Reality Quest: Lookism

I sat up from the infirmary bed, wincing as my body protested the movement. Bandages wrapped tightly around my torso, and while the pain had dulled somewhat, it was still there, a reminder of Cheolwoo's earlier beatdown.

Glancing at my stats panel, I saw the small improvement:

[HP: 430/1000]

It wasn't much, but it was better than before. Sighing, I swung my legs off the bed, grabbed my bag from the nearby chair, and nodded toward the nurse at her desk.

"Thanks." I muttered.

She barely looked up, giving a dismissive nod before going back to her paperwork. Real nurturing, this one.

I walked out into the hallway, the buzz of student chatter filling the air. As I navigated through the crowd, snippets of conversation reached my ears.

"Did you hear? Ha Do-wan beat the crap out of Cheolwoo!"

"No way! That guy's been running this place forever. How'd Dowan pull it off?"

"Apparently, he went berserk or something. Maybe he's been hiding his strength all along?"

I stopped in my tracks, my lips curling into a grin. 'So I really am at the start of the story. Cheolwoo just got clapped by Do-wan. Things are about to get interesting.'

Deciding I needed to clear my head, I headed toward the bathroom. As I turned a corner, a bruised and hurried figure brushed past me. His head was down, his steps quick, as though trying to disappear into the crowd.

I turned to look at him as he passed, and recognition clicked almost immediately. 'Jihan Yoo.' I thought, shaking my head. 'The fool who decided to hide his strength and let himself get bullied.'

I didn't bother stopping him. He had his own issues to deal with. Instead, I resumed my walk, eventually finding the nearest bathroom.

Inside, two voices echoed off the tiled walls.

"Tonight, I'm going to have a drink with girls from an all-girl high school." one of them said, his tone smug. "Wanna go together?"

The other hesitated. "Are you… talking to me?"

I glanced over and immediately recognized them. Jaemin Shin, the loudmouth braggart, and Ha Do-wan, the supposed protagonist who was anything but smart.

My eyes caught something else, a glowing quest panel floating in front of Dowan.

[Quest: Dangerous Invitation

You will be invited tonight. Please accept the quest and choose your seat.]

I raised a brow. 'So I can see his panels?' I thought, intrigued.

Before I could dwell on it, the two noticed me. Dowan's gaze lingered nervously, while Jaemin scowled, clearly annoyed by my presence. I ignored them both, walking to the nearest urinal to do my business.

The sound of me whistling filled the room as I went about my business, not caring about the tension behind me.

"What the hell's your problem?" Jaemin snapped.

I felt a hand grip the back of my head, jerking it slightly.

"Hah?" I muttered, turning my head to see Jaemin glaring at me, his face twisted in irritation.

"Fuck off." he growled. "We are talking."

I stared at him for a moment, then smirked. Without a word, I turned back and raised my meat, directing my piss right at him.

"What the-?!" Jaemin screamed in shock, stumbling back as the stream hit him. His eyes squeezed shut in disgust. "You bastard!"

Before he could react further, I raised my foot, still mid-stream, and slammed it into his abdomen. He went flying backward, crashing to the floor, the piss splashing all over him.

Jaemin writhed on the ground, shouting in a mix of pain and humiliation, while I calmly turned back to finish.

Whistling the same tune, I zipped up and walked over to the sink, washing my hands. In the mirror, I caught sight of Dowan standing frozen, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief.

I smirked at his reflection before turning around. "What?" I asked casually.

He didn't respond, his mouth slightly open as he stared at me like I was some kind of demon.

I turned to Dowan, who stood frozen like a deer caught in headlights. His wide eyes trembled with fear, his face pale as if he'd just seen a ghost, or a devil.

I calmly wiped my wet hands on my uniform, not caring about the stain. "Man up." I said, my voice steady but sharp enough to cut through the silence. "Stop relying on luck to get you through life."

Dowan flinched, his lips parting as if to say something, but no words came out.

I sighed, shaking my head. As I walked past Jaemin's groaning, piss-soaked form, I made sure to plant my foot on the front of his head, pressing down hard.

The satisfying thud of his skull meeting the floor echoed through the bathroom as he went limp, knocked out cold. I turned back to Dowan, who was trembling even more now.

"Bullies like him are easy to deal with." I said, gesturing to Jaemin's unconscious body. "Even if you're weak. You don't need strength to win. You just need to be ruthless."

Dowan's mouth opened slightly, but I could tell my words weren't sinking in. He still looked scared, confused, unsure of himself.

I stepped closer, just enough to make sure he heard me loud and clear. "The world only cares about results." I said, my voice dropping to a near whisper. Then, a grin spread across my face, a sadistic smile that made Dowan flinch.

"Remember that." I added, turning to leave. My footsteps echoed as I walked out of the bathroom, leaving Dowan alone with his thoughts and the unconscious Jaemin.

'Let's see if you've got what it takes to survive this world, Ha Do-wan.' I thought, the grin lingering on my face.

As I walked away from the bathroom, a familiar translucent panel flickered into my vision.

[Congratulations! You have defeated Jaemin Shin.]

[Rewards Obtained: 1x Gold Key, 100 Credits.]

I raised a brow. 'Interesting.'

Right below the notification, one hundred black and blue coins with a glowing "C" embossed on their surfaces materialized and fell from the panel. They bounced lightly on the ground, clinking softly as they hit the tiles. The sound rang clear, but it seemed like I was the only one who could hear it.

Before i could catch some, the coins disappeared into thin air, like they were absorbed into the system. I stretched my fingers, wondering if anyone else had seen or heard what just happened, but a quick glance around told me it was all invisible to everyone but me.

'So Dowan can't see this.' I thought, glancing back toward the bathroom. The trembling mess that was Ha Do-wan wasn't following me, still stuck in his fear-stricken stupor. 'That means only I can see my own panels… and his.'

A grin crept onto my face. 'This is a good thing.'

I opened my hand, focusing on the Gold Key mentioned in the notification. Immediately, a glowing key with ornate patterns appeared in my palm, its golden surface shimmering faintly.

'Now, what can I do with this?' I wondered, inspecting it. As the thought crossed my mind, another panel flickered into view.

It was blank, but chains crisscrossed over the surface, holding it firmly shut. At the center of the panel was a glowing gold lock, its intricate design matching the key I held.

Above the lock, words appeared in bold:

[Shop]

I tilted my head, intrigued. 'So this key opens the shop?'

My fingers brushed over the glowing lock, and for the first time in this world, I felt a spark of anticipation. Whatever was behind this lock… it could change everything.

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1273 words.

Like always do your thing.