Chapter 3: friendship

I was in the midst of an intense workout, doing planks with the side of my hands on the hard hot concrete with a bag of bricks weighing me down. My hands were bleeding, my shirt was drenched in sweat, and my dreadlocks obscured my vision. Frustration bubbled up inside me as I shouted, "Dang it! Are you kidding me? I've been busting my behind for nearly a month!"

Current stats: Dongyu Han

Strength: A

Speed: S

Potential: IMMEASURABLE!!!

Intelligence: A

Endurance: A

Jichang casually took a drag from his cigarette, his eyes scanning a magazine. "You were the one who came crawling back to me, begging for training because you were too scared to face a new school as a weakling," he retorted. "I'd say I did a good job. But seriously, what's with the hair?"

My anger flared, and I shot back, "It's a common hairstyle for people like me, you snake-eyed bastard!" I grumbled, still holding the plank. As I glanced at my toned arms, a wicked idea crossed my mind. "I did get stronger. Maybe I'll steal his wallet and give him a beating before I start school next week."

Lost in my thoughts, I stumbled, and Jichang swiftly placed his foot on the bricks. "Ouch!" I exclaimed. "It feels like you're talking about me."

Removing his foot, Jichang spoke with a hint of amusement, "So, what's your grand plan for going to Seoul? Are you aiming to become the king or something?" I groaned, pushing myself up despite my bleeding hands and the bricks still tied to my back.

"I have no clue why I have to go, but I know there's something valuable at stake," I replied, catching my breath. Jichang smirked and patted me on the head. "Dongyu, it's way too early in the novel for you to be this likable and strong."

As the bricks remained stubbornly fastened to my back, I mustered my strength to retort, "Yeah, I suppose it does go against the rules, I hope nobody gives the author hate about it. Anyways..." My gaze shifted to the quest window, only to find it disappointingly empty. I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and curiosity.

Jichang's voice cut through the air, his cigarette dangling from his lips. "I did mention the pre-generation and the first generation, didn't I? Well, as my student, I need you to do something." I shook my head, wiping the blood off my hands. "I'm busy," I replied, hoping to escape his demands.

Yet, he persisted, exhaling a long sigh that conveyed his indifference to my protests. "Try to make a name for yourself in Seoul, alright? Who knows, you might even become strong enough to beat me." With those words, he turned and made his way to the police station, leaving me to contemplate his cryptic instructions.

**MOVING DAY**

After a tiring one-hour drive to Seoul, my mom and I finally arrived at our apartment in Gangnam. We unloaded the boxes and I placed them carefully in the living room. Collapsing onto the floor, I let out a sigh of exhaustion. "Ahh, I'm completely drained."

My mom, a beautiful ebony woman with curly braids, had a short but curvy figure. She let out a sigh of exhaustion, mirroring my sentiments. "You said it, driving is tiring," she remarked. I couldn't help but respond with a touch of sarcasm, "Yeah, driving is way harder than carrying nine heavy boxes up three flights of stairs."

In an instant, my mom plucked me on the ear. Pain shot through me, causing me to wince and instinctively cover my ear. "ACK," I exclaimed, feeling the sting.

Nighttime arrived and after setting up my futon my mom came out of the bedroom, wearing comfortable pajamas. Her braids cascaded down her shoulders, framing her face with a touch of elegance. She carried a tray with two steaming cups of tea, the comforting aroma filling the air.

"Here," she said, her voice filled with compassion as she handed me one of the cups. "You've been through a lot today. A warm cup of tea will help you relax." I accepted the cup gratefully, the soothing aroma wafting into my senses as the warmth seeped through my hands.

But as I took a sip, a thought struck me. "Wait, this is my favorite tea!" I exclaimed, suspicion tugging at my mind. "You want something from me, don't you?"

My mom's face softened, and she reached into her pocket, pulling out a couple of dollars. "Pleaseeee," she pleaded, her tone a mix of desperation and persuasion. "Get some cigarettes for me. You can get whatever you want with the rest." Her eyes met mine, filled with a longing that I couldn't ignore.

Reluctantly, I agreed, understanding that sometimes we all have our vices and ways of coping. I walked out the door, the cool evening air brushing against my face as I made my way to the nearby convenience store. The neon lights flickered, casting an ethereal glow on the streets as I stepped inside.

The shelves were lined with an array of items, the smell of snacks and familiar scents filling the air. I navigated through the aisles, searching for the cigarettes my mom had requested. As I reached for the pack, I couldn't help but feel a mix of conflicting emotions.

With the cigarettes in hand, I approached the counter and saw a familiar face. "Pikachu?" I said curiously as I saw Daniel Park who jumped as I said that. "I'm sorry do I know you?" He asked with confusion, so I lifted my dreadlocks and he was able to recognize me. "Oh wow, Greninja." Those were the nicknames Logan gave us when we were bullied but we were friends.

"You look so slimmer now." I began touching the fat on his face. "You're still fat but your face looks so much better. How did that happen?" He chuckled as his face was being smushed around by my hands. "Y-Yeah haha, my friend helped me workout and stuff ya know? But what about you? You're so toned now." He said and chuckled as I replied. "Yep I found an awesome guy with an incredible jawline who taught me haha. I could even take Logan now." I threw feints at Daniel and we had a laugh until a knee was send at me causing me to reactively raise my chopping hand and block it. I felt the pain and I knew this man was strong. "Little Daniel, is this guy bullying you?" Vasco said that while removing his jacket. "N-NO VASCO HE WAS JUST-" I cut him off and tied my hair back. "You're calling him little? You're despicable!" We had a standoff.

[System] (quest starting…)

[System] (befriend Vasco)

[System] (Reward: none)

"Befriend him? Nah, I'll just hurt him." 15 minutes of fighting and it was an evenly matched fight, kicks, punches, blocks all perfectly executed even though we both held back. "I-I wanna stop it but I'm afraid I might die." Daniel said to himself while shaking."He managed to block my knife hand huh?" I said in heavy breaths. "You say that as if you're holding back or something. I guess I should stop and go all out." He said putting on a golden Mongkol. "I've been waiting to use this since fighting snake eyes." I got into the same pose as Jichang.

[System] (Diamond card: Copy; You can copy anyone's fighting style)

The two of us ran at each other with strikes but we were suddenly stopped by a taller and slimmer boy but I can tell he was incredibly strong. "Big Daniel? When did you get here?" Vasco said as he stopped trying to attack. "LITTLE DANIEL HAS PASSED OUT!" I yelled out while shaking his body. "DON'T DO THAT YOU'LL WAKE ME-I MEAN HIM UP!" Big Daniel yelled.

**A couple minutes later**

"Ohh so you and Daniel live together? And you and Tabasco go to Jae-Wan high? What a coincidence I'm starting there tomorrow." I explained while rubbing the back of my head.

"It's Vasco." Vasco replied as Big Daniel began talking. "Well at least you now have two friends."

[System] (Quest complete)