First Day At School

Bella always sneaks out of the house to enjoy her freedom. Today happens to be one of those days and fate had it that Jinhoo had to cross her path.

"Hope you are not injured." Jinhoo helped her to stand and she just smiled and shook her head but after seeing how Jinhoo was covering his face, Bella couldn't help but take a step back.

"You don't have to be afraid." Jinhoo was quick to understand so he removed everything that was covering his face and Bella's eyes widened.

"I know you." She said as her cheek got stained red.

"You do?" Jinhoo was genuinely surprised for he has no idea that Bella would be able to recognize him at the moment.

"Yes, you are the boy that always sits beside the window." Bella's voice was no longer loud and sharp as it first was.

"You are correct, I know you too." Of course, everyone in school knows Bella, she is not only the most beautiful girl but also one of the richest. "And because I know you, I am surprised to see you on this side of the neighborhood."

"Well...." Bella's words were cut off as they heard the voice of the bullies after Jinhoo.

"We should run first." Jinhoo grabbed Bella by the hand as he dragged her with him. Though Bella has no idea why Jinhoo was running away from the guys, she didn't try to stop him or ask him to let go, she just allowed him to drag him along.

Luckily for the two they took a turn and evaded their pursuers. After knowing they weren't being chased, Jinhoo let go of her as they started walking gently down the street.

"Something about you seems different." Bella said as she locked her hands behind her.

"How so?" 

"I can't explain it but something seem different about you."

"In a good way or bad way?"

"Not sure yet, but .." Once again Bella's words were cut off, but this time it was by her bodyguard.

"Young Miss." The bodyguard wasn't surprised for it had been a normal routine for them. Bella would always escape and they would search the whole neighborhood for her. "You should grow up, you shouldn't be so eager to put your life in danger." The bodyguard looked to be in his mid-forties, his mean expression is enough to scare anyone away.

"I have heard." Bella pouted as she followed the bodyguard to the car. Just as she was about to enter the car, she turned towards Jinhoo. "Don't be a stranger." She said with a smile and Jinhoo felt like the whole world stopped for a moment.

"I won't." Jinhoo replied.

The next morning, Jinhoo went back to his training but Jinwoo his master had other plans. Jinwoo has no plan to train Jinhoo, so he planned to waste his whole time in this period of one month. Jinhoo registered only for a month since school would he resuming after that.

"So what do I have for today?" Jinhoo asked with enthusiasm.

"You see that water over there?" Jinwoo pointed at the four buckets of water at the end of the training center. "Transfer the water to another side of the room." He pointed at the empty bucket at the opposite end. 

"Alright." Without argument, Jinhoo went to do as he was told but Jinwoo stopped him.

"With this." Jinwoo threw a little cup at him.

"That would take forever." Jinhoo protested.

"And you have to do it duck walking." Jinwoo smirked for he knows no younger generation would dare do something so hard.

"NEW TASK HAS BEEN REGISTERED, DO AS YOUR MASTER HAS INSTRUCTED, UPON COMPLETION, 4 POINTS WOULD BE AWARDED." Jinhoo sighed in defeat as the system decided to take the side of his master.

"I never wanted to use this just yet but I have no other option. System, how many points do I have at the moment?"

"37 POINTS."

"Add ten points to strength, 5 points to stamina, 5 points to Agility, 5 points to Endurance. Then show me my stats after doing that." After Jinhoo ordered the system what to do, his stats window appeared in front of him immediately which means the system has just done what he has instructed.

"Let's see. Strength 4/5, Speed 1/5, Endurance 3/5, Agility 3/5, Accuracy, 1/5, Stamina 3/5." The qualities he just used his points on have increased. Jinhoo knew that his stats would increase if he uses his points but he doesn't want to rely on the points just yet. The reason why he ended up using the points was that school would be starting soon, so he needed to get stronger as fast as he can. 

"Are you just going to stand there? If this simple task shook your resolve, what would you do when you are faced with a harder task?" Jinwoo was trying to shake Jinhoo's resolve but he had no idea that he is only strengthening it.

"Here we go." Jinhoo started duckwalking to the water and Jinwoo was dumbfounded at first.

"Well, he would quit very soon." Jinwoo was sure it would happen so.

 Hours later, Jinhoo is still at it and the water has gone half. Jinhoo noticed how the exercise is developing his lower muscles and it gave him more reason to keep going. Jinwoo on the other hand is surprised that the boy was still going with a single frown or complaint. 

"Though he is getting tired, he is not complaining, he is still eager to complete the exercise." Jinwoo muttered as he thought of what is the driving force behind Jinhoo. Jinwoo wanted to leave but he couldn't get himself to leave so he stood there and watch the boy.

Just before the light completely disappeared from the sky, Jinhoo completed the exercise and earned his point but he was too tired to celebrate. 

"You succeeded." Jinwoo was surprised at what just happened. Never in his life had he seen anybody this determined, so it awakened a part of him he thought was long gone.

