A New Beginning
With the shock of hitting the ground, he opened his eyes to a ceiling that felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar. He'd heard that normal people pass out when they fall from heights, sparing them the pain, but for some reason, he hadn't blacked out. The excruciating agony still lingered vividly in his mind.
He sat up and touched his head. There was no wound. And from that height, no one could have survived the fall. Where the hell am I?
He got out of bed and looked around. It was definitely a space he recognized. As he wandered slowly, it hit him—this was the goshiwon he'd lived in at age 20.
He went into the bathroom and checked the mirror. Sure enough, his 20-year-old face stared back. Not drop-dead gorgeous, but decent enough to be likable.
"I'm really back. To that time."
He grabbed his phone from the bed. It was the old model he'd used back then. Turning it on, the date and time popped up.
2003-03-03 Monday 07:15
This was the year he turned 20—his first day at Korea University. He booted up the computer and checked his schedule: two major classes and one general elective.
A vague sense of hope stirred—that maybe he could start over. He knew what the future held for the next 20 years. Investing just ten million won in Bitcoin around 2010 would net him a trillion by 2024. Enough to ditch his old beggar life forever. And revenge, too...
"Revenge?"
The word made his chest tighten, his breath quicken. Yoo Young-hoon and Joo Hee-rin—they'd stolen his entire life. He'd chew them up and spit them out a thousand times over.
But that was the Yoo Young-hoon and Joo Hee-rin of 20 years from now. Or maybe even earlier. Right now, they hadn't wronged him yet. Hell, they probably didn't even know Cha Hyun-su existed.
They'd met on the first day of university, bonded in major classes, and stuck together for nearly 20 years. Like the wheel of fate—if he went to school and ran into them, they'd naturally become friends. As long as he didn't do anything rash...
What should I do?
He wrestled with it. Should he seek revenge on people who didn't know him, who hadn't wronged him yet? Would that ease his heart even a little?
"For now... school first. Plenty of time to think. Not late yet."
He showered and opened the closet.
"Man... my fashion sense back then was a disaster."
Not outdated trends—just a closet stuffed with plaid shirts, like he was a plaid fanatic.
"Was this even in style? Heh."
Back then, he was a fashion terrorist. Joo Hee-rin had fixed that later. He picked the least offensive outfit, styled his hair roughly, and headed out.
The walk to school from his place felt as familiar as ever, even after 20 years. How could he forget years of that route? Goshiwon to subway, subway to campus—each step brought tears to his eyes.
He didn't know how he'd returned to this time, but with this chance, anything seemed possible.
He entered the lecture hall; about half the seats were filled. A spot by the window in the back row was open. He took it.
In his past life, he'd sat mid-row, and Yoo Young-hoon had approached first. Does changing the past unravel everything? Will the future I know change too? Butterfly effect, right?
Who knew. For now, he scanned his old classmates.
The loud duo in the back: Lee Min-gi and Kim Seung-won. They were tight even then... Probably bonded at orientation. They'd tried a venture business together and tanked. Might need to drive a wedge between them.
Front row girl: Kim Soo-jeong. Plain, no great figure, but too kind—always exploited. Still, she'd married well.
Oh, that bastard's here too? Park Woo-jin, already acting like Mr. Popular, flirting everywhere. Handsome enough to break hearts, even scammed him later before vanishing. Heard he got caught and jailed.
Whoa, Kim Ye-rin? Right, you were here. Cool beauty, killer body, super popular but icy demeanor kept people away. She dropped after one semester. By then, he was too deep with Joo Hee-rin.
Still stunning.
As he stared, she turned, their eyes met. A question mark practically floated over her head; she looked shocked, then turned away. Adorably.
He smiled—then spotted Yoo Young-hoon entering. Young-hoon scanned for a seat, locked eyes with him, and headed straight over.
"This spot free?"
He plopped down next to Hyun-su. Even after switching seats, fate pulled him in. Hyun-su's mind blanked. No plan yet.
"Uh? Y-yeah."
"What's up? You look flustered."
Young-hoon grinned warmly.
"I'm Yoo Young-hoon."
"Uh. Cha Hyun-su."
The 20-year-old version of his once-close friend. They'd been tight enough to die for each other over 20 more years.
Then she appeared—Joo Hee-rin. Unreal beauty. Every guy in the room gawked.
Hyun-su too, but not just for her looks. She knew all eyes were on her and owned it. She knew she was hot and how to use it.
She smirked, scanning seats, then spotted Hyun-su staring blankly. A faint smile, and she took the one in front.
"Hi?"
"Uh. Hi."
Young-hoon answered. Already smitten, probably. Must've stung when Hyun-su got her later, especially jobless and low. That's when he'd snapped, vowing to start a business.
"Hey, you're staring way too hard."
Ignoring Young-hoon, she teased Hyun-su with a smile.
"Huh? Oh. Sorry. Was lost in thought."
"Lost in thought? Pfft. Staring at me? What about?"
"Uh. Wondering how class'll go today?"
Flustered, he blurted nonsense.
"First day—syllabus intro, obviously. What's with this guy? Haha!"
"Right? Gotta hit the bathroom quick."
He needed to escape, sort his head.
In the bathroom, splashing water: Okay. They're not my revenge targets now. But no more chummy chats. Just ignore.
Back in class, Young-hoon and Hee-rin laughed. She spotted him.
"Washed up?"
"Yeah. Hot in here."
"Hot? It's March."
"I overheat easy. Sun's blasting this spot. Moving seats."
He grabbed his stuff, relocated—to Kim Ye-rin's side.
"This okay?"
"Huh? Y-yeah."
She was startled but didn't object. He smiled subtly, missing Hee-rin's venomous glare. Pissed that his staring switched targets.
Prof arrived, intros and syllabus. Class ended early. Two majors done; time for elective.
Coincidentally, he, Young-hoon, and Hee-rin shared it—spark for closeness before.
Young-hoon sidled up.
"Hyun-su, next class?"
"Understanding Stocks."
He knew they picked it too, played dumb.
"No way! Us too. Together?"
"Oh? But Ye-rin picked it; we planned to go as a pair."
He scratched his head, feigning conflict.
"Then all four! What's the issue?"
Hee-rin chimed in. Tricky spot.
How to ditch them? No choice; they went as a group. Seats: Ye-rin, Hyun-su, Hee-rin, Young-hoon.
Short lecture ended classes for the day. Home time.
"Lunch together?" Young-hoon suggested.
Hyun-su dodged with a fake prior engagement; Ye-rin followed suit seeing him leave.
Next days, he evaded their persistent approaches. No annoyance shown—they just kept coming. Fate's real, huh.
Friday, post-classes, heading home—Hee-rin cornered him.
"Cha Hyun-su. Weekend plans? Free?"
Direct appeal. Thinking he was playing hard to get, she went bold.
But he was ready.
"Sorry. Got plans."
"With who?"
"Don't need to share that, right?"
He drew a firm line.
"Fine. See you next week."
She spun and stormed off, pride bruised.
"Jeez. What'll she do now."
Back home, he texted.
His chat partner? Ye-rin. In his past life, he'd never gotten close. This time, she drew him in. Probably because Joo Hee-rin no longer dazzled after the betrayal.