[…Damn it!…]

My head is ringing.
A voice starts to prick my consciousness like a needle.
I tried blocking it out, but the voice only got louder.

[…Wake up!… It’s now!…]

I kept trying to sleep.
The semester was over, so I was completely free.

‘……Wait, the semester’s over?’
A strange discomfort suddenly arose.
As that discomfort stirred my deep consciousness,
a faint voice became clear.

[Oh you! Wake up! If you don’t catch the shuttle now, you’ll miss it!]
‘…Huh?’

*

The start of vacation.
The Academy provides a shuttle for students in the morning.
It’s the least consideration for those coming from far away.

However, this consideration only lasts for the morning.
After that, those leaving must either be picked up by someone or
head out themselves to use public transportation.

The current time is 1 PM.
All the shuttles have long since left.
The only person left at the shuttle stop is an attendant watching me with pity.

[Well, why did you drink two boxes of beer and pass out!!!]
‘F*ck, someone pulled the petrification signature move, and now I’m like this!!’

I was trudging away from the shuttle stop while bickering with Peace.
[So what are you going to do now?]
‘What do you mean, “what to do?” I’ll have to take public transport.’

So I blindly walked out of the Academy.
It was an empty wasteland where nothing was visible, but after about 30 minutes of walking,
finally, I spotted a bus stop like an oasis in the desert.
Surely, there’s no law stating that people must die.
There must always be a way to survive—

[…Wasn’t a signboard supposed to be empty?]
‘To think it could be cleaner than my answer sheet.’

– I thought for a moment.
On the commencement day of the Academy’s vacation, a lot of people come and go.
For that, bus services are limited nearby.
Thanks to that, the signboard looked so immaculate I questioned if it was even turned on.
Coincidentally, the taxis also went on strike that day.
Now, I find myself standing here without catching anything.

[It’s really hard to get home.]
‘I’ll just walk. The map says it takes about an hour?’
[……Isn’t that usually a survival cliche?]
‘Do you really believe in cliches in a chaotic and messy story like this?’
[That sounds surprisingly persuasive.]

Does a cliche even exist nowadays?
Not at all.
Moreover, I was confident.
‘It’s harder to get lost than for Nofia to reach the sunlight.’
[That’s true. Where are you trying to go? Give it up.]
‘Who ever gets lost in South Korea? Like an idiot.’

I left the bus stop and started walking along the road aimlessly.

*

I’m an idiot for sure.
I don’t even know where I am right now.
‘Help me.’
[Idiot.]

I began to feel something was wrong when I checked the map app again.
The time I checked at the bus stop was definitely 1 hour and 30 minutes.
That’s right.
That means it takes 1 hour by car.
Assuming it takes about 15 minutes by car,
excluding many variables, I estimated it would take around 4 hours.
If we exclude the variables, that is.
[Why is the map app so dumb? Guiding me through the mountains in a straight line.]
‘It says to go this way when there’s a cliff in front of me?’
[Guess the destination was set for paradise.]
‘That would be direct.’

In the end, instead of relying on the map app, I just walked along the roadside looking for signs.
But how accurate could a sign be to someone who’s currently walking?
The departure time was approximately 1:30 PM.
The current time is 5:30 PM.
Yet, I see no familiar sights, not even a trace of civilization.
Eventually, I got lost in a place where I couldn’t even pinpoint my location.
‘…What should I do for a place to sleep?’
[No! Don’t even think about camping out already, look for solutions instead!!]
‘I’m lost and can’t even get to the Academy. Should I just give up completely?’
[That’s not an option! You’ve only been named for one episode!]

At that moment, a black vehicle was approaching from behind, blaring its horn noisily.
It was a black vehicle so shiny I could tell the owner took good care of it.
The interior was pitch dark, not letting any light in, as if it didn’t want to allow even a single beam.
Meanwhile, the horn kept getting louder and faster, instead of fading away.
It must be getting closer, hence the increased volume, but the quickening pace was a bit strange.
‘What the hell is this sh*t? Blasting the horn at a first encounter.’
[Exactly. You’re not even on the center line; you’re out by the side.]

Then, without slowing down at all, it zipped right past me.
[You okay?]
‘These little sh*ts are pissing me off and they come to start a fight?’
Of course, it was a relief it didn’t hit me, but that alone was quite a threat.
As I contemplated whether to jot down the vehicle’s license plate,
– Screech.
The vehicle that had brushed past me suddenly stopped right in place.
As if it had business with me.

[Be careful.]
‘Starting today, this car is mine, you little sh*ts. Hand it over.’

I prepared to execute a GTA-style vehicle borrowing (forcefully) and slowly approached.
Looking around, this appeared to be a location with no cameras at all.
A blind spot for security.
[Since there are no cameras around, they’re thinking they can just snag you.]
‘If I take it by force, it’s not stolen, it’s borrowed, right?’

As I came close enough, I reinforced my legs and slammed the ground hard.
At the same time, I measured the distance to the driver’s seat.
About twenty steps.
It wasn’t too far yet not too close either.
Just as the distance shrank to around ten steps, I reinforced my hands and readied to swing.
Just then, the right rear door opened.
“Shinwoo, what are you doing here?”
“…Huh?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Hair with two blood-red braids that seemed thicker than blood.
Golden eyes that shimmered without losing their color even at this hour.
The wild Hyeji appeared.

