I flinched and turned around.
There, a boy about my age was standing. His forehead gleamed with sweat under the sun, his eyes were bright, and a strangely familiar smile curved on his lips. He kept trying to talk to me—
"What's up? How are you? What happened yesterday?"
He went on and on.
At first, I couldn't recognize him.
But there was something oddly familiar in his voice.
I took a step closer.
This guy looked attractive—emotional and stylish, almost like a symbol of modern fashion. His appearance could pass for romantic… or mysterious.
His hair was a mix of deep black and vivid red.
Medium length, cut in a messy style.
Red streaks glowed near his temples and down by his neck, adding a rebellious fire to his personality.
You could call it a "two-toned undercut" or an "edged textured hair" style.
His face was young, sharp, and handsome.
His eyes—deep red or maroon—matched the red highlights of his hair, giving him an almost supernatural or dramatic aura.
He wore a red-and-black checkered shirt with the buttons casually left open, layered over a plain white round-neck T-shirt.
With it, he had black jeans.
His skin tone was pale to light brown, creating a striking contrast with all the red around him.
Just as I focused more on him, a sudden flash burst before my eyes.
A system window popped up.
Name: Leo
Age: 21
Location: North Greenery
Occupation: College Student
Traits: Cowardly, talks too much, but has a good heart.
And then I understood—
He was Riven's friend.
Riven… the boy whose body I had taken over.
Leo and I continued walking along the village road.
Both of us jobless, so roaming around in the afternoon breeze was basically our daily routine.
Suddenly, Leo pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.
He grinned and said,
"Here, take one. Have a puff."
I stared at him and replied, surprised,
"No, man… I'm only sixteen."
Leo laughed.
"In which universe? You're a twenty-two-year-old grandpa now."
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Right… I wasn't Jason anymore.
I was inside Riven's body.
And here, my age really was twenty-two.
I somehow convinced Leo and managed to avoid smoking.
A moment later, Leo began catcalling some girls walking by, cracking stupid jokes and laughing loudly.
I stared at him, stunned.
I stepped forward and said,
"Bro, don't bother girls like that. You'll get into trouble."
The moment I said that, one of the girls marched toward Leo and slapped him hard.
Leo burst out angrily, "How dare you hit me?!"
He almost raised his hand back.
I quickly grabbed him and pulled him back, then turned to the girl.
"I'm sorry for him. Please forgive him."
Leo looked annoyed.
"What's wrong with you today? Why are you acting so weird?"
I didn't answer.
Right then, I noticed a girl standing at the bus stand nearby.
Leo nudged my elbow.
"Look, your crush is here."
I looked… and he was right.
A beautiful girl stood there.
Name: Zara
Age: 19
A sweet, delicate girl waiting by the bus stop.
Her figure was slim and graceful.
She stood with a soft smile, holding some documents in hand—maybe she was studying to become a teacher.
Her hair was bright chestnut brown—long and wavy.
On both sides, thick braids hung down her shoulders, tied with little red ribbons.
A style that matched the traditional countryside perfectly.
Her face was young, round, and incredibly sweet.
Her eyes were a pale, sparkling blue, and her cheeks were tinged with a soft pink blush.
Her outfit looked like a blend of traditional and Victorian country fashion.
A white, long-sleeved blouse with a wide collar fastened at the center by a small red ribbon.
A bright red, floor-length skirt with layered folds and white snowflake-like patterns at the bottom.
Around her waist, a wide maroon belt shaped her perfectly.
She wore dark heels,
a golden chain with an oval blue gemstone locket around her neck,
and small blue dangling earrings.
But I showed no reaction.
I simply stared quietly.
Leo looked shocked.
"Bro, are you sick today? You always used to annoy that girl."
His words made something clear—
Riven wasn't a nice person at all.
He was mischievous… and kind of a jerk.
The girl looked at me.
I remained silent.
The bus arrived.
She stepped inside.
Maybe she was thinking, Thank God, he didn't bother me today.
The bus left, raising a cloud of dust behind it.
Leo sighed deeply.
"Feels like you lost your memory or something."
He laughed and walked away.
The afternoon sun was right above my head.
I walked slowly, my only mission now — go home and eat rice.
It was around 2:30 PM, and my stomach felt like an empty drum.
Just then, someone grabbed the back of my neck from behind—
"Come on, boy! Let's go home."