Chapter 56

[Yvettel: "I'm just so confused and upset that someone can be like that."]

We were on a call and since we had all disabled our streams everyone was able to speak freely.

"He's horrible. You did the good thing holding back your mouth and leaving the voice call."

[Yvettel: "Sniff, haha yeah else I would've gone off on his dumb head."]

She blew her nose loudly into the mic while I winced.

[Bzoomster: "What an idiot. Why'd we even invite him?"]

[Poodlefluff: "I'm sorry Yvette, we should've known it was a bad idea."]

[blacklily: "Yeah, I'm sorry."]

[LoafofBread: "Yeah, we're sorry."]

[Yvettel: "Haha don't worry, at least Charlie killed him at the end, right?"]

We laughed.

…

Shortly after, the others in the other lobby paused their streams and joined our call.

[Redde: "Bruh if I had been in that lobby…"]

[wipL: "Redde I get you but you gotta be better than that. Don't lower yourself to his level."]

I agreed with what wip said and felt a little better about restraining myself.

...

(John: Why are you getting hate comments out of nowhere? What happened?)

I picked the phone up and started sliding my fingers over the keyboard.

(Charlie: I was streaming and some drama happened. This guy called Mike started insulting us and he told his fans to hate on us too.)

(John: I see. Drama is fine since your name will be known more but try not to say anything that'll sabotage you later on.)

(Charlie: Understood.)

Speaking with John is always a little ungainly as he texts very formally making me have to type formally too.

I looked up from my phone screen and to the monitor which was right now portraying the lyrics of the song 'Talking to the Moon'

For now, I'll memorize the song so that I do not need to think anymore when singing the lyrics and I'll find the chords on the piano to accompany them.

The arranging upgrade that I bought in the shop will be helpful for this. Although it was very cheap, it's been a great help for understanding the song.

Currently, my singing skill was not ready as it was merely at level 21. Though I gained a 10% stat point boost from the Silver Pearl, leveling up has been slightly difficult in comparison to the other skills.

I actually need to hardcore grind this and it's more troublesome when I'm at risk of damaging my throat and voice box.

Still, although the level might not seem too high my voice does still sound good from the voice training and singing skill aid.

"Twinkle twinkle…"

[Singing has gained 2.2 points.]

Since I've been singing the same few rhythms constantly since weeks ago the lullabies sound really nice to the ear to where I am certain I could lull babies to sleep just by singing.

That means I could kidnap children and they wouldn't be awake to cause a ruckus.

Setting aside my heinous thoughts, I quickly brushed my teeth and went to sleep.

…

Monday

"Charlie, would you please come up to the whiteboard?"

The teacher called my name out while I was distractedly fiddling with my pen.

I stood up from my seat and walked with long steps to the whiteboard while reading the equation I had not been paying attention to.

I took the marker from the teacher and using the fundamentals, I solved the problem practically.

The marker in my fingers did not stop for a moment to think as I already had the steps and procedures to complete the problem.

I capped the marker, and I exchanged nods with the teacher.

"Brilliant. Does anyone have questions?"

The rest of the students were paying attention to the organized solution to the answer while writing in their notebooks the method to solve the question.

"Nah, it was pretty easy."

A skinny intelligent looking guy with a buzz cut and glasses smirked at the teacher and me.

Uninterested at the provocation, my eyes unfocused and I thought about the messages I had been getting before.

The two got into a discussion, while I in a daze, handed the whiteboard marker back to the teacher, and went back to my seat.

Back to my seat that I had been comfortably on before being called out, I fiddled again with my pen while mouthing the lyrics of the song I was planning on releasing soon.

The warm sunlight beaming through the window on this mid-Autumn day comforted the cold room.

Soon, it'll be Winter.

…

Abruptly shaken from my thoughts in the locker room, I noticed everyone was heading the same way.

Why's everyone going to the auditorium?

I glanced at Elle, Ronan, and Reed waiting for me with a puzzled look.

Ronan slapped my shoulder,

"Dude, you look so lost today. What's wrong?"

I tilted my head to the side keeping the same confused look, mirroring one of the perfect expressions Blake has been ingraining into my facial muscles.

[Modeling has gained 4.4 points.]

As the difficulty in expressions rose, so did the reward in point gain.

"There's nothing," I smiled.

[Modeling has gained 3.3 points.]

Hearing the sound I was waiting for, I continued,

"I guess I'm just a little out of it today."

They looked at me in concern and I followed them to the auditorium after closing my locker.

"Why are we going to the auditorium again?"

Elle smiled at me,

"Looks like you're even more lost than Ronan today." She teased us both.

While Ronan expressed his indignance, Reed ignored them and continued,

"You know how in a few months it'll be the school international competition? The principals just want to make a few announcements and encourage us to study well and participate in it."

I nodded. I had forgotten the Schools Competition would begin in a few months.

I heard we'll be hosting this year so that'll be fun. Funny how out of all the years, this year— the year I was transmigrated—, the school I was in would be hosting.

