The next morning arrived quietly.
At 7:05 AM, Park Jison was already seated at his desk.
Alone.
The classroom was empty, filled only with the faint hum of the ceiling fan and the soft morning light filtering through the windows. Most students wouldn't arrive until around 7:20.
Jison leaned back slightly in his chair and pulled out his phone.
7:05 AM.
He let out a slow sigh.
I woke up early today… logged in… but I still don't understand that quest.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket, his expression turning more serious.
"That thing…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Login Quest."
The moment the words left his mouth—
A crimson-black holographic screen flickered into existence in front of him.
The text began forming line by line.
---
[Login Quest Incomplete]
[Quest: Your King Will Protect You]
[Objective: Protect The Queen For Today In School]
[Reward: Depends On Queen's Decision]
---
Jison leaned forward slightly, resting his left hand against his chin while his right arm crossed under it, supporting the pose as he stared at the screen.
Protect the queen…
His brows furrowed.
Who the hell is the queen…?
Then his eyes shifted downward.
The reward.
"…depends on the queen's decision?"
His expression darkened instantly.
"Bastard… what kind of bullshit reward is that?"
His voice came out low, irritated, almost growling.
No fixed reward. No guarantee.
Just some unknown person deciding it?
"Fucking ridiculous…"
He leaned back again, running a hand through his hair before letting out another sigh.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Skill info."
The screen shifted instantly.
---
[Skill Window]
1. Peeking (Lv-1) (Active Type)
2. Uppercut (Lv-0) (Active Type)
3. Low Calf Kick (Lv-0) (Active Type)
*Click On Skill For Skill Information
---
Jison stared at the list.
His gaze lingered on the first skill.
Peeking.
He scratched his head with both hands, frustration creeping onto his face.
"…I'm a damn idiot."
He clicked his tongue.
I've seen so many people already… and I didn't even use Peeking.
If I had used it properly… I'd probably already be at Level 2.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
I'm not used to this system… that's why I keep forgetting.
His eyes sharpened.
But not anymore.
A faint spark of determination flickered within them.
He raised his hand and tapped on—
Low Calf Kick.
The screen changed instantly.
---
[Low Calf Kick (Lv-0)]
[Low Calf Kick skill can be used to attack the targeted person's lower leg, just below the knee. It consumes stamina while in use. If the user's stamina is depleted, the skill will be cancelled.]
[Use (0/10) To Upgrade The Skill Level.]
---
Jison read through it carefully.
"…legs, huh."
He leaned back in his chair again, relaxing slightly.
So I need to use both this and Uppercut as much as possible…
His mind started working.
Upper body.
Lower body.
Different angles.
Different openings.
If I combine them properly…
A slow, confident smirk formed on his face.
"…this could actually make me dangerous."
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
Yeah…
I just need fights.
More usage.
More experience.
More strength.
His eyes glinted faintly.
The quiet of the early morning was broken by a sudden vibration.
Buzz.
Park Jison paused, his eyes drifting toward his pocket.
Who the hell is messaging me this early…?
He frowned slightly.
Mom?
Still thinking, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen—
And froze.
"…huh?"
The sender's name made his eyes widen.
Lee Seo-yeon.
For a second, he just stared at it like it might disappear.
Then he opened the message.
Lee Seo-yeon (07:11): Good Morning(Smiling Emoji)
Jison's face instantly turned red.
What the… she actually messaged me?
His heartbeat picked up slightly.
I thought she just took my number out of politeness…
He straightened up a bit in his seat, suddenly more alert than before.
Without wasting time, he started typing.
Jison (07:12): Good Morning. You wake up this early every day?
The reply came almost immediately.
Lee Seo-yeon (07:12): Nah just first day at my new school so i don't wanna be late.
"…oh."
Jison nodded slightly to himself.
Makes sense…
He started typing again, his fingers moving quickly.
He was about to ask her which school she joined—
But before he could send it—
Another message popped up.
Lee Seo-yeon (07:12): Sorry mom is calling me. Gotta go.
