The night loomed over the city like a dark, heavy blanket. In a narrow alley, the flickering glow of a streetlamp struggled to illuminate the scene unfolding in its shadows. There was him, a boy with a dull gaze and a slender figure, leaning against a cold, damp wall. His name was Zack—a common name for an ordinary kid, but at that moment, he was just an easy target.
Four bullies approached, their cruel laughter echoing in the alley. Zack felt fear grip his chest as he tried to back away, but the wall prevented his escape. Before he could react, the punches started. A fist slammed into his stomach, making him double over. Another blow, this time to the face, made stars appear in his vision. The bullies didn't stop—they were having a feast, a game that fed their egos.
"What's wrong, loser?" one of them sneered, while a third shoved him to the ground. Zack couldn't do anything. He lacked the strength and courage to defend himself. All he could do was take the hits, each more painful than the last. Their laughter echoed in his ears, a reminder of his own helplessness.
When they finally stopped, Zack lay on the ground, gasping for air. His lips were split, and a bleeding wound decorated his eyebrow. The bullies walked away, casting disdainful glances at his figure. "You're a loser," they yelled, their voices fading as they disappeared into the darkness.
"Loser, huh?" he thought, feeling tears gather in his eyes, but refusing to let them fall. In that moment, the physical pain mixed with a deeper suffering—one that had been present throughout his entire life.
His mind began to wander, taking him to a time when defeats were so frequent they became part of his very being. He remembered his childhood, when he participated in school races, always finishing last. His classmates looked at him with disdain, while he smiled, trying to hide his disappointment. Sports weren't his thing, nor was academics. Every test was a missed opportunity; every assignment, a reminder of his lack of talent.
At home, he always felt invisible. His older brother, Adrian, was a prodigy. A math genius, an athletic star. Every achievement of Adrian was celebrated, while Zack remained in the shadows, a mere spectator in his own life. "Why can't you be more like your brother?" they often asked him. Zack had no answer. He simply couldn't.
And then he remembered Clara. Her sweet smile and the way she approached him shyly. "I like you, Zack," she said, and he, in disbelief, felt the world stop. For the first time, someone saw him. He accepted her confession with indescribable happiness, only to later find out it was just a dare among friends. "Can you make him fall in love with you?" had been the challenge. Clara walked away, leaving his heartbroken, laughing with her friends behind his back.
The darkness of the alley surrounded him, and Zack realized he had fallen into an abyss of painful memories. With effort, he got up. His body ached, but his mind was at war. He started walking, staggering, trying to find his way back home. But sadness and pain pulled him down, and suddenly, he felt himself fade away.
He collapsed to the ground, enveloped completely by darkness. Everything went black, and in that void, he felt, for the first time, truly lost.
....
Seoul, South Korea — Shinan High School.
Confusion flooded him instantly. Before he could process his surroundings, a voice in his mind shouted, "Dowan Ha!" In an instant, he found himself inside another body, watching a terrifying scene.
A boy, who he thought was himself, was punching another student, Dowan, against a desk. Zack tried to stop, but he couldn't control the body. Every punch inflicted pain on Dowan, and desperation overwhelmed him.
"Stop! Please!" he shouted from within, but the body kept hitting, as if possessed by a dark force. Amid the chaos, a hand grabbed the aggressor's arm.
"Hey, Chulwoo Min!" a girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and striking blue eyes exclaimed, her school uniform—a short skirt—contrasting with the violence scene.
Zack thought: "Chulwoo? Sounds familiar, but... who is this guy?" With no time to reflect, the body ignored the girl and continued to hit Dowan.
"What are you doing? Stop!" her voice grew more distressed. "I said stop!" She stepped closer, trying to halt the madness.
"Shut up! You're driving me crazy," the body of Chulwoo responded, releasing the beaten boy. Dowan collapsed, and Zack felt a mixture of relief and crisis.
But the body didn't stop. "Come here! Slut!" he told the girl, grabbing her hair. "Are you crazy because everyone flirts with you?"
"Let me go! I'll call the teacher!" she yelled, but Zack was desperate to regain control.
The body raised its hand, ready to slap her, but at that moment, Dowan threw a punch. Zack sighed in relief seeing him stop, but the punch never came. Chulwoo's body stopped his hand as if nothing happened, and chaos resumed.
"Enough! This isn't what I want to do!" Zack shouted inside his mind, but to no avail. The body raised its fist again, but surprisingly, Dowan launched a flurry of quick, powerful punches that left Chulwoo stunned. Finally, Zack felt a moment of relief as the body collapsed unconscious.
When he woke again, Zack's consciousness was trapped inside Chulwoo's mind. The body still didn't respond to his will. He slowly turned and saw he was in the school nurse's office, but it felt strange and distant.
Suddenly, the body got up and, without thinking, left the nurse's office to continue toward the school exit. As he walked, Zack wondered what awaited him. "Will I be stuck in this body forever? Unable to control it?" he pondered with desperation.
After walking a while outside the school, the body entered a lonely, sparsely furnished house with a bed in the center of the room. Zack felt a pang of sadness seeing how empty it was. Without hesitation, the body headed to the bed and collapsed into a deep sleep.
And there was Zack, trapped in his mind, wondering what the hell he was going to do next.
.....
The next day.
Zack woke from a deep sleep, feeling a strange mix of confusion and clarity. To his surprise, he realized he could now control the body he was in. He got up, feeling energy surge through him, and headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he froze.
His hair was now silver-gray, and his eyes, a mix of gray with blue flecks, shimmered with an intensity he'd never experienced. At that moment, a flood of memories overwhelmed him. He remembered a manhwa he had read in his previous life, where the protagonist received a system that helped him face increasingly stronger bullies. However, he wasn't the hero of that story; he was just a simple loser—a bully who disappeared after getting humiliated by his own retainer.
Zack brought his hand to his head, sighing. "What the hell is happening here?" he muttered. "Why am I in this body? Will I ever stop being a loser in this world?"
He stared at his reflection, wondering if this was his chance to change his destiny. "I can't keep being the kid everyone ignores or fears. This time, I will do things differently. I'm going to take this second chance!" he declared with determination.
A mixture of excitement and fear flooded him. He knew this was his opportunity to redefine his existence, but he also understood that the path wouldn't be easy. He turned away, leaving the mirror that showed his new self behind, and began exploring his surroundings.
The house he was in was small, but decorated with a peculiar taste that reflected the personality of its previous owner: posters of fighters, trophies from martial arts competitions, and a pair of worn boxing gloves hanging on the wall. As he examined every corner, Zack realized that maybe if he learned a martial art, he could better face the challenges of this world.
However, before jumping into action, Zack knew he needed to understand what it truly meant to be strong. It wasn't just about physical power; it involved cultivating the mind and spirit. He sat on the floor, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes. He remembered the lessons from the manhwa he had read—the strength wasn't just measured in punches but also in choices and the impact one had on others.
He asked himself: "What do I need to be truly strong?"
The first answer that came was discipline. Discipline was what he had lacked in his previous life. He couldn't afford to be lazy or despair. He needed to establish a routine of training, both physical and mental. He imagined waking up early every day, dedicating hours to practicing combat techniques and meditating to strengthen his mind.
The second answer was bravery—being strong meant facing fears. He remembered how he had feared bullies, how he had let his past define him. "This time, I won't run," he promised himself.
With new resolve in his heart, Zack stood up and looked at himself again in the mirror. This time, he didn't see just a new body but an opportunity to change. "I'm going to be strong in this life," he told himself.
With a deep sigh, Zack set out. He would find a gym, start his training, and look for answers on how to become someone strong.