Behind the school building, the noise of the campus faded into a dull echo.
It was quieter here.
Too quiet.
The second-year student who had called him out walked ahead, hands in his pockets, posture loose—almost casual.
Behind him, Park Jison followed at a steady pace.
But his attention wasn't on the path.
It was fixed on the crimson-black screen floating just in front of his vision.
[Peeking].
---
Side Character
HEIGHT: 146 cm
WEIGHT: 68 kg
STRENGTH: D-
SPEED: E+
POTENTIAL: D
INTELLIGENCE: C
ENDURANCE: E
---
Jison's eyes scanned the stats calmly.
Then narrowed slightly.
Weaker than Min-jun…
A faint shift in his confidence.
I can take him.
Even so—
He didn't relax.
Not completely.
Something about this setup felt deliberate.
The screen flickered and disappeared.
Jison finally spoke.
"Ah… so where's the teacher you were talking about?"
His tone was casual—but his guard was up.
They had reached a narrow gap between two walls.
A familiar place.
This was where Kim Min-jun used to wait for him.
Jison stopped right at the entrance.
But the other student—
Had already stepped inside.
At Jison's voice, he stopped walking.
Then slowly turned around.
His face twisted.
Ugly.
Angry.
"Bitch… you still didn't realize what's happening here?"
Jison didn't respond immediately.
He just stared.
And for a brief second—
Something odd crossed his mind.
…he's short.
The student noticed his gaze.
His expression twisted further.
"Hey—what the fuck are you looking at?"
His tone sharpened.
"How the hell did your height increase? Or were you always this tall?"
Jison didn't answer.
Because at that exact moment—
A crimson screen flashed in front of him again.
Sudden.
Unexpected.
His eyes snapped to it.
He didn't know why it appeared.
But as he read—
Everything changed.
His expression hardened.
Then darkened.
Then—
Rage.
Pure, burning rage filled his eyes.
Seeing that reaction, the student grew even more irritated.
"Why the hell are you making that face?"
Without warning—
He stepped forward and threw a punch.
"Why the fuck do they want me to beat you until you beg?!"
His fist shot forward—
Fast.
Direct.
It connected cleanly with Jison's nose.
Thud.
Jison's head snapped back as his body lost balance.
He fell backward onto the ground.
Pain exploded across his face.
Warm blood instantly started flowing from his nose.
For a moment—
The world spun.
But—
His expression didn't soften.
It didn't show fear.
Only anger.
The kind that burns hotter than pain.
He hit the ground on his back.
But didn't stay there.
His hand pressed against the floor as he forced himself up, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.
His breathing grew heavier.
I… have to hurry…
The student in front of Park Jison smirked, confidence dripping from his face as he dropped his guard completely.
"Huh… still acting tough?" he mocked. "You beat that fatty by chance, but—"
He never finished.
Because Jison moved.
Fast.
In a blink, he had already stepped into the student's left side, closing the distance before the other could even react.
The student's eyes widened.
All he could see was Jison's face—
Cold.
Angry.
What the—? I let my guard down—
Too late.
Jison's leg snapped forward.
[Low Calf Kick]
A sharp, precise strike landed directly at the lower leg—just below the knee.
Crack.
"AHHHHH—!"
The student screamed, his body collapsing instantly as his leg gave out. He dropped to his knees, clutching the spot in agony.
"It hurts—! You fucking— I'll kill you—! Aghhh—!"
His voice broke into panicked cries, his entire body shaking from the pain.
But Jison—
Didn't even look at him.
His eyes were fixed on something else.
The crimson screen in front of him.
Burning into his vision.
---
[Warning!]
[Queen Was In Danger. Get To The Spot Within Ten Minutes Where Queen Is And Save Her Or Your Quest Will Be Registered As Failed, And System Screen Will Never Appear Again.]
---
Jison's pupils shrank.
His breath hitched.
Fuck.
His gaze snapped downward.
The student was still writhing on the ground, groaning in pain, completely helpless.
Jison stepped closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
"Where is Seo-yeon?" he asked, voice low and dangerous. "Tell me… or I'll break your leg."
He lifted his right leg slightly, aiming toward the joint.
Ready to crush it.
Inside—
His thoughts churned violently.
This fucking system…
His jaw tightened.
It's starting to control me…
It knows I need this power… and it's using me…
But even knowing that—
He couldn't ignore it.
Not now.
Not when the risk was everything.
The student looked up at him, fear flooding his face as he saw the intent in Jison's eyes.
"T-they—!" he stammered, voice shaking. "They took her… to the rooftop!"
Jison didn't waste another second.
He turned immediately and ran.
---
Inside the school building, the halls were quieter now.
Lunch break was already ending.
Students were returning to class.
But Jison—
Didn't stop.
Didn't slow down.
His breath grew heavier with every step as he sprinted through the corridor.
Ten minutes…
I don't have time…
He reached the area near the staff room—
And spotted a teacher sitting outside.
An older man.
Jison rushed toward him.
"Teacher!" he called out urgently. "I saw some students take the new transfer student to the rooftop!"
The teacher looked up, startled.
"What? Really?"
He stood up immediately, his expression turning serious.
"Well then, come with me. Show me where."
Jison nodded quickly.
"Yeah."
