Do-Yoon slowly opened his eyes. For a few seconds, he did not move at all. He only stared at the white ceiling above him.
"...Huh?"
His head still felt heavy.
Everything that had happened in the dream felt so real. The snowy island...the monsters...Min-Jae...Sofia...everything looked too real to be called a dream.
Do-Yoon scratched his head.
"Was...that really a dream?"
He slowly sat up on his bed.
His mind was still full of questions.
Before he could think anymore, he accidentally leaned too far to one side.
"...Eh?"
The next second...
Thud!
"Aaaaa!"
He rolled off the bed and landed on the floor.
"My back..."
He rubbed his head while lying on the cold floor.
At that exact moment, the bedroom door opened.
Ji-Eun quickly looked inside.
"Oppa! What happened?"
She looked down and saw her older brother lying flat on the floor.
She blinked twice.
"...Did you lose a fight against your bed?"
Do-Yoon slowly raised one hand.
"I lost..."
Ji-Eun sighed.
"I knew it."
She walked over and offered him a hand.
"Come on. Get up."
Do-Yoon grabbed her hand and stood up.
He stretched his back.
"Oww..."
Ji-Eun crossed her arms.
"You really are something."
Do-Yoon smiled awkwardly.
"I was just...testing gravity."
Ji-Eun looked at him with a completely blank face.
"...Gravity won."
Do-Yoon laughed.
"I know."
Ji-Eun suddenly remembered something important.
"Oh!"
She looked at the wall clock.
"Oppa, aren't you supposed to be at school today?"
Do-Yoon looked at her.
"School?"
He slowly turned his head toward the clock.
His smile disappeared.
"..."
"..."
His eyes became wider and wider.
"No..."
His face turned completely pale.
"NOOOOOOO!"
He jumped into the air.
"I'm late!!"
He rushed around his room like a person whose soul had left his body.
"My uniform!"
"My shoes!"
"My bag!"
"Where are my socks?!"
He grabbed the first pair he saw without even checking them.
One sock was inside out.
The other one was backwards.
He did not notice.
He quickly changed his clothes.
His hair looked even messier than usual.
Ji-Eun walked into the kitchen.
She had already prepared breakfast.
"Oppa! Eat first!"
Do-Yoon rushed into the kitchen.
He looked at the food.
Then he looked at the clock.
Then back at the food.
"I don't have time!"
He grabbed two pieces of bread.
He stuffed one into his mouth.
The other one disappeared into his pocket.
Then he grabbed another egg.
That also went into another pocket.
Ji-Eun stared at him.
"...Are your pockets your lunch box now?"
Do-Yoon nodded while chewing.
"Mhm!"
"Oppa!"
"I'll be back!"
He rushed toward the front door.
"Wait! Your shoes!"
Too late.
The door had already closed.
Ji-Eun walked to the window.
She watched her brother sprint down the street.
"...He forgot to tie his shoelaces."
Two seconds later...
"Aaaaah!"
Thud!
She heard him trip outside.
"..."
"He'll survive."
She quietly went back inside.
Do-Yoon ran as fast as he could.
"My life is over!"
"I'll never escape Teacher Kim today!"
He finally reached the school gate.
He looked at the clock.
"Two minutes..."
"...Only two minutes late..."
He slowly looked toward his classroom.
His heart started beating faster.
He quietly opened the classroom door.
"C-Can I come in?"
Teacher Kim Tae-Kyung slowly turned around.
The entire classroom became silent.
Do-Yoon smiled nervously.
"Good morning?"
The teacher adjusted his glasses.
"Late again."
Do-Yoon laughed awkwardly.
"It was...an accident."
Teacher Kim pointed toward the wall.
"You already know your punishment."
"...Yes, sir."
A few minutes later...
Do-Yoon was balancing upside down against the wall.
Several students tried not to laugh.
They failed.
"Hahaha!"
"He's late again!"
"That's the fifth time this month!"
One student whispered,
"Actually...I think it's the eighth."
Another nodded.
"I lost count."
Min-Jae sat near the window.
He looked at Do-Yoon.
"...My bro will never change."
Do-Yoon sighed upside down.
"This is so embarrassing..."
Teacher Kim looked at him.
"Say something?"
"No, sir!"
"Good."
The class continued.
After what felt like forever, the punishment finally ended.
Do-Yoon dropped onto the floor.
"My blood went into my brain..."
Min-Jae laughed.
"I think there wasn't much blood there to begin with."
"Bro!"
"I'm joking!"
"You better be."
Finally...
The lunch bell rang.
Students rushed toward the cafeteria.
Do-Yoon and Min-Jae sat together.
Min-Jae leaned closer.
"So..."
"...About that dream."
Do-Yoon immediately became serious.
"It wasn't normal."
"I know."
"It felt real."
"I know."
"We both remembered everything."
"I know."
"We even remember Sofia."
"I know."
"...Bro."
"What?"
"You keep saying 'I know.'"
"I know."
Do-Yoon sighed.
"You are impossible."
Min-Jae laughed.
Then he suddenly froze.
"...Uh oh."
"What?"
"I need the bathroom."
"Right now?"
"RIGHT NOW."
"Go!"
Min-Jae stood up so fast that his chair almost fell over.
"I'll be back!"
He ran out of the cafeteria.
Do-Yoon watched him leave.
"...Poor guy."
He quietly continued eating.
A shadow suddenly stopped beside his table.
Do-Yoon slowly looked up.
Several older students were standing there.
One of them smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
"So..."
"You're Kim Do-Yoon?"
"Yes."
"You got any money?"
Do-Yoon checked his pockets.
One pocket still had half a piece of bread.
He pulled it out.
"This is all I own."
The boys frowned.
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"I don't have money."
The leader stepped closer.
"You think we're joking?"
Do-Yoon scratched his cheek.
"I'm already poor."
"If I give you money..."
"...I'll become poorer."
A few nearby students quietly watched.
The leader's smile disappeared.
"So you won't give us anything?"
"No."
The bully suddenly swung his fist toward Do-Yoon's face.
Everything around Do-Yoon suddenly felt...
...slow.
His eyes widened.
Without even thinking, his body moved by itself.
His right hand came up naturally.
Tap.
He caught the bully's wrist before the punch could reach him.
The cafeteria became silent.
Even Do-Yoon looked surprised.
"...Huh?"
He had not planned to move.
His body simply reacted.
The same movements...
The same combat training...
Everything Mrantor had forced him to learn inside the dream...
...had become part of his instincts.