The next morning—
The door to Jison's room creaked open without warning.
A small figure slipped inside.
It was Min-ji.
Still in her pajamas, her hair slightly messy, she walked straight toward the bed with an annoyed expression already forming on her face. When she reached it, she stopped, planted her feet firmly, and placed both hands on her waist.
Her eyes narrowed.
He's still not awake…?
A vein almost popped on her forehead.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the blanket covering Jison.
Then—
YANK.
She pulled it off him in one sharp motion.
"Bro, wake up or you'll be late for school!"
Her voice rang loudly through the room.
Jison stirred slightly, his body reacting sluggishly as his eyes slowly opened.
"…ugh…"
His vision was still hazy, his mind not fully awake yet.
He heard her voice, though.
He processed the words.
School…
A wave of laziness hit him instantly.
I don't wanna go to school today…
The thought formed naturally.
But the moment it did—
The crimson holographic screen appeared again.
Right in front of his eyes.
Sharp.
Unavoidable.
Text began to form.
---
[Date: July 8, 2026]
[Time: 07:17 AM]
-->[Login]<--
---
Jison's half-closed eyes snapped open instantly.
"…!"
All traces of sleep vanished in a second.
Behind him, Min-ji was still shaking his shoulder aggressively.
"Bro! Wake up! You'll be late! Wake up already!"
But Jison wasn't looking at her anymore.
His entire focus locked onto the floating screen.
Today's login…
His heartbeat picked up slightly.
Let's see what quest I get…
Without hesitation, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and reached forward.
His finger pressed the option.
[Login]
From Min-ji's perspective—
It looked insane.
Her brother suddenly sat up, staring into empty air, moving his fingers like he was pressing something that didn't exist.
Her expression darkened instantly.
First, he ignored her.
Now he was acting like a complete madman.
"…are you fucking serious right now?"
Her eyes twitched.
And without warning—
THUD.
She raised her fist and smacked him hard on the head.
"Do whatever you want, I don't care!"
With that, she turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Jison winced, grabbing his head where she hit him.
"Ow—what the hell?!"
He looked toward the door, completely dumbfounded.
"Why did she hit me…?"
For a moment, he just sat there, confused.
Then—
He remembered.
The screen.
His gaze snapped back in front of him.
New text had already appeared.
---
[Login Completed]
[Quest: You Are A Student]
[Objective: Reach School Before The Attendance]
[Reward: (Random Skill ×1)]
---
Jison froze.
His eyes widened so much they almost popped out.
"…you've gotta be kidding me."
His face twisted in disbelief.
"Yesterday you tell me to skip school…"
He pointed at the screen like it had personally offended him.
"And now you're telling me to go to school?! What the fuck kind of system are you?! A snitch?!"
He dragged a hand down his face in frustration.
"This is bullshit…"
Still—
He knew one thing.
He couldn't ignore it.
Not after yesterday's warning.
With a groan, he swung his legs off the bed and stood up.
"…fine…"
He muttered, stretching slightly as he walked toward the door.
A yawn escaped him.
"It's already 7:20… I should hurry…"
His tone was reluctant.
But his steps—
Didn't stop.
Because whether he liked it or not—
The system had already decided his day.
Half an hour later—
Park Jison stood in front of Gangwon High School.
The familiar gate loomed ahead of him, students passing in and out as if it were just another ordinary day.
But for him—
It wasn't.
A faint tension lingered in his chest.
…shit.
He hadn't come at the time that bastard told him to.
Normally, that alone would have been enough to make his legs turn back.
But today—
He exhaled slowly.
"…whatever."
His voice was low, almost forcing confidence into himself.
Then he stepped forward.
Through the main gate.
Into the school.
Each step felt heavier as he walked toward the building, but he didn't stop.
Not this time.
On First Floor.
Second Year Class-B.
Jison stood in front of the classroom door.
For a moment, he hesitated.
His hand hovered over the handle.
Then—
He pushed it open.
The door slid aside with a soft sound.
And instantly—
Every eye in the classroom turned toward him.
Silence fell for a brief second.
Then whispers began.
"Look… isn't he the one Kim Min-jun was looking for?"
"Yeah… I heard he didn't show up yesterday. Min-jun even sent someone else to get his lunch."
"I think Min-jun's gonna kill him today…"
The murmurs spread like wildfire.
Jison felt all of it.
The stares.
The judgment.
The anticipation.
But before he could react—
A figure stepped in front of him.
A fat boy with glasses.
His face slightly swollen, a faint bruise visible near his cheek.
Jung Woo-jin.
Jison's best friend.
Woo-jin looked at him with a complicated expression before speaking.
"Hey… why did you come today?"
Jison blinked, caught off guard.
"…why?"
Then his gaze sharpened slightly as he noticed the swelling.
"Wait… what the hell happened to your face? Did something happen?"
A few minutes later—
Both of them sat together at their usual desk.
Desk partners.
Woo-jin had already explained everything.
How Min-jun—fatty guy— was furious yesterday.
How he had been looking for Jison.
How, when he couldn't find him—
Woo-jin ended up taking the hit instead.
Jison sat there silently for a moment.
Then—
He turned toward Woo-jin, his expression tightening.
"…he really said that?"
There was a hint of fear in his voice.
Woo-jin nodded.
"Yeah. He said he'll kill you if you show up today."
The words landed heavily.
Jison leaned back slightly, exhaling.
"…fuck…"
A pause.
