episode_0003

Episode 3: 2nd Round Special Perk Shop

“To think I’d attend middle school twice in my life.”

A middle school building I haven’t seen in a very long time. Seeing it immediately brings back various memories. Yeah, I was always shaken down right here in this spot. On that field over there, I was always forced to be the goalkeeper. I got injured so often that the nurse would always ask why I fell so much. And over there was…

No, why are all these memories just shitty ones? Should I even call these memories? Isn’t it just PTSD?

“But it’s different now.”

The reason I was bullied was simple. Because I was easy to pick on. There’s no reason for bullying beyond that.

*Ding!*

[Sub Quest: Attend the Entrance Ceremony] [Content: Walk confidently into the classroom] [Reward: Life Point 1p]

So, I change my posture first. Even though I’m ugly, something even the status window with only 3 Charm acknowledges. This is where it starts.

“Phew.”

With a deep breath, I straighten my back. One step, two steps. Not too fast, not too slow. I stride confidently and pass through the school gate.

And then, I arrive at the classroom somehow.

*Drrrk.*

As the classroom front door suddenly opens, a few people momentarily turn their heads this way.

“……” “……” “……”

In the past, I would have felt awkward under those gazes and pretended not to see them. But I don’t do that anymore. I don’t ignore them glaring at me either. But there’s no need to stubbornly retort either. As they scan me, I scan them back. Recalling memories from the 1st round. It’s completely the same as that class back then. That one is that guy, and that one is that guy. Guys I know well. Guys I vaguely remember. Even kids I forgot or have never seen before. Passing through them like flowing water. I sit down in my favorite spot.

“As expected, this is the sweet spot.”

The very back seat, right next to the back door. It’s easy to go to the bathroom during break time. You can observe the entire class from behind. Plus, the air conditioning is just right, not too cold. And that nostalgic ceiling fan is cool and nice, the best of the best seats.

*Thump.*

I sat down. The gazes that were directed at me had already moved elsewhere. There were no incidents of someone suddenly picking a fight on the first day. From the start, for boys, the first three days of the entrance ceremony are a time of exploration. I don’t know about girls, but boys use this 3-day period to judge the pecking order in their own way and prepare to act. Someone who seems similar to them becomes a friend. Someone who seems weaker than them becomes someone they can treat however they want. And if someone seems like a popular kid, suddenly becoming unnecessarily polite is the rule of K-school life. For reference, if you judge the pecking order wrongly here, you’re in big trouble. I know this very well because I was the one who did exactly that.

“……He’s over there.”

That weird guy sitting there, pretending to be strong, Lee Ho-kwon. Even now, 20 years later, I remember his name; that guy was the main culprit who ruined my middle school life. I met such an enemy again, more than 10 years later.

“Honestly, I was really pathetic, me.”

Why the heck was I scared? Looking at them now, they all just look like little kids. I ruined my vibrant first year of middle school just because of a brat like that?

Just then.

“……”

My eyes met Lee Ho-kwon’s. But this time, I don’t avoid his gaze. On the contrary, as I kept staring. He was the first to turn his head with an awkward expression. Even so, he doesn’t have the guts to cause trouble from the start. Because the conditions for him to bully me aren’t ready yet. Kids, especially middle school kids, are so cunning. Perhaps kids, and middle schoolers, are even more so than adults.

[Sub Quest 『Attend the Entrance Ceremony』 completed.] [Acquired 1p Life Point.]

“Oh.”

[Life Points: 1p → 2p]

Just like in a game, a reward was given upon completing the quest.

*Ding!*

And that immediately led to another quest.

[Sub Quest: The First Step to Being an Insider, Self-Introduction] [Content: Successfully complete your self-introduction.] [Reward: Life Point 1p]

Just as any game gives away generously at the beginning. This 2nd life game seems to be planning to shower me with points as well.

“Okay. With this, I can buy it soon.”

『That Item』, which I saw in the special perk shop and which will change my 2nd life successfully. But it was a bit expensive, so I had to gather more points, and that’s why I came to school. Along with the status window, I also turned off the 신경 (attention/focus) I had on Lee Ho-kwon. I make a resolution.

