Reality Quest: Questism

The sun was finally beginning to set after the long day, its orange rays making the sky look like clouds of fire and smoke.

Siyeon and I walked in silence, my hands in my pockets as I pondered. 

Speed was clearly Sehun's lowest stat, and I'd done the maths in my head, I had more than enough cards to bring my speed up to higher than his. Surely that meant he couldn't hit me right? If that was the case then couldn't I just binge all the other cards onto strength?

That would end up leaving me with A+ speed and… B+ strength. I didn't know if the Maximum capacity card would actually change my strength stat but if it did, then it'd be even higher, higher enough to contend with him properly. And if I took into account the fact that I could grind the skills against him through the fight… 

I think my chances were pretty high.

A smile nearly broke out onto my face but then Siyeon stopped.

"We're here."

I looked to the right, to the building we'd stopped directly outside of. Juun Motel. A series of ads were scattered down its walls and I could already see that the rooms on the higher floors looked like they were out of use. All in all, it just looked like a dead building.

I turned to her. "Siyeon, I didn't give consent."

"You said you'd do whatever I said for the whole day."

"Okay we both know that isn't what you actually want to do."

"Just follow me and be quiet."

Letting out a sigh, we entered the building going through into the elevator. As it started rising, I opened my mouth.

"How did you know that Jihan was a fighter?"

Her eyes widened as she snapped her head back around to me. "You…"

"Yeah I know that's why you were there, you made it pretty obvious you know."

She closed her eyes. "I just… heard some incredible things about him in middle school… but I suppose things get exaggerated."

"They weren't."

"What?" She turned, looking confused.

"They weren't exaggerated. He's stronger than me. Stronger than Sehun as well probably."

She looked at me, her eyes now narrowing. Were her eyes the only expression she showed?

"How do you know Sehun's name?"

…Right. She never actually told me that. "Boramae's Granite right? He's famous."

Siyeon rolled her eyes. "Don't let him hear you say that."

The elevator doors opened with a ding.

It was another grey room, one that fit in perfectly with the rest of the building. A grey dirty floor, a ceiling that looked strangely maintained and curtains on either side of the room. A small platform stood at the end of the room, a podium and a banner placed precisely on top.

It looked like someone had wanted to make a congress meeting but couldn't be bothered to go all the way.

The chairs were organised well, people sitting down, murmuring as the guy in the navy suit on the podium rearranged his sheets, folders and mic.

2022 Gwanak District Bully Council General Assembly Meeting.

Navy Suit adjusted his tie and then lightly tapped a small wooden mallet onto a wooden stand.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

It was basically a gavel. Did he think this was a courtroom?

"Everyone please quiet down. We'll now begin the 2022 Gwanak District Bully Council general assembly Meeting."

He pulled out a remote, clicking it and pointing to the wall behind him, where a screen was promptly projected.

"As I've already announced, first up on the agenda for today is the dangerous individual that injured our members at school, karaoke and in public."

That projected image of me, was quite possibly one of the saddest pictures I've ever seen. He looked so tired.

"We must decide whether to punish Ha Dowan, a junior at Shinan high school."

I heard one of the people at the front scoff and speak up. "That's him? That's the punk that beat up that many guys in only two days?"

"He looks like a total loser."

I paused. They knew about the guys I beat up yesterday? But I'd been wearing a ma… oh shit the mask came off in quite a few of the fights didn't it. How was I supposed to know masks wouldn't hold up to punching.

"Let's proceed swiftly, those that think we should take action, raise your hands."

The sea of hands practically all rose at the same time as I narrowed my eyes, not sure when I was supposed to start talking. Wasn't Siyeon going to say anything?

Main Quest!

The boy becomes a Man!

Follow Siyeon and do as she tells you for the day! [5/6]

Rewards: …

"A unanimous vote, then from here on out, Dowan Ha is a target of the 497 members of the Gwanak District Bully Council. Then this item will be pa-"

"Wait."

Siyeon finally spoke. Yay.

Navy Suit adjusted his glasses, finally focusing in our direction. "What is it… Siyeon?"

"Instead of this, why don't you move on to the next item?"

The crowd burst into a series of murmurs once more, half of them having turned to look at us. I faintly heard someone saying, "Oh shit, Siyeon's hot," and nearly burst out laughing. Is that all these guys cared about?

Navy Suit continued. "By the second item, I take it that you mean the currently empty Executive seat of the Bully Council, the Representative of Boramae?"

"Yes, I've finally found someone fit for the role. The new Representative of Boramae is…"

She raised my hand. "... Dowan Ha."

I kept my expression even as I looked out, the people on the chairs finally recognising me as the loser on the screen.

"That jackass?"

"Him, the representative?"

"Seriously?"

Navy Suit cleared his throat. "Having someone that harmed our members become the Representative… is slightly problematic."

Siyeon shook her head. "No, rather, that shows he's more than qualified."

"Eunsung, are you just gonna let that happen? She just said beating up your guys was proof."

The grey haired individual at the front finally spoke, his attention having been on his phone the whole time.

"Well, she's not wrong."

I couldn't waste this opportunity. I muttered under my breath. "Peek at you."

Your Peek at you rank is too low

But… I could see Sehun's stats which meant… Eunsung's stats had long since surpassed at least SS+. Makes sense. Fucking hell, I'm glad I don't have to fight him.

And that's when the elevator door slid open. 

"Use all level up cards." The warmth spread through my body and I clenched my fist as Kang Sehun walked through.

"Siyeon, why didn't you tell me the meeting was today?"

"Sehun…?! How did you-"

He laughed. "I knew something was up when you said he was your boyfr-"

My fist crunched into his face with a straight. 

His jaw shifted as saliva flew out. Shame, I wanted to knock out a tooth. SS+ endurance isn't for nothing it seems.

[Attack Card: Straight → Rank C!]

He staggered, one knee falling to the ground as he clutched his face, glaring at me. I could already see the surprise, the rage.

I had much more inside me. During middle school, he'd choked Dowan almost daily, humiliated him practically hourly and in the end had left him with lasting trauma about anything relating to girls.

This was tormentor number one.

And I was going to beat him up so hard, he changed his ways. I cracked my knuckles, stepping forward.

"I already told you, I'm not her boyfriend, you son of a motherless bitch."

[Name: Ha Dowan]

[Height: 178 cm]

[Weight: 61 kg]

[Strength: D+ → B+] up!

[Speed: C → A+] up!

[Potential: ???]

[Intelligence: B]

[Endurance: C-]