Kalix wore a navy blue suit that suited him well, although it wasn’t his first time in formal wear, he still felt a bit unsure when seeing his reflection in the mirror. It felt different as he was still in his late teens.“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Snyder appeared from behind, now in a black suit with the top two buttons undone. His overall appearance looked extravagant and somewhat careless, fitting the image he presented to many.Ignoring Snyder, Kalix nonchalantly replied, “No.”“Well, that’s good. Let’s go.” After saying that, Snyder turned and walked out first.It was around half-past five when they left Snyder’s house. Mr. Hegard’s birthday event took place in their family villa, a bit far from the city center, where Snyder’s house was located. Since the event started at 5 pm, they were likely to be late.Kalix didn’t care, after all, he wasn’t invited and only came along because of Snyder and the system. As predicted by Kalix, they arrived late, causing them to be scrut
Almost everyone at the birthday party had no idea who Kalix was. Even Wees Hegard and his pianist friends were equally unaware of his identity.Many of them didn’t have high expectations for him. Besides his unknown name, Bradley’s piano playing could be considered the best among those in their twenties.However, observing Kalix’s sitting posture and hand positions, it didn’t look like an amateur was playing. It was not much different from a professional.Then, as the first keys were pressed and the melody followed the dance of his fingers on each key, Wees Hegard became more convinced of the man’s skill.“Do you know another young piano genius but didn’t tell us?” asked an older pianist with a big name in the country, who had been a judge in various renowned competitions.Wees showed a complicated expression on his face and regretfully answered, “Mr. Robert, I really don’t know. If he ever participated in professional competitions, I should know him.”Mr. Roberts, the one called, smi
Kalix arrived at the location around 9 p.m. After thanking Snyder, he headed to their team room where Carl and Kyle were already present. The two appeared anxious in front of the computer, their expressions grim."How's the situation?" Kalix asked them both.Kyle turned towards him and shook her head, but she looked much better than Carl, who seemed nearly frustrated."The data couldn't be justified? Is it really damaged?" Kalix walked to the other side of Carl, staring at the computer screen with a furrowed brow."It's over, everything is over!" Carl exclaimed, hitting the table's edge. His eyes were reddened, seemingly on the verge of tears."Let me check it."After those words, Carl stood up and made room for Kalix.A few hours ago, Carl received a notification on his phone that someone tried to access their computer, which contained data for the upcoming 10-week competition. He had been suspicious from the start, so he decided to investigate.And his suspicions were correc
The day passed unnoticed until Carl felt fatigue in his shoulders. He stretched his muscles and glanced at the clock on the computer screen. His expression revealed surprise.“This is the first time I’ve lost track of time while doing something,” he said.No response, so he looked in Kalix’s direction. It wasn’t unusual to find him still focused on his computer screen.However, Carl remained surprised. Even though he was used to seeing Kalix work seriously, it was the first time he saw him working intensely for hours.“Hey, Kalix! Are you hungry?” Carl asked louder to be heard.Indeed, Kalix responded with a grunt, as if asking what, but he didn’t pay any attention.Carl sighed deeply and asked again, “What do you want to eat? I can order food, or do you have ingredients in your fridge?”Kalix paused from his work. “Looks like there are eggs and instant noodles.”“Yeah, that’s it. I’ll cook instant noodles with eggs, is that okay with you?”“No. You can do whatever as long as
The two of them talked for quite a while and reached an agreement that Eugene would be one of the beta testers for the competition application. Initially, Kalix had considered asking for Snyder’s help, but he hadn’t anticipated Eugene appearing at a time like this and offering assistance.Certainly, Kalix felt a great sense of relief. One problem had been solved, so the application would be completed in less than two days.After seven full days of working under pressure, they could finally breathe easy. That evening, Carl decided to go back home, sleep through the night and day.Before leaving, he said, “Who will you invite to test your application?”“Eugene,” Kalix replied briefly and calmly.However, this caught Carl off guard. “Are you sure it’s Eugene?”Kalix nodded and mumbled in response, looking at Carl with an unclear expression.“Is there a problem?” he asked.“No, it’s just that I’m not sure if this will be a problem or not if others find out,” Carl explained vaguely.Despit
“Did you have enough fun?” Kalix asked as they exited the ice skating rink. Eugene nodded happily, responding with equal joy, “Yes, I had a great time.” Kalix glanced at Eugene, noticing the long hair flowing forward and obstructing the view. Gently and attentively, Kalix moved his hand, tucking Eugene’s hair behind her ear. The gesture made Eugene suddenly feel nervous, her heart pounding, fearing Kalix might notice.“Alright, let’s go home. I’ll drop you off first,” Kalix suggested. Eugene avoided direct eye contact, only nodding firmly and taking the first step to leave. The car drove out of the parking area towards the Celeste family residence. Throughout the journey, Eugene remained mostly silent, much like Kalix, who wasn’t naturally talkative. The atmosphere inside the car felt a bit subdued.Fortunately, Eugene’s house wasn’t far, so the mood didn’t linger. Kalix stopped the car in front of the Celeste residence. Peeking at Kalix, Eugene saw no change in his usual
Rocky turned off his phone after ending the call, exited the bathroom, and washed his hands before returning to his desk. Only Lorenz was there, so he asked, "Where is he?"Shrugging, Lorenz nonchalantly replied, "Gone."Upon hearing that, Rocky immediately checked his watch and felt a bit puzzled. "I didn't spend much time in the bathroom, but he's already gone.""Is 15 minutes too short?" Lorenz asked lazily, showing his displeasure. From the beginning, he didn't want to come to this place, he preferred nightclubs, bars, or places that allowed him to drink alcohol. Besides, quiet places like this weren't his style, but he was out of money. So, he could only follow Rocky, who could afford his food and drinks.After Kalix slipped from his hands and 'that person' stopped giving him money, he had no income other than monthly funds from his parents. However, his poor grades this year and several reported incidents around the campus led his parents to stop giving him money, except for sc
Neither Kalix nor the system considered the possibility, they didn’t know who took Iann. Certainly, the person might live here or have relatives or friends residing here, granting them access.This apartment is known for its strict security control—security guards and surveillance cameras are everywhere—so strangers can’t enter unless accompanied by a resident.Even in the system-acquired video, the man is seen wearing a black jacket that conceals his entire face, rendering his identity unknown.Instead of heading to the back building, Kalix first approaches the gatekeeper.He asks one of the guards, ‘Sir, did you see my friend leave a few minutes ago? Can you tell me which way he went?’The security guard, having been there before, knows the friend Kalix is referring to. He shakes his head and replies, ‘No one has left in the last hour.’Kalix shows a puzzled expression and adds, ‘How is that possible? My friend left around 15-20 minutes ago, but he left his belongings, so I wa