2. Anyone Seen a Heart? (2)
“Excuse me, sir! Ugh, seriously… Excuse me!”
I opened my eyes groggily at the unfamiliar voice pounding in my ears.
I was sure I’d knocked back the remaining sleeping pills from yesterday and fallen asleep at the dorm.
“Sir, you can’t sleep here.”
How the hell was I supposed to process waking up to someone’s annoyed voice? I rolled my eyes around to check, and it seemed to be a 24-hour cafe near the agency.
“Excuse me, sir.”
The cafe part-timer’s voice lowered at Eunchan’s frozen, speechless state.
“…A dream?”
“It’s not a dream. If you’re going to keep sleeping, could you please vacate the seat?”
My blurted-out question was met with the part-timer’s irritated reply immediately. Why had I been sleeping here? Had I developed sleepwalking without knowing? Why would a guy who fell asleep at the dorm crawl into a cafe out of nowhere to take a nap?
‘I should apologize first…’
I hadn’t grasped the situation yet, but I definitely seemed to have caused quite the nuisance at the cafe.
Eunchan turned toward the part-timer to apologize. As he groggily raised himself, he felt something foreign in his hand; opening his palm, the rosary ring made its presence known.
‘Did I fall asleep holding this? Even here?’
He had to apologize first. He roughly shoved the ring into his pocket and lifted his head to see the part-timer in an apron looking at him with a displeased expression. And above that head,
[ ♡ -40% ]
a heart and number were flashing.
‘What the hell is that? Since when did this cafe part-timer wear a headband… or something like that?’
Looking closely, it looked like a hologram, or like some kind of game system window.
“Ah, I’m sorry… I must have dozed off without realizing.”
“…Yeah, well… it’s fine. As long as you don’t sleep.”
[ ♡ +10% ]
The heart that had been floating above the part-timer’s head since we made eye contact slowly filled up, and the number changed from –40% to +10% as well.
What the hell is that? Have I finally started hallucinating too?
[Hidden Event Achieved! Raising Affection from Minus to Plus]
[system: For your good fortune, we grant the first one-time skill ‘Inner Thoughts.’ Please use it well!]
‘Inner Thoughts?’
Now auditory hallucinations too. Am I going crazy? I should go to the hospital and get an additional prescription. Doctor, is this also a symptom of depression? I’m seeing and hearing strange things.
Eunchan’s flustered eyes went wide. Hearts and numbers visible, and now an Inner Thoughts skill—everything was bizarre.
‘I don’t know what it is, but since they’re giving it, should I try using it?’
The moment he decided to use the granted skill.
<
The part-timer’s voice rang in Eunchan’s head. It was somewhat muffled, distinctly different from the clear voice of the conversation they’d had so far. It really felt like he was hearing ‘inner thoughts.’
‘…His mouth isn’t moving. So this is what they mean by inner thoughts?’
Eunchan smiled faintly and slowly opened his mouth.
“Thank you for waking me. I’m really sorry for the trouble.”
Putting aside how bizarre this situation was, this was the first time someone had recognized him as a celebrity. Plus, the fact that they liked his face even made him grateful.
He’d only stared and continued speaking, yet the part-timer’s expression grew increasingly flustered, and the gap between their lips trembled.
“W-wait a moment!”
Then they immediately ran inside the counter and held out a bag of cookies to Eunchan. Eunchan took it in a daze, flustered, but bowed his head.
“It’s a service because I’m sorry for getting angry. Please come again!”
“No! It’s fine……”
“We made a lot and have leftovers, so please take it without feeling burdened!”
“…Uh… yes, thank you.”
It would be rude to keep refusing when they were giving it. He walked out of the cafe holding the free cookies in one hand, but strangely, his mood dropped even more.
‘Am I dreaming? But it’s too vivid to dismiss as a dream.’
Eunchan started searching on a portal site with his phone.
-Seeing things
-Early symptoms of hallucinations
-Signs of psychosis
But even after scouring, he couldn’t find anyone saying they saw something like a system window. He was about to stop since searching more would obviously be a waste of time and pressed the hold button when
[April 30, 20XX]
the date floating on the lock screen looked strange.
‘Why is the date like this? It’s over six years ago.’
Had the settings gotten messed up while I slept? But even after going into the settings, there was no error with the time. The country hadn’t changed either; it showed the exact current time.
…Come to think of it, the phone model was old too. I always used the same company’s products, so the familiar UI nearly made me miss it, but the rear camera area was definitely different from the phone I had been using.
‘Is this like a lucid dream?’
Well, it’s not like this is a manhwa or drama. I realized it the moment something strange appeared before my eyes. To think I’d have a dream like this just because I’d been mentally and physically exhausted lately. I’d have to do something to refresh myself when I woke up.
♬♪-
[Gaeul]
Eunchan looked down at the caller’s name and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. It was quite vivid for a dream.
‘Even if it’s a dream, it’s Gaeul calling, so I should probably answer.’
He suddenly thought it would be better to figure out what the dream was about rather than just waiting to wake up. Dreams are usually based on reality, so maybe it would show him a situation he had wished for.
He’d have to mention this to the doctor at his hospital consultation too.
Is it okay that I had a dream like this? My condition must have gotten worse, right?
“Yeah, Gaeul.”
-Hyung, did you forget we have an evaluation today? We said we’d come out early to sync up.
“What evaluation……?”
-What’s with you, hyung…? Are you not fully awake? The monthly evaluation. Anyway, there are only a few hours left, so hurry up.
“Huh? Uh….”
The monthly evaluation?
If it was April 30, 20XX, that was indeed the day of the last monthly evaluation before debuting with Chilwol Chilseok. How did I end up having a dream like this? I had a lot of lingering attachment to this period, but not enough to dream about it like this.
