Reality Quest: Questism

"Hey, what happened to Dowan this time?"

"I heard Cheolwoo beat the shit out of him again. Even the podium was smashed this time."

"What? But I just saw Cheolwoo… go home cursing to himself just now."

"Probably because he didn't get to beat Dowan up as much as he wanted to. I heard that he even lashed out at the nurse that tried to stop him."

"Says who?"

"I don't know either. Everyone was eating at the time."

"So no one saw it for themselves, and there are only rumours."

"We should've recorded it and put it online. Pity we weren't there."

I stumbled past those two bastards, frustration simmering under my skin. Fucking hell, at least have the decency to talk about it when I'm not standing right there.

The nurse had slapped a few bandages on me, one around my forehead and some around my cheek where the punch had landed, but that was the extent of it. Seemed like getting into fights was just part of the daily routine around here.

Ah, speaking of daily routine here. It'd finally clicked. I knew where I was. Reality Quest, a webtoon I'd read about Ha Dowan fighting basically every single teenager in Gwanak. I was somehow here… in his body. Except I didn't really know who I was… who I was before this. 

I didn't question how I remembered a comic and not my life, I questioned why the System was completely different. Wasn't I supposed to get keys and unlock stats? Why were cards coming into this?

More specifically, why were cards from a whole different webtoon… coming into this. Questism, I partially remembered that, some spinoff of Lookism about that guy uniting Gangbuk, Kim… something.

I kept walking, lost in my thoughts, when I accidentally collided with someone.

"Ah-"

I barely even saw him coming. A brown-haired guy, probably around my height, with a slight build. I took a step back, not thinking much of it at first.

Then I noticed something. His nose was bleeding, a steady stream of red dripping from his nostrils, running down to stain the front of his shirt.

I blinked, confused for a second.

Did I do that?

But no, his nose didn't look like it had been broken. It was more like a… a sudden, random bleed. Probably from the collision, right?

He wiped at it hastily, his hands shaking a little.

Ah, I remember now. Jihan. The loser who was secretly a powerhouse and had managed to attend every single cram school in existence.

I reached my hand out and then hesitated. This one still hadn't fought his trauma, he was still too scared to fight back. I clenched my fist. 

I wanted to say something, maybe tell him that he didn't have to keep his head down forever. That sooner or later, he was going to have to fight for himself. But I knew that words wouldn't change anything, not yet.

So instead, I just exhaled and forced a small, tired smile.

"Hey," I said, keeping my voice light. "You should really get that checked out. A sudden nosebleed like that might be more than just a collision."

Jihan stiffened slightly, his eyes flickering up to meet mine for just a second before darting away.

"N-no, it's fine," he muttered quickly. "I'm fine. Really."

I watched him for a moment longer, debating if I should push it. But he was already shifting, already looking for an escape.

So I let him go.

"Alright," I said, stepping back. "Take care, Jihan."

He froze at that. Not at my words, but at the way I said his name. 

But he didn't say anything. Just nodded stiffly before hurrying away, as if staying near me any longer would bring him trouble.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair before turning toward the bathroom.

If I remembered things correctly, I'd find the other guy in there, the one who'd invite me to go out drinking with the girls.

That was the first step, wasn't it? If I wanted to become Boramae-Dong's rep, I'd have to go there. Get my name out, start moving in the right circles. But was that really worth it? Would a peaceful life be so bad?

I thought about it for a second, then scoffed.

I was in Dowan's body now. I didn't know how, or why. And I wasn't even sure if I'd stolen this life from him or if something else had happened. But just in case I had...

I was going to make it up to him.

Dowan's father, my father now, had been killed by the guy in that video Seokyoung had. To even get close to it, I'd need to get into the Gwanak District Bully Council.

That meant I needed to be there tonight.

I sighed and pushed open the door to the bathroom.

"Oh, Dowan!"

The voice was casual, familiar, like we were old friends. I glanced over to see a guy leaning against the sink, a vape in one hand, his ridiculous blonde hair catching the dim fluorescent light.

Right. This was the guy.

"I actually had something to tell you," he continued, exhaling a faint cloud of vapor. "Who knew we'd meet here?"

I played dumb, tilting my head slightly. "Hmm? What did you want to say?"

He grinned. "I saw everything."

My posture didn't change, but inside, my mind was already running through the possibilities.

How much did he see?

"You kicking Cheolwoo's ass."

Ah.

That made sense. He'd probably only caught the end of the fight, the part where I sent Cheolwoo into dreamland with that last headbutt. He hadn't seen the rest, the parts where I was getting beaten into the ground before I got desperate enough to fight dirty.

He tapped his vape against the sink, looking me up and down with an almost amused expression. "Are you actually strong but just pretending to be weak?"

