Awakening in the Future 400 Years Later.
Awakening in the Future 400 Years Later.
Kang Rina, she introduced herself.
And she called me Gajunim.
I was 24 years old—not the age to hear "Gajunim."
For starters, was there even a concept of "gaju" in Korea?
Despite her polite speech, I could tell she found me uncomfortable.
"Seogwang (Dawn)... how's it doing?"
"Please speak comfortably. The company name has changed. The IT/biotech company run by your predecessors'—our ancestors'—parents is now called Eden Genesis. Actually, it's been changed for a long time."
Despite her personal regrets, she calmly explained herself.
"I'm, your 11th-generation descendant... something like that."
It didn't feel real.
But that kid... no, calling her a kid didn't fit since she seemed about my age.
Anyway, her being my 11th-generation descendant.
I'd figured she might be family.
Even in my hazy state, that deep blue hair color made me think of my little sister right away.
"Even though you didn't leave behind direct descendants before entering the device."
Rina added it like she'd read my mind.
"Then you're a descendant of Seo-yoon after all?"
"Something like that. Grandmother Seo-yoon... I don't know what to call her, but when I checked with the clan association, I heard she's around my 11th-generation ancestral grandmother."
This is driving me nuts.
My little sister, an 11th-generation grandmother.
That girl would flip out if she heard.
As I clutched my throbbing head, Rina spoke up.
"Honestly, I was shocked when I got the call. My founding ancestor's... older brother is alive... I still can't wrap my head around it. I heard things were rough back then. They were locking S-X Carriers up in camps... But your parents refused containment."
"......"
Rina started to share her thoughts briefly but caught herself with an "oh" and switched topics like nothing happened.
"I'll show you later, but that lady—Grandmother Seo-yoon—longed for Grandfather... you her whole life. She even left behind letters, no, diaries. Thanks to that, we got the context."
An awkward silence hung between us.
I stared at Kang Rina's pale wrist as she rolled up the sleeves of her white blouse shirt, lost in thought.
Her skin looked well-maintained and smooth, but there was this subtle sense of maturity beyond what met the eye.
'How old is she?'
Randomly, the question popped up.
Her face somehow felt too poised for your average twenty-something.
Like someone who'd seen it all, with no real personal emotions.
Her seemingly aloof eyes looked disinterested in me staring right back... but if that were true, she wouldn't have come out to greet me so kindly or bother asking all these questions.
Maybe it's 'cause she's the Chairperson of a whole company.
Position makes the person, after all.
That's why I couldn't shake the older-sister vibe, but remembering she was my descendant made it feel off to bow my head and play subordinate—and it just didn't sit right.
I stayed quiet, and the cool blue-haired woman finally couldn't take it and broke the silence first.
"I'll serve you as Gajunim. Call me Rina comfortably."
"You're nicer than you look."
I'd been getting antsy, but boom—titles sorted in a feel-good way.
"What do you mean, 'nicer than you look'?"
"Don't glare like that. Ha... you really take after my little sister."
"......"
"Gajunim's a bit much—just use my name. Kang Do-yoon."
"That'd be physiologically impossible."
"Physiologically? Ah~ you mean your body won't accept it? Haha~"
Kang Rina shot me a scornful look that screamed Seo-yoon at my dumb joke.
Somehow, I felt energy surging through me.
"Here's the schedule going forward. By the rules, you should get surgery, but you'd never handle that. Adult-targeted surgery has side effects—it's not even perfect."
"Surgery?"
"It's normalized from the fetal stage. Came after the S-X Disease. About 100 years ago, yeah. That's why Gajunim woke up from the Cryogenic Device like this."
Figures.
No cure for S-X Disease? Then I'm just a potential social-order-wrecking sex criminal.
Severe symptoms mean no self-control.
What a godawful world.
Surgery at birth, though? Total shock.
I gave a bitter smile.
Kang Rina, who'd been watching intently, chimed in.
"Don't worry. Gajunim, I'll protect you."
"Oh..."
Thought she was one cold niece-granddaughter, but here she is dropping reliable lines.
I got all emotional and dramatically clapped a hand over my mouth.
Rina saw that and piled on.
"If Gajunim stirs up trouble, it screws me over too. Not just me—it's a headache for the company our family built generation after generation. Gajunim gets that, right? So I trust you won't cause issues. Meaning, even if crap hits the fan, I'll bust my ass to shield you—but one company exec's power has limits, y'know."
