The teacher's yell still echoed in his head.Now he sat outside the principal's office with a bloodied tissue shoved under his nose, staring at the wall clock.When Min-jun walked past him with that smug smirk, Tae-jun's fists clenched automatically.
A few minutes later the principal's voice cut through the silence."Both of you — two weeks suspension. Fighting on school grounds is unacceptable."
Two weeks.Just like that.Tae-jun left the office without a word, his chest heavy, his pride bruised, but deep inside… a spark was there.For the first time in forever, he hadn't just taken the hit.
He got home, threw his bag onto the floor, and collapsed on his bed.
Then —
DING!
A golden panel blinked open above him.
[Special Quest: Suspension Training Arc]Duration: 14 DaysObjective: Train for one full week, at least one workout per day.
Rewards:🟡 1 Gold Skill Card🟤 5 Bronze Skill Cards
Stat Bonus: +5 Strength | +2.5 Speed
Failure Penalty: Random Skill Loss + System Lock (24 Hours)
Tae-jun blinked, rereading it."Gold…? Five bronze…? What does that even mean?"No explanations. No descriptions. Just the promise of power.
He sat up slowly, still breathing hard.So the system's giving me another chance…?He laughed under his breath, half-nervous, half-thrilled."Fine. If I'm suspended… I'll make it count."
He stared at his trembling hands, remembering the rush when he'd actually landed that hit on Min-jun.This time, he swore, it wouldn't be a fluke.
"I'll train. I'll get stronger. And when I go back…"A grin crept across his face."Min-jun's gonna wish I stayed suspended."
Day 1 – The First Push-up
Tae-jun stood in the middle of his room, wearing an oversized anime T-shirt and sweatpants.He stretched his arms awkwardly. "Alright… how hard can it be? Just one workout a day, right?"
He dropped to the floor."Push-ups! Easy!"
One push-up in — his arms trembled like wet noodles.By the second, his face hit the floor.
"Okay… maybe I'll start with stretching..."
He collapsed on his back, breathing heavily.Then —
DING!
[Workout Logged: 1 of 7][Progress: 1%]
He blinked. "That… counts?!"He grinned. "Alright, system. You're my kind of coach."
Day 2 – Discovering Pain
He woke up sore everywhere. Even his soul felt sore.But he pushed through — jogging awkwardly around his block, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Neighbors stared. He didn't care.
Halfway through the run, another panel appeared:
[Muscle Fatigue Detected – Stat Synchronization +0.1 Strength]
He froze mid-run."Wait… so it's actually… working?"That realization hit like caffeine. He sprinted the rest of the way home, nearly passing out at his doorstep.
Day 3 – Improvised Gym
His mom stared as Tae-jun filled water bottles with sand."What are you doing?""Training," he said, dead serious.
She blinked. "...Just don't break the floor again."
He tried curls, squats, and push-ups. Between each rep, the system glowed faintly, like it was watching.
[Workout Logged – Day 3][Reward Progress: 41%]
Sweat soaked his shirt. His hands blistered. But his grin never faded."I'm actually getting stronger…"
Day 4 – Shadow Sparring
He stood in front of a mirror, copying moves he'd seen in anime fights.Punch. Step back. Spin kick.It looked ridiculous. But his body was slowly syncing up.
He punched again — sharper this time.
[Movement Precision +0.2 Speed][Unrecognized Combat Pattern – Data Recorded]
He froze. "Unrecognized combat…?"Was the system learning from him too?
Day 5 – System Observation
By now, every rep, every punch, every squat gave tiny stat notifications.+0.1 here. +0.2 there.He could feel the difference. His punches didn't wobble anymore. His breathing steadied faster.
He wiped sweat from his face."I'm not the same loser from last week…"
That night, lying on his bed, he stared at his reflection in the phone camera.Still scrawny. Still him.But his eyes looked different — sharper. Determined.
Day 6 – Breaking Point
"Come on…" Tae-jun grunted, pushing through sit-ups.His stomach burned. Arms trembled.
[Stamina Limit Approaching…]
He ignored it.
[Warning: Body Overload 78%]
He kept going.
[Warning: 92%...]
Then — DING!
[Persistence Acknowledged – Strength +0.5 | Endurance +0.3]
He collapsed, gasping. His whole body felt like fire. But he was smiling like an idiot.
Day 7 – The Awakening
Morning sunlight. Sore muscles. A week of pain behind him.
He stood in front of his mirror again — fists raised. His form wasn't perfect, but his strikes snapped now. His steps were faster. His body felt lighter.
Then the system chimed again, brighter and louder than before:
Quest Complete: [Suspension Training Arc]Rewards Granted:🟡 1 Gold Skill Card🟤 5 Bronze Skill CardsStats Boosted: +5 Strength | +2.5 Speed
[Skill Cards Unlocked — Contents Hidden]"To view skills, open the [Skill Menu]."
He froze.The skill cards hovered around him like glowing shards, spinning in the air before sinking into his chest.
Tae-jun smiled. he thought "wow, im really gonna never be messed with again"