Chapter 2

On a certain morning in Seoul, South Korea.

It was a normal day like any others.

"Come on nerd, we didn't ask much. Just give us 10,000 won for lunch. You at least have that much, right?"

"Please stop it."

A bunch of students wearing uniforms was mobbing a lone student in a corner of a school.

"Hey-hey, don't be that stingy. We are asking nicely here."

The one who seemed to be the leader patted his shoulder with some force.

"You are Sang-Min's friend, right? Yesterday, he beat us for no reason, you know. Thanks to him, some of our friends have some bruises on their faces. It would be fair if you compensate us to some extent."

"If he really did that, then you must have done something that deserved it. He is not someone who uses violence for no reason."

"This punk!"

One of the students grabbed his hair and slammed him to the wall, making him wince. His glasses fell to the ground.

"For an orphan, you sure are too cocky. Just because you are Kyun Sang-Min follower doesn't mean you can mess with us."

'Aren't you the one who messed around in the first place?'

While the lone student thought so, a shout came to them from afar.

"Oi Bastards! What are you doing with Sung-Ho!?"

"Shit! It's Kyun Sang-Min!"

"Run!"

As they ran away with all their might, a figure with a rough face came at high speed.

"Dammit! Come back here you f*ckers!"

While the brute was on a rampage, the short student picked up his glasses and put them on.

"Sung-Ho! Are you okay? They didn't do anything to you, right?"

Kyun Sang-Min ran toward him as he inspected his whole body.

"It's okay, Sang-Min. They haven't done anything to me."

Kim Sung-Ho put on a smile to show that he was okay.

"Rather than that, I heard you fought yesterday with them. How did that happen?"

Making a face like he was stepping on feces, Kyun Sang-Min avoided eye contact.

"That… Uh, just happened."

Seeing the weird response, Kim Sung-Ho's eyes slanted.

"Is there something you're hiding from me?"

"N-No… Why would I?"

"If you don't want to tell me, then I guess I can ask ajumma to question you for me."

"Ah, no! Please no! My mom would nag me all day if she found out!"

Kyun Sang-Min and Kim Sung-Ho were childhood friends who used to live under the same roof before. When his parents passed away when he was little, Kyun Sang-Min's parents took him in because he had no other relatives. The two had been close friends before that.

Since Kim Sung-Ho's old house was still intact, they used to visit periodically to clean it up. But when they entered high school, he started to live there to take care of the house. He had lived alone since then, but he still visited Kyun Sang-Min's house sometimes to have a meal. Sang-Min's parents already treat him like their own son.

"So? Since they are targeting me I should have the right to know, right?"

"Uh… I'm sorry."

Kyun Sang-Min fidgeted his fingers in guilt.

"Actually, they were bad-mouthing you back then. They called you, uh, something offensive, and because I felt angry I punched them without thinking."

Kim Sung-Ho put his hand on his forehead and sighed.

"How many times did I tell you not to be easily swayed? They definitely did that on purpose to provoke you."

"But they were making fun of you, my best friend! How can you expect me to stay calm?"

"This is what people call the devil circle. The more you press them, the more they come after me."

"Haha. You don't need to worry about that. I will protect you."

Kyun Sang-Min said proudly while hitting his chest with a wide grin.

"If they dare to bother you then I just have to beat them up again. They are not a match for me anyway."

'This is useless. He really doesn't get it at all.'

Kyun Sang-Min was a simple-minded person that liked to act first and think later. Since he was little, he has always been hot-headed, especially when it concerns Kim Sung-Ho.

The bell rang, a sign that the class was about to begin.

"Forget it. I don't need you to protect me. I can take care of myself."

"Oi, are you still mad? I said I'm sorry."

As Kim Sung-Ho went away to the class, Kyun Sang-Min followed him.

***

Inside the class, everyone was busy with themselves while waiting for the teacher to arrive. Today was the last day before summer vacation started, so the atmosphere was festive.

"Eun~𝅘𝅥𝅮 Do you have time after school? We girls have decided to have karaoke after this. Do you want to join?"

Min Eun, who was sitting at her desk while reading a book, raised her head to the female classmate in front of her. Touching her long hair, she moved her eyes sideways.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can. I need to help my parents with something."

"Ehh~? Again? You're always using the same excuse to reject us. Not fun at all."

"I'm sorry."

Looking at her apologetic smile, the girl pouted.

"Ugh… That face is really wasted on you. If only you socialize more, you can get a boyfriend in no time."

While the two girls talked, Ma Chong-Su watched them with a dreamy face.

"Haah… Today Min Eun is still pretty as always. Don't you think so, Sang-Min?"

"*nom* *nom* *nom* Hm? Id ya faim ome-ing?"

Kyun Sang-Min, his deskmate who was busy eating bread he just bought in the cafeteria, lifted his head in confusion.

