Reality Quest: Strike Back

The world blurred and shifted as Minseok hauled me up, my arm slung over his shoulder. His voice was low and urgent, but the words barely registered. Everything sounded far away, like he was talking underwater.

"Come on, Dae," he muttered. "Stay with me. We're almost there."

I stumbled, my legs barely working. My skin was damp and clammy, and my head throbbed in time with my heartbeat. Every step sent a dull ache through my body, but that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was the way the world didn't feel...real.

The fluorescent lights above seemed too bright, their edges sharp and unnatural. The faint murmur of students in the distance sounded warped, like a tape being played backward. My chest felt tight, like there wasn't enough air, and my hands were trembling so badly I had to clench them into fists to keep them still.

"Minseok?" I croaked, barely able to form the word.

"I'm here," he said quickly, his grip tightening on my arm. "Just keep moving, okay? We're almost at the gate."

His face was pale, and his eyes darted around nervously. I could tell he was scared, though he was trying not to show it.

I wanted to tell him I was fine, that he didn't need to worry, but the words wouldn't come out. My throat felt dry and tight, and my thoughts were spinning too fast to catch hold of any of them.

The quest window.

The words had been there, clear as day, but they didn't make sense. The failure condition. The reward. The way it flickered and glitched like some kind of corrupted video game.

It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

But the ache in my ribs and the taste of blood in my mouth told me otherwise.

"Dae?" Minseok's voice broke through the haze. "Hey, don't zone out on me, okay?"

I blinked, realizing we were outside now. The cold air hit me like a slap, sharp and bracing, but it didn't clear my head the way I'd hoped.

Minseok flagged down a cab, practically dragging me into the back seat. He rattled off his address, and the driver nodded, barely glancing at us.

I slumped against the door, my head resting against the cool glass. The lights blurred as we drove, streaking across my vision like smears of paint.

"You're burning up," Minseok said, his voice tight. He reached out, pressing a hand to my forehead. "Jesus, Dae. What's going on with you?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. The words were caught somewhere between my brain and my mouth, tangled up in the storm of confusion and fear.

"Dae, you're seriously freaking me out," Minseok muttered, adjusting his grip on my arm. "Come on, you've gotta keep it together. Just a little further."

The cab came to a stop and he hauled me out.

I managed a groan in response, though even that took more effort than I'd expected.

The front door swung open before we even reached it, and Minseok's mom stood there, her expression a mix of concern and annoyance. "Minseok, what's going on? Why is Daehyun-"

"He's not feeling great, Mom," Minseok interrupted quickly. "I'm just getting him inside. Can we talk later?"

"Not feeling great? He looks like he's about to keel over!"

"I'll handle it," Minseok insisted, steering me through the doorway. "Can you—uh—call his mom for me? Tell her he's staying here to study or something. I'll explain later."

She frowned, clearly unconvinced, but Minseok's urgency seemed to sway her. "Fine, but don't think I'm letting this slide without answers, young man."

As we passed the living room, Minseok's sister, Hyejin, looked up from her phone. She was a year older than us, and her gaze followed us as Minseok hauled me toward the stairs.

"Is he drunk?" she asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Minseok snapped. "He's just sick or something. Go back to whatever you were doing."

Hyejin didn't budge, still watching us with a faint smirk. "You'd better not let him barf on the carpet. Mom just cleaned it."

Minseok muttered something under his breath, too low for me to catch, and practically dragged me up the stairs to his room.

By the time he settled me onto his bed, my head was spinning so badly that I barely registered him pulling a blanket over me.

"Stay there," he said firmly, grabbing his phone. "I'll deal with your mom."

I couldn't muster a reply. My chest felt tight, and my hands were clammy, the world around me tilting and blurring in waves. I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself, but the strange sense of unease only grew.

Somewhere in the haze, I heard Minseok pacing and muttering to himself as he dialed.

"Hello, Mrs. Seong? It's Minseok... No, no, everything's fine! Dae's with me. Yeah, he just came over to study—last-minute group thing. I was gonna drop him off later tonight... No, it's not too late, I promise... Uh-huh. Yes, ma'am. I'll make sure he eats before he goes. Alright, thank you!"

The call ended with a relieved sigh from Minseok.

"Okay, your mom's cool," he said, sitting down heavily on his beanbag chair. "But seriously, Dae. What the hell's going on with you?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come out. My mind felt like it was running in circles, the memory of that quest window flashing in my head like a broken neon sign.

"Never mind," he said quickly, holding up a hand. "You look like you're about to pass out again. Just...sleep it off, okay?"

I didn't need much convincing. The weight of exhaustion pulled me under before I could think of anything else.

***

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming through the curtains, warm and bright. For a moment, I forgot where I was, the unfamiliar room throwing me off. But then I saw the cluttered desk, the posters of random games on the wall, and Minseok's beanbag chair in the corner.

Minseok's house.

I sat up, blinking. My head was clear, my body light. Whatever fog had been clouding my mind last night was gone, leaving behind only a faint memory of the strange confusion I'd felt.

The screens. Those words. Were they real?