Jison paused.
"…ah."
He stared at the screen for a moment.
Then slowly…
He erased the message he had typed.
The chat window went quiet.
He locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
A faint sigh escaped him.
I wanted to talk a little more…
But she was busy.
Nothing he could do about that.
Still—
A small hint of disappointment lingered.
Time passed slowly.
The empty classroom gradually began to fill with noise.
Footsteps in the corridor.
Voices.
Laughter.
Students started arriving one by one.
Some of Jison's classmates entered as well—but the moment they noticed him sitting there, head resting lazily on his desk, they lowered their voices instinctively.
No one wanted to draw attention.
Not after yesterday.
A few minutes later—
The classroom door opened again.
Woo-jin stepped in.
He closed the door behind him and immediately scanned the room.
His eyes landed on Jison.
Sitting casually.
Head down.
Like nothing had happened.
Woo-jin froze for a second.
He actually came…?
He had assumed Jison wouldn't show up today—not after what he did yesterday.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
---
Earlier that morning, at the school gate—
Woo-jin had overheard a group of students talking.
"Hey, did you hear? Kim Min-jun and Lee Ji-hoon got knocked out by their classmate… yeah, Park Jison."
"Yeah, and I heard neither of them came to school today."
"Also… I think No.6 is looking for him."
"Yeah… that guy only wants to fight strong people."
---
Back to the present.
Woo-jin's expression changed instantly.
Shit.
Without wasting time, he rushed toward Jison's desk.
"Hey—!"
Jison slowly lifted his head, his eyes half-lidded, still lazy.
"Huh…?"
Woo-jin grabbed his arm tightly, urgency clear in his voice.
"Why the hell are you here?!"
Jison blinked, confused.
"…what?"
Woo-jin leaned closer, his voice dropping but intense.
"Gangwon High No.6 is looking for you."
Hearing those words, Park Jison went completely still.
For a brief moment, he didn't react.
His body remained relaxed, his expression blank—
But his mind was already racing.
Then it hit him.
Hard.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…what?"
He stood up instinctively, his chair scraping faintly against the floor.
"What— that crazy bastard is looking for me?"
The name itself wasn't spoken.
But he knew.
Everyone knew.
Gangwon High's No.6 Person.
---
A memory surfaced in his mind.
Clear. Violent.
Unforgettable.
A group of grown men—adults—had once surrounded No.6.
Not students.
Actual adults.
Men with size, experience, and strength.
Anyone watching would've assumed it was over for him.
But the result—
Was completely different.
No.6 had beaten the absolute shit out of all of them.
Like they were nothing.
Like they were just kids trying to act tough—and failing miserably.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
Just raw, overwhelming dominance.
And on top of that—
He had a reputation.
A fucked-up one.
He actively looked for strong people.
Fought them.
Crushed them.
Almost like it was a sickness.
---
Back in the present, Jison's hands moved to his head unconsciously, fingers gripping his hair as he messed it up in frustration.
"Fuck…"
For a split second, a thought flashed through his mind.
Run.
Just leave.
Skip school.
Avoid him completely.
But the idea died instantly.
If he ran—
The system.
He couldn't risk it.
Not after everything he had gained.
Not now.
His hand slammed against the desk.
Bang.
"What the hell…!"
His voice came out low, filled with anger and fear.
"That bastard will fucking kill me…"
His breathing grew heavier.
"I can't fight him… I'm too weak… way too fucking weak…"
Beside him, Woo-jin watched silently.
His expression shifted.
He glanced toward the window, his jaw tightening slightly.
He's not a bad guy…
His thoughts drifted.
If he hadn't run into Min-jun that day… none of this would've happened.
Jison wasn't the type to start trouble.
But now—
He was in it.
Deep.
Woo-jin clenched his fist slightly.
I want to help him…
Then loosened it again.
But I don't have that kind of power.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
---
Jison slowly sat back down.
His face darkened, eyes fixed on the desk in front of him.
