☆~~~~~☆
By the time Yeon-hwa and Kim reached the teachers' office corridor, Yeon looked like he was being dragged to his own funeral.
"Do I really have to go in?" Yeon whispered, stopping right in front of the door.
Kim crossed his arms.
"Yes. Unless you want to fail physics and become a full-time disappointment."
"I already feel like a disappointment," Yeon muttered.
Kim said "Then at least be an educated disappointment."
"...You're a terrible friend." Yeon muttered
"And yet, here I am, supporting you in your final moments." Kim said
Yeon glared at him, then turned toward the door like a soldier preparing for battle. He took a deep breath and knocked.
Knock knock.
"Mr. Ji-un, may I come in?" he asked, trying to sound confident.
From inside, a cold voice replied,
"Yes. You may."
Yeon swallowed.
"Tell my family I tried," he whispered dramatically to Kim before stepping inside.
Kim snorted as the door shut behind him.
The room was exactly as terrifying as Yeon expected-neat, silent, and filled with an aura of judgment.
Mr. Ji-un sat behind his desk, glasses low on his nose, staring at Yeon like he had already calculated his academic failure.
"Yes?" he said.
Yeon awkwardly walked forward.
"Sir, I had some doubts about today's lecture... specifically the part about-uh-quantum motion and... things moving... scientifically."
There was a pause.
A long pause.
Mr. Ji-un slowly leaned back in his chair.
"...'Things moving scientifically'?" he repeated.
Yeon-hwa immediately regretted all his life choices.
"I mean-uh-the formula-like-the-velocity-equation-thing-"
"Sit."
Yeon sat.
What followed was ten minutes of absolute suffering.
Every time Yeon tried to explain his confusion, it somehow sounded worse out loud.
"So you're telling me," Mr. Ji-un said flatly, "that you did not understand the basic concept... despite me explaining it three times?"
"...Yes," Yeon admitted quietly.
Mr. Ji-un sighed deeply, removing his glasses as if Yeon had personally offended him.
"Aren't you a dull one," he said. "You should pay better attention."
Yeon felt his soul leave his body.
"I-I'll try, sir."
Mr. Ji-un looked at him like a man who had already given up.
"At this rate, you will not pass my class."
Critical hit.
Yeon nodded weakly.
"Understood."
For the next few minutes, Mr. Ji-un re-explained the topic-this time slower, and with the tone of someone explaining things to a particularly confused rock.
Surprisingly... Yeon actually understood a little.
"...Oh," Yeon said softly. "That makes sense now."
Mr. Ji-un narrowed his eyes slightly.
"...So you can think."
"...Sometimes," Yeon admitted.
"Rarely, I assume."
"...Yes, sir."
"Leave."
"I will."
Yeon stood up so fast his chair almost fell.
The moment he stepped outside, he looked like he had survived a life-threatening experience.
Kim straightened.
"Well?"
Yeon grabbed his shoulders dramatically.
"I saw my past, present, and future in that room."
"...So you're still failing?"
"Very much."
Kim laughed.
"Let's go. Jake's waiting."
A few minutes later, the two met up with Jake near the campus gate.
"Finally," Jake said. "What took so long?"
"Yeon was being academically destroyed," Kim replied.
"I was being mentally assassinated," Yeon corrected.
Jake grinned.
"Nice."
"I hate both of you."
"Love you too," Kim said.
As they walked toward a nearby coffee shop, Yeon pulled out his phone.
"I should call my mom," he said.
Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Aren't you, like, 'free to do whatever'?"
"Exactly," Yeon said. "Which is why if I don't call, she'll somehow still get mad."
He dialed.
"Hello?" his mother's voice came through.
"Mom, I'll be late today. I'm out with friends."
There was a pause.
"You don't need to inform me," she said. "You're a boy. You can do as you like."
"...Yes, I know," Yeon said. "I'm informing you anyway."
Another pause.
"...Come home early."
"...Okay."
He hung up.
Jake blinked.
"That made no sense."
"I know," Yeon said. "Welcome to my life."
They finally reached the coffee shop, chatting casually-
Until Yeon froze mid-step.
"...No."
Kim bumped into him.
"What?"
"...No way."
Jake looked ahead-and immediately understood.
Sitting inside the café, completely relaxed, was none other than-
Han Jisung.
And he wasn't alone.
Two other people sat with him, laughing about something. Yeon didn't recognize them, but he was very sure they didn't go to the same college.
"Why is he everywhere?" Yeon whispered in horror.
Kim smirked.
"Maybe he's your destiny."
"Don't say that."
Jake grinned.
"Or maybe you're his."
"Stop. Talking."
Yeon considered turning around and leaving.
Actually, no-he wanted to turn around and leave.
But-
"...I want coffee."
Kim nodded seriously.
"A true internal conflict."
"Shut up."
Taking a deep breath, Yeon walked in.
Very carefully.
Very quietly.
