Lou had spent the first week of his two-week suspension confined to the house, the walls of his room closing in on him. Though stifling, it offered him a chance to rest and clear his head, feeling like he was finally moving past that "I just got my powers and don't know what to do" phase. He spent hours staring at the ceiling, letting his thoughts untangle.

However, the second week had been an entirely different beast. Nate, his older cousin, had been relentless in their training sessions. Lou had requested him, eager to improve, but they often ended with him sprawled on the ground, nursing bruises and aching muscles. Lou's backyard transformed into a training ground, reeked of sweat and determination. The primary reason for Lou's constant defeats was his stubborn refusal to use his Cringe Power.

"I shouldn't rely so much on my special power," Lou muttered under his breath, frustration gnawing at him like a persistent itch. His resolve stemmed from the humiliating defeat by Derek, who didn't even have a special power but had still managed to beat Lou despite his boosted stats. In the Dojo Hunts and the Duel League, he couldn't rely on his opponents cringing at him. He needed real fighting experience, and Nate's brutal training was the only way.

Despite his current stats making him much stronger than a normal human, Lou knew his future opponents wouldn't hesitate to use their powers. The fights with Nate had proven that. But Lou had something unique: the ability to increase his stats at will, a power he hadn't heard of anyone else possessing. With high enough stats and ample fighting experience, he was confident he could beat anyone.

By the end of the two weeks, Lou was ready to return to school. Academics didn’t worry him; it was the strain on his family that gnawed at him. His mother, Julia, had been particularly cold, her icy glares and clipped tones making the house feel like a tundra. Even the relationship between his parents seemed strained, their whispered arguments echoing through the walls.

As he left for school that morning, his parents were already seated at the breakfast table, a silent tension hanging in the air like a storm cloud. Lou sensed the weight of his mother's gaze, bracing himself for the inevitable lecture. He tried to eat quickly and escape, but he wasn’t fast enough.

"Look at me," Julia's voice cut through the air, sharp and stern, her eyes boring into him with an intensity that made him squirm. "No more trouble, alright? If the school calls again, I won’t even look at your face again."

"Okay, Mommy, I promise I won't fight at school again," Lou replied, lowering his head like a scolded child, the weight of his guilt heavy on his shoulders.

"'Mommy' now, is it? You only call me that when you're guilty. I’ve worked myself to the bone for years, and this is what I get? My son using his powers to beat up people at school," Julia snapped, her voice laced with a bitterness that stung more than any physical blow. She threw a glance at George, clearly expecting him to chime in.

"Your mother’s right, son. While I did tell you not to let people push you around, this isn’t what I had in mind. And fix your goddamned clothes. Why do you look so shabby? Are you trying to become a delinquent?" George's calm tone grew sharper with each word, his disapproval palpable.

Lou's scruffy appearance was due to his experiment with his Fashion Sense skill, trying to lower his charisma by two points. He was curious to see if his Cringe Aura would still work with a charisma score of three. Besides, he didn't want to attract too much attention with a high charisma score.

"Okay, Dad... I just wanted to defend myself, you know that. Please don’t treat me like I’m always beating people up. And Mommy, you know I love you, don’t be like this," Lou said, standing up and trying to pinch his mother’s cheeks in a playful attempt to lighten the mood.

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"Stop it, you goof... I haven’t fully forgiven you yet," Julia said, her stern facade cracking just a little, her softened expression betraying her true feelings. The storm had not entirely passed, but at least the clouds were beginning to part.

George's booming voice echoed behind him. “Fix your clothes!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll fix it,” Lou replied, though he had no intention of doing so. He closed the door behind him, letting the cool morning air in his lungs. He needed that after this argument.

As he walked to the bus stop, his mind was preoccupied with his Cringe Aura skill. He was trying to figure out its limits. Would three charisma points be enough? Or did he need to be even more charismatic for people who already found him cringey?

