The ringing in my ears was still there.
Pain. Not emotional pain. Physical pain. The kind that makes you see spots in the air. The kind that doesn't go away even if you close your eyes and take a deep breath.
My cheek was burning, my jaw aching from the impact. I was still against the wall, my body trying to regain its balance. My pride... reeling, but alive.
"You think you're tough now?" spat Choi Changdong, shaking his hand as if he had just hit something dirty.
His friends laughed quietly, looking around, seeking social approval. But all they found was silence.
Not out of respect.
Out of anticipation.
Those nearby said nothing, but their eyes were fixed on me. On what I would do.
The Suhyeon of before... would have cowered. He would have apologized tearfully. He would have bowed his head without resistance.
But that Suhyeon was gone.
I was breathing deeply, yes. But not out of fear.
It was contained anger.
It was calculation.
It was that second before instinct forces you to move.
I raised my head.
"Are you done?" I asked, looking him straight in the eye.
The laughter died down.
Changdong frowned, unaccustomed to receiving looks that didn't drop to the ground.
"What did you say?"
"I asked if you were done," I repeated, slowly, clearly, each word marked like a drumbeat.
[System]
Defeat Choi Changdong [0/1]
Reward: 1 silver card and 1 bronze card.
I felt a tingling sensation at the back of my neck.
There it was again. The system. Silent, but present. Like a referee who only speaks when necessary. As if waiting for me to make a decision.
The students began to whisper. I saw some of them take out their cell phones. Not to help. To record.
The show was about to begin.
Baek Chaerin said nothing. She just watched from a distance, arms crossed, her blouse still stained from the kimchi accident. She had no expression. No support. No anger. Just attention.
But there was something in her gaze that wasn't there before: a hint of doubt.
As if she no longer knew exactly who the boy in front of her was.
I stepped away from the wall, shaking my arms, as if to shake off the weight of the blow.
"Changdong," I said his name as if tasting it in my mouth. "This hallway has good acoustics, doesn't it?"
"What?"
"I mean... when I knee you in the stomach, I want everyone to hear it clearly."
The reaction was immediate.
Nervous laughter. "What did he say?" The tension that shot through the air like electricity.
Changdong turned red.
"Are you making fun of me, scum?"
"No. I'm warning you," I replied, taking a step toward him.
And this time, I didn't look away.
I didn't back down.
Because maybe I didn't have any cards yet.
Maybe I didn't have the strength.
But I had something no one else in that hallway had:
Knowledge of the future.
And that, today... would be enough.
Changdong lunged first.
With a roar that was more ego than strength, he raised his arm to throw another right hook at me. He came at me with his whole body, clumsy, like a bull with no technique... but with weight. With brutality.
And yet, I saw it coming.
Not with pinpoint accuracy. Not like a martial arts expert.
But like someone who had seen this scene before.
I ducked.
His fist flew over my head, and the momentum threw him off balance. I pushed him with my shoulder in the side, enough to make him stumble. Not fall, but retreat.
The murmurs grew louder.
"Is that Suhyeon...?"
"What's going on?"
Changdong came back, even angrier. This time he pushed me with his whole body. He slammed me into the lockers, making me see black for a second. I couldn't breathe.
The world spun, but I didn't fall.
I gritted my teeth.
I had to keep going.
I couldn't stop.
I kicked him low. Not hard, but with precision: at his knee. I knocked him off balance. He staggered again, and I seized the moment.
I lunged at him. I hit him with my right fist. Then my left. I didn't know how to fight. I had no technique. But I had rage. And every punch was a scream I couldn't express in words.
Changdong tried to cover himself, but I didn't let him.
I pushed him again, kicked him in the thigh when he let his guard down, and grabbed him by the collar of his uniform to headbutt him.
It hurt. More for me than for him, perhaps.
But I felt him loosen up.
One last punch to the face, with all I had left.
And then he fell.
The hallway fell silent.
Choi Changdong, the toughest bully, was on the floor.
Suhyeon Kim... had knocked him down.
I stood there for a second, breathing like a wounded animal.
