The afternoon school bell echoed through the halls, signaling the start of the break. Students poured into the hallways, flooding the cafeteria, courtyard, and garden. As usual, some grabbed a quick bite in the bustling cafeteria, while others retreated to the shade of trees in the garden, lost in their romantic worlds, oblivious to the chaos around them.

In a secluded alley near the edge of the school grounds, a small group of students lounged around, smoking and laughing. Among them was Shin, standing awkwardly, his fists clenched by his sides.

"Hey, Shin!" one of them barked, his tone commanding. "Go get us a yogurt. Strawberry."

Shin's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. He knew the consequences of defiance all too well—bruises and humiliation were guaranteed. With a reluctant nod, he turned and walked away.

As he trudged through the hallways, the chatter and laughter of other students grated on his nerves. "That bastard," he thought bitterly, his disgust evident in the scowl on his face. "If he weren't a superhuman, I'd knock him out without hesitation."

His gaze shifted to the garden, where couples nestled together under the trees, sharing soft laughter and stolen moments. The sight only deepened his resentment. "What a joke," he muttered under his breath, his steps growing heavier. "I hate this damn school."

Reaching the cafeteria, he begrudgingly handed over his own money to buy the yogurt. The coins clinked on the counter, and his frustration bubbled over. "Great," he thought sarcastically, gripping the cold plastic container. "I'm paying to keep those idiots happy. Fucking bastards."

"Hello, ma'am. I'd like to buy four strawberry yogurts," Shin said softly, avoiding eye contact.

"Here you go. That'll be ten thousand won," the lady replied, handing him a small bag with the yogurts.

Shin sighed as he pulled out the cash, glancing at his near-empty wallet. "Two more days of school this week, and my allowance is already almost gone," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

Walking back to the alley, his gaze landed on another couple in the garden. This time, they were kissing, completely absorbed in their little world. "There should be a rule against that kind of PDA," he thought bitterly, turning away in frustration.

When he finally reached the alley, Cid was waiting, arms crossed, his expression annoyed.

"What took you so long?" Cid snapped.

"Ah, sorry. The line was pretty long," Shin said quickly, bowing slightly. "Here you go, Cid."

Cid snatched the bag from Shin's hands and peered inside. His face twisted into a scowl.

"Strawberry? Are you trying to kill me? You know I'm allergic!"

Shin froze, panic flashing across his face. "B-But you said yesterday you liked strawberry..."

"You're talking back to me now?!" Cid growled. He stepped closer and slapped Shin across the face.

"That was yesterday, idiot! People's tastes can change, you know!"

Shin stumbled back, his cheek stinging. "This bastard," he thought, his hands balling into fists. "He's just making my life miserable for no reason."

"Kneel," Cid ordered, glaring at Shin.

Without a word, Shin obeyed, dropping to his knees. His teeth clenched as he lowered his head. Cid opened one of the yogurts and, with a smirk, poured its contents over Shin's head.

"Fucking bastard," Shin thought, his jaw tightening as the sticky liquid dripped down his face. "I swear, one day I'll get my revenge."

"Oh? Look at this little worm clenching his jaw," Cid said mockingly. He delivered a sharp kick to Shin's face, sending him sprawling to the ground. The spilled yogurt smeared across Shin's clothes as small tears began to escape his eyes.

The other students burst into laughter, their jeering voices echoing in the alley.

"Hey, we're friends, right, Shin? I'm just disciplining you," Cid said with a fake smile.

"Y-Yeah," Shin replied weakly, his voice trembling. "I want to die."

The group left him there, laughing as they walked away. Shin lay on the cold ground, quietly sobbing.

After a while, a voice called out. "Hey, get up."

Shin turned his head to see a girl standing over him.

"Did those bastards mess with you again?" Ria asked, her expression filled with concern.

"No, Ria. I mean... President. I just fell, that's all," Shin stammered, forcing a weak smile.

"You know you can't lie to me, right? I'm here to help. We're best friends, aren't we?" she said softly.

"It doesn't matter," Shin replied, averting his eyes. "I'm fine."

Ria frowned but didn't press further. Shin forced himself to his feet and headed to the restroom.

