Chapter 313
Chapter 313
An unexpected situation where I’m ejected from ‘Park Moon-dae’s’ body and returned to my original one?
Of course, I had considered and prepared for such a possibility. In the beginning, I had even looked for a way to go back.
The problem was… I never imagined I’d be going back with the original owner of the body.
[…….]
“…….”
[Um…]
“Quiet. I’m thinking.”
[Yes…….]
I pressed my palms against my forehead, listening to the voice that sounded like a tearful resonance.
My head throbbed.
‘Fuck.’
I couldn't make heads or tails of… No, first, I needed to gather information.
“You… you’re Park Moon-dae.”
[Yes, yes…!]
The voice lacked a distinct color, but I could grasp his manner of speaking to some extent.
It sounded like a timid kid who had been cowed.
‘Dammit.’
Was this the ‘Conversation with Park Moon-dae’ reward I got for clearing the mission?
There’s a limit to how absurd a reward can be. To suddenly throw a person off the stage like this and call it a reward… Wait.
“…!”
I was… just about to give my acceptance speech for the Grand Prize. At an awards ceremony being broadcast live.
In an instant, my blood ran cold.
[Gun-woo Hyung…?]
Ignoring him, I stood up immediately and began searching the surroundings.
[W-what are you doing?]
“My phone.”
I tossed the blanket aside and asked in a low voice.
“Where’s the phone?”
[I don’t know either… I-I don’t even know why I’m here…!]
I ransacked the room until I finally spotted a small TV sitting on a table-cum-desk next to the sink.
‘A TV?’
I never bought anything like—never mind, just turn it on.
I quickly flipped through the channels until I hit a news station, fearing some kind of breaking news might have popped up. And then… I saw it.
The date displayed in small text at the bottom of the 24-hour news channel.
“…!”
[December 15, 202X]
It was four years ago.
It wasn't the day of the awards ceremony in late November when TeSTAR won their first Grand Prize of the year.
…December 15th. Park Moon-dae’s birthday.
The very day I had entered the body of Park Moon-dae, who had collapsed in a motel after taking sleeping pills.
The day it all began.
“……Ha.”
I took a step back and stumbled as I hit a chair.
[Are you okay??]
I’m back again?
‘No.’
That can’t be right.
I mean, this… everything is far too similar to when I fell into a coma, and even back then……….
Right. Now I’m certain.
“Is this another dream?”
[Huh? Hyung!]
I sat on the edge of the chair and interlaced my fingers. My trembling subsided.
“Fine. Let’s talk.”
Since this was supposed to be a ‘fuck-all’ reward, it had to have some meaning.
I spoke without hesitation.
“Park Moon-dae. You said you didn’t know why you were here.”
[Pardon? …Yes.]
Whether he was lying or not, it meant he wasn't in a state to calmly explain why I had ended up in his body. In that case, I’d take the initiative.
“Then what were you doing right before this mess happened?”
[I, I was…]
The vibrations of the voice wavered unsteadily. I waited patiently for an answer.
[…I was visiting you in the hospital, Hyung.]
“Hyung?”
This was the first I’d heard of Park Moon-dae having an older brother.
But the answer that came back was completely unexpected.
[Gun-woo Hyung. …You, Hyung.]
“…!”
He meant me.
Visiting me in the hospital? What kind of… No, I had sensed something from the start.
‘This guy knows me.’
From the beginning, he had called me ‘Gun-woo Hyung’ without a moment’s hesitation. It meant he was certain of our connection.
I felt like I had grasped a clue. I continued my questioning.
“When?”
[That’s…! That’s what’s strange to me too. I was definitely living in 202X, but the year on the broadcast earlier was weird….]
I had to accept it. It seemed this guy was… the Park Moon-dae from the situation I saw in the final ‘Truth’ verification.
The future Park Moon-dae who wasn't in my memory, the one who had kept in touch after I bought him a meal once.
The trembling resonance echoed again.
[Hyung… do you not know me?]
“I can’t be sure.”
[What??]
It meant I didn't know if I knew him.
“First, tell me the last thing you remember. My… my memories are a bit of a mess right now.”
[O-okay, then….]
Park Moon-dae hesitated but soon began to meekly pour out his memories.
[You… you were hospitalized, and I was worried, so I went to see you. But after that, when I came to, I was like this….]
“Why was I hospitalized?”
[…Uh, because of overwork.]
I tilted my head.
“Don’t lie to me.”
[…!]
The idea of me being hospitalized for overwork was ridiculous. And this guy’s tone changed when he lied.
“It wasn't overwork; there must have been another reason.”
An answer flashed through my mind.
“…Did I try to take my own life?”
[……Yes. H-Hyung… your heart was in so much pain, and you were so exhausted…. I guess you remember that.]