Then he looked at Woo-jin again, guilt flashing across his face.
"I'm sorry… you got beaten because of me."
Woo-jin waved it off, crossing his arms.
"It doesn't matter."
He leaned back in his chair slightly.
"We're best friends after all."
Jison didn't reply immediately.
But something in his expression softened.
Then—
Right in front of his eyes—
The crimson holographic screen appeared again.
Clear.
Familiar.
Text began to form.
---
[Congratulations!]
[Login Quest Completed]
[Reward Granted: (Random Skill ×1)]
[Wanted To Receive (Random Skill ×1)?]
[YES] [NO]
---
Jison's attention shifted instantly.
The fear.
The tension.
Everything else faded to the background.
"…right."
Without hesitation, he raised his hand slightly.
And pressed—
[YES]
The screen flickered.
Changed.
New text appeared.
---
[Random Skill Obtained — Uppercut (Lv-0)]
*For More Information Say "Skill Info"
---
Jison's eyes locked onto the words.
"…Uppercut…"
A faint spark ignited in his gaze.
Meanwhile—
Right beside him—
Woo-jin stared.
From his perspective, Jison was once again moving his fingers in the air, pressing something invisible.
His brows furrowed slightly.
…has he gone crazy?
A thought crept into his mind.
I heard Min-jun knocked him out with one punch yesterday…
Did that mess up his head or something?
Woo-jin glanced at him cautiously.
But Jison—
Didn't notice any of it.
His entire focus was on the floating screen.
On the reward he had just gained.
And slowly—
A faint smile formed on his lips.
The crimson screen faded.
Jison blinked once, then slowly turned his head toward Woo-jin, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Let's try it again…
Without saying anything—
He activated the skill.
[Peeking]
The moment he did—
Woo-jin stiffened slightly.
A strange discomfort crawled over his skin. His cheeks flushed red as he suddenly looked around the classroom, his gaze instinctively drifting toward the girls sitting nearby.
What…?
His thoughts turned oddly soft.
I feel like someone's looking at me…
His lips twitched.
Does she… like me?
Completely unaware—
That the one "looking" at him wasn't a girl.
But his own best friend sitting right next to him.
At the same time—
The crimson holographic screen appeared in front of Jison once more.
Clear.
Detailed.
---
Jung Woo-jin
HEIGHT: 123 CM
WEIGHT: 89 KG
STRENGTH: E
SPEED: F-
POTENTIAL: ???
INTELLIGENCE: D
ENDURANCE: C-
(Note: To Know The Potential Of Target Please Upgrade The Peeking Skill To Level 3.)
---
Jison's eyes narrowed slightly as he read through the stats.
"…???"
His gaze lingered on the hidden value.
Why is his potential hidden…?
His thoughts turned sharp.
Is it too low… or too high?
The condition caught his attention.
Level 3… so I can't see it yet…
Then—
He slowly turned his head toward Woo-jin.
A different kind of look in his eyes now.
Not just casual.
Observing.
Measuring.
What's so special about this guy…?
A faint suspicion crept in.
We've been best friends for so long…
But now that I think about it…
His expression stiffened slightly.
I've never heard him talk about his family… or his parents… not even once…
The thought lingered.
Uncomfortable.
Then—
The screen vanished.
As it disappeared, Woo-jin blinked once.
The strange feeling faded instantly.
"…huh?"
He scratched his cheek slightly, confused.
But didn't think too much about it.
Meanwhile—
Jison shifted his gaze downward.
Toward himself.
"…wait…"
A realization struck him.
"I never used this on myself…"
His voice was low, thoughtful.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand slightly and focused.
[Peeking]
The crimson screen appeared again.
This time—
Displaying his own information.
---
Park Jison
HEIGHT: 145 CM
WEIGHT: 49 KG
STRENGTH: E
SPEED: E-
POTENTIAL: C
INTELLIGENCE: B
ENDURANCE: F-
---
Silence.
Jison stared at it.
His eyes moved slowly across each stat.
Then stopped.
"…this is… shit."
His shoulders dropped slightly.
The disappointment was obvious.
Strength—low.
Speed—low.
Endurance—terrible.
Only intelligence looked decent.
His face darkened as he looked down.
So this is me…?
It wasn't just numbers.
It felt like reality slapping him in the face.
Right there.
Unfiltered.
Woo-jin noticed his expression immediately.
"Hey… what happened?"
He leaned slightly closer, concerned.
"Are you scared because of Min-jun?"
The name alone tightened something in Jison's chest.
Before he could respond—
The classroom door slid open.
All eyes instinctively shifted.
The homeroom teacher walked in.
Behind him—
Two figures.
Min-jun.
And his lackey, Lee Ji-hoon.
The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.
Heavier.
Colder.
Min-jun walked in with a lazy confidence, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. Ji-hoon followed closely behind, a faint smirk already forming on his face.
They moved toward their desks—
But then—
Min-jun's gaze shifted.
Locked.
Directly onto Jison.
For a brief moment—
Everything else faded.
A slow, creepy smile spread across Min-jun's face.
Not loud.
Not exaggerated.
Just enough to send a chill down the spine.
Jison froze.
His body stiffened instantly.
His heartbeat spiked.
Damn it…
A cold wave of fear rushed through him.
I'm done for…
His fingers curled slightly under the desk.
Just then, their homeroom teacher said, "Now everyone, be quiet and take out your textbooks." He stood at the front of the board, scanning the students as he prepared to begin the lecture.