Seiran's first day dawned crisp. Jiwon blended into the student crowd, Aura Suppression active, Enhanced Senses scanning for threats.
The campus gleamed—modern buildings, cherry blossom paths, elite students buzzing.
His instincts clocked subtle energy hums: three upperclassmen, mid-tier Awakened, their auras faint but distinct.
'Only a few, but trouble if they sniff me out.' He tightened Aura Suppression.
'Stay low, stay sharp.'
Weeks into school, Jiwon's routine solidified—classes, study, nightly ravine training.
Then, in a crowded hallway, a familiar face stopped him cold: Aiko Shima, older, healthier, her wind aura stronger but controlled. An upperclassman, 16 now, her sharp eyes locked onto him.
'Crap!' Jiwon ducked, and tried to act like he didn't see her.
"Hiro?!" she called, weaving through students. Her smile was bright, unguarded—happy to see her savior.
Jiwon's mind raced. 'She can't blow my cover!'
He pulled her into a quiet stairwell, Aura Suppression shielding them (MP 960/1000).
"Aiko, you can't tell anyone I'm here—or about Hashima," Jiwon said, voice low, Hiro act dropped.
"Not my powers, not the fight, nothing. Promise." Aiko's eyes widened, then softened, nodding.
"Wow! Not even a hello? Hehe, but okay. I promise, Hiro. I do owe you my life." Her gratitude hit like Hashima's, stirring his past—blood, kills—but he pushed it in the back of his head.
"Sigh, so you study here too huh? Fate really is funny sometimes." Jiwon released his grasp from her but still didn't take down his Aura Suppression.
"Yeh! After you saved us, Yuki rushed me in Osaka's Hikari Organization, a major Awakened group, for treatment." Aiko hesitated, then spilled her story, voice trembling. "My....injuries—rope burns, weakened aura—needed advanced healers."
"But Hikari's database flagged Yuki as a fugitive: a notorious assassin, cold-hearted, tied to rogue gangs. But-" Aiko continued with a grim look plastered on her face.
"It's not true! Yuki was forced—our old gang used me as leverage to control her. She killed to protect me."
"Hikari detained Yuki, treating me at their medical center. When I woke up, healed and learning about what happened to my sister, I-I couldn't help but feel despair, weak! It's my fault she's locked up" Aiko whispered, eyes filled with sharp determination.
"Hikari saw my wind potential and offered me a spot in their organization. I was hesitant at first, but after consulting to Yuki, she urged me to join. Yuki said Hikari can protect me from the gang, even if she's detained. She wants me safe." Aiko finished her story with her fixing her hair to the back of her ear.
Jiwon's brain processed the mess.
'Yuki's an assassin? Forced or not, that's heavy.'
Hikari's involvement meant oversight—Awakened politics, like Eleceed's organizations.
'Aiko's here, so Hikari's got reach in Kyoto.'
He glanced at her, Enhanced Senses catching her steady heartbeat and strong wind aura.
'you became stronger too huh?'
"You're safe here?" he asked. Aiko nodded, wind aura flickering. "Hikari monitors me, but Seiran's neutral ground. I'm training to get stronger… for Yuki."
Jiwon plastered a sincere smile knowing how Aiko is safe "Good seeing you, Aiko. Stay quiet, yeah?"
She smiled, promising again, "See you around Hiro! Come to me if you need anything!" Shouted Aiko as they parted which made several students look their way.
Jiwon sighed, Aiko's shout still echoing in the hallway, drawing curious glances from passing students.
'That girl's gonna be trouble' he thought.
'Welp, Im just glad she's safe now'
He tightened his Aura Suppression, Enhanced Senses catching no Awakened nearby, and quietly slipped into his class.
=============================
The next few days, Aiko was everywhere. Her calm, cool presence—like a breeze rustling cherry blossoms—turned heads at Seiran.
With her sleek hair tucked behind an ear, sharp eyes softened by a serene smile, and that subtle wind aura, she was a heartthrob, students whispering her name in awe.
She'd glide past Jiwon's classroom, offering, "Hiro, let me show you the library!" or "The cafeteria's got great udon—come on!" Her voice was steady, never pushy, but persistent, her cool demeanor disarming.
