Questism and Lookism: Am I Suhyeon Kim?

I took the first step toward the door.

The boys escorting me said nothing. They just walked beside me, like well-trained shadows. The classroom remained completely silent. The murmurs had evaporated. No one dared even whisper my name.

And just as I was about to cross the threshold...

He appeared.

As if the world had stopped to mark his entrance.

Gu Hajun.

His silhouette filled the doorway with a presence impossible to ignore.

He was about six feet tall, but it wasn't just his height that was imposing. It was the way he stood. Calm. Solid. As if the ground beneath his feet belonged to him. He wore a tight black T-shirt, a white shirt unbuttoned over his shoulders, and perfectly straight dark pants that made him look even taller. His hands were in his pockets, but his gaze...

His gaze was like a knife wrapped in calm.

Cold. Direct. Unmovable.

His black hair fell slightly over his forehead, with messy waves that did not hide the sharpness of his expression. He looked like someone who didn't have to raise his voice for the world to hear him. Someone who didn't need to show his fangs... for everyone to know he could bite.

And that presence...

It was exactly as she remembered it.

That... was Hajun Gu.

And he had come for me.

Hajun Gu said nothing at first.

He simply took a couple of slow, steady steps, walking through the door without taking his eyes off me. The others stepped aside, giving him space without him having to ask.

He stopped right in front of me.

I had to look up slightly to meet his gaze. He was at least six inches taller than me. The difference was obvious... but not intimidating.

"Are you Suhyeon Kim?" he asked in a deep, measured voice.

There was no mockery. There was no anger.

Just direct curiosity. Cold. Measured.

I smiled.

Calm. Without hesitation.

"Yes."

His brow furrowed slightly. As if he had expected something different. Perhaps someone hunched over, trembling. But not someone who held his gaze so calmly.

"I heard you were left in critical condition after your fight with Changdong," he said, crossing his arms, analyzing me from head to toe. "That you could barely move."

He was silent for a second.

"But I also heard something else."

His gaze sharpened.

"That you know how to fight."

His eyes remained fixed on me. They weren't trying to intimidate me. They were looking for something else.

A truth.

Or a lie.

And Hajun Gu was there to find out which it was.

I remained silent for a moment, without taking my eyes off him.

Inside, the system continued to beat in my head like a hot core. It was impossible not to think about what I had achieved that morning.

A three-hour hunt, and this was the result.

[Golden Card]:

[Attack Card]

> (Additional Strength)

Your weight will increase by 100 kg for 5 seconds.

*You can only use it once per day.

That card... was a brutal wild card. It wasn't just for hitting with more weight. If I used it right, I could turn my body into an unstoppable mass. Perfect for breaking defenses, crushing opponents, or withstanding an onslaught. One use per day... that's how broken it was.

Then there were the silver ones.

[Silver Cards]:

[Attack Card]

> (Dodge)

Your body reacts slightly faster to melee attacks.

*Current rank: E [67/100]

And another one...

[Common Card]

> (Tactical Vision)

Your perception of your surroundings improves for 15 seconds.

You can detect attack trajectories and basic weak points.

*Current rank: E [10/100]

With those two combined, I could move quickly, anticipate, and better read whoever was in front of me. It wasn't super strength, but it was combat intelligence. Something that could make a difference against impulsive... or overconfident guys.

And finally, the pile of useful junk.

[Bronze Cards]:

[Upgrade Card]

> (Temporary Muscle Boost)

+5% strength for 10 seconds.

*Reduces intelligence by -2 while active.

[Upgrade Card]

> (Nerve Speed)

+3% reaction speed, but -10% accuracy.

[Strange Card]

> (Random Resistance)

+1 endurance... in a random part of the body.

[Useless Card]

> (Illusory Courage)

You ignore fear for 5 seconds. Then you panic for 10.

[Distraction Card]

> (Cold Sweat)

Your body sweats excessively, confusing your opponent.

*Only works once. And it's disgusting.

[Item Card]

> (Combat Gum)

Gum that tastes like garbage, but quenches your thirst. That's all...

I couldn't help but smile ironically.

Yes... six bronze cards. Some are somewhat useful. Most are a joke.

But even a joke, well told, can knock down the toughest opponent if they're not expecting it.

Hajun Gu was still waiting for my answer.

