Year 2024, Seoul (South-Korea)
>Morning<
"(Chinese sounds) Your phone linging, your phone linging, big boy, come pick up your phone, why you no pick up your phone? Your phone linging, your phone going to go to voicemail, goodbye"
The shrill soundtrack of my beloved alarm pierces through the early morning silent, yanking me out of the strange and vivid dream. I yawn, reaching out blindly to silence to turn off the alarm on my phone. My hand flails around until it finally lands on the alarm clock, cutting off the sound.
I lie there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, my mind still foggy with the remnants of the dream that haunts me almost every night. It's always the same… fierce battles, a crumbling fortress, and that mysterious figure, the "Hero," whose fiery eyes follow me even as I wake. Why do I keep seeing him? What does it all mean? I'm getting sick of this it's always the same dream for the past 16 years, as if I'm dreaming about my past life or so but let's not get ridiculous.
I shake my head, trying to push the images away as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. "It's just a dream, no deep meanings." I mutter to myself, but even I don't believe it. It feels too real, like something more than just my imagination. Sometimes, it's like I'm remembering something... but that's impossible, right?
I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My long, dark hair is a tangled mess, and my eyes, still heavy with the weight of those dreams, that seems to hold a depth far older than my sixteen years. I rub my face, trying to shake off the strange sense of unease that clings to me.
"Morning, Choi Aerum, you are still as gorgeous as always," I say to my reflection, forcing a smile. "Second year, here we go." Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I'll start to believe it.
Before I can even begin to mentally prepare for the day, the door to my room bursts open, and my little sister, Soonim, charges in like a tornado. "Unnie! You're finally up! You're gonna be late if you don't hurry!" Her voice is far too energetic for this early in the morning. How does she have so much energy all the time? She's 15 and she made my life amusing every day.
"Ugh, Soonim, knock next time," I grumble, though I'm not really annoyed. I stand up, stretching my arms over my head. "And I won't be late. I still have plenty of time."
Soonim, of course, ignores my complaint. She's bouncing on her heels, practically vibrating with excitement. "Mom says breakfast is ready, and Oppa's home! He's making pancakes!"
At the mention of our older brother, Minho, my mood instantly brightens. "Oppa's home? He didn't tell me he was coming back from the military yet."
"He wanted it to be a surprise!" Soonim grins, already halfway out the door. "Hurry up, or I'll eat your share!"
I shake my head, chuckling despite myself. "That little brat," I mutter affectionately. The thought of seeing Minho after so long pushes the lingering unease from my dreams to the back of my mind. Minho's been away for months on a Marine deployment, and I've missed him more than I realized.
A few minutes later, I'm downstairs, greeted by the mouth-watering smell of pancakes. Minho stands at the stove, flipping a pancake with that easy, practiced motion of his. He's tall and broad-shouldered, his uniform jacket draped over a chair, revealing the simple t-shirt he's wearing underneath. When he sees me, his face lights up with that familiar smile.
"So, you finally decided to wake up too?" Minho says, grinning wider.
"My bad, Oppa, I'm just a deep sleeper you know?" I retort, rolling my eyes, though I can't help but smile back as I move to hug him.
"Not those excuses again," Minho says, ruffling my hair the way he always does. It used to annoy me, but now it just feels comforting. "I'm glad I made it back in time to see you start your second year."
"I'm glad you're here too," I say, grabbing a plate and helping myself to a stack of pancakes. As we sit down to eat, the noise and warmth of my family fill the room, pushing away the strange feelings from my dreams.
But even as I laugh at Soonim's shenanigans and listen to Minho's stories from his time away, I can't shake the feeling that something is off. Those dreams... they're not just dreams, are they? The visions of my possible past life, the memories of being the Heavenly Demon, and that mysterious "Hero"… they're always in the back of my mind, a constant reminder that my life is more complicated than it might seems.
Why do I keep thinking about him? I wonder if that guy exists in the first place even and if yes, could he also be here in Seoul. I feel like all those thoughts might clear up if I meet him, as if he is other missing half in my life… something I'm missing.
For now, though, I push those thoughts aside. I'm Choi Aerum, a sixteen-year-old girl about to start my second year of high school. It's a fresh start, a new beginning, and I'm determined to make the most of it. Whatever those dreams mean, I'll figure it out later. Right now, I just want to enjoy this moment with my family.
