Kris turned off the video. Pei Lin sent an angry emoji, but he ignored it.
The bullying that had just unfolded before his eyes, leaping from the screen to reality, left him stunned. The image of the unconscious boy outside the window and his twisted leg kept flashing in Kris's mind.
Even with the memories of his past life, the reality before him exceeded his imagination. This version of Korea was even more brutal than the one he had known before. No wonder his previous life's parents had repeatedly urged him to secure a job in a chaebol.
So, his earlier plan wasn't entirely wrong. Studying hard was indeed necessary, but its priority could be temporarily pushed back.
Otherwise, what could he use to fight against the chaebols one day?
He had already finished his high school courses, and the college entrance exam was less than a year away. It might be better to take a leave of absence for a while, using this incident as an excuse, and at least push Wind and Moon Spirit Mirror to the next stage to see what effects it could bring.
Perhaps it wouldn't only help with physical strength but also enhance his mental attributes, which could aid in his studies.
Before Kris could ask for leave, he saw the homeroom teacher standing at the podium pull out his phone, glance at it, and then say to the class:
"Everyone, delete the videos! School's dismissed early today. Once you've deleted them, you can leave."
He then walked to the door and stood there.
The classmates exchanged glances. A few stood up first, fiddled with their phones, and handed them to the teacher standing at the door.
The teacher checked the phones, nodded, and waved for those students to leave.
Soon, more students stood up, Pei Lin among them.
Kris flipped through his phone. Unfortunately, there was no cloud storage app. Reluctantly, he clicked delete.
At the door, he handed his phone to the teacher and said:
"Teacher, I'd like to take two days off. I'm not feeling well."
The teacher checked the photo album, chat records, and other apps on the phone before replying impatiently:
"Go to the hospital and get a medical note, then hand it to me."
Kris nodded helplessly. If that's the case, he wouldn't bother with the formalities. He could study at home anyway, and his plan wouldn't change. At worst, he'd find a way to get a note later.
Pei Lin waited at the door. As soon as Kris came out, she grabbed his sleeve.
"You're not coming for the next few days?"
This was hard to explain. After a moment's thought, Kris said:
"Seeing what just happened made me feel uncomfortable. I want to stay home for a couple of days."
"Should you go to the hospital and get checked?" Pei Lin asked concerned.
"No need. I'll just stay home for a couple of days."
Pei Lin's eyes darted around. She said:
"Then rest well, okay~" But in her heart, she was thinking of going home and begging her mom to help sort out the leave note.
Kris nodded and walked out of the school gate with Pei Lin.
The sound of an ambulance siren echoed at the school gate, only now arriving.
Kris looked back. It seemed he wouldn't be able to run at school today. If only there were a treadmill.
Parting ways with Pei Lin at the gate, Kris thought of something and pulled out his phone to search the map.
"Jiseg University. That's it."
Universities were also good for running. They didn't restrict entry, and it was the perfect place to exercise.
But before that, Kris randomly entered a soup restaurant.
...
After eating his fill, Kris reluctantly pulled out over 10,000 won to pay. He really needed to find a cheaper place to eat. Yesterday's fried chicken plus today's soup meal had cost nearly 50,000 won (about 260 RMB).
At this rate, he'd spend around 1 million won (about 5,000 RMB) a month. Adding rent, even with the university fund, it wouldn't last long.
If only there were a place where he could earn money, exercise, and eat all at once.
He left the restaurant in silence.
Throwing his bag on the field—it didn't contain anything valuable anyway—Kris started running again.
This time, he didn't need to adjust his breathing. He was now more adept at the breathing technique, having already regulated it on the way.
Jiseg University's track was larger. After five laps, the familiar heat flow emerged again, dispelling his fatigue.
But when he opened the system panel, his attributes hadn't changed at all.
Kris had considered that improvements in physical fitness might slow down, so he quickened his pace.
After another ten laps—already exceeding yesterday's distance—the heat flow appeared repeatedly, but his physical fitness didn't increase.
Kris was reluctant to give up. Gritting his teeth against mental fatigue and boredom, he thought, "I've already run six kilometers. Maybe I need to reach ten kilometers this time?"
He kept running. Finally, as his phone chimed, "Hello, you've run nine kilometers...", the heat flow surged, swiftly eliminating his exhaustion.
