Dear Student, 

Congratulations on your admission to Faircastle High School! You have demonstrated that your academic talents and skills are well suited for this institution, and your resolve to make yourself a competitive young individual stood out during the admission process.

Upon analysing the entrance examination results, your scores have determined that you are qualified to enroll under any intelligence division you choose to go to (LMID, VSID, VLID, MRID, InterID, IntraID, BKID, NID). We place our students in learning environments where their dominant skills can be enhanced and developed, as well as expose and introduce them to educators that will help them grow as individuals and students that possess the same potential.

Faircastle High School aims to help you improve your talents and skills, as well as guide you to careers best suited for you. We want you to have an amazing experience in your two years in senior high school in Faircastle, and we are looking forward to having you in our institution.

Attached to this letter are the list of books required, as well as the stub to be submitted to the registrar's office once you finalize your enrolment. At the end of the process, you will receive your official uniform (Type A, Type B, Physical Education uniform), name plate, student handbook, identification card, and class schedule.

We warmly welcome you to the Faircastle High School community, and we look forward to helping you pursue your best future here in our institution.



Sincerely, 

Helga Mariano, Ed. D.
Faircastle High School
Head Administrator

Jacob never wanted to go to Faircastle High School - it was his mother who wanted it.

But when Jacob thought that staying in the school was all he had to endure, he manages to top a certain placement exam. Through it, he becomes a member of the Paramount - the group of Faircastle's best eight students that represent the intelligence division they are from.

Little did he know that behind the after-school activities and supplemental classes, a secret about themselves will be discovered and awakened. Their lives are about to change, when great power come from the peculiarity and intelligence they all possess.




Note: 
This story is highly inspired by the Thai novel-turned-series, The Gifted. The Gifted: Graduation (its sequel) will be released this year.

NOTE: THIS IS A FILIPINO STORY.

The smell of mildew permeated the data filing room. Chen Ge was the first to enter the room with his hand over his mouth. The wooden shelves looked antique. Placed next to the rusted shelves, they looked quite out of place. "These metallic and wooden shelves seem to have come from different schools."
Chen Ge took a random document from the wooden shelf. The document was so poorly preserved that once Chen Ge touched it, it started to crumble.
"Bug infestation, water damage, the school doesn't seem to value these documents at all." Chen Ge carefully opened the document file. The content inside confused him. "A donation appreciation list? Why does this look so familiar?'
Chen Ge looked through it again, and an image suddenly flashed across his mind. He looked at the file that was filled with holes. "I saw this exact list in the headmaster's office in Mu Yang High School!"
He studied the list closer and rummaged through his memory. After comparing the donor's names, he was more certain of his discovery.
"It's the exact same! It's the same as one I saw in Mu Yang High School!"
Back when he returned to Mu Yang High School to find the headmaster, he had scanned the two-star scenario but could not find the old headmaster.
"The world behind the door is created from the memory of the door-pusher, but this school is rather unique. It seems to have been created from the amalgamation of the memory of everyone who is trapped behind the door." Chen Ge touched his chin. "Other than the old headmaster, the other students of Mu Yang High School are all currently in my Haunted House. The fact that this list has shown up here, does it mean that the old headmaster is in this school?"
Chen Ge's eyes widened. He looked at the bookshelves, and the longer he looked, the more familiar it felt.
"Could these things have been moved from Mu Yang High School? Has a part of that two-star scenario been moved here?
"Looks like it is destined for me to meet the old headmaster."
He replaced the document, and his expression was hard to read. "Before unlocking the School of the Afterlife, there are nine missions to complete. Could there be a special relation between these nine missions and the School of the Afterlife?"
"Mr. Bai, what have you found?"
"I did find something, but the implication's still unclear." Chen Ge pulled out another ruined document. It was covered in mildew. "An investigation report of the school perimeter?"
Instead of calling this place a data filing room, it was more like a storage room for a variety of documents. Any documents and information could be found there, including accounting books, graduation forms, the canteen tender list, and so on.
"Mr. Bai!" Zhu Long found a few scrunched up newspapers in the corner. He showed one of them to Chen Ge. "Look at the article in the middle with the zoomed in picture."
"A fire of unknown origin ravaged the education block. Many students were trapped inside the toilet. The brave firemen rushed into the fire to save them." This article was placed in the middle of the paper.
"Based on the arrangement and content, it doesn't sound like the writer is that old." Chen Ge accepted the copy that was stained. A major part of the paper was unreadable. "This looks like the school's school bulletin."
Mu Yang High School was a private charity school; they should not have had the excess budget to have a school newspaper. Chen Ge flipped through the copy and noticed a familiar name—Western Jiujiang Private Academy. The location's name appeared many times, and many articles were about the Western Jiujiang Private Academy.
"Wait, isn't Zhang Ya from Western Jiujiang Private Academy?"
Chen Ge's first date had been with the Red Specter at that abandoned school. It was also at that school that he had walked into Zhang Ya's heart.
"There was a fire at Western Jiujiang Private Academy's education block?" Thinking back, he did remember seeing many burned bannisters in the school. "This is strange. Not only Western Jiujiang Private Academy, including Mu Yang High School, the schools that I've been to have been ravaged by fire before."
He looked through the paper that Zhu Long had given him again. At the time, the firemen had saved six people from the top floor's toilet. The paper hailed the firemen as heroes, but he saw an article in the corner that reminded the students about some fire safety knowledge. It mentioned briefly that a student had lost their life in the fire.
"The fire might have spread from the toilet, but why would it start there? It was already after the time for the students' night study when the fire started. In other words, it was already past normal school time. So, what were those students doing in the top floor toilet?"
Concluding the various articles, Chen Ge quickly zeroed in on the problem. "The fire burned the fourth floor, and the only students were found in the fourth-floor toilet. The firemen saved six students, but there was one who died in the fire. This means that there were seven students in total!"
It was hard to tell what had caused the fire. This was not recorded in any of the files. The child who had died in the fire seemed to have become a taboo topic as well.
"Something like this happened at Western Jiujiang Private Academy before? How come I didn't feel anything 'special' when I visited it?" Chen Ge was confused. "If the toilet's door was pushed open by the child who died in the fire, then he should be door pusher at Western Jiujiang Private Academy, but the reason the school could qualify as a three-star scenario was because of Zhang Ya!"
Now that Western Jiujiang Private Academy had become part of the Haunted House, Chen Ge could confirm that Zhang Ya was the scariest presence at that school.
"There should be a door in all three-star scenarios, but even though Western Jiujiang private Academy is a three-star scenario, there's no door." Chen Ge turned to his shadow and called the name silently in his heart. He repeated it, but there was no reply. "The black phone categorizes Western Jiujiang Private Academy as a three-star scenario because of Zhang Ya, and based on my knowledge, Zhang Ya hasn't pushed open any doors. Plus, when I went to Western Jiujiang Private Academy, I didn't encounter a door…"
Chen Ge slowly lowered his hands that held the paper, and a red dress appeared in his mind.
"Zhang Ya, the door that has disappeared, the door-pusher…" Those three terms formed a line in Chen Ge's mind, and he a possibility suddenly came to him.
His eyes widened as Chen Ge sucked in a cold breath. "Is it possible that the door pusher from Western Jiujiang Private Academy has been consumed by Zhang Ya?"
That would explain why Zhang Ya was so different and so ridiculously strong.
"What happens to the door after the door-pusher has been consumed?" Chen Ge thought about various possibilities. "Due to her spirit, Zhang Ya didn't become the door pusher. After the door lost the pusher, it should have gone out of control like the door at Li Wan City, but that didn't happen. The door only shows up at the bedside of these despairing kids… Wait a minute! Could it be searching for a new door-pusher?"