I opened my mouth but no words came out. A small croak escaped. Dry. There was a glass of water on the nightstand so I gulped it down, a few drops dribbling down my chin. 

"E-event quest."

A shimmering blue screen materialised in front of me.

[EVENT QUEST: FIGHT BACK]

COMPLETE!

Monster Jinho Choi has been punched.

REWARD: Gold skillstone

I yelped as the glowing blue screen hovered in front of me. It was undeniably real—vivid, shimmering, and impossible to ignore. My heart started pounding, but this time, not from fear.

"Fight back?" I muttered under my breath, rereading the words. The memory of last night flickered back: Jinho, Taemin, the confusion, and the strange messages clouding my vision. That chaos wasn't just in my head.

I reached out hesitantly, my fingers brushing against the text. The moment I did, the screen dissolved, replaced by another.

[REWARD: Gold Skillstone]

A faint glow formed in the air, and something solid dropped into my lap. I flinched, looking down to see a small, gold orb about the size of a marble. It shimmered faintly, almost humming with energy.

"What... am I supposed to do with this?" I whispered.

The answer came almost instantly.

[Skillstones allow you to unlock new abilities or improve existing ones. Would you like to absorb the Gold Skillstone?]

[Yes] [No]

I stared at the screen, my throat tightening. Abilities? Like... powers? Was this some kind of dream?

Before I could decide, there was a knock at the door.

"Dae? You awake?"

Minseok's voice snapped me back to reality. Panicking, I swiped at the screen, and it disappeared just as the door creaked open.

Minseok stepped in, his hair a mess and dark circles under his eyes. He carried a tray with some rice and a few chicken strips, which he set on the nightstand.

"You're alive. Good," he said with a wry grin. "For a second, I thought you'd gone full coma on me."

"Yeah, uh... I'm fine." My voice came out shaky, and I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.

"You didn't seem fine last night," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You were out of it, man. Like, pale, sweaty, and mumbling something about screens. Are you sure you're okay?"

I hesitated. Should I tell him? But what if he thought I was crazy?

"I... I think I just had a fever or something," I lied, avoiding his gaze. "Thanks for letting me crash here."

Minseok didn't look convinced, but he didn't press me. "Yeah, well, you scared the hell out of me. My mom was ready to call an ambulance, but I figured you just needed rest. Anyway, your mom knows you're here, so no need to freak out about that."

"Wait, you called my mom?"

"Duh. What else was I supposed to do? She'd murder me if you just didn't come home." He smirked, but it faded quickly. "Seriously, though, if something's wrong, you can tell me."

I almost did. The words were right there, on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them.

"I'm fine. Really," I said, forcing a smile.

Minseok didn't look convinced, but he stood up, brushing his hands on his pajama pants. "Alright, if you say so. Eat up and get dressed. My mom wants us to go down for breakfast."

He left before I could respond, and as soon as the door shut behind him, the blue screen flickered back into view.

[Would you like to absorb the Gold Skillstone?]

[Yes] [No]

I stared at it, my fingers twitching. Whatever this was, it wasn't normal. But if it could help me... 

I reached out and tapped "Yes."

The moment my finger touched the word, the orb in my lap dissolved into golden light, swirling around me before sinking into my chest. My body jolted, a strange warmth spreading through me. For a brief second, it felt like my veins were on fire, and I clenched my fists to stop from crying out.

Then it was over.

[Skill Unlocked: Straight]

…

My eye twitched.

Straight? I was already straight! There's no way I fucking passed out just to be told I'm now straight!? I was never gay!

I barely had time to argue further before Minseok called from downstairs. "Dae! Breakfast!"

Shoving the screens out of my mind, I threw on one of his shirts and headed down.

***

Minseok's house had always been huge.

His mom was already at the table, a sharp-eyed woman in her early 40s with a no-nonsense vibe. She gave me a polite nod as I sat down.

"You look better today," she said, handing me a plate of zucchini pancakes. "Minseok said you weren't feeling well last night."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I mumbled, feeling awkward. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"It's no trouble. Just take care of yourself, alright? And eat."

Minseok's older sister, Hyejin, was sitting across from me, scrolling through her phone. She looked up for a second, offering a smile that was easy and effortless, and I found myself lingering on it a bit longer than I should've. Not like I was into her of course.

I cleared my throat and began to dig in.

After we both finished breakfast, Minseok and I ended up sprawled over his bedroom floor on our phones. Mom worked on Saturday mornings so she'd let me stay over here until afternoon. I already knew I'd be coming back home to a lecture, probably on wearing my coat or my scarf.

He was talking about some movie he wanted to watch later, but I wasn't really listening. My mind was still racing.

Eventually, he noticed.

"Alright, spill," he said, setting his phone down. "You've been weird all morning. What's going on?"

"I told you, I'm fine."

"Yeah, and I have a girlfriend." He sat up, crossing his arms. "Come on, man. If something's up, just tell me. It's me."

I hesitated, my fingers tapping nervously against the carpet.

Could I tell him? Would he even believe me?

The memory of the skillstone's warmth, the screen's glow, it all felt so real. But saying it out loud sounded insane.