"Thanks. Uh, Rina. I'll try to stay out of trouble."
"...No need for that kicked-puppy face. When I talk like this, it's not empty bravado. As Eden Genesis Chairperson and government social-maintenance policy advisor, I'm pretty renowned and influential. All thanks to our ancestors, Gajunim included."
"Humble kid..."
"Sure, Gajunim hopped into the Cryogenic Device early, so no real contributions."
"You're all over the place—!"
Kang Rina's eyebrows twitched.
Corners of her mouth twitched too.
Looked like a smirk, but more like... stifling a laugh.
I'm sharp at reading folks.
This one's probably spent her life putting real effort into hiding her feelings.
"Still, Gajunim's a social watchlist case, so consult me before every damn thing you do. Got it? Full consults with me, and no scandals. FYI, I'll go all-out within my power to make sure Gajunim enjoys a comfy rest of his life."
After that, I got the full rundown from her.
Biggest shocker: future society's gender ratio.
Women at 90%.
The hell?
"Tech progress. Trigger was the S-X Disease."
Rina thrust out her chest—packing some serious volume, just like Seo-yoon's—and jabbed a finger at me.
"Reminds me of that empress character's signature pose from the manga WonXseu. Dunno if it still exists."
"...What's that?"
"Figures. 400 years later, even masterpieces fade away."
Guh, I stood up and struck the Boa Handic pose.
"Head back, finger pointing down. You're beneath me..."
"Never saw Gajunim as beneath anyone, and that head tilt? All we'd see is your back. Plus, she didn't crank it that hard. You're exaggerating."
"It's close enough. And that's her vibe."
"Anyway..."
Rina blew off my ramble like it was nothing and kept explaining.
"S-X Disease exploded, male violence spiraled out of control. Crisis deepened, then boom—two game-changing techs dropped, sparking the Women's Revolution about 100 years back."
Rina murmured it softly, like a chant.
"Bottom line, your parents—my ancestors—nailed the call. Wait for treatment or quarantine? You'd have died ugly."
'Women's Revolution'.
The word hit weird—unfamiliar but kinda familiar—and I spaced out for a sec.
Didn't witness it myself, but per Rina, women now run most of society thanks to that Women's Revolution.
Kicked off by the nightmare plague 'S-X Disease' that hit only men.
The old despair crashed back, tanking my mood.
"......"
"What's up, Gajunim? Gone quiet all sudden. My hosting not cutting it?"
"Hosting? What hosting?"
Intro's late.
I'd just woken from the Cryogenic Device—stark naked.
Snapped to awareness, and Kang Rina's yapping away without even pulling me out.
She knows my deal, though, so they must've ID'd me pre-thaw, briefed the full sitch before lab exit.
"S-X Disease thoughts just kill my vibe."
"Go berserk over it and we're both screwed."
"Didn't say I'd berserk. I'm buck naked here. Wanna peep Gajunim's junk? Rina's a perv deep down, huh. Goes against the innocent look..."
"Not a perv. And your speech just went all old-timey."
"Why not? You're treating me like your grandpappy."
"I clearly said 'Gajunim'..."
"Ah, gotcha. Called me Gajunim 'cause 'grandfather' might piss me off."
"......"
"Cute little niece-granddaughter like this—wanna scoop you up in a hug?"
"......"
Kinda enlightened vibe hit, so I spewed random crap.
Rina scowled, then nodded at the nearby researchers.
"Something wrong with his head? Speech went weird."
"Fine as hell, totally fine."
Her reaction actually cheered me up a tad.
"So, S-X Virus gone from my body or what, Rina?"
Rina waved off a female researcher hustling over at her SOS.
"Truth? No. Virus adapted to your body over too much time—surgery's off the table. But weirdly, no symptoms showing."
"Yeah. Symptoms? Might've done some nasty shit to my niece-granddaughter."
"...We checked too—that's why we cracked it open."
"400 years on ice—virus all dead maybe?"
"See for yourself—nope."
"Lame explanation."
Rina summoned a researcher; she hauled over a big mirror, reflecting me back.
Boyish pretty-boy face on a steroid-sculpted, sexy 190cm muscle beast with a lazy expression, chilling in the capsule.
"No S-X Virus? Gajunim's muscles would've wasted away ages ago."
Rina spelled it out crisp.