Jiwon hesitated, he's wary of exposure.
'She knows too much already.' But Aiko's intel—Hikari's reach, other organizations' sponsored students—tempted him. 'Knowledge is power.'
"Fine," he caved one lunch break, joining her at a quiet courtyard table. Aiko's smile was subtle, like a breeze settling.
"Took you long enough," she teased, voice cool as she shared Seiran's undercurrents:
Hikari sponsored 3 upperclassmen an earth and telepathy Awakened and her, a Wind user, while the rival Kage Syndicate backed a telekinetic awakened.
"They don't mix, but they watch each other," she said, wind aura flickering.
"Seiran's neutral, but organizations play chess here." Jiwon nodded, his brain filing it away. 'Hikari, Kage—big players. Gotta stay off their boards.'
Kyoto's chaos hit harder than Nagasaki's quiet shores.
The SYSTEM flooded Jiwon with missions, their volume shocking:
"STOP ROOFTOP BLACKMAIL RING. REWARD: DEX +0.5, MARKET POINTS +15"
"NEUTRALIZE ROGUE TELEKINETIC IN GION. REWARD: ATK +0.5, EXTRA STAT POINT +1"
"DISRUPT SMUGGLING AT KYOTO STATION. REWARD: INT +0.5, MARKET POINTS +20"
'City life's a mess' he thought, Level 16 strained by the pace.
Every night, he hit the Mount Daimonji ravine, Super Speed blurring to mission sites, Electric Control frying rogues with precise arcs, Energy Shield deflecting stray attacks. Healing Control patched bruises, Animal Synergy using strays to scout.
Market points rose to 125, Extra Points to 49.
His vigilante streak didn't go unnoticed. Hikari, Kage, and smaller groups like the Tsubasa Clan caught wind of a mysterious Awakened crushing rogues citywide
Reports described lightning-fast strikes, electric arcs, no trace left—Jiwon's Aura Suppression and Enhanced Senses kept him a ghost.
Organizations speculated: a lone wolf? A rival's enforcer? Jiwon smirked, listening to Aiko's stories about rumors she's been hearing at their organization.
'They've got nothing.' But the attention raised stakes. 'One slip, and I'm on their radar.'
Aiko, at first, wasn't fazed. "Some hero's cleaning up Kyoto," she said casually over lunch, her cool breeze aura brushing past.
"Good for them." Jiwon played dumb, Hiro's grin tight. 'She's sharp, but clueless.'
But his late-night absences, faint bruises (Healing Control not always instant), and evasive answers piled up.
One evening, after Jiwon dodged her invite to a school festival, Aiko cornered him near the ravine's edge, her wind aura flaring softly.
"It's you, isn't it, Hiro?" she said, voice calm but piercing, eyes steady like a clear sky.
"The rogue-hunter. I've heard from my sister how you saved us, speed that even awakened eyes couldn't follow, sparks of electricity that leaves opponent at your mercy. You're too good at hiding."
Jiwon froze, mind's racing. 'She's got me...'
"Aiko, you can't tell any-" Jiwon said with a low voice but suddenly got interrupted by Aiko.
"Hehe, Yeh, yeh, I know, I won't tell anyone" Aiko smiled, nearly bursting into laughter. "You know you're always asking me to keep your secrets, right? How many times have you asked? I can't even count." She added in a teasing tone.
"Dont worry, Hiro! I just wanted to ask you if you were alright." Her smile showing a hint of concern.
She tilted her head, breeze-like. "You're crazy, knowing how dangerous the world is, but… it's kinda cool. Helping people, like you helped me."
Aiko's smile was cool, almost amused, her wind aura settling. "That's why you're my Hero(Hiro)!"
'My....Hero?' Jiwon suddenly got embarrassed and tried to play it cool, turning his face around to not show his burning face to Aiko.
"Stay out of it, Aiko," he warned, Super Speed in check, ready to bolt.
She laughed softly, a sound like wind chimes. "I'm not that reckless. Just… be careful, yeah?"
'She's too nice for her own good.'
They parted, Aiko's cool presence fading into Seiran's dusk.
========================
Several Months Later
Months rolled by, Kyoto's seasons shifting from summer's heat to winter's chill, now easing into spring's bloom.