The hearse with the weird odor slowed to a stop before the entrance. The sound of pebbles could be heard bouncing on the ceiling. There were footsteps coming from the corridor, and there seemed to be someone sawing next door. The door knob to the room rattled slightly, and the faucet in the bathroom kept dripping even though it had been screwed shut. There was a rubber ball that rolled on its own underneath the bed. Wet footsteps started to surface one after another on the floor. 
At 3 am, Chen Ge held a cleaver in his hand as he hid beside the room heater. The call he was trying to make was finally answered. "Landlord, is this what you meant by 'the house can be a little crowded at night'‽"

We completed our first year high school by having my brother & myself at the top of our class. And for this reason, we were included in the list of students to be part of the morning and model section class in the next school year.
I always have issues meeting new people considering my personality. And it was more difficult for me especially we will be in a new class with new faces, not to mention, it is not an ordinary class but it is the model section of 2nd year high school wherein 99% of the students are smart.
Before the new school year starts, I really have a lot of thoughts going on in my mind and these thoughts were all negative. But whenever I think of my brother who will be with me all the time, I felt relieved and had peace of mind.
1st week was not too bad. My classmates were all friendly. As usual I am quiet and shy but I never had a hard time to make friends. Boys and girls were seated separately and we were all arranged alphabetically so this allowed me to be sitting with my brother next to each other, which is a good thing because we always share books so that my parents can save money as well.
During the 1st week, the class needs to elect officers. Guess, if I end in any of the list of officers of the class? I was voted as escort of the class. The position will represent the class in any model and social event of the high school. God knows, I wanted to eject myself from my chair and disappear and will just come back if they have already found a replacement for me. I really don't know what to do? I am introvert, very shy, not talkative and non-sociable person. How can I represent my class & how can I be a good escort to the muse of the class who is very pretty and all the boys not just in my class but the entire high school were all seeking for her attention. This gave me a lot of stress and pressure.
There were a lot of pretty girls in my class & I know they were all smart too. I noticed a handful of cute boys as well. But there was this one boy who really capture my attention a lot. He was wearing glasses and he looks very neat. He may not be the most handsome boy in our class but to me he is the cutest. His name is Sherwin and he was my first love.
We were seated two chairs apart from each other. He is ahead of me because his last name came first before mine. I never got the chance to be close with him during the first few months. How do you expect someone like me to be friendly and close to your crush? I stutter every time I tried to speak to him. I can't even look at him and even bother to say hi. The only way to talk and converse with him is when we have a group activities and projects. And my hopes to get to know him better and closer with him became impossible because the guy sitting next to me has secretly expressed with me about his admiration with Sherwin. His name is Joseph and he is open about himself as being gay. I am close with Joseph, mainly because we are sitting next to each other and I think he has a crush on me as well. However, I made myself very clear with him from the very start that he cannot hit on me. And I just would like to be friends with him and nothing else beyond that.

A 2-book series about a boy and his coming of age story who first experienced love in high school. A shy and introvert but smart and cute boy who discover affection and admiration to a person with the same gender although he likes him a lot there is no way this person could know about it nor he will have the courage to confess about his feelings. But sometimes, fate likes to play with our lives and things will just happen when you least expected. They said, "Love always finds a way" and if it finds you, you should able to do the rest to get hold on to it and manage your expectations in the end.

