Chapter 5 – First day first fight

Raizen Nocturne — now Kang Minjae — stood at the school gates, watching students in neat uniforms walk past him, chatting and laughing like any ordinary morning.

Raizen (thinking):

So this is the school of the old me...

Raizen (thinking):

"This school smells the same as my old world's. Chalk, floor cleaner, and teenage hormones. Guess some things don't change across universes."

He took a breath and stepped forward.

> [SYSTEM]: Quest Complete: Go to school

Reward: +0.1 Points, +EXP

Raizen (glancing at the screen):

"Tch… got EXP, but I'm still stuck at [Normal Human – Mid]. So slow."

He looked up at the familiar gray building and memories of the old body's owner surfaced — brief flashes of navigating the crowded staircases, getting shoved around by other students, and being ignored by teachers.

Raizen (thinking):

Third floor. Third-year high school, Class 2. That's where my new hellhole begins.

The hallway was quiet — too early for the full crowd. Fluorescent lights buzzed above as he climbed the stairs, his footsteps echoing.

He reached the classroom door and stepped in.

Inside, only a few students had arrived. The desks were arranged in neat rows, light pouring in through the large windows. Dust floated in the early morning sunlight, and the faint scent of floor cleaner still lingered.

The white walls were plastered with posters of historical figures, cheesy motivational quotes, and last month's test results. Raizen's eyes lingered for a second. This felt... ordinary. Comforting, in a strange way.

Near the front, a girl sat reading from a thick workbook, completely absorbed.

Raizen (thinking):

Seo Yuna. The class topper. The original Minjae's memory says she's a perfectionist. Not interested in gossip or fights.

At the back of the class, in the far corner, a tall boy had his head down on the desk, already asleep.

Raizen (thinking):

Lee Taeyang. Athletic. Trains in karate. Doesn't talk much, but he's strong.

He glanced around. Two unfamiliar faces were whispering by the window.

Raizen (thinking):

I've got no memory of those guys. Must not have interacted much.

Then his eyes fell on the seat by the window — his seat.

Someone else was sitting there.

Raizen's gaze sharpened.

Three students had claimed the back row near the window — one lounging in his seat with legs kicked up, the other two laughing like hyenas.

Raizen (thinking, eyes narrowing):

Jang Daeho… and his goons — Kim Seoktae and Lee Jinho. These are the punks who beat this body senseless yesterday. So they're here again, acting like kings.

Excitement bubbled up.

Raizen (grinning slightly):

Should I beat them to a pulp? Hmm… no, calm down. Let's play this smart.

He quietly took out his phone and tapped the voice recorder.

Raizen (thinking):

Sometimes, you gotta use your brain.

Jang Daeho (laughing lazily):

"Yo, loser. You bring the money?"

Raizen opened his system panel and activated the Justice skill. Above the three bullies' heads, red marks appeared — a sign of malicious intent.

Raizen (smirking inwardly):

It worked.

He stepped forward, still calm.

Raizen:

"No. I didn't bring any money."

> [SYSTEM]: New Quest Activated: Defeat the Three Bullies

Reward: +Large EXP, +4 Points

Lee Jinho (mocking):

"What? Did you hit your head yesterday, loser?"

Seo Yuna, the class topper, didn't even look up from her book. She got up and walked to the back where Lee Taeyang was still dozing. Neither seemed interested in the unfolding scene.

Kim Seoktae (snorting):

"You want more beating? Forgot how you begged us last time?"

Raizen didn't respond. More students started trickling in. The classroom filled quickly.

Jang Daeho (grinning):

"Get the money ready before lunch, or don't bother coming back to school in one piece."

He turned to his cronies.

"Let's go. Teacher'll be here soon."

As they left, Raizen tapped the system screen.

Raizen (thinking):

Status check — let's see how strong these clowns really are.

> [STATUS SCAN]: Kim Seoktae – [Normal Human – Low]

Lee Jinho – [Normal Human – Low]

Jang Daeho – [Normal Human – Mid]

Raizen (frowning):

"So Daeho's the same level as me… but the other two are trash."

He paused.

"…Oh, crap. Forgot to turn off the recording."

He stopped the recorder just as the bell rang.

DING DONG

The classroom buzzed with activity as the teacher entered.

Raizen (thinking):

First period… Korean language. Let's get this over with.

As the lecture began, Raizen leaned back, letting his thoughts drift. Thanks to the body's memories, he understood Korean perfectly — even the tricky grammar points.

He discreetly opened the system shop and filtered by his current balance.

Raizen:

"…I can't buy anything with just 0.1 points."

He noticed a filter option in the corner and tapped it.

Raizen (chuckling):

"Heh, just like online shopping apps…"

Filtered to "0.1 points max," a list appeared:

10g Gold

Fried Chicken (half box)

Tomato

Potato

20g Silver

1kg Stone

Stone Sword

Bamboo stick

Stone Axe

…and several more strange but oddly specific items.

Raizen:

What Tomato, stone axe, fired chicken, 1 kg stone, potato, Bamboo stick.....

Raizen:

"Only the gold looks useful right now."

As the teacher droned on, he activated the Status Sense again, checking his classmates one by one.

Raizen (thinking):

Everyone's around [Normal Human – Low]. Except for Lee Taeyang… that guy's [Normal Human – High]. So he's stronger than me… and all three bullies combined.

The class ended without issue. No one talked to him. No one even glanced his way.

12:00 PM – Lunch Break

Raizen stood up, brushing dust off his pants.

His fingers flexed.

Raizen Nocturne (Kang Minjae):

"Time to settle things with the bullies."

The bullies came exactly when lunch break started.

Raizen Nocturne (thinking):

"Were they waiting outside or something?"

Jang Daeho stepped forward.

Jang Daeho:

"Did you bring the money?"