Chapter 5: Enter Taehyung

Gen Nanami walked through the school halls, his mind still buzzing from the weekend's revelations about his strange new abilities. The newfound strength, speed, and the mysterious status screen—it all felt surreal. But before he could think any further, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

The moment he turned around, a kick shot towards his face. It stopped an inch away from his nose, hovering there with perfect control.

Gen barely had time to register what was happening before the attacker smirked and lowered his leg.

"Yo, you look pretty strong. I don't like people that only look strong. You better be strong too."

Gen immediately recognized the voice—and the person behind it.

Taehyung.

(This guy… Taehyung. A taekwondo genius. His father used to train soldiers for the Korean military. He started practicing as soon as he could walk and got his black belt at twelve. Competed nationally. Beat guys way older and more experienced. He's never lost a fight—if Taekwonpedia is right. Not only that his mother is smoking hot model which makes him a mogger of a son. Crystal clear skin and KPOP idol looking face. But then, something changed. After junior high, his passion faded, and he started looking for fights just for the thrill of it. Expelled and transferred three times. And now… he's here.)

Gen took a step back, lifting his hands cautiously. "Hold on, I don't know what you want, but—"

Before he could finish his sentence, another kick flew towards his head.

Instinct took over. He barely managed to block, raising his right arm in time. The force of the impact rattled his bones, but to his surprise, he wasn't sent flying like he thought.

"Oh?" Taehyung's brow raised, intrigued. "How about this?"

Gen didn't even think. He lunged forward and threw a punch—faster than he expected.

"What the—" Taehyung muttered, caught off guard.

The punch connected—right to his jaw. The impact sent him staggering back a few feet. He stumbled, falling to the floor, but quickly caught himself. Spitting out blood, he grinned.

"Heh… not bad. Not bad at all." He wiped his lip and looked up with a crazed glint in his eye. "You are most definitely a worthy opponent."

Gen barely had time to react before another roundhouse kick came flying towards him. He braced for impact—

It felt like getting hit by a truck.

A heavy thud echoed as Gen slammed into the lockers behind him. His breath hitched.

"Aghhh… ooooh, that hurts…" he groaned, clutching his stomach.

"C'MON! Is that ALL? You're done already?!" Taehyung taunted, arms spread wide.

A murmur rippled through the halls.

"Hey, look! That's Taehyung! He's fighting someone!"

"Who's the other guy?"

"I think that's Gen! Damn, he looks good."

A crowd gathered, forming a circle around them.

Gen caught a glimpse of her in the crowd—his crush.

For a moment, time slowed. His eyes widened as he saw her turn her back and disappear into the dispersing crowd.

Filled with determination, his hands clenched into fists. No. I'm not done.

With renewed determination, he charged at Taehyung, fists raised. He leaped into the air, preparing to land a jump punch like he'd seen in anime.

"The hell?" Taehyung raised an eyebrow.

Before Gen's fist could land, a front kick (A higher kick) met him straight in the face.

BAM!

His vision blurred as the force sent him crashing to the ground.

"C'mon, where's all that bravado?! WHERE IS IT?!"Taehyung shouted, stepping toward him."DON'T FAIL ME! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'VE WAITED FOR THIS!"

Gen groaned, lying on the floor. He struggled to move, his body refusing to cooperate.

A sharp kick to his side made him roll over in pain. "Hey, get up," Taehyung ordered, glaring down at him.

Gen gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. His body ached, his breath ragged, but he wasn't done. Not yet.

"There it is," Taehyung said, smiling. "Show me more."

With a roar, Gen charged. "RAHHHHHHH!"

Taehyung smirked, preparing another roundhouse kick. As his leg came up—

He slipped.

"The fu—"

BAM!

Gen's fist crashed into the side of Taehyung's head. His opponent's eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground.

Silence.

The crowd gasped.

Taehyung's gang rushed forward. "Boss?! Boss! You good?!"

Gen stood over him, panting. He did it.

A slow grin spread across his face. "Mayonnaise."

The delinquents stared at him, confused. "What?"

"Mayonnaise is what I did." Gen wiped his mouth. "While I was on the floor after that front kick, I applied mayo right below your feet and spread it around with my forearm. There was a chance you'd throw me another kick, so I took this precaution."

Ding!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mission Complete: [Win a Fight]

Ability Unlocked: SWIFT

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Whoa…" Gen muttered, staring at the glowing text.

Taehyung's gang lifted their fallen leader. "This isn't over, Gen." One of them sneered before dragging him away.

Gen exhaled deeply. His first real fight. And he won.

That night, he stood in front of his punching bag, eager to test his new ability.

First, he threw a normal punch. The bag rocked back slightly.

Then, he activated Swift.

WHOOSH.

His fist shot forward at double the speed, sending the punching bag flying back as if it had been struck by a cannon.

Gen's eyes widened. "Okay. Now this changes everything."