Daniel walked beside the girl he had just helped, both of them moving slowly toward the main walkway. She limped carefully, holding her books tight, while Daniel tried very hard to act like he hadn't just saved her with a magically obtained first aid skill.
She glanced at him shyly.
"Um… I don't think I caught your name."
"O-Oh." Daniel straightened. "It's Daniel. Daniel Park."
She smiled — small, warm, and slightly flustered.
"I'm Emily. Emily Carter."
Her voice fit her appearance: gentle, quiet, a little anxious.
She pushed up her glasses and tried to hide the way she winced whenever she stepped wrong.
"It's nice to meet you," Daniel managed.
(And it was. Very unexpectedly nice.)
They continued walking, the campus strangely quiet. Posters about masks flapped in the cold March wind. A hand-sanitizer station stood outside every building. Even the pigeons kept their distance like they knew something was wrong with the world.
Daniel glanced at Emily's ankle. "How's it feeling now?"
"Better, thanks to you," she said softly. "I'm lucky you were nearby."
Daniel tried not to choke on air.
"I mean—yeah—totally… normal thing to do… helping people…"
(He was absolutely not used to people thanking him.)
As they approached a crosswalk, a huge LED billboard flickered on, showing a tech billionaire Daniel definitely recognized — except the name was different.
"Elon Husk Unveils New Hybrid Battery Design."
Daniel nearly tripped.
Emily blinked. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just… pollen."
(It was not the pollen.)
His world's knowledge was unreliable.
This Earth was similar — but slightly off.
If big names were changed here, then his perfect future predictions?
Stock jumps?
Business ideas?
Celebrity scandals?
All 50–50.
He sighed, frustrated but trying to stay focused.
DING.
A blue screen appeared again, hovering neatly at eye level.
Daniel reacted instantly, pretending to check his phone instead.
[NEW MISSION AVAILABLE]
He swallowed and opened it.
MISSION 004: Comfort the Injured Girl
She is anxious and embarrassed.
Objective: Raise her Mood Meter.
Reward: Random Skill
Penalty: –15 Fame (for coming across as rude)
Time Limit: Before reaching the building entrance.
Daniel wanted to scream.
"I barely know how to comfort myself!"
Emily walked silently beside him, eyes down, clearly embarrassed about falling minutes ago.
The timer blinked.
1:19… 1:18… 1:17…
Daniel inhaled sharply.
"Hey, Emily?"
She looked up. "Hmm?"
He forced his voice to steady. "Just so you know… you handled that fall really well."
She blinked. "Daniel, I fell on my face."
Crap.
Backpedal. Backpedal!
"I mean—you stayed calm," he corrected. "Most people would panic or cry, but you didn't. You were composed. That's… impressive."
Emily's steps slowed slightly.
"Oh… thank you. That's sweet."
Mood Meter: +20%
Okay. Good start.
The timer continued:
0:58… 0:57…
Daniel tried again. "And you don't have to force yourself to act fine. It's okay to lean on someone… even just for a few minutes."
Emily's eyes softened.
"That's… actually comforting to hear."
Mood Meter: +45%
Almost there.
Timer:
0:11… 0:10…
One more push.
Daniel swallowed. "If you ever need help getting around campus, or someone to walk with, I… I can do that. Really."
Emily's cheeks warmed beneath her mask.
"Then… I'll keep that in mind, Daniel."
DING.
MISSION COMPLETE
Reward: Support Conversation (Lv. 1)
A basic skill for navigating emotional interactions.
+20 Fame Points
Fame Rank: F+ → E–
Daniel exhaled deeply as the screen faded.
Emily pointed toward the entrance of the Social Sciences Building.
"This is where my class is. Psychology 101."
Daniel froze.
"Oh… yeah… right."
(He had absolutely no idea where his classes were.)
Emily tilted her head. "What about you?"
"Uh… same direction," Daniel lied helplessly.
Just then, his phone buzzed loudly.
New Message — MOM ❤️
He opened it.
Mom:
Daniel-ah!! Good morning!! Did you wear a mask??
Eat breakfast??
Are you studying hard??
Did you meet any nice girls? Mama is praying.
Emily peeked at the screen and giggled.
"Your mom sounds adorable."
Daniel hid his face in his hands. "Please don't say that."
"I mean it," she said warmly. "It's… cute."
Daniel nearly melted.
Emily stepped toward the doors. "Thank you again, Daniel. Really. See you around?"
"Yeah," he said quietly. "See you."
She walked inside.
Daniel stood frozen, replaying the conversation in his head like a broken video.
He was alive.
Eighteen again.
In 2020.
During a pandemic.
With a system.
With questionable future knowledge.
And he had just talked — actually talked — to a girl.
Then the system chimed again.
[NEW STORY MISSION]
MISSION 005: Find Out Your Class Schedule
Reward: Minor Stat Boost
Penalty: Possible Academic Penalty
Daniel groaned.
"Great. Even in my second life, homework finds me."
He tugged his mask higher, took a deep breath, and headed off to figure out which version of himself he was supposed to be today.
His new life was already complicated.
And it wasn't even lunchtime yet.