‘Well, maybe it means I should do what I want even in a dream.’
What a strange dream. Eunchan moved his steps toward the company building located next to the cafe.
***
The group practice room where the monthly evaluation was held was on the third floor. Even though he hurriedly ran up the stairs at Gaeul’s urging to come quickly, he was less out of breath than usual. Normally, his heart would be pounding by now and he’d be catching his breath, but currently, only a slight sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead.
‘Is it because it’s six years ago, so my body is the same as it was then? This is definitely a bit nice.’
His health had never been good, to put it mildly. But do you sweat in dreams too? He felt a momentary sense of dissonance, but the moment he opened the practice room door, the trainees’ gazes rushing at him easily swept that thought away.
‘Everyone’s hardworking…’
The monthly evaluations held every month before debut started at 1 PM. And right now, it was 8:30 AM. There were still over four hours until the evaluation began, but half the trainees had already come out early.
Thinking back, I seemed to have synced up with Gaeul from early morning on this day in the past too. Everyone had really been passionate with the single goal of debuting. Remembering that time, my heart warmed anew.
Over there in the corner was Yeon Gaeul looking down at his phone with a fierce expression, Do Iseon and Seo Juhyeok chatting beside him… and even Ham Jeongwon, who was still in middle school.
This heated atmosphere and the smell of the wooden floor, not yet replaced, were nostalgic.
“Hm?”
What the hell is that…?
It wasn’t the time to look at the members’ youthful faces with sentimentality.
“Hyung, why are you so late?”
Yeon Gaeul getting up from his seat, complaining [♡ +60%].
“What’s this? Eunchan-hyung coming later than us.”
“Shut up. Match the beat.”
“Yeees.”
Do Iseon [♡ 0%] and Seo Juhyeok [♡ +30%], whose ambiguous attitudes seemed to welcome him, yet not quite.
And……
‘Why is he already here?’
Even Ham Jeongwon [♡ -30%], who glared at me for a split second before turning his head away.
It was maddening. The hearts he had seen above the cafe part-timer’s head were flashing above the kids’ heads too. So that hadn’t been a temporary hallucination?
‘Plus, minus… and even zero? What do those numbers mean?’
Unable to believe the situation, Eunchan subconsciously fiddled with his rosary ring.
Then a game-like stat window appeared before his eyes.
[Yoo Eunchan]
Visual ★★★★☆
Vocal ★★★★
Dance ★★★☆
Appeal ★★★★
Luck ★★★★★
[system: The maximum for all stats is ★★★★★, and additional stats can be acquired upon achieving certain goals . Stats can be checked without limit.]
‘What is this? Could those hearts from earlier be related to this too?’
Wondering if he could see them again, he opened his eyes wide and focused.
‘Huh?’
But at that moment, his head suddenly throbbed and his vision went dark.
***
“Hyung, sorry… was it my fault for telling you to come quickly?”
“…Don’t tell me I collapsed?”
“Yeah. Still, why weren’t you taking care of your condition on evaluation day… are you okay?”
Perhaps because he had been watching over me as I lay there, the moment I opened my eyes, Gaeul’s face filled my vision. He had an expression that seemed to be a mix of worry and frustration. With Gaeul’s help, I slowly sat up, and Gaeul, who had been sighing deeply, spoke again.
“Take care of your health. You didn’t eat again, did you?”
“…Probably not?”
Had I eaten on this day?
There was no way I could remember something from years ago in such detail, so that was the only vague answer I could give. I had thought I’d wake up as Yoo Eunchan, the leader of the group Chilwol Chilseok celebrating their sixth debut anniversary, but……
Return? Not a chance. Everything was still the same.
If there was anything different from before, it was that instead of those strange hearts, a system window was floating there.
[system: Today’s Affection Checks (0/5)]
Given the circumstances, did this mean there was a set number of times for viewing those strange hearts too? At this point, there was too much weighing on his mind to simply dismiss it as just a damn dream.
Eunchan shook his head and pinched his own thigh with all his might. Please let this be a dream. I don’t need this weird stuff.
“Argh!”
It hurt like hell. Was all of this real? Going back to the past was strange enough, but hearts and system windows? What, did I enter some game? Escaping reality should be done in moderation. I had never wished for something like this.
[Yeon Gaeul]
Visual ★★★★
Vocal ★★★★★
Dance ★★★
Appeal ★★
Luck ★★
Despite those thoughts, the stat window he had seen earlier appeared next to Gaeul too.
‘Is it showing current abilities converted into stats? Looking at Gaeul’s vocal stat, that seems about right……’
But if that were the case, my Luck stat was maxed out at five stars. There was no way that was true.
In a situation he couldn’t possibly accept, Eunchan, who could only manage an awkward smile, grabbed the wrist of Gaeul, who had been staring at him blankly, and pulled him closer.
“Hey, hit me just once.”
“…For some reason, I don’t want to since you’re asking.”
“Just once.”
“Ugh, fine! Still, seeing you like this, I guess your body is okay.”
Shaking off his hand, Gaeul muttered softly and stood up.
“Hyung, if you’re okay, let’s hurry up and prepare. We have to go for the monthly evaluation.”
…Monthly evaluation? Ah, right. He couldn’t focus on the situation at all. His body felt like it was floating.
He had fainted after looking at those strange hearts and stat windows, and when he came to, a system window was floating in front of him saying he had no remaining Affection checks.
‘(0/5) means I can check Affection five times a day total, I suppose.’
But what exactly did Affection mean? Affection toward me? Gaeul’s number being somewhat high and Ham Jeongwon’s being negative made sense to some extent.
There was no way to know what principle this operated on. Or fundamentally, why he had returned to the past.
Ah, don’t tell me……
-If I could go back to before my debut, I would never let the future turn out like this.