My brother and I were the perfect kids in everyone’s eyes. No matter how tough the test, we always aced it, topping the class. Until this month’s exam, when I only came in second, just one point shy of first. That was the first time Mom looked at me with such disappointment. “Leo, aren’t you ashamed of how badly you did?” My brother, Noah, who had just finished a game, looked up at me too. “Dude, you’re so dumb.” “How could you even lose such easy points?” I clenched my shirt tightly and started to promise, “Next time…” But Mom didn’t give me a chance to finish; instead, she shooed me into my room. “Oh, so now you’re talking back!” “No dinner until you finish ten worksheets today!” Inside my room, I heard my parents arguing. “He’s still so young, aren’t you afraid you’ll starve him?” “He did so badly, what right does he have to eat?!” “Besides, what’s one night without food going to do?!” Their shouting made my head spin. As my consciousness blurred, I started to fantasize, If only I could be the perfect kid Mom always wanted… The next second, a robotic voice echoed in my ear. “Congratulations, player, you’ve successfully triggered the Perfect Child System.” “Would you like to activate it?”
But when the Perfect Child System actually appeared before me, I hesitated. “What’s the cost?” “The cost? Your personality will be replaced by the perfect persona.” “In other words, once the system is activated, ‘you’ will no longer be you.” My parents’ arguments kept echoing in my ears. “You think I’m heartless?! What choice do I have!” “A psychic told me Noah was born a genius, destined for academic greatness. But Leo, he was just… destined to struggle!” “We poured everything we had into his education, even selling our best house and car for private tutors, just so he could scrape by with good grades!” “But now he…” “He’s not even good-looking, and his grades aren’t outstanding. What if he can’t find a partner when he’s older?!” “David, I’m worried!!” Mom’s sorrowful cries mixed with Dad’s angry voice. But I couldn’t hear them anymore. No wonder our big mansion from childhood had shrunk into a cramped apartment. No wonder Dad came home later and later, constantly working overtime at the office. No wonder Mom, who used to be so vain, had more and more wrinkles on her beautiful face and more gray hairs. No wonder Noah’s game consoles became fewer and fewer, and he often looked at me with regret. It was all because of me! I was the one hurting them!! Even though there was only emptiness before me, I still nodded firmly into the air. “I agree to activate the Perfect Child System!” “Alright, deducting all assets from the player.” I instinctively tried to interrupt: “Wait!” “Can I keep five hundred dollars?” The system’s voice showed a hint of impatience: “Bargaining is prohibited!” I clenched my crumpled shirt, and slowly spoke: “Please, I beg you…” “Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday. For the last time, I want to give her a gift.” After a long silence, the system replied. “Fine. It’s almost New Year anyway, so I’ll waive those five hundred bucks.” “Also, your personality will disappear after tomorrow. Say your goodbyes to everyone you love as soon as possible.” I nodded, understanding. After the system vanished, I heard knocking at my door, mixed with curses. “What? You get mad just because I yell at you a bit?” “How old are you, still acting like a child!” “Fine, you won’t open up, huh? I’m taking this stuff away, starve to death for all I care!” “Honestly, I must have owed you in a past life!” But I still didn’t dare open the door. I was afraid that if I saw Mom, I wouldn’t be able to stop crying, Wouldn’t be able to beg the system to give up the activation. So, it wasn’t until the TV sounds also disappeared that I dared to open the door. It was dark outside, and no one was there. On the dinner table was a steaming bowl of rice, piled high with all my favorite dishes. Next to it were my favorite fruits. I clamped my hand over my mouth, preventing my sobs from escaping.
The next morning, I planned to wear my brand-new school uniform to say goodbye to my friends. But when Mom saw the clothes I was wearing, her face instantly darkened. “Leo, have you gone crazy from all that studying?” “Why on earth are you wearing a new uniform for no reason?” The muffin in my mouth suddenly tasted bland. I stammered, “Because…” Noah adjusted his glasses, his voice chillingly cold. “Everyone at school is saying Leo’s dating a girl. Looks like it’s true.” Dating a girl? I was just asking the class rep for help on the last difficult math problem… But Mom didn’t listen to my explanation; she slapped me hard. She was trembling with anger: “Oh, so you’re dating now!” “And I even felt guilty yesterday, blaming myself for getting mad at you over one point!” “I never thought your mind would already be off your studies!” The spot where she slapped me felt hot. Before I could even cry out in pain, She forcibly stripped off my new uniform, And shoved the faded, washed-out uniform onto me. She also messed up my hair, which I had spent so long styling. In the mirror, I looked utterly insane. “From now on, this is how you’re going to school!” “Let’s see if you still dare to have bad thoughts!” I looked pitifully at Dad, Every time I looked at him, he would play peacemaker and calm Mom down. But this time, he was angry too. “Looking at me won’t help, just do as your mom says!” “You’re young, you should be studying hard, not wasting your time on these irrelevant things!” I sniffled, holding back my tears. Just as I was about to grab a muffin to eat on the way, Mom slapped my hand away. “Eat what? Eat what?!” “Get to school right now! Just looking at you annoys me!” I quietly packed my backpack and waited for Noah by the door. Mom helped Noah straighten his collar and handed him a packed lunchbox. “The fruit today is great. Don’t forget to share with your friends at school.” As if sensing my pitiful gaze, She coldly glanced at me. “You don’t get any today.” “You’ll get fruit slices when you come in first place.” I nodded disappointedly. But then I remembered it was my last day with them, I still tried to force a smile for her. “Okay, Mom.” Just as I was about to leave, she called out to me again: “Wait!” “I haven’t given you your stuff yet!” I felt a flicker of joy. But the next second, her actions shattered all my expectations. She shoved a thick stack of workbooks into my backpack. It was so heavy that my shoulder dropped an inch. Then, without hesitation, she pushed me out the door. “Alright, go to school.” “Oh, and by the way, from now on, you have to submit a daily report on your studies to me every single day.” “What you did at school, what you learned, you must write it all down clearly!” “Don’t think about writing something quick to fob me off. I’ll call your teacher and other classmates to confirm!” Noah was engrossed in his game, wearing headphones, As if none of this concerned him. My heart ached. Why could he get perfect scores and everything he wanted so effortlessly, while I, no matter how hard I studied, could never keep up with him… I shook my head, trying to push away all the unhappiness. It’s okay. After today, I’ll be the perfect kid in their eyes. They won’t treat Noah and me differently anymore. I suddenly longed for tomorrow to come.