Without wasting time, the two of them moved toward the staircase.
Step by step—
Closing in on the rooftop.
The footsteps echoed loudly in the stairwell.
Park Jison and the teacher rushed upward, breaths heavy, urgency clear in every step.
Then—
They reached the rooftop door.
At that exact moment, a student on the other side slammed it shut.
Bang.
The metallic click of the lock followed immediately.
Jison's eyes sharpened.
"…shit."
Even though they couldn't see the face clearly through the narrow gap—
They both knew.
Something was wrong.
Without hesitation, the teacher stepped forward and grabbed the handle.
"Move."
He slammed his shoulder against the door.
Thud.
It didn't open.
Jison clenched his fists.
"Teacher… what do we do now?"
---
On the other side of the door—
Panic spread quickly.
The student who had lured Lee Seo-yeon there turned around sharply, his voice rising.
"Hey! That bastard Jison brought a teacher!"
His eyes darted toward the group behind him.
"Quick—take the emergency stairs and run!"
He didn't wait.
He bolted toward the steel staircase at the side.
---
Standing nearby, Han Ji-sung glanced toward the door.
Each impact from the other side echoed through the rooftop.
Bang.
Bang.
Then his gaze shifted calmly to Seo-yeon.
She was seated casually on the back of one of his lackeys—as if this was nothing more than a strange game.
"Looks like your friend is here," Ji-sung said lightly. "I should get going."
Seo-yeon turned her head slightly, looking toward the door that was now shaking under repeated hits.
"…fine. Just leave quickly."
Meanwhile, the lackeys had already started escaping down the emergency stairs.
Ji-sung stood up from Woo-jin's back as if it meant nothing.
Woo-jin's arms trembled as the weight lifted.
"Move," Ji-sung said casually to the lackey Seo-yeon had been sitting on. "He needs to run too."
The lackey hesitated for a second—
Then Seo-yeon stood up and kicked him sharply.
"Fuck off."
That was enough.
He scrambled toward the stairs immediately.
Within seconds—
The rooftop began emptying.
Ji-sung walked toward the emergency staircase at a relaxed pace, hands in his pockets, completely unbothered.
Gone.
---
Silence fell.
Only Seo-yeon and Woo-jin remained.
Woo-jin stood there, stunned.
His mind struggled to process what he had just witnessed.
What the hell…?
Seo-yeon turned toward him, her expression calm.
"Hey," she said casually. "You're Jison's friend, right?"
Woo-jin blinked.
"…yeah."
She looked him straight in the eyes.
"Don't tell anyone what happened here."
Her tone wasn't threatening.
But it was firm.
---
CRACK.
The lock gave way.
The rooftop door burst open.
The teacher rushed in, followed closely by Jison.
"Seo-yeon! Are you alright?!"
Jison's eyes scanned the rooftop instantly.
Searching.
Measuring.
Confirming.
She was standing.
Safe.
---
The teacher's gaze shifted.
And landed on Woo-jin.
His expression darkened immediately.
"So it was you," he snapped. "You were the one trying to bully her!"
"Huh?!"
All three of them reacted at once.
Shock.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
---
A few minutes later—
After a tense explanation—
The situation calmed.
Seo-yeon spoke clearly, confidently, explaining that nothing serious had happened.
That it was just a misunderstanding.
That no one had harmed her.
The teacher, though still suspicious, had no concrete reason to push further.
Eventually, he let it go.
---
But—
Something didn't sit right.
Not with Woo-jin.
And not with Jison.
Woo-jin had seen everything.
He knew exactly what had happened.
And yet—
What Seo-yeon said didn't match it at all.
Jison remained silent.
His eyes drifted slightly to the side.
Toward the system screen still floating faintly in his vision.
5:12
Timer stopped.
His expression tightened.
What she said…
His gaze lowered slightly.
…doesn't match the system warning.
The words echoed in his mind.
"Queen was in danger."
But when he arrived—
She looked… fine.
Too fine.
Is it because I got here before the ten minutes…?
His fingers curled slightly.
What if I had been late…?
Thirty seconds.
One minute.
His heartbeat slowed, but the unease deepened.
Would things have turned out differently…?
The thought lingered.
Unanswered.
---
The sky had already begun to dim by the time Park Jison left school.
The streets were quieter now.
He had already seen off Lee Seo-yeon and Woo-jin—their paths splitting in different directions.
Now, he walked alone.
Step by step.
Hands in his pockets.
Mind restless.
What if I was late…?
The thought kept looping.
No matter how many times he tried to push it away—it came back.
Stronger.
More vivid.
What would've happened to her…?
His jaw tightened slightly.
He didn't have an answer.
And that bothered him more than anything.
Then—
A familiar glow.
Crimson-black.
The system appeared again, cold and indifferent as always.
Text formed slowly in front of his eyes.
---
[Congratulations!]
[Login Quest Completed]
[Reward: Night Voice Chat With Lee Seo-yeon]
Note: The Reward Host Received Was According To Host's Own Contribution In Quest.
---
Jison stopped walking.
"…seriously?"
His eyes narrowed at the screen.
"That's the fucking reward?"
A voice chat.
That's what all of this led to?
He let out a short, dry breath.
Half disbelief.
Half irritation.