David drove them to one of their usual restaurants, not far from the dorm.
On the way, he told William about Lucas's near-drowning experience.
"Damn!" William exclaimed. "So that's why you didn't come back last night?"
Lucas just nodded.
"I thought you went to your uncle's place to celebrate your birthday with him," William said.
David chimed in with a smirk, "Yeah, but I doubt Lucas would want to visit his uncle. What, is he trying to get himself killed?"
They all knew about original Lucas's uncle—an abusive drunk with a terrible temper.
Worse, he constantly extorted money from him, which was why original Lucas never had any savings.
"Please, don't tell anyone about what happened," Lucas pleaded.
"But does Emma know?" William asked.
"Of course, she was the one who picked me up last night," Lucas replied.
"Ah, that explains it," David said with a grin. "I called her this morning, and she was just snapping at me for not getting enough sleep. I thought she was having some bad cramps or something. Haha."
William shot David a glance from the passenger seat. "So, did you call her to take the Ultimate Sport Clash gig for yourself?"
"You stubborn fool," David retorted. "You really think I want to take that event? Why would I sweat and run around for that show?"
"Then you should call Emma and tell her to give the spot to me!" William snapped.
"And why would I do that? You think I'm that generous?" David replied with a smirk.
"Of course not. You always just throw your money around," William said, annoyed.
Sitting alone in the back seat, Lucas felt his ears buzzing from the constant bickering.
"Can you both cut it out?" he said. "You're both the same—loud and childish."
David and William exchanged confused glances, not because of Lucas's command, but because of the shift in his attitude.
It wasn't like him to interrupt their arguments.
Normally, he'd stay quiet and put on his earphones to tune them out.
Noticing their surprise, Lucas quickly changed the subject.
"Don't you two have anything else to do today?" he asked.
"I'm off today," David replied. "But I've got a shoot tomorrow."
"Yeah, of course," William scoffed at him. "I'm better than you when it comes to work. I've got a magazine shoot and an interview today."
"I don't care about that." David said.
Even though they were part of the same group, outside of group activities, David and William often got solo gigs.
Deep down, Lucas couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Lucas knew that it was a natural feeling for the original Lucas to feel.
His career in the entertainment world hadn't been as fortunate.
William shifted his attention. "Lucas, what about you? Why are you carrying that backpack?"
"Yeah, Emma suggested I focus on studying. I thought what she said made sense," Lucas replied briefly.
This left David and William momentarily speechless.
They had privately thought the same—that Lucas didn't seem to fit well in the entertainment world with his current skills.
But they chose to stay quiet, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
They both felt a pang of pity for Lucas.
They both knew how much effort Lucas had put into reaching his dreams.
He trained tirelessly to climb the ladder of popularity, but no matter how hard he worked, success always seemed out of reach.
It was frustrating for them, too, seeing others achieve so much with far less effort.
This disparity had driven the original Lucas to despair.
The relentless hard work, without the payoff he hoped for, was disheartening.
But now, with a new determination from the Lucas of another world, he was resolved not to let his fate end in failure.
"I've thought this through," Lucas said, his eyes sharp and filled with confidence. "If I can't make it in the entertainment world, then I'll focus entirely on passing the university entrance exams. I'll become an academic master and get into the best university on a scholarship!"
His determination was clear, and his resolve unshakable.
Suddenly, a system notification appeared before him.
[Host: Lucas Ryder]
[Skill Points: 2]
[Body: 40 (Good)]
[Mind: 35 (Good)]
[Performance Skills - 2
Singing - 16 (Advanced)
Dance - 15 (Advanced)]
[Musical Instrument Skills - 1
Guitar - 11 (Advanced)]
[Congratulations, Host! Your mind has been upgraded!]
[This upgrade has been granted due to your strong determination and confidence in academics.]
[The system has also rewarded you with 2 skill points. You can save them and use them later as needed.]
Lucas blinked, startled by the sudden message.
It seemed his unwavering resolve had unlocked something new within him.
He noticed his mind level had increased, from 31 to 35. Lucas wasn't sure just how much the system had altered his thinking.
But one thing was certain—he felt his thoughts flowing more easily, making it simpler to process everything on his mind right now.
"Wow," Lucas muttered in surprise, a small smile forming on his lips.
"Lucas, I'll show a different side of you from now on," he whispered to himself. "I'm going to get into Northern University."
"Northern University?" David echoed, confused. "Where's that?"
Lucas snapped out of his thoughts, realizing his mistake.
Northern University didn't exist in the parallel world he was now living in.
"Ah, no, I meant Westbridge College."
It was a huge leap from what he had just said, but he corrected himself quickly.
Westbridge College was one of the most prestigious universities in the country, known for its fierce academic competition.
David and William exchanged confused glances, further puzzled by the sudden change in Lucas's demeanor and his ambitious declaration.
"Dave, do you think he's alright?" William asked, concern in his voice.
David just shrugged.
As Lucas's classmate, William knew him to be fairly average—both academically and in his career.
Now, this sudden burst of confidence and talk of elite universities had them at a loss, unsure whether to encourage him or brace for the inevitable disappointment.
"Lucas, you said you fell into the river. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want us to take you to the hospital?" William asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
"What are you talking about? A police officer already took me to the ER last night. They clearly said I was fine," Lucas replied.
David chimed in, agreeing, "But maybe we should get a full check-up, just to be safe?"
"You guys are overreacting. I'm perfectly fine now. Can't you see that?" Lucas said, trying to reassure them.
"Lucas, I've got to admit, you seem like a completely different person overnight. I'm worried you might've had a head injury that's caused this change," William responded, with David nodding in agreement.
Lucas shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Last night, when I was on the brink of death, I realized something."
"What do you mean?" David asked.
"I've been given a second chance to live in this world," Lucas said confidently. "I'm not going to waste it. I'm starting everything from scratch."
With conviction, Lucas added, "It's not just academics—I'm certain I can turn my career around, too."
His eyes sparkled with determination.
David and William exchanged another surprised look, taken aback by Lucas's sudden confidence.
But his bold statement wasn't baseless; it was backed by the new system he had just acquired—a detail unknown to his friends.
"Hmm… Lucas, that's a good idea," David replied cautiously. "But don't you think it's also worth considering the realistic chances of success?"
William nodded in agreement. "Lucas, isn't that really difficult to pull off now? It's not something you can easily achieve."
"Then I'll just work and study even harder from now on," Lucas said with determination.
Despite Lucas's confidence, both David and William felt confused and unsure.
They exchanged glances from their seats up front. How could they not?
Lucas seemed like an entirely different person—his attitude had shifted dramatically.
For as long as they'd known him, Lucas had always been insecure, lacking confidence, and never daring to speak up.
He was a far cry from the assertive person sitting behind them now.
Not only that, but Lucas had been sensitive, often overthinking things without voicing his thoughts.
The drastic change left David and William feeling unsettled.
Silence filled the car as they struggled to make sense of what had happened to their friend.
David parked the car, and both he and William put on black caps and masks to conceal their identities.
Lucas, however, didn't feel the need to do the same—after all, their levels of fame were different. He simply wore a black cap.
As they stepped out of the car, a sudden scream startled them.
"Thief! He took my bag!"
Lucas, David, and William's attention snapped in the direction of the shout, immediately drawn to the commotion happening not far from where they stood.