"Life is such a drag," Kim Shin muttered, walking home from another exhausting day at the office.He loosened his tie and kicked a stray pebble, still bitter.
"Study your whole damn life just to do shitty jobs for rich idiots… That fat manager of mine only knows how to dump his tasks on the newbies. Nepotism, huh? It should've been me in that position, not his cousin's useless son."
The streets were quiet. He crossed the road, shoulders slumped, still grumbling inside his head—when suddenly:
A truck barreled toward him. Fast.
On reflex, he leapt to the side—a huge jump that barely got him out of the way.
"Damn! Truck-kun almost got me isekai'd. That was too close. I'm not ready to die a virgin yet!"
He chuckled to himself and dusted off his coat.
Then it hit him.Literally.
A brake-failed bus swerved off the road and slammed into the footpath. The world turned red, and Kim Shin was tossed like a ragdoll.
He lay there, blood soaking into concrete, his body broken.
"...I dodged Truck-kun… but Bus-sama came to finish the job. Hah…"
His life flashed before his eyes. Study. Stress. Loneliness. Struggle. All that work, and for what?
Then… silence.
Darkness.
A void. A black space with no ground, no sky. Just floating.
"Is this hell? But… where's the fire? The punishment? King Yama and his scrolls? Is my punishment just… existing here? Alone?"
But then — light.
A soft glow appeared and a voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere:
"Lucky one. You've been selected for reincarnation. You may choose one gift—one power, skill, or talent to carry into your next life."
Kim Shin blinked. Then smirked.
"Just one? Hmm... Alright then. I want a personal Hyperbolic Time Chamber. A place where I can train endlessly, but no time passes in the real world. I don't need talent. I'll create my own."
A pause. The light shimmered.
"This is… rare. Most ask for divine weapons or heavenly talent. You're the first to ask for this. Very well. Wish granted."
"You will awaken this ability at the age of 3. Your world and family shall be random. See you again, when death greets you next."
Light fades.
Then sound.
Then—life.
He opened his eyes and heard the cries of a baby—his cries.
His limbs were tiny. His hands soft and weak. He had been reborn.
A woman cradled him gently in her arms, wearing ragged but warm clothes. A man beside her wept joyfully, holding her shoulder.
Another woman beside them smiled and said, "Congratulations. It's a baby boy!"
The man took him in trembling arms. "Darling, I'm a father now! He looks just like me… and cute like you."
Kim Shin stared at the couple.
"So… these are my parents now."
He smiled faintly in his heart.
"They look poor… but happy. If this is my new life… I'll protect them. No matter what. Let's live quietly, together."
[Chapter 1 – End]