[POV: Third-Person]

Hyunwoo stood, packing his things, eyes locked on the shadowy figure darting across the rooftops. Something wasn't right. Without hesitation, he leapt from building to building, his movements smooth and effortless, as if gravity had no hold on him.

BOOM!

An explosion erupted just ahead, sending a shockwave through the air. Hyunwoo skidded to a halt as debris flew past him, his gaze narrowing on the figures now clearly visible. They were fast, too fast, and unmistakably up to something.

"Stop following us, kid!" one of them yelled, turning to face him. The man yanked down his hood, revealing a grotesque face smeared with heavy clown makeup, an unnerving grin plastered across it.

"You see, we're about to rob a bank," the clown-faced man sneered, waving his hand toward the smoke. "And we'd rather not waste these explosives on ya."

Another clown-faced man beside him laughed, but his humor was quickly cut short.

"Shut the f*ck up, Bobby!" the leader snapped, annoyed. "Listen, kid, we're part of The Jokers. If you know what's good for you, you'll fck off!" He flipped Hyunwoo off, then turned to rejoin the others, already leaping to the next rooftop.

Hyunwoo's jaw clenched. He wasn't about to back down. Pulling out his phone, he opened a GPS app, quickly locating the nearest bank. He tapped the screen, calling the police.

"There's gonna be a robbery," he said flatly, "armed, with bombs."

He ended the call, muttering to himself, "I don't want to get involved with the cops… but I can buy them some time."

SWOOSH!

Before the clowns realized what happened, Hyunwoo snatched one of their bags loaded with explosives. He moved fast, so fast they couldn't track him, and stashed the bag far away.

"F*ck! What's with this kid?!" the first man growled, glaring at Hyunwoo. "Are you some kind of vigilante wannabe? You really wanna make enemies with The Jokers?"

Hyunwoo didn't respond. His calm, silent demeanor only frustrated the clowns further. In the blink of an eye, he darted forward, snatching two more bags.

"H-he's superhuman?!" Bobby stammered, his bravado crumbling as he took a step back.

"Damn it," the leader hissed, stepping forward as his goons faltered. "I'll handle this. You guys go ahead."

With a menacing grin, the clown-faced leader removed his gloves. "You might not know this, kid, but I'm what people involved in the superhuman business call a Disruptor." He crouched low, placing his hands on the rooftop's surface.

CRACK!

The cement beneath Hyunwoo exploded, sending shards of debris flying like shrapnel in every direction. Dust filled the air, and the leader stood tall, certain he had the upper hand.

"Sorry, kid," he sneered, "try to call an ambulance if—"

His words stopped dead in his throat. As the dust cleared, Hyunwoo's silhouette emerged, standing tall amidst the chaos, untouched except for a small cut on his cheek.

Hyunwoo wiped the blood away, his expression unbothered. "I guess you were right, Coach… I need to adapt to situations faster."

The leader's eyes widened in disbelief. "How the hell—?!" With a furious shout, he conjured a large spike from the ground, hurling it straight at Hyunwoo.

But Hyunwoo didn't flinch. He didn't even move. He simply exhaled.

The spike passed straight through him, as if he were a ghost.

"Complete mass manipulation," Hyunwoo explained calmly, his voice soft but authoritative. "I made my body completely permeable."

In an instant, he appeared right in front of the leader, faster than the man could react.

"Damn!" the clown leader shouted, but it was too late. Hyunwoo's arm came up in a swift, precise punch to the stomach, and the man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Hyunwoo sighed, feeling the strain in his muscles. "I'll have to take him to the cops…"

A while later, at the bank, the remaining clown-faced men were apprehended as the police, lying in wait, swiftly moved in.

THUD!

The Joker leader's body dropped near them, seemingly out of nowhere, as if thrown from the sky. The police exchanged glances, bewildered by how he got there.

Hyunwoo leaned against a wall in a nearby alleyway, his breaths heavy, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's… it's been a while since I tried to phase through walls…" he muttered, exhausted but relieved.

Slowly, he pushed himself away from the wall and began walking back to where he'd left his bag, the weight of the day starting to sink in.

"What a wild day…" he murmured, his voice echoing softly through the empty alley as the evening settled in.

[POV: Hyunwoo]

"Just these," I murmured, placing a pack of small bandages on the counter. The cashier looked up, a friendly grin on his face.

"Rough day at the gym?" he asked, ringing up the items. I nodded slightly, scratching the back of my head.

"Something like that." My voice was casual, but I could feel the lingering strain in my muscles.

"E-excuse me?" A timid voice interrupted. I turned around, glancing down until I spotted a familiar face staring up at me. A blonde boy with big blue eyes and black-rimmed glasses—he looked a bit like a certain cartoon character I remembered watching as a kid. The one who lived in a pineapple under the sea.

