The morning came heavy.
Kai opened his eyes to the cold air of the countryside. It wasn't harsh — just honest.
Birds chirped in the distance. Dew clung to the tall grass. But none of it mattered. Because today marked the first day of his rebirth.
Nam stood in the yard, already dressed in a light training gi, his hands behind his back. The old man's gaze held both strength and softness.
"Let's begin," he said simply.
Kai nodded.
And so it started.
The pain. The push. The beginning.
Nam didn't go easy. His training was relentless — push-ups, core drills, striking, sprints uphill, stance correction — repeated again and again.
Kai's body screamed.
But he didn't break.
He refused to.
And Nam noticed.
"This boy… he doesn't stop," Nam muttered to himself during a break, sweat dripping down his brow. "Just like him…"
The old master narrowed his eyes.
"You really are his blood."
Later that evening, after training, Nam offered, "Kai, stay here. With my family. It'll be easier for you."
Kai gave a tired smile. "I appreciate it… but I don't want to be a burden. I'm fine at Grandpa's house."
Nam sighed. "You're as stubborn as your grandfather."
Kai chuckled faintly, brushing the dirt off his pants.
Nam finally nodded. "Fine. But you're coming over for dinner. My wife will scold me if I let you eat instant noodles."
That evening, Kai joined Nam's family. The warmth surprised him.
Nam's wife welcomed him like her own.
And then there were the kids.
Eva — the calm, composed eldest daughter. She gave a polite nod but seemed reserved.
Miko — the middle sibling, full of fire. She studied Kai with curious, narrowed eyes.
And Seo — the youngest, a boy a bit younger than Kai, clumsy but cheerful, asking nonstop questions about city life.
They sat around the table, laughter flowing like water. It felt strange. Like a life Kai had once glimpsed in a dream.
But night came again.
And Kai returned to his grandfather's house — the old, creaky place that now held his future.
He opened his laptop.
There was still internet.
It was time.
"To burn them down… I need power.
To get power… I need wealth."
He browsed freelance sites, side hustles, crypto forums, AI gigs, investment tricks, everything he could get his hands on.
It was a mess — but it was a start.
But then… as he sat in the backyard under the moon, a question crawled into his head like a whisper.
"That shadow... the one who stopped me from jumping… who were they?"
He didn't know.
But someday, he would find out.
Scene Shift: Back at Kai's House
The living room was quiet.
Too quiet.
His stepmother scrolled through her phone with growing frustration. "Still no message. No call. Did he really leave us?"
The younger stepsister kicked the coffee table lightly. "He's bluffing. That loser wouldn't last a week."
But the older one stared out the window, arms crossed. "He's not coming back."
They all turned toward the silence.
Kai's father sat still, eyes glued to the empty chair across the table.
His coffee had gone cold. Untouched.
"He really left," the father murmured. "No message. No goodbye."
And for the first time in years…
None of them spoke.
Scene Shift: At School
The bell rang, but the energy in the air was different.
"Kai's not here again?"
"I heard he disappeared."
"No one knows where he went."
Students whispered in corridors, hallways echoing with rumor after rumor. Some joked. Some stayed quiet. Some didn't care.
But many did.
Especially one.
Mai – The Girl He Loved
She sat in class, staring at the window. Her hands clutched her pen, unmoving.
The world outside went on like nothing had happened.
But her chest felt heavier every hour Kai didn't walk through that door.
She remembered the way he used to look at her — not like the others did. He saw her.
And now… he was gone.
She didn't know what to feel.
"He tried to tell me something… but I didn't listen."
Tears threatened, but she blinked them away.
Then she opened her phone.
The posts were still there — mocking, cruel, filled with hate.
Her heart twisted.
"He was kind… even when the world wasn't."
Rem – The So-Called Best Friend
At lunch, Rem laughed loud.
Too loud.
"I told you he was off. You guys didn't believe me."
He leaned back smugly, tossing chips into his mouth.
"I just wanted to keep Mai safe. You saw that interview, right?"
Someone muttered, "You looked real heroic there."
He smirked. "Damn right I did."
But when no one else laughed, he looked away.
He scrolled his messages. Nothing from Kai. Of course.
He'd stabbed him in the back and twisted the blade in public.
Yet something lingered — a chill on his spine.
"What if he comes back?"
Rem didn't say it aloud.
But he couldn't stop thinking it.
Because if Kai did come back…
He wouldn't be the same boy.
Back to Kai…
The night wind brushed his face as he lay in the grass.
The stars above didn't speak — but they listened.
And Kai whispered:
"They laughed when I broke.
Let's see how loud they are… when I rise."