....
Real World, Soaring Continent.
Main Region, Central District, Capital City.
Springfield Household.
Shin in his room and is currently sitting on the floor beside his bed while having a deep thought. Around him are a bunch of piles of books regarding the combination of Martial-Arts and Mentalism.
Sigh~
Shin releases a helpless sigh after his deep contemplation. "This study is really quite hard. Combining the systems of Martial-Art and Mentalism are not as simple as one plus one, yet these guys managed to come up with their own theories and able to realize some of them."
"If I look at all of these the people that stood out the most are 'Alberto Gonzalez' the first to discover the 'Unified Strengthening' Technique and 'Henry Cortez' the author of 'The Book of Secret Arts'."
"Without a doubt, Alberto's Unified Strengthening Technique is more successful than the other researches, but Henry's theories regarding Secret Arts are quite solid too. And the theory that is closest to reality is the 'Martial-Mentalism Relativity Theory'."
"This theory discusses how to create a personalized Secret Art by combining the current Martial-Art Skills and Mentalism Techniques of the user. But this is only applicable to Dual-Practioners."
"He said that if a Practioner managed to create his/her personal Secret Art through combining his/her Martial-Art Skill and Mentalism Technique, then it is also possible for him/her to create a 'Worldly Origin' that be used with those Secret Arts."
"This theory is quite simple if you look at it, but it is easier to said than done. It is safe to say that the Martial-Art and Mentalism of a Dual-Practioner are comparable with each other. But it doesn't mean that those two can be easily combined."
"Because almost all of the Dual-Practioners are practicing their Mentalism in a 'Psychic Mentalist' discipline while their bodies are properly nurtured by their 'Internal Qi' and not by their Mental Energies."
"And because of that, their bodies can't use any Mentalism Technique that falls on 'physical' discipline. And therefore, their Martial-Arts and Mentalism combination are quite impossible to achieve."
"They are not like me after all, who can use both Physical and Mental techniques of my Mentalism despite having a body nurtured by my Internal Qi. And that is mostly thanks to my 'Spiritual Embryo' Special Body. And–...."
Shin suddenly paused when he reached this point. It is because he suddenly realized something.
Then he blurted out as he suddenly shot up from his sitting position for finding the missing key! "That's Right!!! That is the answer why no one managed to achieve the desired result of this theory! It is because they don't have a suitable vessel to use a Secret Art that Henry was saying."
"Wait! I think I read something similar this earlier." muttered Shin before sitting down once again and rescanning the books around him as he tries to find something.
Few moments later, he finally found the book that he is looking for. The title of the book is 'The secrets of Alberto Gonzalez'. Shin flipped the pages of the book while scanning it one by one.
Then his sight landed on a certain phrase on the book before reading it out loud."I'm not a genius actually. I'm just a Dual-Practioner with a special type of body that lets me experiment more on the field of Martial-Arts and Mentalism. And with that, I managed to discover this new technique of ours."
Shin stared at that for few more seconds before muttering to himself. "So that was it. Alberto Gonzalez might also have a 'Spiritual Embryo' special body just like me. That is also one of the main reasons how he discovered the Unified Strengthening."
Then he looked at the book written by 'Henry Cortez' before muttering to himself. "If only he was still alive when Henry Cortez emerges, or the other way around, then they might really succeed at combining Martial-Arts and Mentalism together."
"Tsk! Too bad that Alberto died during an exploration mission, or else he might still alive until now. And with that, he and Henry might meet and create another history."
After that, Shin read Henry's profile from one of the books around him. "Henry Cortez, a genius researcher in the field of Martial-Arts and Mentalism."
"He might not be gifted at the two respective practices but a lot of members of the 'Elder Council' respected him because of his amazing researches."
"He is currently working at the 'Magical Ace Academy' as a guest teacher and acting as the head researcher of the 'World Research Center' of the Soaring Continent."
Then Shin fell on a deep contemplation. "Magical Ace Academy? That is one of the best schools around the world. And together with the 'Top Military School', they are called the twin genius producer of the Soaring Continent."
.....
The 'Top Military School' a school that is famous for its orthodox way of strict teaching together with its harsh environment. The death toll of the students here is quite high because of the missions issued by the school for their exams are pretty much dangerous.
But all of the graduates of this School are dragons among men. And all of the major organizations around the world are going crazy just to recruit one of them.
On the other hand, the 'Magical Ace Academy' is its counterpart. This school's way of teaching is quite unorthodox because they are discussing different kinds of fields. And it covers all the topics around the world.
What's more, most of the teachers and instructors of this school are internationally renowned individuals that are famous in their respective fields.
That is also the reason why some of the most talented individuals from the other countries are coming to the Eastern Sea Region just to enroll in the school.
Some of the international organizations are even enrolling their most talented younger generation because of that reason.
...
After comparing the two schools, Shin finally made a decision. "The start of the school will be on next month. Maybe I should start some preparation for it. And since I'm High School now, maybe I should send my application for the entrance exam of Magical Ace Academy."
"I might find some answers if I go there. And I'm sure that they have some topics regarding the combination of Martial-Art and Mentalism since Prof. Henry Cortez is in there."
"That Old Geezer and Old Fatty might able to teach me how to become a powerful Martial-Artist and Mentalist, but they can't help at the field of combining the two as much as this Prof. Henry."
After that, Shin opens his Advance Watch and dialed the number of Old Plum to discuss his plans. His master supported his decision as it is a good idea, and it is going to be more helpful in his progress exploring the 'path' that he chose.
After ending the call, Shin dialed the number of 'Madam Foxy', this is how he named Madam Springfield or 'Cristina Jane', the wife of Captain Bernard, in his Advance Watch.
When the call connected, Shin shared his thoughts about going to the 'Magical Ace Academy' for his High School. Madam Foxy didn't say much and just also supported his decision since it is really a good school.
After talking to her few more moments, Shin immediately ended the call before sending his application for the entrance exam of the 'Magical Ace Academy'. Then what left for him now is to wait for it to be approved so that he can take the exam.
And after doing all of that, Shin suddenly felt tired. He felt that a lot have happened today so he immediately collect all of the books around him while organizing them.
Then he take a quick trip to the kitchen to look for something to eat. And after eating, Shin immediately went back to his room before laying inside his VR Gaming Cabin.
"Alright, enough for Martial-Arts and Mentalism for now. Let's get back in the game and do some adventures."
Shin closed his eyes as the Cabin closes itself. Then he said. "Initiate Login!"
******
Swoosh!Shin is back in the room of the Church. Then he took a quick look at his in-game clock and saw that more than a day and a half have passed here since he spends almost half a day outside.
After that, he immediately opened his friend list and contacted Lawless. Fortunately, the call immediately connected and showed the smiling face of Lawless on the virtual screen. "Heh, so what's your problem now, Brother Sickarius?"
Shin clicked his tongue and said. "Tsk! Do you honestly believe that I'm that kind of person?"
Lawless laughed out loud and said. "Hahaha.... Didn't you are only contacting when you need something?"
This time, Shin suddenly become guilty after hearing that. Well, he can't say anything about that, it is true after all.
Seeing Shin's guilty look, Lawless suddenly change the subject to lighten up the mood a little. "If your are feeling too guilty, then how about joining my team instead? With that, you don't have to feel this way."
Shin shook his head and smiled bitterly before apologizing. "Sorry brother Lawless, but we already discussed about that."
Lawless curve his mouth into a grin while saying. "If you are still worried about being weak, then that is not necessary anymore. Those 'Top Dogs' of the Powerhouse Guilds are already wracking their heads as they try to figure out how to recruit you after you defeated those three famous guys."
"Alright, Alright. Move on~. Let's discuss the main topic already. Are you and the others available now?" said Shin.
Lawless thought for a moment and said. "If it is about hunting some high-leveled monsters, then we might pass this time. Hunting monster bosses might be bountiful, but we can always hunt them down anytime."
"On the other hand, these kind of quests are hard to come by. There is a saying in this game that said 'Monster bosses give you the equipments and materials while Quests grant you levels and points'."
Shin knitted his brows and said. "Why do I feel that what you said is wrong? Didn't the right one is 'Monsters hone your skills and techniques while Quest gives you strength and influence'?"
"Anyway, I didn't call you for that. I stumble upon a High-Ranking quest. It is also related to the Church. I can't tackle it alone so I'm asking for some help."
Lawless suddenly became interested and said. "Oh~♪ A High-Ranking Quest? Is it also the same as the one being given by your Church or a different one?"
"Of course! It is different. Mine is kind of a personal quest." said Shin almost instantly.
Lawless fall on a deep thought before asking. "What type of quest and how is the difficulty?"
"A Hidden Investigative Quest with Master(SSS) difficulty." said Shin without second thought. Then he immediately added after. "And I think it is a chain quest, and somewhat related to my other quest."
"A chain quest that starts with 'Master-grade' difficulty?" muttered Lawless as he fell on a deep thought. Then he look at Shin before asking once again. "What about your other quest?"
Shin replied without thinking twice. "A Hidden Main Quest with Hell(SSS+) difficulty."
Cough! Cough!
Lawless suddenly chokes with the words that he is about say after hearing Shin's reply. Then he said after recovering himself. "What the F*ck! Why the hell are all the good things keep coming on your side. Can you at least lend your lucky star to me so that I can experience it too?"
Shin ignored that and immediately asked. "Enough with the that. Are you guys free or not?"
Lawless clicked his tongue and said. "Tsk! What a coldhearted b*st*rd! Me and Faker are already free since just finished the SS-grade quest that we got from the church, and about to submit it."
"But we are also planning to accept the Master-grade quest that had been posted on the church quest bulletin board since we already met the requirements for it. And it is better if we snatch it from the hands of the powerful Guilds."
Then Shin immediately replied without further ado. "Then take it too! We can clear the quests altogether since they are all interconnected! In fact, I'm the real reason why the church is issuing those quest."
"You–!....." Lawless was frozen in place after hearing that. It took him some time to recover himself before started cursing Shin. "D*mn it! God, F*cking d*mn it! What kind of b*st*rd creature are you? You are not only a sh*thead lucky guy, you are also a motherf*cking source of trouble!"
Shin stared at Lawless placidly and asked. "So what now? Are you guys coming or not?"
Lawless took some effort to clam himself down. Then he look at Shin and replied. "Alright, we are joining. But! We have some problems. Master-grade Quest are not like the other quest that can cleared alone or with some random team."
"We need to balance our team's class composition so that we can avoid some accidents. We didn't lack in physical DSP area. Me, you, and Faker are more than enough for that."
"We also don't have to worry on the supporting area, as we have Stephanie, and she is more than enough for that role."
"But we are lacking on two respective areas. We don't have a main tank, and we don't have enough firepower in magical DPS(Damage per Second) department. And even if Morgan have a rapid magical damage, he is lacking in terms explosiveness."
"If we have Ember and Ravier, then that is not a problem. But those two run off to somewhere, saying that they have to do something in Real World. For all I know, those two might only be dating."
"I might be able to find a suitable tank for our team by asking some of my friends. But I don't know anyone that can fill the magical DPS spot."
Now, Shin fell on a deep thought. He doesn't have may connections in the game. So aside from the couple in Lawless group, he only have a single person that magical class in his friend list. But he doesn't want ask some help from her because he is going get trapped on another debt if he does.
Shin is racking his brain while looking at his friend list. Then a certain name caught his eyes. Immediately after that, an idea enter his mind.
He look at Lawless on the screen before saying. "Hey, brother Lawless. You take care of finding the tank while I'll try looking for a magical class. And immediately take the Master-grade quest issued by Church before others steal it."
Lawless looked at Shin skeptically and said. "Are you sure about that? If you take a random Mage on the street, then I'm going to beat you up for ruining our quest."
Shin clicked his tongue and said. "Tsk! You don't have to worry about that. I'm not that idi*t to ruin my own quest. Just finish up all the things on your side before we meet up at the coordinates that I'm going to send to you."
"What's with the rush? Can't we rest for a little?" said Lawless.
"Of course! You can. But we need to immediately move out after that. We need to finish one of my quest as soon as possible, or else some accidents might happened." said Shin with a little impatience.
Lawless clicked his tongue and said. "Alright, I get it. Just make sure that you are going to find a good Mage, OK?"
Shin nodded his head before ending the call. After that, he switched his 'caller ID' before dialing a number from his friends list.
....


