"Wake up!!! Being Jobless doesn't mean you have to sleep in"
A deep voice says from the phone in a chanting tone. I pick up the phone and switch off my alarm. It's 8:30 am already, I couldn't sleep at all as I sit on the couch spaced out till now.
I stand up to go to my dining room to look for the lotus flower those boys have given me but there's nothing there.
"I'm sure it was on this table though."
I sigh and pick up my phone and begin searching for And So It Begun Manhwa. I click on the website and a drawing of Vivian and Letitia looking at each other. Vivian has a sad expression on her face and Letitia is smirking.
I scroll down the page and click on buy novel. *Authentication failed*. I try again and the same thing happens when I press buy after putting my credit card info *Authentication failed*.
I close the page, pick up my phone and wallet and make my way outside to the nearest bookstore. After walking in the hot sun for a while, my body relaxes at the air condition inside the bookstore.
I didn't have to search at all as the best seller books are displayed everywhere including And So It Begun, I pick up the 3 volumes that are available and go to pay. I sit in the leisure area tearing up the wrapper and preparing myself to read it.
A lot of thoughts are going through my head. What if the people I saw in my dreams are here?
What if the moments are also here?
How did I know the character's when I never read the manhwa?
I finally muster up the courage and open the first page. It's a white page with just the title and the author's pseudonym: Kwon The Best.
I flip the page to a blank page, I flip again and it's the same thing. Now getting annoyed and sort of anxious, I flip through the book in a rush but all the pages are blank.
"What's this?"
"Is this a printing error? Shouldn't check this type of thing before selling it?"
I open the second book after tearing the packaging but the same thing happens again and again even with the third book. Since I'm still in the bookstore, I go to the counter angrily with the books in my hand.
My anger keeps increasing with every second I'm waiting in line. It's finally my turn after a few minutes of waiting.
"I'm glad you're the one here since you attended to me earlier."
I put the books on the counter and start opening them for the lady to see.
"Here are the books I bought earlier but the pages are blank."
"Not just one but three of them."
The lady collects the book and flips through the pages slowly, she looks at me with a confused look on her face then she picks up another book and looks through it.
"What do you mean by empty page, There's no blank page in any of these books."
I scoff and pick up one of the books from the counter and open it. I turn the page towards the lady and another hand points at the page.
"This is obviously a blank page just like every other page in the books!!!"
The lady is now looking at me like I'm crazy, she calls over a colleague and hands her one of the books.
"This customer is claiming the books are blank but there are drawings and writings there."
The middle-aged woman that's new to the scene picks up one of the books and scans through it.
"This book is obviously not blank, will you please check again miss?"
What's happening? The books are obviously blank though... People are now looking at us wondering what's happening.
I look around and walk toward a lady around my age. I open a random page in the book which is blank and politely ask the lady a question;
"Can you please read this page for me?"
The lady stares at me for a while then she nods a yes and starts talking. Immediately she opens her mouth I hear a loud beep. I can't hear what she's saying even though her mouth is clearly moving.
The long beeping sound continues and I have to cover my ear trying to block the sound away as it's starting to hurt my ears and head.
I fall to the ground still covering my ears as my head starts aching because of the sound. I feel someone touch my shoulder and the beeping comes to a stop.
"Are you okay?"
I look at the lady who I had asked to read the book for me staring at me with concern and her hand on my shoulder.
"I'm okay. Can you please read just a line from the book again?"
The woman nods resistantly, now looking concerned by my behavior. She starts reading and the same thing happens again. I thank her for reading it for me and collect the book from her, I walk to the counter and pick the remaining two.
"I'm sorry for bothering you."
I walk out of the book and make my way home in a haze. There's no problem with me but it seems something is trying to block me from hearing or seeing what actually happened to Vivian.
"If I'm right... That means all the memories and experiences I had might not be fake after all and I actually went inside the book."
I bring out my keys to open my house door when I hear a voice behind me.
"My daughter!!!"
I look behind me to see my mum with a traveling bag and a bag of groceries. She walks towards me smiling with her arms open. I run to her and give her a hug, tears start falling from my eyes and in the blink of an eye, I'm full-on crying.
My mum's handbag drops to the ground and she starts rubbing my back. After a while, I pull away from the hug and open the door taking in my mum's luggage. She sits me on the couch and hands me a cup of water she got from my fridge.
Seeing that I've calmed down, my mum finally talks.
"Is anything wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?"
My mum holds my hand and I give her a small smile.
"I just missed you so much."
She definitely wasn't having it and gives me a suspicious stare.
"I just missed you so much. I had a very bad dream and I got emotional seeing you."
She still looks like she doesn't believe it but she didn't ask again and walks to the kitchen.
"You didn't tell me you were coming and what's with the traveling box?"
My mum smiles bringing out some apples from the groceries she had brought.
"Your cousin is getting married and I'll be staying here for 2 weeks."
I nod and stand up to help my mum cut the apples.
"You look like you haven't slept in years, was the dream that scary?"
My mum says arranging the groceries.
"It wasn't scary, I just feel empty."
She pauses and looks at me concerned about my words.
"I'm done cutting the apple, I'll go take a shower now."
I grin at her and head toward the bathroom. I can hear her talking as I left.
"Is she having mood swings?"
The day go by pretty fast and my mood elevated because my mum is around and I don't want her to worry. After eating a lot of food she cooked and playing countless rounds of go-stop, we finally go to bed.
I thought I wouldn't be able to close my eyes in fear of finding myself back in the story but with my mum caressing my hair, I fell asleep quickly.
~~~~~
"He..Help m..me"
A girl says in a choking voice, she couldn't move with her wounded and bloody body as she lies on the cold ground. As blood blurs her vision, she tries to see what is suddenly in front of her.
"What a poor soul"
A voice says in a jolly voice.
"Let's just go and stop messing with people you're not going to help."
Another voice says in a hurried way.
"Don't you pity the poor soul? Let's help her."
The first voice says and the girl hears the second voice sigh deeply.
"Okay."
"There's only one way to help you, and that's for you to..."
The other voice makes a drum roll effect.
"CHANGE!!!"