The sky was beginning to darken. The park had that damp feeling of afternoons turning into night. We ran along the circular path.
"Come on, Gukja, don't stop!" I shouted over my shoulder.
"I-I'm… I'm running…!" he panted, on the verge of coughing up a lung.
His sneakers clumsily hit the ground. He was red, sweating buckets, panting like an exhausted dog. He looked ready to collapse at any moment.
I was tired too, but not as much. Suhyeon's body responded much better now. The difference was noticeable.
"Your cardio is terrible," I said between gasps. "Before doing anything else, you need to strengthen your body. There's no use in having strength if your body gives out first."
"Are you… sure… you don't want to kill me?"
"I'd kill you if you didn't train."
Gukja let out a long, clumsy groan. His legs no longer obeyed him.
"Just… one more lap…!"
"Five more."
"WHA—!?"
I just smiled as we kept running. Though it seemed torturous to him, in my mind, something else was brewing.
"This is the perfect moment."
"If I use my attack cards on him, I can level them up. I won't kill him… it'll just hurt a little. Plus, it will help increase his endurance. We both win."
"Use card: Jab."
— — — [System] — — —
(Jab – boxing)
Current rank: D [25/100]
— — — — — — — — —
Without warning, I threw a quick, measured jab at Gukja's arm while we jogged.
SMACK!
"AAAGH! WHY!?" he screamed, staggering.
"Defense, Gukja. Where's your defense? If you can't block a jab, how are you going to protect yourself in a real fight?"
"YOU'RE HITTING ME DURING CARDIO!"
"Exactly. That's how I simulate the fatigue of a real fight."
"WHAT KIND OF TRAINING IS THIS?!"
"One that works."
I threw another jab, gentler this time. It barely grazed him, but he still complained as if a truck had run over him.
"STOP HITTING ME!"
"Stop whining."
Gukja grunted, slipped slightly on a wet leaf, almost face-planting. After nearly an hour of jogging, random jabs, and agonized complaints, I decided it was enough for today.
Gukja collapsed onto the bench as if his legs had resigned from military service. He panted like he had run a marathon, his shirt soaked in sweat.
I was tired too, but nothing compared to him. I approached, shaking sweat from my neck.
"Enough for today," I said, sitting on the back of the bench with my feet on the seat.
Gukja nodded weakly, still unable to speak.
I watched him for a moment. He had a few scratches on his arms and a smear of dirt on his face that he didn't seem to notice.
"You're alive, so it was a good training session," I said.
"I feel dead…"
"Perfect. That's how you should feel."
Gukja let out a weak laugh, more reflex than genuine humor. His eyes stared at the dark sky above the park, filled with stars dimmed by the city lights.
I stood up.
"From tomorrow, earlier. Five o'clock."
"FIVE!?"
"Five."
He raised a hand to his forehead in despair. But he didn't protest further.
"And one more thing," I added, walking toward the park exit.
"What now…?"
"Diet."
"Diet?"
"Yes. If you're going to train, you can't keep eating fries with chocolate syrup at midnight."
Gukja sighed as if I had asked for a kidney.
"Fine…" he muttered, hanging his head. "Bye, Suhyeon…"
I gave him one last glance over my shoulder.
"See you tomorrow, right-hand man."
He stayed there, eyes squinting from exhaustion… but with a small smile on his lips.
"Yes… boss."
I watched him leave.
"Yes, Gukja starts training early, it will definitely be helpful when the final stages arrive," I thought.
"The guy was clumsy, slow, and easy to knock down, but his potential was S. If I polish him well, he'll be a key piece when things really get tough."
I finally turned to leave, ready to call it a day, when a female voice sounded behind me.
"Training your friend at this hour?"
I stopped as I recognized the voice. I turned, and there she was.
Baek Chaerin.
Standing a few meters away, arms crossed, her jacket casually draped over one shoulder, headphones hanging around her neck. Her expression was as always: calm, inquisitive, as if nothing bothered her.
The nearest streetlight barely illuminated her face, giving her a calmer air than in class. That competitive sparkle in her eyes was gone.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
She blinked, surprised by my direct tone.
"I live nearby," she answered naturally. "Sometimes I go for a walk at night. The air is cleaner when there's no one else."
She glanced at the bench where Gukja had complained about jogging minutes earlier, then looked back at me.
"And you? Nighttime improvisational training?"
