THREE WAYS TO SURVIVE
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There are three ways to survive in a ruined world.
I have forgotten most of them now. But one thing remains certain.
The fact that you, who are reading this, will survive.
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The world we perceive is far different from what it truly is.
Beneath the surface of our understanding lies a complex web of emotions, pain, deceit, and repetition.
We think we're happy. We think we're living.
But all we're doing is repeating the same mundane cycles.
Waking up.Eating the same tasteless meals.
Attending school, work, or scrolling endlessly through our phones.
It's all the same.
Maybe I'm no different.
> [Next station is ■■■■■]
Again. A loop.
My name is Yu Jung-Hyeok. I don't have a proper introduction to offer.
I'm someone who walks his own path.
Someone who doesn't listen to others.
That might be why I had to quit E-sports.
Even with years of solo experience, teamwork was never my strong point.
"Hey, he's kinda good-looking, right?"
"Totally. Should we ask for his number...?"
This is why I hate the subway. Too many eyes. No one sees me for who I am, only for what I look.
Step... Step...
I boarded the train. It was crowded. I found a vacant spot in the corner and quietly moved toward it.
"Is he a model?"
"I don't know… I've never seen him in any magazines..."
Just look away, don't scrutinize me. All of this—every single day—feels like I'm living the same day on repeat.
As I turned my head, I noticed a number printed on the connecting door between train cars—3707.
I glanced at my phone. 6:50 PM.
Crap. I had promised 'Yu Mi-Ah', I'd be home by 6:30.
"She's gonna scream at me…" I muttered under my breath and shifted my gaze to the window.
Darkness. We were underground. Nothing to see.
This was Train 3434, heading to Bulgwang. My stop was the second-to-last.
Thud.
Someone sat next to me. A man in his mid-thirties, eyes locked on his phone.
I don't usually like company, but I said nothing.
Out of boredom, my eyes wandered to his screen. An article headline flashed:
"Pro-Gamer Yu Jung-Hyeok Disappears"
Ah...
When I was 12, and my sister was 4, our parents disappeared. We were left alone.
I cried back then—desperately.
But eventually, I understood. Crying wouldn't help us survive.
So I carried the weight. I protected her.
The government's free education policy helped. Barely.
Those days were hard. But we endured.
Still, I regret one thing. I couldn't give my sister the love our parents never did.
My eyes remained fixed on the stranger's screen as I drowned in memories.
6:55 PM.
The train sped on.
"Heuh... heuh-euh..."
A strange sound broke the silence.
A man in his forties staggered to his feet, his expression twisted in something between pain and madness.
People started murmuring.
"Who is that guy?"
"No idea..."
The man laughed—dry and unnerving—his eyes scanning the crowd.
Then, without warning, he pulled out a crude bomb.
A lighter flicked in his other hand.
[ On that day when the parwall began, there was a certain man riding on the same Subway car no. 3707 as Yu jung-Hyeok.]
"What's that?"
"H-hey, man!"
[The subway terrorist, Choi Han-Gyu.]
Gasps rippled through the train. Chaos erupted.
People leapt from their seats, pushing and screaming.
As for Yu Jung-Hyeok, he was quietly staring at that man.
"No one moves, or everyone dies!"
He roared. The panic grew.
Seeing the scene in front of him, a dumbfounded look came upon Yu Jung-Hyeok's face as he didn't understand what is going on.
Why now?
Why here?
[7:00 PM]
Click.
A sharp sound echoed through the train.
Suddenly, the car jolted violently.
[The free service period of Planetary System No. 8612 has concluded.]
[Main Scenario has begun.]