Jinsoo didn't remember when he fell asleep.
One moment he was staring blankly at the ceiling from the couch, lost in thoughts about his suspension and the dumb, blue-boxed "system" that somehow barged into his life.
The next moment, the morning sun was stabbing through the blinds like it held a personal grudge.
His eyes twitched open.
His body felt heavy.
His brain felt heavier.
The apartment was quiet, the kind of quiet that reminded him he lived alone.
No footsteps, no irritating neighbors yelling down the hallway, not even a message on his half-broken phone.
Just the faint hum of the refrigerator, that lifeless companion of his.
"…Morning already?" Jinsoo muttered, rubbing his eyes.
He stood up, stretching until his joints cracked.
His body was still sore from the fight that got him suspended.
Honestly, he didn't regret the fight.
But the suspension… well, that was another problem.
He glanced toward the clock on the wall.
8:13 a.m.
If he wasn't suspended, he'd be getting yelled at by a teacher right about now.
Instead, he was just… here.
A familiar blue glow flickered in front of him.
[Good morning, dumbass.]
"…I just woke up," Jinsoo said. "Why are you already talking like you want to fight?"
[Because your track record indicates that you lack motivation unless insulted.]
"Wow. Amazing analysis, Sherlock."
He waved the window away, but more notifications blinked in rapid succession, like the System was spamming him out of spite.
[REMINDER: Active Quest: Form a Crew][Time Limit: 59 days, 23 hours, 17 minutes]
Then another box forcibly dragged itself open:
[Sub-Quest Unlocked: Recruit your first member.]
[Reward: 150 Points]
[Failure: -50 Reputation | Penalty Roll (Random)]
Jinsoo blinked. "…Penalty roll? What am I, gambling with my life now?"
[Yes.]
He froze. "…Excuse me?"
[Penalty rolls are a 1 out of 10 chance of receiving a severe setback.]
[Examples include: minor injury, inconvenient public humiliation, or getting chased by a stray dog.]
"That last one isn't severe."
[It depends what breed.]
Jinsoo groaned and covered his face with both hands.
He wasn't mentally prepared for this.
He wasn't physically prepared.
He wasn't prepared at all.
Still, 150 points for a single member… the reward wasn't bad.
He sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll go find someone. Someone dumb enough to follow me."
[Correction: someone useful.]
"Same thing."
Jinsoo stepped into his bathroom, splashed water on his face, threw on a hoodie and joggers. He wasn't exactly aiming to impress anyone today, he just needed to find a potential recruit.
Still, as he stared in the mirror, he couldn't help but smirk.
"…You know what? Maybe I do look a little like a leader," he muttered, adjusting his messy hair.
[Stop flirting with yourself. Pathetic.]
"Shut up."
He grabbed his phone and headed outside.
ON THE STREETS
The air was cold enough to bite.
Seoul on a weekday morning always had this strange combination of chaos and routine.
Students in uniforms rushing to class.
Office workers desperately chasing buses.
A couple of thugs loitering near the convenience store, looking for trouble or breakfast, whichever came first.
Jinsoo shoved his hands into his pockets.
Territory, gangs, crews… he wasn't unfamiliar with the landscape.
Near his school alone were at least four small-time delinquent groups, two mid-tier ones, and a whole network of wannabe tough guys playing gangster.
The more serious ones? They were deeper in the city, more structured, more violent.
And here he was, tasked with forming a crew of his own.
As if the universe wanted to laugh in his face.
He walked for a while with no clear destination, letting his mind wander.
Names, faces, possibilities, all of them floating around uselessly.
Who would actually follow a guy like him?
He wasn't Vasco, who attracted loyal idiots with pure charisma.
He was just Jinsoo.
A suspended kid with a system that verbally abused him.
And then,
A shout echoed across the street.
"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
Jinsoo stopped.
Down the alley to his left, three older delinquents cornered a boy who looked barely sixteen.
Thin, messy hair, secondhand uniform, the kind of kid who tried not to exist in a place like this.
He clutched his backpack to his chest as the tallest thug grabbed his collar.
