Reality Quest: Strike Back

The day started like any other. The classroom buzzed with energy as students shuffled in, talking over each other as they argued, debated homework answers, and traded snacks from their convenience store stops. Morning light filtered through the tall windows, catching the dust motes that swirled lazily in the air.

Minseok and I were in our usual corner of the room. The desks were slightly scuffed from years of bored students carving initials into them, but it was our unofficial territory, purely because we were too invisible to be worth anyone's time.

Minseok tapped his pencil on his notebook, leaning toward me with his wonky grin. "I'm telling you, dude, if you just let me handle DPS, we'll clear Frostlands no problem. You just have to tank properly this time."

I rolled my eyes. "You mean like the last time you 'handled DPS'? Oh wait, you didn't. Because you got frost buildup. Again."

He groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "It's a strategy, okay? I'm trying to maximize my crit damage!"

"You're trying to maximize your respawn timer."

He threw a balled-up piece of paper at me, which I dodged easily. "Whatever, man. Just admit I carry you."

I was about to fire back when a faint noise from the hallway made me pause. It wasn't loud, just a dull thud, followed by the scrape of shoes on the tile floor. I wouldn't have thought much of it if it hadn't been for what came next: laughter. That was when the classroom began to quiet down.

Not the kind of laughter you heard when someone told a joke. This was sharper. Meaner. It was the kind of sound that made your skin crawl, even if you weren't the one it was directed at.

I shifted in my seat, leaning out just enough to catch a glimpse through the open classroom door.

And there he was.

Inrang.

He was backed against the lockers, his shoulders hunched and his hands clutching his backpack straps so tightly his knuckles were white. He looked small, smaller than he actually was, which was already small enough. His face was pale, and his eyes darted around like he was searching for an escape route. His shoddy bowlcut didn't do anything for his face.

In front of him stood Jinho and the others.

Jinho was leaning casually against the lockers, his arms crossed as he looked down at the kid with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His uniform was immaculate, shirt untucked in just the right way, tie loosened just enough to look cool but not sloppy. He had that kind of effortless confidence that made people want to be near him, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

To his left, Seokhyun stood with his usual easygoing grin, tossing an apple from hand to hand. Broad-shouldered and athletic, he could have passed for friendly if he wasn't doing what he was doing right now.

Taemin was the quietest of the three, but somehow, he was the most intimidating. He stood just a step behind the others, his sharp eyes scanning the hallway with a detached indifference, like he was already bored of whatever was happening. Taemin didn't need to say anything, his reputation for knocking out two seniors in one fight last year spoke for itself.

They weren't the cartoonish bullies you saw in dramas. They didn't shove people into lockers or scream threats across the hall. They didn't need to. Everything about them, the way they carried themselves, the way they looked at you. It made it clear they weren't to be fought.

And no one did.

Part of it was Jinho's connections. People always said he was part of a gang working here in Gwanak, no one else knew anything about it.

But it wasn't just that. Jinho was smart. He knew exactly how to cut people down without breaking a sweat. If you stood up to him, he wouldn't just beat you. He'd humiliate you. He'd make sure you were the topic of every whisper in the hallways for weeks.

And now, his full attention was on the kid in front of him.

"Morning, sunshine," Jinho said, his voice calm. He reached out and grabbed Inrang's backpack like it was his to take. "You're braver than we thought, you know?"

"I-I didn't-" he stammered, his voice barely audible.

"You didn't what?" Jinho interrupted, his smile widening. "Didn't think we'd notice? Or didn't think we'd care?"

Inrang didn't answer. He just stared at the ground, his shoulders trembling.

Jinho sighed dramatically, shaking his head like he was disappointed. "Seokhyun, what do you think? Should we let it slide?"

Seokhyun caught the apple mid-air, biting into it with a loud crunch. "Hmm. I dunno. Feels like he needs a little reminder."

He flinched at his words, his grip on his bag tightening even further.

Jinho chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Inrang's hair in a way that was somehow more demeaning than anything else he could have done. "Relax. We're just talking, right?"

