A pounding headache greeted me. Tucked inside a Japanese futon, I looked at the ceiling, willing the pain to go away.

Though this was Korea, I felt like I was in Japan. The air held the potent scent of tatami mat.

"You awake?" An ahjussi was sitting next to me in seiza and sipping a cup of tea. What was he doing in Korea? It was a place that reeked of homesickness. He wasn't some runaway convict, was he?

"Who are you?" 

"I'm just an old man that was passing by. Aish, you know- kids these days, so disrespectful. Need to get the manners beaten back into them. Now who are you?"

"Kah Daewon. Did you actually...?"

"If your asking if I beat them up I did. Now though you are pretty weak I admired your strong spirit, but just a strong will can't get you anywhere. Now tell me do you want to be strong?" It had seemed I had somehow tricked him into thinking I was more than a depressed teenager who struggled to get out of bed everyday. It was only a coincidence that he had seen the one time I had resisted in a long time.

There was a phrase I would use here, 'Fake it till you make it'.

I nodded "Yes."

"From this day on you will train here everyday. Now get up."

I pushed myself to my feet "But why are you doing this?"

"Well I need to pass on my skills to someone, you just happened to be lucky, or should I say unlucky? There's no backing out now. You got that?"

"Yes..." I didn't really have a choice if I didn't want to get beat up the rest of my life. Thinking about it wouldn't I probably be abused by my co-workers as well if I continued like this?

"You got it?" he repeated this time more strongly.

"Yes!"

"Now-" he slide open the door "This is the dojo. Come here everyday after school alright? Tell your parents you joined a study club or something." I wanted to tell him my father wouldn't even care if I was gone for a week, but I kept my mouth shut. 

_

[Mission completed] [+2]

Congratulations you have now found a mentor! But don't worry you will still have your sub missions available to you.

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[New Mission]

Defeat your mentor

Once you are strong enough to defeat your mentor, you'll be strong enough to fight any foe that comes your way. It will take a long time, but with the system your progress will be sped up.

Reward : 10 points

[Sub Missions]

[Daily] Mile run : 0.1 points per mile [max 10 miles]

Overcome your weakness and defeat your enemies that frequently defeat you : 5 points

[Daily] Train at the dojo : 1 point per consecutive week of days.

Do some information gathering on the demon king : 1 point per new info collected [max 3 points]

_

He led me to another room, and sat me down at a wooden dining table, and served me some thick rice porridge with a ladle.

In it were stripes of beaten egg, and it was garnished with green onion. On top of it he put a pickled plum. Then he served himself a bowl.

When was the last time I had eaten a home cooked meal? I ate soup out of cans, frozen meals, and fruits from trees. I barely had any memory of my mother nor of the food she had cooked. I took the spoon and put it into my mouth.  I wanted to savour it, but I ended up scarfing it down. The ahjussi refilled my bowl before I even asked for seconds.

"Eat well, so you can grow well. Why are you so skinny? You need some meat on those bones. This will be part of your training as well, you'll need to eat lots to bulk up." Unless he would provide all the food for me, it was impossible.

"My home isn't very well off..."

"It's fine. You're an investment. I will feed you from now on. You at least have a fridge right?"

"Yes."

"I will give you your lunch the day before, and you can eat a early dinner here. As for breakfast you will have to arrange it yourself."

"...Thank you." I bowed my head looking at the ground. My vision became a bit blurry but I didn't let the tears fall. My throat started to close up. I had never been treated so nicely before. Though I had only met this ahjussi yesterday he had promised so much to me. Maybe I was wrong to think that I had to wait till 18. All I had to do was become strong enough to not be beaten everyday.

We finshed off the porridge, introducing me to the strange feeling of being full. The ahjussi sent me home, reminding me to come back tomorrow for the first day of training. I walked back to the house in a daze.

"Where the hell were you?!" His breath reeked of booze, and he brought his hand down on me knocking me to the ground.

I clutched my cheek.

The bullies at school? Though they treated me as a slave, and beat me up. It was not as bad as being treated as shit by your own father.

"Not going to say anything huh?"

It does not matter if I say anything or not. You will still hit me.

I don't know what I felt for him. Fear? Hatred? Fuck... love? I just felt so numb to it all.

Would I be happier if I had a father like that ahjussi? 

I curse the gods that put me here.