Protagonist Perks (Please Vote!)

Protagonist Perks (Please Vote!)

Duncan's Home.

"Adam Duncan~!"

The visitor was African American, fifteen or sixteen, without the usual sturdy build, his body somewhat lean. ****** With his arms folded across his chest, he shot Adam a sidelong, mocking look. "So this is what you meant by giving up PJ and The Vibe to supposedly focus on studying?"

"I even changed my name."

Adam said helplessly, "Emmett, PJ and The Vibe doesn't exist anymore. And I really am studying. Did you only notice Juno? Come on, the books are right here! Could you keep your thoughts a little cleaner?"

"Hi, Emmett."

Juno greeted him with a grin. They were classmates and naturally knew each other, but one had been weird while the other had been nonconformist, so they had never really interacted before.

"Hi, Juno."

Emmett nodded, flattered, without a trace of the strange attitude he had shown toward Adam just now.

Juno's freckles had seriously lowered her appeal in Adam's eyes, but they fit Western beauty standards perfectly. She was undeniably a cute little beauty, and Emmett had no way of resisting her charm.

The reason he had mocked Adam like that was only partly because Adam had disbanded their band. More importantly, Adam had one pretty girlfriend after another at his side. He had just been dumped by Amazing Amy, yet Juno, who normally rejected everyone, had immediately come knocking to study with him. How could Emmett not be jealous?

"You're really studying?"

Emmett looked back and forth between them suspiciously.

"Of course."

Juno curled her lips. "What else would we be doing?"

"Uh."

Emmett froze. He still had to maintain the proper manners in front of a beautiful girl, so he naturally couldn't keep pressing the matter. Besides, he genuinely hoped Juno was telling the truth. With an awkward smile, he said, "Can I join?"

"You want to join?"

Adam looked at Emmett in amusement.

"What?"

Emmett was a little irritated by Adam's expression. He really didn't like studying, but that was only because he had never had good study partners. If he had Adam's circumstances, with any girlfriend casually encouraging him, did Adam believe he could get into an Ivy League school in minutes?

"Nothing. Welcome aboard."

Adam did not refuse. On the contrary, he was quite pleased.

For one thing, Emmett had been the original Adam's best friend. In the United States, where everything emphasized being correct, a protagonist's essential supporting cast included an African American sidekick like Emmett—just like how protagonists in the webnovels of Adam's previous life always needed a fat friend.

If Adam remembered correctly, neither the original Adam nor Emmett would attend college in the future. Relying on the original Adam's excellent cooking skills, they would start a Food Truck together. They truly counted as lifelong brothers.

After Adam had transmigrated, he had disbanded their "PJ and The Vibe" band. But influenced by the original Adam's lingering emotions, he still had a good impression of kindhearted Emmett. They still hung out together sometimes, though their contact had gradually become less frequent because Emmett did not care much for studying.

If Emmett truly wanted to improve himself, Adam would naturally be glad to see it.

The second reason, of course, was to dilute the absurd feeling of being alone with Juno, lest some "turns out I like it" incident occur. Adam was still only half-convinced by the reason Juno had given him. If she really wanted his body and decided to force the issue, he might not dare resist...

"Then shall we begin?"

Adam shifted to the side and patted the couch between himself and Juno, signaling for Emmett to sit there.

"Sure!"

Emmett's eyes lit up, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth. With the nimble movements honed by street dancing, he flashed over. Instead of simply sitting down, he put on a show and bowed to Juno like a gentleman. "May I?"

"Of course."

Juno smiled.

Emmett happily sat down, looked left at Adam and right at Juno, and excitedly declared that he was going to study hard. Then... there was no then.

Three minutes later, Emmett, whose head was spinning as though he were listening to some heavenly scripture, could no longer keep up the act. Leaning against the back of the couch, he watched Adam and Juno seriously discuss problems with a miserable expression.

His ambition of studying hard and getting into an Ivy League school in minutes instantly shattered. Torn inside, he consoled himself. It's not a big deal... Studying isn't the only way forward. I've got talents like music, dance, and sports...

But then he drooped even more dejectedly. Although he could street dance and play drums, neither skill was outstanding enough to earn him special admission to a university.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle."

At that moment, Teddy's happy laughter drifted down from upstairs, making Emmett, who already felt completely out of place, even more agitated. He blurted out, "I can't believe Teddy is cheating on me behind my back!"

"Teddy isn't cheating on you behind your back."

Adam looked up and snarked, "Because you two aren't in any kind of relationship. And she barely even notices you!"

"No!"

Emmett no longer cared that Juno was beside him. Compared to Juno, he liked Teddy more. He retorted, "Our relationship is just progressing slowly. Even my mom knows about us!"

Adam: ...

Juno: ...

That excuse was truly something else.

"Who's that guy?"

Seeing the two of them stare speechlessly, Emmett smiled smugly before glaring angrily at the ceiling.

"Spencer. A guy Teddy's obsessed with."

Adam thought for a moment, then smiled. "If it's really like you said, why don't you go upstairs and stop them?"

"Yeah."

Juno chimed in, looking at Emmett with teasing eyes. "Or do you have some special hobby?"

"Of course not. Of course I'm going to stop them. I'm going right now."

Emmett could not stand that kind of teasing. He sprang to his feet and headed upstairs.

"Uh-oh, looks like we're getting a show."

Juno smiled at Adam. "Not going to watch?"

"Don't kid yourself."

Adam leaned back, stretched his limbs, and closed his eyes. "If Emmett had that kind of nerve, he'd have gone to heaven already. Ten, nine, eight..."

Before Adam could finish counting down, Emmett had already reappeared.

"How did it go?"

Juno asked curiously.

Emmett gave an awkward smile and tried to cover it up. "He knows he was wrong..."

Before he could finish, Teddy and Spencer's laughter sounded from upstairs. Emmett instantly froze.

"Spencer is way too tall. Who knows what he grew up eating."

Adam took the initiative to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah."

Emmett said indignantly, "He's a whole head taller than me!"

He had gone upstairs to question Spencer and had even wanted to drag him outside for a one-on-one fight. But when Spencer stood up and looked down at him, Emmett had immediately changed his tune. He dropped the part about fighting one-on-one and merely asked Spencer to walk him outside and see him to his car.

Of course, there was no need to mention any of that.

"Teddy isn't right for you."

Adam could not help advising him. "I think getting back together with Ivy would be good too."

Just as Adam had Emmett by his side, Teddy's best friend Ivy was also African American.

Emmett and Ivy had been together before. Huh. Thinking about it, Emmett wasn't exactly innocent either.

Adam's gaze toward Emmett immediately sharpened. Well, well. He had never noticed before—this guy actually wanted to have both best friends. Dream on!

P.S. The contract has been mailed. Please vote!