Chapter 2: The Story
The hallway outside Choi's apartment was silent, except for the steady creak of a rotating fan that hung limply from the ceiling. A single bulb flickered above, casting a dim, pale yellow light that barely reached the floor. Choi sat by his door, arms around his knees, a blank stare on his face. His schoolbag rested beside him, its zipper half-broken, its contents sloppily spilling out like his life — messy, frayed, neglected.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Kid," a sharp voice cut through the air. "It's been a year. Tomorrow's your rent deadline. You got the money, or I'm kicking you out."
It was his apartment owner, a bitter middle-aged woman with a voice like sandpaper and patience worn thin by years of dealing with the lowest tenants of society. She didn't wait for a response. Her steps echoed down the corridor as she walked away.
Choi didn't move. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a crumpled envelope — government assistance: $1000. It was supposed to last him three months. It was already gone. Rent. Food. Uniforms. Bandages. A few packets of ramen. That's all it bought.
He closed his eyes. The cold floor beneath him reminded him of another time. A harder time. Or maybe just the same misery in a different form.
---
Flashback — Age 5
The park bench was cold. It always was. The wind would whistle past his ears, sometimes strong enough to lift the edge of the torn blanket he found in a dumpster. His pillow was a plastic bag full of old newspapers. He didn't remember ever having a home.
He remembered eating from trash cans. Looking for unfinished sandwiches. Rotting fruit. Anything. He remembered getting beaten by older homeless men who saw him as a rat stealing their scraps. He remembered.
He especially remembered the day his money was stolen for the fifteenth time.
Choi, age 6, had received a small welfare check meant for orphans. $15. To him, it felt like a fortune. He clutched it tight and ran to a corner store.
He didn't see the boy until it was too late.
A blur — a kid with a baseball cap pulled low, dirty sneakers, a smirk that was too confident. Snatch. The money was gone.
Choi froze, too scared to scream. Too used to the feeling.
He sat on the curb and cried.
Two hours later, the same boy came back.
"Why didn't you come looking for me?" the boy asked, chewing a lollipop. He had a plastic bag in his hand.
Choi blinked. "Why would I? You'd beat me if I did."
The boy laughed. "You're smart. I like that."
He dropped the bag beside Choi. Inside was bread, chocolate milk, and instant noodles.
"Name's Acid. From now on, we live together. Got it?"
That was the first time Choi felt warmth in years. Not from the food. From someone staying.
---
Present Day — Age 15
Choi walked slowly through a market street. Neon signs flickered above like they were mocking his life — bright, colorful, full of lies.
His stomach growled.
He had a half-eaten onigiri in his hand and a bruise forming under his eye from school. The cold drinks invitation from the bully squad turned into a group beating again. The girl even slapped him. Hard. Laughed.
He walked into a small convenience store. Bought a cup ramen and some painkillers.
On the way back, a group of teenagers shoved past him. One bumped into him hard enough that Choi dropped the ramen. It spilled across the concrete.
They didn't even notice.
He was invisible now.
Not even worth bullying. Just… irrelevant.
---
At Home
He sat on the floor of his apartment, flicking the light switch. Nothing. The power had been cut again. He curled into himself, hugging his knees.
On the ceiling, the mold patterns had started to look like faces.
That night, as he drifted in and out of sleep, he saw something.
A faint blue glow.
In the corner of the room. Floating. Almost… digital.
> [SYNC INCOMPLETE...]
[RANK: STREET THUG]
[POWER MULTIPLIER: x5]
He blinked. It vanished.
---
The Next Day
Choi didn't go to school.
No one called. No one texted.
The apartment owner came to knock. No answer.
After hours, she forced the door open.
Empty.
Clothes still there. Cup noodles uneaten.
No signs of a struggle. Just gone.
---
> [LEVEL UPDATED: "GHOST"]
> [SYNC 32%...]
> [NEW ABILITY: ??? UNLOCKING...]
To be continued...