Kaito sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, sweat still clinging to his skin from the gym. The System interface hovered in front of him, glowing faintly in the dim light of his room. Three icons pulsed slowly.
Choose a Summer Skill Path:
Public Speaking: +2 Charisma, Skill: [Persuasive Aura]
Martial Arts: +3 Attack, +2 Agility, Skill: [Basic Combat]
Dancing: +3 Agility, +2 Appearance, Skill: [Rhythm Flow Lv. 1]
He didn't hesitate. Martial Arts. Obviously.
He moved his finger toward the icon, and then the screen flickered. Just for a moment. A glitch? His finger landed early.
Skill Path Selected: DANCING
Objective: Reach Novice Rank by the end of summer.
Reward: +3 Agility, +2 Appearance
Skill Unlocked: [Rhythm Flow Lv. 1]
Note: Skill path cannot be changed.
He blinked. "…No way."
He stared at it. Tapped to go back. Swiped. Nothing. It was done.
"I didn't mean to—" His voice cracked.
Error: No reselect available.
Tip: Dancing enhances body control, speed, evasion, and social grace.
Kaito stared at the screen like it had betrayed him. He buried his face in his hands.
"This is a joke, right? Dancing? I was supposed to learn how to fight back, not… do pirouettes."
But the choice was locked in. The System didn't care how embarrassed he was. It just waited, silently counting the seconds of his indecision.
He took a breath.
"Okay," he muttered. "Fine. Whatever. Agility's still a stat. It's not like I'm gonna wear sequins."
Two days later, he found himself standing outside Studio Pulse, heart thudding in his chest. The air smelled faintly of citrus and old wood.
Through the glass doors, he could see people stretching, warming up, laughing like they did this every day.
He hadn't felt this self-conscious since middle school.
He stepped in.
The mirrors were worse in person—big, clean, impossible to ignore. They showed every nervous twitch, every awkward fidget. His hands clenched the strap of his bag like it was a lifeline.
A voice snapped him out of it. "Hey there! First timer?"
He turned. A young woman in her mid-twenties stood nearby, ponytail bouncing, hoodie cropped just above her waist. She moved like she owned the air around her.
"I'm Mika," she said. "Beginner's instructor. You look like someone who got dared into this."
Kaito coughed. "Uh, no. I mean—yes. Kinda. I'm just… here to improve coordination."
Her eyebrows rose. "Coordination, huh? And let me guess: 'core strength for sports,' right?"
"...Exactly."
She laughed softly. "You're not the first closet dancer I've met. Come on. You'll survive."
System Notification: Daily Quest: Attend a Dance Class
Reward: +1 Agility Bonus
Objective: Don't trip.
Reward: [Basic Rhythm Lv. 1]
Surviving turned out to be a generous word.
The warm-up was already a test – hip rolls, isolations, moves that felt completely unnatural to his gym-hardened body. He was accustomed to rigid squats and deadlifts. This? It was about flow, about letting go – something he didn't know how to do.
The first time they did a step-turn combo, he moved too quickly and tripped over his own shoe, crashing into a mat stack. A few students stifled laughs.
Kaito sat on the floor, cheeks burning, trying not to crawl under the nearest bench.
"You good?" Mika asked, walking over.
He nodded weakly. "Just... figuring out gravity."
She offered him a hand. "You're stiff as hell, but you're trying. That counts."
After class, Kaito slumped on the floor, drenched in sweat and shame.
Quest Complete: First Dance Class Attended.+1 AgilitySkill
Unlocked: [Basic Rhythm Lv. 1] – Movements begin to sync with the rhythm.
Slight boost to balance.
He blinked. Wait. I leveled up?
He sat up slowly, stretching out his legs. The soreness was real—but so was a weird, subtle shift. He felt lighter. A bit more… aligned?
Maybe dancing wasn't totally useless.
The days that followed settled into a strange new rhythm.
