Chapter 3: Chapter Three: The Price of Change
Jiwon woke up to the muffled sound of his alarm blaring from the nightstand. His entire body was sore, every muscle aching as if he'd spent days lifting weights. The memories of last night flooded back in an instant—the forced run, the push-ups, the squats. It hadn't been a dream. The system was real, and it was forcing him into a grueling regimen.
He groaned, rolling over in bed, but the movement sent sharp pains shooting through his arms and legs. His phone buzzed with another notification.
[Good morning, Jiwon. Auto Mode will engage in 2 hours. Prepare yourself for Day 2's exercises.]
"No... not again," Jiwon muttered, his voice hoarse. He needed a break—just a moment to rest—but the system didn't seem to care about what he wanted. He could already feel it looming, ready to take over and push him past his limits once more.
The bedroom door creaked open, and Jiwon's mother appeared in the doorway, concern etched on her face.
"Jiwon, are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft. "You look pale. I heard you get up late last night... you weren't out again, were you?"
Jiwon froze, panic settling in his chest. What could he say? That he had been dragged out by some weird system to run until he collapsed? That he wasn't in control of his own body anymore?
"I, uh... I couldn't sleep," Jiwon mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "So I went for a jog."
"A jog?" His mother raised an eyebrow. "Jiwon, you've never gone jogging in your life. Are you sure everything's okay?"
He could see the worry in her eyes, and a familiar knot of guilt twisted in his stomach. He hated making her worry, but how could he explain this?
"I'm fine, Mom," he said, forcing a weak smile. "Just... trying to get in shape. You know, for the auditions."
Her expression softened, and she stepped further into the room, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "You know we support you no matter what, right?" she said gently. "I just don't want you to push yourself too hard, especially with... everything that's been going on at school."
The mention of school made Jiwon's stomach churn. She didn't need to say it—he knew she was referring to the bullying, the constant harassment he endured. But there was no way he could tell her how much worse it had gotten. Not after last night.
"I'm fine," he repeated, though even to his own ears it sounded unconvincing.
His mother gave him a long, searching look before standing up. "Alright," she said softly. "But if you ever want to talk, I'm here. Okay?"
Jiwon nodded, watching as she left the room, the door clicking softly behind her.
He let out a shaky breath, sinking deeper into his bed. As much as he wanted to lie there forever, the nagging sense of dread wouldn't leave him alone. In less than two hours, the system would kick in again, and he would have no choice but to obey.
His phone buzzed again.
[Task Reminder: 100 Push-ups, 100 Sit-ups, 100 Squats, 5km Run]
[Auto Mode will activate in 1 hour and 30 minutes.]
"Are you serious?" Jiwon groaned, throwing the covers off. He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled, threatening to give out beneath him. Every step felt like his muscles were tearing apart, and the thought of doing it all again sent waves of panic crashing through him.
He shuffled to the bathroom, hoping a hot shower would soothe the ache in his body. But even under the scalding water, the soreness persisted, the reminder of the punishment that awaited him. His heart raced in his chest. What if he couldn't do it? What if the system pushed him until he broke?
As he got dressed, a small part of him considered ignoring the system. Maybe it would leave him alone if he just didn't follow the task. But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew better. The system was relentless.
His phone buzzed.
[Auto Mode will engage in 60 minutes. Failure to comply will result in penalties.]
"Penalties? What kind of penalties?" Jiwon muttered, his heart sinking at the thought.
He shuffled into the kitchen, hoping to eat something before the madness began again. His father sat at the table, sipping coffee and reading the morning news. He looked up when Jiwon entered, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Morning," his father said, his voice calm but with an edge of curiosity. "You've been getting up early these days. What's going on?"
"Just... trying to work out a little," Jiwon replied, opening the fridge. "I need to lose some weight for the idol auditions."
His father raised an eyebrow. "Working out? You?"
Jiwon felt a pang in his chest. He knew his father didn't mean to sound harsh, but it hurt nonetheless. His father was a stern, practical man, and Jiwon had always been the opposite of what he wanted in a son—overweight, shy, and sensitive.
"I'm serious," Jiwon said quietly. "I want to change."
His father set down his coffee mug and regarded him for a long moment. "Well, good. It's about time. But don't overdo it. It's not about losing weight fast; it's about discipline. If you can stick with it, you'll get results."
Jiwon nodded, but the sinking feeling in his stomach remained. Discipline? This wasn't discipline. This was a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.
His phone buzzed again.
[Auto Mode Engaging in 30 minutes.]
Jiwon's hands shook as he stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth, his mind racing. What was the penalty if he didn't comply? Would the system punish him physically? Mentally? He didn't want to find out.
After breakfast, he returned to his room, sitting on the edge of his bed as the countdown on his phone ticked closer and closer to zero. His heart pounded in his chest.
[Auto Mode Engaging in 5... 4... 3...]
"No... not again," Jiwon whispered, his body already starting to move on its own. His legs pushed him off the bed, his hands reaching for his sneakers. He fought against it, his mind screaming for control, but the system was stronger.
[2... 1...]
Without warning, his body jerked forward, forcing him into push-up position. He could feel the burning in his muscles before he had even started, but there was no stopping now.
[Push-ups: 100. Begin.]
His arms trembled as he lowered his chest to the floor, then pushed back up. The pain shot through him, and he bit down on his lip to keep from crying out. Each push-up felt like a mountain he had to climb, but his body refused to stop.
By the time he hit thirty, his arms were shaking uncontrollably. By fifty, his vision swam, and dark spots danced in front of his eyes.
"Please... stop..." Jiwon gasped, his chest heaving with the effort. But the system wouldn't stop.
Jiwon collapsed onto the floor after finishing the push-ups, his body a limp, trembling mess. His mind screamed in protest, but his body had no choice but to continue.
He barely had time to catch his breath before the system forced him to stand, his legs moving into squats.
This wasn't discipline. This was torture.
But despite the agony, despite the tears burning in his eyes, Jiwon couldn't deny the one small truth creeping into his mind:
He was changing.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone