Without wasting another second, Park Jison turned back.
His footsteps echoed faintly against the pavement as he retraced his path toward the narrow alley between the buildings. The evening air felt heavier now, as if something unpleasant was waiting for him.
As he reached the gap and looked inside—
His eyes sharpened.
A guy in a yellow shirt had cornered the girl completely. His hand was already reaching forward—
Toward her chest.
The girl pressed herself harder against the wall, her face tense, trying to push his arm away.
"Stop—!"
Before things could go further—
"Hey, bastards."
Jison's voice cut through the alley, cold and sharp.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
Both men froze.
The guy in the yellow shirt stopped mid-motion and slowly turned around. His expression twisted with irritation as his eyes landed on Jison.
Beside him, his friend in a black shirt also turned, sizing Jison up in an instant.
"Bastard trying to be a hero?" the black-shirt guy sneered, stepping forward. "Fuck off… or you'll wake up in heaven."
He didn't wait for a reply.
He started walking straight toward Jison.
Behind him, the yellow-shirt guy glanced once at his friend and smirked slightly.
He'll handle it… let's continue.
He turned back toward the girl again, as if the interruption was nothing.
The girl, however, wasn't looking at him anymore.
Her eyes were locked onto Jison.
Why…?
Why is this guy helping me?
Meanwhile, the black-shirt guy stopped right in front of Jison.
Close.
Too close.
He stared directly into Jison's eyes, trying to intimidate him.
Jison's heart was pounding.
He was scared.
Anyone in this situation would be.
But backing down wasn't an option anymore.
Not now.
He released his grip, and the plastic bag slipped from his hand, dropping to the ground with a soft thud.
The black-shirt guy suddenly raised his hand.
"Bastard, get out of here—"
He swung.
A slap aimed straight at Jison's face.
But—
Jison moved first.
In that split second, instinct and muscle memory kicked in.
[Uppercut]
His fist shot upward.
Clean.
Precise.
Impact.
Thud.
The punch connected directly with the guy's jaw.
The force lifted him off his feet—
He flew backward and crashed hard onto the ground behind the yellow-shirt guy.
Silence.
For a fraction of a second, everything froze.
The girl's eyes widened as she witnessed it.
That punch…
An uppercut.
Clean and powerful.
The yellow-shirt guy felt something fall behind him.
"Hey, did you alre—"
He turned mid-sentence.
And froze.
His friend… was lying flat on the ground.
Unconscious.
"…what the fuck?"
At the same time, Jison himself was shocked.
That… was stronger than I expected.
He had assumed he'd be just slightly stronger than Kim Min-jun.
But this?
This was something else.
The yellow-shirt guy's expression darkened instantly.
He turned back toward Jison, fury burning in his eyes.
"Motherfucker… you dare hit my bro?"
He started walking forward, cracking his knuckles.
Step by step, the tension in the alley rose.
Jison stood his ground.
The distance between them closed quickly.
The moment Jison entered his range—
The yellow-shirt guy shifted into a boxing stance.
"You're dead."
His fist shot forward.
A jab.
Fast.
Direct.
Jison saw it coming.
But—
His body couldn't keep up.
His speed… wasn't enough to dodge.
So—
He took it.
The punch landed straight on his face.
Thud.
His head snapped back slightly as he stumbled a step behind.
The yellow-shirt guy smirked.
You'll be unconscious from that.
But—
Jison didn't fall.
He steadied himself.
Slowly, he raised his hand and touched his nose.
"…got it."
Before the yellow-shirt guy could even process what was happening—
Jison moved.
Fast.
He stepped in, closing the distance in an instant.
[Uppercut]
Again.
His fist drove upward with full force.
Impact.
A solid, crushing hit to the jaw.
The yellow-shirt guy's body lifted off the ground—
He was sent flying upward before crashing down.
His vision blurred instantly.
Consciousness slipping.
As darkness swallowed him, one thought flickered in his mind—
This… has to be a dream…
How the hell… did he beat me… with just one punch…?
Then—
Nothing.
Silence returned to the alley.
Only Jison remained standing.
Breathing heavily.
Victorious.
Park Jison stood there, breathing heavily.
Victory.