Lost in these thoughts, he barely noticed how quickly he arrived at the bus stop. He glanced at the people around him and focused on his Cringe Progression Bar. It didn’t budge. Lou took a deep breath. “Let’s see how my classmates react,” he muttered to himself.

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Lou entered the classroom with only one thing on his mind: Cringe Bar. But as soon as he stepped in, no one even glanced his way. Everyone was crowded around a desk at the back of the room. As Lou took a closer look, he noticed that many of the onlookers weren’t even from their class. It was a veritable stampede.

Pushing through the throng of students, Lou made his way to his desk, curiosity gnawing at him. The people he nudged aside shot him irritated glances, as if he were interrupting something crucial. These reactions only fueled his curiosity further.

After the struggle, Lou finally broke through the crowd and reached his desk, nearly swallowing his tongue at the sight before him. The cause of all the commotion was Derek, lounging with his feet up. Derek was practically glowing, despite the neck brace Lou had caused him to wear.

Lou, taken aback by Derek’s charm, thought, “What the fuck is going on? What had happened to this guy in just two weeks?"

Derek noticed Lou and, with a slight look of surprise, leapt to his feet with unexpected agility for his bulky frame. He signaled for the crowd to make way with a single hand gesture, and everyone obeyed as if mesmerized.

“Oh shit, here we go again,” Lou muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. “If I fight him again, my mom will kill me.”

However, Derek's body language was not that of someone looking for a fight. Radiating charisma, he approached Lou’s desk and extended a friendly hand. “Hey Lou… It’s been a while. I guess that’s partly my fault,” Derek said, smiling with all 32 teeth, exuding a sincerity that felt almost too genuine.

Despite his suspicions, Lou couldn’t resist shaking Derek’s hand. “Hi Derek. I’m sorry about what happened. You know, I couldn’t control my power,” Lou said, incredulous at his own words. ‘Why am I apologizing to this jerk? What the hell is going on?’ he thought, trying to rationalize his actions.

“No man, it’s fine… You see, I’ve changed. I’m not the old Derek anymore. If I hadn’t provoked you, none of this would have happened. I should be the one apologizing for being such a jerk to you all this time.” Derek’s words flowed melodiously, almost like poetry.

Lou, still wary, couldn’t help but believe in Derek’s sincerity. The crowd around them watched Derek with rapt attention, completely entranced. At that moment, a light bulb went off in Lou’s head. ‘This bastard has definitely gained a charisma-based power.’

“Really? Derek… thanks. Your apology means a lot. But what changed in two weeks? This… you… you’re nothing like the Derek I remember. Don’t tell me I missed your birthday,” Lou said, subtly probing for answers while finding himself unwillingly forgiving Derek.

“You clever devil!” Derek said with exaggerated flair. “You’ve always been so smart. I should have known you’d figure it out. Yes! I turned 18 last week and gained a strange power, unlike anything I’ve heard of before.”

“Really? Happy birthday man. Would you like to share what your power is with me? If you want to keep it private, I totally understand.”

“Why keep it a secret? The whole world will know soon enough. I’m joining the Duel League, you see,” Derek said with a wink before finally revealing his power. “It’s I guess a growth-type power? Something called Power of Heroism.”

Lou froze. ‘Power of What?’ Derek had gained a growth-type power and was joining the Duel League? He tried to mask his shock. “That’s great! You know, I’m joining the Duel League too… Maybe we’ll face off there, huh?”

Derek grinned broadly. “Haha! That would be awesome.” As the bell rang and the crowd began to disperse, Derek leaned in close to Lou, his tone shifting entirely. “Then I could make you pay for what you did to me in front of millions.”

Lou recoiled slightly, but before he could react further, the teacher entered the classroom, and Derek returned to his seat.

“Good morning, teacher. We’ve been waiting for you!” Derek said in a playful tone.

The entire class and the teacher laughed at this nonsense. The girls kept glancing at Derek, and even the teacher started praising his intelligence. Lou was the only one not laughing because he understood exactly what was happening.