*

“What idiot would walk that distance with such a fuss!!”
“…That idiot is me.”
“If you need help, just call!”
“But…….!”
“But what? Just shut it up!!”

Currently, I was indebted to Hyeji’s vehicle.
The ride was nice. The interior was quite spacious and luxurious for a mid-sized car.
Everything was perfect, except for being scolded in real-time from the back seat.

“But Hyeji, why were you passing by there?”
“I stopped briefly to pick up something I left in the dorm and was heading back home.”
[To think you didn’t even consider asking for help, you’re quite the airhead.]
‘Peace, you shouldn’t be saying that.’

I remembered that dangerous vehicle that honked at me earlier.
“Why did you pass so dangerously earlier?”
“I honked to warn you since you kept ignoring me.”
No matter how I looked at it, that was a threat, but Hyeji called it a warning.
Indeed, our thoughts are completely different.
“One more honk and your next stop will be the morgue.”
“Don’t worry; I can make sure you only lose a limb or two.”
“Does that mean you’ll stick them back on?”
“That’s something I’ll think about.”
“……”
[I should probably stash away a few prosthetic limbs just in case.]
‘…Don’t assume I’m going to lose any limbs already.’

I tried to disregard the menacing Hyeji and looked outside the window.
Then Hyeji turned to me and opened her mouth.
“So, where’s your house? I’ll drop you off.”
At that moment, familiar sights began to come into view.
This far I could walk.
“Drop me off there.”
“Where? I’m saying I’ll take you home.”
“Your house is too far. Just drop me off and I’ll walk the rest.”
“Hurry up and tell me.”
“I’m fine, seriously. Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon.”

As I was feeling bad for needing more help, I tried to get out,
“Tell me.”
“Y-yes…”
Hyeji pressed me with a chilling look,
determined to confirm my address.
Eventually, I had no choice but to reveal my home address to Hyeji.
“Not far at all.”
“From your house?”
“Yeah. Since this is happening, can I come over to your house?”
“Your house? Really?”
It’s not like I have much to show there anyway.
Not to mention, I’m a bit hesitant to invite someone over.
But…

“……I’ve never had a good friend before, so I’ve never had anyone over.”
Due to Hyeji’s last comment, I had no choice but to take her there.
The atmosphere in the vehicle suddenly turned serious.
Even the driver began to cough awkwardly.
“Is it not possible?”
“…….If I decline now, I’ll look like a little sh*t. Fine, come on.”
“Really? Thanks!”

[You there? Why are you feeling hesitant about inviting Hyeji?]
‘It’s because of that sh*tty CD that Ryu Kang-hyuk gave me ages ago—it’s still in my room.’
[What the f*ck, are you an idiot???? Why on earth do you still have that thing!!]
‘I couldn’t find the right time to throw it out! It’s a big deal!’

Hyeji coming over is a definite now.
So I hurriedly needed to clean up my room.
“But I have to warn you, I’ve never invited anyone over before, so it’s a bit of a mess.”
“…..So I’m your first?”
“Yeah, so I’m going to tidy up a bit, okay?”
“Sure! I can wait as long as you need!”

Luckily, I bought myself some time to clean.
Hyeji seemed pleased, but
the driver’s discomfort was rising in contrast.
Not long after, we arrived in front of my house.
The current time is 6:30 PM.
Everyone is probably starting to prepare dinner right about now.

“Here.”
“Really? It’s not that far from our house?”
Then, Hyeji leaned towards the driver’s seat and announced rather than asking,
“I’m getting out here! I’ll walk home from here!”
“…….Okay, don’t take too long to get back.”

Her tone was oddly uncomfortable for someone who agreed so easily.
I found it a little suspicious, but I had to get into the house. So I got out of the car.
The mid-sized sedan pulling away turned into a small dot in the distance.

“But Shinwoo? Is it okay if I go in without contacting you?”
“Anyway, they probably won’t answer. Just go.”

The moment I stood in front of the door lock, I couldn’t remember the password.
After being locked away in another space for six months, forgetting was only natural.
However, my hand entered the password as naturally as ever.
Even if my head couldn’t remember, my fingers did, as if to say.
“Don’t expect anything special; don’t get your hopes up.”
“Still, I’m looking forward to it! This is my first time.”
“It’s surprisingly hard to go to a friend’s house.”
“…..Yeah….a friend. F*ck.”

[Please have some self-awareness.]
‘They’re closer than just colleagues or peers, right?’
[Ah, geez.]

Hyeji’s eyes started to darken, but right now, getting inside was a priority.
As soon as the password was inputted, a cheerful notification went off, and I threw the door open.
What met my eyes were the people just sitting down at the table ready to eat dinner.
First was a male.
With black hair mixed with white and deep lines around the eyes, he was impressive.
Then came a female.
She looked young, with radiant jade-colored hair flowing down to her shoulders.
The two paused their utensils and began staring at me intently.
I stared back,
and finally let out what I had been holding in my heart.
“……Who are you?”
They were people I’d never seen before.