"I'm talking about the goddess in our class, no, school, Min Eun! Min Eun!"

Ma Chong-Su spoke excitedly.

"You can see her beauty by looking at her glossy black hair and porcelain white skin! Yes, especially her skin! So far I have never seen a face and skin as spotless as hers! She is like a goddess who lives in a different realm! Comparing her with another girl in our class is like comparing a pearl and a rock!"

"Ip hat so? *nom* *nom* *nom*"

Chewing his food, Kyun Sang-Min asked with a lack of interest while some girls around them were looking at them with a murderous looks.

"Speaking of which, why do you buy so much bread when class is about to start?"

"A man needs to eat at least this much to get stronger."

"Tsk-tsk. This muscle-head. Oi Sung-Ho, try to say something."

Kim Sung-Ho's pen that was moving on his notebook stopped as he moved his gaze forward. The reflection on his glasses hid his eyes as he spoke in a monotone tone.

"Ma Chong-Su, you haven't paid the class cash money for three weeks straight. When will you pay it off?"

"Ungh! Please give me some slack. Actually, last week my bike was busted so I had to empty my pocket money. Also, I need to prepare a present for Min Eun."

"Pefen? *nom* *nom* Wap for?"

"Hehe, don't be too surprised, because I, Ma Chong-Su, have decided to use this summer vacation to confess my feelings to my goddess!"

Silent descended on the three men as the two exchanged glances.

Kyun Sang-Min hurriedly swallowed the food inside his mouth.

"*cough* *cough* Didn't he already confess to her at the start of the semester and got flat-out rejected?"

Kim Sung-Ho took his drinking bottle and gave it to him.

"Yes, and if we count the confession that will happen later, it will be his fourth rejection soon."

Kyun Sang-Min took a few gulps in relief.

"What a persistent guy."

"Oi! Why are you saying it like I'm going to be rejected again? This time will be different, you know!"

"How so?"

"Hehehe, just look at this."

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small book with the title [102 Tips To Confess Your Feelings To Someone You Loved] plastered in a flashy tone. As the two males cringed by its cover alone, Ma Chong-Su opened a page that he had already bookmarked.

"Here! Tips #43. It said that when you confess your feelings, it will be better if you do it on her special day. I have already done my investigation, and it turns out that her birthday falls on summer vacation. She must be lonely because she cannot celebrate her birthday in school with her friends, so if I congratulate her at her house she would be touched. At that time, if I confessed my feelings to her, she would accept it."

As Ma Chong-Su explained his grand plan, the two males looked at him like he was trash.

"So, basically you are using her weakness to win her heart? How scummy."

"Bro. Not manly, bro. A true man would never use a cowardly method like that to take someone's love."

"Besides, this is already beyond creepy."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear that from someone who has never picked up a girl before, and especially not from a gorilla like you!"

"G-Gorilla…?"

As Kyun Sang-Min seemed to take some emotional damage, the teacher arrived and started the class.

***

"Haah… I'm finally free!"

Kyun Sang-Min raised his fists and shouted as he walked home with Kim Sung-Ho beside him.

"No more tests! No more studying! No more annoying brutes picking fights with me again! It's all over now!"

"Until the end of the vacation, at least. We still have homework that needs to be finished too."

"Dammit! Don't remind me of it! At least let me enjoy my first day of freedom!"

He ruffled his hair in frustration.

"Haah… Why do the teachers have to give us so much homework? Did they want us to spend our summer vacation studying?"

"Don't complain too much. I will help you if you find any difficult questions."

"Oh, as expected from the first ranker in class! Thank you so much! You really are my best friend!"

Kyun Sang-Min put his arm around Kim Sung-Ho and ruffled his hair roughly.

"H-Hey! Put it off!"

"Hahahaha!"

As Kyun Sang-Min laughed, he suddenly stopped and sighed.

Sensing the shift of emotion, Kim Sung-Ho became confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just…"

Kyun Sang-Min released his arms and stared at the sky.

"Hey, do you think I'm like a gorilla?"

Facing the weird question, Kim Sung-Ho became perplexed.

Was he still bothered by what Ma Chong-Su said before?

Kim Sung-Ho knew what he meant was not physical. Although Kyun Sang-Min did join a lot of physical activities like judo, taekwondo, and other martial arts, his body posture was close to the average for a person with a height of 175 cm. Rather, he was more than happy if he could gain more muscle.

"I didn't put much thought into it before, but you seem to often get into trouble because of my recklessness. You know I'm not good at thinking. If I always think first before acting, things would have become too late, so I always made my way according to what my heart told me."

"..."

"So, uh… How should I say it…"

Scratching his neck, Kyun Sang-Min hung his head with a dark face.

"I'm sorry for always troubling you, like today, or many other times before too."

