"...Yeah, it's pretty troublesome here."
Nagi spoke into his mic while his character dashed through the forest on screen. He was in the middle of a quest in the MMORPG he always played with Rui, his best friend back in Japan.
"Hey, hey. I saw you on the internet yesterday," Rui said through his mic, laughing. "Are you the one who got beat up?"
"I did not get beat up!" Nagi grumbled. "It was just... an accident, okay?
"You looked kinda weak, though. That video went viral, you know? 'Punched by a senior on Day One,' that's the title."
"Ugh, don't remind me..." Nagi mumbled while tapping on his phone with one hand.
"By the way, why aren't you at school right now?" He added as he asked.
"Huh? Oh… wait. Why aren't you at school right now?"
Nagi blinked. "The semester starts in two days. They gave us some time to explore the city and get used to the new place."
"…Wait a second." Nagi paused the game and double-checked the date on his phone.
"You're in Japan, right? That means it's already afternoon here but morning over there. Don't tell me you skipped school again?"
"Actually… yeah. I just didn't want to go."
"What the heck? Why?"
"Why else, you dumb idiot?"
Nagi rolled his eyes. "Oh, sorry. I never guessed you'd be so lonely without me that you'd stop going to school."
"Shut up," Rui muttered, but Nagi didn't stop.
"But seriously, I'm not supposed to be the only friend you'll have for the rest of your life, you know. You can't live without me or something?"
There was silence on the other end for a moment.
"…Yeah, I can't."
"What?"
"N-Nothing! Never mind! I'll go tomorrow, okay?!"
Nagi chuckled. "Good. And you better make some friends too. I don't want to see you crying when I get back."
"Alright, alright. And if I meet someone famous, I'll even introduce them to you."
They both laughed and kept playing the game for hours. After that, Nagi logged off and stretched.
"I guess I'll go eat something…"
He left his dorm room—Room 403, on the fourth floor of the dormitory building. The room was small, with just a bed, desk, and a closet. A single window showed a view of the glowing city. It felt a bit lonely, but it was cozy.
Nagi locked the door and headed downstairs. Outside, the city lights were bright, even at night. Street lamps lined the sidewalks, and colorful neon signs lit up the restaurants and shops.
He walked for a few minutes before stopping at a small ramen place. The food smelled great, and he quickly ordered a bowl and started eating.
But just as he was enjoying his meal, he heard something strange from the corner of the restaurant.
"…Hey, kid. Let's talk for a bit outside, shall we?"
Nagi turned his head slowly. His eyes widened.
The white-haired guy from before—Baek Seojin—was standing there. And around him were several older-looking guys. Some had the same symbol on their jackets as the guy who threatened Nagi days ago.
It's them again! Crap!
Seojin didn't say anything. He just sighed and followed them outside.
Nagi hesitated. He looked at his half-finished ramen.
"Damn it…"
He stood up quietly and followed them at a distance. They turned into a narrow alley with barely any lights.
Nagi stayed close, hiding behind a trash bin. He could hear the voices more clearly now.
"You looked like you had fun playing hero back there, huh?" the tallest guy said. He was clearly their leader.
"What do you want from me?" Seojin asked calmly.
"Oh, nothing much." The man stepped closer. "We just want you to join our faction, Baek Seojin."
Baek Seojin… so that's his name.
"If you say no," the man continued, grinning, "then we'll make sure you regret what you did to our freshman."
Seojin didn't flinch. He just exhaled quietly and raised his fists.
"I guess talking's over," the leader said.
"Beat him up."
The men charged at Seojin.
Nagi watched in shock. Seojin moved fast. He fought back fiercely, taking hits but also landing powerful blows. One guy screamed as his arm twisted the wrong way. Another was knocked out with a bleeding nose. A third couldn't stand after Seojin kicked him in the leg.
But Seojin wasn't unhurt. He was breathing heavily and bleeding.
The leader clapped slowly, stepping forward with a cruel smile. "That was a good show, White Reaper. But this is where it ends."
He raised his fist.
He's gonna kill him!
Nagi panicked. He grabbed the plastic bag with his leftover ramen and spotted a metal trash can lid.
He threw the lid first.
CLANG!
"Argh! What the hell?!"
Then came the ramen.
Hot broth splashed over the man's face.
"You bastard—!"
Nagi didn't wait. He dashed forward, stepping on the other thugs as he ran.
"Hey! Mister! Come on!" he shouted.
He crouched down and helped Seojin onto his back.
"Geez, you're heavy!"
"Heh… you sure play dirty," Seojin said weakly, chuckling.
"This isn't funny! We're literally gonna die here!"
"Go right… flower shop…"
"What?! That one? Ugh, fine!"
Nagi ran into the flower shop nearby. The bell on the door rang loudly.
"Sorry! Emergency!"
He dropped Seojin onto the floor, breathing heavily.
"My back… is broken…"
Suddenly, a woman came from the back of the shop. She gasped when she saw Seojin.
"Oh my goodness! What happened?!
She rushed to his side and checked his wounds. Then she turned to Nagi.
"You, come with me."
"Huh? Wait, I didn't do anything—!"
"Help me carry him."
"O-Okay…"
Together, they lifted Seojin. The woman led them to a door behind the counter. Inside, they entered a narrow hallway and opened another door.
There was a secret room.
"…Why are you showing me this? Do you think I beat him up?!"
The woman didn't answer. She carefully placed Seojin onto a bed inside the hidden room.
Nagi stood there awkwardly, still out of breath, unsure of what kind of situation he just stepped into.