Morning: Gym with Ryo. He lifted heavy, gritted his teeth, and quietly gained strength.
Evening: Dance studio. Steps, turns, awkward flailing. But slowly, his body began to move differently. Looser. Faster.
He didn't tell his parents or anyone. He even changed his route home to avoid anyone from school.
[Basic Rhythm Lv. 1] → Lv. 2
New Effect: Reduced recovery delay during movement-based actions.
He started noticing little things—his feet shifting faster on the treadmill, his dodge timing when Ryo threw medicine balls. Movement had rhythm, Timing, and Precision. He was beginning to feel it.
One night, after a particularly intense routine with Mika, he walked home through a quieter alleyway behind the train station. The sky was darkening, and the air smelled like rain on concrete.
Then he heard a voice, panicked, high-pitched.
"Let me go! I told you I don't have any more!"
Kaito's body tensed. He rounded the corner and saw a kid—maybe 13—pinned against a wall by an older teen in a grey hoodie.
"I saw you get money earlier," the teen snapped, shoving the kid. "Don't lie."
"Please," the boy whimpered. "It's for my mom—she's sick—"
The guy slapped him.
Kaito's breath hitched.
Before he realized it, he was moving.
"Hey!" he shouted.
Both heads turned.
The teen sneered. "What, you his big brother or something?"
"No," Kaito said, voice low. "But I'm not letting you keep doing this."
The guy stepped forward. "You think you can stop me, huh? What, gonna pirouette me to death?"
System Alert: Side Mission: Help the Innocent
Objective: Defend the kid.
Optional: Win the fight without taking damage.
Reward: +2 Appearance, Bonus: +1 Agility
Skill Active: [Rhythm Flow Lv. 2]
Kaito took a breath.
His heart pounded—but beneath the panic, there was rhythm. Footwork. Mika's voice in his head: Flow through it. Stay grounded.
The thug lunged.
Kaito sidestepped in one smooth motion. The guy's punch sailed past his face.
He responded without thinking—one-two pivot, step inside the swing, shoulder tap to off-balance.
The guy stumbled.
Kaito moved like water—ducking low, sweeping the thug's leg. As the guy hit the ground, Kaito planted a foot lightly on his chest.
"Walk away," Kaito said. "Next time, you might meet someone who can't dance."
The guy coughed, wheezed, then scrambled up and ran.
Combat Complete: No damage taken.
Reward Earned: +2 Appearance, +1 Agility
New Passive: [Flow Step Lv. 1] – Slight evasion boost while moving rhythmically.
The kid stared at him, eyes wide. "That was... amazing. Like something out of a movie."
Kaito scratched the back of his neck. "I've, uh, been practicing."
"Thanks, mister!" the boy beamed. "You saved me!"
Then he was gone, sprinting off into the night.
Kaito stood alone, heart thumping—but not from fear. From control.
New Trait: [Improved Presence] – You stand out more. Your presence leaves an impression.
Current Appearance: 3
He glanced at his reflection in a shop window.
He looked… different. Straighter posture. Sharper eyes. Something in his stance had changed.
Confidence.
The next afternoon, he was walking near the station, earbuds in, absently stepping in time with the music.
He didn't notice the figure until a voice cut through the noise.
"Well, well… Kaito-kun?"
He froze.
Aya.
She wore a short skirt and carried her phone like a dagger. Her smile was small, sharp.
"You were... dancing?" she asked, raising a brow.
He didn't answer.
She lifted her phone. "Should I record it? This'll go viral, easy."
System Alert: Optional Event Triggered: Face the Past Status: Risk Detected. Bonus: Stay composed under emotional stress.
For a heartbeat, old instincts screamed—Run. Look away. Break down.
But then something new settled over him.
His shoulders rolled back. His gaze didn't drop.
"I don't care what you do," he said softly.
Aya blinked.
And for the first time, she didn't look amused.
She looked… confused.
To be continued...