The laughter from his friends said otherwise.

Minseok shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at me. 

I didn't say anything, though. What could I say?

And then Jinho looked up.

Our eyes met, and a slow grin spread across his face.

"Oh," he said, loud enough for the whole hallway to hear. "If it isn't the audience from yesterday."

I froze.

"You enjoying the show back there?" Jinho asked, his voice light but with an undercurrent of challenge.

My stomach twisted, but I didn't move.

Jinho's grin widened. "Hey," he said, turning back to Inrang. "You want to make it up to me? Here's your chance."

He looked up, confused and scared.

"Take that water bottle," Jinho said, nodding toward the bottle in the kid's hand, "and pour it on that guy back there. You know, the one staring at us like he's better than everyone else."

He hesitated, glancing between Jinho and me.

"Go on," Jinho said, his voice soft but insistent. "Unless you want to see how patient I really am."

His hands trembled as he stepped into the classroom.

"Hey," I said, standing up straighter. "You don't have to do that."

But he did.

Cold water splashed over my head, soaking my hair and shirt. The classroom fell silent for a moment, the only sound the drip, drip, drip of water hitting the floor.

And then the laughter started.

It started in the hallway, with Jinho and his friends, but it spread quickly, rippling through the classroom like a wave.

It burned.

I stood there, frozen, as the water dripped down my face. My shirt clung to my skin, heavy and uncomfortable.

Jinho clapped his hands slowly, mockingly, as he leaned against the doorframe. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Inrang mumbled an apology before darting back into the hallway, his head down.

Minseok tugged at my sleeve. "Dae, move."

But I couldn't.

Jinho's laughter cut through the noise. He looked at me one last time, smirking. "Careful, Dae. You keep looking at me like that, and I might think you want to do something about it."

The laughter echoed around him as he turned and walked away with Seokhyun and Taemin following close behind, elbowing each other with laughs.

I sat back down, my fists clenched under the desk.

The cold water clinging to my skin felt suffocating, each drop like a physical reminder of what had just happened. My soaked shirt stuck to me, heavy and uncomfortable, and I could feel the eyes of my classmates on me, curious and awkward. No one said anything, but the whispers were already starting to ripple through the room like static.

Minseok leaned closer, his voice low. "Hey. Let's get out of here for a sec."

I didn't answer, my eyes fixed on the desk in front of me. My mind raced, replaying the scene over and over. The laughter, Jinho's smirk, the way the kid's hands had trembled as he poured the water on me.

"Dae," Minseok said again, more insistent this time. "Come on. You're dripping all over the place."

Reluctantly, I stood up. Water trailed down my arms and dripped onto the floor as I followed Minseok out of the classroom. The hallways were quieter now, most of the students already in their homerooms. Minseok didn't say anything as we walked, but I could feel his occasional glances, like he was trying to gauge how close I was to exploding.

When we reached my locker, he leaned against the one next to it, crossing his arms. "You got a spare shirt in there or what?"

I hesitated, fumbling with the lock. My hands were still shaky, and it took me a couple of tries to get the combination right. Finally, the door swung open, revealing the mess inside. A crumpled jacket, a few random textbooks, and thankfully, a spare gym shirt I'd stuffed in there last week.

"Here," Minseok said, pulling the shirt out before I could. He handed it to me, then tilted his head toward the nearby toilet. "Go change. I'll keep an eye out in case the fuckers decide to double back."

I stared at him for a moment, my throat tight. "Thanks."

He shrugged, like it was no big deal. "What else am I gonna do? Let you sit there looking like a drowned corpse?"

Despite everything, I almost smiled.

By the time we got back to the classroom, most of the students were seated, their chatter filling the air as they waited for the teacher to arrive. But something was off.

As soon as we walked in, the volume dropped. Conversations faltered mid-sentence, and people shifted in their seats, avoiding eye contact. A few of them shot us quick glances before looking away, like they didn't want to be caught staring.

The air felt...different. Subtle, but noticeable.

