Busking

Allen sat on the worn-out couch in his apartment, staring at the guitar in his lap. The instrument was far from perfect—scratches covered the body, and the strings looked like they hadn't been changed in years. But it was something. And in this new life, anything that felt familiar was a comfort. He ran his fingers lightly over the strings, getting used to the feel again.

"Busking, huh?" he muttered to himself, tapping the side of the guitar. "Well, at least it's something I know how to do."

The quest had appeared on his system interface not long after he'd left Soundwave Studios:

"New Quest: Busk on the Streets of Hollywood. Objective: Perform for at least 30 minutes and attract a crowd. Bonus: Generate enough buzz to be shared online. Reward: 1000 Showbiz Points, 300 dollars."

Busking in Hollywood. It wasn't glamorous, and the idea of playing in front of strangers made his stomach turn. But it was a start, and if the system was going to help him, he had to trust it. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

He got up and moved toward the window, pulling the thin curtain aside. The morning sun was creeping over the horizon, casting long shadows across the sidewalk below. People were already bustling about—grabbing coffee, rushing off to work, talking on their phones. The city didn't stop for anyone.

"Hollywood," Allen thought, "you're a beast."

He glanced back at the system interface still lingering in the corner of his vision, feeling it might be a good time to dive deeper into it. His life had been chaotic since the moment he woke up in this new reality, and though he had used the system to unlock a few abilities, he hadn't truly examined how it worked.

A small translucent screen popped up as he commanded it to display his stats:

Name: Allen Rice

Age: 18

Showbiz Points: 1150

Attributes:

Vocal Talent: 2/10

Guitar: 3/10

Songwriting: 2/10

Charisma: 1/10

Appearance: 4/10

Intelligence: 5/10

Allen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not exactly star quality yet, but I guess that's why I'm starting from scratch."

He knew it was time to make some upgrades. The points he had earned so far weren't much, but enough to get his foot in the door. He focused on his guitar skill first—he was about to go busking, after all, and he couldn't afford to sound mediocre.

The system prompted him to upgrade the skill from 3/10 to 4/10.

Cost: 100 Showbiz Points

Allen accepted, and suddenly, his fingers tingled. It was as if years of practice had just downloaded themselves into his muscles. He could feel the difference in how his hands naturally found the chords and transitions between notes.

"Well, that's handy," Allen thought with a smile.

He eyed the Vocal Talent attribute next. If he was going to be singing on the street, his voice needed work. Upgrading from 2/10 to 3/10 cost him 100 points. His throat felt like it loosened up, as if he'd just had the best vocal warm-up of his life. The muscles in his throat felt more controlled, his pitch steadier.

"Guess I'm a little less tone-deaf now," he muttered.

But as he went to increase his Charisma, the system informed him that it would cost 1000 points to bump from 3/10 to 4/10.

"Seriously?" he said aloud, frowning. "A thousand points just for that?"

He checked again. Upgrading from 1/10 to 2/10 only cost him 10 points, but each jump after that seemed to follow a steeper curve: 100 points for 3/10, 1000 points for 4/10, and likely even more after that.

"Alright, I guess I'll be waiting on Charisma for now," he thought, deciding it wasn't worth draining all of his points for a slight increase in charm.

Instead, he added his remaining points to his guitar skill, raising it to 5/10 with another 100 points. It felt good to focus on something tangible, something he could control. The system had granted him enough ability to make a noticeable difference, but he knew he'd need to keep earning points if he wanted to climb higher.

Feeling more prepared, Allen stood up and grabbed the guitar, slinging it over his shoulder. He hesitated at the door, taking a deep breath. The street beyond that threshold was waiting for him to prove himself. And as daunting as it felt, he was ready. Or at least, he hoped he was.

When he stepped outside, the noise of the city hit him all at once. Cars honked, people shouted, and the ever-present hum of Hollywood life buzzed in his ears. Despite the chaos, there was something invigorating about it—the rhythm of the city had its own strange pull.

He wandered down the sidewalk for a while, passing by a few other buskers. Some played instruments, others performed magic tricks or danced. Allen noticed how people stopped for a few moments, maybe threw some change into a hat, and then moved on. The competition for attention was fierce, and if he wanted to stand out, he needed to do more than just play a song.

Eventually, he found a good spot near a busy intersection. It was close to a coffee shop with a steady stream of foot traffic, but far enough from the other performers that he wouldn't be drowned out by competing sounds. He set down his guitar case and opened it, leaving it open on the sidewalk.

"Alright," Allen muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "Time to give them a show."

He strummed the guitar lightly, testing the sound. His fingers glided across the strings with more confidence than before, the upgrades making a noticeable difference in how easily he played. He started with a simple melody, something that would catch people's ears without being too complicated. As he began to sing, he noticed his voice felt stronger, more controlled.

A few passersby glanced his way but didn't stop. He wasn't discouraged, though. Busking was a marathon, not a sprint. He kept playing, his voice rising over the noise of the street, confident and steady.

It wasn't long before his persistence paid off. A young couple stopped to listen, the girl smiling as she tapped her foot to the rhythm. Her boyfriend stood next to her, arms crossed, nodding along. Soon after, an older man joined them, standing a little off to the side, hands in his pockets, clearly enjoying the music.

Allen felt a surge of confidence. "Alright, here we go," he thought, moving into a song he had written in his previous life—a bittersweet tune about love lost and the hope of starting over. The lyrics flowed from his lips like they had always been there, just waiting for the right moment to be heard.

As the song progressed, more people stopped to listen. His crowd was growing, and with each new person that gathered around, Allen felt his nerves settle. He was getting into the zone now. It wasn't just about playing for survival anymore; it was about the music, about connecting with the people around him.

A few people pulled out their phones, recording him as he played. He could see them mouthing the words to the chorus, even though they were hearing the song for the first time. That energy—the way the music seemed to resonate with the crowd—gave him a thrill he hadn't felt in a long time.

Among the growing crowd, Allen noticed a girl with bright pink hair, phone held high as she recorded him. She grinned when he made eye contact, giving him a thumbs up before turning back to her phone, likely streaming the performance to her social media followers.

"This is happening," Allen thought, his heart racing. "People are really into this."

The system pinged again in his vision, a small notification flashing:

"Bonus Quest Triggered: Create a Viral Moment."

Allen blinked, nearly losing the rhythm for a second. "A viral moment? What does that even mean?"

Before he could dwell on it too much, his fingers found the right chords again, and he kept playing. The crowd had grown even more, filling the sidewalk and spilling out onto the street. People were clapping along now, some singing with him, and Allen couldn't help but smile.

His performance was reaching its climax, the final chorus building up in intensity. The pink-haired girl was still recording, her face glowing with excitement as she shared the video with her followers.

As the song drew to a close, the crowd erupted in applause. People tossed coins and bills into his open guitar case, and a few approached him with compliments and questions.

"That was amazing!" someone shouted from the crowd, and Allen gave them a grateful nod.

But even as he soaked in the moment, his thoughts were racing. The system's notification had been clear—this was just the beginning. He hadn't finished the quest yet, but he was on the verge of something big.

And for the first time since waking up in this strange new life, Allen felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.