The gym hung heavy with disappointment. Whispers rippled through the crowd as the tension that once electrified the air faded into nothing.
Eun-ak lay on the mat, blood trickling from his nose, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. His vision blurred at the edges, the fluorescent lights above swimming in and out of focus.
"Is it over?" someone whispered.
"Total waste of time," Bong scoffed, cracking his knuckles. "That guy was nothing but rumors."
"Just having muscles doesn't make you strong," Dong added with a shake of his head.
One by one, the leaders began to file out, their interest lost. Seo Do-hyun left without a word, his hulking frame disappearing through the gym doors. The mysterious transfer student from Japan spared only a glance at Eun-ak before vanishing into the shadows.
All except Yejun.
He stood quietly in the corner, leaning against the ropes, watching. There was no smugness in his expression, no triumph. Just calm observation.
Ji-ho knelt beside Eun-ak, shaking him gently. "Eun-ak... hey... wake up."
Eun-ak's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. His entire body screamed with pain, muscles trembling as he tried to sit up.
"...Did I lose?" he rasped, voice barely above a whisper.
Ji-ho hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. It was... quick."
The words stung more than the punches.
"You fought like someone who had something to prove."
The voice came from above. Eun-ak looked up to see Yejun standing over him, hands in his pockets. His expression was calm but serious.
"But you didn't fight like someone who knew how to win."
Eun-ak's lips pressed into a thin line. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Yejun crouched down, meeting his gaze. "You rushed in. You relied on instincts and brute strength. No strategy, no patience." He exhaled softly. "The ring isn't a street fight. It's a game of inches. If you don't respect the game, you lose before it even starts."
Eun-ak clenched his fists, frustration boiling in his chest.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Yejun shrugged. "Because I can see you're not the type to give up. And when you come back... I want you to be better."
With that, Yejun stood, turning toward the exit. "Heal up. Then show me something worth watching next time."
The gym doors closed behind him with a soft thud.
Ji-ho helped Eun-ak to his feet, draping an arm over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you home."
As they stumbled down the dimly lit streets toward Eun-ak's apartment, the bitter sting of defeat sat heavy in his chest. The pain was nothing compared to the weight of disappointment.
What went wrong? I trained... I worked so hard...
When they finally reached the apartment, Ji-ho helped him to the couch. "You did your best," he offered.
Eun-ak didn't respond.
After Ji-ho left, the room fell into silence. The night stretched long and cold. Then, a soft chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
New Feature Unlocked: Training Room
Eun-ak sat up, wincing at the pain in his ribs. "Training room...?"
The system interface flickered in front of him.
[Quest: Train in the Training Room for 1 Month]
Reward: 1x Diamond Card
Time Ratio: 3 Days in Training Room = 1 Hour in Real Time
Eun-ak's breath caught. "One hour is three days..."
His heart pounded as he realized what this meant.
"This... this changes everything."
Without hesitation, he activated the feature. The world blurred, colors swirling until they faded into a vast, empty training hall. The floor stretched endlessly, the air charged with energy.
He flexed his fingers. The pain was gone. His body felt whole.
"I have 10 hours... Let's do this."
Eun-ak charged forward, fists raised. This time, he wouldn't rush blindly. He would learn. He would grow.
And when he stepped out of this room, Yejun... Ha-jun... they wouldn't recognize him.
[Quest Progress: 0%]
The training began.
The next day at school, whispers filled the halls.
"Did you see him? He looks... different."
"Yeah... there's something off about him today."
"It's kinda scary..."
Eun-ak walked through the corridors, head high, shoulders steady. His eyes burned with quiet intensity. The aura around him was heavier, darker... powerful.
But in the back of his mind, a reminder ticked down.
[Main Quest: Defeat Ha-jun]
Time Remaining: 1 Day, 17 Hours
He clenched his fists.
Failure is not an option.