System: Love and Happiness

First World ° 1.2

「Welcome back, Host!」

The system breathed a sigh of relief after greeting its host. It really thought that it would take a century before its host could master the skills. Its host actually stayed at the Greatness Realm for 7 decades - 1 year in Hacking Skills and 69 years in Acting Skills. Its host was green as grass when expressing emotions and delivering lines related to love and happiness were concerned.

"Thank you. Mmm... Who is incharge of that realm, System? She is without a doubt a pedant in every sense of the word," whined Beam.

「The Greatness Realm is the Goddess of Wisdom's domain, Host. Even if it will take a century, she will never let you off the hook unless reach the acme of excellence.」

Beam unconsciously pouted his lips, making him looked sexually attractive. He diverted his attention to his surroundings and peered at the people around him.

Going over the original's memories, the first day of the campaign period was just merely an introduction of the running candidates from the position of a President to a Class Representative of both parties - Beam's and the male lead's.

Since Beam was the first one to file the candidacy, he was given the privilege to speak first and introduce his line up. Just as before he could utter a word, a holographic monitor, which was visible exclusively for Beam, suddenly appeared, bearing the Side Task.

[Side Task for 25,000 points:
Withdraw the Certificate of Candidacy for President of the Student Council.]

If truth be told, Beam wanted to do that even without the system's interference. Joining the council was certainly a bad idea. Since it was just the first day, the female lead had only managed to get the male lead and a few freshmen students believed in her fabricated web of lies against him.

"Good thing my arrival is just on time. Beam's image is not that battered yet," mumbled Beam to himself, making a solace expression plastered all over his face.

In Greatness Realm, Beam was taught to play-act scenes using several types of smiles. These smiles were not at all created equal because they meant differently. There were smiles that showed mirth, courtesy, embarrassment, malice, sorrow and pain. Only then Beam came to understand why smiling couldn't be used to weigh one's happiness. Smiles could easily be faked and mastered.

When Beam remembered something, he contacted the system, "Am I allowed to take revenge for the original, System?"

「Yes, Host. Be that as it may, you are forbidden to take the law into your own hands. Dare not taint yourself with the protagonists' blood, or else you will be annihilated, Host.」

"Don't worry, I'll bear that in mind," Beam somehow felt that he needed to say those words to appease the anxious system. Then, snickered inwardly, "Vengeance is not my cup of tea, but for the original Beam, I won't mind settling a score with the protagonists."

Upon its host mentioning revenge, the system couldn't help but feel an eerie air towards its host. It sensed the need to remind its host about his mission.

「Host, you mustn't lose sight of why you are here in the first place.」

Beam paid no heed to his system's unsolicited concern. It was the perfect time to employ the learnings and techniques in acting that he acquired from the Goddess of Wisdom's Greatness Realm.

Beam closed his eyes and immersed himself to bringing a scripted character into life. When he opened his eyes, a fragile-looking Beam gave the crowd of students a smile that didn't even reach his eyes.

Beam cleared his throat before deciding to speak. When he did, a gentle, yet melancholic voice resonated in the four corners of the auditorium, "I know what you are thinking. 'Why should I listen to this person?' Well, if I were you, I would lend my ear to this person speaking right in front of you because, who knows, this might be the last time you will get to see this face and hear this voice."

Beam chuckled, but his voice started to crack. He held himself back nonetheless. As much as possible, he didn't want to cry under everyone's gaze. He only wanted to show it to them that he was not someone the female lead had spread around the school.

Thinking of the original's sad demise, tears were threatening to spill from Beam's eyes, but were halted by a deep and soothing voice, whispering in his right ear, "Don't wear your heart on your sleeve, babe. I'd rather see you act high and mighty than see you this weak. There'll be a hell to pay if you let those tears fall."

Beam felt an unspeakable tenderness behind the man's voice coated in animosity. Though surprised, he turned his head over his right shoulder to see the owner of that voice, preparing to cast his pair of piercing eyes towards the intrusive man. Babe?! Who dared to call him that?

On the contrary, Beam's piercing eyes abruptly transformed into a pair filled with admiration, and his heart skipped a beat, feeling the time slowed down upon seeing the boy of his age. The boy had a sturdy, muscular physique - a body closed to adulthood, appropriate enough to be called as a young man rather than a boy. The young man was tall, tan-skinned and had a warm temperament. Every inch of him exuded sex appeal that could hardly be denied. His features were screaming with handsomeness and masculinity.

Beam looked at the 'delicious specimen' like he was sizing him up, but actually, Beam was scanning the original's memories to identify the young man's identity. Beam's eyes darkened and turned cold. The desire in them vanished without a trace.

"How did myself get attracted to the Male Lead? Forth Jaturapoom, huh? Why him? Top of it all, Forth is a man and so am I. This has never happened to me before. I met a lot of handsome men, and even beautiful women, in my world but I didn't really find them attractive. Am I gay all this time, or only for Forth?" confusion was reflected on Beam's pretty, smooth face. He didn't really know what kind of emotion his heart was introducing him. He had been nonchalant to everything around him, even the original Beam, so he was really so confused.

Beam looked away from Forth's gaze and ignored him completely. He would deal with him later. Then, Beam took a glance at the pretty girl beside Forth. Upon learning the identity of the girl, he gave her a warm, misty-eyed smile before expressing his gratitude aloud followed with a bow, "Thank you."

She was Fae Jaturapoom, the Male Lead's sister and a Tenth Grader - the lone student who voted for the original Beam and the only person in the entire school who didn't believe in the Female Lead's lies against Beam.

Fae, though she didn't know what her senior was thanking her for, smiled back with geniality. She had always liked Beam, but pitied him at the same time. She had a hint what he had going through. Fae had the innate ability to read one's character based on their demeanor. She didn't believe a bit of Meme's words against Beam. Meme might be painting sparrows yellow and selling them as canaries, but Fae wasn't someone who would be easily taken by anyone for a ride. She even tried coaxing her brother not to allow Meme to throw dust in his eyes. Unfortunately, Meme had her brother completely wrapped around her finger.

Stubborn as a mule, Fae even went far climbing on stage, tugging her brother's sleeve and coaxing him to believe her that Beam was innocent and merely a victim of somebody's trampled pride. Fae could only shake her head while staring at Beam's back.

Beam, who turned his line of sight back to the crowd, didn't see Forth darting menacing glares at Fae.

Meanwhile, a spine-chilling sensation made Fae's hair to stand on end. She trailed where the stares coming from, only to be rooted to the spot that they were her brother's.