Shin Kinghad is a kid that had been abducted and trained by a powerful underworld organization since he was three years old. After six years, he had been rescued by the Special Forces during their operation against that organization and was adopted by the captain of the special force group.

Since then, he treated the son and daughter of the captain as his own brother and sister. 

Years later, he joins the greatest VRMMORPG of all time, [Destiny's Fate] online, due to repeated invitations of his brother. He creates havoc inside the game as he climbs his way from being a beginner player to a peak class expert. 

But as he started to grow up, he became curious about his real identity and who his biological parents were. He tried to investigate it with the help of his brother and best friend. And after discovering his real background, he decided to follow his father’s footsteps and stood at the peak of the world using his Martial-Art Skills and Mentalism Techniques.

Here is our the Discord Server: https://discord.gg/7cTvYR8 

Disclaimer:The cover was made by a very good fried of mine
if you want to see her work you can look at at:
https://vacantart.weebly.com/

or contact her at: Lance.VA#1206

After the spa session, Hadwin, Astrid and Abigail were ushered to a low lit room, with lemongrass scent in the air. Abigail decided to choose a room each, to prevent Ace from poking his nose while they were being massaged. She did not know he had left the spa already.


What she fails to understand was the fact that he kept his relationship under wraps. Why would Ace do that? She wondered. He seldom hid his relationship, but could it be due to his reputation in business or he had something else in mind? With her wandering thoughts came a dull headache and Abigail sighed. She closed her eyes and told her masseuse to increase her pressure.


After an hour and half, all of them exited Bliss Spa with considerable glow in their body. Astrid wondered why there wasn't any payment charged and she asked out of curiosity. `Aren't we going to pay them?'


`No. It belongs to us' Hadwin smirked at her.


`Shall we hit the shopping centre after this?', Abigail suggested.


`No, I want raid some games in the basement room', Hadwin replied.


`Count me in. I'm dibs with anything you play', Astrid squeezed his arms in agreement.


`That's my girl', Hadwin high fived Astrid who merely shook her head.


`I'm most certainly not your girl. I am just me, Hadwin', Astrid explained while rolling her eyes.


`Say, I am inviting some friends over. Are you guys okay with it?', Hadwin sat in Abigail's Rolls Royce which had been repaired to perfection.


`Yeah, the more the merrier I guess', Astrid looked at her phone and bit her lower lips. Her hands itched to call Ace. She missed his warmth already. She decided to text him instead.
Astrid: Don't overwork yourself. With da mole.
Ace: Kicking & boxing is x overworking.
Astrid: I knew u would do dat.
Ace: But u don't know what I have in mind for u tni8.
Astrid: Lace or plain?
Ace: None.
Astrid: Not happening.
Ace: Lace.
Astrid's cheeks turned red at his texts and she quickly diverted her perverted mind elsewhere. She needs to get hold of herself before she loses it completely. Astrid started thinking about the books given by her grandfather, mentally deciding to finish on the last one.


She had learned considerable skills in invoking and controlling her wind elements. Since there were not any mentor available for Earth element, she studied and memorized the books related to it. She had yet to test the theories out, but it was a matter of time before she did.
....
In the meantime, in another part of Anubia, on Maxim Street. Alex was shortlisting the guests lists for his parent's anniversary. He roped in his group of friends and acquaintances, some vampires, and humans to visit him and blow off some steam.


Alex was pissed when his father assigned him to oversee the guest lists. He had zero knowledge on who was dating whom, who was the bitch of the month and who was the flavour of the month; and he needed gossip from his group of oddballs. Being a shy person did not hamper his ability to make friends with the same gender. But the same did not apply when mingling with the opposite sex.


Alex Mann only had 2 friends whom he held close at heart, Matilda Meyer and Josef Mourinho. As soon as the clock struck 1pm, some loud noises emerged from the foyer of his mansion. He waited for them in the drawing room, anger gnawing internally for doing this shit when he could paint in peace.


Six men barrelled into the drawing room, their boisterous voice booming over the room.


`Hey, how are you guys doing?', Alex spoke politely earning a bro hug from them. He did some complex hand shake with them, something he used to do when he was in UCLA with them.


`So I heard you needed help with getting some pussy?', Miller Smith spoke arrogantly.


`No, I needed some hot gossip. Don't want any seat clashes later', Alex rolled his eyes at Miller's brashness. He always hated him for his sexist attitude.


`I heard Jane Cantrall is the current 'IT' girl if you are looking for a date', Dustin King spoke. He was the most likeable guy, less talk and quite observant.


`No dates for me', Alex said firmly.


`Did you know Christina Jobs screwed Miller's younger brother before she was to get engaged to Joshua Edwards?', Brody Baker spoke. He was the tallest of them all at 6ft 6inches, intimidating and he is the quarterback of Anubia's football team.


`Yeah, shit happens. And she is elder than my brother', Miller sulked.


`Let me see your guests list, Alex. Maybe I can help you out', Dustin requested, and Alex passed him the guest list and seating chart


While Dustin read the list, Alex, Brody, Miller, Jake, Pete, and Luciano bantered with each other with their current girl conquests.


`I am going steady with a model. She is hot in both looks and bed', Luciano Perez spoke with a dreamy look in his eyes.


`Lover boy is gone with the wind', Pete punched Luciano on his shoulder lightly.


` We are seating on the same table, right?', Brody asked.


`Yeah, but a table fits 12 people', Dustin said, keeping his eyes glued on the lists and highlighting names that could sit together without tearing each other apart.


`Avoid Jane Dixon with the Wagner's. Apparently, the elder Wagner was set up with her and he brought a girlfriend. She turned ape shit and had a verbal fight', Pete spoke.