In the quiet solitude of the sink, he splashed water on his face, watching the yogurt and tears wash away.

"Why is this happening to me?" he whispered, his voice cracking.

As he stared at his reflection, a sudden thought struck him. "Maybe... maybe I'm chosen. Yeah, that's it. This is just a challenge to make me stronger!"

His lips curled into a manic smile, and he began laughing uncontrollably.

In one of the stalls, a student froze mid-movement. "What the hell?" he muttered, opening the door cautiously. He peeked out to see Shin laughing like a madman at the sink.

"Uh, I think I'll head out..." the student mumbled, quickly grabbing his bag and rushing away.

After a while, Shin returned to his classroom, sinking into his rickety chair. The desk was a mess, covered in crude drawings and insults like "orphan," "loser," "Big Rooster Shin," and "doggy," among other hateful scribbles. He stared at the words for a moment but quickly shook his head. None of it mattered to him. His only hope was to study hard and succeed, to leave all of this behind one day.

Two long hours passed, and the school day finally came to an end. Shin grabbed his bag and walked out of the classroom. As he passed the school gate, a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, Shin!"

He turned to see Ria waving at him, her usual cheerful smile on display.

"School ended pretty early, huh?" Ria said as he approached.

"Yeah," Shin replied, his voice flat but polite.

They walked together for a while before Ria broke the silence with a question. "Hey, Shin, what do you like in a girl?"

Shin blinked, surprised by the sudden question. "I'm not really into that kind of thing," he said simply.

"Why not?" Ria pressed, tilting her head in curiosity.

"I find it distracting," Shin answered, shrugging.

"You're such a nerd," Ria teased with a laugh.

Shin didn't mind. Instead, he smiled faintly and replied, "Maybe."

As they continued walking, the conversation shifted. They entered an alley, one of the shortcuts Shin usually took.

"Why does your family still live here? Your dad could easily afford a condo, right? He's pretty rich," Shin asked, looking around at the narrow, poorly lit path.

"Dummy," Ria said with a pout. "If we moved to a condo, we wouldn't get to walk home together like this."

"You don't have to—" Shin began, but Ria cut him off.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten our promise!" she exclaimed, her voice rising.

Shin scratched his head, genuinely confused. "What promise?"

Ria's face turned red with frustration. "Dummy, I hate you!" she yelled, smacking him lightly on the back before running off ahead.

"What's with her?" Shin muttered, sighing. "Hey, wait for me!" he called out, running after her.

When Shin caught up, he saw Ria standing frozen in place. A group of gangsters had blocked her path.

"Is that your boyfriend?" one of them sneered, a smirk plastered on his face.

Without hesitation, Shin grabbed Ria's wrist and gently placed her behind him. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice steady despite the nervous lump in his throat.

"Tch, trying to be a hero, huh? That'll get you killed," the fat gangster said with a mocking laugh.

Shin narrowed his eyes, stepping into a defensive stance. "Back off. I used to do karate!" he said, trying to sound confident.

The gangsters exchanged amused glances before one of them stepped forward. "Yeah? I used to do boxing," the leader said with a grin before throwing a straight jab at Shin's face.

The punch connected, and Shin crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold.

---

When Shin opened his eyes, he was lying on the cracked concrete. He groaned, clutching his throbbing head as he tried to sit up. Around him, the gangsters were sprawled out, unconscious. The narrow alley was in ruins—deep cracks ran along the concrete walls, as if some kind of monster had rampaged through.

Shin's gaze darted to Ria, who stood trembling a few steps away. Her face was pale, her wide eyes filled with fear.

"H-Hey, Ria... what happened?" Shin asked, his voice unsteady.

Ria didn't answer. Instead, she let out a bloodcurdling scream and bolted, running as fast as she could toward her home.

Shin stared after her, stunned. "What the hell was that about?" he muttered, still trying to piece together what had happened.

He glanced around at the destruction again, a chill running down his spine. Shaking his head, he staggered to his feet. "I should head home too. I'll just talk to her tomorrow at school," he thought, walking away from the eerie scene.

Shin arrived home and greeted his grandmother. "Hello, Ma."