“Right, being an insider. I can just become one, what’s the big deal?”

* * *

The self-introduction went off without a hitch.

[Sub Quest 『The First Step to Being an Insider, Self-Introduction』 completed.] [Acquired 1p Life Point.]

From the start, even if I lived my school days as a loner. I’m someone who worked in society for almost 20 years. Honestly, it was tougher when I was a professor. Flattering the officials who held the purse strings, acting like the youngest among rotten old professors. In that sense. Giving a self-introduction in front of just 40 little kids watching was truly nothing.

“The important thing is from now on.”

School ended early in the morning because it was the entrance ceremony. As soon as I arrived at my room, I immediately opened the status window.

[2nd Round Special Perk Shop] [Life Points: 3p]

The 3p Life Points I gathered today.

“With this, I can buy it right away.”

[Potion of Stamina Increase 1ea: 1p] [Potion of Intelligence Increase 1ea: 1p] [Potion of Charm Increase 1ea: 1p] . . .

I scrolled down the shop window. Then I could find the item I had originally aimed for again.

[2nd Round Special Perk Stat Potion 1ea: 3p] [Effect: Increases a desired stat by 5.] [※Limited to 1 use]

Whereas a regular potion gives 1 stat per 1p. This is a limited item that can raise a desired stat by 5 for 3p. It was like an early-game limited item that would likely exist in any game.

[Purchased 1 『2nd Round Special Perk Stat Potion』.] [Life Points: 3p → 0p]

I bought it right away without hesitation.

“Okay, then which stat should I raise now?”

Intelligence? Anyway, I have knowledge and experience that will overwhelm everyone else’s intelligence. Then Charm? Being able to escape from being ugly is really good. But it’s not urgent yet.

“I need to build up my body first.”

I will raise Stamina with this. “I’m a juvenile delinquent, aren’t I? Then my fist is the law.”

I decided that and was about to use it right away.

“Ah. I need to test that.”

If there’s a status window, and thus this 2nd life is truly like a game. 『That Trope』, common in game fantasy, will surely work.

“Mom, I’m going to run around the neighborhood.”

Game fantasy specialty. If you do stat-related actions, stats increase. What trope is more obvious than this? If you watch game fantasy, it comes up everywhere, all the time.

“Most of the time, the standard is how difficult it was, so it’s better to test with low Stamina.”

Usually, in game fantasy, stats also rose better when the stat was low. Of course, whether the status window will reflect that is something I’ll only know by trying. If it works, it’s a huge gain. If not, well, let’s just think I ran and felt good.

“Wow. It’s really the same as 20 years ago.”

I had forgotten about it for nearly 20 years. And when I came later, it had all turned into development, so I thought I’d never see it again. The scenery of Hwajeong-dong, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 20 years ago. Even though my first year of middle school was a memory I didn’t want to remember. It was a place that was very enjoyable at least until I was an elementary student.

“Hook, hook.”

As I run, I look around constantly. Kids riding kickboards pass by quickly, giggling. Brings back memories. If you go there later, they all turn into electric scooters. But the old kickboard you push with your own feet was truly funner than the electric one.

“Wow, that playground too.”

Haetbit Village Complex 21 playground. When I was an elementary student, I kept digging there, trying to dig to the bottom. That’s when I first confirmed with my own eyes that there was cement under the sand there. Also the stationery store that’s with the snack shop over there. Cup tteokbokki is 500 won and tteokbokki skewers are 200 won? How much have prices gone up, anyway? What those kids are eating is definitely beer candy and candy that turns your tongue blue.

“Shall I go towards the school?”

Passing Haetbit Village Complex 21 like that, I ran towards my alma mater. Shinseong Elementary School.

『If you attend church now↓↓↓』 『Culture Gift Certificate 5,000 won!』 『Realm of the Wind 1 Million Jeon!』 『Maple Syrup Story Gold Bipyochang & Icicle! 5 Million Meso!』

“Wow, crazy. Right, there were things like that when I was young.”

It really brings back memories. That thing where they gave you game items if you went to church. As a variation, they’d also try to lure you by saying they’d give you tteokbokki if you came to church. Both back then and looking at it now. It’s so funny but also really heartwarming.