Jiwon's routine hardened: Seiran student by day, Hiro Yamamoto's grin fooling all.
By night, the SYSTEM's missions piled up—
"STOP ARASHIYAMA HEIST. REWARD: DEX +0.5, MARKET POINTS +20"
"NEUTRALIZE ROGUE PYROKINETIC IN FUSHIMI. REWARD: ATK +0.5, EXTRA STAT POINT +1"
"INFILTRATE KAGE SAFEHOUSE. REWARD: INT +0.5, MARKET POINTS +25"
Level 16 stretched to Level 19, Market Points hitting 200, Extra Points at 51.
City's a warzone, he thought, HP now at 1600/1600 steady despite bruises patched by Healing Control.
Aiko stayed close, her support silent but steady. She'd slip him snacks during study sessions, her cool smile saying nothing of his late-night scars. "Don't overdo it, Hero," she'd say teasingly, voice like a breeze, wind aura soft but firm.
Her poker-faced calm—Seiran's heartthrob, untouchable—melted around him, her laughter rare but genuine.
'She's got my back' Jiwon admitted, valuing her loyalty despite the risk. 'But she draws too much attention.'
That attention came from Seiran's Awakened. The Hikari's Awakened students—Daichi (earth manipulation), and Reina(Telepathic)—noticed Jiwon's bond with their prodigy, Aiko.
Aiko, Japan's rising Awakened star, was their pride: calm, collected, her wind aura a controlled storm, her poker face unshakable.
Yet with Jiwon, she was outgoing, teasing, alive. Daichi's scowl deepened in the cafeteria, his earth aura rumbling. "What's so special about that kid?" he muttered.
Reina's telepathic hum probed Jiwon, deflected by Jiwon's new ability, 'Protected Mind'.
'I knew something like this would happen.' Jiwon smirked, looking at Reina. Jiwon made preparations for situations like this, where a telepathic individual tries to read his mind. Thats why he created a skill where his energy protects his brain and let the one trying to read his mind see false thoughts.
Jiwon's prep for telepaths was deliberate. Months at the ravine, he meditated, Force Control weaving an energy lattice around his mind.
One night, the SYSTEM chimed:
"NEW ABILITY CREATED: PROTECTED MIND (RARE) LVL.1"
Now at lvl.2, it blocked mid-tier telepaths cold.
'Im not giving you anything moron' Jiwon silently mocked Reina in his mind. 'Reina is probably seeing false surface thoughts in my mind right now, hahaha!'
"Hmph, he's nothing much, just a normie" Reina rolled her eyes at Jiwon.
Kage's guy, Kenzo (telekinesis), watched too, smirking at the tension.
'They're annoyed' Jiwon noted, his Hiro act casual.
The Awakened students' interest grew.
Daichi cornered Jiwon post-class, earth aura heavy. "Aiko's our star, Yamamoto. Don't distract her," he growled.
Jiwon's grin stayed, "Your star? Gasp! Is she a model or something? Or a rising artist?! Oh my Kami, I didn't know!" Jiwon let out an exaggerated gasp.
"W-what I mean is she's a prodigy! A-and She shouldn't be hanging out with someone like you!" Stuttered the giant, trying to play it off not knowing that Jiwon already knows Aiko's awakened.
Reina suddenly appeared beside the large man and elbowed him on his side. "Oww!" Winced Daichi.
"What Daichi meant was that Aiko is currently the top of her class right now, and with you hanging out with her, she might miss the big leagues in the future, after all she's Seiran's prodigy" Reina tried to correct Daichi but is still insinuating about Jiwon leaving Aiko alone.
Jiwon's exaggerated gasp hung in the air, his Hiro Yamamoto act dialed to maximum cluelessness.
"Aiko-senpai, a prodigy? Top of her class? Whoa, Reina-senpai, you're saying she's, like, famous?" He widened his eyes, feigning awe, Protected Mind shielding his true thoughts. 'She's fishing, but I'm not biting'
Reina's telepathic hum buzzed, deflected by his energy lattice, feeding her false surface thoughts: 'Wow, Aiko-senpai's so cool!'
'What a simpleton!' Reina mocked, not knowing she's the one being played.