"Oh, hello, son. You should wash yourself now. I'll close the shop later," Grandma Anne replied with a warm smile.

Shin nodded and headed to the bathroom. As he scrubbed the grime and humiliation of the day off his body, his thoughts lingered on a recurring idea. What if I ask Ma to let me transfer schools? Maybe it'll end the bullying.

While he was lost in thought, his grandmother called out, "Hey, Shin, dinner's ready!"

"Yes, Ma!" he replied.

At the dinner table, a simple meal of noodles with thinly sliced beef awaited him.

"How's school, Shin?" his grandmother asked, her eyes filled with quiet concern.

"It's the same as always, Grandma Anne," Shin replied with a forced smile.

"I see," she said, sensing there was more he wasn't saying.

They ate in silence for a while before Shin finally mustered the courage to voice his thoughts. "Hey, Ma," he began hesitantly.

"Yes, son?"

"Can we... transfer schools?"

Grandma Anne put her chopsticks down and looked at him with gentle curiosity. "Why? Is something wrong at your school?"

"Not really," Shin lied. "I just feel like I could do better in a different school. The teachers at mine aren't that great."

Her expression softened. "You know we can't afford that, son."

Shin forced a bigger smile. "It's okay, Ma! I'll do my best to succeed and give you the best life someday!"

Grandma Anne laughed and patted his head affectionately. "Of course, son. So, eat a lot and grow strong!"

"Yes, Ma!" Shin replied with renewed determination.

---

After dinner, Shin sat in front of the TV, idly watching the news. The reporter announced, "The Third Hero of the Sword has appeared!"

Shin leaned forward, his eyes glued to the screen. "Wow, it must be amazing to be chosen as a hero and sent to another world," he muttered. "Man, I'm so jealous. Even though I'm powerless, I could train my body to obtain Aetheris... but it costs so much money nowadays. And they won't just teach it to anyone. Same with mystic arts."

Later that night, Shin lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Silent tears streamed down his face.

---

The next morning, Thursday, Shin arrived at school and spotted Ria by the gate.

"Hey, Ria! Why did you run yesterday?" Shin asked, curious.

"I… forgot," Ria replied nonchalantly, avoiding his gaze.

"What? By the way, who beat up those gangsters?"

Ria hesitated, frowning slightly. "That's the part that makes my head hurt. I ran because… I felt like it."

"Oh," Shin replied, unsure of how to respond. The conversation fizzled out into awkward silence.

When they reached their classroom floor, they went their separate ways—Shin heading right and Ria going left.

---

Two periods passed, and it was time for PE. The teacher decided the class would play soccer. Cid and his gang took the opportunity to grab Shin and make him the goalkeeper.

Each deliberate shot from Cid and his friends was aimed to hurt, slamming into Shin's body with painful force. Shin glanced at the teacher, hoping for some intervention, but the teacher turned a blind eye. They don't care. Is it because Cid's a superhuman? Are they protecting him? Shin clenched his teeth in frustration.

The relentless torment was interrupted by a loud, commanding voice. "Hey! Get off my poor grandson!"

Shin's eyes widened in shock. "Ma?!"

Grandma Anne marched onto the field, her expression furious. "Are you okay, son? Did they hurt you?" she asked, fussing over him.

Shin felt his face burn with embarrassment. "Fuck, this is so humiliating," he thought, looking at the smug faces of Cid and his gang.

"Ma, you're embarrassing me! We're just playing!" Shin yelled, his voice shaky. If they find out where we live, they'll target our house too.

Cid smirked, his tone mocking. "See, lady? Me and your grandson get along pretty well!"

Grandma Anne's expression faltered. She looked at Shin for confirmation, and when he nodded reluctantly, she sighed. "Oh, I see. Sorry for the trouble."

To make amends, she reached into her pocket and handed Shin some money. "Here, treat your friends to something nice."

"Ma…" Shin whispered, his heart sinking.

Cid and his gang grinned, snatching the money from Shin's hands. "Thanks, Granny!"

As Grandma Anne walked away, Shin stood frozen in place, his fists clenched tightly. "One day, I'll make them pay. One day…"