“There’s also the grandfather selling chicks next door, along with cotton candy… Oh!”

I stopped running for a moment. As expected, with only 5 Stamina, I was already out of breath and tired.

“Wow, the smell.”

But it was a smell so sweet that I quickly forgot the tiredness. Melt sugar and add soda, and it puffs up quickly. And after pressing it flat with a round iron plate, there are star shapes, heart shapes, human shapes. Dalgona challenge was right before my eyes.

“Grandfather. I’ll do one of these.”

The grandfather just nodded his head silently and gave me a star-shaped dalgona along with a needle. Honestly, I prefer scooping up the puffed-up part as is, putting it on paper and eating it with chopsticks before it hardens. But since things turned out this way, I should just enjoy it. How long has it been since I last did the dalgona challenge?

“Um, Grandfather. The point is slightly curved?” “If you break it, it’s 500 won.”

The moment I heard the grandfather say that, I realized.

“Ah.”

I don’t have any money. From the start, the grandfather didn’t even ask for money first. What if kids just eat it and run away? Is this because it was the last era where warmth (Jeong) and romance still remained? But he wouldn’t do it for free, would he? Even though I’m a kid, I’m a middle schooler.

“Hmm.”

What should I do? Should I just honestly say I don’t have money and will bring it from home? That’s kind of embarrassing in its own way… Ah. There was that.

*Tuk.*

I dropped the needle given for scraping the dalgona without hesitation.

“Keul keul.”

The grandfather chuckled annoyingly at my appearance and prepared to receive the money. But Grandpa. That laugh is only for now.

“Phew.”

I recalled a drama that was extremely popular before the regression.

*Lick! Lick! Lick!*

I started licking the star-shaped dalgona like crazy.

“Th-this kid…?!”

Melting was surprisingly instantaneous. Just like a scene from that drama I watched before the regression. Truly, only the star part popped out cleanly.

“Wow, this really works?”

I thought it would, but I had never actually done it. Even though it was obvious, it was still amazing.

Anyway. Normally, if you succeed like this, the unwritten rule is to try one more round. But I don’t have money right now.

“Grandfather, is it free now with this?” “Y-you…! You little rascal, that’s cheating!”

* * *

After the fun incident with the dalgona grandfather ended.

“It’s sweet and delicious eating it after such a long time.”

In the end, I was scolded a bit, but he just gave it to me for free. Indeed, is this because it was the last era where romance and warmth still remained?

[Had a pleasant conversation with an unknown stranger.] [『Insider Stat』 increases by 1.] [Insider Stat: 0 → 1]

Having an incident with an unknown grandfather must have been judged as insider-like behavior. Although it’s only a value of 1, it can be said to be a valuable gain.

[Spent the entire day actively outside.] [『Outsider Stat』 decreases by 1.] [Outsider Stat: 88 → 87]

Similarly, Outsider Stat also decreased by 1 along with it.

“Okay. I’ve roughly got the hang of the system.”

Thanks to that, I became even more convinced. So I kept running more. Memories from 20 years ago that I look back on while running. Losing track of time like that. By the time the sky was gradually turning orange as the sun was setting.

[Conquered the neighborhood loop.]

It was time to go in for dinner that I could finally see the status window I wanted.

[『Stamina』 increases by 1.]

The effect of Stamina increasing by 1 was immediately felt.

“Oh, the breathlessness is much better.”

Even though I had been running continuously until just now and should have reached my limit. The breathlessness disappeared in an instant, and my chest felt much more at ease.

[Stamina: 5 → 6]

The difference between 5 and 6 is a 20% difference in terms of percentage. Of course, it’s still far behind the average. But now is the real beginning.

“Phew, shall I run home too?”

First, I’ll build up my body without using the special perk potion. That way, I’ll raise Stamina as much as possible purely through exercise without using points. There’s no time.

“I hope the day I can use the special perk potion comes quickly.”

Because that day will come soon.

* * *

That day came quickly. Some time passed after the entrance ceremony. On the following Monday. That guy came to me and demanded out of the blue.

“Hey, you stared at me before, didn’t you?”

“……”

Finally, it’s time to use the long-awaited and desired special perk potion.