Han Joon-seong stepped out of his apartment and into the bustling streets of early Busan. The city was alive with movement — people rushing past, cars honking, the constant hum of urban life.
Ervin, floating above, issued a command: avoid touching people as much as possible. No, avoid touching people at all.
He didn't want to risk accidentally infecting anyone with whatever the Character File had done. If it really was some kind of Character-transforming disease.
So Han Joon-seong weaved through the crowds, dodging and sidestepping with practiced precision.
From above, it looked almost like he was a ninja — moving through the sea of people with fluid grace, never once making contact. It was difficult, but he managed.
He eventually reached a small electronics store, its windows displaying rows of sleek smartphones. He paused at the entrance, hands in his pockets, looking effortlessly cool — which was easy, given his supernatural good looks.
'First time I've ever been in one of these,' he thought, letting out a low whistle.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, greeted by a blast of cool air conditioning.
The moment he entered, heads turned. It was inevitable. His presence drew attention wherever he went. A few customers glanced his way, their eyes lingering a moment too long. A store employee — a woman in her late twenties — approached him with a warm smile.
"Hello, sir! Welcome! Can I help you with anything?"
Han Joon-seong nodded casually. "Yes. I'm looking to buy a phone."
"Oh, wonderful! What brand are you interested in?"
He paused for a moment, then asked: "What's the most expensive brand you have here?"
Her eyes lit up. She clearly understood the implication. "Of course! Right this way, sir."
She led him to a small display table and began presenting various models. "This is the Samluk Galaxy Ultra, and this is the LB V-series. We also have the latest from Grind, and over here —" She gestured to a sleek, black device. "This is the SangJak Triple Force Reaper 30P. It's our premium model."
Han Joon-seong listened politely, but honestly, he didn't care much about specs or features. He only cared about one thing.
"And the price?" he asked.
She smiled. "That model is 5 million won."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh. That's cheaper than I expected. I thought it would be more."
She blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Cheaper...?"
"Yeah. I'll take it."
"R-really? Wonderful! Let me get that for you."
She retrieved the display model, then led him to the counter. As she began processing the sale, she asked, "How would you like to pay?"
"Card," he said simply. "Credit card."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Card? For 5 million won? Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I'll pay it in full."
She stared at him for a moment, clearly impressed — and a little curious. She typed something into the register, then looked at him expectantly.
Han Joon-seong reached into his pocket and pulled out his credit card. He held it up with a slight smirk.
"Time for the moment of truth," he said.
He tapped the card against the reader. A few seconds passed. Then — *ding!* The transaction was approved.
He looked at the card, then back at her. "Well, would you look at that. It worked."
She stared at the receipt, still processing what had just happened. "It... it went through."
He pocketed the card and smiled. "I told you."
She quickly recovered, retrieving a sealed box from beneath the counter. "Here you are, sir. Brand new, still in the box."
Han Joon-seong took it and immediately began opening it. The presentation was elegant — the box slid open smoothly, revealing the sleek device nestled in a custom-fit tray. A charging cable, earbuds, and a quick-start guide were arranged neatly beneath it.
He picked up the phone, turning it over in his hands. To be frank, it did feel pretty premium and exclusive to hold — maybe that was the reason rich people spent so much money buying these.
'Now... what were my passwords and emails again?'
He tried to recall his old login information, but his mind came up blank. Ever since arriving in this world, his memories of his previous life had become fuzzy and distant. So he couldn't remember a single password.
But then, without any command from Ervin, Auto Pilot activated.
Han Joon-seong's fingers moved on their own — typing, swiping, navigating through the setup screens. He set up facial recognition, and the phone scanned his face, confirming his identity. Then, a moment later, the phone itself began downloading apps, entering passwords, linking accounts.
Ervin watched, utterly confused.
'Huh? What? How?!'
He floated down, hovering right in front of Han Joon-seong's face, staring at him as if expecting an explanation. Han Joon-seong's eyes shifted to the direction where Ervin was floating, his expression matching Ervin's confusion.
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Ervin was confused. Han Joon-seong was confused too — because Ervin was confused, and he controlled everything. Han Joon-seong was just a puppet, a marionette. He couldn't do anything on his own. He had no answers to give.
They just kept staring at each other, neither understanding what had just happened.
Finally, Ervin stopped floating in front of Han Joon-seong's face and moved back, hovering behind and above him. He let out an imaginary sigh.
'Whatever. It must be something Auto Pilot does. It already knows all this stuff somehow.'
He controlled the body again and checked the phone. As he had suspected, everything was like his previous phone — same apps, same background picture, same volume of audio, his hundreds of notifications were also being transferred. And most importantly, his infinite money bank account.
He looked at the screen for a few more seconds.
Then he pocketed the new phone and turned to the store employee. "Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a good day."
"Y-you too, sir!"
He walked toward the exit, pushing the door open.
But as he stepped outside, something strange happened.
Ervin's control over Han Joon-seong waned. As a result, his legs went weak. His vision blurred. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he stumbled forward, catching himself against the wall.
Ervin himself was a whole other kind of mess. His entire existence pulsed. It was like a dissonance that made his connection to the world tear, then connect again. It felt worse than being cut in two by a dull blade. Not quite, but the equivalent of his incorporeal body's head — started to split. A whole new flow of information flooded his senses: weight to his shoulders, length to his legs, colors starting to form in his eyes, slowly, like leaves in the wind. He had to use all his willpower to keep conscious.
This was the closest thing Ervin felt to death in his entire existence, before and after splitting from his "main body."
And then, slowly, these new senses began to coalesce into something understandable, slowly.
A third perspective began to appear. A third point of view, superimposed over the others — other than Ervin's and Han Joon-seong's.