It had come faster than expected.
A faint grin spread across his face despite the throbbing pain in his body. His chest rose and fell unevenly, adrenaline still rushing through his veins.
Then—
Drip.
A drop of blood fell from his nose and hit the ground.
He raised his hand and touched it.
"…shit."
Before he could think further, footsteps approached him.
Soft. Careful.
The girl walked up to him, her expression filled with concern.
"Hey… are you okay?" she asked gently. "Your nose is bleeding."
As she spoke, she reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief.
Jison finally looked at her properly.
And froze.
She was…
Beautiful.
Not just in a simple way—there was something elegant about her. Refined. Her white skirt reached just to her knees, paired perfectly with a black fashionable top that made her stand out even more.
Her presence felt… different.
For a moment, Jison completely forgot about the fight.
"…uh…"
The girl extended her hand toward him, holding out the handkerchief.
"Here, take this."
Jison blinked, snapping out of his daze. He quickly took it.
"Thank you."
But even as he said it, his eyes lingered on her face, still a little stunned.
The girl noticed his awkwardness and shook her head lightly.
"No, no… I should be the one thanking you," she said sincerely. "You saved me."
Jison awkwardly wiped the blood from his nose with the handkerchief, trying to regain his composure.
"…I'll buy you a new one," he said. "If that's okay."
The girl bent slightly and picked up the plastic bag from the ground—the one Jison had dropped earlier.
"It's fine, you don't have to," she replied, then looked back at him. "You saved me from those bastards."
She extended the bag toward him.
"And this… I think it's yours."
There was a faint blush on her cheeks.
Jison looked at the bag and then nodded.
"Oh… yeah."
He took it from her.
"Thank you."
For a brief moment, silence settled between them.
Then Jison cleared his throat slightly and spoke again.
"Where do you live?" he asked. "I'll walk you there… it's already getting late."
The girl hesitated.
She turned her face slightly away, her voice softer now.
"Do you really have to…?"
Jison scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact.
"It's okay if you don't want to."
He turned, taking a step toward the exit of the alley.
But suddenly—
A light tug.
He stopped.
He looked back.
The girl was holding onto his sleeve.
Her grip wasn't strong, but it was enough to stop him.
"No—I mean…" she said quickly, a bit flustered. "Is it okay with you?"
Jison blinked, slightly surprised.
Then he nodded.
"Of course it's okay."
A few minutes later, the two of them walked together along the street.
The sky had dimmed further, streetlights beginning to flicker on one by one.
She walked slightly ahead.
Jison followed just behind her, maintaining a small distance.
The atmosphere between them was… awkward.
Neither of them knew what to say at first.
Then suddenly—
"I-I'm Lee Seo-yeon," she said, her voice slightly panicked, as if she forced herself to speak. "I'm new in Chuncheon… what about you?"
Jison responded casually, though he was clearly trying to hide his own nervousness.
"I'm Park Jison."
He paused for a second, then added,
"Well… where did you live before?"
"Seoul," she replied.
Jison's eyes widened slightly.
"What—really?"
A spark of excitement appeared on his face.
"Damn… that's a coincidence. I also lived in Seoul before coming here… about a month ago."
Hearing that, Lee Seo-yeon suddenly turned around, her eyes lighting up.
"Really?" she asked, excitement clear in her voice. "That's actually such a coincidence… hehe…"
Her small laugh carried a warmth that made the atmosphere between them noticeably lighter.
And just like that—
They had something to talk about.
Seoul.
Old neighborhoods. Random memories. Complaints about moving. Small, awkward jokes.
The conversation, which had started stiff and uncertain, gradually began to flow naturally as they walked through the evening streets.
For the first time that day, Park Jison felt… normal.
After a while, they arrived.
A white apartment building stood in front of them—clean, well-maintained, and noticeably better than most buildings in the area.
Seo-yeon stopped walking.
"Here we are," she said, turning to face him.
There was a brief pause.
Then, slightly hesitant but hopeful, she added—
"Can I get your number… so we can stay in touch?"
Jison froze for a second.
Then—
A faint blush crept up his face.
"…fine."
He tried to sound casual, but it didn't quite land.
