Chapter: Seat 9B
The carriage was nearly empty.
A cold night seeped in through the window glass, and the flickering train lights barely illuminated the features of those onboard.
I sat near the end, watching the seats as the light passed over them, then sank back into shadow. Nothing stood out… until I noticed him.
A young man, probably in his twenties, sitting alone in seat 9B.
He wasn't strange… or frightening.
He was just exhausted.
Plain and simple.
His shoulders slumped forward, his head hung low, and his face was half-buried in his hand, as if it weighed more than he could bear.
But what caught my attention the most were his eyes.
They didn't glow, as I initially thought… but were drained, burned out from within, as if he hadn't slept in days.
And the dark circles beneath them weren't just signs of fatigue.
They were echoes of long days of buildup, repetition, of trying to stay alive in a merciless system.
He stared at his phone screen, eyes half-open.
He didn't scroll with interest, didn't smile, didn't react.
He just… looked.
As if that screen was the last thing still connecting him to this world.
Then everything would disappear again, and he would return to that slow, aimless scrolling.
His right hand barely moved, his finger sliding across the screen without focus.
....Kim Hyul's point of view...
On my way back from work, I was reading the second-to-last chapter of my favorite novel—
"The Strange World."
Though it might seem like a bad game at first glance, it was the only game to surpass two billion downloads. It even spawned countless spin-off games, comics, and anime adaptations. The company had even announced a live-action TV series based on it.
The game excelled in many aspects—its unique storyline, smooth animations, stunning artwork (especially the character designs), and well-connected plot events.
But despite all these strengths, it had its fair share of flaws.
Even though the story was well-structured, there were many pointless subplots. And worst of all—*the women in this world were stronger than the men.*
Despite that, the gender ratio in the world was balanced, so you could still call the setting "normal."
And despite its name making you think it was set in medieval times, it actually took place in a modern era—complete with academies, fortified towers, and monsters.
You could play from the perspectives of the five heroines and experience the pure, heartwarming romance the game was known for.
Though I usually loved harem games, this one was genuinely good.
I was a huge fan of the game and had read its novel adaptation.
Only one chapter remained, and I'd be done with it.
Some might think I was an idiot for following a story when I already knew all the plot points. But the strange thing was—*the novel's events were completely different from the game's.*
Even though the story diverged, it was still an excellent read.
I kept reading the final chapter of the novel.
Suddenly, the bus came to a halt.
"All passengers, please exit the bus."
We quickly got off to see what had happened.
People were confused when the bus driver ordered us out—some even started making a fuss about it.
Once outside, I hurried to the driver's seat to check the situation. When I asked, he told me the engine had broken down and we'd have to walk the rest of the way.
"Damn it."
I could only curse my bad luck and start walking home.
Honestly, the road wasn't *that* long, but it'd still take at least thirty minutes on foot.
At least the walk wasn't boring thanks to the novel I was reading.
...And so, the heroines lived happily ever after with their loved ones.
A fitting ending for a pure love story.
I closed my phone and quickly headed home. Just as I was about to arrive—
"CRASH—!!!"
A speeding truck slammed into me at full force.
Pain exploded throughout my body—as if every bone had been shattered. I lost vision in my left eye, and debris pierced my ribs. A pool of blood rapidly formed beneath me—so much that even if the fractures didn't kill me, the blood loss would. I wanted to vomit, but my intestines had been torn apart from the impact.
Amidst the agony, I saw the truck driver reverse.
Damn it… damn it… damn it…
"Disgusting."
The truck ran me over again.
Maybe the driver was afraid I'd report him, so he chose to kill me and flee.
If this were the 1970s, I'd have applauded his cunning—but nowadays, surveillance cameras were everywhere.
I felt a little relieved knowing he'd spend the rest of his life in prison.
To be honest, my life hadn't been as happy as one might assume. It had been tough. Even though I worked at Korea's top company, the job felt like a prison.
Imagine working *72 hours a week*, with overtime on some days.
Though I was sad to die like this, at least I'd never have to return to that hellish workplace.
My right eye's vision faded, and darkness slowly consumed me.
---
When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
I pushed aside my wandering thoughts and rushed to find a mirror.
But given the house's dilapidated state, finding one wasn't easy.
I was afraid of two things:
First, that I'd reincarnated into a medieval-era novel. But when I spotted a phone next to the bed, I relaxed slightly.
Second, that I'd been reborn into a poor family—no, scratch that, an extremely poor one.
Ignoring my racing thoughts, I hurried toward the mirror. At the very least, I wanted a decent-looking body.
I quickened my steps, searching desperately. After half an hour, I finally found a small mirror by the door.
Slowly, I picked it up and looked at the reflection.
And when I saw the face staring back at me—
I tried acting calm, but no matter how I looked at it…
"Damn it."
.....Thanks for reading...