Chapter 18

I ended up texting with Natsumi for a few hours, only pausing when I went to eat dinner with my family.

We had a normal dinner with hearty conversation and I went back into my room after a while of talking as a family.

Later, remembering Charlotte's request for the pasta I headed into the kitchen.

I think I'll keep using the same pasta but make it a little more creamy this time and add some chicken.

This time, since I've got the rest of the night I'm probably going to marinate the chicken for some more time.

I take out a bag and toss in some chopped up chicken and mix it with olive oil, very little lemon, some chopped basil, parsley, and very little pepper flakes.

[Cooking has gained 10 points.]

I'll leave this in the fridge until tomorrow then.

Realizing I'll have to wake up early tomorrow to make the pasta, I'll probably have to sleep earlier tonight to not wake up dead the next day.

Sleeping little after strenuous work out is not very beneficial to your health.

I head into my room after saying good night to my family and open up my system tab.

[Total: 287 achievement points.]

Damn, that went up by 34 points. I'll have to get a piano soon and begin uploading some songs to start racking up achievement points. Now, I probably won't be able to afford a piano immediately so I'll get a small keyboard and then with earnings probably get a used upright piano.

A keyboard is already enough to produce good sound, especially in this advanced age where digital keyboards rival the sound of bonafide pianos.

I check my stats.

[Stats:

Luck: 1

Intelligence: 14

Charm: 9]

For the next stat, I'll probably put it in intelligence once again. By the time I have my next stat point, I'll probably be accumulating some fame and that's when I'll finally get the 10th charm point. Although my features are good, I gotta have some features that put me above the best.

Athletic, good looks, intelligent, and with a personality. I'll be the nation's husband in no time.

Okay, maybe not but it's a goal I want to achieve.

My skills are still doing ok, and I haven't found anything I yet want to spend my skill level ups on. So far, I have time and that is the most valuable resource to a man with an achievement system such as me.

I brush my teeth and while washing my face I begin to hum lullabies.

"Twinkle twinkle little star…"

Currently, my voice actually doesn't sound too bad at all. I can't tell if it's because I'm in the bathroom or because I'm humming very softly. If I raised my voice, that's when it would crack and stop making such a good noise.

I wipe my wet face and hair and randomly sneeze out of nowhere.

Who could be thinking bad of me?

I go outside for a cup of warm water with honey. I once read an article that drinking warm water with honey had very beneficial properties. Right now, I drink it because it tastes good and helps me sleep at night. It will also help my throat.

Practicing a few scales once again, I feel the strain coming back to my voice and I immediately stop.

Getting in my bed, I reach for and turn off the lights.

Day 2, over.

…

I left the window open tonight again and I wake up as the sun begins appearing on the horizon.

I woke up even earlier than my alarm rings even after setting it up an hour before I usually wake up.

Well, since I have enough time I'll take a warm shower first and shake off this cold.

Back in the bathroom, the water heats up very quickly and I begin feeling the warmth spread into my body. For the past two days, I've been showering with cold water and I am still not very accustomed to it.

It is said that cold water has good health benefits, but right now I don't think it would be a good idea to shower cold in a cold morning.

The warmth now shakes off the cold from my toes and I lightly begin stretching.

I close my eyes and feel completely at peace with myself.

In the shower, I can completely relax and not have to think about anything else.

It is a lonely feeling though, suddenly being pushed in a world with people you don't recognize at all. The memories merely serve as a guiding tool to people and don't offer any comfort at all. The songs I used to listen to and enjoy in my past life don't exist anymore.

Replicating all of the songs I enjoyed will be impossible. I don't really want them for fame, right now, I just need the music to help soothe and comfort me.

The lo-fi beats I used to listen to while studying probably don't exist anymore.

Right now, the only thing that is the most comforting is to know that at least my family is the same. It's a blessing and relief that they have the same likes, same dislikes, and more or less act the same.

I sigh and turn off the shower as some still warm water drops on my back.

…

After getting out of the shower, I took out the chicken and began cooking it. After cooking it, I added some garlic, onion, and mushrooms in the pot. I put a small amount of milk, salt, and some pepper flakes.

During that time, I had already boiled the pasta and just added it to the pot.

As I stir the pasta, Charlotte comes out with her hair still wet.

"Morning Charlie."

"Good morning."

She sat on the sofa in the living room and we conversed for a while until I was finished.

"You actually made the pasta?"

"Yeah, I made enough for lunch."

Her eyes softened.

She walked to the kitchen and tackled me.

…

Damned Charlie. You got the best sister and you didn't cherish her.

I hug her back,

"What's wrong?"

