points earlier, but now was the perfect time.
[Name: Luke]
[Age: 20]
[Strength: 20]
Latest chapter released first at [website]!
[Agility: 22]
[Constitution: 20]
[Available Attribute Points: 10]
[Legendary Talent: Life's a Stage]
[Skills: Master-Level Swordsmanship, Master-Level Parkour, Master-Level Throwing Knives, Master-Level Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master-Level Marksmanship, Master-Level Knife Skills, Master-Level Japanese, Master-Level Gymnastics, Master-Level Driving, Master-Level Water Sports, Master-Level Massage]
[Action Scene Danger Level B, Base Success Rate: 74%]
Last time, he'd saved 2 points. The action scene he just completed earned him 8 more, giving him a total of 10 points—enough to boost his agility by 2.
Without hesitation, Luke dumped all the points into agility.
[Agility: 22 → 24]
[Available Attribute Points: 10 → 0]
[Action Scene Danger Level B, Base Success Rate: 74% → 80%]
Previous agility boosts had mostly improved his reaction speed and control.
This time, the upgrade was noticeably about physical dexterity.
He walked over to the piano in the corner of the room and sat down. On the stand was sheet music for Joe Hisaishi's Summer, the theme from Kikujiro.
Luke had never studied piano, but he could read sheet music.
Summer wasn't a tough piece to play, with a light, cheerful melody that's one of the top three favorites for beginner pianists.
The other two? Kiss the Rain and Canon. If you know, you know.
Luke placed his fingers on the black-and-white keys. After a brief moment of hesitation, his hands started moving with ease.
He'd never played piano before, and this was his first time tackling Summer. Yet, somehow, he played it smoothly.
Not a single wrong note, not a hint of panic.
For Luke, it was simple: if his brain knew it, his hands could do it.
That's no small feat. If it were that easy, everyone would be picking up instruments left and right.
Without hundreds of hours to build muscle memory, most people's brains might get it, but their hands just can't keep up.
That's the norm for most folks. But with Luke's agility now at 24, his physical control was visibly next-level.
Sure, his piano skills weren't on par with a professional pianist—just amateur-level for now.
He didn't stop playing, letting his fingers get used to the newfound dexterity while his mind wandered.