Lili was entranced.
Time itself seemed to stall, as though the world had forgotten how to breathe. The forest made no sound—no wind, no insects, no rustling leaves—only the lingering presence of the music that had just existed.
Just before the final passage could be played, Lili stopped.
The bow lifted from the strings.
Silence fell.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. Dark purple irises glimmered beneath the oni mask as his gaze lowered to the violin resting against his shoulder. His grip was gentle, almost reverent, as if afraid that ending the piece would tarnish what had already been created.
In a low, hoarse whisper, he spoke:
"An ending is a pitiful way to say goodbye… so never end something so sweet."
The words carried weight—deep, melancholic—but the expression hidden beneath the mask betrayed none of it. Detached. Calm. Empty.
Lili straightened.
"Shakky," he said, "take back the violin."
At once, the system responded.
The violin trembled lightly in his hand before dissolving, its form breaking apart into countless white particles. They drifted upward in silence, flowing smoothly into the invisible system panel. To any outsider, it would have appeared as nothing more than the violin vanishing in a soft white glow.
Lili remained unmoved.
He kept the bow—Brook's cane—and planted it against the ground, using it as his own walking staff. With the oni mask upon his face and his soul newly solidified, he turned away from the forest.
Without looking back, Lili stepped forward.
Out of the silent woods.
Toward the bustling city of Soutuo.
♤
Lili walked back to the hotel where he had stayed the night before.
This time, the people who saw him pass by reacted differently.
If before he carried the presence of distant royalty, now he felt like a walking mystery—something sharp, unreadable, and quietly dangerous. The oni mask displayed three conflicting emotions at once, and the pressure radiating from him was heavier, more oppressive, making breaths feel shallow for those nearby.
Some instinctively stepped aside.
Those who had been there yesterday recognized him immediately.
The same walking posture.
The pristine yellow kimono.
Those pale, slender hands.
It was definitely her.
They didn't know why she wore a mask now, but one thing was clear to everyone who sensed that aura—
If you weren't a curious cat, you were safe.
Without acknowledging a single gaze, Lili returned to the same room as before and went to sleep.
♤
Morning came.
And as always, it was the sun's job to be the world's bulb once again.
Inside the high-end hotel room, Lili took his time.
As usual.
Ding—
□ Alarm
7:30
"Ugh…"
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment before muttering,
"Good morning, Shakky."
Then, without moving much, he asked for breakfast.
The system obliged.
Ten minutes later, Lili ate in silence. After finishing, he stood up and washed his face with cold water, wiping it dry with a white towel. One thing remained unchanged—
He never looked at the mirror.
He hated this body's fucking face.
After doing some basic cleaning, he stretched lazily, joints cracking faintly.
"Ugh… I can't get enough of this new lifestyle," he muttered.
"Why won't my body obey what I'm thinking? I want to fucking sleep, but it won't fucking listen… hayst."
For once, Lili didn't know what to do next.
He could stay in the hotel and waste time.
Or roam outside—something he really didn't feel like doing.
He stood there, undecided.
Then he heard it.
Ding—
□ Mission
[ SHREK ATTENDANCE ]
Complete 25 days of attending Shrek Academy
Reward: 15 R.P.
Complete 50 days of attending Shrek Academy
Reward: 30 R.P.
Complete 75 days of attending Shrek Academy
Reward: 45 R.P.
Complete 100 days of attending Shrek Academy
Reward: 60 R.P.
Reminder: Missing even one day will restart the mission.
♤
Lili stared at the new mission.
He raised an eyebrow.
With a dry, sarcastic tone, he spoke—
"Clearly you're forcing me to attend. And if I don't, it looks like it'll be my loss."
He scoffed softly.
"But who do you think you're talking to? Do you really think I'm into this roulette and its rewards? Or that I should give a fuck about any of this?"
His voice was flat. Unbothered. Unwilling.
"I really don't care whether I gain more R.P. or not."
Before he could continue hes unbothered speech —or spiral into his usual disdain—the system cut him off.
Ding—
□ Penalties
Loss of your allowance and all future allowances.
Lili froze.
Silence.
He didn't argue.
Didn't negotiate.
Didn't even curse.
He simply turned around, walked to the bed, grabbed the oni mask, and put it on. Then he picked up his soul-solid cane.
Without another word, he headed for the door.
As he walked out, he muttered under his breath—
"There's no way I'm working for my own income… when my mommy can give it to me for free."
He paused for half a second.
"That'd be a huge loss for me."
Yeah.
He had no intention of applying for a job.
No intention of earning money the normal way.
After all—
He was a fucking sloth.
♤
And if you really think about it, finishing the missions was the better choice.
The R.P. and his allowance would be guaranteed. Stable. Effortless.
If it were the other way around, he'd be penniless.
And the only ways to get money in this world would be to steal, apply for a job, take commissions, or deal with all kinds of other bullshit.
For Lili, that alone sounded exhausting.
A hassle.
Something he would definitely never do.
So attending Shrek Academy—
Sitting through classes—
Showing up every day—
That was still far better than lowering and killing himself to work.
After all, laziness wasn't a flaw for him.
It was a lifestyle..