SAV Chapter 3

What’s even more astounding is that this guy’s visuals aren’t even in their final form, but still developing. They say he becomes even more handsome when he differentiates into dominant Alpha or whatever. Just how much more handsome can he get? It seems my sibling poured all the beauty standards of this world into this guy.

 

While I was admiring his face, a scent carried by the wind reached my nose. It was like the fabric softener smell from freshly dried laundry, or maybe the soap scent from the bathroom at home.

 

Choi Jeha, biting his plump lower lip, shoved me away and stood up abruptly.

 

“You say you can’t breathe just from having your collar grabbed, yet you’re out here suffocating people?”

 

Choi Jeha clenched his fist and glared at me.

 

In the novel, Cha Eunseong never acted directly. He was a typical bully—always manipulating others to do his dirty work or stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

 

So I wasn’t sure if Choi Jeha knew this fact. But I thought that if Choi Jeha was being bullied, he might have sensed that Cha Eunseong wasn’t on his side just from the atmosphere.

 

…However, even if that was the case, I hoped he didn’t know I was the ringleader.

 

“I can understand why you’d think that. But really, it wasn’t me.”

 

Although I felt wronged being misunderstood for something I didn’t do, I had accomplished my mission of rescuing the trapped guy. I was about to back off and get up, but but he kept his grip on my collar.

 

“You expect me to believe that?”

 

“It’s true, I’m telling you.”

 

“Then how did you know I was locked up here? How did you know to come here at this hour?”

 

“Well, that’s…”

 

I’m not sure how to explain it or where to start. Should I say I fell asleep after reading the synopsis of a novel you appear in, and because of my sibling’s curse, I ended up dreaming about the novel’s content, and that’s how I knew?

 

When I didn’t answer immediately, Choi Jeha’s gaze became even sharper. Ah, whatever. It’s just a dream, right? I decided to give a rough explanation.

 

“I heard the guys say they locked you up, so I came. It’s true. I came to rescue you.”

 

“Hah…”

 

Choi Jeha sighed.

 

“Think about it. What kind of culprit locks someone up and then comes to unlock the door themselves?”

 

There are a lot of omitted parts, but I, Park Sejin, really did hear the students talking by chance and came running, sweating profusely, to save Choi Jeha, so I confidently asserted my innocence. Though the guy didn’t seem to believe me at all. His glaring eyes were full of hostility.

 

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but do you find it fun to toy with people like this?”

 

“I really came to save you.”

 

“Stop lying.”

 

“Jeha.”

 

“Don’t call my name. It’s disgusting enough as it is.”

 

Choi Jeha let go of my collar and stood up, so I also got up and dusted off the dirt on my clothes.

 

Thud, Choi Jeha bumped his shoulder against mine as he headed towards the main building. At that moment, memories of a past I wanted to forget flashed through my mind like a short film.

 

‘You’re the bastard who stole your friend’s girlfriend.’

 

‘It’s really not true. I don’t even have her contact, Seungmin.’

 

‘Don’t call my name and get lost, it’s disgusting.’

 

There was a group that graduated elementary and middle school together and entered the same high school. Among them, Seungmin, who I considered my closest friend, introduced me to his girlfriend one day, saying he had started dating. Shortly after that, I met Seungmin’s girlfriend at a club activity meeting.

 

We exchanged brief greetings, as we were acquainted through my friend. After that, I was too busy with my schedule to have any further conversations with her.

 

A few days later, for some reason, she broke up with Seungmin. Somehow, this fact got distorted, and before I knew it, I had become the unscrupulous guy who stole his friend’s girlfriend at school.

 

The friendship I thought was everything crumbled at that moment.

 

I tried hard to clear up the misunderstanding. But to them, it seemed to be nothing more than excuses from a shameless bastard.

 

I think that’s when I started smoking.

 

I quit after deep contemplation about why I should be the one to fall apart when I was the one wronged.

 

‘Why am I suddenly remembering that incident?’

 

“It’s fine if you want to leave, but I really did come to save you. At least acknowledge that.”

 

“How long are you going to keep up this hypocrisy?”

 

Right, with all the resentment built up over time, it won’t be resolved with just a few words. But I really did come running out of concern for Choi Jeha, so I couldn’t help feeling wronged.

 

“It’s not hypocrisy. Just listen to me for a moment. This might be a bit confusing…”

 

“Just make sure I don’t catch any evidence that you were behind today’s incident.”

 

Choi Jeha shook off my hand that was holding his wrist. Then he looked at me like I was some kind of insect, which really ticked me off. I thought, why can’t I just tell the truth? It’s just a dream that will end when I wake up anyway.

 

“Come on! Just listen to me. I’m telling you, I’m not the Cha Eunseong you know!”

 

Choi Jeha, who had taken a few steps forward, stopped abruptly, and I heard him mutter “crazy bastard” under his breath. Whatever.

 

“This is a dream, and you’re a character from a novel my sibling created. So I heard about your bad reputation…”

 

“Ha.”

 

Choi Jeha let out a bitter laugh.

 

It was understandable. If I were in his shoes and someone suddenly said, ‘Actually, I’m not who I am,’ I would have thought, ‘What kind of weird prank is this?’