As I thought.
In that last truth verification, I had tried to die, but I must have failed and been rushed to the hospital at just the right time.
I suppose my luck wasn't entirely rotten. Though the situation was absurd, I nodded.
“Roughly. So, what kind of conversation did we have when you visited?”
[We couldn't talk. You hadn't woken up yet, Hyung….]
“…….”
So I was in a coma.
I pressed for more, but he said he hadn't done anything special during the visit. Judging by the nuance, he wasn't lying.
Then there was only one thing left to find out.
“What were you thinking?”
[Pardon?]
Based on the results of my previous cross-examinations, I had formed a hypothesis that for those who returned to the past, the timing of their return was selected based on their final thoughts and desires.
If so, I needed to check this ‘Park Moon-dae’s’ final memory as well. Because I had never once wished to enter Park Moon-dae’s body.
“I’m curious what the very last thing you thought about was.”
For instance, seeing the state I was in, he might have thought he wanted to run away if that was his future.
[…….]
The resonance trembled more violently, but he spoke without hesitation.
[It wasn't much. I just… I just thought I wanted Hyung to be healthy and live a long, long time…….]
“…!”
It was an answer I hadn't expected.
I fell silent, feeling a bit dazed. It was because I felt somewhat… petty.
‘Dammit.’
It was only after a moment that I managed to speak.
“First… I’m sorry.”
[…Huh??]
“I’m sorry for questioning you so aggressively. You must have been shocked too.”
Honestly, finding himself without a body and reduced to a mere voice, it was a miracle he hadn't descended into a full-blown panic.
Dream or not, snapping at the guy was a stupid move. I should have handled this more rationally.
“Anyway, thank you for… thinking that way when you visited.”
[Ah….]
The resonance was tinged with embarrassment and fluster.
[No! It’s nothing! You helped me so much, and I never got to pay you back….]
Pay me back, my ass.
I expected as much, but it seemed he hadn't had much experience receiving help from others. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that over a single bowl of soup.
I’m grateful, but let’s move on to something more productive.
“That’s fine. More importantly, what exactly is your current state?”
[Ah! Well, I can’t move the body… but when you move, Hyung, I can sort of feel it…?]
“I see.”
So we were sharing the same body, but I had control.
In any case, a ‘Conversation with Park Moon-dae’ was indeed taking place. Even if it was in this bizarre fashion of talking within the same body.
‘Why does it have to be like this?’
If the system was going to create a dream anyway, couldn't it just let us talk in our own bodies?
Perhaps… because the ‘real Park Moon-dae’s ego’ no longer existed in the reality I lived in, he was manifested this way.
“Hmm.”
It wasn't a pleasant hypothesis, and it didn't lead to a conclusion. I needed to check how this dream was constructed.
I stood up and began searching for the phone again. That’s when it happened.
[Um, Hyung, are you looking for your phone?]
“Yeah.”
[Could it… could it be in your back pocket?]
The resonance added tentatively.
[Right now, it feels like there’s something in the back pocket….]
Ah.
I immediately reached into my jeans pocket. I found the familiar rectangle.
A sigh escaped me.
“Thanks.”
I can’t believe I didn't consider this because I was out of it. Clicking my tongue, I flipped the phone open.
A pop-up appeared.
[Network registration failed.]
“…?”
This was… the kind of pop-up you’d see on a phone with no service. One without a phone number….
…No way.
Driven by a strange intuition, I immediately turned my head and scanned the room.
Because the room looked exactly as it had back then, I hadn't noticed anything until now, but there was a definite sense of dissonance.
And then I found the cause.
[Hyung?]
It was a family photo sitting on top of the system unit.
A photo of four strangers. Something I would never have taken, bought, or displayed.
The traces of another person.
“…….”
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
When I first entered ‘Park Moon-dae’s’ body, I had checked Ryu Gun-woo’s active accounts, phone number, and website IDs.
They had all vanished.
At first, I thought it was a parallel world, but after verifying that ‘old accounts and records were still there,’ I concluded it was a supernatural erasure.
—‘Ryu Gun-woo’… had vanished from everywhere, including the internet and the real world, starting from the moment I entered ‘Park Moon-dae’s’ body.
And what if, right now… I had just suddenly ‘appeared’ in this situation four years ago?
Without any connection to reality.
To check, I reflexively slapped my face.
[Hyung!]
“…….”
That hurt.
‘Son of a bitch.’
I stood up immediately. I examined my surroundings more closely.
And I reached a conclusion.
‘This isn't where I used to live.’
And judging by the pain, it wasn't a dream either. This is fucking reality.
Then, the first thing I should do realistically is….
“Let’s go.”
[Go out??]
Yeah. If the lease agreement has been reset, it means I’m currently in someone else’s house!
