Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Coincidence
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What do modern people need the most?
A positive mindset? Lots of money? Love?
All of that is true, but I think the most important thing is this.
Health.
And the way to maintain that health is simple.
"I'm heading out for a jog~"
Light exercise—even just that much—can keep you reasonably healthy.
Ever since I started doing video editing, I've been glued to the computer for ridiculously long stretches.
It's made my stamina drop, and I've been feeling off in my body overall.
That's why I go for a jog once on rest days, and during PE, I make a point to move around extra. I believe doing that keeps me healthier.
And to do more of the things I love, I need to stay healthy.
That's why health is a big deal to me, and why I'm heading out for a jog on this Saturday morning.
...Though calling it 'morning' at almost 11 a.m. is a bit of a stretch. Still technically a.m., so morning works, right?
Or not. Bluntly calling 11 a.m. 'morning' feels like pushing it.
I stepped outside in training pants and a short-sleeved shirt for jogging.
Before starting, I stretched my wrists and ankles, then began walking slowly.
Today, I'm running laps at the sports field right in front of the neighborhood sports center.
Four or five laps around the track hits the sweet spot for a workout. Just enough sweat, just enough refreshment.
With that in mind, I slowly made my way toward the sports center...
-Bzzz...!
The door to the apartment right next to ours swung open, and a girl stepped out.
"Uh..."
"Uh...?"
The moment our eyes met, we both froze up a little.
I hadn't expected to run into that girl... Im Rua.
What should I do? Play it like we know each other? Or pretend not to notice and keep going?
Im Rua and I were super close as kids. Pretty much inseparable in elementary school, but we gradually drifted apart around middle school, and now we barely talk.
Early this month, right after midterms, the seats got shuffled, and we ended up next to each other.
She's initiated chats with me a few times, even shared gum or mints to show some friendliness. Like we could hang out like old times.
So, maybe I should say something?
Even as I thought that, part of me wanted to skip it.
I can't even remember exactly what started our drift. It just felt natural.
And that 'natural drift' was probably our grades, more likely than not.
I hovered around mid-tier to upper-mid, but Im Rua was always top of the class—top of the school, even.
That's where our worlds started diverging, bit by bit.
Now, they're totally different. She's the star model student; I'm the VTuber-obsessed video editor.
We've had a few recent overlaps creating some contact points, but our worlds are still worlds apart.
So, I figured I'd just give a quick nod and go...
"Hey, Jinwoo."
...But Im Rua crossed that line between our worlds first.
"...Hey."
I ended up nodding back in greeting.
"Heading out to exercise?"
Her voice came through—clear and cute, with that soothing quality that instantly calms you just by listening.
I've always thought this since we were kids: Im Rua has an amazing voice. It makes you sleepy or lifts your mood on the spot.
...Hold up. How'd she know I'm going to exercise?
I shot her a look full of curiosity, and she caught it right away. She gave a small smile and pointed at me with a finger before speaking.
"Anyone can tell you're dressed for a workout."
"Ah... yeah, going jogging."
"To the sports center out front?"
"Yeah...?"
As I answered, Im Rua slowly walked over and stood beside me.
She used to be a tiny bit taller back in the day, but sometime after middle school, I shot up a full head taller than her.
She's shorter than you'd guess, and I'm a smidge above average guy height, but the real reason it hits me like this...
...It's just been so damn long since we stood side by side.
She's definitely small. In my head, she was this huge, impressive figure just to look at, but standing here? She's tiny.
That potentially rude thought got cut short by Im Rua's next words.
"Let's go together. I'm out for a jog today too."
"Ah... yeah... huh...?"
"Why the surprise?"
Why? Obviously!
She goes jogging right now? Same timing as me?
She wasn't a jogger before—did she suddenly start just to bump into me? If so, why haven't we crossed paths before?
Questions piled up endlessly.
In the end, I phrased it as indirectly as possible.
"...I come jogging every Saturday. Never spotted you before, so yeah, surprised."
And Im Rua cleared it all up in one go, refreshingly straightforward.
"I usually head out around 9 a.m. for exercise, but I overslept this morning."
"Gotcha..."
Her crisp answer surprised me even more.
In my head, Im Rua's the type who never allows herself to oversleep. What on earth made her do it?
"Why'd you oversleep? Up late doing something yesterday?"
She answered like it was the most obvious thing.
"That game you recommended—Margo Company. Played it too late."
"Ah...?"
My brain went blank the second I heard it, embarrassment crashing in right after.
I'd recommended it on a whim. Didn't think it'd suit her tastes anyway, and worst of all, it's rated for adults only.
What must she think of me for suggesting that game?
Sure, our worlds are different now and whatever, but at the core, she's my childhood friend—we share those old memories.
Having a guilty secret like that exposed to her felt mortifying...
...But Im Rua followed up with something totally unexpected.
"The game? It was fun."
"Huh...?"
"Only got through Chapter 1, but it nails pulling from classic tales and characters, twisting them just right. Loved it. Yumin's death at the end of the chapter was a shock and kinda sad, but it fits the vibe and world-building."
She was going on at length. That's her tell for when she's genuinely hooked.
Back when we were little—like, really little—after a movie, she'd ramble nonstop about it in my parents' car on the way home.
The memory hit me, and I couldn't help smiling.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Hits even harder when you think about the original, The Trial. Josef K. turns into a criminal overnight, flails desperately, and dies. This story flows the same way—just swaps in Yumin, the helper figure, as the one who dies."
She'd enjoyed Margo Company way more than I'd imagined.
The game's characters draw from protagonists and authors across world literature, with the first chapter based on The Trial.
Her drawing those parallels, picking up on what the planners intended—that resonance must've hooked her deep.
Plus, her sharp mind amplified it; she'd spotted nuances most players miss on their first run.
I was impressed, but also relieved. My recommendation had a positive impact on her.
"Ah, but the game is rated adults-only, right?"
-Flinch!
Im Rua looked at me with a light smile.
Not in her usual uniform but short sleeves and training pants, she looked more playful than normal.
"...Still, the game was fun."
"Dunno about gameplay~ But the story? Totally fun."
In that exchange, I recalled those old childhood days.
Chatting about nothing, bickering over trivial crap.
Maybe Im Rua hasn't changed all that much from back then, I thought.
After that, Im Rua and I headed to the sports center to jog together...
"Hey! Pass!!"
"Okay~!"
...But the early-morning soccer crew had taken over. The whole area, even.
Neither of us had it in us to march up and go, 'Make way, we're jogging!' So we ended up skipping the workout and heading back.
Even so, it felt like I'd gotten a little closer to the awkward Im Rua...
Yeah. That made it worth it.
Reconnecting with her is worth ditching one jog.