Chapter 8: Chapter 7

Translator: – –  Editor: – –

“It cannot be that child.”

“Mother, I love Haesook.”

“She is your little sister.”

He was still regaining his consciousness when he heard a soap opera with a highly contrived plot. Junhyuk opened his eyes wide and felt something sticky on his cheek.

Ick!

He touched his cheek. The sticky stuff was dried cider. On the television, the news had ended, and a soap opera was on. Junhyuk checked the time on his cell phone and laughed.

“It’s only been an hour?”

He felt disturbed by the time and closed his eyes. His soul had spent one month in the Valley of Death, but, in this reality, only one hour had gone by. Junhyuk tried to focus with his eyes closed. He felt something in his chest, opened his eyes and smiled.

“It’s true.”

In front of him, there was an ivory-colored force field. Junhyuk made sure the field was real and slowly got up from the floor. After 10 seconds, the field disappeared.

Ring, ring!

Suddenly, he heard his cell phone ringing. His mother’s phone number was displayed on its screen.

“Hello?”

“Junhyuk? Are you okay? Why didn’t you pick up the phone sooner?”

Junhyuk laughed excessively. She must’ve called him while he was sleeping for an hour.

“I am okay. I didn’t pick up because I was sleeping.”

“I saw the news. I had to call you, but I got worried because you didn’t answer the phone. Are you sure you are okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

“You couldn’t have gone to the interview.”

“No, I couldn’t because of the accident.”

“I thought so. Come visit me when you have some time.”

“Yes, mother. Sleep well.”

Junhyuk hung up and looked at his cell. There were forty-eight missed calls. His mother had called him, and Junhyuk smiled. After hearing his mother’s voice, he knew he had come back alive.

“I had to lie.”

He had already told his mother he had been invited for an interview at ST Capsule. It was a relief that he had been able to lie about not going. Junhyuk looked around his room slowly. In reality, it had only been an hour, but he knew he had been gone for a month. He knew he had returned.

“It’s been a long time,” Junhyuk murmured to himself and went to the bathroom to take a shower. He undressed, removed his bandages, and looked at himself in the mirror. “I need to train just like Artlan said.”

He had a slight pot belly and had not worked out before.

Artlan said he needed to strengthen his mind and body. If not, he could ruin his body due to the difference in power between his mind and body. Even though he had spent only a month with Artlan, both of them became close. To survive the battlefield where death often happened, he naturally became close with Artlan and took advice from him.

Junhyuk looked in the mirror and showered. Feeling the cold water over him made him feel that he was really alive. While the cold water fell, Junhyuk opened his eyes slowly.

“Come to think of it, my wounds have healed.”

His cracked rib and torn shin were both healed. In their place, Junhyuk came close to death on many occasions. He survived, but it hadn’t been easy.

“Will they summon me again?”

He didn’t want to go back to the deadly battlefield, but it did not depend on how he felt. He was told that after two weeks in this current reality, he would be summoned again at the same time.

“Then, it’s fortunate.”

If they hadn’t summoned him in the evening, people would’ve found out that he had experienced abnormal narcolepsy. Junhyuk got out of the bathroom and put on workout clothes. He was going to start working out now.

He went out and took a deep breath. The air entered deep into his lungs. It was different from feeling it with his soul. He smiled and started to run. In this world, it had only been an hour, but his philosophy toward life had changed.

He worked out the entire weekend, and, on Monday morning, he took in the fresh dawn air while running around his neighborhood. He returned home and saw two men wearing suits in front of his home. He approached them.

“What’s going on?”

One of them turned around fixing his glasses and asked:

“Are you Mr. Junhyuk Lee?”

“Yes, I am Junhyuk Lee.”

The man wearing glasses gave him a business card.

“I am the section chief to the W.A.N.C.S. Korea Bureau, Sungtae Kwak,” he smiled and continued. “Could we talk inside?”

“Please, come in.”

Junhyuk opened the door. His room was not large, but he always kept it clean. So, he didn’t mind guests coming in.

He opened the refrigerator, but didn’t find any soda. Instead, he poured two glasses of water.

“Please, have seat.”

Sungtae and other man took their seats. Junhyuk took out a receipt from his wallet.

“You must be here for this?”

Junhyuk was holding a receipt for the pharmacy and hospital bills. Sungtae looked at his colleague. The man picked up the receipt.