I shrugged.
"Something like that."
Chaerin stepped forward, showing no tension.
"After defeating Hajun Gu… I thought I'd find you sleeping for three days straight. But instead, I find you sweating with the least athletic guy."
"I guess I'm more productive than I look."
She raised an eyebrow.
"No, Suhyeon. You're stranger than you seem."
Chaerin walked again and stopped right at the edge of the dirt path.
"What changed in you?" she asked suddenly, in a lower voice. "Before… you weren't like this."
It was strange. There was a special calm that night.
"Maybe… it was just a matter of time," I finally said.
She contemplated silently. And just as she turned to leave, I raised my voice enough for her to hear:
"Princess, don't go out so late at night. It's dangerous."
Chaerin froze.
"A girl as pretty as you could lose something important…"
She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.
"My phone?"
"Your heart."
She rolled her eyes, exhaling between annoyance and a suppressed laugh.
"How cheesy, seriously…"
"Admit it, it made you smile."
"No."
But she turned around faster than usual. Fast enough that I couldn't see if she was really smiling or not.
"See you in class, Suhyeon Kim," she said as she walked away with her hands in her pockets.
I watched her leave. Her silhouette vanished among the tree shadows and the flickering streetlight.
"Baek Chaerin, huh…?" I murmured.
"…"
The morning light filtered through the second-floor windows, bathing the hallway floor in a soft glow.
The students crossing my path didn't move aside abruptly… but they did make way, like water parting in a river. They let me pass without me saying a single word.
The whispers were inevitable.
"Look… it's him. The new leader."
"Is that Suhyeon Kim…? Doesn't look that strong."
"Idiot, didn't you know? He defeated Hajun Gu like it was nothing."
"They say he broke his forehead with a headbutt…"
"He defeated the most dangerous guy in West Gangbuk all by himself?"
"Shhh… lower your voice. Don't stare at him so much."
I didn't need to strain to hear them. The words floated like insects around my head, buzzing relentlessly.
It was inevitable. When you take down someone like Hajun, you don't just replace him. You become the next target of everyone else who also wants to unite Gangbuk.
I kept walking, without changing pace. Then, three figures appeared in front of me.
Tall. About seven or eight centimeters taller than me. They walked confidently, shoulder to shoulder, as if they had practiced their entrance. They seemed coordinated… but also strange.
The one on the left had his hair tied up in a tight bun, as if he had just come from a Buddhist temple or a traditional play.
The one on the right was completely bald. His skull glimmered slightly.
Finally, the one in the middle… was the most striking.
His hair stood up in spikes, messy as if styled with dynamite, and a tattoo peeked boldly from the neck of his shirt. Some kind of dragon or claw. Not clear, but intimidating.
They stopped right in front of me. The middle one stepped forward, took a deep breath… and spoke in a loud, respectful voice:
"Excuse me, sir… are you Suhyeon Kim? The one who defeated Hajun Gu?"
I looked at him calmly. The energy they brought wasn't hostile.
I just nodded. "Yes."
Then, suddenly, the middle boy shouted enthusiastically:
"I'M HYEONDONG, THE LEADER OF THE FIRST YEARS, GREETING YOU!!!"
Then, all three bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle, lowering their heads in impeccable synchronization.
"Greetings," the two on the sides said in unison, without looking up.
The hallway fell completely silent.
— — — [System] — — —
Creating main mission…
— — — — — — — — —
— — — [System] — — —
Rule West Gangbuk High School.
1. Gain the trust of the first years of Gangbukseo. [0/1]
2. ???
3. ???
Reward: ???
— — — — — — — — —
"Rule West Gangbuk?"
I didn't hesitate. A wide, genuine smile spread across my face.
"Hyeondong, right?" I said, crossing my arms casually. "From now on, my goal is to unite Gangbuk."
Their faces changed as if fire had been injected into their veins.
"WOOAAAH!!!" shouted Hyeondong, raising his arms. "Let's conquer all of Gangbuk!"
The other two started celebrating behind him, jumping and clapping as if they had been accepted into a legendary gang.
"Calm down, we haven't conquered anything yet," I said, stifling a laugh.
"Hyeondong, I want you to report everything happening in the other high schools. North, South, and East."
Hyeondong straightened with military speed. "As you wish, my lord!"
"Good. Later, after classes, we'll have a meeting. Be ready."