 

Thinking about it that way, I felt a bit embarrassed, but whether he treated me like a crazy person or not, wouldn’t it all disappear when I woke up anyway?

 

I might as well be a bit embarrassed for a moment.

 

“I’m not Cha Eunseong, I’m Park Sejin. I don’t know why I became Cha Eunseong, but anyway, I read in the novel’s synopsis that you were being bullied for no reason…”

 

As I was explaining earnestly, Choi Jeha walked towards the main building as if my words weren’t worth listening to anymore. His strides were quite wide, as if he wanted to distance himself from me quickly.

 

“Hey, I’m not finished talking!”

 

I quickly chased after him to catch up. Choi Jeha suddenly turned around.

 

“Don’t follow me, you lunatic. Before I kill you.”

 

He said these chilling words with fierce eyes. His clenched fist was as big as my head. If I pushed any further, I felt like I might really get hit this time. From then on, I didn’t follow him but shouted loud enough for Choi Jeha, who was walking ahead, to hear.

 

“Anyway, I’ve made myself clear! I’m not Cha Eunseong, I’m Park Sejin! I’m saying this because I think I’ll wake up from this dream soon, but your bag isn’t in the classroom. I’ve told you clearly! Don’t blame me if you make a wasted trip!”

 

Choi Jeha acted as if he hadn’t heard me at all.

 

“…”

 

This is strange. The dream isn’t ending.

 

I had briefly worried earlier that there wouldn’t be many places for teenagers to go at night, but I thought I’d wake up after wandering around the neighborhood for a bit after parting ways with Choi Jeha. But for some reason, I was still Cha Eunseong, a high school senior in uniform. Looking at my phone, four hours had already passed since the dream began.

 

From this point, I started to feel that something was wrong.

 

What’s even stranger is that while dreams are usually fragmented and disjointed, this lucid dream I’m having is progressing in a logical order from 1 to 10.

 

In other words, I was continuing this dream. Does this mean I have to live as Cha Eunseong in this place until I wake up from the dream?

 

From this moment, along with the thought that I was screwed, I started to feel anxious.

 

Sitting on the stands next to the playground, I rummaged through Cha Eunseong’s bag, hoping to find something that would indicate his identity. But even after searching to the bottom, I couldn’t find a student ID.

 

“What kind of student doesn’t carry a student ID?”

 

Irritated, I opened the wallet. Inside were ten 50,000 won bills.

 

“Being the boss’s son, he’s got plenty of money.”

 

But having a lot of money was of no use to me right now. Due to the Youth Protection Act, there’s nowhere to go after 10 PM even if you have money. If I can’t find Cha Eunseong’s home address quickly, I might end up homeless.

 

I put the thick wallet back in the bag and picked up the phone.

 

<Me: Ah, just bring it, damn it>

<Lee Gyuseong: It’s a hassle>

<Me: What hassle, you live in the next building>

<Me: If you don’t come out right now>

<Me: I don’t know what my mouth might blurt out>

<Lee Gyuseong: ?>

<Me: Your mom still doesn’t know about that 300,000 won, right?>

<Me: If she knew, she’d be so proud of her son^^>

<Lee Gyuseong: Wow… you’re such a backstabbing bastard?>

 

After thoroughly searching through PMs and DMs, I found some useful information. From messages exchanged with a guy named Lee Gyuseong, I learned about where Cha Eunseong lives. If I just follow him after school, I should be able to figure out which apartment building Cha Eunseong lives in.

 

But today is the problem. Even with money, as a student, I can’t enter lodging facilities, and PC rooms have time restrictions.

 

Moreover, when I mustered up the courage to casually ask Cha Eunseong’s parents for the home address via message, they might have thought it was some new kind of voice phishing scam and blocked me, as there was no response.

 

‘Should I call out this Lee Gyuseong guy?’

 

<Me: Where r u?>

 

The reply came within 2 minutes of sending the message.

 

<Lee Gyuseong: Can’t go out>

 

A negative answer, that is. I was flatly rejected before even asking.

 

Sighing, I was searching through the message list for someone else when…

 

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

 

The phone vibrated.

 

<Photo>

<Photo>

<Min Gyu hyung: Use your brain and figure out how to use this>

<Min Gyu hyung: And why haven’t you been in touch lately?>

<Min Gyu hyung: You only reply quickly when you need something>

<Min Gyu hyung: I see right through you>

<Min Gyu hyung: Just because you got disciplined doesn’t mean your feet are tied>

<Min Gyu hyung: Come crawling when I’m still willing to be nice>

<Min Gyu hyung: Before I come barging in>

 

‘Min Gyu hyung?’

 

It was written that there were some delinquent older guys from the neighborhood who had Cha Eunseong’s back. This must be one of them. I was about to dismiss it, but the messages kept coming even as I was checking them.

 

‘This hyung’s obsession is off the charts.’

 

Since I hadn’t yet established a clear relationship with Min Gyu hyung, I ignored the vibrations for now. But then…

 

“Oh? Wait a minute.”

 

I took out the phone I was about to put in my pocket. Then I stared intently at the attached photos.

 

I found it.

 

The place where I’ll stay tonight!

 

“So, why are you here again?”

 

Choi Jeha, standing tall in front of me, stopped writing on the order slip and glared at me.