My name is Raon Jin.
People think I was born poor. They're wrong.
I was good at studies. I dreamed of becoming someone great. But fate… doesn't care about dreams.
That day… the accident.
I can still hear the screeching tires, the panicked screams. A child froze in the middle of the road. I didn't think—I just ran. I shoved him out of harm's way.
The car hit me instead.
[Flashback – Accident Scene]
"Ahhh!" The child screamed, rolling on the ground with a bleeding knee.
But me? Both of my hands were crushed under the car's weight.
[Raon's Thought]
The boy only suffered a few scratches. Almost all the damage… was mine.
Do I regret saving him? No. Never. Not even once.
But… sometimes, I wish I had lost only one hand instead of both. Maybe life wouldn't have been this cruel.
[Present – Raon enters home]
Our house is quiet, too quiet. My father lies on the old cot, chest rising and falling weakly. His face is pale. His breathing heavy.
Once, he had a decent business. A small shop. Enough to live comfortably. Until a scammer tricked him. The shop collapsed. Debt piled up. Then my accident pushed him further into despair.
Dad borrowed money for my operations, desperate to save me. He worked himself sick, but in the end, everything crumbled.
Now it's just me and him.
No one wanted to hire a cripple. So I did the jobs no one else would do: carrying boxes with my legs, cleaning trash, working long night shifts. Anything to earn a little money to pay off the debt.
I sat beside him, whispering, "Dad… don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
[Father's POV]
My son… always smiling, always pretending he's fine. But I know the truth.
I heard him tonight. He thinks I was asleep.
"Don't worry about me, Dad."
My heart broke. Tears filled my eyes.
Raon, I'm the one who failed you. I lost the shop. I let you suffer. I couldn't give you a decent life. I'm a terrible father.
If only I could change things… if only my son could have one more chance…
[Raon's POV – That Night]
I fell asleep, exhausted. But then… darkness.
A voice echoed. Cold. Endless.
"Raon Jin. Do you regret saving that child?"
I clenched my fists. "…No. I don't. Never." My voice shook.
"But… if I could change one thing… I wish I had lost only one hand instead of both."
The voice was silent for a moment. Then—
"Would you like another chance?"
I scoffed. "Another chance? Hah. Sounds like pity. But… if it's real… yes. I'd take it."
[System Voice]
[Ding!]
[System Initialization Complete.]
[Host: Raon Jin]
[Condition: You may return to the past. Choose any date.]
[Preparation Time: 30 minutes]
[Raon's POV – Searching Knowledge]
I shot up from the bed. "What the hell?!" Glowing words floated in front of me.
"This… can't be real."
I grabbed my old laptop, keys sticky but usable. My hands shook as I typed frantically, searching everything I remembered:
Major world events
Stock market booms
Tech company launches
Real estate growth
Even if it was fake… it didn't matter. If it was real, this was my one chance.
Countdown ticked in the corner:
[29:59… 29:58… 29:57…]
I gritted my teeth.
"If I really go back… I won't just survive. I'll rise. I'll become untouchable."
[System Screen Appears]
"Select the year you wish to regress to. Time available: 30 minutes."
Raon (thinking):
"1990? Too early… I'd be a kid.
1997? Asian Financial Crisis… too late.
I need to be ahead… not too early, not too late."
"…1993. Yes. That's perfect."
[System: Confirming year → 1993… regression in process.]
Raon (thinking):
"In 1994, Amazon rises. '95 internet boom. '97 panic… I'll buy cheap. I'll crush fate."
[Raon – The Moment of Regression]
My eyes shot open. The ceiling… wasn't cracked or moldy… it was clean.
Raon (thinking):
"This… this is my childhood home!"
I pushed myself up. My reflection in the mirror confirmed it.
"…A six-year-old kid."
[Door Opens – Father Enters]
The door slid open. A man walked in, smiling brightly.
"Raon, you're already awake? Come eat breakfast."
Raon (thinking):
"…Father. So young. So healthy. Just… happy."
I clenched my tiny fists.
"This isn't a dream. I really… went back."
I'm six years old again… 37 years of knowledge trapped in a child's body.
I have one chance. One shot to save Father, change fate, and crush everything that wronged me.