Kim Sung-Ho looked at his childhood friend with mixed emotions.

It was true that Kyun Sang-Min often got into trouble because of his hot-headed personality, and as his friend, Kim Sung-Ho often became involved. It has always been the case since they were kids.

"It's okay. It doesn't bother me that much. I was the one who made myself involved anyway."

If he really wanted to avoid any trouble, he should never befriend Kyun Sang-Min in the first place.

"Besides, you have always been the one who saved me, both then and now. I should do this much if I'm your friend."

Right. Kyun Sang-Min was always the one who reached his hand to him when he was in trouble. That time when he lost his family, he begged his parents to take him in. Whenever he was bullied because of his weak look, Kyun Sang-Min was always there to defend him. He did more than what a best friend could do.

"Sung-Ho…"

Tears began to form in his eyes before he tightly hugged his friend.

"Thank you! We will always be best friends forever!"

"Ouch-ouch-ouch! Stop hugging me so hard!"

The two friends continued their walk with a lot of noise.

***

Opening the front door of his house, what awaited Kim Sung-Ho was darkness. Turning on the light, a simply decorated living room greeted him.

Things inside the house had never changed since he left the house to live in Kyun Sang-Min's house, or when he came back here again 3 years ago. Still the same empty house with a lack of warmth.

He already forgot the face of his parents who died in a car accident when he was seven years old. If Kyun Sang-Min's family didn't take him in, he couldn't imagine how his life would become.

He was indebted to them, but their kindness was too burdensome to him. Even though they treat him like a real family, deep down he knows that he was an outsider. The thought of being a burden to them had weighed on his mind every day.

That was why as he was old enough to take care of himself, he came back to this empty house. Even though this place lacked warmth, he didn't need to feel bad to be a freeloader. He could still live on with his parents' inheritance.

He had received so much from them, especially from Kyun Sang-Min.

Taking off his uniform to the washer, he went to his room and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

A skinny teenager with an average look and short stature was staring back at him behind his glasses.

'Really different from Sang-Min.' He thought bitterly. 'If only I could have at least his intimidating look...'

Kyun Sang-Min had always been a pure and tough kid, whether it be back then or now. Even though he had a face and temperament like a delinquent, he had a very strong sense of justice. Kim Sung-Ho always admires him for being strong and kind.

That was why even though his parents were gone, he felt better thinking that he would be living together with his best friend.

But as they spent their time together, that kindness became poison to him.

He still vividly remembers the wound Kyun Sang-Min got when he tried to defend him from a neighbor's dog attack, or when he purposely took the blame for breaking his mother's favorite vase when they just started living together.

He had received so much from Kyun Sang-Min, but there was little he could do for him.

'If only I can be strong enough…'

Suddenly…

[You have been chosen by the Will of the World.]

[The synchronization will commence soon...]

"Huh?"

Blue panels were floating in front of him.

"Chosen? Synchronization? What is thi-"

Before he could process what happened…

[Synchronize start.]

Before he could scream, an unimaginable pain spread all over his body, cutting his train of thought. It felt like molten lava was pouring inside his body while his head was being pierced by long needles.

Could not keep his balance, he fell and writhed on the floor. Foam started to form on the side of his mouth as he couldn't control his saliva dripping. The vein on his body became visible as his eyes became white.

As he was in a lot of pain, a bar of synchronization in percent was in progress.

[Current synchronization: 0.12%...]

'It hurts…'

[Current synchronization: 5.43%...]

'It hurts...'

[Current synchronization: 12.79%...]

'H…Help me…'

He tried asking for help, but his mouth could not make a voice.

'Anyone…'

[Current synchronization: 15.84%...]

As it ignored his pain, the percentage continued.

'S-Sang… Min…"

[Current synchronization: 19.30%...]

'Help me… Kyun Sang-Min…'

[Current synchronization: 12.01%...]

'I beg you… Save me…'

[Current synchronization: 25.62%...]

'Something… Something is changing…'

[Current synchronization: 42.51%...]

'No… I don't want to…'

[Current synchronization: 60.11%...]

'Stop it…'

[Current synchronization: 78.23%...]

'Sang-Min… would not like it…'

[Current synchronization: 79.98%...]

'I SAID STOP IT!!!'

[Current synchroni-]

[Warning! Warning!]

[Due to the user's strong resistance, the process of synchronization will be temporarily paused!]

[Congratulations! The user Kim Sung-Ho has successfully become the Administrator of Earth.]

[Because of the incomplete synchronization, some features will not be available.]

As the message stopped, the pain that tormented him stopped.

Kim Sung-Ho sprawled on the floor with a lot of sweat on his body. He panted as he tried to fill his lungs with oxygen. He never felt as tired as he was now.

Before he could see the change in his body, he passed out.

***