After completing my quest at Great Lake Park, a new function appeared on the system screen: Status Screen. Curiosity got the better of me, and I whispered, "Status." The familiar translucent screen, with its gray and white tones, materialized before me. Golden text listed my stats with cold, hard reality:
Statistics
Strength: G--
Potential: ??????
Intelligence: E+-
Endurance: G--
Rank: G--
The numbers hit me like a slap in the face. G--? Seriously? I'd always felt like a nobody, but even the system was calling me a zero? My intelligence being E+- was probably due to my barely passing grades at school, but even that wasn't much comfort. A weight settled in my chest, as if all my efforts had suddenly become meaningless. But then my eyes caught the Potential section. "??????" What did that mean? The uncertainty sparked something inside me. Maybe I had untapped power. Maybe the system saw something in me that Daniel, Hideo, or anyone on the street couldn't. "Don't care, Ken," I told myself, my voice trembling. "Step by step. You'll grow. This is just the start."
I started walking home. My legs still shook, and every step sent needle-like pains through my muscles. My tracksuit was soaked with sweat, mud, and rainwater; my shoes were filled with water, squelching with every step. Passersby wrinkled their noses and whispered. "This kid smells awful," a woman said, turning away. Two young girls giggled, one muttering, "How does he go out like that?" I clenched my teeth, my fists tightening. A voice inside me screamed, "You think you smell like roses, you bastards?" For a moment, I wanted to turn and yell, to punch their faces. My anger erupted like a volcano in my veins. But I stopped. I took a breath. "I won't be like them," I said to myself. "Not like Daniel, not like Hideo… I won't sink to their filth."
When I got home, the sound of clattering pots came from the kitchen. My mom was awake. As I opened the door, I saw her rushing to prepare breakfast in the kitchen. Her face was etched with worry, her eyes darting to the door as if expecting bad news any moment. Seeing her like that made my chest tighten. I remembered her sobbing at my grave after my death. That helpless face, that broken voice… Regret stabbed me like a dagger. My eyes welled up, but I held it together. I walked toward her slowly and opened my arms. I hugged her tightly.
My mom froze for a moment, looking into my eyes with surprise. I hadn't hugged her like this since I was a kid. Maybe I hadn't shown her love in years. But she gave me that same soft smile. "Ken, my little baby," she said, her voice trembling. She sniffled, her eyes glistening. "You smell awful, go wash up and come back."
We both laughed. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she was holding back her emotions too. She ruffled my hair, like she did when I was a child. "Alright, Mom," I said, chuckling. In that moment, I made a vow to myself: "I won't leave her alone for a second. I'll never make her cry again."
I headed to the bathroom. Before closing the door, I wrung out the sweat from my tracksuit sleeves. The mix of sweat, mud, and rainwater left a stain on the wet floor. "This is it," I said to myself, grinning. "Effort, struggle, victory." I stepped under the cold water. The layers of fat hanging from my sides felt icy, but my skin barely registered the cold. As the sweat and mud washed away, I felt reborn. I dried my hair and looked in the mirror. Still the same fat, clumsy Ken. But there was a fire in my eyes. The system had changed something in me.
As I was about to head downstairs, a screen appeared:
New Quest!
Abs Are Made in the Kitchen: Shameless jerk, aren't you ashamed of letting your mom cook for you? Go make the meal. Don't make her cry again. Get lost.
Details: Cook your next meal in the kitchen. 12 eggs, 500 grams of cottage cheese, 4 slices of whole-grain bread, and a glass of warm water.
Rewards: New system function and Fat Burner MK-1.
12 eggs? My eyes widened. Train like crazy and then eat like a beast? But I decided to trust the system. It hadn't let me down so far. Plus, "Fat Burner MK-1" sounded… revolutionary. While walking in the park, I'd thought about steroids. I'd heard they were sold illegally in gyms, even to kids under 18. But the side effects? Was the shrinking penis rumor true? I didn't know, but I hadn't wanted to risk it. The system seemed to read my mind. A fat burner was exactly what I needed.
