What's Inside?
Minjae slumped onto the couch as soon as he arrived at his small apartment. His body felt so heavy, so were his eyelids. After weeks of adjusting to this new body, it was the first time he felt utterly drained that he only wanted to sleep for a whole day.
Despite his exhaustion, Minjae was really thankful to Dongwook. He knew that the man was also tired, but nonetheless, he still put some effort into dropping him off. It seemed like he made a good choice when he decided to sign with Flex Entertainment.
"Ahh… I'm so tired," Minjae muttered to himself as he kicked off his shoes to the side. They landed at the corner, but he couldn't muster the energy to care. His small bag slid off his shoulder, hitting the floor with a soft thud.
"Ha…" He let out a long sigh as he threw himself onto the bed. The silence in the apartment felt comforting after being surrounded by noises the whole night.
Minjae didn't even bother changing his clothes. It wasn't like he had used them much during the shoot. As he felt the comfort from the soft mattress, his mind started to wander back to today's events.
Minjae was genuinely proud of himself.
His first shoot in this new body had been a huge success even though his talents right now were weaker compared to what he used to have. He was still able to portray every emotion that he was also surprised by himself.
As the memories played in his mind, a yawn escaped from his lips, his eyelids grew heavier with each passing second. However, on the verge of closing it, a soft voice echoed in his head.
[A lot has happened today, Host. The System is proud of all of your achievements. Because of that, let the System reward you.]
'What the...'
The system just suddenly said, followed by a flood of notifications. It was as if it didn't want Minjae to rest.
[Ding!]
[You have been rewarded 5,000 EXP in
[You have been rewarded 5,000 EXP in
[Congratulations, Host!]
[Achievement Unlocked: First Extra Role Accomplished.]
[You have gained 5,000 EXP!]
[You have been rewarded $1000.]
Minjae blinked repeatedly. He was momentarily taken aback by the sudden surge of notifications in his mind.
"$1000?" he muttered, sitting up slightly despite the exhaustion dragging him down. He rubbed his temples, letting the information slowly sink in.
Not only had he been rewarded significant amount of EXP, but also money,
'Do I have a lot of EXP now?' is curiosity was piqued, and though he was tired, the thought of seeing his progress gave him a small burst of energy.
'Status page?' Minjae silently muttered.
To his exectatio, a translucent panel materialized before him.
- - - - -
Name: Nam Minjae
Age: 22
Acting: Intermediate (1/3) [40,000 EXP /50,000 EXP ]
Screenwriting: Beginner (1/3)
Directing: Beginner (1/3)
- - - - -
'40,000 EXP…' Minjae mumbled as he stared at it for a while. He was closer to leveling up his acting skills than he had realized.
[Host, you've proven yourself to be determined. Keep it up, and greater rewards await you.]
The voice in his head sounded once again. It was gentle and proud.
"Thanks, I guess." Minjae replied with a chuckle.
Minjae lay back down once again, a small smirk was tugging at his lips. Even with all the chaos of the day, things were still looking great. The extra money and experience points were enough to complete his day.
'I guess I could buy a new phone now…' Minjae thought, glancing at his old phone beside him.
Minjae sighed before his gaze drifted to the small jewelry box that he had tossed near the foot of the bed. The events with Sooyun quickly replayed in his mind.
Then it hit him.
Wasn't Sooyun's actions at the end, weird?
It felt like he didn't really want to give the box.
it suddenly felt odd.
"I wonder what you were so desperate to keep, Sooyun," Minjae muttered, his curiosity growing.
Minjae reached over to grab the box even if he was lazy. He opened it carefully, his eyebrows shooting up as the content of it gleamed under the dim light of his bedside lamp.
Inside of the box was a watch. The watch was sleek and elegant, with its golden band practically screaming luxury. The brand name "BroFlex" was etched subtly i front of the watch.
It was a name that Minjae could recognize right away.
"This… this is worth a fortune." Minjae whispered, turning the watch over in his hands to see its intricate detail.
It was pretty.
For sure, this wasn't meant for him.
As the realization sunk in, a laugh bubbled up from his chest.
Minjae couldn't help it.
The image of Sooyun's flustered face played over and over in his mind.
Sooyun's sudden exaggerated panic and reluctance to leave the box with him now felt even more hilarious.
"Ah, karma's a real piece of work, isn't it?" Minjae said, his laughter subsiding into a satisfied sigh. "You wanted to flaunt this, didn't you? And now it's mine. Thanks for the free gift, Senior Sooyun."
Placing the watch back into its box, Minjae leaned against the headboard of his bed. He couldn't help but wonder why Sooyun had approached him in the first place.
Was it just to flex this jewelry? Or was there something more to it?
But as much as his curiosity lingered on him, his body's exhaustion overpowered it.
"I'll figure it out later," he muttered, sliding under the covers and letting his eyes close. Sleep came quickly, pulling him into a deep rest.
=====
A/N: Hello, everyone! The novel is already contracted so you can send some Golden Tickets and Gifts now to support the novel. With this, it is also inevitable that I'd had to lock it sooner.
I am planning to lock this on Feb 13th on Chapter 34. This will give you an ample time to read the chapters first before it gets locked.
As the author, I am really grateful to all the readers who are continuously reading this novel. Please continue supporting it in the future!
To celebrate the novel being contracted, I will be mass releasing 5 chapters on Sunday.
Thank you!