The Good Girl's Rebellion

I froze and raised a hand to wipe away my tears. "Why would you say that? How did I die?"

"I can't tell you just yet." The system in my mind lowered its voice. "I'm bound to you. If you die, I die too. I'm just trying to save myself."

The next second, it began urging me along. "Hurry up. The reunion is about to start."

I wiped my tears dry and boarded the bus.

…

A week earlier, I'd just finished my SATs. The moment I handed in my exam paper, a system suddenly appeared in my mind. It introduced itself as the Disobedience System.

Simply put, its job was to make me disobey my parents and go against everything they wanted me to do.

I'd been the perfect daughter for 18 years, so I immediately refused and demanded that it sever our bond. But the system had warned me that if I didn't follow its instructions, I'd lose the most precious thing in my life. Terrified of losing my family, I meekly agreed.

Over the past week, it had first demanded that I replace all my shoes. I frowned. "Mom said girls with big feet don't look pretty. Wearing smaller shoes would make me cuter."

Yet, after I followed its instructions and sized up, my feet had stopped hurting.

Next, it had ordered me to get rid of my skirts and wear only pants. I felt a little aggrieved. "Mom said girls should wear skirts. That's what well-mannered ladies do."

But after I'd put on an old pair of sweatpants my brother no longer wanted, I discovered that I could run faster.

…

The day before, the system had demanded that I cut off my long hair, and I nearly burst into tears. "Dad told me to keep my hair long. He said it makes me look gentle and demure."

But after cutting my waist-length hair short, I discovered that washing it took so much less time.

I followed the system's instructions and changed so many habits I'd developed over 18 years. Aside from my family's increasingly disappointed looks, I hadn't suffered any harm. In fact, my body felt much more comfortable than before.

So, I'd believed the system when it said it wouldn't hurt me.

…

When I entered the nightclub's private lounge we'd agreed to meet at, I hunched my shoulders in fear, wishing I could make myself disappear. Remembering all the horrifying news stories my brother had told me about, I imagined everyone around me was a bad influence who wanted to lead me astray.

I wanted nothing more than to turn around and run home.

But when the system first appeared, it told me that it had set a secret phrase. As long as I said the right words, it would disappear immediately and give me a gift.

I tried countless times. I even called myself a complete idiot, but nothing worked. Until I figured it out, all I could do was endure it obediently and play the part of a disobedient daughter.

Suddenly, an arm draped across my shoulders.

"Grace! You finally made it!"

I turned around and saw that it was our class representative.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Our class rep had always gotten excellent grades. If she was here, surely the classmates who'd come couldn't be bad people. But the moment I stepped into the private room, I froze.

More than a dozen classmates were gathered around the room. Some were drinking, some were smoking, some had their arms around each other as they belted out songs, and others were playing dice.

There was nothing respectable about any of it.

Our class rep ushered me into a seat and handed me a bottle of beer.