A New Beginning (2)
Today was the day I was meeting Ye-rin. I dressed neatly and headed out to Sinchon Station early. A little while later, I spotted Ye-rin walking toward exit 1.
"Ye-rin! Over here."
I waved and smiled at her. Seeing me like that, laughter burst from Ye-rin. She seemed to like me. It probably helped that I'd been the first to approach her when no one else dared.
"You haven't eaten yet, right?"
"Nah, not yet."
"I know a great place. Let's go to Mint."
Back in those days, Mint was the go-to spot in Sinchon—hiring only good-looking, pretty part-timers and boasting a classy vibe that made it a mecca for college kids.
We laughed nonstop through dinner, and afterward, we caught a movie: Sex Is Zero, a romantic comedy. Good pick.
After the film, we hit a café, where Ye-rin chattered away endlessly. Unlike her icy image, she turned out to be full of charm once we got close.
The fun date ended with us heading home separately—but we stayed on the phone the whole way. It was clear we both had feelings for each other. A confession from either side would've sealed the deal right then.
I kept talking even after getting home and eventually dozed off mid-call.
On Sunday, I skipped making plans to think about my path forward.
First up: making money. Bitcoin could work, but it wouldn't pay off for twenty years, so stacking cash beforehand was key.
Next: stocks. But no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't recall which ones rose in 2003.
I vaguely remembered the big issues from back then, but who keeps track of every detail?
"Damn, if I'd known, I would've memorized the top lottery numbers at least!"
"Should I just shut up and buy Hanseong Electronics stock?"
Like Bitcoin, Hanseong Electronics was a sure bet. It'd climb no question. But again, it needed time to shine.
No matter how I sliced it, earning big normally was tough. I had an edge knowing major events others didn't, but I still needed to mull it over more.
Lost in thought, it was past 11 p.m. before I knew it, and I fell asleep.
The next morning, my 7 a.m. alarm jolted me awake. I showered, got dressed the same as always, and headed to school. But something felt off.
Déjà vu! Events kept unfolding like I'd seen them before.
Is it because of my past life memories?
I shook off the eerie sensation and entered the lecture hall. Ye-rin was already there.
"Ye-rin, sleep well?"
I greeted her warmly.
"?? Who...?"
"What? It's me, Hyun-su."
"Hyun-su? I don't know you."
"Quit messing around. We ate together, saw a movie. Come on~"
"What are you talking about? I've never seen a movie with you. Hell, I don't even know who you are."
"??"
My brain froze again at this sudden twist.
Hidden camera? Or someone who looks just like Ye-rin?
She was identical.
"You're Kim Ye-rin, right?"
"Yeah, that's me. But I don't know you. You're creeping me out—leave me alone."
The cute, affectionate Ye-rin from Saturday was gone. The room buzzed as people overheard us.
"That guy's hitting on her 'cause she's hot and got shot down, right? Heh heh."
"What's his deal? Hitting on someone day one."
"Right? Puhaha. Park Woo-jin, there's someone bolder than you."
The whispers included the bombshell: "day one of school."
"This has to be a hidden camera. Day one? We started last week."
I rattled off classmates' names in disbelief.
"You're Soo-jeong, Woo-jin, Min-gi, Seung-won. Right? What's going on?"
"Whoa, fucking creepy. How do you know my name?"
Park Woo-jin brushed his arms like he had goosebumps. Everyone stared at me with disgust or fear.
That's when it hit me—something was wrong. I pulled out my phone and checked the date.
Monday, March 3, 2003 — 08:30
It was the day I'd woken up after falling from my apartment rooftop. The déjà vu on the way to school was real—I'd just walked this path last week.
Time Loop?
"Kekeke. What the hell? He said 'time loop.'"
"Whoa, Korea University business dept must be done recruiting. Even total weirdos get in?"
"Maybe he's actually a genius. Pfft."
I bolted from the lecture hall like a fugitive.
Thud!
"Ow! What the—?"
I'd bumped into Yoo Young-hoon on the way out. No time for apologies—I ran home.
I was definitely trapped in a time loop.
Am I in a vegetative state, hallucinating this in my brain?
How do I wake up?
For the guy who'd dreamed of a golden future back at twenty, this was despair.
Get it together. Try something. Anything.
After that, every Sunday night, I'd wake up at 7 a.m. on March 3, 2003. I tried staying up past midnight Sunday to 7 a.m., but at 6:59, I'd snap awake in bed.
"Argh!!! Fuck!!! Why the hell is this happening to me!!!"
"Fine. There must be a reason I came back to this day. Kill those fucking bastards. Yeah. That'll do it."
Dozens of loops in, I was losing my mind. I'd never even considered crime before, but now I was at my limit.
I grabbed a kitchen knife. With the cold weather, plenty wore puffer jackets—hiding a knife was easy.
I deliberately left for school late. The 9 a.m. prof didn't show till 9:30 on day one, so plenty of time.
Resolution: Kill Yoo Young-hoon and Joo Hee-rin in the lecture hall.
They sat side by side, giggling like idiots. Sickening.
"Heh heh. So anyway, what I did then was..."
Stab!
I circled behind Young-hoon—chatting happily with Hee-rin as his desk mate—and plunged the knife into his neck.
He clutched it without a chance to react, but blood gushed everywhere. Stab! Stab! Arterial hit—blood sprayed between his fingers.
"What's so funny, you piece of shit!!"
As he collapsed grabbing his throat, I stabbed his back twice more, aiming for the heart.
"Kyaaah!!"
Hee-rin finally screamed amid the chaos she couldn't process. The hall turned to pandemonium.
Bloody and gripping the knife, I watched people scramble out. Some tripped, but no one cared— they trampled over them.
Hee-rin cowered against the wall, frozen.
"You're next, Joo Hee-rin, you fucking bitch."
"Why... why? Please, spare me. Please."
Unlike her usual haughty self, she begged with clasped hands, eyes wild. Pure ecstasy.
"You wanna live?"
"Yes! Yes! Please, let me live. Please."
"Wanna live, huh? Then strip. All of it."
"Huh?"
She looked confused.
"Strip, you fucking bitch."
Her face hardened—she knew it wasn't a bluff. She'd watched me slaughter Young-hoon up close; terror gripped her.
Legs shaking, she leaned on the wall to stand and began unbuttoning her white blouse. Off it came, revealing a lacy white bra. Her luscious breasts spilled into view. Even after marriage, I'd never tired of them.
"Hurry up. Gonna make you strip, or just kill you?"
"O-okay. I'll do it. Just stripping, right?"
Skirt off next—down to bra, panties, and black stockings. I gestured for more, twirling the knife.
Tears streaming, she reached back and unhooked the bra. Her perky nipples sprang free.
"Fuck. Getting off in this mess? Look at those hard nips."
I flicked them with my fingers.
"Ah! No! It's just fear."
On death's doorstep, terror had every nerve on edge—not arousal.
"Fine. Now the bottom. Ten seconds. 10. 9."
She yanked off stockings and panties together. One hand covered her breasts, the other her pussy.
Guys lingered outside, peeking. Day one's hottest girl putting on a free strip show? Lust beat fear of death.
"Hands away. On your head."
Knowing eyes were on her, Hee-rin laced her fingers behind her neck anyway. Her big tits and bush were fully exposed to everyone.
Seeing Hee-rin—who'd always looked down on me—move like a terrified puppet made my cock throb hard.
"Ah, fuck. This is why. This is why I came back here. This is what I wanted."
I laughed uproariously.