Daichi's earth aura rumbled, his face red from Reina's elbow and Jiwon's mockery. "Just… stay out of her way, Yamamoto"
"Sure thing, senpai! Gotta study anyway!" He slipped away, Enhanced Senses catching their frustrated glares.
'They're protective, but sloppy' Jiwon thought.
'Daichi's brute force, Reina's probes—they're no threat.'
By lunch, Aiko had heard about the confrontation. She found Jiwon in the courtyard, her breeze-like presence calming the spring air.
Her poker face was flawless—sleek hair tucked behind an ear, sharp eyes steady—but Jiwon's Enhanced Senses caught a flicker in her wind aura, sharp like a gust before a storm.
'Is she… pissed?' He couldn't tell, her serene smile unreadable.
"Hiro, you okay?" she asked, voice cool, handing him a snack. "Daichi and Reina can be… intense."
Jiwon played clueless, munching. "They're just looking out for you, right? No biggie!"
Aiko's eyes narrowed slightly, her aura spiking briefly. 'Definitely rage' he noted.
"They shouldn't bother you," she said, tone even. "Let's grab udon later."
Jiwon nodded.
They kept hanging out, Aiko's cool demeanor a constant—slipping him notes in class, teasing him as "Hero" in private, her wind aura soft but ever-present.
Hikari's duo ramped up their game, trying to provoke him. Daichi "accidentally" shook the ground near Jiwon's desk, earth aura rumbling.
Reina spread rumors—Hiro's "slacking" dragging Aiko down—hoping for a reaction.
Jiwon ignored them, his INT keeping his cool. "Oops, clumsy me!" he'd say, sidestepping to Daichi's tremors.
'They're kids compared to Hashima's goons.'
Aiko's poker face held, but her aura's sharp flickers told Jiwon she noticed.
Then, one day, the harassment stopped. Daichi avoided Jiwon's gaze in the cafeteria, his earth aura subdued.
Reina's telepathic hum vanished, her eyes darting nervously.
'What's their deal?' Jiwon wondered
'They're not the type to back off.' He kept Aura Suppression active, Enhanced Senses scanning for traps, but nothing came.
Aiko acted normal, her breeze-like smile serene, slipping him a snack.
'Something's up...' Jiwon thought in suspicion.
A week later, Jiwon overheard the truth. Near Seiran's training grounds, Enhanced Senses caught Reina's voice, low and tense, behind a wall. "Daichi, you're still limping? Aiko destroyed you."
"She didn't hold back, Reina. Cold as ice, wind blades everywhere—couldn't even stand. Never seen her like that." Reina's voice dropped.
"My telepathy caught it—her rage was for Yamamoto. She knows we've been messing with him. She didn't say it, but… we crossed a line."
Jiwon's breath hitched, his mind piecing it together.
'Aiko beat Daichi to a pulp… for me?' Her training session, Hikari's sparring, had been a massacre—her wind aura a storm, obliterating Daichi without mercy. Cold rage.
Jiwon leaned against the wall.
'She's protecting me... like Yuki protected her.'
'She's also gotten stronger now huh? Bet her sister is happy knowing her lil sis is a beast'
"Guess I've got a storm on my side now." Jiwon happily muttered as he walked from behind the wall away from the Hikari's Duo.
Opening his System, he reviewed his Status:
[World]Eleceed
[Character Info]
〔Name〕Seo Ji-Won
〔Age〕15
〔Level〕19「Exp」■■■■■■■■□□
『HP 1600/1600』
『MP 1050/1050』
"Stats"
『ATK』21
『DEF』16.5
『DEX』33
『INT』22
「Extra Points」51
「Market Points」200
[Abilities]
●Super Speed - lvl.20
●Kinetic Absorption/Release - lvl.18
●Force Control (Unique) - lvl.15
●Healing Control (Rare) - lvl.10
●Animal Synergy (Rare) - lvl.12
●Electric Control (Rare) - lvl.19
●Aura Suppression (Rare) - lvl.10
●Energy Shield (Uncommon) - lvl.6
●Enhanced Senses (Uncommon) - lvl.9
●Protected Mind (Rare) - lvl.2
'Two years till Seoul.' Jiwon's resolve hardened.