The System Awakens

Six in the evening.

Min-ho came home and showered. The day had torn past him in a blur — the debt paid off at the bank, and then the hours with Seo-yoon.

Seo-yoon... she was really something.

He looked at himself in the mirror. A hundred and sixty-eight centimeters. Still short, though it had stopped being a sore spot.

I've got... another weapon now.

His phone chimed. Su-jin.

Min-ho turned it over.

Su-jin...

The bank clerk. Pretty, and not shy about going after what she wanted.

Min-ho smiled.

Su-jin's place was a small studio apartment in Sillim-dong. He pressed the doorbell.

"Come in!"

He opened the door and stepped inside.

She was there to meet him, hair still damp from the shower, wearing nothing but a thin silk robe. It didn't look as if she had a thing on underneath.

"Welcome, Min-ho."

She took his hand and led him in. It was a small room, but tidy.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Water's fine."

"All right."

She brought the water and sat down beside him.

"Min-ho."

"Yes?"

"When I saw you at the bank today... I was really shocked."

Color rose in her cheeks.

"I've... never seen one that big."

Heat climbed into Min-ho's face.

"And when you got hard... I was even more shocked."

She leaned in close.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"If I'm honest... I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since."

"About me?"

"Yes. Even after I got off work and came home, it was still... you. Over and over."

She looked straight at him.

"I wanted to see you. Really."

His heart picked up speed.

"I did too... Su-jin..."

"Min-ho."

She undid the tie of the robe, and it slid off her. A firm body, a hundred and sixty-five centimeters of it, stood bare in front of him. As he'd thought, she wore nothing underneath.

"I've... never done anything like this. Coming on this strong."

She started working his shirt off.

"But you... you're special."

The shirt came away. Her hands moved to his leggings.

"I've been wondering since this morning. How big you really are..."

She drew the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leggings down slowly, and he sprang free, already hard.

"Oh my God..."

Su-jin forgot to breathe.

"I was shocked this morning, but seeing it this close..."

She tried to take him in both hands. Even both of them couldn't close around him.

"Min-ho... this... is it really... going to fit?"

"If we go slow... it will."

"I'll... do my very best..."

She sank to her knees and opened her mouth. Not even half of him would go in. He was simply too big.

"Mmm..."

She gave it everything she had, but about a third was her limit.

"Min-ho... I'm sorry. This is as far as I can go..."

"It's all right."

She got to her feet.

"Let's go to the bed."

They moved to the bed, and Su-jin lay down first.

"Come up, Min-ho. Slowly."

He climbed over her. His heart was hammering like it meant to break free.

"I'll guide you."

She took hold of him and set him against her entrance.

"Slowly... come in very, very slowly."

He pushed his hips forward. Heat closed around him, tight and narrow.

"Ahh — wait, wait..."

She shoved at his chest. Not even a quarter of him was inside, and she was already struggling.

"You're too... big. Give me time to adjust..."

Min-ho held still and waited. One minute. Then two.

"Try... coming in a little more..."

He pressed forward carefully. When he was about halfway in —

"That's enough! No more than that..."

Sweat beaded on Su-jin's face.

"Now... move. Slowly... very slowly..."

He began to move with care, drawing out slowly and pressing back in just as slow.

"Ah... Min-ho... that feels good..."

Her moans filled the little room. Bit by bit he found a rhythm, instinct taking hold of his body and steering it.

"There... yes... just like that..."

Her legs wrapped around his waist. He couldn't have said how long it went on.

"Min-ho... I'm... almost..."

She started to tremble.

"Together... let's finish together..."

He was at his limit too. A few seconds later, the two of them came at the same moment.

"Min-ho...!"

She cried out and locked her arms around him.

In that instant —

A chime rang inside his head. Min-ho startled and pulled away from her.

"Min-ho? What's wrong?"

"Ah... it's nothing. Just a second..."

He closed his eyes. Something was there. A transparent window rose up before him.

Min-ho couldn't breathe.

What... is this?

A Status Window. The kind of thing he'd only ever seen in a game was floating in his own head.

Level up?

On instinct, he chose yes.

Excitement shot through him.

I can raise my stats!

The first thing that came to mind was his height. A hundred and sixty-eight centimeters — the number that had shamed him his whole life.

If I can actually grow taller...

He didn't hesitate.

Warmth flooded his body all at once — the sensation of bone drawing longer.

"Nngh..."

"Min-ho? Are you all right?"

Su-jin's voice was worried.

"Yes... I'm fine..."

A few seconds later the warmth ebbed. Min-ho got up and took the measure of himself. Something was definitely different.

Two centimeters... I'm one-seventy now...

It was the shortest a man could stand and still walk into a room, offer his name, and call himself a man without ducking his head.

He turned to the ten points he had left.

Looks? Stamina? Strength?

He thought it through, then decided.

Ah. He was one point short.

With ten points... putting three into Looks is the best I can do.

Warmth moved through him again, this time across his face. His skin felt a shade clearer, his features coming into slightly sharper focus.

"Huh..."

He went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The difference was real. The plain face he'd always had looked a little more handsome.

"Min-ho, something about you is different...?"

Su-jin was staring at him, wide-eyed.

"You're imagining it."

Min-ho smiled, and called the window back up.

Min-ho smiled.

This is it... where it really starts.

He could raise his height. His looks. His stamina. All of it.

The more I experience... the stronger I can become.

"Min-ho, are you all right? Your face looks strange."

"I'm fine. I'm just... really happy."

He pulled Su-jin into his arms.

"Thank you, Su-jin."

"All of a sudden? For what?"

"No reason... I'm just grateful."

He closed the window. A thought was all it took to open it whenever he wanted, and to shut it again.

I can't wait to see what comes next.

A new ability. Endless room to grow. And a next quest he still couldn't see.

"Min-ho."

Su-jin looked up at him.

"You seem... taller than you were a minute ago. Or am I imagining it?"

Min-ho laughed.

"You're imagining it."

But he really had grown two centimeters. One hundred and seventy.

From here on... this is the real start.

Min-ho's life in Sextopia had entered a new stage.

The next day.

Min-ho woke early, at home. He looked in the mirror. The change was unmistakable — his height, and his face.

One-seventy... as a man, I've finally got the minimum in order.

And today was the day his debut went out into the world.

Six in the evening.

I'm nervous...

His phone chimed. Seo-yoon.

He sent a reply.

A new life. A new power. And today, a debut the world was about to see.

Min-ho's future was boundless.