We soon entered the auditorium and gathered up with everyone else.

Streams of students came in through the multiple entrances from many sides.

The size and resources of this school always manages to impress me.

I tapped my fingers on my leg in a daze and glanced around the impressive auditorium.

A body jumped on my back and I steadily regained my balance while picking up the legs behind me in a piggyback ride.

I have become accustomed to the usual closeness and physical contact in the friend group and the jumping on my back.

I shook my head out of my thoughts and looked behind me to smile at the person I thought was Reed.

Her caramel eyes smiled at me cheekily and I changed the playful predatory expression I wanted to direct to Reed to a normal smile for Natsumi.

No wonder the legs felt smoother and softer.

Realizing what I was thinking, I shook away my dumb thoughts.

Natsumi, I swear I'm not a rapist.

She slapped my head and ruffled my hair all over my face.

"Why the long face today?"

Her playful smile couldn't hide the concern in her eyes.

I glanced away from her face to the others who were also looking at me wanting to know the answer and I smiled at them with warmth in my heart.

Opening my mouth to speak, the high school section principal cleared his throat before I could speak.

"Welcome all, thank you for coming here."

I smiled at my caring friends, "I'll tell you guys after the announcement."

…

"I'm honored to be here, thank you everyone for gathering."

After the high school principal finished welcoming everyone from middle school, high school, and college, the main principal took the flow of the mood.

With the cold feeling in my heart gone from the warmth of my friends' concern, I paid close attention to the principal's words.

"As you know, we, the Weath First Academy, had the honor this year to hold the annual International Schools Competition here. As a Proud Member of the Weath First community, I cannot help but be excited for…" yada yada yada.

In short, he wanted us to try our best to not humiliate ourselves this year and get a good rank as usual. Not that he needed to. The students themselves already feel the motivation and pressure to become the very best they can to present well at home.

Maybe I'll participate in this if my schedule lets me. I'll just have to grind out all of my subject and concept skills.

…

"And now, would each grade level's representative for the Model International Schools Competition come up please?"

A few students from each grade stood up and excitedly walked up to the stage while their frames shook nervously.

From each grade, there were groups of 5 people on the stage.

From our grade, surprisingly there were two from our friend group from the hundreds in our grade.

We cheered for Lia and Elijah while others cheered for their own friends and two others from the grade walked to the stage.

The five people from every grade gathered except for ours.

We were still missing one person.

Ah, wait is this the cliche where I was actually the fifth person but didn't pay attention?

I shook my thoughts, no way.

"Would Mike Hunt please come up to the stage?"

I almost laughed out loud but I barely kept my composure.

I'm sorry you had to be named Mike with that last name. I covered my mouth trying to hide my amusement.

(Say Mike Hunt really quickly.)

I reminisced about the times when I would beg the Gods to be chosen for this just so that I could impress my then-girlfriend, now ex.

Since it's people from all grade levels with differing skill levels, it would just be trivia, rather than a competition about academic subjects. That's why there's a 'Model' in the name.

It would simulate how the international competition works except this time with random general questions.

I glanced at the side to my ex's far away face.

Those were ignorant wishes though. There's no way I'd know a single answer to trivias I never studied. Pangaea Charlie was too wishful.

[The world moves according to the wind of Luck God. A point of Luck has been used.]

A breeze that shouldn't be here in this enclosed space brushed my hair and clothes.

"Would Charlie Yang please come up?"

Still hearing the system's words ringing in my head, widened my eyes in shock, and realization.

So this is how luck works?

I see. I just have to think about it and it will manifest. Somehow. I still don't know the rules.

Thinking of how I prayed desperately back then must have triggered the luck point to be used.

Hearing the loud roar and cheers of my friends, I palmed my face and walked up to the stage elegantly, and with the dominant presence acquired from the modeling practice

…

As expected, I'm still ignorant of everything in this world. Let alone movies, songs, or any famous stories, how would I know any answer to trivia questions which are too specific?

My team ended up carrying me all the way to 2nd place while I did not do a single thing.

On the stage, I was merely a prop.

Rather than being a contestant, I shamelessly cheered for my team while on the stage.

"Come on, Lia! You got this! 5 answers in a row, you're totally insane!"

I distracted the other teams by pulling down my eyes and sticking my tongue out at them.

The strategy worked as I made the contestants and even the audience laugh.

"Professor! The participants of grade 11 are breaching the rules and distracting us!"

Meanwhile, the professor supervising turned a blind eye and looked away while whistling.

Secretly, but not very secretly as I later heard multitudes of laughter, I stuck out my tongue at the complainer.

It was not expected for someone who looked and walked up the stage like a theatre king to suddenly be such a goof.

Though some teachers were laughing their noses off, others were very unamused. Fortunately, there's nothing they can do about it to spoil the jovial mood.

Overall, it was a very fun event and my earlier mood had settled. No longer was I sitting like a brick.