As soon as school was out that evening, I rushed to the mall to buy Mom a gift. It was a long journey, and I didn’t get home until eight in the evening. As soon as I pushed open the door, I eagerly shouted into the house: “Happy Birthday, Mom!!” “Look what I bought you…” But what greeted me was Mom’s grim face. Her face was dark as thunder. She blocked me at the doorway, not letting me take a step inside. She held a thick cane in her hand, staring intensely at me: “Leo, it’s eight o’clock at night! Where have you been?!” “Do you know how worried the whole family was about you!” Dad’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion: “It’s your mom’s birthday today, can’t you just calm down?!” Noah snatched the bag from my hand and threw it to the ground. “Leo, you’re unbelievable!” “We’ve been waiting for you for so long, and you were out shopping with your girlfriend!” I instinctively tried to grab the bag back: “No, I wasn’t!” “That’s for…” But my struggle, in their eyes, was a sign of guilt. “Not true?” Mom snatched my bag. She roughly tore open the pretty wrapping paper, only to find a delicate silver bracelet inside. Mom froze for a moment, picking up the bracelet blankly: “This is…” Did Mom understand? I swallowed, seizing the opportunity to explain. “It’s the birthday present I bought for you!” “Every time we went to that mall, you always couldn’t help but stare at that gold bracelet…” “Even though you said it was nothing special. But I know, you’ve always really liked it!” “I couldn’t afford gold, so I could only buy you silver…” “But I know you won’t mind, right!” I grew more excited as I spoke, unable to resist taking the bracelet. “Mom, let me help you try it on to see if it fits!” “If it doesn’t, we can still exchange it today!” Mom coldly pulled her hand back, looking at me suspiciously. “Really?” For some reason, her gaze made my heart pound. But I still pretended to be calm and nodded. The atmosphere grew heavier, and Dad finally spoke. “Alright, alright, the kid’s heart is in the right place, don’t be so suspicious!” “Leo, go wash your hands, dinner’s ready!” I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. But the next second, Mom’s cane struck my leg. “Only you would believe his nonsense!” “I just saw it, this thing costs hundreds!” “He’s just a student, where would he get money for a gift like that?!” I cried out in pain: “Ah—!!” “That was, that was my birthday money!” She froze for a moment. Then hit me even harder. “You’re still lying!” “Your annual allowance, maybe a few hundred bucks, it’s all spent on workbooks, remember? There’s nothing left!” “Tell me, did some rich sugar mama buy this for you?!!” “I’m such a failure, how could I raise a child like you!!” I endured the pain, trying to steady her trembling body. “Mom, no…” “You’re not a failure, I’m the one who’s not good enough!” “I’m not good enough…” But the next second, she forcefully pushed my hand away. “Get out!” Her voice became very faint: “If only I had Noah as my only son…” I looked up at her; she was clutching her chest, struggling to breathe. “Mom—!!” The next second, she collapsed. Dad called an ambulance. Just as I was about to follow them, Noah blocked my way. “Leo, you practically made Mom pass out, and you still have the nerve to go with them?!” I couldn’t do anything but grab Dad’s sleeve, pleading desperately. “Dad, please…” “I want to go to the hospital with Mom too!” But Dad furiously shook my hand off. “Stop making things worse, will you?!” “Are you trying to make me die of anger too?!” I was flung to the ground, but he wouldn’t even look at me, He just turned and got back into the ambulance. The car sped away, and I ran after it. “Mom—” “Mom!!” But no matter how loudly I shouted, the car didn’t stop for a second. I stared blankly at the receding taillights. “Can the system be activated early?” A cold, robotic voice sounded in my ear. “Your pain perception is not yet fully numb. Activating early may cause unbearable suffering.” “Do you still wish to proceed?” I nodded firmly. Less than a second later, a bloody gash appeared on my arm. The system forcibly implanted a chip under my skin. A strange sensation surged through my body, As if someone was seizing my body, seizing my consciousness… As the pain slowly faded, I heard my own voice: “Perfect Child System officially activated.”
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