Johnny shrugged at Xander's hesitant expression and quickly brushed it off. "Don't worry about it! It's just fifty bucks a month!" he said casually, like it was no big deal.
Xander scratched the back of his neck, shifting awkwardly. He wanted to join—who wouldn't? This was Johnny Lawrence, on a mission to rebuild the legendary Cobra Kai. The opportunity to be part of something like that was right in front of him. His fists clenched slightly at his sides, his resolve building.
But then, a twinge of guilt crept into his chest, mixing with a strange sense of responsibility. He didn't know why he felt so conflicted—maybe it was the remnants of the former Xander's emotions, blending with his own. Back in his last life, he'd been selfish, a reckless and perverted man who rarely thought of others. But now, in this new life, something felt different.
He couldn't just accept the offer without talking to his mother first. She was the one keeping their lives together, working long hours—sometimes even through the night—to make sure they could keep a roof over their heads. Ever since his father had been sentenced to death for the murder of the USA Vice President's brother, his mother had been their sole provider, carrying the weight of their survival on her shoulders.
Fifty dollars a month might not seem like much to most people, but to them, every dollar mattered. Xander wasn't sure if it was entirely his own guilt or the echoes of the former Xander's loyalty, but he knew one thing: he had to ask her first.
"Uh…" Xander began, glancing between Johnny and Miguel. Johnny's casual confidence was almost infectious, but Xander couldn't just dive in. "Could you give me the address? I'll think about it."
Johnny frowned slightly, looking like he wanted to push further, but then he gave a quick nod. "Yeah, sure." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled business card and handing it to Xander.
"Cobra Kai Dojo," Johnny said, his voice tinged with pride as he gestured to the card. "You show up, and we'll take care of the rest."
Xander took the card, feeling its rough edges in his hand. He looked at it for a moment, a mix of nervousness and excitement bubbling in his chest.
"I'll think about it," he repeated, his voice a little firmer this time.
Miguel smiled at him encouragingly. "You should come," he said. "It's not just about learning to fight. It's… it's about confidence, standing up for yourself."
Xander nodded, grateful for the support but still unsure. He tucked the card into his pocket, giving the two of them a small, uncertain smile.
"I'll see you guys around," he said, turning to walk away, his mind already racing with how he'd bring this up with his mom.
Behind him, Johnny called out, "Don't wait too long, kid. Spots are filling up fast!"
Xander couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. As if there was a line out the door for Cobra Kai. Still, he appreciated the humor.
Now, all he had to do was figure out how to approach his mom about this—and hope she'd say yes.
...
The evening sun cast a warm orange glow over a small apartment in Reseda as Xander sat cross-legged on the worn couch. The tiny living room, cramped and modest, felt a little too quiet compared to the chaos of earlier. The sounds of distant traffic and muffled voices from the neighbors filled the air as he stared at the wall, his mind racing with questions.
"Status," he said aloud, his voice hesitant but steady.
To his shock—and relief—a holographic window materialized in front of him, floating mid-air. It glowed faintly, the text crisp and clear. At the very top of the window, in bold, glowing letters, were the words:
[Lust System]
Xander's brow furrowed as he stared at the strange title. "Lust System?" he muttered under his breath, the words leaving a strange taste in his mouth.
When he had returned home, still buzzing with the adrenaline and curiosity from the fight with the bullies, he couldn't shake the memory of the pink holographic notifications. They felt too real to dismiss. As soon as he got home, he'd tried everything he could think of to bring them back—waving his hands, saying random phrases, even touching the air like a lunatic.
Finally, after hours of trial and error, he'd figured it out. A simple verbal command, "Status," had done the trick.
Now, as he stared at the window, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. It felt eerily similar to a video game—a concept he wasn't too familiar with. In his last life, he'd never been the kind of guy to spend time playing games or diving into fantasy worlds. He was more about… other pursuits. The thought made him grimace. Maybe if he had played games, he wouldn't have wasted so much time figuring this out.
[Name: Xander Wolfe]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 5]
[Stamina: 5]
[Vitality: 5]
[Intelligence: 5]
[Charm: 50]
He blinked, his eyes drawn to the numbers. The first five stats were all pitifully low—barely above what he assumed would be the absolute minimum. Strength, agility, stamina, vitality, intelligence… all at five.