The girl who usually sat in front of me had moved her chair slightly forward, just enough that I couldn't tap her on the shoulder if I needed to. The guy next to Minseok shifted his backpack between their desks, creating a flimsy barrier. They didn't say anything, didn't even look at us, but the message was clear enough.

Minseok noticed too. He dropped into his chair, shooting me a sidelong glance. "Huh. That's weird."

"What is?"

"Everyone's acting...weird."

I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "It's just Jinho being Jinho. They probably don't want him to think they're on my side or something."

Minseok frowned, leaning back in his chair. "That's stupid. Jinho's not even all that."

"Doesn't matter. No one wants to deal with him."

The teacher arrived a few minutes later, and the class settled down. For the most part, the day moved on like normal. The isolation wasn't dramatic, it wasn't like people were running to the other side of the room to avoid me. But there were little things.

During group work, the usual chatter around me felt stilted, like people were making an effort not to include me in the conversation. When we lined up for gym class, the guy in front of me stepped forward just a little too quickly, leaving an obvious gap. At lunch, no one avoided our table outright, but the usual flow of students sitting nearby felt thinner than usual.

It wasn't enough to make a scene, but it was enough to notice. Enough to feel.

By the end of the day, it was like I'd been wrapped in an invisible barrier. People weren't pushing me out, exactly… but they weren't pulling me in, either.

Minseok walked with me through the hallways after school, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"You okay?" he asked, his tone casual.

I hesitated. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure? Cause you've been quiet all day, and I don't think it's because you're saving your energy for homework… or Mirina."

I managed a weak smile. "I'm fine, Minseok. Really. It's just...annoying."

"Annoying" was the only word I could think of. Jinho's little stunt this morning hadn't ruined my life… it had just made everything slightly harder. Slightly more awkward.

"Annoying, huh?" Minseok said, his tone skeptical.

I nodded. "Yeah. Annoying."

"Yo, Dae!"

I froze.

Turning around, I saw Jinho leaning against the doorway of an empty classroom, his arms crossed. Unlike the confident smirks of earlier, his expression now was almost...curious. 

Seokhyun stood to his left, tossing a pen in the air and catching it lazily, while Taemin leaned against the wall, scrolling on his phone. It all looked casual enough that if you didn't know better, you'd think they were just hanging out.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice coming out more tired than defiant.

Jinho tilted his head slightly. "Relax, man. We just want to talk. You're not scared of a little conversation, are you?"

"Not interested," Minseok said, stepping half in front of me. His voice was steady, but his hands clenched his bag straps tightly enough to make his knuckles white.

Jinho's lips quirked up at one corner. "So protective. You'd think he couldn't handle himself."

I didn't answer. I just stared at Jinho, my chest tightening. There was something in the way he held my gaze… steady, unblinking, that set my nerves on edge.

"Come on, just for a minute," Jinho continued, his tone light. "I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier. Let's clear the air."

He stepped back into the classroom, gesturing for me to follow. Seokhyun pushed himself off the wall, and Taemin sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket as if this were a chore.

"No," Minseok said sharply. "Let's just go, Dae."

But Seokhyun was already stepping into our path, blocking the hallway with an easy smile. "You're in such a rush, Minseok. What's the problem?"

"Move," Minseok snapped, his voice rising.

Seokhyun didn't. Instead, he reached out, plucking at Minseok's sleeve like he was dusting it off. "Chill. No one's gonna hurt your boyfriend or whatever."

Minseok shoved his hand away, and that was when Taemin moved. Quiet and fast. His arm shot out, grabbing Minseok's wrist and twisting it just enough to make him wince.

"Don't make it worse," Taemin said softly, his tone almost bored.

"Stop!" I shouted, stepping forward. "I'll go. Just leave him alone."

Minseok glared at me, his jaw tight. "You don't have to—"

"It's fine," I interrupted. "I'll be fine."

Taemin released Minseok with a small push, and Seokhyun clapped him on the shoulder as if to say, Good boy.

