Looking back, I suppose I've always been a little slow on the uptake. I can't pinpoint exactly when I first noticed my absurd ability, but I figure it must've been at least a year or two before I even realized it.
I attended College. The College had a decent reputation on paper, but no one could vouch for the quality of its students.
This year, I entered my second year. Not long after the semester began, I was eating lunch in the cafeteria with my friends, Jack Collins and Eric Bennett. The conversation eventually turned to the queen of our class Jasmine.
"I've never seen anyone so unruly in my life," Jack said, his thin frame leaning over the table as he adjusted his glasses.
"She's like a textbook villain. You guys should've seen the way she snapped at the teacher the other day. I swear, the poor guy almost cried."
Despite his harsh words, he wore an amused smile as he spoke.
"She might be the best-looking girl in class, but her personality is a complete nightmare," Eric added.
Compared to Jack, Eric was more athletic and well-built. I was already a little taller than average, but Eric still edged me out by an inch or two.
With his sunny grin—and the fact that he already had a girlfriend—he gave off the vibe of someone who had his life together.
"I just try to avoid her," I admitted honestly. "I'd heard about her back in our first year, and now I'm stuck in the same class. All I can hope is that she doesn't make me her next target."
"But you've got to admit, she's seriously hot—and her figure's incredible," Jack pointed out, his tone light but insistent.
Judging people by looks alone… how shallow could you get?
I glanced at Jack, whose appearance was about as average as it came, and said, "Right, right. Jasmine's the queen of the class. So what? Are you planning to be her servant?"
"Not a bad deal, actually," he replied with a grin.
Eric shook his head. "Everyone already calls her the queen, but I don't think I could handle her antics."
I frowned at that. "Wait a second. Everyone calls her the queen? I was just joking."
Both of them stared at me like I'd just said something ridiculous.
"She is the queen," Jack said as if it were obvious. "At least, as far as our class is concerned."
Even Eric nodded in agreement.
'Weird. When did that become common knowledge?'
I couldn't remember when it started, but moments like this popped up every now and then—times when people suddenly agreed on something I'd just said, as if it had always been a fact. It had to be a coincidence, but it still left me feeling uneasy.
Then again, if everything I said really did become common knowledge, that would be pretty incredible. I could rewrite reality however I wanted.
'…Yeah, right. Like life could ever be that convenient.'
Later that night, after cram school ended, I returned home to find my younger Step sister, Lily, lounging on the couch watching TV.
Lily was a High School Graduate. At this hour, she should've been studying for her beauty course, but there she was, still in her school uniform, which she she seem to like for some reason Probably from my ability as one time I said casually that she look cute in her school uniform and I like her childish side and find it cute, sprawled out like a potato with no sense of urgency.
As her older step-brother, I didn't exactly have the moral high ground to criticize her. Still, I had to admit—Lily could easily pass for the prettiest girl.
….
Lily, my nineteen-year-old stepsister, wasn't particularly tall, but she had an undeniably cute appearance.
Her face was free of acne or freckles, and her long lashes made her large, expressive eyes even more striking. Her figure was well-proportioned, slender where it should be and curvy in all the right places.
Thanks to her mom, who worked as a professional beautician, Lily had been taught how to take care of herself from a young age and her interest in make-up was good too.
She knew exactly how to highlight her best features. She spent hours maintaining her long, silky hair, avoided staying up late, and rarely touched junk food.
Though she had already graduated high school last year and wasn't interested in pursuing college, no one in our family ever gave her a hard time about it.
She was currently taking beauty courses while occasionally helping her mom at the salon.
"Alex, you're back!" She beamed at me, pointing at herself with a bright smile.
"Notice anything different about me today?" Tilting my head, I gave her a once-over.
Lily was dressed casually in a white blouse paired with a navy-blue skirt. Her bare, slender legs peeked out under the hem since she wasn't wearing socks at home.
She also skipped wearing slippers or shoes, so her feet looked neat and well-maintained, with trimmed nails that hadn't been painted.
Just as I said she mostly wears her school uniform because of my unknown previously 'said' ability.
I scanned her appearance carefully, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Wait—there it was. A new bracelet on her left wrist.
"Nice bracelet. Is it new?" I said looking at it in her hand, I don't really understand this fashion.
"Hehe! It's a birthday gift from one of my friends!" She grinned with excitement.
"Wait, but your birthday's not until tomorrow." I ask, wondering why they would give her the present early.
"So, you didn't forget? But since tomorrow's Saturday, my friend gave it to me early at school!"
"Fair enough," I said, laughing. "I'll get you something tomorrow too."
"Really? Can I pick what I want, or did you already buy it?"
"Uh, you can pick—but don't go asking for something too expensive, okay?"
"Don't worry, I won't!" We were still chatting when her mom my stepmother walked through the front door, looking exhausted.
Despite being in her late thirties, my stepmother could easily pass for someone in her early thirties or even younger thanks to her job as a beautician.
Her professional expertise allowed her to maintain a polished, youthful appearance. Even after a long day of work, she carried herself with elegance and poise.
She was busy, but she always made time to check in on us. Seeing both of us still in the living room, she raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it a little late to be watching TV?" Lily immediately responded, "I got stuck on a few questions and was waiting for you to help me."
My stepmother and I both knew it was just an excuse for her to relax, but neither of us called her out on it. Instead, my stepmother just went along with it.