"I'm not going anywhere."
His voice was firm.
But inside—
I can maybe survive him…
His eyes flickered slightly.
But I can't risk losing the system.
Woo-jin looked at him for a moment, then let out a small breath and pulled a chair closer, sitting beside him near the window.
"Okay," he said.
"If you're staying… I'm with you."
Jison glanced at him briefly.
Woo-jin continued, his tone serious.
"Just apologize to him. Don't act tough. Don't provoke him."
He paused.
"Maybe… he won't beat you to death."
Jison swallowed slightly.
"…yeah."
He nodded.
"Yeah… I will."
But even as he said it—
A faint unease lingered in his chest.
Because deep down—
He wasn't sure if that would be enough.
Minutes passed.
The classroom slowly filled up, seat by seat, voice by voice—until almost everyone had arrived.
Almost.
Kim Min-jun and Ji-hoon were still absent.
No surprise there.
Meanwhile, Park Jison had already finished scanning the entire class.
[Peeking].
One by one.
Face after face.
Stat after stat.
But the result?
"…nothing special."
Not a single person above rank C.
He leaned back lazily in his chair, resting his chin on his palm.
So this is the level of my class…
Boring.
His interest faded quickly.
Just then—
Click.
The classroom door opened.
The teacher walked in, pushing the door behind him—but not fully closing it. It remained slightly ajar.
He stepped to the front of the class and adjusted his tie.
"Keep silent and sit at your desks."
The room instantly settled.
Chairs scraped lightly as students straightened up, all attention shifting forward.
The teacher scanned the class briefly before speaking again.
"So… we have a new transfer student joining our class today."
A ripple of surprise spread instantly.
Students exchanged looks.
Whispers started.
Then all eyes turned toward the door.
Slide.
The door opened.
And she walked in.
Elegant.
Calm.
Confident.
The moment she stepped inside, the entire atmosphere shifted.
Students froze.
Some blinked.
Others stared openly.
She was—
Beautiful.
Not just pretty, but striking in a way that demanded attention.
The boys were already sold.
New crush unlocked.
Even Jison—
Froze.
His lazy expression vanished instantly, replaced with pure shock.
…what?
Standing at the front of the class was—
Lee Seo-yeon.
The teacher glanced at her briefly, then looked back at the class.
"Introduce yourself."
Seo-yeon nodded slightly.
She turned toward the class, her posture straight, voice calm and clear.
"I'm Lee Seo-yeon. I transferred here from Seoul. Let's be helpful to each—"
She stopped.
Mid-sentence.
Her eyes had landed on someone.
Jison.
Sitting there.
Staring at her like he'd just seen a ghost.
Her expression flickered.
What the hell is he doing here…?
For a split second, her composure cracked.
The teacher frowned slightly.
"What happened?"
The class waited.
Silence stretched for a moment.
Seo-yeon quickly recovered, straightening herself again.
"Let's be helpful to each other."
This time, she finished it cleanly.
The teacher nodded and gestured toward the back.
"You can sit there."
He pointed at a desk on the right side—near the last row.
One girl was already seated there, while the seat beside her remained empty.
Seo-yeon followed his direction.
As she walked through the classroom, every pair of eyes tracked her movement.
Whispers followed.
Admiration.
Curiosity.
Envy.
Whispers spread across the classroom like wildfire.
"Who the hell is she…?"
"Damn… she's beautiful."
"I think I just fell for her."
"Tch, every guy here is thinking the same thing."
"She's got an insane figure…"
"Hey, watch your eyes, bastard. Don't look at her like that."
"Fuck you. My eyes are perfectly clean."
Meanwhile, step by step, she made her way to the back.
Closer.
Closer.
To Jison.
As she reached her desk—
Her eyes met his again.
For just a second.
A silent exchange.
Shock.
Recognition.
Confusion.
Then—
She quickly looked away.
And sat down.
Just like that—
The distance between them disappeared.
But somehow—
Everything felt even more complicated.