The system seemed to care more about my mom than I did. And it was right. For years, I'd rejected her love, never giving her the respect she deserved. I deserved worse. I rushed downstairs. My mom was about to grab a pan when I took her hand. She flinched but smiled when she saw my grin. "Mom, I want to cook today. Please rest."
Her face lit up. "Are you serious, Ken?" she said, her voice a mix of surprise and joy. "Alright, but put some clothes on, you goof!" She laughed and swatted my shoulder. I ran upstairs, threw on a clean t-shirt and tracksuit, and returned to the kitchen. "Alright, let's make those eggs," I said with determination.
I opened the fridge and grabbed the eggs. I saw the cottage cheese my mom saved for her pastries. "Sorry, Mom, this is mine now," I said, smirking. But there was no whole-grain bread. "No big deal," I said. "I'll grab some later." Just then, the screen flickered:
Due to current conditions, the quest has been modified.
4 slices of whole-grain bread → Evening rice porridge.
My jaw dropped. The system even knew what we'd eat tonight? This thing… was too smart. Cooking took longer than I expected. I pulled out a big pot to boil 12 eggs. As I dropped them into the water one by one, my mom sat at the kitchen table, smiling as she watched me. "Ken, it's been so long since you've been in the kitchen like this," she said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
"How's work, Mom?" I asked, stirring the eggs. I hadn't talked to her like this since I was a kid. She worked as a secretary for a CEO at a big company. She was a beautiful woman, I couldn't deny it. Back then, I used to get jealous of her boss. At night, in my room, I'd spiral into dark thoughts, imagining awful scenarios because of her beauty. I was a stupid teenager. But now, looking at her, I felt only love. "I'm proud of you, Mom," I said quietly.
She looked surprised, then smiled. "You make me proud too, Ken," she said. Her eyes welled up again, but this time it was from happiness.
The eggs were boiled, and I plated the cottage cheese. The rice porridge was planned for dinner, so I filled a glass with warm water. We sat at the table together. As we ate, we talked about my childhood, the days we spent with my dad. Every word healed a wound in my heart. After eating, even though it wasn't part of the quest, I helped wash the dishes. My mom said, "Ken, this is the best morning I've ever spent with you." My eyes welled up, but I didn't cry.
I went to my room and lay on my bed. I dozed off for a bit, then went online. I watched some anime and read a few novels. Ever since I learned that webtoons came from novels, I'd ditched waiting for weekly chapters and dove into novels. Hours passed, and finally, a system notification appeared:
Quest Completed!
New Function Unlocked: Inventory. Usable item [1] transferred to inventory.
I quickly said, "Inventory." The gray-white screen appeared. There was one item: Fat Burner MK-1. I considered using it immediately but hesitated when a warning popped up:
Warning: Fat Burner MK-1 may cause fainting, blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, and other side effects. Please lie down in a spacious area.
I paused. My heart raced, a slight fear creeping in. But I wasn't backing down. My bed was single-sized, and I could fall off. I lay on the rug in the middle of my room, staring at the ceiling. "Here goes," I said to myself. "Fat Burner MK-1, use."
Instantly, my body was on fire. It felt like an inferno had erupted inside me. "AGHHH!" I screamed, but my voice came out hoarse. I thrashed on the floor. My skin burned, my bones felt like they were melting. Steam rose around me, as if my body had turned into a sauna. My vision blackened, then cleared; the world blurred, then sharpened. My head throbbed, my ears rang. For an unknown stretch of time, I was lost in pain and confusion.
When I finally came to, my room was like a steam bath. The vapor floating around left a sour, metallic taste in my mouth. I scrambled to open the window, and fresh air flooded my lungs. Gasping, I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was shocked. I'd lost a few kilos. My face was slimmer, the fat under my chin reduced. I was still fat, but… different. Better. My joy skyrocketed. "Yes!" I shouted, raising my fist. Looking in the mirror, for the first time, I felt proud of myself.
But then a question pierced my mind: How would I explain this to my mom? Losing weight overnight? I was brainstorming excuses when the bathroom door opened.