A splitting headache greeted Joey as his consciousness returned, his mind sluggish and body aching as if he had been hit by a truck. A groan escaped his lips as he slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with the sterile white ceiling of what was unmistakably a hospital room. The scent of disinfectant lingered in the air, making his nose wrinkle.
Before he could process anything further, a familiar mechanical voice chimed in his head.
**[System Initialization… Complete.]**
**[Welcome, Host, to the second mission world.]**
Joey let out a resigned sigh. **Right. A new world. A new mission.**
He forced himself upright, rubbing his temples as he tried to gather his bearings. His body felt foreign yet familiar, as it always did after transmigration. He was used to the sensation by now, but what truly mattered was the identity he had taken over this time.
**[Mission: Ensure the happiness of the target character, Ethan Sullivan.]**
The name clicked instantly. Joey's brows furrowed as fragments of the story flooded his mind.
Ethan Sullivan. The real young master of the Sullivan family. Switched at birth, he had only been returned to his biological family at sixteen. But unlike the usual dramatic revenge stories, Ethan wasn't welcomed with open arms. Though the Sullivans acknowledged him as their son, they never stopped treating Noah— the boy they had raised— as their beloved child.
Ethan, quiet and reserved, struggled to find a place in a home that should have been his. Though the Sullivans provided for him, they never truly embraced him, always comparing him to Noah, who seemed effortlessly perfect in their eyes.
In the original story, Ethan was constantly overshadowed. Isolated and burdened by his own emotions, he eventually distanced himself, leaving the family for good.
**And Joey's new identity?**
**[The body you have taken over belongs to Joey Miller, Noah's childhood friend. The original Joey was a notorious playboy, arrogant and dismissive, especially towards Ethan. He often mocked him for being an 'outsider' and ensured he never felt welcomed.]**
Joey sucked in a sharp breath. **Fantastic.** His job wasn't just to make Ethan happy—it was to undo the damage this body had already done.
Before he could dwell on the situation any further, a sharp knock sounded at the door. Joey barely had time to adjust his expression before it swung open.
A nurse entered, clipboard in hand. "Mr. Miller, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
Joey cleared his throat. "Dizzy. What happened?"
"You collapsed at a party," the nurse informed him. "Your friend brought you here."
Joey blinked. Friend?
As if on cue, another figure stepped inside. A tall boy with cold, calculating eyes and an expression devoid of warmth.
Ethan.
The moment their eyes met, Joey felt the weight of hostility pressing down on him. Ethan wasn't openly aggressive, but his gaze held an unmistakable sharpness, as though he were evaluating a nuisance he didn't want to deal with.
"You finally decided to wake up?" Ethan's voice was calm, but the underlying disdain was hard to miss.
Joey felt an immediate urge to sigh. **Yep. This was going to be a challenge.**
But challenges were nothing new to him.
Straightening up, Joey forced a small, sheepish smile. "Guess I had too much fun," he said lightly, gauging Ethan's reaction.
Ethan didn't react. His expression remained unreadable, his arms crossed over his chest.
Joey knew he had to tread carefully. In the original plot, Joey Miller had never been kind to Ethan. His sudden shift in behavior couldn't be too obvious. If he tried too hard, Ethan would only grow suspicious.
"You brought me here?" Joey asked instead, testing the waters.
Ethan scoffed, looking unimpressed. "Noah did."
Joey internally winced. Right. He and Noah were supposed to be best friends. That meant Noah was likely hovering nearby.
As if summoned by his thoughts, another voice chimed in from the hallway. "Joey! You're awake!"
Noah entered the room, exuding the same effortless charm that made him so beloved. He had a perfectly practiced worried expression on his face, the type that made it seem like he genuinely cared about everyone around him.
"Man, you scared us," Noah continued, dropping into the chair beside the bed. "What were you thinking drinking that much?"
Joey forced a grin, leaning into the persona the original Joey would have used. "What can I say? Life of the party."
Noah laughed, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable."
Ethan, however, remained silent, his gaze flickering between them before settling on Joey. There was an unmistakable wariness in his eyes.
Joey met his gaze evenly, feeling the weight of the mission pressing down on him. Ethan was already on guard, which meant Joey had to be careful with every interaction from now on.
**This time, he wouldn't rush.**
Ethan's happiness wouldn't come from a single act of kindness. Joey would have to prove, little by little, that he wasn't the same person Ethan had known before.
And this time, he wouldn't let him end up alone.