My body was shaking. My vision was blurry. My back, ribs, and knuckles were burning. My heart was pounding as if it wanted to jump out of my chest.
But I did it.
I lifted my foot and placed it firmly on Changdong's chest, who was barely breathing.
"Remember this..." I whispered hoarsely. "This is where you fell... Choi Changdong."
And then...
Black.
All black.
My body collapsed in on itself. I felt the ground approaching, the muffled screams, the chaos unfolding.
Before losing consciousness, I had only one last thought:
I won. But not for free.
[System]
Mission complete.
Several hours had passed.
Classes were over, and the high school hallways were silent, interrupted only by the occasional distant shout from the sports clubs or the sound of a broom dragging across the floor.
The sun was setting, casting orange light through the tall windows of the infirmary.
And I... was alive.
I woke up on a stretcher, my body wracked with pain. I felt bandages on my right arm, my left eyebrow, and a light tape on my torso, which was probably holding a bruised rib in place. My throat was dry, my lips were chapped, and my blinking was clumsy.
"You're lucky I didn't knock out all your teeth," said a voice, without emotion.
I turned slowly.
Baek Chaerin.
She was sitting on a chair next to the stretcher, her arms crossed, her legs crossed too. Her blouse was already clean, perfectly white, ironed, as if the kimchi had never touched it. But her presence was the same: elegant, cold... unattainable.
And yet, there she was.
"Since when do princesses care about beggars?" I muttered hoarsely, smiling crookedly.
"I don't care about you," she replied immediately, without looking directly at me. "I was just... curious."
"Curious?" I repeated, letting the word float in the air.
"Yes," she said, now fixing her eyes on mine. "Before Changdong intervened. You said something. I kept thinking about it."
"Something like... 'Throw me, or are you afraid?'" I asked, even though I knew that wasn't the line.
She shook her head gently.
"The other thing. The last thing."
And then I smiled. Because I knew exactly what she meant.
I shifted a little, despite the pain, and looked at her with feigned solemnity.
"So what do you say, princess?" I repeated, just like that time. "Does that count as an attempt at a kiss... or is there still more to come?"
Chaerin blinked.
For the first time, she didn't react with mockery or contempt.
She just thought about it.
As if for a moment the phrase had more meaning than she expected.
Her cheeks didn't flush completely, but there was a slight change. A held breath. A grimace on her lips that I couldn't tell if it was annoyance or interest.
"Definitely not," she replied at last, crossing her legs more firmly. "But if you say something like that again, I assure you that you'll end up here... but unconscious."
"Then it's worth it," I murmured.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. I just have a headache," I smiled.
Chaerin looked away toward the window. The sunset tinged her face with a warmth that didn't match her attitude.
She rose from her chair with a slight sigh, as if she had finally decided that she had wasted enough time there.
"Well, I'm leaving. I've satisfied my curiosity."
"Are you leaving without saying goodbye?" I replied, still lying down, with a half-smile.
"Do you want me to shake your hand or something?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.
"No, no. I just thought princesses said goodbye with more style. A curtsy. A handkerchief. A kiss on the forehead?"
"Keep dreaming."
But at that moment, just as she turned to leave, a gust of wind blew in through the open window.
The infirmary door slammed shut with a loud "BANG!"
The noise startled her.
And without meaning to, she tripped over the leg of the stretcher. Losing her balance for a second, she leaned forward. I reacted too, out of pure reflex, wanting to hold her up.
It was a matter of a second.
Her face fell on mine.
Our lips brushed against each other.
It wasn't a passionate kiss, nor was it planned. It was a clumsy accident, just a soft, warm touch... but real.
And she pulled away suddenly, as if electricity had jolted her.
[System]
Mission complete.
"W-what...?" she stammered, putting her hand to her lips. "It was an accident!"
I stood motionless, my eyes wide open, my heart racing.
"Are you sure...?" I said softly, smiling. "Because if it was a surprise attack, I have to admit you executed it very well."
"Shut up!" she snapped, red to the ears, turning away abruptly.
She hurried to the door, but before leaving, she paused for a second.