>On her way to school now<
As I step out of the house, the morning sun lights up the streets of Seoul. The walk to school is familiar, and the city is just starting to wake up.
I start thinking about last year. At first, I was nervous, but I quickly became popular. So many guys asked me out that I lost count. They were nice, but I didn't feel anything special for any of them. With all those strange dreams bothering me, dating wasn't really on my mind.
Being popular was fun. I made a lot of friends, and the teachers liked me too. But there's something else I want even more.
I've always dreamed of being a celebrity. It's not just about being famous, though that would be great. I want to sing, act, and show the world what I can do. I want to be a star that everyone adores.
As I near the school gates, the usual crowd is already gathering. Familiar faces greet me with smiles and waves, and I return them, trying to push aside the lingering thoughts of my dreams. For now, I focus on the excitement of starting a new year.
The school building looms ahead, just like it did last year, but this time it feels different. I'm not the nervous freshman anymore. I'm someone people know and look up to. And this year, I'm determined to take it even further. I'll keep my grades up, join more clubs, and make sure every freshman knows my name.
>Inside the school<
The bell rings as I walk through the doors, and I head to my locker, already planning out my day. I wonder if this year will be different. Will I finally meet someone who makes my heart skip a beat? Or will I keep focusing on my dream to become a celebrity? Whatever happens, I'm ready for it.
I spot some of my friends down the hallway and wave at them. They're already talking about the latest gossip, and I can't help but smile. Even with all the strange dreams and the mysteries in my life, it's moments like this that make me feel grounded.
But as I walk towards them, a thought pops into my head. What if this is the year everything changes? What if this is the year I start to really chase my dreams?
As I join my friends, the hallway buzzes with excitement. It doesn't take long for me to catch on to what everyone is talking about, there's a new transfer student.
"Did you hear?" one of my friends, Yuna, says, practically bouncing on her toes. "There's a new guy in our grade, and everyone's saying he's super handsome. Like, movie-star level."
"Yeah," another friend, Jisoo, chimes in. "I heard he's from overseas. Some say he lived in Europe for a while. And get this, he's already aced the entrance exams. Top scores and everything."
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "Really? He sounds too perfect to be true."
Yuna nods eagerly. "I know, right? But everyone who's seen him says he's the real deal. Tall, dark hair, those sharp features... And apparently, he's really dangerous, but in that mysterious, cool way."
Jisoo adds, "I bet he's going to be the most popular guy in school in no time. Every girl's going to be after him."
I can't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. It's not every day someone like that shows up out of nowhere. "Do we know what class he's in?"
"Not yet," Yuna says, leaning in like she's about to share a secret. "But rumor has it he might be in ours. Imagine that!"
I laugh, shaking my head. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Even as we head to our first class, the buzz about the new transfer student lingers in the air. Everyone seems to be talking about him, and I can't deny I'm curious too. What kind of person is he?
The school day begins like any other. After catching up with Yuna and a few friends, I find my seat in the classroom, ready to start the new year. Our homeroom teacher, Miss Kim, walks in, quickly bringing the room to order.
"Good morning, class," Miss Kim begins with her usual warm smile. "Before we dive into the syllabus, I'd like to introduce a new transfer student."
The room goes quiet as everyone's attention shifts to the door. A tall boy with dark hair and sharp features steps in. His presence alone seems to command attention, and for a moment, the room is still.
"This is Kang Joon-Soo," Miss Kim continues. "He's just returned to Seoul after living abroad for several years. I hope you'll all make him feel welcome."
Joon-Soo bows slightly and introduces himself. "Hello, I'm Kang Joon-Soo. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all."
As he scans the room, his eyes meet mine, and in that instant, everything changes.
Suddenly, memories…no, vision flood my mind. I see myself in a different time and place, clad in dark robes, powerful, commanding respect and fear. I remember Joon-Soo too, but it feels impossible. We were warriors in a world of martial arts, comrades who fought side by side and later enemies driven by conflicting ideals. But that's ridiculous... isn't it? These can't be real memories, they're too strange, too outlandish. Maybe I'm just imagining things. Maybe I'm... losing it.
The shock of it leaves me breathless. I can tell from the look on Joon-Soo's face that he's experiencing the same thing. But the disbelief, the confusion, is all too evident in his expression. Does he think he's going crazy too?
