Emma finished her tray in silence, not because she was hungry, but because she refused to leave it untouched. She had already been humiliated once. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her retreat.
When the cafeteria emptied, she stood and followed the signs toward the administrative wing. The registration desk was tucked behind a frosted glass partition. A woman in a navy blazer barely glanced up as Emma approached.
> "Name?"
> "Emma Carter."
> "Exchange student. Room 3-17. Single occupancy. Only one available."
The woman handed her a slim envelope and returned to her screen. Emma accepted it without comment. She didn't ask why she was the only one assigned a single. She already knew.
---
Dormitory Arrival
The dormitory building was quiet, its hallways lined with soft lighting and polished floors. Emma found her room at the end of the third floor — a compact space with a bed, desk, wardrobe, and a small private bathroom.
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The silence was immediate, almost comforting. She dropped her bag and stood in the center of the room, letting the stillness settle around her.
The wardrobe held two academy-issued uniforms, a pair of indoor slippers, and a folded note:
> Presentation is performance. Maintain both.
Emma exhaled slowly. She stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water was hot, soothing. She scrubbed away the day — the flight, the stares, the spilled soup, the cracked note in vocal class.
When she stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her system panel flickered to life again.
---
System Notification: New Skills Unlocked
Skill Added: Makeover
Category: Personal Styling
Description: Enhances appearance through makeup, hair styling, and fashion coordination.
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
Skill Added: Korean
Category: Language Acquisition
Description: Enables rapid learning and fluency in Korean language, including speech, reading, and comprehension.
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
Skill Added: Photographic Memory
Category: Cognitive Enhancement
Description: Grants perfect recall of visual and written information.
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
---
Emma stared at the panel. A makeover skill. She hadn't expected that.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, towel still wrapped around her damp hair. The vanity light cast a soft glow across the desk, where the academy-issued cosmetics kit lay unopened. She reached for her phone and typed:
> "Simple Korean idol makeup tutorial for beginners."
A video popped up — cheerful music, pastel graphics, and a soft-spoken girl with flawless skin.
> "Annyeong! Today I'll show you how to get that fresh trainee look — perfect for auditions or school!"
Emma watched closely. The steps were clear, but the products were unfamiliar. Still, she followed along.
She activated the skill: Makeover Lv.1
- BB cream, dabbed gently across her cheeks and forehead.
- Brow pencil, used to shape soft arches.
- Lip tint, blended with her fingertip for a natural flush.
- A touch of shimmer on the eyelids, just enough to catch the light.
Her hands moved slowly, mimicking the tutorial. She braided her damp hair into two loose plaits and pinned them back, just like the girl in the video.
+1 EXP
Makeover Lv.1 → 1/100
She leaned closer to the mirror. Her face looked fresher, more composed. Not glamorous — but intentional.
She tapped the video again, this time activating her Korean skill. The subtitles and spoken phrases began to make sense — not just words, but structure, tone, nuance.
+1 EXP
Korean Lv.1 → 1/100
She paused the video and repeated a phrase aloud.
> "피부 톤을 자연스럽게 보정해 주세요."
> "Please correct your skin tone naturally."
Her pronunciation was shaky, but the meaning was clear. She smiled.
Then she glanced at the tutorial's layout — the product names, the brush shapes, the color palettes. Her mind absorbed every detail. She could already picture the screen, frame by frame.
+1 EXP
Photographic Memory Lv.1 → 1/100
Emma sat back, her heart steady. She hadn't just followed a tutorial. She had taken the first step toward becoming someone who could stand on that stage.
> "Presentation is performance," she whispered. "Then I'll perform."
Emma stared at her reflection in the mirror. The BB cream, the lip tint, the shimmer — it wasn't bad. For a first attempt, it was decent. But it wasn't her.
She reached for a cotton pad and micellar water from the skincare kit. With slow, deliberate motions, she wiped away the makeup she had just applied. The tint faded from her lips, the shimmer vanished from her lids, and the cream melted off her skin. What remained was her — barefaced, tired, but real.
> "Let's start with the foundation underneath the foundation," she murmured.
She activated her Makeover skill again — not for glamor, but for care.
She began a gentle skincare routine, following the steps from the same tutorial channel.
- A foaming cleanser, massaged in soft circles.
- A toner, patted in with her fingertips.
- A watery essence that soaked into her skin like a sigh.
- A light moisturizer, sealed with a sleeping pack.
Each step felt like a ritual — not just for her skin, but for her spirit.
+1 EXP
Makeover Lv.1 → 6/100
She tied her hair into a loose bun and padded barefoot to her bed, curling up with her phone. Notifications blinked on her lock screen.
Group Chat: "Idol Dreamers 🇺🇸💫"
Ava: EMMA.
Tasha: We're dying over here.
Jules: Tell us everything. Did you meet any hot trainees yet?
Emma laughed softly and typed back.
Emma: No hot trainees. Just hot soup. On my lap.
> Emma: Got humiliated in the cafeteria.
> Emma: But something weird happened. Like… a game system. I'll explain later.
Ava: Wait WHAT
Tasha: Are you okay??
Jules: Is this like K-pop Hogwarts or Hunger Games?
Emma smiled, her fingers flying across the screen.
> Emma: I'm okay. Just tired. But I think… I'm leveling up.
> Emma: Literally.
She paused, then tapped into her contacts and hit call.
Mom ❤️
The line rang twice before her mother picked up.
> "Emma?" her voice came through, warm and groggy. "Is everything okay?"
Emma hesitated, then nodded even though her mom couldn't see.
> "Yeah. I just… needed to hear you."
> "Rough first day?"
> "You could say that. I got soup dumped on me. Got laughed at. Got ignored."
Her mom sighed softly.
> "And yet you're still standing."
Emma blinked. Her throat tightened.
> "Barely."
> "Barely is enough. You don't have to win today. Just survive it."
They talked for twenty minutes. Emma didn't mention the system — not yet. But she told her mom about the school, the cliques, the pressure. Her mom listened, offering quiet encouragement, the kind that didn't try to fix anything — just reminded her she wasn't alone.
When the call ended, Emma didn't go to sleep. She sat at her desk, opened her notebook, and began writing.
She mapped the cafeteria. Not just tables — territories. She labeled the Rich heirs, the queen bees, the neutral zones. Her Photographic Memory skill pulsed quietly.
+1 EXP
Photographic Memory Lv.1 → 4/100
She flipped to a new page and wrote down every Korean phrase she had heard. Even the insults. Especially the insults. She didn't flinch from them. She studied them.
+1 EXP
Korean Lv.1 → 5/100
She wasn't ready to sleep. She had too much to learn. Too much to prove.
And tomorrow, Daehan would see her again.
This time, she wouldn't just survive.
She'd begin to evolve.