First Day Chaos and the Future Diary
We're not here to play games. As we scattered to our respective classes, the second wave of panic hit me. Among all these desks, where the hell was my seat...
"Do-hyun, hi~"
The kids greeting me one by one. I acknowledged each hello.
"Something up? You look kinda down today."
I turned at the voice of a boy who seemed friendly with me.
"Know where my seat is?"
"Seats aren't assigned yet, right? Teacher said they'd do it today."
"Ah, got it. Thanks."
"...?"
The kids stared at me weirdly, puzzled by my tone. But what could I do? I wasn't about to baby-talk just to match their age—that ship had sailed.
I plopped down at any empty desk.
"Gasp! Teacher's here!!"
The class fell deathly silent in an instant. You might wonder how elementary kids could quiet down so fast, but back then, discipline came from the rod. Hate getting hit? Shut your trap—that was rule one.
The old teacher glared at me with murderous intent. In the past, I'd have gouged her eyes and cursed her out, but I'd decided to change, so I held back. Still, what the hell was her problem?
"Acting class president."
"....."
My deskmate tapped my shoulder. These days kids had no manners—interrupting while the teacher was about to speak? A good slap across the cheek would set him straight. But I turned toward the gaze from the teacher's desk.
Our homeroom teacher stared right through me.
"Acting class president..."
Ah... so I was the acting class president.
I suddenly remembered—I'd been class president every single time without fail.
I stood up from my seat.
"No greeting?"
"Sorry."
There was definitely a proper way to salute... I vaguely recalled it.
"Class, attention!"
"....."
"Salute the teacher!"
"Hello!!"
Muscle memory kicked in—or was it vocal memory? The vibe screamed for a "Fight the power!" chant, but thankfully, this worked.
"Good. Class president, sit down. Time for roll call."
The kids raised their hands in response to the elderly teacher's call, answering one by one. Kims came first in line, so I raised mine too.
It was all going smoothly—until after roll call, when the teacher told us to take out our homework.
Seats aren't even assigned yet, and now homework? Fuck this.
I glanced at the kid next to me pulling out a notebook and frantically rummaged through my bag. Lucky little shit—looks like past me had done the homework. No way I wanted a beating on regression day one. My head was chaotic enough already.
The class stayed quiet only briefly; the second the homeroom teacher left, chaos erupted. The kids' high-pitched voices made it feel like their souls were escaping. I could indirectly see why the teacher always looked so drained.
I pulled out my smartphone. The wallpaper read Regret.
Yeah... let's not regret anything.
Time flew by to Saturday—the day Hong Yu-bin got her first confession.
Dad headed out early for work. I didn't want to freak out my parents. I was starting to get what it meant to act like a kid after just three days.
Dad spotted me awake and smiled. Seeing me get up, he asked if I'd woken because of him.
"Yawn... Have a safe trip."
"Oho? Learn that at school?"
"Yeah. Dad, you know we're moving today, right?"
"Oh? Slipped my mind."
I watched him pull out his bike for a moment. I remembered the shop owner where he worked had lent it to him.
"Grab a cream bun on the way home."
"Hehe... Okay! Dad's off!"
Dad looked at me expectantly, then stuck out his cheek. I knew what he wanted. Kissing my thirty-something dad—who was only eight years older than my future self—felt wrong on so many levels. No matter how much he begged with that puppy-dog face.
In the end, he leaned in and planted one himself, then pulled back satisfied.
"Cold out there—get back inside quick."
"Got it."
Dad only left after watching me head indoors.
Mom welcomed me back into the warm blankets.
"My boy's so sensible now?"
"....."
Sensible... If there was a vote for the least sensible guy on earth, I'd win hands down.
"Hand?"
"Yeah."
Mom's large hand enveloped mine. She never saw Dad off properly. After her family's business collapsed, she knew Dad's sacrifices all too well and couldn't bear to say "come home safe"... So she just pretended to sleep every morning, guilt gnawing at her.
Min-ji still hadn't said a word to me. I wanted to be good to her, but this pathetic regressor had no clue how.
I slung on my backpack and headed to school.
Hong Yu-bin, waiting for me, spotted me and came running.
"Why're you out so early?"
"Mom told me to go early. But hey! You see Inuyasha!?"
"Yeah."