"Come back tomorrow and you will face something harder than this, for tomorrow the real training begins." Jinwoo said and the words brought a smile to Jinhoo's face. Jinhoo's managed to carry himself home that day for he has never been so tired in his life.

When the morning came, Jinhoo noticed he was still tired so he had to use 2 points on each of his stats in order to recover a little bit of strength. After seeing that it worked, Jinhoo decided to start using it every morning since it would help him with his training.

 Jinwoo was true to his words, he took training Jinhoo seriously. Jinhoo focused on developing Jinhoo's strength and stamina, apart from punching and kicking the sandbag a thousand times daily, Jinwoo did not teach Jinhoo how to fight. When Jinhoo asked him why his response was convincing. He told Jinhoo that he is too weak, so he needed to build up his strength and stamina for him to be able to become a good fighter.

So, for one month, all Jinhoo learned from Jinwoo was to build up his strength and a thousand punch and kick on the sandbag daily. Though Jinwoo didn't teach Jinhoo how to fight, he taught him some self-defense skills during the last days of their training 

"You won't be able to fight but you can be able to defend. As a good defender always check your surroundings and know they will be your partner." Jinwoo had a lot of things to teach Jinhoo but he know he has to take it slowly. 

"Try and kick me." Jinwoo instructed, "don't be shy, do it." He encouraged Jinhoo as he noticed he was hesitant.

"If anything happens don't blame me." Because of kicking the sandbag a thousand times daily, Jinhoo knows for certain that his kick has gotten stronger than the average boy's. Just as Jinhoo's kick was about to touch Jinwoo, he fell as a result of getting a kick from Jinwoo instead. With Jinhoo's left leg on the ground and his right foot mid-air, his stamina has been greatly reduced, so the moment Jinwoo kicked him on his left knee, he lost balance and fell.

"I can't believe you made me lose balance with just a minimal effort." Jinhoo spoke as he stood up.

"Punch me." Jinwoo ordered and this time around, Jinhoo didn't hesitate to do as he was told. Jinhoo threw a punch at Jinwoo but before his fist could connect with Jinwoo's face he fell in pain. Just as Jinhoo threw the punch, Jinwoo kicked his leg and it made him fall on his knee and wince in pain.

"As I told you, you have to observe and know the best action to take. Many might not know this but the best fighter is not the strongest or fastest, but the one that thinks the best. If you can make your brain think faster than your opponents, you will find out that you can win almost everyone. From here on out, I would attack you so do your best to defend yourself." Without warning, Jinwoo struck Jinhoo, and that's how today's session came to an end and it was because Jinhoo passed out.

The remaining week was used to train Jinhoo on self-defense, and even though he was only able to successfully defend one punch by deciding to step back instead of attacking, Jinwoo said he improved. Their session ended but Jinhoo registered for another month, and this time he didn't pay into the bank. 

"After today, I would only be coming after school." Jinhoo said to his master Jinwoo after the day's section.

"Alright, don't forget your daily exercise, and don't go looking for trouble you are..."

"Only a fool would go seeking trouble." Jinhoo replied before his master could complete his words. 

Jinwoo looked at his student and smirked for the boy standing before him is now different from the one that came through those doors a month ago.

"Here is my advice before you start school. I may be old and no longer know the latest style for you youngsters, but I know you tend to be respected if you appear in school looking badass."

"Of course, I intend to do that." Jinhoo replied before saying goodbye to his master.

When Jinhoo got home, he took his shower and decided to check his reflection for the first time since he started his training.

"Wow." This was the only word Jinhoo could utter as he saw how much he has changed in the space of three months.

"System, stats." His stat displayed and Jinhoo was more than impressed when he noticed that all his stat has reached 5 except for accuracy which is still at four. "System, send ten points to accuracy." Adding ten points to accuracy made it reach 5 just like others but Jinhoo was surprised when everything changed again.

"It's now over ten." He muttered. His stats right now is Strength 5/10, Speed 5/10, Endurance 5/10, Agility 5/10, Accuracy, 5/10, and Stamina 5/10.

"I will keep breaking my limits." Aleric said as he went to sleep that night.

The school has resumed, everyone has gotten back to school and they all have something different about them. Some girls have gotten prettier and more developed, and some boys have gotten taller. Some didn't have any physical change but their experience on the long vacation was enough to change their view on life. While each of them has something to show off or talk about, none of them mattered when Jinhoo arrived at the school. He was so different that even his friends could hardly recognize him, even in his school uniform, he looked like a model.

"I have a past that might still be my future unless I walk a different path. From here onwards, I will walk a different path." Jinhoo muttered to himself as he walked forward ignoring the stares he was getting.

"A NEW TASK REGISTERED, BECOME THE LEADER OF THE YEAR ONE. UPON COMPLETION OF THE TASK, 20 POINTS WOULD BE AWARDED, FAILURE TO BE COMPLETED IN A MONTH, 20 POINTS WOULD BE DEDUCTED."