The morning sun shone through the thin curtains of a small apartment. Its golden light fell on a boy sleeping lazily on his bed. His messy red hair glowed under the sunlight.
"Oppa! Wake up! You're going to be late!" a girl shouted.
Kim Do-Yoon groaned and pulled the blanket over his head."Five more minutes…" he mumbled.
His younger sister, Kim Ji-Eun, stood beside his bed with her hands on her hips. She was seventeen, responsible, and completely opposite of her lazy brother.
"You said that yesterday too!" she complained. "If you don't wake up now, you'll miss school again!"
Do-Yoon slowly opened one eye. "School isn't going anywhere…"
Ji-Eun sighed. "But your future is!"
With a loud groan, Do-Yoon finally got up. Since their parents were gone, the two siblings depended only on each other. Ji-Eun took care of everything, while Do-Yoon... preferred sleeping.
A few minutes later, he walked into the kitchen, still half-asleep. Breakfast was already on the table.
"You're late," Ji-Eun said, crossing her arms.
Do-Yoon looked at the clock—and froze.
"WHAT?!" he shouted. "I'm going to be late!"
He grabbed the toast and stuffed it into his mouth, nearly choking. He drank a glass of milk in one gulp, snatched his bag, and ran toward the door.
"Oppa, wait!" Ji-Eun called. "You forgot—"
But he was already gone.
She sighed and shook her head. "He didn't even tie his shoelaces properly…"
Do-Yoon sprinted through the school gates, panting heavily.
"I made it… I think…" he muttered.
He slid open the classroom door.
"I-I'm here—"
He froze.
The entire class was silent.
Standing at the front of the room was his strict teacher, Kim Tae-Kyung. His sharp eyes locked onto Do-Yoon like a predator watching its prey.
"You're late," the teacher said coldly.
Do-Yoon forced an awkward smile. "Good morning, sir…"
Kim Tae-Kyung adjusted his glasses. "Good morning? Class started ten minutes ago."
The students whispered among themselves.
"Red-haired Do-Yoon is late again.""He's doomed."
The teacher's voice cut through the room. "Kim Do-Yoon, since this is not your first time, you will be punished."
Do-Yoon gulped. "P-Punished…?"
"Yes," Kim Tae-Kyung replied. "You will stand in the hallway for the entire period. After school, you will clean the classroom and write 'I will never be late again' one hundred times."
The class snickered.
Do-Yoon sighed in defeat. "Yes, sir…"
With slumped shoulders, he walked out of the classroom and stood in the hallway, staring blankly at the floor.
"Great," he muttered. "What a perfect start to the day."
The sun slowly moved across the sky, and soon it was afternoon.
Kim Do-Yoon was still inside the classroom, holding a mop in his hands. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he cleaned the floor with a tired expression.
"This is so unfair…" he grumbled. "Standing in the hallway wasn't enough. Now I have to clean the classroom too."
He sighed deeply and leaned on the mop.
"And all this just because I didn't do my homework. What kind of life is this?"
After finishing the cleaning, he wiped his hands and stretched his back.
"Finally… I'm done."
Do-Yoon picked up his bag and walked toward the teachers' office. He stopped in front of the door and knocked politely.
"Come in," a cold voice replied.
Inside sat his strict class teacher, Kim Tae-Kyung, reviewing some papers.
Do-Yoon bowed slightly. "Sir, I have completed the punishment. May I go home now?"
Kim Tae-Kyung adjusted his glasses and looked at him. "Did you clean the classroom properly?"
"Yes, sir," Do-Yoon answered.
After a brief silence, the teacher nodded. "You may leave. But remember, Kim Do-Yoon—do not be late again."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
Do-Yoon quickly left, relieved to finally go home.
The sky had turned orange by the time he reached his apartment. As soon as he opened the door, his younger sister rushed toward him.
"Oppa! You're finally home!" she exclaimed. "I was so worried! Why were you so late?"
Do-Yoon froze for a moment. He didn't want to admit that he had been punished at school. Scratching the back of his head, he forced a smile.
"Ah… there was an extra class today," he said casually. "The teacher kept us longer than usual."
His sister looked at him suspiciously but eventually sighed.
"You should have told me. I was really worried."
"Sorry," he replied softly.
"Dinner is ready," she said. "Wash your hands."
The two siblings sat together and ate quietly. Despite their simple life, the warmth between them filled the small apartment.
After finishing their meal, they cleaned up and headed to their rooms.
"Good night, Oppa," she said.
"Good night," Do-Yoon replied.
Late at night, Do-Yoon lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come.
He sighed and turned toward the window. That was when something strange caught his attention.
On the quiet road outside, a man was walking calmly under the dim streetlights.
"Why is someone out this late?" Do-Yoon muttered.
Suddenly—
SCREEECH!
A speeding truck rushed down the road and struck the man with terrifying force. The vehicle disappeared within seconds, leaving the street silent.
Do-Yoon's eyes widened in horror.
"T-That… that can't be real…"
The man lay motionless on the ground. Blood spread across the road, and the sight was too shocking to believe.
His hands trembled as he reached for his phone.
"I-I need to call the police…"
But before he could dial—
The impossible happened.
The man's body began to move.
Before Do-Yoon's eyes, the injuries vanished. The blood disappeared as if it had never existed. Within moments, the man stood up completely unharmed.
He dusted off his clothes… and walked away as if nothing had happened.
Do-Yoon's heart pounded wildly.
"What… was that?"
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Was I dreaming…?"
But the empty road outside told him otherwise.
This was no dream.
It was real