I hurriedly left my studio apartment, which had now become someone else’s room.
I hadn't touched anything in particular, so they probably wouldn't notice a trespasser had been there.
The problem was what came next.
‘What I have right now is…’
A folder phone that’s basically a paperweight. And about 140,000 won in my wallet.
“….”
Naturally, I wouldn't have a bank account either.
‘I want to kill someone.’
I gnashed my teeth. Then I called out.
“Status Window.”
Something did pop up.
[Receiving reward]
“……”
Stay calm.
I could take this in a positive light. It meant things would return to normal once the reward was received.
I quickly suppressed the memory of my situation right before the acceptance speech. Thinking about it now wouldn't help.
“Whew.”
Park Moon-dae, who had roughly grasped the situation, lowered his voice as the resonance hummed.
[Hyung, um… are you okay? What on earth is happening….]
“I’m fine.”
I wasn't, actually. But since throwing a fit wouldn't change anything, I shut my mouth and sat down.
The most urgent thing right now.
‘I don’t have a home.’
No, it wasn't just a home; I had no foundation. Every social connection had been reset.
I didn't know how long this damn situation would last, but I couldn't go on without even a working phone.
…Then there was only one thing to do.
Having reached a conclusion, I started walking again.
[Um… where are we going now?]
“The convenience store.”
I added nonchalantly.
“I’m going to buy lottery tickets.”
[Lottery… tickets? Um, I think I’ve come to the past too, but I don’t know the Lotto numbers….]
There’s a misunderstanding here.
“I know the numbers.”
[….]
I opened the phone again.
Even though it was a paperweight that couldn't make calls, I could still check the day of the week.
—Friday.
And tomorrow, Saturday, was the day the lottery winners were announced.
Think about it.
As soon as I entered Park Moon-dae’s body, the first thing I thought about was that I didn't know any stocks or Lotto numbers. Do you really think I could have ignored the numbers announced the very next day?
Even if just out of regret, you’d look at them at least once.
And such a striking experience tends to stick in your mind.
‘I still remember them.’
As soon as I entered the convenience store, I bought about twenty Lotto tickets, including every variation of the one or two numbers I was fuzzy on.
“One of these is guaranteed to hit.”
The resonance vibrated as if he were gulping.
[Hyung… you’re really smart.]
It wasn't a matter of being smart; it was a matter of the situation. To understand that, I’d first have to explain everything I went through after entering his body.
‘For now… this guy seems too exhausted.’
Anxiety had begun to seep into the resonance a while ago. The reality of the situation was finally sinking in, and he was scared.
‘I’ll give him some time to rest first.’
I then booked a reasonably priced accommodation. I only needed to hold out until Monday morning, so the cash I had was sufficient.
‘I’ll rest for now and talk after my head cools down.’
I’d tell him what I went through and explain the exact situation as soon as I woke up.
I spoke as I lay down on the bed.
“If you can’t sleep even after I fall asleep, wake me up.”
[Pardon? No! I’m fine…….]
“Wake me.”
I checked the status window, which still only displayed ‘Receiving reward,’ and fell asleep instantly.
Light poured in through my eyelids.
[Gun-woo Hyung…?]
“Gasp.”
I inhaled sharply and opened my eyes. My head felt clear, as if I had slept quite deeply.
And then I heard a voice that sounded like it was on the verge of tears.
[Hyung! Ah, I thought you were still here…!]
Why is he so glad to see me? I sat up.
And then I was taken aback.
“…?”
Instead of a motel, I saw the interior of an officetel. Green trees and sunlight shimmered outside the window.
“…….”
It was definitely not December.
“What the hell.”
But the resonance spoke first.
[Ah, Hyung! We won the Lotto! We got 1.2 billion won!]
That was good. But what those words meant was that enough time had passed to claim the prize and buy a house.
I asked him exactly that.
“It seems quite a bit of time has passed since I bought the lottery tickets.”
His voice immediately became much smaller.
[Yes. Um, after you bought the tickets, Hyung… I woke up the next day, and you were gone, and I had become you…?]
What?
[S-so, for now, I just lived like that….]
It was a load of bullshit that made my head spin.
‘…Stay calm.’
At least it seemed the lottery win was real, so money wasn't an issue.
I looked around the place, which seemed much better than the studio apartment I used to live in, and crossed one worry off my list.
But the most mind-boggling part happened next.
[And, um… Hyung. After you disappeared, something strange popped up……….]
“What?”
[L-look at this….]
A moment later.
[!Status Effect: Death if Not Passing!(1)
If you do not receive a score without any failing marks on the first written exam of the ‘Level 7 Civil Service Examination,’ you will die.]
“…….”
These motherfuckers, seriously……