Miss Kim's voice pulls me back to the present. "Joon-Soo, you can sit next to Choi Aerum by the window."
Joon-Soo nods stiffly, his face hardening as he walks over to the empty seat beside me. As he sits down, his eyes flicker toward me briefly, but he quickly looks away, his jaw clenched tightly. What was that look? Was it recognition, or was it fear? The classroom buzzes with the usual morning chatter, but it all seems distant, almost unreal. All I can focus on is the boy sitting next to me, and the overwhelming confusion crashing through my mind.
"Is this seat taken?" he asks, his voice low and distant, as if he's hoping I'll just say yes so, he can go sit somewhere else.
I shake my head, my heart pounding as I struggle to make sense of the insanity swirling in my mind. "No, it's yours."
He sits down without another word, and for a moment, we just sit there in silence. I steal a glance at him, hoping for some kind of acknowledgment, but he seems completely absorbed in his own thoughts, his eyes fixed on the desk in front of him. The memories, or whatever they are, are so vivid, so overwhelming, but they can't be real, right? It's like my mind is playing tricks on me, making up stories that never happened.
"Do you... do you remember...anything?" I finally ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I feel foolish even saying it, like I'm buying into some fantasy.
His jaw tightens, and he doesn't look at me when he replies. "I don't know," he says, his tone uncertain, almost as if he's afraid to admit he might be losing his grip on reality. "But it doesn't make any sense."
That's all he says, just a few words, flat and devoid of any confidence. I stare at him, waiting for more, but he doesn't elaborate. It's like he's put up a wall between us, and no matter how much I want to understand what he's thinking, he's not letting me in. Is he as scared as I am that this might be something more than just imagination?
I can't help it, frustration flares up inside me. "So, should we talk about it?" I ask, trying to keep my tone even, though it's clear I'm getting irritated. What am I even asking? What could we possibly do about something that's probably not even real?
Joon-Soo finally turns his head slightly to look at me, but his expression is guarded, almost as if he's trying to protect himself from the absurdity of it all. "No," he says flatly, as if saying it out loud will make it true. "There's nothing to talk about."
I blink, stunned by his dismissiveness. "Nothing to talk about?! Are you serious?"
He shrugs, as if the whole situation is just an inconvenience to him. "That's exactly what we should do. Ignore it. It's probably nothing, just our minds playing tricks on us."
His words hit me like a slap in the face. Ignore it? How can he be so indifferent? Or is he just scared to face it, like I am? "Are you kidding me? You think we can just pretend this never happened? How can you be so... so—"
"So what?" he cuts in, his tone sharp as he finally meets my eyes, his gaze hard and unyielding. But there's something else there too—fear, doubt, maybe even desperation. "So rational? So realistic? We're in high school, Aerum. This isn't some fantasy world. Whatever we think we were, it's not real. We're not those people."
The way he says my name like it's something foreign to him, only makes me angrier. "Rational? You call this rational? You're acting like none of these matters!"
"Because it doesn't," he snaps, his voice low and edged with finality, but there's a tremor in his voice that wasn't there before. "This life is what matters. Not...whatever that was. We're just students here, nothing more."
I'm practically shaking with anger now. Or is it fear? I'm not used to this, being dismissed so easily, especially not by someone who's supposed to understand what I'm going through
The words hang in the air between us, thick with tension. It's not just indifference, it's something deeper, something almost like fear. Does he think he's losing his mind too? But before I can say anything else, he turns his attention back to the front of the classroom, effectively ending the conversation.
For the rest of the class, I sit there stewing in frustration and confusion, glancing at him every now and then, hoping he'll say something, anything, to break the silence. But he doesn't. He's completely shut me out, and it only makes me more determined to break through whatever wall he's put up between us. But what if I'm just imagining it all? What if we're both just... crazy?
As the class ends, I turn to Joon-Soo, forcing a smile despite the anger and doubt simmering just beneath the surface. "It's all in the past anyway, and we haven't properly introduced ourselves. Nice to meet you! My name is Choi Aerum!"
He looks at me, his eyes unreadable, before offering the briefest of nods. "Nice to meet you too. My name is Kang Joon-Soo," he replies, his tone flat and distant, like he's trying to convince himself as much as me that this is all normal, that nothing's wrong.
Weirdly enough, those were also our names in our previous life. But that's impossible... isn't it?
Chapter 2 end