Chapter 15
The next day, I had to endure a barrage of questions from my friends after showing up to school perfectly fine despite leaping out the classroom window like some movie star. I even went and apologized to the teacher who’d witnessed the whole thing.
High school senioritis. It was the perfect excuse that fit any situation.
“I’ve been thinking... maybe Moon-soo’s aptitude is movie star?”
“Nah, that’s not it. They use stuntmen for the dangerous scenes.”
“Then he’ll be a stuntman!”
“Even stuntmen don’t pull off reckless stunts like Moon-soo does.”
The kids, who loved meddling in everyone else’s business, turned my aptitude into a heated debate topic.
Movie star, stuntman. Both wrong. My aptitude’s shaman.
The old me would’ve chimed in and played along, but now just sitting back, watching and listening to them felt good.
I’d changed! The world looked beautiful just because I wasn’t repeating the same time over and over.
“Hey, look at Moon-soo’s face.”
“He’s grinning like an idiot all of a sudden.”
“Leave him be. Probably imagining something fun.”
“He’s not looking so hot.”
Even if they misunderstood! Finally...
People I’d ignored like mannequins before now seemed like regular folks. Being in a space full of people made me feel truly present among them. Bonds between people. The promises society demands. Things I’d lost inside myself were coming back, little by little.
No.
Too early to relax. If I lost to Song Seon-yeong in today’s match, I’d lose it all again.
“Kang Moon-soo.”
“Yes.”
“If you don’t like it, don’t jump out the window—tell the teacher instead. Can you solve problem 2 on page 341?”
The teacher asking a student to solve a problem! I could occult-regress and erase it, but this was karma I had to bear.
“Of course.”
I had to, to keep moving forward without stopping.
* * *
I didn’t know the details, but apparently Song Seon-yeong’s mom, a former national team swimmer, pulled strings to let us use part of the sports university pool for a bit.
My heart’s pounding.
Changing into my swimsuit in the locker room and stepping into the pool made my heart race with tension—way more than my first Aptitude Test!
Song Seon-yeong... ah!
She, who was always late, had beaten me there today.
“You’re early.”
Song Seon-yeong’s suit was a one-piece competition style designed to cut water resistance, meant to beat me. Even her long legs, always pretty before, looked intimidating now.
“Don’t forget our promise.”
Her sharp glare carried a grim resolve. No trace of her early cockiness or arrogance. She’d almost caught up.
“You too.”
If I won, no suicide no matter the aptitude. If I lost, I’d become her Adam in their private paradise...
Losing wouldn’t be so bad.
Living eternally with a beautiful Eve, no money worries in capitalist society! Even if everyone else was a mannequin, not being alone made it fine. She was probably thinking the same.
Win or lose, it’s good.
No worst-case scenario either way.
...No.
I had to win. If the occult didn’t trigger even once, Song Seon-yeong would die.
I shook off the complacent reliance on the unknown occult.
“Ready...!”
The judge was a safety officer whose aptitude was swim coach. Having refereed university matches for years, he’d see better than any civilian.
“......”
“......”
We’d cleared out other users and stood side by side at the starting line. The signal was the big clock face at the pool’s front—go when the second hand hit 12.
Tick, tock, tick, tock...
Tick—tock!
Now...!
Splash!
I dove smoothly and stared straight ahead.
Breathing, form, stamina...
Ignoring where Song Seon-yeong was, I focused only on max speed. Everything she’d taught me flashed back.
Whoosh—
Pushing through the water, I surged forward.
Thanks.
She’d planned to shatter her confidence and change her aptitude. I’d started swimming because of her, but it was filled with fun, happy memories.
Tap.
My fingertips hit the wall.
That story would have to wait. “Puha!”
I surfaced, gulping air. The judge’s whistle blared like thunder.
Where’s Song Seon-yeong?
I whipped my head to check her position.
“Hoo...”
Leaning against the pool wall, she steadied her ragged breathing while looking at me.
Did I lose? Win?
Too close to tell. We both glanced at the safety officer.
“Who won?”
“Who was faster?”
He stared blankly at the stopwatch. Snapping to at our urging, he yelled,
“Oh, right! The winner is...!”
* * *
We sat side by side, feet dangling in the pool water, cooling our heated bodies and sweat as time passed.
“......”
“......”
No eye contact, no talk, but right now, it felt okay.
But everything has a beginning and an end. Even this silence couldn’t last forever.
“...I lost.”
Splash, splash~ In a calm tone, Song Seon-yeong admitted defeat, playfully kicking her legs to make waves. She was acting nonchalant, like it was no big deal.
“It was close.”
“A loss is a loss. Mom said the same about her big matches... they don’t hand out half-medals or pensions for narrow defeats.”
“Hate competing against someone?”
“...I don’t hate it. If I really did, I wouldn’t be a swimmer.”
“Yeah... true.”
I’d said it without thinking, but it was a dumb question. If she truly hated competition, her aptitude wouldn’t have been swimmer.
But it was fact that she hated her fiercely competitive aptitude. I had to ask.
“What do you wanna do?”
“Dunno.”
“How about taking the Aptitude Test first, then figuring it out?”
“...Moon-soo.”
“Yeah?”
“I know what you’re worried about. But I think it’s worth the risk. What if I prepare, then suicide just one last time?”
“Prepare how?”
“To get rich.”
“Ah...”
She planned to memorize stock and real estate info, then regress one final time. A flexibility issue. But what guaranteed that one last exception was safe?
Nothing.
“Not breaking the promise. Just one last time.”
“......”
