Riku stared at me for a long moment, then smirked.
"Fine. Tomorrow, after school. Don't run away, nerd."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
When I left the school building, the sky had already turned dark. The streetlamps flickered to life, casting long shadows on the quiet road.
I was halfway home when a voice called out.
"Hey, you."
A boy about my age stepped into view. His messy hair and ripped uniform made him look like trouble.
"You got money for the bus?" he asked.
"I… don't," I replied honestly.
He tilted his head. "Don't you get it, loser? We're racking you."
Before I could react, a glowing notification appeared in front of me.
> [Quest Received]
Beat the Monster (0/1)
Reward: 100 EXP, 1 Skill Card
I barely had time to process it before—WHAM!—a fist slammed into my cheek.
"Hey! Do I look like a joke to you? Quit staring at the sky!"
"I'm serious," I muttered, holding my face. "Please… I really don't have any money."
He stepped closer, grinning. "Too bad—"
BAM!
A sudden kick slammed into his side, sending him sprawling to the ground.
I blinked. Standing behind him was… her.
Long hair, perfect features, a confident aura that made the whole street feel brighter—she was the popular girl from Class 2-B.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at me. "And why are you staring at me like that?"
In my head, she wasn't just a classmate. She was a hero. My hero.
"I'm… Haruto Kisaragi," I managed.
She crossed her arms. "Hikari Sato."
Before I could say anything else, the thug groaned and started to get up. His eyes locked on Hikari, and he lunged at her from behind.
"Watch out!" I yelled.
My hand shot out before I could think. CRACK! My palm connected with his face, sending him back to the ground.
Hikari looked at me with surprise, then smiled slightly. "Nice one."
For a moment, I felt ten feet tall.
"Go home," she said. "It's not safe out here at night."
When I finally reached my room, the system interface popped up again.
> [Level Up!]
Level: 2
Attribute Points: 4
Beneath that, five stats glowed faintly:
Strength – Speed – Endurance – Intelligence – Observation
And under that—
Skills: ——— (none)
Another tab blinked: Skill Cards (1).
I clicked it, and a spinning wheel appeared, glowing with dozens of skill names.
Ding!
> [You have acquired the skill: Jab]
A grin spread across my face. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
The next day, school passed in a blur. I didn't care about the classes or the stares. I was only thinking about one thing—the fight.
When the final bell rang, I made my way to the meeting spot.
Riku was already there, his goons flanking him. And standing off to the side… was Hikari.
She'd come to watch.
The fight was about to start.
To be continued…
--