Ryan limped like a dead man into the classroom, every step made his muscles scream with deep regret.
The seat beside Arthur was like a promised land to him… if the promised land came with the ache of 100 push-ups or whatsoever, it was worth every single bit of it.
Arthur, as always, had his head resting on top of the desk, hoodie pulled low. He looked completely disconnected from the world.
Ryan slumped into his seat beside Arthur, trying not to let out a loud groan. His entire body felt like someone had thrown him into the cement mixer.
Then, without lifting his head, Arthur spoke, voice deep. "You wanna hit the gym with me today?"
Ryan blinked, confused. "Me?"
Arthur didn't even open his eyes as he replied back. "Yes, you."
'What the hell? Did he just… invite me? Is this some kind of punishment? Did I do something wrong? Ugh… I can't even deny him.'
Sweat dripped down Ryan's temple. "Y-Yeah. Sure, I'll come."
He stuttered the words out, unsure whether he had just accepted a death sentence or been knighted into something even bigger.
The rest of the class passed in a blur. When the P.E. bell rang, Arthur stood up from his seat, stretched a bit lazily and let out a yawn.
"Let's go, fat boy."
They headed towards the gym area together. Ryan tried not to limp to show his weak side to Arthur, walking a step behind Arthur like some loyal, nervous henchman.
The school gym was massive—hidden beneath was the main courtyard of the gym, like a secret facility.
Ryan's eyes widened the moment he stepped inside the hall.
There were rows upon rows of dumbbells, barbells, resistance machines and mirror-lined walls reflecting the students while they worked out.
Treadmills lined the far side, many were doing their warm-up and cardio session on it.
Boys in tight gym shirts grunted as they lifted the weights. Girls in athletic shorts moved like jungle cats—sweat dripping, hair tied.
And in the middle of all this? Arthur came, the moment he entered, a hush fell over the gym.
A few guys who had been performing shadowboxing in the ring immediately stepped out. Whispers started to fill the hall.
"Arthur's here…"
"Shit… let's go use the treadmill or lift the weights instead of doing this." The two guys said while wiping the sweat off their face.
Even the upperclassmen gave him space. Ryan glanced around the hall nervously.
'Why's everyone so scared of him? Is he some kind of boss-level personality in this school? Like that of gang-type webtoons?'
Arthur didn't even acknowledge them. He straight up walked to the ring and started wrapping his hands, completely focused.
Then, he entered the ring and began his usual routine.
Ryan stood outside of the ring, mesmerized. Arthur's movements were a damn masterclass—or more like a class of their own.
Each of his jabs was razor-sharp. His footwork was fluid like that of a flowing river, no wasted motion. He pivoted, ducked, feinted—then unleashed a hook that made the nearby speed bag jump.
'What the hell am I even looking at… this guy isn't normal, he's not just strong—he's trained. Like, really trained.'
Ryan whispered to himself, "System… can you scan his stats and give me the output, if you can of course."
[DING!]
[Of course I can, host. Don't challenge my ego.]
[Scanning target…]
[Name: Arthur Kane]
[Strength: S]
[Agility: S]
[Endurance: S]
[Reflex: S]
[Skill: S]
Ryan's jaw nearly unhinged. 'Straight S-ranks? What the fucking hell!? Is he even human? I'm barely crawling out of these F-rank stats and he is already at that level.'
He thought as his body started trembling with fear, sweat started rolling down his cheeks.
Suddenly a voice came out loud from behind them.
"Oho~ Arthur brought someone new today? That's not what we see usually."
Ryan turned. A girl was walking towards them, toweling her neck. She had the kind of beauty that made every gym bro pause mid-rep and pretend that they weren't watching.
Her black gym top hugged her curves, showing off sculpted abs and a generous bust.
Her tight shorts hugged her toned muscular legs that looked like they could kill a man with just a single kick to his temple.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, a few strands sticking to her forehead from sweat. There was a light flush on her cheeks—and a mischievous smile on her face.
Ryan gulped as he felt a bit intimidated.
She looked at Arthur and grinned. "Still ignoring people, huh?"
Arthur didn't give her an answer. He was mid-combo, focused entirely on the rhythm.
The girl rolled her eyes and turned to face Ryan.
"And who are you, kid, friend of Arthur?"
Ryan stood up straighter, trying not to look at her chest. "I-I'm Ryan West. I just transferred to this school, same class as Arthur."
She tilted her head a bit. "Same class as Arthur? And you're hanging out with him already?"
Ryan scratched the back of his head as he gave a nervous smile. "Uh… I don't know if I'm his friend or not. He kind of just told me to come with him here."
She let out a small chuckle. "Honest, I like that. You've got guts, fatty kid."
"…Th-thanks." Ryan muttered.
She extended a hand, "I'm Maya Jin, a kickboxer. Top 5 in the prefecture, let's be friends."
Ryan thought for a bit, but then grabbed the hand of Maya with both of his hands and shook it nervously. 'A kickboxer? She looks like she could dropkick me through a wall.'
The system echoed in his mind.
[DING!]
[New Character Registered: Maya Jin]
[Potential Ally. Potential Harem Member. Status: Neutral]
[Future Quest Triggered: Impress Maya in Combat]
Ryan's eye twitched. 'Wait, did that just say a harem member?! What kind of system am I even dealing with? One time it says it wants me to be the strongest and the other time it says harem?'
Arthur finally finished his set, took a sip from his water bottle and nodded toward Ryan.
"Grab the gloves, you're training with me today."
Ryan gulped hard.
Maya grinned. "Don't worry, if he knocks your teeth out, I'll kick his ass for you."