The poor students trembled at Il-seong's feet. With a swift motion, he grabbed one of them by the collar and shook him violently.
— So? Where's my money for protecting you?
— B-but... M-my...
The boy couldn't string two words together, so Il-seong released him and moved on to another victim, one much more talkative.
— The senior just said that if we gave our money to anyone other than him... we'd regret it.
— I missed the part where that's my problem ?
Il-seong's voice dropped an octave, colder, sharper. Si-woo forced himself to take a step forward.
— Listen to them! They'll have problems if you take everything from them.
— Every job deserves its pay, right? Il-seong replied without even sparing him a glance.
— I thought you wanted to be a hero.
This time, Il-seong finally looked up at him. A mocking grin spread across his face as he grabbed another student by the hair.
— Take a lesson from My Hero Academia, he said as he delivered a series of brutal punches. Heroes are civil servants. The citizens pay taxes to be protected. It's the same thing here! I'm just collecting what's owed to me.
Si-woo thought back to their motto: don't intervene if one of them was getting beaten. But what if they were the ones beating someone? He'd never considered that possibility. It was unthinkable. And unacceptable.
Si-woo stepped between Il-seong and the kneeling students.
— Show me your hero license then.
— What?
— Your superhero license, Il-seong. Where is it?
A muffled laugh reached his ears. One of the students gave him a relieved smile. Si-woo winked back at him, then turned to face his friend. Where did he get the courage? He looked ready to fight if need be. He wouldn't have to, though. Il-seong dropped his arms.
— You're right, man. I got carried away.
Il-seong stepped closer to Si-woo. Si-woo resisted the urge to step back. He didn't like the way his friend was acting. It made him want to vomit. Il-seong placed a hand on Si-woo's forehead. The coldness of his touch paralyzed him.
— You're pale as a ghost, buddy, Il-seong grimaced. And you smell terrible. Haven't changed in days, have you? You should go shower and head back to the infirmary.
Il-seong was right. The scent of sweat assaulted his senses, making his head spin. He hadn't eaten either. Si-woo examined his arms, where the marks from the IV needles remained. When had he taken them out? He didn't even remember. Suddenly, an overwhelming tiredness washed over him, and he didn't protest when his friend guided him toward the locker room. He did make sure the others kept their distance from Il-seong's line of sight.
The water helped to revive him a little. He looked at his body and realized that, despite his hunger, he hadn't lost weight. In fact, his muscles seemed to have grown. When he ran his hand over his stomach, he jumped.
— Abs! he exclaimed in a hushed voice.
He couldn't help but touched them. They were real. Real abs. The kind he saw on TV. Hard, visible, and there were six of them.
He was even sure he had gained a few centimeters in height. Sure, Si-woo had always been a lanky guy, but he'd never bumped into the water cooler before.
He stormed out of the shower and faced the mirror. His eyes still had that strange blue glow.
Of course, Si-woo was on borrowed time. The system would return, but why were these changes happening to his body?
As he pondered, a sharp pain shot through his forehead. He forced himself to quickly put on his gym clothes. Thankfully, he kept a spare set in his locker, and he met Il-seong outside.
They climbed the stairs of the main building in silence, both uneasy about the exchange they'd just had. Not once had they ever argued so coldly. They'd yelled, fought a few times, but this felt different. And Si-woo refused to apologize first.
He mainly wondered what time it was. Aside from the aspiring delinquents and the scapegoats, he hadn't seen anyone. But he didn't dare ask Il-seong.
— Si-woo, I need to ask you something important...
Il-seong no longer spoke with arrogance. He glanced at his friend sideways, looking almost like a child caught in the act. Which, upon reflection, he almost was. Si-woo's heart clenched. Il-seong had to be having issues or bugs now that no Master was in charge of him. Maybe even Jeunk's unsubtle behavior had made him panic. No wonder he was playing the role of the corrupt hero! Si-woo's mind raced. Now that he wasn't a Master, he could tell Il-seong everything. He waited eagerly for his friend's words. If Il-seong talked about the system or the quests, he would tell him EVERYTHING.
— Have you seen Dr. Kim lately?
A strange question, considering Si-woo had been in a coma in the infirmary these "lately" days.
— Of course! Si-woo laughed to hide his disappointment. You know, during Jeunk's psychotic episode.
Il-seong pressed.
— Are you sure? And don't you feel something strange since you woke up?
Si-woo stopped in the middle of the hallway. Il-seong was lacking subtlety. He thought Dr. Kim had turned him into a player. His physical transformation probably didn't escape him. It was hard to ignore: his gym clothes had become too tight, and the seams seemed ready to burst under the strain of his new biceps.
Unfortunately for Il-seong, he wasn't going to get away so easily.
— What exactly do you want to know? Si-woo asked, narrowing his eyes.
Il-seong opened his mouth, closed it, and then shrugged.
— Nothing important. I'm just worried. That guy disappeared right after your... condition. I was wondering if there was a connection.
It was a logical train of thought. He wasn't entirely wrong. Si-woo's confrontation with the former school doctor had drained him. No, his condition was his own fault. He had taken his revenge on Jeunk to the point of degrading his potential, and now he was being punished for it. The thug was all over the internet, and his father was unemployed. Not to mention the psychological damage...
Si-woo wished he could ask about Jeunk. To ease the guilt that gnawed at him. But once again, he refrained. Il-seong would only become more suspicious.