Yu-bin chattered nonstop about the manga the whole way. Thanks to her, I roughly searched episodes on my smartphone. She talked so much I couldn't not respond—this was real effort on my part. They said acting was her calling; she was mimicking the heroine perfectly.
We met up with Jun-woo before finally reaching school, then split off again.
Today was the day Hong Yu-bin got seriously bullied. I dropped my bag in my class and headed out.
Her Class 9 was far from my Class 2. No matter how much I regretted the past, she was still a stranger. I'd planned to stay out of it.
But... it wasn't really about Yu-bin. The kid who got rejected and bullied her would end up deeply tied to me later. For the future, better to act early.
My biography might read like a hero's tale, but every line felt like indirect regrets waiting to happen. My one wish: no regrets. The smartphone seemed to whisper that leaving it alone would lead to more.
That pushed me toward Class 9, where a boy was confessing with flowers—except his size didn't match his age.
"How the hell is that kid my age..."
Yu-bin looked troubled, glancing around nervously as she rejected him. The dirt-smeared flowers hit the floor pathetically. The big kid's face flushed red.
Suddenly, he snapped, shoving nearby desks.
"What're you staring at!!! What the fuck are you looking at!!!"
He grabbed Yu-bin's wrist next. Childlike rage left him sputtering incoherently. Yu-bin looked terrified, her face pale.
"Who the hell are you to reject me!?"
I rubbed my throbbing head and approached the boy.
Yeah... this kid was always like this.
"Do-hyun!"
Spotting me, he released Yu-bin's wrist.
Kang Hyeok-su.
"Who the fuck are you!?"
"Yu-bin's boyfriend."
"Hah!"
Kang Hyeok-su snorted and turned to leave. I thought words had solved it—then he whipped back and charged.
Thud!
"Do-hyun!!!"
His massive frame crashed into me before I could dodge; it felt like a car wreck. Not painful, though—my body was too light, so I just flew through the air.
The psycho mounted me and rained down punches. Seeing his face jogged my memory perfectly. Kang Hyeok-su loved being the boss as a kid, picking fights with everyone weaker. He'd extort money regardless of gender, even from parallel classes. Aside from this incident, we had no ties until elementary graduation.
But... in middle school, I beat the shit out of him for overstepping.
"Wanna die!? Who the fuck are you!!! Shithead!!!"
My weak body struggled against his. It was fucking embarrassing. No one would believe an elementary kid was handing my ass to me... No need for a guard; he slapped away my punches effortlessly. To pin my arms, he pressed his knee on my shoulder.
Pinned under Hyeok-su, I tensed my core and lifted my legs for a choke on his neck.
But... memories of what I'd done to him in middle school flooded back. Repeating mistakes...
I sighed and decided to just take the hits. Otherwise, I'd loop the past.
"Stop it!!!"
Yu-bin started sobbing... Just then, her homeroom teacher—a woman—burst in.
"Kang Hyeok-su! What the hell are you doing?!"
The teacher pried him off. I stood, bowing politely.
"Hello."
"Okay, what happened here?"
"Hyeok-su confessed to Yu-bin, she rejected him."
"...Can you explain in more detail?"
Hyeok-su shot me a "don't snitch" glare, but at our age, snitching was quickest.
"When he tried to hurt her for rejecting him, I helped, and he hit me."
"Liar!!!"
"Kang Hyeok-su! Quiet!"
Kids chimed in, backing my story. The teacher nodded.
Hyeok-su looked around in despair.
"Kang Hyeok-su! Hands behind your back, wall!"
"...No!"
"Now!!!"
Under her icy glare, Hyeok-su wiped tears, protesting his innocence. Pathetic kid directing his grievances wrong.
Still, it could end here. He was young... what more?
Kids had sayings like "Kim Do-hyun got wrecked by Kang Hyeok-su." I ignored that crap—not a baby.
Then some random kid passing by covered his mouth, smirked at me.
Crunch.
I glared back instinctively, rationality slipping for a second. That little shit was begging to die...
Back in class, I endured first period. Yu-bin showed up late, thanking me. Cute kid knew gratitude—impressive.
I checked my diary; nothing nagging at me anymore.
"Gotta help with the move when I get home..."
Future Diary
I tapped the app, and there it was—the entry for today's date.