`No shit. I thought he turned gay', Brody was surprised.


`Did they RSVP? You should get their sister Abigail. One heck of a beauty', Miller gave a low whistle.


`I think their parents, Abigail, Hadwin and his date will be coming', Alex wondered if Astrid was Hadwin's date.


Alex mentally recalled the Forbes List of Richest in Anubia. The Wagner's stood at third richest in Anubia with the Scott's coming in first. Dustin's family came behind Wagner's at fifth and Alex's came at fourth place. The Baker's came in second but the rarely met up at any parties or events citing their Mormon beliefs. But when did Mormon started hoarding money was beyond his imagination.


A butler entered the drawing room with refreshments and drinks.


`Did you invite Damien Scott? He is like the richest guy of Anubia and his band of brothers are a force to be reckoned with', Miller spoke in between mouth full of pineapple.


`I think we did but only the youngest one, Jaxon Scott RSVP. No one else bothered', Alex shrugged.


`Damn, what about the Mormons?', Pete asked.


`Too busy making kids I think. Never bother to invite them', Alex smirked.


`Alex, you need help in the pussy department?', Miller was crass and blunt.


Alex's cheek turned pink and he shook his head.


`Come on, name her', Brody touted.


`Miller here has had a winning streak since high school.', Pete and Brody both grabbed a doughnut at the same time and fought over it like children. Dustin stood up and slapped their heads to reprimand them.


`No, not really. There was one girl I liked, and she actually rejected me', Miller Smith spoke the truth and stared at his chocolate drink. His mind went to his flashback.


`Wow, that is some revelation', Luciano raised an eyebrow.


`Yep. I courted her. She was one of those loner types, but a beauty, nevertheless', Miller did not take the rejection well back in high school. After she left school, he could not trace her. The principal punished him lightly but protected the girl's new school information.


Miller had a raging hatred for Astrid ever since. His ego was dented by her and if by chance he met her, he would have his ways with her whether she liked it or not.


`Bitch kicked my balls and left me', Miller spoke after a moment of silence. Alex noted his eyes glinted with something evil before it flickered away.

2 brothers. Rich and affluent vampires. Both fell for the same girl, except she is a child of mother earth with powers and strength which makes her a force to be reckoned with.

Ace and Hadwin Wagner met Astrid when she saved Hadwin's from an accident. Set in a fictional city of Anubia, with lush forests and city intertwined to form a prosperous country.

A modern city where both humans and vampires live in relative harmony until a mutation threatens to ripple the balance. Will both brother still fight for the very person who could be their death or turn it into their saviour? Whom will Astrid choose? 

A snippet of the novel as below:

Astrid drank the warm lemon honey water and stared at his chest again. She could not help herself but ask, `The words on your chest. What does it mean?’

`Show me?’ Ace smirked.

Astrid knew what he was doing, and she played along. Her fingers trailed to the Japanese words and stopped there.

`Zephyr belongs to me.’ He muttered.

`And this?’, Astrid spoke softly, her fingers moving to the opposite direction. 

`Divine, precious lady. Time for action now’. He grabbed her fingers and started kissing each, starting from the base to their tips, maintaining his eye contact with her. It was so sensual and stimulating, his soft lips kissing as if her fingers were her lips. Astrid felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Her left hand unconsciously, touch his face and he leaned on her hands, she mustered enough courage to prevent her mind from going into an overdrive of sentiments, and uttered `I need to pee’.

Ace chuckled and smooched her cheek.

The image belong to Avatar the Last Airbender.

Elder Lin was a veteran revolutionary. He made great contributions to the country's nation-building efforts. The people in the central government respected him for his contributions.
Even though they wished that Elder Lin would continue to serve the country and not to retire, they would not ask him to stay if he was not willing.
Therefore, it was almost impossible for Elder Lin to stay in the capital.
However, to their surprise, everything changed because of a young lady who came to the capital for her college studies after her college entrance examination. The people in the central government saw a glimmer of hope in this sticky situation.
Shi Peng, who was given a kick by Elder Lin, did not mind. Instead, he dusted off the footprints on his pants calmly. "Apart from your disciple who is kept in the dark, there are many people who play a part in this. The timing is such a coincidence."
Elder Lin looked solemn. "I am already advanced in years. If I retire, I would be giving the opportunities to the younger generation. I am getting older and muddleheaded. Do you understand?"
"Understood." Shi Peng nodded. "But you are very experienced."
If Elder Lin worked for the central government, he would not be handling everything by himself. His inputs and opinions would be highly valued, especially with regards to sensitive issues.
"Elder Lin, from the day Qiao Nan married Zhai Sheng, you should have expected that there will be a day like this. There is no way that you can avoid it."
It was impossible for a thing to exist without its basis.
Qiao Nan was the daughter-in-law of the Zhai family. If Elder Lin helped the Zhai family, it would be helping Qiao Nan. A simple house would not solve all the problems that Qiao Nan would face.
Elder Lin was at a loss for words.
No matter what, Elder Lin was glad that he had Qiao Nan as his disciple. She was like a daughter and granddaughter to him. He wanted to protect her and take good care of her. He had mixed emotions. "What about the Zhu family?" 
"Chief Zhu regarded Qiao Nan as his daughter. He would definitely do something about it."
"If all the families go to the capital, aren't they afraid that they would be wiped out all at once?" Elder Lin had mixed emotions seeing that his disciple had such a huge influence.
Shi Peng smiled lightly and put the chess pieces aside. "The Lee family is still in Ping Cheng."
To be wiped out all at once?
It would not be that easy.
"Let me think about it."
"Okay, Elder Lin. I won't disturb you." Shi Peng knew that he should not go on anymore, and he left with his wife.
Think about it?
It was most likely that he wanted to put things off.
Elder Lin must be thinking to put off returning to the capital as long as possible. People used to say that as one aged, one became more and more like a child. He was indeed acting like a child.
"Shi Peng, does Qiao Nan have such a huge influence?" Feng Cheng, who sat beside Shi Peng, was on pins and needles. As someone who was in their social circle, Feng Cheng understood that Qiao Nan had changed the entire situation in the capital.
If it was in the past, Feng Cheng would feel that this was simply a joke.
Shi Peng drove the car while he replied, "Feng Cheng, I have told you everything. You should be able to understand my reasons for bringing you with me to visit Elder Lin. You should have a serious thought about whether you want to continue to be the obedient daughter of the Feng family or to be my supportive wife and Qing Qing's loving mother."
Once Elder Lin and Chief Zhu went to the capital, the entire situation in the capital would be full of tension.
The Feng family was always up to trouble. Shi Peng had to be prepared for the worst. If the Feng family was embroiled in the affairs and the entire Feng family was implicated, Shi Peng had to know what he should do to cut losses.
Shi Peng had come so far. He did not rely on the Shi family or the Feng family. He made it to today due to his hard work.
That was why Shi Peng cherished and valued his hard work and achievements, and he would not allow anyone to destroy his hard work. 
One had to let go at times in order to get one wanted. He would have to make his choices at the critical juncture.
Feng Cheng panicked. "Is it that serious? Shi Peng, don't give me a scare. The Feng family will not be reckless."
There was total silence in the car. Shi Peng did not bother to give Feng Cheng an answer.
Qiao Nan had no idea what was happening in Ping Cheng. She never expected that she would have such a significant influence.
She was just an ordinary student. When school reopened, Qiao Nan reported back to school. She paid her tuition fees and collected her study materials.
"Qiao Nan, the name list for the scholarship is out."
Qiao Nan had good time management. She spent the entire winter break on her wedding. Once she was back to school, she was focused on catching up with her studies.
As soon as the school library was opened, Qiao Nan would spend a long time studying at the library.
"Vice President Xu?" Qiao Nan was surprised that Xu Shengnan was looking for her. "Why are you here at the library?" Vice President Xu should be worrying about her internship.
"This is the library. It is inconvenient for us to talk here. Come with me to the club office." Xu Shengnan pulled Qiao Nan along with her, not giving her a chance to refuse.
Qiao Nan was not her match, so she had no choice but to pass half of her books to Xu Shengnan while she carried the other half and followed her to the activity room of the new English club. "What is wrong? Didn't you say that the name list for the scholarship is out?"
"That's right. Congratulations. You have been awarded the school-based first-prize scholarship. Shouldn't you give us a treat? Xu Shengnan was really surprised by Qiao Nan's outstanding performance.
She knew that Qiao Nan was smart, but she did not expect that she would be extraordinarily smart.
"You should have been awarded the scholarship as well, am I right?" Qiao Nan stacked her books properly and flipped open the book that she had been reading previously. She did not sound the least surprised or exhilarated at the news.
"You received a school-based scholarship, while I did not. I only received a general scholarship." Xu Shengnan snorted. "I have checked that you have a very high score. The professors have awarded you a high score for doing well in the exams. You also scored a high score for the social practice. Qiao Nan, are you a superman?" 
Qiao Nan truly deserved to be awarded the school-based first-prize scholarship.
This was Xu Shengnan's third year in the school. There were seldom such high performing students in school.
It was a different feeling when one's favorite junior was a top student. "From the looks of it, you have no idea what I am talking about. All you need to know is that it is not as easy to be awarded the school-based scholarship. When one is too outstanding, one will be the target of envy and jealousy. You have been through the kept woman scandal last year. Now that you received the school-based first-prize scholarship, people will be jealous of you. You must not take issue or be affected. You must keep up the good work." 
Xu Shengnan came looking for Qiao Nan on the first day of school and had a private talk with her as she was worried that Qiao Nan would not be able to take the public opinion and that her studies would be affected. 
Xu Shengnan had seen many such cases.
"Stop staring. Your eyeballs might just fall out."