Without turning around, she said softly:
"Don't tell anyone... about what happened here."
I watched her from the stretcher, lying down, my head slightly tilted. Her neck, her ear... even the back of her neck were red. Baek Chaerin, the ice queen, was blushing.
And she wanted me to act like nothing had happened?
I smiled calmly, with no intention of upsetting her, just... savoring the moment.
"Don't worry," I said in a relaxed tone. "I'll be a tomb. Although..." I shrugged, feigning innocence. "If you ever trip again, I promise I'll be ready."
She didn't respond. But I saw her shoulders tense for a second.
And just when I thought she was going to leave without another word, she sighed and muttered:
"Idiot."
Then she left, closing the door behind her with a soft thud.
I was left alone in the infirmary.
And this time, the silence didn't weigh heavily.
I rested my good arm behind my head and let out a short laugh.
"Who would have thought... that yesterday's loser would end up like this today."
I looked up at the ceiling, letting the last light of dusk bathe my face.
And for the first time since I came to this world, I thought...
Maybe I'm not doing so badly after all.
A few hours had passed since the nurse told me I could go home.
Most of the students had already left, and the building was quiet. Even the clubs had fallen silent, as if the entire school had decided to take a break after an intense day.
I left the infirmary with my body still aching, but feeling lighter.
My footsteps echoed through the empty hallways, each sound bouncing like a long echo off the gray walls.
There were no more stares. No more cell phones recording. Just me, my bandages, and a comfortable silence.
As I crossed the main gate, the sky had already turned a deep blue, about to give way to night. The streetlights along the road began to light up, one by one, casting long shadows on the asphalt.
I walked calmly, my hands in my pockets, breathing deeply.
It was strange.
As sore as I was, my body in pieces and my knuckles still burning, I didn't feel bad.
I felt... something like satisfaction.
And then, my mind returned to what had happened.
The two missions.
The first:
[Side Mission: Defeat Choi Changdong]
Reward: 1 silver card and 1 bronze card.
I had accomplished it. With sweat, blows, and some blood... but I did it.
And the other one... the one that seemed absurd from the start:
[Main Mission: Kiss Baek Chaerin]
Reward: 1 gold card and 1 silver card.
To deny it would be to lie to myself.
Yes, it was an accident. Yes, it was clumsy. Yes... it almost cost me a slap.
But it happened.
That mission was also complete.
I paused for a second under a streetlight, my head tilted slightly toward the sky, watching the slow clouds turn orange and violet.
Part of me still couldn't believe it.
Not just the letters... all of this.
This world.
This body.
This story that, until recently, I only knew as a spectator.
Now I was living it. And as surreal as it was... it was working.
The night breeze ruffled my hair a little, and I let out a soft laugh.
"Well... it's time," I murmured, looking up decisively.
"Reveal all cards."
[System]
Revealing all cards...
In front of me, as if responding to a spell, four cards began to materialize in the air. They floated, slowly spinning around themselves with a faint glow. Each one had a different shine:
One gold.
Two silver.
One copper.
I focused on the gold one first. Not only because of its value... but because even from a distance, it seemed to emanate something special. Something unique.
The card turned toward me, and its description appeared:
[Gold Card]:
[Consumable Card]
> Can you see it?
You receive perfect vision.
*Disappears after use!
I was silent for a second.
"This card... is pretty good," I muttered, crossing my arms.
Suhyeon Kim... the original, wore glasses. He wasn't blind, but his eyesight was pretty bad. On the other hand, since I woke up in this body, I didn't need them. My vision was clear. Precise.
Just like in my previous life.
"So..." I paused to think. "This card... I don't need it. But..."
Something lit up in my mind.
"This card could be useful to that person," I whispered, smiling with a calculating tone. "If I use it on him... I'll definitely make him part of my team."
The gold card slowly faded away, as if waiting for its moment.
I turned to look at the two silver cards.
The first one turned.
[Silver Card]:
[Attack Card]
> (Jab - boxing)
You can use the boxing Jab.
*Current skill rank: F [0/100]
My eyes lit up.
