Daniel’s POV

  I sat across from my mom, watching as she lifted the cup of coffee to her lips. She was cautious, taking a slow sip, her brows furrowing slightly as she tasted it.

  “So this is an… Amaykano.”

  I blinked.

  She didn’t seem to notice her mispronunciation, instead staring down at the dark liquid in her cup.

  "My first taste…" she murmured, almost to herself.

  And just like that, something inside me twisted painfully.

  Her first taste.

  I gripped my own cup, staring at it as a wave of realization crashed over me.

  I had drank Americanos before—many times, in fact. Whether it was out of habit, or just because everyone else did, I never thought twice about ordering one. But my mom… my own mother had never once tasted it before today.

  How many times had I casually bought coffee while she was out there, bending down to pick up discarded cardboard boxes, fingers raw from cold or exhaustion? How many times had I sat in a café, sipping overpriced drinks, never even considering whether she had ever had the same experience?

  I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.

  I felt ashamed.

  Evelina had paid for this coffee. Evelina—again. She always seemed to be there, quietly stepping in to help without ever expecting anything in return. Even in my original body where I was fat and ugly, when people barely even looked at me without disgust, she was the one who stood by my side.

  I could still remember the way she shielded me. Back then, I never understood why she helped me, why she didn't turn away like everyone else. I was nothing but a burden. A joke. But she had always been there, silent and unwavering.

  'Like an angel'.

  The thought made my grip tighten around the cup.

  I didn’t deserve her kindness.

  But at the same time, I was grateful. I owed her.

  I was still drowning in my thoughts when my mom’s voice broke through them.

  “Daniel,” she called gently, pulling me back to reality.

  I looked up, blinking. She was still holding her cup, cradling it like something fragile. There was an odd expression on her face—one of quiet contemption.

  “That girl… Evelina.” My mom gnced toward the door, as if expecting her to walk back in. “How do you know her?”

  I hesitated for a moment before answering simply, “She’s my cssmate.”

  My mom nodded slowly, taking another sip of her coffee, as if she was letting my words settle in. Then, after a moment, I found myself asking, “How do you know her?”

  At that, she let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as if she still couldn’t believe it herself.

  “Ah, well,” she began, setting her cup down gently. “I met her while I was collecting cardboard boxes. She was passing by, and out of nowhere, she stopped and asked if she could help. She even pushed the cart with me, then she asked a scary man to do it for us and we went around collecting together.”

  My breath hitched.

  'Evelina—pushing a cart? Collecting cardboard boxes?'

  I shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course she would. That was just the kind of person she was. Unlike others who would pretend not to see, who would walk past without a second gnce, Evelina never hesitated to step forward. She never treated people as beneath her.

  It didn’t matter that she came from money. It didn’t matter that she lived in a completely different world from people like us.

  'She saw people, truly saw them, without judgment'.

  My chest tightened, a strange mixture of emotions surging inside me.

  I nodded slowly, staring down at my coffee. The warmth seeped into my fingers, but I barely felt it. My thoughts were too heavy, too tangled.

  One day, I would repay her.

  I didn’t know how, or when, but I swore I would.

  For now, I could only sit there in silence, letting the bitter taste of coffee linger on my tongue, as the weight of gratitude and guilt settled deep in my chest.

  ================================

  Evelina's POV

  The moment I stepped into the car, I let out a quiet sigh, sinking into the seat as the door shut behind me. The familiar scent of leather and a faint trace of cologne filled the space, grounding me as I exhaled.

  Alexei sat beside me, one arm resting casually on the armrest, his sharp green eyes flickering over my face with a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny.

  "Ты снова выглядишь задумчивой." (You look deep in thought again.)

  I didn’t bother answering right away. Instead, I reached for my bag and pulled out my tablet, tapping the screen to wake it up. The soft glow illuminated my face as I scrolled through my files.

  I had work to do.

  This world—Lookism—was ten years behind what I knew. I had lived in 2025, but here, it was only 2015. The entertainment industry hadn’t yet reached the level of influence it would have in my time. Global sensations, billion-dolr companies, digital ptforms that would shape the world—all of it was either in its infancy or hadn’t even been created yet.

  And I pnned to take full advantage of that.

  I tapped my fingers against the screen, pulling up my system’s store. My golden cheat, my ultimate weapon. Unlike the typical overpowered systems from novels, mine didn’t grant magic or supernatural abilities.

  But it didn’t need to.

  As long as it wasn’t magic-reted, I could buy anything.

  Company blueprints? Already downloaded.

  Upcoming billion-dolr app algorithms? At my fingertips.

  The future’s biggest hit songs, still unreleased? Avaible for purchase.

  The amount of information at my disposal was overwhelming—but in the best way possible.

  "Это неважно." (It’s nothing.) I finally responded to Alexei, still focused on my tablet.

  He snorted. "Когда ты говоришь, что это неважно, обычно это очень важно." (When you say it’s nothing, it’s usually very important.)

  I smirked but didn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong.

  I scrolled through the files, pausing on a list of names—names that, in my past world, would have been legendary. But here? They didn’t exist.

  BTS? Not yet formed.

  Bckpink? Still trainees.

  Ateez, Stray Kids, NewJeans? They didn’t even exist yet.

  The future kings and queens of the industry weren’t here. I had to make them.

  Worst-case scenario? I’d have to debut myself.

  I exhaled through my nose. The thought was ridiculous, but not impossible. I mean, I have an experience of being and idol before and now I had the knowledge, the data, and the system to back me up. If I couldn’t find the right talent, I would do it myself.

  But for now—

  Step one: Establish a company.

  A new entertainment company, one that would rise before the current giants even realized what was happening. I opened a bnk document and began drafting my pns.

  Company name?

  Velikaya Entertainment.

  I slowly typed it out, watching the letters appear one by one. Великая. The Great. A name that carried weight. A name that was bold, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore.

  It wasn’t just about grandeur; it was about legacy. The kind that withstands time. The kind that echoes through history. The Romanovs had Catherine the Great, and now, I would carve my own path—one not dictated by bloodlines but by sheer will.

  Alexei sighed beside me. "Неужели ты не можешь просто отдохнуть?" (Can’t you just rex?)

  "Ты же знаешь меня." (You know me.) I smirked, typing rapidly.

  He shook his head, muttering something under his breath, but I barely heard him. My mind was already racing ahead, mapping out the next steps.

  This was just the beginning.

  The world had no idea what was coming.