Qiao Nan: Crap! I am your biological daughter, yet I am treated as if I was picked up from the streets. In fact, you treat me worse than that!

Mother Qiao: Qiao Nan, you are not as pretty or smart as your elder sister. You are not as blessed as her. You have no right to study, marry, or to have your happiness!

Qiao Nan: Why am I not allowed to study, marry, or to seek my happiness? I will find a man right now and marry him!

Qiao Nan is dumbstruck upon discovering that the man right beside her is a powerful figure in the quad—the person who has the most promising prospects to be the future Chief.

Qiao Nan stares at the well-built man in front of her. He has firm abs and cold, chilling eyes. She swallows the lump in her throat as she says her greetings, "Good Morning, Chief!"

We sit and eat our dinner while chatting with ourselves.
   "Tell me." Joan who sits across me, speaks first after a long while of silent chewing.
   "...what?" I'm waiting for him to tell me what he wants to know, alas, nothing else comes up.
   "Are you cheating on me?" I choke on whatever food I'm trying to swallow and coughing profusely.
   Joan stands up suddenly and tries to get to my side of the table to soothe my back after giving me a glass of water.
   I drink and put my hand up to save him the trouble to walk over. But, he still walks over anyway.
   "Eat slowly." He rubs my back warmly and takes a seat beside me.
   "I ate very slowly, Joan. You dropped a bomb out of nowhere. Anybody would have choked if they heard it. Why are you here anyway?" I give him the stink eye.
   "Where is the 'hubby'? Can't I help my wife when she's choking? Who dares to stop me if I want to help my wife?" He stands up to slide his plates from his previous seat.
   I ignore him and continue eating. I know no ome dares to stop him if he wants to do anything. It's a silent agreement, okay, Joan. I don't want to answer it lest you percieve it as losing so you should just ignore it and continue eating. But, no, of course not. He's staring at me and not eating.
   "What is it? Eat." I shove a mouthful of food I scoop from my plate with my spoon to his mouth.
   "I should stare at you every time we eat so you will have to spoonfeed me." He chews while grinning.
   I give him another stink eye and stop eating.
   "What? You want to be spoonfed, too, wifey?Oh~ honey~ all you need is just ask." He grabs his spoon and scoops his food and tries to arrange it beautifully with a fork. What the hell?!
    I don't open my mouth when his spoon is already in front of me and only glaring at him. 
   "So it's true, then...you're cheating on me...since when, Rhae?" He lowers his spoon and his head.
   So he still hangs up on that, huh? I smile helplessly and scoop my food to his mouth.
   "Where is that coming from?" I speak softly at him.
   "You know...you're proficient in that area and then you don't want to eat what I gave you and then you don't want me to help you when you're choking and then..." He starts to list everything I did he doesn't approve of.
   "What area?" I cut his list so we don't have to wait until morning for him to finish up the list.
   "Back in the bedroom...you did that thing with your mouth..." I choke again on my own saliva. Joan's hand is at my back again, rubbing it.
   "Seriously, Joan? What's that got to do with me cheating?" I speak after I take a few gulps of water.
   "....we never do it but you are so professional in it." He gives me the puppy eyes and his mouth is pouting.
   "I told you, didn't I? I am resourceful, Joan. I have a library with shelves from floor to ceiling full with books. I have a parents so demanding I have to know every single thing, I don't even have to attend high school." I caress his cheek.
   "I never hear you say you love me." His expression is still the same.
   "They said action speaks louder than voice." I avert my gaze back to my plate and start to eat again.
   "Don't believe them. They're wrong." He cups my head with his hands so I look back at him and then starts feeding me with his spoon. This time, I don't refuse them. I starts feeding him, too.
   "No. They were correct." I say between chews.
   "Half correct. In this love of ours, nothing more correct than our own rules. What they said doesn't apply. Don't refer back to them. I've been in hell at high school because you keep saying that." I giggle at the memory of our high school.
   "You know I love you, Joan. Why would you be here otherwise?" I look at his eyes.
   He smiles at me beautifully. Why are you so easy to pacify, Joan? Not that I'm complaining. I am glad.
   "Okay. So stop with the cheating talk and finish your dinner." I stand up and walk away to put my empty plate in the sink. When my back facing him, I smile at our interaction earlier. Seriously, Joan, what can I do without you?

They say they're incompatible.....
She's weird and he is charming.
But why is he so attracted to her?

Me: "They say we're not a compatible couple."
Joan: "No, you're wrong, honey."
Me: "But...that's what they said."
Joan: "Yeah. Only they said that. We did not."

____________________________________________

Me: [Hubby~ please~]
Hubby: [No.]
Me: [Wifey will die in here. You will be a widower~]
Hubby: [....change my nickname to 'hubby' from now on]

____________________________________________

Author's Note: I should apologize that English is not my first language so I'm sorry for any wrong grammatical or typing errors. I hope you'll understand. Any constructive critics in that matter are greatly implored, but use nice choices of words, please. Thank you so much for giving this book a chance. Love y'all.

