Some time later.
I took off the mask and tucked it into my pocket as I crossed the last street back home. The sky was still dark.
It had been about three hours since I went out looking for fights, dodging broken bottles, and leaving more than one thug unconscious on the pavement. Each fight had given me something: experience, reflexes… and cards.
"Not bad for a first night."
I slid the door open with the same care I had used to leave. No one noticed. Neither Dahyun nor Mom.
I went up the stairs silently and locked myself in my room. I took off the sweat-soaked hoodie, left the mask on the floor, and collapsed backward onto the bed.
I checked the system one last time before closing my eyes.
"Six bronze cards… two silver… and one gold," I murmured.
I rolled onto my side, burying my face in the pillow. It was still early morning. But I needed to sleep, even if only for a couple of hours.
"I had classes later… I was going to meet Hajun Gu."
"This is going to be an interesting day."
Then I closed my eyes. And slept.
The room remained dark, barely bathed in the faint blue light filtering through the curtains. Everything was silent.
"Suhyeon!" Dahyun's voice boomed, banging on the door forcefully, irritated. "Wake up already, you're going to be late!"
A series of sharp knocks rattled the wood.
"I don't care if you go or not, but Mom said to tell you."
Her tone was harsh. Forced. As if doing this embarrassed her because of me.
"And don't think I'm walking with you," she spat disdainfully. "I'm not walking next to a loser."
Her footsteps receded quickly, carrying that familiar mix of annoyance and disdain. Meanwhile, I stirred in bed, half-lost.
I sat up with a grunt. My body ached. I checked the time on my phone.
7:21 a.m.
"Shit…"
I jumped out of bed.
It was time to put on the uniform again. To return to the hell called Gangbuk West High School.
And to finally face… Hajun Gu.
The classroom was filled with the typical morning murmur.
White light, scratched desks, and students staring at their phones or slumped over their backpacks. It had been over an hour since the bell rang.
I was sitting in my seat, body somewhat heavy, but mind alert. Uniform slightly wrinkled, sleeves rolled up.
Next to me, as always, was Gukja Yang.
His head rested on one arm, eyes fixed on his notebook, as if he were really writing something… though I knew he wasn't.
"You look worse than usual," he murmured without looking at me, barely moving his lips.
"I didn't sleep well," I replied, crossing my arms over the desk.
"Nightmares? Or were you still crying over yesterday's beating?"
"No, of course not," I said, closing my eyes with a slight smile while shaking my head from side to side.
I couldn't help but smile. Not because it was funny. But because that was the response I expected from the old Gukja.
That's how he was. Always sarcastic and apathetic. But beneath that façade, I knew… there was a sleeping beast.
"In the original story, Gukja Yang was much more than the typical best friend. He carried dangerous blood in his veins. Son of a former Yakuza. Untapped potential," I murmured, touching my chin.
That's why I watched him a little longer. Having him close wasn't just comfortable… it was smart.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, frowning. "Did you fall in love?"
"I was just wondering how long it would take for you to explode."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
Turning my gaze toward the aisle. The teacher still hadn't arrived. But I could feel it. The atmosphere was starting to tense. Today wasn't a normal day. Because at some point… Hajun Gu was going to appear.
And that moment… could come any second.
Just then, as if fate had heard my thoughts, the classroom door swung open abruptly.
Several students walked in. They wore the standard Gangbuk West uniform, like all of us, but their presence was different. You could tell by the way they walked, the confidence with which they scanned the room, as if they were used to imposing themselves just by entering.
The murmurs died down, gazes shifted, and the atmosphere tightened like a rope about to snap. Even Gukja Yang, sitting next to me, lifted his gaze with an arched eyebrow.
One of the tall, thin guys, uniform slightly wrinkled and eyes cold, stepped forward. His voice resonated naturally.
"Where is Suhyeon Kim?"
All eyes in the classroom turned at once. Everyone looked at me. No one said a word.
I stood up with a sarcastic smile, raised my hand, and said:
"Here."
The one who had asked looked at me for a few more seconds. His eyes narrowed.
"Come with us."
I slid between the desks, feeling all eyes glued to the back of my neck. Meanwhile, Gukja muttered something I couldn't hear.
I took the first step toward the door.
The guys escorting me said nothing. They simply walked beside me, like well-trained shadows. The classroom remained in complete silence.
And just as I was about to cross the threshold…
He appeared, Gu Hajun.
His silhouette filled the doorway with a presence impossible to ignore. He was about six feet tall, but it wasn't just his height that commanded attention. It was the way he stood.
He wore a tight black T-shirt, a white shirt unbuttoned over his shoulders, and perfectly straight dark pants that made him look even taller. His hands were in his pockets.
His black hair fell slightly over his forehead, with messy waves that didn't hide the sharpness of his expression.
"He was exactly as I remembered. That… was Hajun Gu," I told myself, keeping a neutral expression as I looked at him.
Hajun Gu didn't speak at first.
He just took a couple of slow, steady steps, walking through the doorway without taking his eyes off me. The others moved aside, giving him space without him having to ask.
He stopped right in front of me.
I had to raise my eyes slightly to meet his gaze. He was at least six inches taller than me. The difference was obvious… but not intimidating.
"Are you Suhyeon Kim?" he asked in a deep, measured voice.
"Yes."
His brow furrowed slightly. As if he had expected something else. Perhaps someone hunched, trembling. But not someone holding his gaze so calmly.
"I heard you were in critical condition after your fight with Changdong," he said, crossing his arms and studying me from head to toe. "That you could barely move."
He paused for a second.
"But I also heard something else."
His gaze sharpened.
"That you can fight, Suhyeon Kim."
His eyes stayed fixed on me. They weren't trying to intimidate. They were looking for something else.
"So… you want to see if we can fight?" I exclaimed, raising my chin.
Inside, the system was still pulsing in my head like a burning core. It was impossible not to think about what I had accomplished that very morning.
Three hours of hunting, and this was the result.
— — — [System] — — —
Revealing all cards.
— — — — — — — — —