It's a little weird that she's hugging me out of nowhere. Is this world's Charlotte more clingy and sentimental? Well, there's nothing wrong with it anyway.

"No, nothing."

She looked to be a little awkward since we've probably never hugged in this world but well, a change is a change.

She lets go and her eyes light up at the pot of pasta.

"It smells so good. Can I eat some now?"

I grab her hand which was just about to scoop some pasta out.

"Ah ah, what are you doing? You little piggy at least use a spoon."

She pouts at me.

"Don't eat too much, we'll be having breakfast with mom and dad."

…

My parents watch me with pride after I cooked a hearty breakfast apart from the pasta for all four of us. They noticed the change I was making and merely chose to observe me instead of asking me about it.

In some cases, asking too much wouldn't be very helpful.

With all of these ingredients and materials, how could I not be helping to cook?

My cooking once again leveled up and I felt a few more ideas and techniques pop into my head.

With the warmest feelings in my heart, I presented them the best I can.

[Ding!]

[Achievement Unlocked: Sometimes the greatest achievements are through love.]

[Reward: 15 achievement points.]

[Total: 312 achievement points.]

I earned around 10 overnight and with these additional ones I jumped from 287 to 312 achievement points.

I leave some pasta for my parents to eat at lunch if they decide to try it at all and pour some into a lunchbox. I hand the lunchbox to Charlotte and put the rest in a big thermal lunchbox that I left at the fridge overnight.

In the past, I'd sometimes cook for my friends and teammates and we'd eat together before training.

I decide to take this tradition with me to my new friends in a show of appreciation. If they like it, I'll probably start doing a weekly cookout for them. I enjoy cooking for others and seeing their reactions after all.

Finishing up, I head to school with my sister and offer to carry her backpack.

She declined.

…

Accompanying my sister to her homeroom once again, her friends wave at me and I end up waving awkwardly at them as well. I've never before greeted my sister's friends apart from when they occasionally came over but never at school.

Once again, I walk back to my grade section while the pubescent little buggers stare at me. That's right, I definitely do bite back. Don't do something you'll regret to try to impress your crush.

A few seconds later, I face-palm at my own childishness.

I join up with my friends behind them quietly and stare at them for a few seconds.

They haven't noticed me yet. Lizbeth merely glances at me and begins giggling.

As they ask her why she's laughing I abruptly yell behind their ears.

They all jump up and stare at me with the most hilarious scared faces I've ever seen.

Elle: "Jesus Christ, Charlie you idiot!" She began chasing me.

Natsumi was still petrified in her spot like a little bunny and Macy was getting her backpack to hit me with.

Alex laughs and dramatically repeats their reactions exaggeratedly and Lizbeth stays rooted in her spot laughing, mocking the ones who jumped up.

I stay back to laugh at them and Reed tackles me from behind into the grass. No sooner do the rest jump up and start piling up on me.

…

After having our fun we sit down on the usual benches.

"Hey guys, don't get anything for lunch today. I've got a surprise."

Natsumi 'oh's. We texted earlier in the morning and I sent her a few pictures of the pasta, the rest don't know though.

Catherine and Reed stare at me suspiciously, "What surprise?"

"A surprise."

Elle: "It wouldn't be a surprise anymore if he told us."

I smile cheekily and Natsumi too shows a knowing grin.

After a little while, Callie tells me she recorded the video of me playing the piano

"It's actually going viral too."

Ah, so it was the cafe performance that started earning me the achievement points. I actually prefer the coffee cafe performance to the school cafeteria one because although it was good, the cafeteria one was a little sloppy. Of course, a common listener wouldn't think that at all but veteran musicians would be able to point it out easily.

Hey, I still did play an extremely hard piece with undeveloped fingers, muscles, strength, and absolutely no rehearsal beforehand. I did a pretty good job of it too.

"Wait what really? Damn where'd you guys go yesterday?" Owen asks.

Juniper continued, "We went to the cafe yesterday. You guys should've come, Charlie played a really nice song."

Elle taps me, "What was it called again?"

"It's called Canon in D."

"Who is it by? There's no way I haven't listened to a song that beautiful before." Natsumi asks.

"I dreamed of it." I threw her a thumbs up.

Ronan puts me in a headlock.

"Huh, this guy is a master piano composer, playboy, and is actually intelligent? God clearly shows his favorites."

"Shut up Mr. Soccer Scholarship."

…

[Author Note: Thank you all for reading. I'm pretty excited for the next chapter as that one will have some pretty juicy opportunities being opened up for Charlie.

Today's chapter was some more interaction and character introduction. I tried balancing it out with more of the achievement system and him getting a new steady income of points.

Stay tuned for the next chapters!]