Tokyo dressed for Christmas and Himekaizen for finals. Clubs shut down for the year with the very much unofficial Himekaizen Cultural Exchange Club as a glaring exception.
And glaring was also what Kareyoshi did most of these days.
Ryu didn't like it, but letting one of the rapists off the hook did result in Kareyoshi losing the support of men in power.
"It's politics," Urufu had said with distaste in his voice, and while their relationship had gone sour ever since Noriko became an item with him, in this case they agreed.
Ryu even asked his father for an opinion, but he fidgeted, and Ryu could see how uncomfortable he was with the idea of making exceptions to principles. His mother's reaction was very different though.
"Can you win?" she wanted to know, and when Ryu said they might she just told him to win. By now Ryu began to understand that in many ways she was far more ruthless than his father.
In the end they decided to win, and as Christmas decorations went up all over the city so did Kareyoshi's stocks go down. The problem was that he proved to be too stupid to understand how precarious his situation had become. So he kept glaring, and the members of the club kept goading him.
All in all, Ryu thought, it was the worst case of a lose lose situation he had ever lived through.
Right now he sat in the inner room of the Haven café and did what he should have done for a week – he studied. Even Kuri had gotten the week free from work. Final exams were final exams after all, and for once he shared his time with her doing school things and wearing school clothes. There had been preciously little of that during the autumn that was about to end.
The room was crowded as usual. Gakuran, sailor uniforms and blazers mixed freely, with the blazers in a clear minority. Students walked between café and inner room, and Ryu observed how the Irishima High students had become used to the informal atmosphere during the second term.
As always the Irishima High vice principal took his chair at one end of the large table.
Urufu occupied one whiteboard and Noriko another. In difference from more ordinary weeks they didn't walk between whiteboards but stayed by one, and therefore stayed focussed on one subject.
All in all the café seemed more subdued with most students silently cramming for all they were worth. Only the occasional question to Urufu or Noriko broke the silence.
It pained Ryu a little to admit it, but with Urufu by her side Noriko's academic capacity rushed ahead in leaps so great Ryu had trouble understanding what was happening.
Two more days, a short weekend, and then finals were upon them. He intended to do the most of those two days.
With a guilty look across the table Ryu dove back into his books. He shook off the discomfort of seeing Ai's expression whenever Kuri's hand caressed him. By now it was a different kind of discomfort. His love for Kuri was stable, but he still hoped Ai would find her own happiness soon.
Subject by subject he kept cramming, and as the evening grew later the world around called for his attention. It began as occasional voices, but when it became a steady stream of conversations Ryu realised most of those present had given up studying for the day.
He stretched, threw Kuri a quick hug and received one in return. For once she had been as busy studying as he.
"You OK?" he asked and looked at her books.
Kuri nodded and smiled. "Yes. I'm able to read the books by myself now."
Her achievement filled him with pride, or at least happiness for her sake. And it was an achievement. It meant her Japanese was better than his English even when it came to reading.
"And?" Ryu asked.
"And what?"
"The finals," he said, "what do you think?"
She leaned her head to the side, a very Japanese expression she had learned as a model. "Top hundred, but I won't make the list."
Top hundred was a lot better than he had expected. Somewhere, deep in his mind, an ugly thought lurked. That Kuri was all beauty and no brains. Ryu slammed down on it whenever he became aware of his prejudices, but it kept popping up, rearing its ugly head and reminded him of how he could eventually be wrong about his refusal to accept Urufu and Noriko being a pair.
"And you?" Kuri asked in return.
Ryu grabbed her hand and rather than squeeze he allowed his fingers to embrace hers. "The list," he said. "High thirty I suppose. My best result yet."
It felt strange being able to make these kind of educated guesses, but as much a he might dislike Urufu, Ryu still admitted that the man in a boy's body pushed them all to reach higher, achieve more and succeed better than what was humanly possible.
The secret, Ryu sullenly accepted, was that Urufu was trapped in the body of a teenager, or else none of the students here would have listened to him the way they did.
He threw a worried glance in Kuri's direction.
"Thinking of Ulf much?" she asked.
Ryu blushed.
"You know," Kuri teased, "thinking of my ex as your rival is fine, but thinking of him as mine isn't."
Did he really admire Urufu that much, despite feelings of dislike? Maybe, Urufu had changed his life after all.
Ryu wrenched those thoughts aside and faced Kuri. "I love you, and only you." He gave what he had just said a moment's thought, and then he took her hands in a firm grip. "I've never felt this way before. It's not a crush any longer. I love how you make me feel loved, and I love how you make me trust you."
They spent their nights together whenever her schedule allowed, and he knew her in ways he had never known anyone else. Still, the way she blushed and averted her eyes took him by surprise.

If you were transported from this world to another almost identical.

If you were transported from your life to your teenage self.

If you had to restart your life again.

Would you, or would you cling to your memories?


Tags: Japan, Sweden, Tokyo, comedy, drama, high school, Academy, Slice of Life, romcom

This is a Japanese manga/anime -style slice of life high school romance with a splash of sci-fi. In this kind of romance friendship plays a big role compared to your standard western romance. Ensemble cast, so if you only want one main character this is not for you.

The moment he woke up, Eric's head felt as heavy as a mountain. He shook it a few times to get rid of the feeling, and once he had taken note of his surroundings, he smiled as he sat up. It was already past nine in the morning.
 
This was the Williams' residence second-floor bedroom, the blazing summer sun rays were streaming unhindered through the south balcony's French doors. It was already August and you could feel Los Angeles' warmth way before noon.
 
It's been half a month since his rebirth, and Eric had been busy with all sorts of things. He hadn't even had the time to act as a tourist before jumping into the Hollywood circle.
 
He laid back down and looked around him.
 
The bedroom was large, more than thirty square meters. Even if you included his bed, wardrobe, desk and some random antiques, it still felt empty.
 
Ralph had wanted to divide it into two separate rooms but refrained since only their father and son duo lived there. Until death, he had never attempted to remarry either.
 
Eric wondered if all drinking addicts were the same, burdened by similar heart-rending pasts.
 
When he got down from the second floor, it took him half an hour to tidy up the mess in the living room from yesterday's party, and after taking his breakfast, he drove out.
 
He spent several hours visiting music shops and finally settled on a Strauss piano. He left behind his address to have it delivered and purchased a thick stack of books on music arrangements from the bookstore nearby.
 
It wasn't done on a whim or because Eric wanted to become a singer, it was to prepare for future movies' soundtracks. He had so many classic movies in mind, and if he wanted to replicate them to perfection, he couldn't neglect that point. He had to at least understand arrangements to some degree or he'd be a laughing stock among those music professionals.
 
Hollywood was different from China. In China, directors would often just find a musician, listen to his works, and if they liked something, they'd shake hands and be done with it.
 
But in Hollywood, original soundtracks were an integral part of movies. Not just the background music, but even the theme songs were enough to become classics. Like "Unchained Melody" from Ghost, "New Divide" from Transformers, "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic, "Young and Beautiful" from The Great Gatsby, "Let it Go" from Frozen, as well as Juno's entire album.
 
