Instructor A's voice pierced through the quiet yet again, her voice amplified by the microphone in her hand. She stood with an air of authority, her sharp eyes scanning the room.

"Oh, I've been watching," she began, her tone almost playful, but with an undercurrent of something else. "I saw it all—the good deeds, the bad ones. Some of you really surprised me, while others... well, let's just say I wasn't shocked."

She paused, tilting her head slightly as if reflecting on the events she had witnessed.

"There were injuries, of course," she continued, her voice dipping slightly. "Perhaps some of those wounds were caused by the actions of others. Or maybe, they were the result of your own choices. Either way, none of it is particularly surprising."

For a fleeting moment, her gaze locked onto me, her eyes piercing as if they could see right through my defenses. A chill ran down my spine. It felt like she'd been watching me specifically, as though every move I made had been under her scrutiny from the very start.

Her expression shifted, a faint flicker of disgust crossing her face.

"Of course," she said with a sigh, "the world is full of evil people. That's nothing new."

Her words hung heavily in the air. I swallowed hard, my mind racing. She hates bad deeds—that much was clear. But if that's the case, does she hate me now? Did my actions, using Sakura as a shield, disgust her too?

"Well, well," she said after a moment, her tone turning lighter, though it did little to dispel the unease in the room. "I suppose congratulations are in order. No one died, after all. Though, I must admit," she added, a touch of sadness creeping into her voice, "it would have been quite shocking if someone had."

The shift in her mood was dizzying. One moment, she sounded almost pleased; the next, there was a shadow of melancholy in her tone.

"Now then," she said suddenly, clapping her hands twice, the sharp sound echoing through the space. "Shall we move on? Time to introduce something very important—your status windows. Don't be too surprised."

As if on cue, a translucent screen materialized before me, floating in the air.

[Notification]

[Karma Gained: -25]

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The murmurs began immediately. All around me, people were talking, their voices a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"What is this?" someone whispered.

"Why is it floating?" another voice asked.

I stared at the screen, my mind swirling with questions of my own. Karma I thought. What does that mean? And why does mine say 'minus 25'?

Beside me, Rei remained calm, as if this wasn't entirely unexpected. He muttered something under his breath, his voice just loud enough for me to catch.

"This… this is just like the system windows in those mangas I read," he said, almost to himself.

Instructor A, ever observant, picked up on the collective confusion.

"My, my," she said, her voice light but commanding. "Look at those puzzled faces. Allow me to explain. What you're seeing is what we call an interface window—or a notification window, if you prefer."

She gave the room a moment to absorb her words before continuing.

"These windows will appear automatically whenever you gain or lose karma. Simple, right?"

I glanced back at my screen, the words [Karma Gained: -25] glaring at me.

So... I lost karma? I thought, unease bubbling in my chest.

"Now," she said, her tone shifting to one of explanation, "About karma. It's not just some abstract concept here. No, no. In this alternate dimension, karma is a tangible, measurable system. Every action you take—whether good or bad—earns or deducts karma points. These points serve two purposes: they determine your moral standing and act as a currency for essential items like tools, weapons, or privileges for survival."

Her words were a lot to take in, but one thing was clear—my karma loss wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"In the event earlier," she continued, "every single good deed and bad deed was recorded. If you gained karma, congratulations. If you lost it, well… maybe think about why."

Her gaze lingered on me again, and I felt my stomach drop.

It's because I used Sakura as a shield, I realized, my thoughts spiraling.

I couldn't stop the dry, bitter laugh that escaped my lips. Of course, that's why, Of course, that's what I get

Next to me, Rei turned, his calm demeanor intact.

"Hey," he said, his tone casual, "how much karma did you get?"

My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't tell him the truth—not when it was so obvious why I'd lost karma.

"Uh… I got 25 karma," I lied, trying to keep my voice steady.

Rei raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "Huh," he said after a moment. "That's not bad. I got 20. I asked around, and no one seems to have more than that."

He smiled faintly, his calmness somehow both reassuring and unnerving. "Guess you're a pretty good guy, huh?"

I forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to me. "Yeah… thanks," I said, the words catching in my throat.

My mind was racing, panic setting in. Did he figure it out? Does he know I lied?

Before I could dwell on it further, Instructor A's voice cut through the noise again.

"All right, everyone!" she announced, clapping her hands once more. "Now that you understand the basics, it's time for the next step. I'll be teleporting you all to your dorms—each of you will be paired with someone you know."

Her tone was almost too cheerful, and I felt a sinking sense of foreboding.

"Clap, clap—to your dorms!" she said, a wide grin spreading across her face.

The room blurred, and when my vision cleared, I was standing in a small dorm room. Across from me stood someone I hadn't expected—someone I didn't want to see.

"H-Hoon? Is that you?" the man said, his voice carrying a mixture of surprise and arrogance. He smirked. "Well, you better follow my orders since I'm your teacher, after all."

It was him. The baldy.

My stomach churned. I didn't know what emotion to latch onto—anger? Annoyance? Resignation?

The TV in the corner flickered on, and Instructor A's face appeared once more.

"Now, now," she said with a knowing smile. "I've paired you all with someone you hate, your rival, if you will. The goal of this exercise is simple: strengthen the bond between you. After all, the essence of being kindhearted is learning to work together—even with those you despise!"

Her words were like salt in an open wound.

"Well then," she said, her grin widening. "Get to know each other and rest up. Good luck!"

The screen turned off, leaving me alone with my so-called "partner."

And just like that, things had gotten a lot more complicated.