Seoul's autumn sun blazed over glass towers, hiding the city's rot beneath its glitter. Hanwool Middle School in Gangnam was all polished floors and trophy cases, the kind of place where even the trees looked rich. But for Park Jin-ho, it was hell with Wi-Fi.

"Watch your step, sewer rat," Lee Dae-won snarled, slamming Jin-ho's shoulder into a locker. The hallway cameras blinked lazily—useless for anything but catching kids cheating on tests. Jin-ho adjusted his cracked glasses, the left lens still spiderwebbed from when Min-jae's crew "accidentally" tripped him down the stairs.

"Sorry," he mumbled, staring at his scuffed shoes. Keep your head down. Breathe.

Mrs. Kim, the lit teacher, hovered nearby like a ghost. "You should report them," she whispered, but her voice wavered. They both knew the drill: snitching meant broken fingers, not justice.

Lunch Break – Hanwool Park

Jin-ho ducked into the park, where ajummas tossed rice cakes to pigeons and office workers napped on benches. The smell of caramel and dough hit him—a hotteok cart steaming in the corner.

"Here, kid." The vendor shoved a pancake into his hands, her eyes soft. "Eat. You're skin and bones."

My parents are dead, he almost said. Instead, he forced a smile and hid behind a statue of General Yi Sun-sin. Across the lawn, Choi Min-jae lounged with his cronies, unwrapping a bento box full of sushi. His Instagram was a parade of ski trips and限量版 sneakers—proof that life wasn't fair.

"Still playing the stray cat?" Soo-min's voice cut through the crisp air. The class rep stood stiffly, her blazer pinned with gold badges. "Scholarship committee's coming tomorrow. If you cause a scene…"

Jin-ho crushed the greasy wrapper in his fist. "Wouldn't want to ruin the school's perfect image, right?"

She flinched, then marched off. Guilt? he wondered. Or just scared I'll stain her spotless record?

After School – Ikseon-dong Alley

The bookstore was a crumbling relic between boutique cafés. Old Hwang squinted at Jin-ho from behind a stack of yellowed paperbacks. "Storage room's leaking again. Fix it."

"Payment" was a box of mildewed books no one wanted. But Jin-ho didn't care. A dog-eared copy of Demian had kept him sane during foster home hopscotch. A waterlogged coding manual taught him to jailbreak his ₩10,000 flip phone.

Today, under a pile of Get Rich Quick! trash, he found it—a leather book colder than ice, its cover etched with silver symbols that squirmed like smoke.

"Yah, brat." Hwang materialized beside him, reeking of soju. "That thing's cursed. Or blessed. Depends on the day."

Jin-ho frowned. "It's blank."

"To you?" Hwang wheezed. "Doubt it."

8:15 PM – Community Library

Jin-ho's "apartment" was a closet above a convenience store, but the library had heat and free Wi-Fi. He hunched over a computer, typing a history essay while old men argued over baduk moves.

A notification popped up:

[Anonymous: Min-jae's got a "surprise" for you tomorrow.]

He deleted it. Bullies had connections—rich dads, cops on payroll. Even here, under flickering lights, he wasn't safe.

Rooftop

The book glowed under Seoul's neon haze. Jin-ho glared at the skyline. "What're you, a prank?"

The pages rippled. Words oozed out, jagged and red:

[WEAKNESS DETECTED: PHYSICAL DEFENSE]

[SOLUTION: BASIC TAEKWONDO (BLOCKING STANCE). ACCEPT? Y/N]

"The hell—?" His finger brushed the page.

A jolt shot up his arm.

Next Morning – School Courtyard

Black sedans idled at the curb. Scholarship officials in tailored suits admired Hanwool's fake-perfect facade. Jin-ho lingered by the gym, sweat soaking his collar.

"Yo, orphan!" Min-jae's voice dripped venom. "Think you're scholarship material?" He hooked Jin-ho's ankle.

Crack. Jin-ho hit concrete, pain exploding in his tailbone. The committee glanced over—then turned away, chatting about "youth potential."

"Stay in the gutter where you belong," Min-jae hissed.

But Jin-ho's muscles tensed—and then his leg snapped up in a perfect makgi block. Min-jae's knee buckled with a pop.

[SKILL ACTIVATED: BASIC TAEKWONDO – 93% MASTERY]

Gasps erupted. The committee froze.

10:32 PM – Alleyway

The book burned in Jin-ho's grip as he sprinted home.

[NEW SKILL: SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (LEVEL 1) – 17%]

A shadow peeled away from the bus stop—a man in a hoodie, eyes glowing amber. The streetlight died with a hiss.

[WARNING: HOSTILE DETECTED.]

[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME.]

The man grinned, teeth sharp as knives. "Found you."