From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel-Chapter 142: The Truth? (1)

The entire school week passed in a blur for Ari.

Rather than letting Priest Steven Choi take him to school along with Grace, he took the public bus at an earlier time so he could take all the makeup exams and school work that he had missed.

In the afternoons, he continued taking more makeup exams or spent time studying at school before returning to clean the church, do his Repeat Missions, and help at the bathhouse.

Throughout this time, he generally didn’t bother looking up anything relating to Pop Star Academy since the few things he saw about himself were unpleasant, and he avoided talking with Grace since all she did was nag about his behavior on the show and force him to wear a face mask.

His only thought about the Pop Star Academy experience was whenever Jamie would contact him.

Monday:

Jamie: Howdy, Your Royal Seaness. Did you watch the episode. Want to hang out? :)

Ari: Saw it. Busy with school, then work

Jamie: :(

Tuesday:

Jamie: Pops banned me from the studio, so I’m renting a different one. Hang out?

Ari: School, then work

Jamie: :(

Wednesday:

Jamie: h o? freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Ari: s t w

Jamie: :(

Thursday: (4am)

Jamie: Gym? Ben is coming too.

Ari: I would rather die

Jamie: But you’re awake

Ari: So?

Jamie: :(

Now that it was finally Friday, he planned on resting his brain and doing the bare minimum, but then-

Jamie: Free dance class. Listed in PSA group chat. Coming?

Ari: Wwwwwh1?

Jamie: Get the app and join the group chat.

Ari: Can’t. Wwwwwh?

Jamie: Jaywalks, free class, tonight, at the dance studio, why not? How what?

Jamie: Coming?

Ari: Hmmm

To be honest, he really didn’t want to.

His ankle still ached when he put weight on it, and he finally earned 1 visual stat point to bump his visual stat up to an A-. He planned on getting NOVA to answer his questions.

Ari: No. Busy.

Jamie: With? :(

Ari: stuff.

Jamie: Are you mad at me? :(

Jamie: Is it because I made Benjamin my gym buddy?

Jamie: You’re always welcome to join us at 4 am. I can come pick you up.

Jamie: he’s here now and says hello, mate.

Ari: Hello back.

Ari: Not mad. Busy.

Ari: I’d rather you poured ice down my shirt every day for the rest of my life than go to the gym, much less at that time

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

Jamie: :(

20 minutes later.

Jamie: Pay attention, I’m sad. You’re supposed to comfort me.

Jamie: :(

Ari: ...We will literally see each other in a couple of days.

Jamie: :(

Ari: Dinner tomorrow?

Jamie: :)

Jamie: I’ll come to you

Rubbing his suddenly aching head, Ari took the snail mask off and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

"Oi."

[What?]

"Add the stat point to my visual stat, please. And start explaining everything from A to Z."

[Visual + 1]

[Visual: B+ -> A-]

"Nothing changed? It looks the same." Ari muttered poking his cheek.

Compared to when he previously added stat points and saw a dramatic change in his face, everything looked the same.

[Vocals: A]

[Dance: D+]

[Visual: A-]

[Rap: F]

[Charm: A]

[Skills: Picky Listener (B), Pen Pal (C), JukeBox(A)]

[Current Rewards: .15 Visual Stat]

[At this point, there’s not much else to change.]

[It’s only minute refinements at the millimeter level to enhance what’s already there.]

"I feel like you’re scamming me out of stat points, but whatever. I don’t really care. It’s time for you to give me an explanation as to what you are, what the deal is with that old man who died, and what’s going on with William Forbes."

[I distinctly remember saying 3 of your stats need to be A rank.]

"The visual stat is A- which technically has an A in it." Ari quickly interrupted, "So stop deflecting and tell me what the deal is."

[Hmmm.]

[Well...]

[Your friend, William Forbes.]

"He is not my friend. I died because of that bastard." Ari quickly interrupted.

[Right right right.]

[Anyway, the blonde boy.]

[Next time you see him, take a look at his status.]