"I don't know," I muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling. "I think I was just... exhausted. You know, with everything that's been happening. The whole school thing, and the stress. It just kinda... hit me all at once."

Minseok didn't seem convinced. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze still searching. "That's it? You sure you're alright? You were like, out of it last night. I was worried you'd pass out or something."

Dae quickly gave a half-hearted laugh, trying to brush off the heaviness of his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Really. Just needed to sleep it off. Probably just had a weird dream or something."

Minseok studied him for a few more seconds, then shrugged, satisfied with the answer for the time being. "Alright, if you say so." He took a sip of his coffee, and the moment passed.

But inside, I felt a lingering unease. I still wasn't sure what had happened.

It didn't make sense, and the last thing I wanted was to make Minseok think I was losing his mind. Not when I was finally starting to feel like things were back to normal.

***

I came home to a mother who somehow managed to be irate yet concerned at the same time. She still shouted though. Never could escape that.

As I plopped down onto my bed, I tried calling out the Event Quest window again to no avail.

Nothing appeared.

Maybe other game terms? 

"Inventory."

Nothing.

"Menu."

Nothing.

I thought it over for a few seconds and then called out hesitantly. "Log out?" Nothing appeared. Okay that was good, no existential crisis yet.

"Status."

The shimmering blue screen popping up out of nowhere still managed to scare the shit out of me.

CHARACTER INFORMATION

NAME: Seong Daehyun LV.1

CLASS: Yet to be determined

CURRENT ABILITIES

HP: 1000/1000

MP: 100/100

ATTACK: 11

DEFENCE: 14

AGILITY: 12

SPIRIT: 29

I had a fucking status window?! The numbers were still glowing, the stats unchanged. What was Spirit? I had no idea. Maybe it was something like magic or willpower? Did I have magic? 

"Who are you…" I muttered softly, not expecting an answer.

So when another window popped up, I nearly fell off my bed.

MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR

Don't be surprised, my friend. 

This is my gift to you for your kindness and service.

The Administrator? Wait… the way that message sounds..

This was the same max level player from before! 

"T-The Creator…?" So cringeee. "My lord? Can you hear me?"

I waited but no new messages came. Maybe if I contacted him on Mirina? Jumping over to my desk, I booted up the RPG again, clicking onto the Friend's Messages tab…

As I scrolled, my eyebrows shot up into a frown.

His profile… it was gone.

Did he delete his account? What? Did I give away the Fire God Greatsword for nothing? I gripped my hair in frustration.

The blue window appeared out of nowhere again and I yelped, falling off my chair.

QUEST INVITATION: A DANGEROUS INVITATION

You're invited to a quest tonight. Accept and attend.

My eyebrows bunched up into confusion. Tonight? I didn't even have a location. Was I just supposed to go outside and it'd get generated?

That was when my phone lit up with a notification.

I picked it up, reading the message. It was a follow request on Instar… from Jinho? I rubbed my eyes and read it again. Nope, I wasn't losing my vision. It was actually Jinho. I could recognise that account name anywhere.

My thumb hovered over the "Accept" button, my mind racing. Why? Why would someone who treated me like a punching bag suddenly want to follow me on Instar? Was this some kind of prank? Maybe he was going to post about me and laugh with his friends.

But curiosity gnawed at me. Against my better judgment, I tapped "Accept." A second later, the familiar chime of a new message popped up.

Jinho: "Yo, Dae. Sorry about yesterday. Think we got off on the wrong foot."

I blinked again, rereading the message twice. Apologizing? Jinho? Was I hallucinating?

Jinho: "Me and the guys are going out drinking tonight. Few girls are coming too. You should come. Let's clear the air."

If my jaw could hit the floor, it would've. Was this his idea of an olive branch?

I sat there, phone clutched in my hands, staring at the message like it might suddenly rewrite itself. The words didn't change, though, and neither did my confusion.

Jinho was inviting me out? To drink? With him, his guys, and some random girls? My immediate instinct was to block him, ignore the whole thing, and pretend I'd never seen the message.

But another thought wormed its way into my head. This could be an opportunity. If I went and things smoothed over, maybe Jinho would leave me, and more importantly, Minseok, alone. No more staring contests in class. No more tense moments in the hallway. No more fists slamming into my ribs. Maybe I could end whatever weird grudge he had against me before it escalated further.

I rubbed my temple, trying to think it through. My first instinct was to call Minseok and tell him everything. He'd know what to do, right? He'd probably tell me not to go, that it was a bad idea.

But then I remembered the way Minseok had looked at me this morning, so concerned, like he was trying to solve a puzzle but didn't have all the pieces. I didn't want to add to that. The guy had already gone above and beyond for me. I couldn't burden him anymore.

"God, this is so stupid," I muttered to myself. My thumb hovered over the keyboard for a long moment before I finally typed a response.

Me: Sure what time

The reply came almost instantly.

Jinho: 9 PM will send you the address later

I set the phone down, my stomach twisting itself into knots. This was either the worst decision I'd ever made or the first step toward fixing everything.

I stared up at the ceiling. "What the hell am I doing?"