"Didn't we tell you already? If you walk through here, you pay a toll."
"I.. I already told you, I don't have money…"
"Oh? Then why the hell are you dressed like a student? You think your education is free?"
The boy trembled.
Jinsoo felt the System buzzing even before the blue box appeared.
[Opportunity Detected: Potential Crew Member in Distress.]
[Recommended Action: Intervention.]
Jinsoo narrowed his eyes.
"…So that's how it's gonna be, huh?"
[Yes. Stop being scared.]
"I'm not scared."
[Then why are your hands sweating?]
"…Shut up."
He exhaled slowly.He didn't know who the kid was.He didn't care who the thugs were.But the System wanted him to intervene.And honestly… so did he.
He walked toward the alley.
The tallest thug noticed him first.
"Oh? We've got an audience."
Another one turned. "The hell are you looking at? Got a problem?"
Jinsoo didn't answer. He simply approached, calm steps echoing off the walls.
The third thug stepped forward like a guard dog. "Oi. Beat it."
The boy on the ground looked up, eyes wide with desperation. "P-please… just go… they'll hurt you too…"
Jinsoo cracked his neck.
"Don't worry," he said casually. "I'll hurt them back."
The tallest thug snorted. "You've got a big mouth for someone walking in alone."
Jinsoo smirked. "Yeah? Lucky for you I'm in a good mood."
The thug lunged first.
Jinsoo moved without thinking, his reflexes sharper than he remembered.
His body twisted, his fist snapping upward into the thug's jaw.
CRACK.
The guy dropped instantly.
The other two froze.
"Wha... the hell?!"
One rushed him with a wild swing.
Jinsoo ducked, grabbed the guy's jacket, and slammed him into the wall.
The third attempted a cheap shot from behind, Jinsoo kicked backward without even looking, the heel of his foot connecting with a stomach.
They fell like dominos.
The entire fight lasted less than ten seconds.
Jinsoo stood over them, barely winded.
"…Damn," he muttered. "I'm kinda cracked."
The System pinged in satisfaction.
[Combat Evaluation: B+]
[Not terrible. Still sloppy. You tripped over your own foot once.]
"That was a strategic repositioning."
[It was clumsy.]
Jinsoo ignored it.
The boy stared up at him as if he were some kind of comic book protagonist.
"H-how… how did you…?"
Jinsoo held out a hand. "You alright?"
The boy hesitated, then took it. Jinsoo pulled him to his feet.
"I… thank you," he said, bowing his head repeatedly. "I thought... I thought I was done for…"
"No problem," Jinsoo replied. "Just don't walk through alleys alone."
The boy looked nervous, glancing at the unconscious thugs. "Why did you… help me?"
Jinsoo shrugged. "Felt like it."
But the System had another idea.
A blue box blinked aggressively.
[Target Detected: High Potential]
[Possible Crew Role: Analyst | Strategist | Support]
[Would you like to attempt recruitment?]
Jinsoo's brows raised.
He eyed the boy again.
Skinny. Slash of bruises on his cheek.
Old backpack, cheap shoes, shaking hands.
Someone who looked more like a victim than a fighter.
But his eyes…His eyes were sharp.Too sharp for someone this shy.
Jinsoo smirked slightly.
"What's your name?" he asked.
The boy flinched at the attention but answered quietly.
"…Hajun. Kang Hajun."
Jinsoo nodded.
"Well, Hajun," he said, stuffing his hands back in his pockets, "how do you feel about joining me?"
Hajun blinked. "J… joining… you?"
Jinsoo smiled.
"A crew."
Silence hung in the alley.
Then
[Recruitment Initiated.]
Hajun stared at him, speechless. Confused. Maybe terrified.
But the chapter ends before he gives his answer.
Because building tension is key.
---------------------------------------------------
A/N: Completely forgot about this, last time I wrote this was like a year ago so I'm just clinging on my memories to remember what had happened the last chapter or the fanfic itself to create this masterpiece of a chapter (yes, don't have to praise me for it though) I might retcon some things but that's whatever.