Chapter 1

Just because I took a bite of last night's leftovers.

My sister suddenly had a revelation, staring at me as if she'd discovered something groundbreaking:

"Do you really think this is safe to eat?"

I glanced down at the ribs Grandma had cooked last night and nodded, somewhat bewildered.

[No sympathy for those who bring trouble upon themselves!]

[If you're so fond of leftovers, just go ahead and eat yourself into oblivion!]

Later, I realized I was the troublesome sister in a kind of melodramatic story, quietly enduring hardships.

And my sister played the role of the bold, independent heroine who respected the destiny of others.

Then, later still, my sister cried, admitting she wasn't as carefree as she seemed, and realized her mistakes.

The whole family stopped indulging her.

"Do you really think this is safe to eat?"

My sister's serious gaze startled me, making me glance at the braised ribs on the table.

Grandma had specially made them for us after our night classes.

At the time, my sister said she wasn't hungry, and I was too embarrassed to eat much, so I just had a tiny taste.

But today, I was famished and couldn't resist having a piece as soon as I got home from school.

They were delicious!

So I nodded enthusiastically at my sister.

"It's perfectly fine to eat; otherwise, it would just go to waste."

As soon as I said that, some strange text appeared before my eyes:

[Are you that into leftovers?]

[A prime example of getting what you deserve! Endless hardships await!]

[The heroine shouldn't bother, let her eat herself into trouble!]

I noticed a mischievous glint in my sister's eyes.

Was she upset that I didn't share?

Feeling guilty, I pushed the plate towards her.

"Don't worry, Sis, I'm not hogging it all. You should try some too; it's really tasty."

Normally, a single plate of ribs wouldn't be enough for the two of us to argue over.

But today, my sister Nora Johnson just scoffed.

"I'm not eating. If you like it, have more."

[The heroine is so cool!]

[Let go of the need to help, respect others' paths.]

[With a sister like this, she should face her own consequences!]

Nora's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

She looked like a proud victor, standing above me with a dismissive smile.

I clearly saw her swallow a few times, yet she insisted she wouldn't eat "such things."

After I finished the last piece of rib, a translucent progress bar suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Heroine's Independence: 98%, almost there!"

[Why only 98%?]

[From a tough background, the system task is indeed challenging.]

I looked around, puzzled, deep in thought.