“I heard you were wounded on your leg. Aren’t you still hurt?”

“They gave it thirty stitches, but it doesn’t affect me. I should work out harder when I am wounded.”

“Right.”

“I should’ve come to you first. Thanks for coming here.”

Sungtae looked at Junhyuk quietly and said:

“This incident created some big issues.”

The accident involved two narcolepsy patients, a bus and a car explosion. It had to be a big issue, and the accident was spreading very fast on SNS.

“I don’t want anything besides the insurance coverage.”

“Don’t worry about that, the insurance will cover you. If you want to visit the hospital a few more times, just ask for your receipts.”

“OK. Can I call the number on your business card?”

“Yes.”

Junhyuk thought the conversation had ended. However, they kept drinking their water, and didn’t get up.

“Do you have something more to discuss?”

Sungtae was waiting for this question and replied:

“This accident changed people’s perception of abnormal narcolepsy. So, our W.A. N.C.S. office wants to hire you as a public advertising model.”

“Advertising model?”

“Yes, there won’t be a lot of money since it is a public service announcement, but we are willing to pay a small sum for your work.”

He had been tempted by getting paid, but he wasn’t interested. They would summon him again in two weeks. It was a place where death was an everyday occurrence, even for Junhyuk, who had activated his power.

If he became an advertising model and fell under abnormal narcolepsy, people would get even more afraid. Also, he just wanted to lead a normal life.

“I am sorry.”

Sungtae tried to persuade him one more time.

“It was on Friday’s evening news, and SNS is getting an explosive number of hits. If an advertisement went out now, it would be the most effective.”

Junhyuk Lee replied firmly:

“I am sorry. I just want to lead a normal life.”

Junhyuk did not give him another chance. Sungtae sighed.

“OK. If you ever change your mind, give me a call.”

“Take it easy.”

Junhyuk let them out, and looked at the business card.

“It’s a pity. The pay might’ve been high.”

He was unemployed. He got his money from his family, but he didn’t want to become famous.

Junhyuk started doing sit-ups. After two weeks, he would be summoned again. He had to concentrate everything on returning alive. He had no time for anything else.

His cell phone rang.

Ring, ring!

Junhyuk saw a number he didn’t recognize. So, he stopped working out and answered the phone.

“This is Junhyuk Lee.”

“Hello. I am Nayoung Lee from ST Capsule’s Personnel Department. Are you Mr. Junhyuk Lee?”

“Yes. What’s going on?”

“Congratulations! You’ve passed ST Capsule’s interview. You may find more details on our homepage.”

“What?! I passed?”

“Yes, you’ve passed.”

Junhyuk stared at his phone.

“Is this a joke?”

The interviewers had not been nice. How did he pass?

“Check out our homepage. There is a list of people who passed and the date for orientation. You should look at it.”

“Okay.”

“Have a nice day! Again, I’m Nayoung Lee from the Personnel Department.”

Junhyuk hung up and immediately turned on his computer. He did not want to be a model because it would bring unwanted attention, but he still wanted a job. Also, they would summon him on Friday nights, so he should find a job.

The computer took a while to turn on.

“This piece of junk!”

He couldn’t wait for his computer and went online using his smartphone. He found the ST Capsule’s homepage and then a section with a list of new hires. He found his own name on the list.

“Did I really get hired?”

He had gone to the interview, just in case, but he had thought that he had failed it due to the reactions of the interviewers.

Junhyuk looked at the television.

“Was it because of the news?”

SNS posts and the news were very different. Junhyuk looked for his video on SNS, just in case, and gasped as he looked at the number of hits on the video.

“20,000,000 hits?!”

Only three days had passed since the accident. It was an unbelievable amount of hits. Junhyuk checked the orientation date as he tried to calm himself down.

“It’s this week. Wednesday to Friday. Two nights and three days.”

He was even happier now than when he had returned alive. He decided to call his mother. The phone rang, and his father picked up.

“Junhyuk?”

“Yes, father.”

“Why have you called?”

“Father, I got hired by ST Capsule.”

His father was silent for a moment.

“I thought you hadn’t gone to the interview.”

“Actually, I went to the interview after the accident. I didn’t want to get mother worried.”

“Is that so? Congratulations!”

“I have an orientation to attend. I will visit you this weekend.”

“Sure.”

Junhyuk hung up the phone and thought about his father. Then, he got up.

“I have a job now. I should keep my promise.”