He didn't sleep.
Even when the sky outside bled into morning, when the soft birdsong crept through the sliver of his bedroom window, when the walls of his tiny apartment glowed with pale light—Katsuro lay there, wide-eyed and heavy.
The system's words still rang in him.
"Two worlds."
It hadn't explained more than that. Just hinted. Just cracked open the door.
His mind twisted with it.
Not just because it sounded insane—but because deep down, he wanted it to be real.
A place that wasn't here. Not this apartment. Not this school. Not this world where fists found his face more often than kind words. Where laughter meant he was the joke. Where he had to brace his body just to survive each day.
He blinked at the ceiling. His fingers trembled against the bedsheets. A dull ache remained in his ribs from yesterday—where those guys had kicked him for stepping in.
He'd tried to be heroic. Like an idiot.
The girl didn't run. That was the weird part. Most people watched, then left. But she'd stayed. Looked at him. Not with pity… something else.
Still. That didn't stop the kicks. Or the blood in his mouth.
And now this.
A glowing system. In his pocket. Symbols. Quests. Another world.
His room smelled of cold sweat. He'd pulled the blanket up and over his head earlier, pretending it might protect him from the weight of it all. But it didn't. Nothing did.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
[ Quest Accepted ] [ "Don't Be Late for School" ] [ Reward: Basic Jab, Basic Block | +2 Strength | +2 Durability ] [ ⏱= 三三(ง ˙o˙)ว > ☻ √]
The symbols flashed in his mind like they were etched into his skull.
What was this? Some game? Or… was it judging him?
The system hadn't explained how it worked. No tutorial. No guide. No voice. Just emotionless boxes filled with symbols and riddles.
It didn't speak with kindness. It didn't ask him if he wanted to play.
It simply gave orders.
And yet—he didn't feel anger. Not really. What he felt was... possibility.
He dragged himself out of bed. His legs weak. His body sore. But he moved. Slowly, with caution. There was still time before school—but barely.
The old analog clock on the wall ticked. 6:37 AM.
He glanced at the bathroom mirror.
Fat. Puffy cheeks. Dark circles. His school uniform sagged where it should've fit tight, bulged where it should've flattened. He hadn't looked at himself in weeks.
But now—he met his own eyes.
And for once, something looked back.
Not courage.
Not fire.
Just… something unspoken. The beginning of something.
He stepped into the shower.
The water was cold.
But he didn't flinch.
The steam fogged the mirror, but he didn't wipe it away.
Instead, he stared at his reflection as it faded into blur.
"Why me?" he whispered.
He thought back to the tree. The one behind the school. Old and gnarled. Half-forgotten.
He'd found the strange device buried near the roots. Like it had been waiting for him. He still remembered the way it pulsed in his hand, warm and alive. How instinct made him slip it into his pocket before anyone could see.
Why did it choose him?
He had no talents. No friends. No future. He wasn't brave. He wasn't strong. He just existed.
And yet—
[ New Path = Initiated ] [ ☞ "Late = Failure" ] [ ✴ = NOW / ☻ = GO ]
The box floated again, this time above his sink.
He blinked. No one else would see it, he knew. Only him.
His heart kicked into gear.
He dressed quickly. Standard school uniform, wrinkled and dull. Black slacks, white button-up, navy blazer with the school crest: Yamamura High. He hated the color. Too loud. Like it invited the world to notice him.
But today, he buttoned every button.
Tied the tie properly.
Brushed his hair.
His stomach growled. No time for food.
He grabbed his bag, threw it over one shoulder, and stepped into the hallway.
The door shut behind him with a soft clack.
Outside, the morning air slapped him with cold.
The streets were beginning to buzz—commuters, students, elderly shopkeepers setting up.
Katsuro kept his head down.
Every step echoed in his ears. The sidewalk, cracked and worn. The smell of fish from the market. The buzz of mopeds.
And beneath it all… the pressure.
[ "Don't Be Late for School" ] [ Time Remaining: 00:14:27 ]
The timer floated in the corner of his vision like a curse.
He broke into a jog.
His body didn't like it. Each step made his thighs wobble, his knees ache. But he pushed through. The school was fifteen minutes away if he moved fast.
He could already see it in the distance. Past the narrow alleys. Past the rusted fences. That tall building with its white stone walls and its red rooftop.
He didn't want to fail. Not the system. Not this.
Because if it was real—then maybe this was his first step out of the nightmare.
Ten minutes left.
He passed the corner convenience store. The place where he used to hide out after school to avoid the gang from class 2-B. The clerk inside gave him a small nod.
Katsuro didn't return it.
He didn't have time for pleasantries. Not now.
Nine minutes.
He crossed the park. The same park he used to play in when his father was alive. Before everything collapsed.
He remembered that summer day—seven years ago—when his mother's voice cracked over the phone and said, "He's not coming home."
Since then, nothing had made sense.
Until now.
Four minutes.
The school gates stood tall. A few students milled about, none of them noticing him. Good.
He slowed his steps.
Heart racing. Sweat down his back. Legs burning. Breath ragged.
But… he made it.
[ √ Quest Complete ] [ Reward Unlocked: ] [ +2 Strength | +2 Durability ] [ ☐ Basic Jab = Learned ] [ ☐ Basic Block = Learned ][( ≧ᗜ≦)]
He stopped just before stepping into the courtyard.
He expected fireworks. Trumpets. Something loud.
Instead… it felt quiet. Still. Like the world hadn't changed at all.
But it had.
Because he had.
He felt it—not like some superpower awakening. No glowing aura. No tingling skin.
Just… something.
His body stood straighter. His breath came easier.
And in his pocket, the system stirred again.
[ You Are Late = You Are Dead ] [ You Are On Time = You Survive ] [ The World Ahead = No Mercy ] [ⓘ NEXT: "Prepare for the Real Test" ]
He stared at it.
The real test?
What did that mean?
Was school… not the battlefield?
Or was there something else coming?
He turned his eyes up to the school building. A place he knew. A place he feared. But now—it felt different.
Not because it had changed.
But because he had.
And for the first time in years, Katsuro stepped through the school gate…
…with purpose.