Jae-Ho's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. He sat up abruptly, his hands flying to his head as a wave of disorientation washed over him. The world around him seemed to spin, and he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. Desperately, he tried to piece together the events that had led him to this moment, but his mind felt like a blank canvas, devoid of any recent memories. No, not entirely blank—it was as if a thick fog had settled over his thoughts, obscuring everything but leaving him with an unsettling sense that something important lay just beyond his reach.
As his vision began to clear, Jae-Ho took in his surroundings with growing bewilderment. He found himself in a small, sterile hospital room, the walls a stark white that seemed to close in around him. The scratchy fabric of a hospital gown clung to his skin, a tangible reminder of his unfamiliar circumstances. He wasn't alone in this clinical space; other patients occupied the room, some lost in slumber while others engaged in quiet activities, their presence both comforting and disconcerting.
While Jae-Ho was still trying to orient himself, a small voice pierced through his confusion. "Oh! You're awake, mister." Turning his head, he found himself face to face with a little girl sitting in the bed next to his. Her bright eyes and curious expression stood in stark contrast to his own bewildered state. "Hello…" Jae-Ho managed to respond, his voice coming out dry and uncertain, a reflection of his internal turmoil.
As Jae-Ho struggled to make sense of his situation, his mind raced with unanswered questions. 'What happened to me? How did I end up here? Why can't I remember anything?' The weight of these unknowns pressed down on him, threatening to overwhelm his senses. His internal dialogue was interrupted by the little girl's voice once again. "Hey! Mister, did you hear me? You've been spacing out." Pulled back to the present moment, Jae-Ho met the girl's gaze. "Sorry, I… I'm just a bit lost," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. The little girl tilted her head, regarding him with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "You're weird, mister," she declared with the straightforward honesty only a child could muster.
Jae-Ho attempted a weak chuckle, trying to ease the tension he felt. "Haha... Is that so?" he replied, before a sudden thought struck him. "Say, what year is it?" The question seemed to catch the little girl off guard, and she looked at him as if he had just asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Um... it's October 2010," she answered, her tone suggesting she couldn't quite believe she had to tell someone this basic information.
The girl's words hit Jae-Ho like a physical blow. His eyes widened in shock, and he felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs. "October… 2010," he repeated, his voice barely audible. The implications of this simple statement were staggering. Had he truly traveled back in time? It seemed impossible, yet the girl's matter-of-fact delivery left little room for doubt. She didn't appear to be lying, and why would she? As the reality of his situation began to sink in, Jae-Ho felt a mix of fear, confusion, and a strange sense of wonder. "What's your name?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly as he sought to ground himself in this impossible reality.
"My name is Seo-hyun. What's your name, mister?" the girl replied, her energetic response a stark contrast to Jae-Ho's shell-shocked state. "My name is Jae-Ho. Nice to meet you, Seo-hyun," he managed to respond, the simple act of introducing himself feeling surreal in the face of his extraordinary circumstances.
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a nurse. "Seo-hyun! Time for your check-up," she called out, her professional tone cutting through the strange atmosphere that had settled between Jae-Ho and the little girl. Jae-Ho watched as Seo-hyun's expression fell, a small sigh escaping her lips as she looked at the nurse. The sudden shift in her demeanor tugged at something within Jae-Ho, momentarily pushing aside his own tumultuous thoughts. "Hey… Seo-hyun," he called out, surprising even himself with his impulse to cheer her up.
"Hmm…?" Seo-hyun turned back to him, curiosity replacing her momentary disappointment.
Jae-Ho scrambled for something to say, his mind latching onto an idea born from a mix of desperation and an odd sense of playfulness. "It looks like you have a mission to complete! Get your check-up and earn a level." The words tumbled out before he could second-guess them, and for a moment, he held his breath, unsure how she would react to this impromptu attempt at encouragement.
To his relief and surprise, Seo-hyun's face lit up with a bright smile. "Haha... You're funny, hyung! Alright, I'll finish this mission and return victorious!" she announced, her voice filled with newfound enthusiasm. As she hopped off her bed and followed the nurse out of the room, Jae-Ho couldn't help but smile, a genuine expression that felt foreign on his face given his current predicament.
As Jae-Ho watched Seo-hyun's retreating form, he found himself caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The confusion and disorientation that had gripped him upon waking still lingered, a constant reminder of the impossible situation he found himself in. Yet, his brief interaction with Seo-hyun had sparked something unexpected within him—a flicker of warmth, a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of his thoughts. As he sat there, surrounded by the sterile walls of the hospital room, Jae-Ho couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps, just perhaps, this inexplicable journey through time wasn't merely a cruel twist of fate. Maybe, in some way he couldn't yet fathom, it was an opportunity—a chance to do something truly extraordinary. With this thought, a sense of determination began to take root alongside his confusion, and Jae-Ho resolved to unravel the mystery of his presence in this time, no matter what challenges lay ahead.