I let out a small, breathy chuckle, playing along.

He took that as confirmation and lightly punched my chest, still grinning. "You're a funny guy."

Then came the part I'd been waiting for.

"We're going drinking with some girls from another high school. You in?"

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to think it over while, internally, I was grinning like an idiot.

This was going exactly as planned.

"Around what time?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

His grin widened. "I'll send you the time and address later. Just make sure you're there, yeah?"

I gave him a nod and patted his shoulder, playing the role of a guy who was already halfway convinced. "Alright, see you then."

He left, still chuckling to himself, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

What was his name again?

I frowned, coming up blank. Oh well. It didn't really matter.

All I had to do was show up, beat the fatty, impress Siyeon, and everything would fall into place.

...Except there was a problem.

Dowan had beaten the fatty using his Falcon Drop.

I groaned, rubbing my temples. I didn't have that skill.

Shit.

It was fine. I had until the end of the day to figure out how I was going to win. I turned back to the mirror, watching my own reflection carefully. I had one Gold Card so far.

Maybe… just maybe… I could get another one before the day was over? I switched on my phone, scrolling to the shops near me section. I clicked on the Motorbike gear section, scrolling even further and then a grin broke out on my face.

***

The address Jaemin sent led me to Sillim-dong—not too far, but just unfamiliar enough to be a hassle. Dowan, or rather I, clearly hadn't been the type to wander these streets often. Navigating the area was proving to be more of a pain than I expected.

The place was packed. High schoolers loitered outside convenience stores, crowded around street stalls, and filled every corner like they owned the city. Did no one here actually study? Was this some kind of unofficial meetup spot?

Well, I guess I had no room to judge. I wasn't here to hit the books either, I had a bigger goal. Bully Council Rep and all that.

Yeah, I know how insane that sounds.

I pushed through the crowd, scanning my surroundings until I finally spotted a familiar shock of yellow hair standing out like a beacon.

Jaemin.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders before heading toward him..

Jaemin's eyes widened as he saw me, raising up his hand in a wave. I nodded in his direction and continued approaching him.

His grin widened as I approached, his vape dangling lazily between his fingers.

"Yo, Dowan! You actually showed up," he said, nudging my denim jacket covered arm like we were old friends. "And look at that! You dressed up!"

I hummed in agreement. I had to wear baggy clothes anyways so might as well look good in the process, thank god Dowan only ever spent money on games. There was plenty left in his bank account. I suppose his… my mother sent a lot.

Jaemin led the way, weaving through the crowd as we walked toward the karaoke place. The street was packed with high schoolers, everyone hanging around in groups, chatting and laughing like they owned the whole damn neighborhood. 

"Oh, the girls are here."

I looked towards the direction he gestured in. Three girls, one showing her phone to the other two. My attention focused towards the short-haired girl. That was her. It had to be.

Siyeon.

I paused, expecting to feel a magnetic presence, a cold almost icy aura… nothing came. Well this wasn't a manhwa anymore, just real life I suppose. I sighed in disappointment.

Jaemin waved both his hands in a huge greeting, much like an airplane traffic operator. The girls came over as he laughed in his own wannabe-cool-guy way. I stopped looking at Siyeon, not wanting to come off as a creep and instead focused on the other two.

They turned as we approached, and I felt my pulse pick up just a little when Siyeon's gaze flicked to me. Her eyes lingered for a second, not cold, but definitely not warm either.

Jaemin slapped me on the back with a grin. "This is Dowan. He's one of my friends. Funny guy," he said, slapping me lightly on the back again.

The girl in the leggings smiled at me. "Hey Dowan, guess we'll get to hear each other sing then. I'm Nari."

We all eventually made it inside the karaoke room, where a ridiculous amount of food and drink had been placed. Alcohol wasn't really my thing but chicken… I stared at the plate in front of me which I'd piled all the chicken I could find onto.

I began tearing through it unrestrained. Obviously I maintained proper decorum, couldn't come off looking like a savage, but my eating speed was second to none. Besides, Dowan was a skinny guy… I had to change that.

Nari had started her singing already, roaring the lyrics to a song I couldn't even hear over her voice. Truly intense.

Jaemin raised his bottle, twisting it open. "You know, my friend's older brother works here. All the cool kids in the neighbourhood drink here often. He's coming by later too. Real tough guy."

In other words, the members of the Sillim-dong branch of the Bully council come here to drink. A lot.

I smiled, not really good at talking under pressure, even worse at talking with a mouth full of chicken. In his eyes I was probably just a quiet guy who loved food. 

He turned towards me. "How much can you drink?"

I paused and swallowed. "Ah, I don't really drink much."

Jaemin grinned and lightly slapped my shoulder. "Might as well get started then." He didn't ask any further and filled the shot glass in front of me. 

