2026-09-24 15:47:23The classroom was completely silent.
Every student stared at Kelvin. The math teacher’s eyes narrowed as he looked at him.
“What did you just say?” the teacher asked.
Kelvin stood straight. His heart was beating hard, but he did not look away.
“I said Xenovia is not wrong, Sir. Zico started it. He called me trash first. She only tried to stop him.”
Zico’s face turned red with anger. “He’s lying! Don’t listen to him, Teacher!”
The teacher raised one hand and the class went quiet again. He looked at Zico for a long moment, then at Xenovia, who was still standing on one leg with her ears pinched. Her eyes were watery, but she did not cry.
Finally the teacher spoke.
“Zico, I watched your face when Kelvin spoke. You looked guilty. Xenovia, you may return to your seat.”
Xenovia’s eyes widened. She quickly lowered her leg and walked back to her chair. As she passed Kelvin, she whispered, “Thank you.”
Zico stayed in front of the class. The teacher’s voice turned cold.
“You will remain standing until the lesson ends. And after school, you will come to the teachers’ office.”
Zico’s jaw tightened, but he did not dare talk back.
Kelvin sat down slowly. Inside his mind, the System spoke.
[Mission Complete.]
[Host has leveled up.]
[Reward: $4,000 received.]
[Mystery Reward Unlocked: Intelligence attribute added.]
[Current Balance: $10,750]
Kelvin kept his face calm, but inside he felt a small wave of relief. The money was good. The new Intelligence attribute was even better. Still, he did not smile. He knew Zico would not forget this.
The rest of the math class passed quietly. When the bell rang for break, most students rushed out. Zico was taken away by the teacher. Xenovia stayed behind for a moment and walked over to Kelvin’s desk.
“You really helped me,” she said. Her voice was soft. “No one ever stands up to my brother like that.”
Kelvin looked at her. “You always stood up for me when no one else did. I just returned the favor.”
Xenovia’s cheeks turned a little pink. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something more, but then she only nodded and left the classroom.
Kelvin stayed in his seat for a while. He opened the System screen and checked his new status.
Name: Kelvin Stewart
Age: 15
Level: 4
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 1
System Points: 8
Balance: $10,750
He still needed more money if he wanted to buy the inn. But more than money, he needed strength. Zico and his friends would not stay quiet after today.
During the break, Kelvin walked to the quiet part of the school garden. There was a large cherry blossom tree surrounded by sunflowers. He often sat there alone in the past because no one bothered him.
He sat under the tree and looked at the sky.
“System,” he said in his mind, “can I increase Intelligence with points the same way I did with Strength?”
[Yes. Higher Intelligence will help you think faster and learn faster. Skill points, however, only increase when you complete missions.]
Kelvin nodded. He was about to add the points when he heard soft footsteps.
Xenovia appeared, holding a small pizza box.
“I thought you might be here,” she said. She sat down beside him and held out the box. “This is for you.”
Kelvin was surprised. “You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.” She smiled a little. “And… I’m sorry about my brother. I know he has been terrible to you for a long time.”
Kelvin accepted the pizza but did not open it yet. For a moment he was quiet. The anger he felt toward Zico was still there, heavy and sharp. Forgiving him felt impossible.
“It’s not your fault,” he finally said.
Xenovia looked down at her hands. “I keep trying to stop him, but he never listens. Sometimes I hate that we are family.”
Before Kelvin could answer, the System’s voice suddenly rang in his head.
[New Mission Detected.]
[Mission: Express your true feelings to Xenovia.]
[Time Limit: Before break ends.]
[Reward: $10,000]
Kelvin’s heart jumped. His face felt hot. He turned his head away so she would not see it.
Express his feelings? He was only fifteen. He had just lost his mother. His life was a mess. And yet… Xenovia was the only person who had ever been kind to him without asking for anything.
He stayed silent for several seconds. The seconds felt long.
Xenovia noticed his strange behavior. “Kelvin? Are you okay? You look like you want to say something.”
Kelvin clenched his fists on his knees. His heart was beating too fast. Part of him wanted to stay quiet. Another part knew the mission was not just about money. It was about being honest for once.
He took a deep breath and turned to look at her.
“Xenovia…”
“Yes?”
His voice came out lower than usual.
“I like you.”
The garden became very quiet. A soft wind blew and a few cherry blossom petals fell around them.
Xenovia’s eyes widened. Her face turned red almost at once. She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
“What… did you just say?”
Kelvin forced himself to keep looking at her. “I like you. Not just as a friend. I’ve liked you for a long time. Even when everyone else treated me like trash, you never did.”
Xenovia stared at him. For a moment she seemed unable to speak. Then a small, shy smile appeared on her face.
“I like you too, Kelvin,” she whispered.
Kelvin felt something tight in his chest finally loosen. He did not smile widely. He just let out a quiet breath and looked at the falling petals.
The System’s voice returned.
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward: $10,000 received.]
[Because the Host created a sincere moment, the reward has been doubled.]
[Current Balance: $30,750]
Kelvin almost laughed in surprise. Thirty thousand dollars. More than enough to buy the inn. But right now, the money felt less important than the girl sitting next to him.
The school bell rang, loud and clear.
Xenovia stood up quickly, still red in the face. “We should go back.”
“Yeah,” Kelvin said.
They walked back toward the classroom side by side. Neither of them spoke, but the silence was not uncomfortable.