I... was already doing the math.

"Maybe yes... maybe no," I replied. "Do you want to find out?"

The entire classroom held its breath. Some looked away, others opened their eyes wide. But I didn't take my eyes off him.

Hajun Gu didn't flinch. He just looked at me more closely, as if trying to figure out if it was courage or simple stupidity.

Then he smiled.

It wasn't a friendly smile. It was a slight, barely perceptible curve that formed only when someone found something interesting... or someone worth crushing.

"I see you're confident," he said, his voice sounding almost amused. "Let's see what you've got."

His presence was imposing. Not because of physical strength—although he clearly had plenty of that—but because of that air of natural superiority, as if he were used to no one opposing him... and everyone looking down at him.

Hajun stood guard with a slight smile. He lifted his chin slightly.

"Come on. Attack."

I thought without wasting a second:

Use: Jab.

[System]

[Silver Card activated]

> (Jab - boxing)

*Current rank: D [6/100]

My body moved forward on its own. My arm tensed. My fist shot out like a spring.

PAF!

The blow passed so close that it grazed Hajun's chin, who dodged it by just a few centimeters. His smile disappeared for a moment.

"That was... faster than I expected."

His eyes sparkled with more than just curiosity.

"Interesting."

Now, he looked at me like a true opponent.

At that moment, a new notification floated before my eyes, bright and precise.

[System]

Win a fight against Hajun Gu, the leader of Gangbukseo High School. [0/1]

Time remaining: 3 days.

Reward: 1 platinum card.

I let out a small laugh inside, barely curving my lips.

"Three days? No need... I'm going to defeat him right now."

I looked back at Hajun, who was still on his guard, analyzing me as if I were a rare specimen. My heart was beating fast, but not out of fear... but out of anticipation.

I took a step forward.

"Before we get started... I want to propose something to you."

Hajun raised an eyebrow, curious.

"If I win this fight, you'll join my team."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"And you can decide what to do with me. Anything."

I stood there, firm, with a confident smile.

"Deal?"

Hajun watched me silently. His expression was impenetrable, his eyes like knives.

"I thought about making you my friend," he muttered disinterestedly, as if he were only speaking out of courtesy.

He took a step forward.

"But now I see that you want to rule Gangbukseo."

A crooked smile appeared on his face. It wasn't warm. It was condescending.

"Fine."

He turned slightly, rotated his shoulders, and raised his fists, taking a guard position with a neat technique. Precise. Silent.

"If you lose, you're mine."

His words were simple. Brief. But loaded with overwhelming confidence.

"Attack."

I didn't wait any longer.

"Use card: Jab."

[Silver Card activated]

> (Jab - boxing)

Rank: D [6/100]

I felt the energy run through my arm. I lunged toward him and threw a quick jab, straight at his face.

SMACK!

It grazed his cheek.

Hajun tilted his head at the last second. He had dodged it, but only just. His gaze changed. It was no longer arrogance. It was attention.

"Use card: Dodge."

[Silver Card activated]

> (Dodge)

Rank: E [67/100]

He responded with a quick, clean right hook. Pure boxing. But my body slid to the side almost reflexively.

"Use card: Tactical Vision."

[Silver Card activated]

> (Tactical Vision)

Rank: E [10/100]

His movements became clearer. The way he turned his hips, the tension in his shoulders, the rhythm of his breathing.

I read everything as if I had studied it.

But at that moment, Hajun rotated his wrist and threw a straight punch at my chest. It wasn't a careless punch... it was perfect. Textbook.

THUMP!

I flew back a couple of steps, the air escaping from my lungs as if I had been emptied.

"Was that all?" he muttered, his guard still up, his feet planted firmly on the ground.

He was in no hurry.

I lunged again.

Jab. Dodge. Side step.

But Hajun was already inside my rhythm.

His right came with the force of a train. My tactical vision barely warned me in time.

"Use Dodge!"

I spun in the air, the fist passing inches from my ear. The wind howled past my face.

He was fast. Too fast.

The next blow was an uppercut.

CRACK!

I blocked it by barely raising my forearm. The impact made my shoulder burn. I stepped back, panting.

Hajun said nothing.

He just hit.