He returned home with his new books. The delivery men soon arrived and the piano was set up in the study at the west side of the living room. Well, although it was called a study, there wasn't a single bookshelf there, just a large desk and other miscellaneous stuff. It used to be Ralph's, and he never had a reading habit, so all of Eric's books were in his room upstairs.
 
After the piano was in place, he had to tune it. As Eric sat on the bench and placed his fingers on the keys, the delivery men didn't try to hide the ridicule in their eyes. He ignored them and started playing "Happy Birthday". After playing for a while, he glanced at the amazed delivery men. Even in his past life, Eric's piano skills could be considered great.
 
As revenge for their contempt, he cut their tips in half. The several delivery men didn't notice that and the tall white one muttered to himself once they were in the car: "Strauss, ah, Strauss! That's worth at least 20,000 US dollars." His voice was heartbreakingly wistful. If Eric had heard it, he would've probably felt ashamed at his earlier gesture. 
 
...
 
"Audition? What audition ?" Eric asked in puzzlement: "Penny, hasn't my role already been decided ?"
 
For a few days, Eric studied music every day and practiced basketball. Three days after he had gotten used to this routine, he received a phone call from Penny Marshall.
 
"Of course, Eric. What I meant was for you to be present during the auditions of other roles. After all, you're the writer, you could offer some advice, right ?"
 
Eric knew he would only be able to give his opinion and that the final decision wouldn't be his, but he still readily agreed to Penny's offer, this was a good way to earn some experience.
 
Driving to the Fox studios, he saw Penny and James. The casting was a really important part, so of course, the director and producer had to be present. There were also several other staff members, but Eric was the youngest.
 
It was still a good ten minutes before the beginning of the auditions, so Penny Marshall took the initiative to chat with Eric about some 17 Again matters.
 
"With BIG's success, the Twentieth Century Fox has high hopes for this movie, they've given us a budget of 20 million US dollars. They'd like to release it by Thanksgiving, so we have two weeks to make all our necessary preparations and finish the filming before the end of the school holidays."
 
Eric thanked the staff member who gave him the list of auditioning actors, then said to Penny: "If everything goes smoothly, three months should be enough to wrap everything up, the movie has barely any CG, so it shouldn't take that long."
 
Penny Marshall nodded: "Indeed, but we also need to set aside some time to promote the movie."
 
"Right, Penny, for which roles are they auditioning today?" Eric asked.
 
"We've invited Dan Aykroyd and Susan Sarandon for the adult Mike & Scarlett O'Donnell, and James recommended a friend for the role of Ned. Today it's mainly about Mike's children, as well as several other teenagers, so I think we should let you take a look."
 
Although Eric already knew the final decision wouldn't be his, when he heard that most of the actors had already been decided, he was somewhat depressed. Fortunately, Penny told him that they kept Eric's description of the characters in mind when they chose them. As for Ned's role, James Brooks wouldn't joke around with a 20 million dollars project, so the actor he settled on shouldn't be too shabby.
 
Eric still felt a bit stifled and unwilling as he secretly vowed that he wouldn't let that happen again in the future. Being marginalized left him with a bad aftertaste.
 
He wasn't in the mood to keep chatting with Penny, but the latter didn't seem to notice his gloomy expression as she went towards James to discuss something in a low voice.
 
The auditions began, and after 7 or 8 people, Eric finally met someone he was familiar with: Brad Pitt. And he was even auditioning for the role of Alex.
 
Alex's original appearance was that of a weak and feeble guy, and Eric remembered thinking how it was hard to believe that someone like him could suddenly mysteriously shine on the court.
 
He reckoned that the only reason they chose a skinny boy instead of a tall and handsome male, was because they were worried that Zac Efron would be outshined with his 1m75 stature, as it was somewhat short for a caucasian male.
 
Brad Pitt was 25 years old right now but he could pass as a high-school student without a problem. Eric pictured his tall and strong stature getting bullied, then owning everyone on the basketball court; it was at least less far-fetched than the original. Besides, Eric was convinced that his performance would not be outshined by Brad Pitt.
 
When the latter would become famous, people would still talk about how he played Eric Williams' son, how awesome was that?
 
While his lips curled into a smile, he studied the remaining list and tried to spot celebrities from his previous life.
 
He looked at the list which contained more than a dozen actresses' personal information and stopped at the first name on the list, and his chin almost fell off. Angelina Jolie! Ah, it looked like the whole family was in attendance today!
 
He remembered that Jolie should have just graduated from a performing arts school and that she would start her modeling career next year, he had no idea what she was doing on Maggie's auditions' list.
 
Caucasian women mature very early, and Jolie's profile picture was that of a thirteen-year-old slim blonde-haired girl with iconic lips, who exuded a type of wild aura. Eric wasn't looking forward to her performance as she was seriously too young, she probably only got to audition thanks to her father, Jon Voight.
 
While he kept searching, Eric found a very interesting girl.
 
"Hey, Penny," Eric turned around and asked: "What's up with Drew Barrymore? You know, after how she's been behaving for the past couple of years… I don't think she's suitable for a campus comedy ?"
 
Penny Marshall smiled helplessly: "Steven recommended her. That other woman shamelessly kept begging him so many times that he was tired of it, so in the end, he recommended Drew. He also implied that we don't have to take his recommendation into account when she auditions."
 
"Steven Spielberg ?"
 
Penny Marshall nodded: "Yeah, he is Drew's godfather."
 
Eric sighed, the woman Penny mentioned with an undisguised tone of disgust should be Drew Barrymore's greedy mother. In those short few seconds of conversation, Eric was able to get a better understanding of Hollywood. It wasn't anything like how the media or people had described it in his past life; fair and transparent. Here, it was all about connections.
 
Penny Marshall patted Eric's shoulder and said: "Alright, Eric let's start."
 
Eric had the list of the line up in hand as he waited for the auditions to start.
 
He initially thought he would just sit down and provide additional comments, eventually even ask some symbolical questions, he didn't expect that when the first actor came in, Penny would face him with a smile and say: "Eric, you go and perform this scene with Mr. Wolfson."
 
Eric shrugged, glanced at the script, and stepped forward.
 
...
 
Once the fifth actor was out of the audition room, Eric sat back in his seat and jokingly complained: "Penny, when you called me to be a referee, I didn't think it would be on the basketball court."
 
"Ha, nice analogy! Alright don't be mad Eric, it was James' idea. He kept whining about how I canceled your acting classes, and so he thought of this method to make you practice your acting skills."
 
Eric pretended to be angry as he stared at James Brooks and said: "Why didn't you tell me about it?"
 
"Don't you know now?" Penny Marshall asked with a smile.
 
"Whatever..." Eric was left speechless.

An advertising director is reborn in 1988 Hollywood as an eighteen-year-old blond-haired westerner named Eric Williams.

From then on, he starts writing movie scripts and television songs, becomes skilled in directing every kind of film, wins over all kinds of female celebrities, and takes the path to becoming a Hollywood legend.

high school books list

My books list

The Paramount Code

My House of Horrors

my first Taste of Love

Child of Destiny

Jungle Lady and the City Dude

Rebirth to a Military Marriage: Good Morning Chief

That's What They Said...

Transition and Restart

I'm in Hollywood

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