— How could you let him leave?!
The shout interrupted the fragile conversation the two friends were trying to have. It came from the infirmary. They hesitated at the door and exchanged an uneasy glance. Another voice responded, tired rather than angry. A frustrated sigh followed, and the door suddenly slammed open.
The boys came face to face with Mi-Cha. Her face was red, her eyes wide as if they might pop out, but when she saw Si-woo, her lips curled into a smile.
— See?! the new school nurse shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Si-woo. He's perfectly fine!
She marched up to him, hands on her hips. Her previously friendly expression was replaced by one of near military severity.
— You! Are you trying to get me fired, huh? Or kicked out maybe? This place is already on the edge of legality…
The nurse sighed without finishing her sentence. Madame Beck, Si-woo was relieved to recall her name, returned to the bed he'd left and patted the mattress. A universal sign for "sit there." Si-woo obeyed slowly. He placed his convalescence clothes, an old pajama his mother had brought from home, on a table and settled on the blanket.
— Honestly, what the hell were you thinking? You barely get up, and you run off to the school in your pajamas?
Madame Beck let out a small laugh. Si-woo, on the other hand, was confused. Furrowing his brow, he tried to recall the moment he left the infirmary. His mother had been there, and he had been hurt by her attitude and had to leave. Anywhere. Then he had found himself in the hallway, approached by the second-years. He couldn't remember when he had opened the door, or what excuse he'd given when he left.
Wait...
He had been in a coma for several days. How did he know about the clan wars that had erupted since Jeunk's expulsion? Si-woo closed his eyes. A panicked student had bumped into him and... A flood of memories rushed through him...
A headache pierced his skull once more. He breathed deeply as the nurse pulled out a whole kit and examined him with attention. He took the opportunity to glance at Mi-Cha.
Even with the dark circles under her eyes, she was still as beautiful as ever. She had tied her black hair in two braids, pulled up into a complicated bun on top of her head—something Si-woo would have never been able to replicate. Anyway, his eyes were focused on her hands. Mi-Cha was holding a lunchbox to her chest.
So it was noon...
But what was she doing here, instead of eating with her friends or the popular guys? Now that Jeunk was gone, surely some of them must be trying to replace him, right? Starting with Il-seong. The guy was staring at her with an unsettling look. He looked like a puppy begging for food, a pat on the head, or any kind of attention. Or like an ogre, ready to devour her whole. Si-woo couldn't quite figure out the fierce expression on his friend's face.
— She visits you every day, murmured the nurse, responding to at least one of his unspoken questions. Even on weekends, she makes sure you're okay. You could say your girlfriend is really devoted.
Si-woo barely managed to keep his cheeks from burning.
— She's… Not… It's not… he stammered.
Unable to form a coherent sentence, he masked his embarrassment with a persistent cough.
— Ah, youth! Mrs beck chuckled, leaning over her computer.
She had just finished her examination and was comparing the results with those in his medical record. It felt odd to see a medical professional actually doing their job around here. Even the scent of pickled cabbage had faded. The nurse's face lit up after a few taps on the keyboard.
— You're in perfect health, she concluded, raising an eyebrow toward Si-woo. It's even better than before!
— That's impossible!
It was the first time Il-seong had said anything since entering the infirmary.
— We still need to monitor the progression of your condition, conceded Mrs. Beck. You'll need to come see me every day for the next week.
— Even on the weekends?
She locked eyes with Si-woo.
— Especially on weekends. I want to keep an eye on you, Mr. Si-woo Baek.
The way the nurse emphasizing his name sent a strange shiver down his spine.
As if...
Si-woo took his head in his hands. He felt a barrier rising between him and... something. Something important that was slipping away. He could sense the presence of an unknown entity in his mind but couldn't pinpoint it.
Interface, he thought. Interface, is that you?
No answer.
A typical move from it.
But something was wrong.
A deep unease washed over Si-woo. Was he losing the memories tied to the system? That wouldn't make sense—his punishment was only supposed to last ten days. Maybe less if his unconscious days counted. Or was it the nightmare he'd had during his restless sleep that still haunted him?
What dream? he wondered to himself.
Si-woo felt like he was losing his mind. He couldn't remember anything. Everything felt distorted in his head. Someone, or something, was tearing at the fragments of his memory and taunting him with the pieces.
He slapped his cheeks with his hands.
He couldn't panic. There had to be a rational explanation.
Unfortunately, the only theory that seemed plausible to him was that he was still dreaming, stuck in a nightmare, and that everything was a product of his imagination—twisted by the loss of the system and Dr. Kim's attack.
Mi-Cha broke the silence that had settled since the results were announced.
— So Si-woo can leave now?
Her eyes, filled with hope, flickered between him and the nurse... who nodded with a smile. Mi-Cha executed a small, graceful dance step. Her movements captured Si-woo's attention just as much as her arms did. For a moment, he forgot about the twisted thoughts tormenting him.
— Come on, let's go eat on the roof.
— Mi-Cha, Il-seong exploded. You can't make all the decisions by yourself.
Apparently, she could.
She bolted off, pushing Si-woo ahead of her and sticking her tongue out at Il-seong before slamming the door shut.
A beautiful girl practically forcing him to have lunch with her. That wasn't going to help Si-woo believe that all of this wasn't a dream.