[It should work now to some extent, but it will be better if your third stat is truly at an A rank before you do so.]

"Why?"

[Because I said so.]

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

What kind of terrible answer was that?

[Anyway.]

[As you’ve correctly guessed, the old man was the reason I ended up with you as my host.]

I knew it!

[As for what I am or what he was trying to do, you’re not fully authorized to know that yet.]

"Are you just saying that?"

[No.]

[Having you pester me repeatedly is quite annoying, and if I could stop it by giving you the information, I would.]

"Fine. And William? Was he trying to get you? What does he have? Is it a system? How is he stealing stats?"

[I wonder.]

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

[No really.]

[While I generally dislike you, you are my current host and he’s a clear danger to achieving our mutual goal, which you’re making a decent effort to achieve, so for once, I’m trying to be helpful....]

So you’re aware that you’re often unhelpful.

Rather than say what was on his mind, Ari bit his tongue while waiting for NOVA to continue.

[I have my suspicions, but nothing is certain.]

[I’m wondering if it’s an entity similar to me or if it’s one of the ones I suspect, so take a good look at his status next time you see him.]

[Ah, but once you do, he’ll become aware of you and me by proxy, so make the decision wisely.]

[As you often like to say, he did order your death and body disposal.]

[He or the people around him might recognize you, and you might be in danger once more.]

"I plan on showing my face from now on anyway, and we’re on camera 24/7, so it doesn’t really matter. Plus, he doesn’t seem very observant at all, considering he doesn’t remember my voice after ordering my death, and I’ve never seen any of those people who were with him that day. And since he’s clearly cheating, I plan on gathering evidence, reporting it, and getting him kicked off the show entirely because I have no plans on even entertaining the possibility of debuting with him." Ari replied, pointing to the mini voice recorder he had ordered.

[I hope that your plan is successful.]

[He’s quite self-absorbed and even stupider than you, which is a talent in and of itself, so there’s a good chance it might work.]

[Fighting]

Thank you?

Ari didn’t know whether to be insulted or to fight the system, but since he was being provided information, he just stayed quiet.

[And regarding the William boy.]

[I can’t guarantee it since I’m not sure which specific entity he has....]

[But, for your stats that have reached true A rank, I can probably protect one or two max.]

[Naturally, avoidance is the best policy, but if it came to that, what would you like me to protect?]

Ari thought it over before quickly giving an answer.

His only talent, which had taken him this far, was his vocals, and he absolutely couldn’t lose it.

And since his face paint was being mentioned frequently with the leaked photo circulating on the internet, he absolutely had to show his face to disprove any rumors.

For the other stats apart from Charm, he would cover them up somehow with the new JukeBox skill.

"Vocals are the most important, followed by Visual, then Charm. Everything else can be sacrificed."

[Noted.]

[This protection only extends to you, so those ’friends’ of yours will have to fend for themselves.]

"I’m not too worried about that. The next round probably works the way the last one did, so the winning team gets to choose the next team, and I’ll choose my friends and just not select him for my team. Since they’re all talented, it will work out."

[Wow.]

[You’re really using your brain today.]

[I’m proud of you.]

"Thank you, I really appreciate that," Ari replied with a slightly touched voice.

It seemed that this conversation had really brought him and NOVA closer.

So much so that he even received a compliment.

Just as he was about to compliment NOVA back.

[If possible, could you use your brain to complete your mission board in a timely manner this go round?]

[Your other stats have come far, but your dancing is unsightly, not to mention the unspoken word you’re calling rap.]

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

Never mind.

It was just his delusion that NOVA had suddenly become kind to him.

His good mood suddenly gone, Ari angrily wrote some lyrics, cursing Nova, while using free DAWS programs to bring his thoughts to reality and posted the song on his newly created social media account.

Unfortunately, he was still the only one liking his own posts.

And after spending the day preparing his things for the show and eating dinner with Jamie, the following day, he got into the now familiar truck along with Benjamin and made his way to continue filming Pop Star Academy.

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