But the one that stood out was Charm. It wasn't just higher—it was leagues ahead at an impressive 50.
Xander leaned back, scratching his head. "Well, that explains why those bullies before were calling me 'pretty boy'," he murmured. Even in his last life, that had been his one saving grace. His charm always seemed to get him out of trouble—or into it.
But the rest of his stats? They were… pathetic. No wonder he got beaten so badly earlier. He had no strength to back up his anger, no stamina to keep fighting, no agility to dodge, and no vitality to endure the hits. Even his intelligence was mediocre.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. If this was some kind of game system, it felt more like a cruel joke. He wasn't starting from scratch—he was starting in a hole.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. A system like this, if it worked the way he thought, could be his ticket to improvement. Maybe not just in fights, but in life.
As he stared at the window, his mind raced with questions. How did he level up? Could he train these stats? And what the hell was the Lust System supposed to mean?
He frowned, his gaze lingering on the glowing title at the top of the screen. He had a feeling that whatever this system was, it wasn't going to let him off easy.
But one thing was for sure: he had to figure out how it worked.
Xander sat back on the couch, his arms crossed as he stared at the glowing window in front of him. The word "Charm" still lingered in his mind, but something else tugged at his thoughts now.
"Skills…" he murmured, the word suddenly popping into his head. It felt like something out of a video game. And for a moment, just before saying it out loud, he was hit by a strange thought:
Why hadn't this kid—the former Xander—ever played video games?
He was handsome, sure, but he wasn't exactly the "cool guy" of his high school. His memories of the former Xander were starting to bleed through more and more, and what he found puzzled him. No games, no consoles… nothing. Instead, there were countless memories of reading—books upon books—almost obsessively.
"Why?" Xander muttered, leaning back. Sure, his family was poor. Buying games or consoles wasn't an option. But there were free games online, weren't there? Why didn't he even try?
As the questions piled up, another memory surfaced: Xander's uncle.
A flood of images hit him all at once. Xander's uncle was a smart, no-nonsense man—a successful engineer with a sharp tongue and an equally sharp mind. He'd been the one constantly lecturing Xander about how useless video games were, how they would rot his brain. "It's better to read a book," his uncle would say, dismissing games with a wave of his hand.
Xander exhaled slowly, the realization settling in. Was that the reason? Had the former Xander avoided games because of his uncle's influence?
But as he thought about it, another memory surfaced—one that made his stomach twist. His uncle had been rich, successful, and a prominent figure in their family. Yet since Xander's father had been arrested, the man had not only stopped calling them but had completely severed all communication. Even stranger, his once-flourishing company had suddenly gone dark.
Why?
Xander's brows furrowed, his mind racing. He was sure his uncle had cared about him, at least at one point. So why had he disappeared? And why had his company gone silent? The questions built up like a dam ready to burst, threatening to consume his thoughts.
"No," Xander muttered, shaking his head as if to physically push the thoughts away. "Not now."
He needed to focus. He could deal with the mystery of his uncle another time. For now, he had to figure out how this strange system worked.
"Skill!" he said aloud, his voice cutting through the quiet.
Immediately, another pink holographic window materialized before him. At the top, glowing in bold letters, was the word:
[Skill]
Beneath it was a single entry:
[Basic Combat Instinct]
Xander's eyes lit up with recognition. He remembered seeing this earlier during the fight with the bullies but had been too overwhelmed to pay much attention to it at the time. Now, though, his curiosity burned.
Instinctively, he reached out to touch the floating text. His fingers hovered just inches away, the pink glow reflecting in his eyes. But before he could press it, the sound of a key turning in the lock made him pause.
The front door swung open, and a familiar voice called out.
"I'm home," his mother said, her voice weary but gentle.
Xander quickly snapped his head toward her, his heart skipping a beat. The holographic windows disappeared in an instant, vanishing the moment he thought about hiding them.
His mother, Lisa, stepped into the apartment, her blonde hair tied into a messy bun and dark circles under her tired eyes. Despite the exhaustion etched into her face, she carried herself with a quiet strength. She wore a simple blouse and slacks, her coat draped over one arm as she set her purse down on the counter.
[Image Here]
To be continued...
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Sorry for not having posted these days, been busy and had troubles with writing this chapter.