It had been almost a year since he arrived in this world, although he still had no idea what kind of world it was. During this time, his life had become a constant routine, training during the day, fighting at night, surviving however he could. Even so, something inside him knew he couldn't keep living like this forever.
No matter how much his body grew stronger, he was missing something essential: education, direction… a future. He couldn't keep living like a vagrant, after all, that wasn't a life.
Byeoto was crouched down, putting his things inside his backpack. Some clean clothes, a bit of money, and an empty bottle. While folding a T-shirt, he muttered quietly.
"I still can't get used to this…"
He stared at his reflection in a small broken mirror leaning against the wall. The boy looking back at him wasn't the same one who had arrived long ago. Now, almost fifteen years old, his once round, acne-covered face had clean skin, a defined jawline and finer features. The dark circles were gone, and his slightly long, messy hair reached down to his shoulders.
"So now I became… handsome?" he said with a small ironic smile. Even though it was just some silly thing, whether from his previous life or this one, he still wasn't used to that feeling.
It was such a drastic change that even he didn't understand how it happened. Maybe it was one of those strange things about this world. Although, if he thought about it, in this body's memories there was good family genetics. Maybe neglect, poor diet, and stress were what had ruined his previous appearance.
"I guess something good had to come out of that shitty family," he muttered as he closed the backpack.
He stood up, stretching his shoulders. His body had changed too, not fat anymore, but rather athletic. He wasn't very muscular, but he moved with ease, like someone used to fighting.
Byeoto slung the backpack over his shoulder and looked at the inside of the building one last time. The place smelled of dust and humidity, but for him it meant more than that; it had been his refuge. Even so, he knew he had to leave it behind.
"It's necessary… my life has to change," he said softly, almost like a goodbye.
He walked toward the exit while talking to himself.
"Besides, I'm not improving anymore. The thugs in this area stopped being a threat… that leaves me stuck, with no way to get stronger."
He stopped for a moment, looking at his hands. He clenched them tightly. During this time, if there was something that bothered him, it was this.
"This body…" he muttered. "It's weird. I feel it differently, like there's something latent, something I don't understand."
He sighed and relaxed his fist. That sensation had been with him for months, occasionally during a fight, when he was about to lose or was very angry, a surge of emotions would overwhelm him: rage, danger, violence, pure fury. And because of that, his body changed.
It was like it compressed itself, strengthening his muscles, making the veins stand out across his body like roots, and his eyes turned an unsettling blood-red. And with that, obviously, his strength increased.
He didn't know if that power came from the body or from him, but it was most likely from the body. After all, he used to be an ordinary guy, he didn't have a privileged body like this one.
So it had to be this body. But that worried him. He didn't know why he turned like that. Maybe it was a consequence of everything this body had gone through, the humiliations it had endured, the pain it had felt.
But at that moment, he didn't want to think anymore. He adjusted the straps of his backpack, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the building.
"Time to go," he finally said, leaving behind the place that had seen him reborn.
After a while, Byeoto was on the train headed to Seoul. The reason for going there was simple, Seoul was the only region he had heard about, famous and full of opportunities. Besides, he had already gotten a registration to study at a school; at an internet café he had paid someone to help him get in.
He found it through rumors. The man quickly explained that Kangbook High wasn't very strict, many students weren't even properly registered. As long as you paid the fee, the administration didn't check much.
So he was able to enroll. Of course, in the documents he now appeared as Byeoto Nam, no longer Han, although the change didn't matter much, after all, he doubted that shitty family would look for him. But he still couldn't complain about this new name.
He leaned back in the seat, letting the train's sway lull him, and soon fell asleep. When he woke up, the train had already arrived at its destination. With steady steps, he got off and breathed in the city air, feeling a faint tingling of anticipation in his chest. He was in an area called Gangbuk.
After walking through the streets, he rented a small apartment, tiny and simple. He fell onto the bed and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. Finally, for the first time in a long time, he had a comfortable place, now he just wondered what his future would bring.
Besides being a pretty long day, it was also his birthday. He had turned fifteen. Without thinking too much, he had already bought a small cake. He didn't need candles or company, he just wanted to mark the moment.
He had stopped celebrating his birthday years ago, but this time was different. Not because there was someone else, but because now he had a great opportunity to achieve his goals and live well.
As he turned off the lights and lay down, he thought with a faint smile, "I just need a little luck."
….
The next day, Byeoto woke up early. He put on the uniform, which consisted of a white shirt with green details on the collar and sleeves, and gray pants. He approached the mirror and looked at himself.
His skin was clear, his face defined, his black hair fell to his shoulders, and his yellow eyes stood out intensely. He looked handsome, attractive.
He grabbed his light backpack, with only a notebook and a pencil case inside, the only things he needed. He left his apartment and headed to the high school.
He hadn't even entered yet and the entrance was packed, some looked like thugs, others just talking. The girls saw him walk past and started whispering and giggling.
"Do you see him? He's so handsome…"
"Is he new? I've never seen him before."
"His appearance is like an angel."
Byeoto, not paying much attention, walked toward his classroom, 3-B of the main building. As soon as he entered, the teacher raised his voice to call for attention.
"Quiet, we have a new student."
Murmurs spread across the class.
"A transfer student?"
"In this shitty school?"
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"I hope it's a beautiful girl."
"If it's a handsome guy, I'm gonna punch that bastard, hahaha."
The teacher pointed at the door.
"Come in."
Byeoto walked in calmly. Noticing the girls' sighing and murmuring things like "Kyaa, he's so cute" or "Does he have a girlfriend…?", he smiled slightly.
"Hello, my name is Byeoto Nam. I hope we get along."
For a second, the classroom went silent… until a soft voice broke it again.
"Even his voice is pretty…"
"He's so handsome…"
"Nam Byeoto… even his name sounds nice."
"I love his gaze."
The teacher signaled him.
"Sit anywhere you like."
Byeoto walked to an empty desk and sat down. Next to him was a small guy with light brown hair, a nervous expression. When Byeoto looked at him, he felt a strange familiarity, though he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
"Hi, I hope we get along," Byeoto said, easing the mood with his smile.
The boy replied timidly.
"Same… my name is Dowoon Lee."
Byeoto nodded. Dowoon Lee… brown hair, innocent face… he felt like he had seen him somewhere. Then, as he took out his notebook and pencil, class went on normally, but Byeoto, after connecting everything in his mind, felt the realization hit him like lightning.
"Shit, is this the world of Lookism? If this guy is Dowoon Lee, who appeared in the manhwa Viral Hit, that means I'm in the PTJ universe, along with other manhwas. Even though he used to be a reader and fan of these works, that doesn't make it better; he didn't read all of them or finish them, but he was very sure of one thing, and that is that PTJ's Korea is very dangerous, full of delinquents, psychopathic killers, and others who want to become kings."
After mentally swearing for a while, he calmed down and started thinking about what he had, what he remembered.
"Let's focus on Viral Hit. If this is Dowoon, does that mean Taehoon will be here too?"
He thought while looking around, but there were no signs of Taehoon, though that might be normal, since apparently at this time that guy was a complete bastard, so skipping class was probably normal for him.
Then he let out a long sigh and realized one thing, he had to become much stronger than he had planned. It wasn't that he wanted to act like a hero, righteous, rescuing the weak, he didn't want to get stronger for that, but to protect himself and live well.