“Not a bad deal, right? You get rich too.”
“Hm...”
Deadly temptation, like the devil’s whisper. Rational, pragmatic, future-focused... Perfect if the occult triggered just once more.
“Moon-soo. Let’s do it.”
“...Sorry.”
“Why?”
“I get the easy path to riches. But it’s not worth staking your life.”
“It’s worked fine so far.”
“Not anymore.”
My gut screamed it. Relying on the occult like this would lead to big regrets.
“How do you know?”
No hard proof. But I had to show her.
“Because I’m a shaman.”
The reason for my certainty.
“Ah...”
“As a shaman, I know. There’s no next time for us.”
“...Sure?”
“Sure.”
If I was wrong, I’d rob her of getting rich forever. But no regrets.
“I can’t believe it.”
“I don’t wanna give up getting rich either.”
No regrets!
“Ah...”
“You’re not the only one giving it up. But no choice. No next time.”
“...Okay.”
“Thanks for trusting me!”
“Just one last question.”
“Anything.”
“If I’d won, what were you gonna do? You said no next time.”
Fair question. I answered without hesitation.
“Die with you then. My fault for not stopping you.”
“......”
“Don’t believe me?”
“...One favor.”
“What?”
“If I try suicide again, stop me.”
“Got it.”
“Let’s go. Before that guy gets annoying.”
The swim coach, shocked by our times, eyed us like a hyena stalking prey.
Could we slip out quietly?
“...Ladies first.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll handle him. You go.”
“Ah! Thanks.”
Getting it, Song Seon-yeong smirked and headed to the locker room.
“Hey, kid...!”
“She’s a friend. I won, too. Whatever you wanna say, say it to me.”
Not that I had time for a long chat with my part-time job soon!
* * *
Maybe because I realized time doesn’t come back? I didn’t waste it, using every minute fully.
“Moon-soo hyung~!”
Choi Kang-hun, my second-year junior I’d been tight with since snot-nosed elementary days, came running up. I’d never noticed since I don’t care about guys’ looks, but this kid had legs almost as long as Song Seon-yeong’s.
Wait, does this guy...?
I could picture a squad of girls cheering on the flower boy walking by the pool.
“...Hyung?”
“Ahem! Nothing. What’s up?”
“Heard you’re dating a pretty senior.”
“Who’s spreading that nonsense...”
“It’s all over school? Someone saw you picking out women’s underwear at the department store.”
“......”
I wanted to wring the neck of whoever started that rumor.
“Hyung, is it true?”
“Yeah, true. Can’t agree on ‘dating’ though.”
Our relationship had gotten awkward since the swim match. We just exchanged glances in the halls now.
“Whoa!”
“To you, who gets confessions daily—”
“So cool! That’s manly!”
“You think...?”
Didn’t he say rejecting girls’ confessions was manly?
No clue what Choi Kang-hun thought was manly anymore.
“Hyung! Hyung!”
“What now?”
“If I jump out a window like you, will I get manly too?”
“Kek! Never try it! Don’t even imitate—cough cough!”
Shocked, I choked and pounded my chest, desperately stopping him.
He’s dead set on dying!
He’d become a ghost before a cool guy.
“I know. I’m too scared to jump.”
“Good... Huh? How’d you know?”
“Tried it at home.”
“Lord...”
I could imagine his parents’ shock without seeing it. If word got out he tried because of me?
Chills.
“You’re amazing, hyung.”
“Kang-hun. Ignoring stairs for a window isn’t amazing—it’s just stupid.”
“Not that.”
“Then?”
“Your Aptitude Test results just came out. You’re the only one acting chill.”
“What...”
I’d taken it a couple times; no biggie.
“So what’s your aptitude?”
“Guess that hasn’t spread yet.”
“Just got it. Too soon for rumors?”
“Oh, right.”
Mixed up past memories.
“You’re always in the spotlight, so it’ll spread fast... What is it?”
“Shaman.”
“Whoa! For real?!”
“Yeah.”
“Awesome! Knew your aptitude would be manly too, Moon-soo hyung!”
“...Kang-hun?”
“Yeah!”
“Do you even know what a shaman is?”
“Duh! They punish evil ghosts. I’ve watched tons of Yuil-am’s streams!”
“I see...”
Our ideas of ‘shaman Yuil-am’ were worlds apart. Crystal clear.
“Ah! Hyung! Girlfriend’s behind you!”
“I don’t have a—”
“Shaman.”
Song Seon-yeong really called from behind. Fine, but Choi Kang-hun’s fish-with-a-mouth expression bugged me.
“You told her your aptitude already?! Cool! Putting girlfriend first!”
“That’s—”
“I’m quick on the uptake—gonna bounce! Bye~!”
“Hey, listen to hyung first—Choi Kang-hun! Hey! Hey~!”
Whoosh~ He vanished like the wind on those long legs.
“Quick on the uptake my ass...”
“You’re the oblivious one. What were you gonna say to your close junior? If I’m not your girlfriend, what am I?”
“Girlfriend!”
“Nope?”
“......”
“Kidding. But it’s suspicious. Don’t you wanna know your girlfriend’s aptitude?”
“Yeah!”
Felt like I’d be exhausted if I didn’t!
“For real?”
“For real.”
“Then look.”
Flutter~
Song Seon-yeong unfurled her Aptitude Test result sheet wide.
「Swimmer」
“Ah...”
“So, Moon-soo. I’ve got a favor.”
“As long as it’s not suicide.”
“Stay by my side. I really wanna kill myself.”
“...Yeah.”
Too scary a request to refuse.