From a distance, near the school gate, three figures watched them.
Zico stood with his two friends, his eyes dark and full of hate.
“So the trash thinks he can take my sister too,” he muttered.
One of his friends leaned closer. “What do we do, Boss?”
Zico’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“After school… we finish what we started in that alley.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 14
Kelvin left the house at first light. He checked the wooden board on the window one more time, then rode toward the old bridge.Three days left. He needed something stronger than paper and photos.Near the closed part of the bridge he found a woman hanging clothes outside a small house. She looked tired. Kelvin stopped a few steps away and spoke quietly.“I am looking for anyone who saw the fire near the barrel months ago. Or the night the bridge was damaged.”The woman glanced at him, then at the street. “People do not talk about that night.”“I was the one in the barrel,” Kelvin said. “I only want the truth.”She was silent for a long moment. Then she pointed toward a narrow path behind the houses.“There is a boy who collects scrap there every morning. He was out that night. He saw more than he should have. But he is afraid.”Kelvin thanked her and followed the path. After a few minutes he found a thin boy about his age pulling a metal cart. The boy stopped when he saw Kelvin.“I d
Chapter 13
Kelvin did not sleep much. Every time a motorbike passed outside he opened his eyes. When morning came he got up, checked the wooden board on the window, and left the house early.He rode straight to the alley near the river. The old man who had spoken to him before was sitting in the same place, fixing another broken chair.Kelvin stopped in front of him.“I need your help,” he said. “Not to fight. Just to write down what you saw that night. Even a few lines.”The old man looked at him for a long time. “I already told you I do not want trouble.”“I know,” Kelvin said. “But if no one writes anything, the people who did it will keep walking free. I will not put your name on any paper if you do not want it. I only need the words.”The old man rubbed his hands together. Finally he nodded once. He took a small piece of paper from his pocket and wrote slowly with a short pencil. When he finished he gave it to Kelvin.The writing was simple:Three boys. One of them called Zico. They poured
Chapter 12
Kelvin left the house before sunrise. He did not tell anyone where he was going. He only took his phone, his notebook, and enough money for fuel.He rode slowly through the quieter streets near the river and the old market. Xenovia had said Raka was coming today. Kelvin did not know the exact place, so he watched and listened. He stopped at small shops and asked careful questions. Most people said nothing. One man who sold cigarettes finally spoke in a low voice.“If you are looking for the man named Raka, try the empty lot behind the old warehouse. People meet there when they do not want to be seen.”Kelvin thanked him and rode that way.The warehouse stood near the edge of the industrial area. The lot behind it was full of weeds and broken concrete. Kelvin parked his motorcycle two streets away and walked the rest of the distance. He stayed behind a low wall and watched.After almost an hour, a black car stopped. Two men got out. One was Zico. The other was older, maybe in his late
Chapter 11
Kelvin woke up with the same pain in his ribs, but he did not stay in bed. Five days left. He needed answers about the name Xenovia had given him.Raka.He rode to school early and asked carefully. Most students shook their heads. One older boy from another class finally spoke in a low voice near the back gate.“Raka is not a student,” the boy said. “He is older. People say he fixes problems for money. Broken legs. Lost papers. Sometimes worse. Stay away from that name.”That was all Kelvin got before the boy walked off fast.At school the whispers had changed again. Some students looked at Kelvin with open dislike. During the first break a teacher called him aside.“There is a report,” the teacher said. “Someone says you started the fight in the parking lot and also the one in the alley. The school is looking into it. Be careful.”Kelvin knew who had made the report. Zico was not only hiring people now. He was using words and lies.After class Kelvin did not go home. He rode back to
Chapter 10
Kelvin left the house early the next morning. His ribs still ached, but he ignored the pain. He had six days left. Sitting at home would not help.He rode straight to the old alley near the river. The burnt barrel was still there, black and twisted. A few older people sat on plastic chairs outside the small houses along the street. Most of them looked away when they saw him.Kelvin stopped in front of an old man who was repairing a broken chair. The man’s hands were slow and careful.“Excuse me,” Kelvin said. “Were you here the night of the fire a few months ago?”The old man looked up. His eyes were careful. “Why do you ask?”“I was the one they threw in the barrel,” Kelvin answered. “I need to know if anyone saw who did it.”The old man put down his tools. He looked at the barrel for a long time, then at Kelvin’s face.“I saw three boys,” he said in a low voice. “One of them was laughing. He had a school bag. The others poured something on the barrel and lit it. I stayed inside. I a
Chapter 09
Kelvin woke up before the sun rose. His ribs still hurt every time he took a deep breath. The cut on his lip had dried, but his left arm felt heavy and stiff. He sat up slowly and checked the System screen.Strength: 7 Intelligence: 1 System Points: 18 Balance: $35,750 Mission Progress: 5% Time left: 6 days, 6 hoursHe put the silver button on the table next to his bed. One small piece. Not enough. He needed more.He washed, put on a clean uniform, and went downstairs. The house was quiet. It was his now. He still had not gotten used to that. He made simple food, ate a little even though his side hurt, and left early.At school the whispers were louder. People stared at the bruises on his face and the way he walked carefully. Zico was back. He sat in class with a bandage across his nose and dark marks under his eyes. When Kelvin walked past, Zico looked at him with pure hate, but he did not speak. Not yet.During the morning break Xenovia found him near the old tree by the s
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