As if Jisung might sense his presence like some kind of predator.
"...Act normal," Kim whispered.
"I am normal," Yeon hissed.
"You're walking like a suspicious NPC."
"I don't even know what that means!"
And yet-
As they stepped further inside, Yeon couldn't help it.
His eyes flicked toward Jisung for just a second.
And of course-
Of course.
Jisung looked up at the exact same moment.
Their eyes met.
Yeon's brain short-circuited.
"...I'm leaving," he whispered.
"No, you're not," Kim said, dragging him toward the counter.
And just like that-
Yeon-hwa's "peaceful, normal life" continued to fall apart.
One awkward moment at a time.
☆~~~~~☆
Somehow-somehow-Yeon-hwa, Kim, and Jake managed to reach the counter without Yeon spontaneously combusting from stress.
"I would like one iced coffee," Kim said calmly.
"Make that two," Jake added.
The cashier turned to Yeon.
"And you?"
Yeon stared blankly at the menu.
There were too many options.
Why were there so many options?
"...Coffee," he said.
The cashier blinked.
"...What kind?"
"Yes."
Kim covered his face.
"Just give him whatever's most basic before he embarrasses himself further."
"Hey-!"
"Too late."
Yeon huffed but didn't argue. At this point, survival was more important than dignity.
As they waited for their order, Yeon tried very hard to act normal.
Don't look at Jisung.
Don't think about Jisung.
Don't accidentally make eye contact with Jis-
Ping.
Yeon froze.
"...No."
Kim glanced at him.
"What?"
"...Nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
Right in front of his eyes-
A translucent window appeared.
His system window.
"...You've got to be kidding me," Yeon whispered.
He hadn't even said "System."
He hadn't done anything.
And yet there it was-floating very visibly in front of him like it had no sense of timing whatsoever.
Out of all places.
Right now.
With Jisung here.
"This is how I die," Yeon muttered under his breath.
"What?" Jake asked.
"Nothing. Bathroom. Emergency. Don't follow me."
Before either of them could question him, Yeon spun around and speed-walked-no, ran-straight toward the restroom.
The moment he got inside, he slammed the door behind him and leaned against it, breathing heavily.
"...Okay. Okay. It's fine. No one saw. I think."
He turned toward the mirror.
The system window was still there.
Floating.
Menacingly.
"...You have terrible timing," Yeon hissed.
To his absolute shock-
The window flickered.
And then-
[Wow. Rude. I just woke up and you're already complaining?]
Yeon blinked.
"...What."
[Also, you ran here like someone was chasing you. Very suspicious. 2/10 stealth.]
"...WHAT?!"
Yeon slapped both hands over his mouth, eyes wide, then glanced around the empty restroom.
"...Did my system just talk?"
[Obviously. Who else? The sink?]
Yeon stared at it like it had personally betrayed him.
"...Why do you sound like this?"
[Like what? Charming? Witty? Your only friend?]
"I have friends!"
[Debatable.]
Yeon took a deep breath.
"...I'm hallucinating. This is stress. This is what physics does to people."
[Nope. I'm real. Unfortunately for you.]
"...Unbelievable."
The window shifted slightly, new text appearing.
[Anyway. Important thing. You need to register a name.]
Yeon froze.
"...A name?"
[Yeah. You think I'm gonna keep calling you 'User'? That's boring.]
"That's not the problem," Yeon whispered urgently. "If I register, won't that expose me?! I'm not supposed to be awakened!"
[Relax. I didn't say official registration. This is just for me. Internal use.]
"...Internal use?"
[Yes. Between you and your very cool system.]
"...You are not cool."
[Wow. Hurtful.]
Yeon groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"...Fine. So I just need to give you a name?"
[Exactly. Something I can call you.]
Yeon paused.
He definitely couldn't use his real name.
That would be stupid.
If this system was somehow connected to the organization-or tracked-he was done for.
"...Okay," he muttered. "Then I'll use a fake name."
[Ooooh. Secret identity. I like it.]
"Shut up."
He thought for a moment.
Something simple.
Something not connected to him.
"...Yin."
There was a brief pause.
Then-
[Registered. Hello, Yin~]
Yeon immediately regretted everything.
"...Why did you say it like that?"
[Because it's funny.]
"It's not funny."
[It is to me.]
Yeon pinched the bridge of his nose.
"...Whatever. Is that all? Can you disappear now?"
[Wow. You're really eager to get rid of me.]
"Yes."
[Rude. But fine. I'll go-]
The door creaked open.
Yeon froze.
Oh no.
Someone had entered.
His heart jumped straight into his throat.
The system window was still there.
Visible.
Floating.
Very, very obvious.
"...Hide," Yeon whispered urgently.
[You could've asked nicely.]
"JUST HIDE!"
The window flickered out of existence instantly.
Yeon exhaled in relief-
Until he slowly turned his head.
And saw-
Someone standing there.