The screech of tires echoed down the winding mountain road, the night sky eerily silent save for the roaring engine. My hands gripped the passenger seat as Eunha's knuckles turned white around the steering wheel.
"Eunha, slow down! This isn't funny!" My voice cracked as panic rose in my chest.
She didn't respond. Her eyes, wild and brimming with fury, remained glued to the road. Her tears glinted in the faint dashboard light.
"Do you even realize what you've done?" she finally snapped, her voice trembling with anger. "All your success—your perfect life—it's built on me! On my suffering!"
"What are you talking about? I never asked you to sacrifice anything for me!" I retorted, though her words stabbed at my conscience.
"You didn't have to ask." Her laughter was sharp, hollow. "While you were racking up awards and accolades with your Scholar System, I was being paraded like a trophy for every sleazy investor you shook hands with. Do you know what they did to me? What they—" Her voice broke, but she clenched her jaw and pressed the gas pedal harder.
The car swerved dangerously close to the cliff's edge. My heart pounded against my ribs. "Eunha, stop! This isn't the way—"
"Maybe it's the only way," she cut me off. "If I can't escape, neither can you!"
The car lurched as it left the road, soaring into the void. For a split second, the world was weightless, silent. Then came the plunge, the rush of air, and the crushing darkness.
When I opened my eyes, I was in my old bed. My chest heaved as I scrambled upright, my heart still racing. Sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating the faded posters of bands I'd loved in high school.
"No way," I muttered, looking around in disbelief. The room was exactly as I remembered it. A glance at my phone confirmed the date: I was back in my final year of high school.
A soft chime snapped me out of my daze.
[Welcome Back, Seojun. Scholar System Activated.]