This time, the heat flow in his dantian was particularly intense. Kris sensed something, opened the system panel, and saw his attributes had indeed changed:
Physical Fitness: 8
Mental Strength: 7
Soon after, a hollow feeling arose in his stomach. Kris stopped, pulled out chocolates and energy bars from his bag, and started eating.
He had bought these at the supermarket before running, unsure if they could meet his body's needs.
After a while, Kris struggled to finish his fifth energy bar. These were fine occasionally, but as a meal, they were nauseating.
"Ding..."
Kris pulled out his phone. It was a message from Pei Lin:
"I've talked to my mom. You can come over this month or next."
"Okay," Kris replied, then typed:
"I forgot to ask earlier, how much is the rent?"
"My mom said you don't need to pay for the first three months, and no deposit is needed. Pay whenever you have money."
Pei Lin quickly replied, though her mother had actually said he could go without paying for a year, and he could pay whenever he wanted after starting university.
But she didn't want to hurt Kris's pride, so she changed it. After all, since the incident, he had refused all help. Frankly, she was surprised he had agreed to stay over today.
Kris stared at the phone. To say he wasn't moved would be a lie. Saving this money would allow him to eat better and grow stronger faster, which was crucial for someone still developing like him.
"Thank you so much, you and your mom. I'll make sure to pay the rent as soon as possible."
"Yeah, no rush," Pei Lin quickly replied.
"Okay."
Kris put his phone away. He couldn't be ungrateful. He'd find a part-time job soon to make up for the rent, even if it wasn't much—it was the thought that counted.
The energy bars were finished, but their effect was minimal—just enough to stave off hunger. His plan to rely on them for energy had failed.
It seemed the ancients were right about the essence of grains. A proper meal of rice and meat was best for replenishing energy.
He remembered seeing a report before his transmigration claiming that ketogenic diets increased cancer risk. He wondered if it was true.
After leaving the university gate and finishing his meal, Kris grimaced as he paid over 20,000 won (about 100 RMB). The prices near prestigious universities were so high. It hurt. Next time, he'd bring his own food.
Back at the university track, he sat on the ground to rest, then walked a few laps before starting to run again.
...
By the track, Zheng Duoxi and Shen Huimei were chatting, sharing stories or complaints about their suitors.
The two had hit it off since their freshman year and remained best friends even now in their senior year.
Recently, Duoxi had been troubled. She had developed feelings for a rich second-generation senior, but Huimei warned her about his bad reputation. So, they came to the track to clear her mind and chat.
They had noticed Kris running earlier. After all, someone in a high school uniform running on a university track was quite eye-catching, especially since it wasn't a sports uniform.
"Hey, look, that high schooler's still running after so long."
Zheng Duoxi took a sip of her drink, staring at the figure on the track, and nudged her friend with her elbow.
"Huh? Is that the same high schooler who was running earlier?"
Shen Huimei asked uncertainly.
"Yep, that's him!" Duoxi confirmed.
Huimei glanced at her phone, incredulous: "He's been running for over two hours now, right?"
"Not quite that long. He took a break to eat, I think."
Both fell silent for a moment. Even with a break, running at this pace for so long was impressive.
"Maybe he's an athlete," Huimei said after a while.
"Let's go talk to him when he's done. Who knows, maybe he's our future junior or a world champion," Duoxi suggested.
"Oh, our big-shot journalist has found her story," Huimei teased with a smile.
"Yeah, I'll ask him how he manages to run so long. Maybe he's preparing for a competition or college entrance exams. And..."
Duoxi watched the figure circling the track tirelessly, a bit wistful.
"I couldn't stick to it. I was influenced by my surroundings. I kept thinking college was the time for romance."
She turned to Huimei.
"But seeing him run like this has lifted my mood. Look at him—he doesn't care about others' stares, even in his uniform. His eyes are fixed only on his goal."
Huimei looked at her:
"Wow, you're so serious, Zheng the Journalist. I'm not used to it." She wasn't as moved. Today, she had come to advise her friend to be cautious about that rich senior, whose reputation was indeed poor.
"Ugh, stop it~"
Duoxi playfully reached out to pinch Huimei. The two girls laughed and joked for a while. When they saw the figure on the track stop, they left the stands and walked over together.