They quickly exchanged numbers, both slightly awkward during the process.
Seo-yeon glanced at him one last time, a small smile forming on her lips.
"See you, Jison."
Then she turned and walked into the building.
Jison stood there for a moment.
Just staring.
At the entrance.
At the place she had disappeared into.
"…huh."
A strange feeling lingered.
After a few seconds, he shook his head lightly and pulled out his phone.
6:57 PM.
"…shit."
His eyes widened.
He immediately turned around and started running.
Fast.
"Min-ji's gonna kill me…"
His footsteps pounded against the pavement as he rushed back toward home, the plastic bag swinging wildly in his hand.
While running, a thought suddenly hit him.
Wait…
His expression changed.
Damn it—I forgot about the reward.
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
I was too focused on Seo-yeon…
Almost as if responding to his thoughts—
A crimson holographic screen appeared in front of him mid-run.
"…there it is."
The text began to form.
---
[Congratulations!]
[Romance Quest Completed]
[Reward Granted: Random Skill ×1]
[Want To Receive Random Skill ×1?]
[YES] [NO]
---
Jison kept running, breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on the floating screen.
"It appears only when I think about it?" he muttered. "You fucker… can't you show up on your own like when you give quests?"
The screen, of course, didn't respond.
"Tch."
Without slowing down, he reached out and tapped—
[YES]
"Let's see what I get…"
The screen flickered.
Changed.
And new text appeared almost instantly.
---
[Random Skill Obtained — Low Calf Kick (Lv-0)]
For More Information Say "Skill Info"
---
Jison stared at it while still running.
"…a kick, huh."
A faint grin formed on his face.
Not bad.
Minutes later, Park Jison finally reached home.
The moment he stepped inside, he didn't even bother slowing down. He slipped off his shoes in a rush and walked straight toward the hall—
And froze.
There she was.
Min-ji sat at the dining table, her posture straight, her expression unusually serious.
Danger.
Immediate danger.
Jison didn't hesitate.
He dropped to his knees on the spot.
Thud.
Then bowed forward, his forehead hitting the wooden floor.
"I'm sorry, lordship! I'll never be late again!"
His voice was loud, desperate, and completely devoid of dignity.
Min-ji slowly turned her head and glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"You really mean it?"
Jison didn't even dare look up.
"Yes, my lord."
There was a brief silence.
Then—
Like a switch flipping—
Min-ji's serious expression vanished completely.
Her face lit up again, cheerful and satisfied as she stood up.
"Then give me my bread and chocolate."
Jison immediately exhaled in relief.
"…fucking survived."
He stood up quickly and handed her the plastic bag.
She took it happily, already peeking inside.
Mission accomplished.
Without wasting another second, Jison quietly retreated.
He entered his room and closed the door behind him.
Click.
Silence returned.
He walked toward his bed and dropped onto it, lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.
His body finally relaxed.
"…what a day."
From fighting at school… to nearly suffocating… to knocking out two guys… to walking a girl home…
And now this.
After a moment, his eyes sharpened again.
"Skill Info."
A crimson screen appeared instantly in front of him.
---
[Skill Window]
1. Peeking (Lv-1) (Active Type)
2. Uppercut (Lv-0) (Active Type)
3. Low Calf Kick (Lv-0) (Active Type)
*Click On Skill For Skill Information
---
Jison slowly raised his hand.
His finger hovered for a moment—
Then tapped.
Uppercut.
The screen flickered and shifted.
---
[Uppercut (Lv-0)]
[Uppercut skill can be used to attack the enemy's upper body to deal particular damage. It consumes stamina while in use. If the user's stamina is depleted, the skill will be cancelled.]
[Use (5/10) To Upgrade The Skill Level.]
---
Jison stared at the screen, his eyes focused.
"…so it consumes stamina."
Five out of ten.
Halfway there.
He clenched his fist slightly, recalling the impact of his punches earlier.
That feeling.
That power.
A faint grin slowly formed on his face.
"Not bad…"
His gaze shifted toward the other skills listed.
Peeking.
Low Calf Kick.
More options.
More ways to fight.
"…this system…"
He let out a quiet breath.
"…is fucking useful."