"Damn… if tomorrow's anything like today, I'm gonna ache all over."
James collapsed to the floor, chest heaving, sweat dripping from his brow.
"But based on the missions the system gave me…"
He muttered between breaths, "...it's giving me a way to change—to become a better version of me."
Dinner had long since ended. His family had eaten without him—at his own insistence.
He'd only eaten around 2,000 calories today.
He had to be cautious. Too big a change, and his parents would start asking questions.
"Mom and Dad are such worrywarts," he muttered as he walked toward the bathroom. "If I suddenly start eating less, they'll think I'm sick or something…"
After showering and changing, James made his way to the twins' room.
"Paul, Saul—do you guys have any homework? I'll help," he asked, pushing open the door.
Saul blinked. "Is this really our brother?"
"I don't know, Saul," Paul replied. "But I guess so."
They nodded together, robotic and synchronized.
James twitched. "Oh, come on. Just answer already. Homework or not?"
"Hmm… nope, right Saul?"
"Hmmmm… yeah. We don't have homework, Paul."
Nod. Nod.
James sighed, rubbing his temple.
'If the twins are clear… that leaves her. Julia. Ugh. Why does it have to be her?'
"If you get any later, come to me. Don't bother Mom and Dad—they need rest, okay?"
"Yep, yep," they chimed together.
Leaving their room, James headed upstairs. He stopped in front of a door he hadn't opened in years.
Directly across from his own.
He knocked.
"Hey. Julia. Open up."
A muffled reply came from within.
"Weirdo, go away. I'm doing homework."
'Knew it. She's the one stuck with homework.'
James leaned against the doorframe.
"Let me help you."
He paused.
"I'm trying to become a better person here. Let me help."
Silence.
Then, the soft click of a lock.
The door creaked open.
"Fine. Come in," Julia muttered. "But don't get any weird thoughts."
She looked different—hair messy, glasses perched low on her nose. More mature. More tired.
'Whoa. She changed the whole room too…'
"When did you redo everything? It used to be all anime posters and K-pop albums."
"That was elementary school." She waved dismissively. "Last time I let you in, probably."
Her room was cozy and neat, with soft pink and white walls, organized shelves, and a tidy desk.
James muttered as he sat beside her.
'Yeah… it really has been ages. She used to lock her door just to keep me out. Guess she thought I'd scare her… that stupid rumor again. I wouldn't even hurt a stranger, let alone my sister. These stories they make up about me... The past doesn't just haunt—it lingers.'
She slid a book over.
"I'm stuck on this trig problem."
'11th grade, huh? Right—she's doing summer classes to get ahead.'
He glanced at the question:
A student is flying a kite. The string of the kite is 120 meters long and makes an angle of 40° with the level ground.
Assuming the string is straight and taut, how high is the kite above the ground (to the nearest meter)?
'System, help me out?'
He tapped his glabella.
Nothing.
'Tch… fine. I've done this before. I got this.'
"You need to identify the triangle sides—hypotenuse, adjacent, and opposite. It's a right triangle. The 120 meters is the hypotenuse, and we're solving for the opposite side: the height."
He nodded to himself.
"Now: SOH-CAH-TOA.
Sine = Opposite / Hypotenuse.
Cosine = Adjacent / Hypotenuse.
Tangent = Opposite / Adjacent."
James picked up her pen.
"We're solving for the opposite, and we have the hypotenuse—so we use sine.
Sine of 40° = Opposite / 120.
Multiply both sides by 120 to isolate the opposite side."
He wrote:
> sin(40°) × 120 = Opposite
"Plug it in."
Julia entered it on her calculator.
"77.14."
"Round it off—77 meters."
James grinned. "Boom."
She looked down.
"…Thanks… James. I appreciate it."
Then she shoved him.
"NOW GET OUT."
James chuckled as she slammed the door.
"You're welcome~"
DING.
[Mission Updated]
☑ Assist your siblings with homework
James smiled faintly.
'She's always like that. Hides everything behind insults and sarcasm. But I'm just glad I could help. Even just a little.'
He turned toward his room.
Two tasks remained.
The hardest ones.
He stared at the door—his laptop's blue glow bleeding through the cracks.
'Moment of truth.'
He cracked his knuckles.
And whispered:
"Time to face my greatest enemy…
My hands....and Lust."