"Well, now that everything is clear, it's time to intervene."
Togo advanced with calm steps towards the group of students. The intention to intervene was clear in his eyes, but he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something important.
"Wait..." Togo muttered to himself. "If I intervene now, I'll change the course of events. This is the moment the hero gains his power."
Togo decided to wait, rather than making things worse. He realized that any intervention from him at this moment could lead to severe consequences and might prevent the hero from gaining his ability.
At that moment, while Choolo was clutching Ahrin's hair and Dowan was writhing in pain on the ground, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, Dowan sprang up from his spot. He wasn't trembling this time, but was looking at Chuluming with sharp eyes. His hands, which had been about to drop, were tightly clenched.
"What?" Chuluming yelled, looking at Dowan in astonishment. "What's wrong with you?"
Dowan didn't reply, but moved with an unexpected speed. He punched Chuluming hard in the stomach, causing him to recoil and fall to the ground unconscious.
"Oh my God..." Ahrin gasped in shock.
Togo looked at Dowan, then smiled slowly. He knew that things had gone as planned. The hero had awakened, and he had the System.
Suddenly,
"Clap, clap."
Dowan heard a faint clapping sound. He turned to find Togo approaching him, with his handsome body and white hair. Dowan felt terrified, fearing that Togo would attack him. But he was surprised when he saw Togo looking at him joyfully.
Togo drew closer, raised his hand, and said with an excited voice: "Ooooh, what amazing strength!"
Ahrin looked at Togo strangely, as if she didn't understand what was happening. Her eyes widened with astonishment.
In the next moment, Togo didn't stop at talking; he stepped closer and strongly patted Dowan on the back. It wasn't a light pat; it was a powerful strike that nearly knocked Dowan over, revealing the tremendous physical strength Togo possessed.
"Kid, you truly put on a wonderful show! I didn't expect such a sudden leap in performance!" Togo said with a wide, cheerful smile, as if he had just watched a spectacular entertainment show. "Oh, very good."
Dowan nearly choked from the force of the pat and felt a slight pain in his back, but he was too confused to respond.
Ahrin looked at Togo with increasing bewilderment.
After finishing his "congratulations" to Dowan, Togo slowly directed his gaze toward Ahrin. He took a few steps towards her, while she instinctively retreated.
Togo stopped directly in front of her. Ahrin was indeed beautiful, even better than her appearance in the manhwa, but he couldn't afford to waste any more time now; there was something he needed to check.
Togo cast a quick glance at the unconscious Choolo, before speaking.
"Well, well, you all had a fun time, didn't you?" Togo said with a broad smile, then headed towards the door. He stopped before leaving and turned to them again.
"Since things have calmed down, I have to leave now. I have some 'business' to take care of, you know." He waved his hand playfully.
"Goodbye, little hero..."
Togo left the classroom, leaving Dowan and Ahrin in a state of confusion and absolute silence, with the unconscious Chuluming as the only evidence of what had happened.
Outside the Classroom...
As soon as the door closed behind him, the cheerful, pleasure-loving smile completely vanished from Togo's face. His features turned severely cold, and his sharp eyes narrowed. The expression on his face now reflected an entirely different persona.
The handsome body moved with Quickly walking down the corridor
He headed directly towards the stairs leading to the rooftop.
"...Now I can return to my own concerns," Togo muttered calmly, opening the heavy rooftop door.
He ascended to the roof, where the crisp afternoon air hit him. He stood next to the fence, looking indifferently at the horizon.
Togo thought: "God, I need a cigarette. All this dramatic tension was a bit exhausting."
He involuntarily reached into the pocket of the body's trousers, expecting to find it empty. He knew he was now a high school student; it was unlikely his current body would carry cigarettes.
"What a drag. I need to hurry up and find a source for my fix..."
But as his fingers fumbled inside the pocket, he was surprised by a soft, small object. He pulled out his hand to find an expensive cigarette, of a type he wouldn't expect any high school student to possess, and next to it, an elegant silver lighter.
Togo looked at the items in his hand, then let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh.
"Hahaha... I don't believe it. It seems this 'guy' had some dubious taste, or maybe some easy money.... Well... that's not important now."
He placed the cigarette in his mouth and lit it with the silver lighter with great skill. He took a deep, long drag, then released a dense cloud of smoke into the rooftop air.
"Now, let's see how I'm going to deal with this new body and what the purpose of my existence here is."
Togo pushed a cloud of smoke into the sky, while his pale eyes stared at the distant horizon. He felt a temporary calm wash over him after this short 'break,' but the questions in his mind were like an unceasing whirlwind.
"Okay, what a body and what an environment... there must be a reason for me to be here, instead of my world," Togo thought, as he flicked the cigarette butt into a neglected ashtray placed near the rooftop fence.
"The only thing that can explain this whole absurdity is the System... the 'Hero's System' I saw in the manhwa's special chapters."
Togo sighed. He knew the "System" concept was the fundamental engine of the story, and what had granted Dowan that sudden power.
Togo stood in the middle of the rooftop, and began to try cautiously, as if afraid someone might hear him, even though the roof was completely empty.
"System," Togo said in a low, muffled voice.
Nothing happened. No transparent window appeared, no automated voice was heard, no noise whatsoever.
Togo clenched his fist with slight despair, then repeated a little louder: "System! Can you hear me? Show me my status!"
The disappointing silence persisted. The cold air was the only reply.
Togo sighed in annoyance, sweeping his white hair back with his hand.
"Damn it! Is it only available to the hero? Do I have to... acquire it?" he muttered, looking at his hands. "I don't have time for this nonsense. I have to find answers another way."
Togo felt disgust and exhaustion from this bizarre situation. He was a man who knew how to manage things in his own world, but here, he had to start everything from scratch, with limited resources and total ignorance of the situation.
Suddenly, he heard a slight metallic scrape. It was the sound of the rooftop door opening, which he hadn't fully closed.
Togo frowned, surprised that anyone would come up to the roof. It was supposed to be the perfect place for solitude.
Togo turned quickly, the sharp, cold look on his face preparing for any potential confrontation. He raised his eyes towards the door opening.
The words caught in his throat.