His boxing was clinical. Precise. As if every move had been planned in advance. He didn't hesitate or falter. He studied me as he attacked. Every dodge I managed made him more lethal.

"Is that what you were going to show me?" he muttered disdainfully, walking toward me with his fists still raised.

"Then this school is more rotten than I thought."

I responded without speaking. I took a short leap backward to gain space and activate the only card that could balance this, even if only for a moment.

"Use card: Additional Strength."

[Gold Card activated]

> (Additional Strength)

Your weight increases by 100 kg for 5 seconds.

[Time remaining: 5... 4...]

The floor creaked under my feet.

I ran towards him.

Hajun raised an eyebrow, barely surprised by the change in pressure in my footsteps. I didn't give him time to think. I threw a right hook at him, not with technique... but with brutal force.

BOOM!

Hajun blocked it, but this time he took a step back. His arm trembled.

His brow furrowed for the first time.

I lunged forward, faster than my body would normally allow, thanks to the momentum from the letter. I stretched out both arms and grabbed him firmly by the collar of his shirt.

"What—?"

He didn't finish his sentence.

I pulled with all the strength of those 150 pounds accumulated in my body.

And then...

CRACK!

A direct headbutt.

Violent.

Lethal.

My eyebrows collided with his forehead like a sledgehammer against concrete. A dry thud echoed down the hallway. The sound was not just from the impact... it was from surprise.

Hajun took two steps back. The perfect balance of his guard was broken for the first time. He brought a hand to his forehead, his eyes wide from the impact, and a trickle of blood ran down from his left eyebrow.

His body leaned to one side.

And he fell.

THUD!

First on his knees.

Then to the floor.

His hand still clutched the edge of his torn shirt, but he had no strength. His face tilted against the floor, his forehead bleeding, his brow furrowed in a mixture of surprise... and acceptance.

I was breathing heavily. The gold card had deactivated a few seconds ago, but the memory of the extra weight still vibrated in my muscles.

I stared at him without moving, waiting for some sign that he would stand up.

But it didn't come.

With a low, barely audible growl, Hajun Gu raised his face.

His lips curved into a strangely calm smile.

And then he said it.

"You win, Suhyeon..."

Silence.

The words hung in the air like an impossible statement.

The king had fallen.

I took a step toward him, my breathing controlled and my fists still clenched, but I said nothing. There was no need.

[System]

You have completed the main mission!

[System]

You have obtained the platinum card.

My smile barely registered.

Inside, I was screaming with excitement.

Outside... I just watched.

Hajun closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling sharply.

"Damn it..."

Not with anger.

With a mixture of respect... and disbelief.

[System]

Do you want to confirm?

"Give me the reward."

I didn't react immediately.

I just closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. The air tasted different. Denser. More real. As if everything had changed.

I took a step back, slowly releasing the tension in my body.

The system floated in front of me with a new notification.

[System]

New card obtained: Platinum Card.

Click to view details.

I clenched my teeth and smiled inwardly.

Not now. Later.

There were still many eyes fixed on me.

I turned my head slightly, just enough to see them.

Gukja Yang's mouth was half open, saying nothing. His eyes were wide open. He wasn't used to seeing me standing... much less standing over Hajun Gu.

"S-Suhyeon...?" he muttered, more to himself than to me.

He knew me. He knew what I was before. What I seemed to be. What I pretended to be. But now... now he didn't understand anything. His eyes weren't looking for an explanation. They were just looking for meaning.

And they couldn't find it.

Baek Chaerin was there too. Sitting, motionless. Her body barely moved, as if she wasn't even breathing.

She didn't say a single word.

She didn't ask. She didn't come closer.

She just stared at me.

As if something about me had completely baffled her.

And it had.

While everyone waited to see how they would break me down with fists and blood... the opposite happened. And she had seen it all. She had seen how I faced him. How I challenged him. How I knocked him down.

And that look...

It wasn't fear.

It was curiosity.

As if something inside her, something deep, had just been ignited.

I simply looked down at Hajun Gu, who was still on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

Then I looked up and spoke firmly, without hesitation, making sure every word resonated clearly:

"It's official. I am now the new leader of Gangbukseo High School."

But then, as if someone had released an invisible spring, the students began to react.

Some swallowed hard. Others took a step back. Some simply ran away silently, without looking back.

