Lucas opened the door to find William passed out on the floor just outside. 

David quickly joined him, and together they grabbed William’s arms, pulling him inside where he lay slumped by the entrance.

David wrinkled his nose, covering it with one hand. “This smell—how much did he drink?”

“This isn’t like him,” Lucas said. “What could have happened?”

William was fast asleep, clearly out cold.

“So, what do we do? He’s way over the limit,” David asked. 

They both knew that leaving him to sleep it off could be dangerous; excessive drinking could lead to choking or even respiratory problems if left unattended.

“What else? We’ll have to keep an eye on him until he wakes up,” Lucas replied.

“No way—that’s not something my family ever made me do,” David grumbled.

“Fine, then just help me get him to his room,” Lucas said with a sigh.

After they finally got William onto his bed, David hurried off to get some sleep, while Lucas grabbed his books and brought them into William’s room.

“You’re seriously going to keep watch with a stack of books?” David asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course. What else am I supposed to do? Tomorrow is my first practice college entrance exam, and I want to be the best version of myself.”

David stepped closer, looking at Lucas with a puzzled expression.

Lucas took a slight step back. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I still can’t believe it. You’re like a completely different person. Did you get possessed by some ghost at the river that night?” David asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no such thing,” Lucas replied, a bit flustered. “I just… don’t have any other options. My career in entertainment seems to be going nowhere.”

“Don’t give up. If I can, I’ll help you find a job,” David offered.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “In that case, make it two jobs.”

David paused, then shrugged. “Hm… never mind, at least not yet. Wait until I’m a successful star.”

Lucas smiled, understanding that even though David came from wealth, his career wasn’t quite at the top yet. 

Finding work for others wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

He walked past David, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Relax, Dave. Don’t worry too much about it.”

David blinked in surprise. Though it was just a friendly pat, it stirred up memories. 

The old Lucas was never like this. In fact, it was the first time he’d seen Lucas act as though they were close.

For as long as he could remember, David had tried to connect with Lucas, but Lucas had always responded coolly, keeping a quiet distance as if there was no real bond between them. 

But now, somehow, things felt different—and David found he really liked this new version of Lucas.

Lucas spent the night studying in William’s room, occasionally nudging William’s leg to make sure he was still breathing.

In the early morning, Lucas left for school, determined to be as prepared as possible for his first practice college entrance exam. 

William, however, woke up much later, stumbling out of his room, head throbbing. 

For the first time in, he skipped his usual morning workout.

David was still sprawled on the sofa.

“My head’s killing me,” William muttered as he made his way to the fridge. “Where’s Lucas?”

“He left early for his exam. Thanks to you, he stayed up all night keeping an eye on you.”

After drinking some water, William sank to the floor, still conscious but too weak to move.

“My whole body feels drained,” he groaned.

“Will, what were you thinking? You never drink more than a small glass,” David said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, well, after the shoot last night, the producer, director, and other actors all went out to celebrate.”

“Idiot. You could’ve seriously put yourself at risk.”

“They were all my seniors—how could I refuse? Besides, it might be good for my career down the line.”

“Unbelievable. You should’ve just left before drinking too much.”

“Enough, Dave,” William said, “Stop lecturing. You have no idea what kind of pressure I’m under.”

David’s family was indeed wealthier than William’s. 

With numerous assets handed down from his family, David didn’t need to worry about success. 

William, though from a wealthy background himself, still had to work hard to build his career, with only the necessary support from his family.

Suddenly, William looked like he was about to throw up.

“Will, don’t be an idiot! If you puke right there, I swear I’ll drag you outside!”

***

Lucas sat in the back row of the classroom, in the last seat of the room. 

Around him, chaos reigned as his classmates goofed off, tossing paper balls and treating the upcoming test like a joke. 

"These kids only know how to waste their parents’ money carelessly," he thought.

Ignoring the noise, Lucas focused on the book in front of him, determined not to let the atmosphere affect him.

Suddenly, a crumpled piece of paper hit him square in the face.

“Hey, Lucas! Why so serious? Are you really getting kicked out of Stellarix and headed back to a poor life? Hahaha,” someone taunted.

Others joined in, laughing.

“I heard he’s been studying hard lately, thinking he’ll get into some top university! What a joke!”

“Give it up, man—studying isn’t a guarantee for success! Haha!”

The classroom buzzed with unruly chatter, but Lucas didn’t respond.

“Pathetic,” he muttered to himself, tuning them out.

In reality, during the last grade advancement exam, the original Lucas hadn’t even shown up. As a result, he’d ended up ranked dead last—position 765. 

The seating for this exam was arranged according to ranking, which placed him in the last room with the school’s most notorious troublemakers.

Lucas took a deep breath, determined to stay calm and focused despite the distractions around him.

The first bell rang, signaling the start of the SAT practice exam. 

Lucas truly began to feel the impact of his improved mind score, gained through the system and his hard work.

His perspective had sharpened, and his strategic thinking felt more precise, as if his brain operated faster and more efficiently than ever. 

A slight smile crept onto his face. "At this rate, I should be able to handle these exam questions without a hitch—and climb the ranks quickly."

Memories of everything he had studied seemed to stack up neatly in his mind, each lesson clear and easy to recall. 

The system had undeniably brought significant changes to his life.

Without it, even with his sharper mind compared to the original Lucas, he doubted he could retain information so effortlessly.

He resolved that after this, he wouldn’t just focus on academics. Lucas was determined to enhance his skills in the arts as well.

While other students looked stressed and bewildered, Lucas felt an unusual sense of excitement and confidence. 

"I can’t believe it—my first exam in this world, and it feels almost too easy," he thought with a quiet smile.

The exam, which was scheduled to take three hours and consisted solely of multiple-choice questions, was a breeze for Lucas. 

Thanks to the boost from the system, he managed to complete it in just one and a half hours.

When he stood up to submit his paper, every student in the room turned to look, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief.

The other students looked on, shocked and muttering to each other.

“What? Did he actually finish already? No way it’s possible to finish that fast.”

“What a joke—days of studying, and he still gave up halfway.”

“Yeah, right. He probably just wants an excuse to go to the bathroom and check the answer key someone sent him,” one student snickered.

“No matter how hard he tries, stupid is still stupid.”

Lucas walked to the front and handed in his answer sheet to the supervising teacher, who looked surprised.

“Lucas, are you sure you’re not rushing? You still have plenty of time to double-check your answers,” the teacher said.

“I don’t think I need that much time to complete these questions.”

“Are you certain? How do you expect to pass with a good score if you finish—” But before she could finish, Lucas turned and left, uninterested in hearing more.

“So full of himself,” the teacher muttered, annoyed. “And his agency is about to drop him, too.”

After the exam, students gathered in the cafeteria to unwind, but Lucas chose a quiet spot in the school garden. 

With limited money, he skipped the cafeteria crowd and settled in with his earphones, planning to practice music on his own.

Suddenly, he noticed a girl nearby, being cornered and bullied behind the bathroom near where he sat.