"Don't worry about the price and order whatever you want. It's all on me today." 

The girls said their thanks and I nodded at him. I suppose being in a gang payed well

"-my wallet should be here soon."

His wallet? I closed my eyes and sighed inwardly. Jihan. I'd forgotten he was rich. How did Jaemin even find that out? Does he just think he's some random victim with a bit of money?

The door to the room opened and he stepped in. Jihan Yoo. A bruised face with that posture, everything screamed loser.

"Nice timing! You paid right, Jihan?"

"I asked for a two hour extension, Jaemin…" He muttered, staring down at the floor.

Jaemin laughed, leaning forwards. "Haa… you think I came all the way here to have fun for only two hours? You moron." He slammed his shot glass down on the table.

Jeez, it was almost like the air shifted with the way he did that. 

"S-sorry, Jaemin…" He sounded utterly broken. Completely used to the anger in Jaemin's voice. 

He turned to the girls, gesturing in Jihan's direction. "He's so dense, don't you think?"

I saw Siyeon's face shift through a variety of expressions. Shock first, then a frown and then realisation.

Why… oh yeah, she was here for Jihan initially wasn't she. I guess seeing him like this probably is a bit shocking if you came here expecting a strong fighter. 

I raised my hand in greeting. "Hey Jihan. Didn't know you'd be here."

He looked confused at seeing me and then quickly lowered his gaze once more. "H-hey."

Jaemin turned to me with a look of surprise. "Dowan, you know him?"

"Eh, we've ran into each other here and then." Literally.

He nodded. "Fair enough, it is the same school. Jihan, you have a sip too."

Jihan sat down on the side next to me, resigned to his fate, holding out the shot glass right over his groin.

I frowned, knowing what was going to happen and snatched the bottle out of Jaemin's hands without thinking.

And of course that's when the quest chose to generate.

New Quest!

Empty the bottle over Jaemin's head. [0/1]

Reward: 1 Silver card, 2 Bronze cards

My eyebrow twitched. Seriously? Why couldn't it have been the original quest?

Jaemin frowned as I held onto the bottle. "Oi, come on, I was gonna pour that."

I tilted my head, looking him straight in the eyes, already having made up my mind.. "Yeah?"

Then, without hesitation, I tipped the bottle over his head.

The cold liquid splashed onto his hair, soaking straight through and dripping down his face. His grin froze in place, his hands twitching slightly like his brain hadn't fully processed what had just happened.

The room went dead silent. Well, at least it did to them. The quest window rang out with a soft chime.

Quest complete!

You've received 1 silver card and 2 bronze cards!

The girls gaped, their shock evident. Siyeon's eyes flicked between Jaemin and me, her lips slightly parted in disbelief. The other two girls weren't any better, hands covering their mouths as they watched the alcohol continue to trickle down his face.

Jihan tensed beside me, his fingers clutching his lap as if he was trying to make himself disappear.

Jaemin blinked, still unmoving. His dyed yellow hair was plastered to his forehead, and droplets of soju trailed down his nose. His tongue flicked out to taste it before he let out a short, humorless chuckle.

"Haa… you really just did that, huh?" His fingers curled into a fist.

Is he about to fight me?

BANG!

The door slammed open, rattling against the wall.

The whole room jolted.

Standing in the doorway was a mountain of a man. Tall, broad, wide, and covered in tattoos that peeked from beneath the open collar of his tucked-in dress shirt, its sleeves rolled up to reveal thick forearms. Blood stained his knuckles, still fresh.

He looked like he'd been part of a gang for at least a decade, except I knew for a fact he was just another high schooler.

But even knowing that, it was hard to see him as anything other than a full-fledged gangster.

His beady eyes scanned the room before locking onto Jaemin's drenched figure. His expression darkened.

"The fuck happened here?" His voice was gravelly, deep, and carried the weight of someone used to having people answer immediately.

Jaemin, for all his bravado, didn't respond right away. His jaw clenched, his wet hair still dripping onto his clothes. Then, finally, he exhaled sharply through his nose and tilted his head towards me.

"This bastard just poured soju on me."

The big guy's gaze flicked to me.

I met his stare and held it, heart hammering in my chest.

For a second, everything was quiet.

Then, he grinned.

It wasn't friendly.

It was the kind of grin a predator gives right before it decides to play with its food.

Jaemin leaned back, as if suddenly feeling a lot better about the situation. "Dowan, let me introduce you…" He gestured lazily at the man. "... to my good friend."

The giant of a pig cracked his knuckles, the blood on his hands drying into thin, flaking streaks.

"Yo," he said, his grin widening. "I've been in a shitty mood all night."

His heavy footsteps thudded as he took a step forward.

"Why don't you help me fix that?"