I followed Jinho into the empty classroom, every step feeling heavier than the last. As soon as the door clicked shut, the air shifted. It felt colder.

Jinho leaned against a desk, looking at me with an expression I couldn't decipher.

"Do you ever wonder why people don't like you, Dae?" he asked suddenly, his tone conversational.

I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"You come off...weird," he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. "Like, you're trying to act normal, but it's not working. People notice that kind of thing."

"I don't—"

"I'm trying to help you," he interrupted, his voice softening in a way that felt almost genuine. Almost. "You could be less...you, you know? Blend in a little better. Stop making people uncomfortable."

Seokhyun snickered. "Yeah, that'd be a start."

I clenched my fists. "If you called me in here just to bullshit at me, I'm leaving."

Jinho raised an eyebrow. "Leaving? Who said you could leave?"

Before I could respond, a strange shimmer flickered at the edge of my vision. A faint, translucent window appeared, hovering just out of reach.

[PLAYER: SEONG DAEHYUN]

[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]

[EVENT QUEST AVAILABLE]

Would you like to accept?

"What the...?" I muttered, my breath hitching.

"What's that?" Jinho asked, his expression shifting slightly. "You okay, Dae?"

I shook my head, trying to clear it. The window didn't go away. It stayed there, hovering like some cruel joke. What did it mean by accept?

The word ACCEPT was recognised in the PLAYER'S mind.

[QUEST ACCEPTED]

What the fu-

"Hey!" Jinho snapped, stepping closer. "Are you even listening?"

I stumbled back, bumping into the desk behind me. My heart was pounding, my skin clammy.

"Stop," I whispered, more to the window than to him.

"What's wrong with you?" Seokhyun asked, his smile fading.

"Look," Jinho said, his voice sharp now. "I'm talking to you—"

The quest window flickered. For a moment, the text shifted, replaced by strange symbols that I couldn't read. My vision blurred, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my temples.

I gasped, clutching my head.

"Whoa, what's his deal?" Seokhyun muttered, his tone uneasy.

Jinho hesitated, and for the first time, I thought I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

"What's wrong with him?" Taemin asked quietly, his arms still crossed but his posture less relaxed now.

I stumbled toward the door, my legs shaky. "I...I need to go—"

Jinho grabbed my arm, pulling me back. "You're not going anywhere."

The pain intensified, and the window twisted. Words like Administrator and coordinates flashed across my vision, and I let out a choked sound.

"Dae, calm down," Jinho said, his grip tightening.

I couldn't focus. My thoughts were a mess, spiraling into chaos. The window flickered again, the text unreadable now, and the edges of my vision darkened.

Then, without thinking, I swung at him.

My fist connected with his shoulder, barely enough to make him stumble. But it was enough to set everything off.

Jinho's face twisted in anger, and he shoved me back into the desk. Seokhyun stepped forward, grabbing my shirt and yanking me upright.

"Bad move, Dae," he said, his grin returning.

I barely registered the first punch before the second came, and then the third. Pain exploded across my ribs and face, but it all felt distant, like I was watching it happen to someone else.

The quest window remained in the corner of my vision, flickering and glitching. I reached for it weakly, but my hand passed through the air, finding nothing.

"Enough," Jinho said suddenly, his voice cold.

Seokhyun let go, and I crumpled to the floor.

Jinho crouched down, his face inches from mine. "You want to be that guy, huh? Maybe next time, you'll think twice before choosing the dumbass choice."

He stood up, brushing off his uniform. "Let's go."

They left without another word, the door swinging shut behind them.

For a long moment, I just lay there, my body aching and my head spinning. The quest window flickered one last time before disappearing entirely.

The room felt too quiet, too empty.

When the door creaked open, I flinched. But it was Minseok, his face pale and his breathing ragged.

"Dae!" he said, rushing to my side. "What did they—"

"I'm fine," I croaked, though it was a lie.

Minseok looked at me, his expression torn between anger and worry.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

I shook my head, staring at the spot where the quest window had been. "I don't know," I whispered. "I don't know what's happening to me.

Power stonesssss