"D-do you remember me?" he stammered, pushing his glasses up nervously. "It's me, Johnny… from the cafeteria the other day?"

I tilted my head, then nodded slowly as the memory came back. "Yeah, I remember. Hey, Johnny."

His eyes widened in surprise, almost as if he wasn't expecting me to actually recall him. He glanced at the bandages in my hand, worry clouding his expression.

"Are you okay? You look… hurt."

"Hmm? Oh, this?" I waved off his concern with a smile. "Just got a little scuffed up at the gym. Nothing serious."

"You go to a gym?" he asked, falling in step beside me as I left the convenience store, chattering away like an excited squirrel. "I didn't know that! That's so cool! Do you do, like, boxing? Or maybe karate? Oh, oh, or MMA?"

I sighed inwardly, letting him ramble on as we walked down the quiet street. Johnny seemed like a nice kid, but he could really talk. After a few more minutes of him hopping from topic to topic, I finally stopped and turned to him.

"Johnny," I said gently, trying not to sound too tired. "What do you want?"

"O-oh! Am I bothering you?" He shrank back, fidgeting with his sleeves.

"A little, yeah. I was just planning to relax and enjoy my evening," I replied honestly. "Why are you following me anyway?"

His face flushed red. "Um, well… I was, uh, planning to go to the arcade tonight," he stammered. "And when I saw you, I thought… maybe you'd wanna come with me?"

I blinked, taken aback. The arcade? It had been ages since I'd gone to one. My thoughts drifted back to all the times I'd owned the high scores back home. I used to be a legend at the claw machines and rhythm games. Unbeatable, even.

"The arcade, huh?" I muttered, my interest piqued.

"Y-yeah, it's just down the street! They've got all the classics," Johnny added quickly, seeing my expression shift.

A slow smile spread across my face. "Alright, sure. I could use a break."

About an hour later, I found myself sprawled on the floor of the arcade, staring up at the flashing neon lights in utter disbelief.

I'd never been this humiliated in my life.

"You okay there, Hyunwoo?" Johnny's voice sounded way too cheery as he crouched down next to me, holding out a soda like a peace offering.

I glared up at him, feeling my pride shatter a little more each time I replayed what just happened in my mind. "You… you're a fiendish being," I muttered, not even sure what I was saying anymore.

He laughed awkwardly. "It's just Dance Mania! I didn't think—"

"'Just Dance Mania'?!" I shot up, gesturing wildly at the game machine with its bright arrows and mocking leaderboard. "I was undefeated back home! I've never lost!"

"Well… I guess you have now," he said softly, trying to hide his smirk.

I narrowed my eyes, then turned to stare at the arcade in frustration. It wasn't just that game. I couldn't win anything. Every time I thought I had the edge, Johnny would demolish me with some ridiculous high score or absurd button-mashing combo. Racing games, shooting games, even a simple whack-a-mole — he beat me at everything.

I glanced at him suspiciously. "How… how are you this good?"

Johnny blinked, then adjusted his glasses, a proud glint in his eye. "Well… I do come here a lot," he admitted sheepishly. "I guess… you could say I'm a bit of an arcade veteran."

"A bit?" I muttered, still trying to comprehend my defeat. I slumped against the nearest wall, staring at the blaring screen of yet another game I'd lost. "No one told me I'd be going up against a gaming prodigy…"

Johnny chuckled, shaking his head. "It's just practice! I'm sure you'll get better if you try a few more rounds."

I looked at him incredulously. "That's what I said to every guy I've knocked out in the ring. It's not as comforting when you're on the losing side."

"True, true," Johnny agreed, then grinned brightly. "But hey, I'd be happy to teach you some tricks! I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but… it looks like you could use a little adaptability, Hyunwoo."

I stared at him, stunned for a moment, before a reluctant smile tugged at my lips. I'd said those same words to myself just earlier today, and now here he was, unknowingly throwing them right back at me. Maybe I did need to adapt — just not in the way I expected.

"Alright, Johnny," I said with a quiet chuckle. "Teach me your ways."

"Great!" His face lit up with enthusiasm. "First, let's start with Dance Mania again. I'll show you the proper timing and—"

"Wait, no, not that one!" I protested, but he was already pulling me back toward the machine.

"Don't worry! Just follow my lead," he said confidently, pointing to the arrows as the music started blaring again.

I sighed, giving in. "Yeah, yeah… I'll get it this time. Probably."

As the game kicked off, I glanced over at Johnny's determined face. For a brief moment, I felt something other than frustration. Maybe it wasn't so bad, having someone who could push me outside of the gym, someone who could challenge me in unexpected ways.

With a deep breath, I focused on the screen. I need to adapt faster, huh? I thought, smiling faintly.

"Bring it on."