"A really good card for combat," I said, clenching my fist. "If I had had this card before fighting Choi Changdong... I would have beaten him easily."
It wasn't spectacular... but it was technical. And technique, in the right hands, could change everything.
The second silver card turned over.
[Silver Card]:
[Regular Card]
> (Recovery Seed)
Recovers physical fatigue.
*You can use it once a day.
"Oh, this one's a gem!" I smiled broadly.
I remembered it perfectly from Questism. One of the most absurdly useful items in the system. You could be on the verge of death, your body torn to shreds... and after using it, you'd be as good as new.
"When I first saw it, I thought, 'It's broken!'" I laughed. "Definitely one of the main cards in my arsenal."
The last card floated in front of me.
Its coppery glow was duller. I could already guess what it was from the color.
[Bronze Card]:
[Regular Card]
> (High-pitched Ability)
You can make your tone very high.
*You can become loud.
I blinked.
"Pretty meh," I admitted, shrugging. "It's not that good... but I guess it could deafen someone if I use it right. Or scare them."
Not everything had to be shiny to be useful. Sometimes even the silliest card could have its moment in the spotlight.
The four cards disappeared, stored in some invisible corner of the system. I felt as if a part of me had grown. As if I were more prepared for whatever came next.
I stretched slowly, letting out a sigh.
"Now... the real story begins."
I kept walking.
And each step took me further away from yesterday's loser.
And closer... to the player I was meant to be.
The front door closed behind me with a soft click. Outside, the sun had already set. The air smelled of dust, reheated kimchi soup, and routine.
I took off my shoes and arranged them neatly—an automatic gesture, as if my body still remembered how to move here better than I did—and walked into the living room.
There she was.
A girl of about fifteen or sixteen, in her pajamas, with a messy ponytail, sitting on the sofa like a lazy queen on her throne.
Dahyun Kim.
My supposed sister.
She had a blanket over her legs, a large bowl of popcorn on her belly, and her eyes fixed on a Korean romantic comedy where, from what little I understood, the protagonist had just been slapped by a rich girl for accidentally kissing her.
Interesting timing.
"Wow, you're still breathing," Dahyun said without looking away from the screen. "I thought someone would have put you in a locker or something by now."
I smiled, more out of instinct than anything else.
I didn't really know her. Not like a brother would. I had no shared memories, no emotions associated with her. Just... facts. A relationship marked by distance and sarcasm. Rivalry without affection.
"And I thought you'd be studying to be less annoying," I replied, setting my backpack aside.
She snorted, shoving a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
"You can't talk to me like that after coming home half dead," she said with her mouth full. "Mom called. She said you got into trouble. Again."
"Again?" Of course, old Suhyeon must have a reputation.
"And you believed her?"
"Of course. It's you," she replied, giving me a sidelong glance. "The nerd who trips over his own shadow and still thinks he can fight."
"Too bad you don't fight. You'd be good at spewing venom," I replied, sitting on the edge of the sofa, at a safe distance.
Dahyun looked back at the screen, muttering something like "pathetic" under her breath, though she didn't sound annoyed. More like... usual.
I stayed silent for a few seconds, watching her out of the corner of my eye.
She wasn't like me.
Not in attitude, not in energy.
And yet, we were in the same house. We shared a mother. We shared a last name.
Even if we didn't share a history.
"Do you want some popcorn, or are you just going to stand there looking like a weirdo?" she said suddenly, pushing the bowl toward me without looking.
"Are you afraid I'll starve to death and you won't be able to make fun of me tomorrow?"
"No, I'm afraid you'll faint and take my stretcher when I get cramps from studying so much," she snorted.
I took a handful. They crunched comfortingly.
"Thanks," I muttered.
She noticed. She glanced at me, this time with less sarcasm and more... strangeness.
As if the Suhyeon in front of her wasn't behaving like his usual self.
Because he wasn't.
And even though I couldn't tell her the truth, part of me knew that if I was going to live this new life... I would also have to deal with these connections. New to me, old to everyone else.
A new Suhyeon Kim.