And so, over time, everyone began to return to their respective classrooms.

But nothing was ever the same again.

The news spread faster than a fire in a dry field.

Suhyeon Kim defeated Hajun Gu.

Suhyeon Kim did it with his own hands.

Suhyeon Kim... is the new leader.

The rumors spread like poison through the hallways, creeping into every corner of Gangbukseo Middle School. But they didn't stop there.

Within minutes, the rumors crossed the school walls, reaching other middle schools, other high schools.

Some believed it immediately. Others thought it was an exaggeration. But no one dared to ignore it.

Chaos had begun.

And at the center of it all... was Suhyeon Kim.

Classes ended with a strange mixture of tension and hushed murmurs. The teachers tried to maintain normality, but it was useless. Everyone was talking about the same thing. Everyone was looking at Suhyeon Kim out of the corner of their eyes, as if they couldn't decide whether they were afraid... or in awe.

But he said nothing. He quietly gathered his things and left the building as if it had been a completely normal day.

Hours later, the sun began to set between the buildings, painting the sky orange and purple.

In a small park, somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle, two figures walked along a dirt path. The leaves crunched under their sneakers.

Suhyeon Kim walked ahead, his hands in his pockets.

Gukja Yang followed a few steps behind, clearly uncomfortable.

"Why did you call me to come to a park?" he asked, frowning. "What are we supposed to do here?"

His eyes moved suspiciously around the place. It was unusual for Suhyeon to ask him to meet anywhere. Especially after what had happened today.

Suhyeon stopped.

He turned his head slightly, flashing a small smile.

"Relax, Gukja. I didn't bring you here to beat you up."

"Then?"

"There's something I want to try."

Gukja narrowed his eyes, still cautious.

"Try?"

Suhyeon didn't answer right away. He just looked ahead again, toward a lonely bench in the middle of the park, under a tree that was beginning to lose its leaves.

And then he said it, almost as if talking to himself:

"It's time to see how far someone with S potential can go."

I thought about the card.

The platinum card I had obtained after defeating Hajun Gu.

In front of me, a floating digital card appeared with bright emerald-colored edges. The frame was solid, translucent, with a pattern of geometric lines that crisscrossed like circuits. In the center, a white word stood out against the bright background:

[System]

You have used Observe.

[Common Card]

> (Observe)

You can observe your opponent.

[System]

You are using "Observe" on Gukja Yang.

And then it happened.

A new digital projection emerged before my eyes. Like a floating panel outlined by blue and neon lines, with sharp edges and corners. The system had just processed the card.

The lines began to move quickly, forming a hexagonal graph, similar to an attribute radar. In the center, a name flashed in white letters:

Gukja Yang:

Strength: C

Speed: F

Endurance: C

Intelligence: D

Potential: S

The graph was clear. His strength and endurance were decent, enough to take a couple of hits and return them with some weight. But his speed... was disastrous. An absolute F. So low it seemed like a joke.

On the other hand, there was the important part.

Potential: S

One of the rarest categories. The one that almost no one had. It meant that the system recognized him as someone who, with the right training and circumstances, could go incredibly far. Further than many who were already strong now.

I smiled, crossing my arms.

"It's not as bad as I thought," I said quietly.

Gukja looked at me without understanding, but I had already seen everything.

That guy who had been a coward all this time... had the kind of potential that the system respected the most.

And that made him too valuable a piece to ignore.

Suddenly, Suhyeon reached out and placed his hand on Gukja's shoulder.

He tensed up a little. He always flinched when someone touched him, as if expecting to be hit. But this time... it wasn't for that.

Gukja was a little shorter than him. From that height, Suhyeon could see his eyes clearly. They were hesitant. But they also... sparkled with a light that hadn't been there before.

He smiled.

"Gukja, my friend..."

Gukja looked at him, surprised by the calmness of his voice.

"You will be my right-hand man."

His lips parted, as if he were about to say something, but he couldn't get the words out.

"And for that... I need you to get strong."

Suhyeon's hand squeezed his shoulder lightly.

"Starting today, you'll train with me."

For a moment, only the wind answered. The park was silent, except for the faint rustling of falling leaves.

Gukja said nothing... but his throat moved. He swallowed. And then, very slowly, he nodded his head.

As if something inside him... was also awakening.