You Can Skip

"Sage, what are you getting busy for?" The class president's voice sliced through Sage's mental fog, but the words barely registered. Sage's gaze remained fixed on the horizon beyond the hallway, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts.

Four days had slipped by since her regression, yet the system remained silent—no missions, no quests, no opportunities to earn credits. The shop feature taunted her, locked behind a hefty price tag of 10,000 credits. What good was a helping hand if it stayed firmly in its pocket?

Sage's mind raced through desperate options to earn quick bucks. She could sell her organs—kidney, lung, maybe even a spleen—but the thought made her shudder. Crime? Tempting, but risky. Investing? A tantalizing prospect, but money was the elusive first step.

"Should I sell my kidney and lung?" Sage whispered, half-joking, half-desperate. 

"With high honors!" The emcee's voice boomed over the loudspeaker, drowning out the class president's response. Sage's turn had arrived—the moment to ascend the stage, collect medals, and posing for a memento. Her father stood beside her, beaming with pride.

The principal handed her a medal, and Sage accepted it mechanically, her mind still whirring. Department heads lined up like dominoes, shaking her hand. She wondered if they knew the secret struggles hidden behind her stoic expression.

Back at her seat, hunger gnawed at her insides. "I'm hungry," she complained to herself.

The class president giggled, her eyes crinkling. "So that's why you're not talking much, hahaha." She reached into her bag and fetched a biscuit, offering it to Sage.

"I'm not hungry," the class president whispered. "You can eat this."

Sage's gratitude surged. She tore into the biscuit, savoring each crumb. But as she reached the last piece, a thought wormed its way into her mind: What if there was another way? A riskier path—one that didn't involve organs or crime?

"Destiny credits are human karma value, right?" Sage's voice echoed silently within her mind. The response came promptly: [Yes, host.]

"Uh, can I see the human karma value of every person?" Sage's curiosity tugged at her, urging her to peer behind the veil of existence. 

[I can consider your suggestion, host. Adding perception feature… Please wait for 5 minutes.]

Boredom settled over Sage like a heavy fog. She had lived years in isolation before her regression—a solitary existence where movies and shows became her only companions. Her mouth would run dry for not emitting a single sound or saying a word.

Whenever someone expressed their kindness to her, she would feel warm fuzzy feeling caressing her heart, but she did not know how to respond to those people. Sometimes crying. 

Even the embarrassment of a few days ago had faded, replaced by the urgency of survival. The system's promise of rebirth had come with a price, and Sage grappled with the choices before her.

Turning to the class president—an earthly angel with golden hair—Sage questioned, "If you passed the admission test for Quantum Excellence Academy, would you study there?"

The class president's laughter tinkled like wind chimes. "I won't go there," she confided. "The school is too far, and studying there costs a bank. How about you, Sage?"

Sage hesitated, then blurted out the truth. "Well, haha, I threw a tantrum and made a bet with my father that I'll study there no matter what." She scratched her head, recalling the moment when envy had overridden her reason. Her sister and brother both attended private schools at least once in their lives, and Sage hungered for the same privilege. Quantum Excellence Academy, with its allure of brilliance, was one of the choices to satisfy her desire. 

"You can do it, Sage. You're a genius after all." The class president's thumbs-up teased her.

Sage stuck out her tongue. "Hah, said by the class valedictorian!" They chatted, bridging the gap between worlds, until the graduation song swept them into its melody.

The graduation song began, its melody a bittersweet reminder that this chapter was ending, and new paths awaited.

Tears flowed freely—each drop a testament to shared memories, laughter, and whispered dreams. The students knew that after this ceremony, their lives would diverge. No longer would they sit side by side, bound by classroom walls. 

[System updated. Please check the new feature, host.]

"Please activate the feature."

[Activating perception.]

"All of the rumors, all of the fight~ But we always find a way to make it out alive~" The lyrics echoed, and Sage's gaze shifted to the class president. Above her head, 54,235 glimmered—an otherworldly number. Her eyes widened in surprise; she could not believe the numbers she was seeing. 

"Damn," Sage whispered. "She can go to heaven anytime soon." Curiosity tugged at her, and she scanned the five others in front of her: 4,508, 16,126, 18,961, 3,590, 25,527. She felt like she rediscovered the nature of her classmates. 

"System, why did mine start at 1?" Sage questioned, seeking answers.

[All the records of your value from past and after regression have undergone a reset. It will make the assessment easier.]

"Ah." Acceptance settled within her—a fresh beginning, a chance to change her path.

The song ended, and the students spilled into the hallway, voices merging into a cacophony of farewells. The ceremony concluded, but the echoes remained.

"Class A, let's gather on stage for a photo session!" The class president's voice cut through the noise, rallying them. They assembled—a mosaic of heights and personalities. Tall ones at the back, shorter ones in the middle, and the wild souls sprawled on the ground, striking poses like avant-garde models.

"Where is Sandra?" someone called out.

"Dyl! Come here!" another shouted.

Sage lingered at the back, a silent observer. She stared at the camera pointing their way in a daze. Her conversation continued—a silent dialogue with the system. 

"Can I steal their points?" she had asked, half in jest. The system's reply was curt: "You can't, host."

"How about peeking at their secret?" Sage probed further. The system's voice remained matter of fact:

[There was no such thing as a secret, host. They are just kind in nature.]

"Am I kind?" Sage persisted. The system's assessment cut through her thoughts:

[Your karma value is always in 50:50, host. Your personality sucks, but you've helped a lot of people at the same time.]

Her brows furrowed. "So, I'm all talk and no bite, huh. Ugh, pain." The realization stung.

The photographer interrupted her internal dialogue. "Are you all ready?" he asked the class A. The camera clicked into position, and he instructed, "Say cheese!"

"CHEESE!" The whole class A chimed in, including Sage. It was an instinctive reaction, a fleeting moment of camaraderie.

The person beside her glanced sideways, his eyes catching hers. "That looks like a genuine smile," he commented. Sage's surprise flickered briefly before she masked it.

After the class picture, they descended the stairs to take group photos. Sage detached herself from the crowd. These events were none of her business. She sought out her father, handed him the certificate. She should let her father savor this moment, because once they arrive home, who knows what would happen.

As they walked toward the parking lot, Sage pondered her predicament. How could she earn quick bucks? And more importantly, how could she accumulate enough destiny credits to access the shop?

A notification from the system interrupted her musings.

[+50 Destiny Credits].

Perhaps there was hope yet.