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Translator: uly
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Died and Woke Up
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I died. I definitely should have.
An eight-ton truck had come barreling toward me like the steering wheel had failed.
Even if I'd miraculously survived, at least one organ should have been wrecked, or one leg rendered useless.
But something was off.
'Why do I feel totally fine?'
My body was in such perfect shape, it was like that truck had just been a dream.
The fact that I was in a hospital suggested the accident had really happened, though...
I stared up at the white hospital ceiling the moment I opened my eyes, then groaned and sat up.
The fact that I could sit up without much effort meant my condition wasn't bad at all.
'...Did it hit me lightly or something?'
No way. It had to have been going at least eighty kilometers per hour.
I grabbed the IV line dangling from my arm and threw back the hospital blanket to get out of bed.
Yup, totally fine. My body felt light enough to dance right then and there.
Aside from my foggy mind—probably from sleeping so long—my condition was near perfect.
I took a deep breath and sank into thought.
'So that means... it wasn't a dream after all?'
Getting hit by the truck was definitely real. It had been too vivid.
What mattered was what came after.
The red letters filling my vision, and the system reboot.
It wasn't a hallucination from the shock—I must have actually rebooted.
That's probably why the accident got erased, like it never happened.
I had no clue what was really going on.
The sheer unreality of it all left me confused.
Just being alive and thinking straight was unreal enough.
Shouldn't instant death be the standard for a truck like that?
Right then, a knock echoed from the door, and it swung open. It was a nurse.
The nurse, holding a chart, greeted me now that I was awake.
"Oh, you're up. How are you feeling?"
I nodded without thinking and replied to her question.
"I feel okay..."
Huh? What?
The moment I heard the voice coming from my mouth, I clutched my throat without realizing it.
Why does my voice sound like this?
Shockingly, it wasn't my voice—it was someone else's.
I tested it out repeatedly, half in disbelief.
"Ah, ahh. Ah."
It was definitely me speaking, but the voice was different. Mine wasn't this high-pitched.
What the hell? What is this...
I froze up like a startled hamster, stiff as a board. My brain short-circuited like a halted robot; no normal thoughts came.
The nurse, flustered by my sudden reaction, bent down to check on me.
"What's wrong? Is something hurting?"
"W-Wait a sec."
No way.
A bad premonition flashed through my mind.
I yanked out the IV and bolted out of the room, scrambling down the hall to the bathroom at the end.
"Patient!" the nurse called, but it didn't register.
Bang! I flung open the bathroom door with reckless speed.
"Ugh, seriously."
Someone was inside, but I didn't care.
My frantic footsteps carried me straight to the mirror. My heart pounded like mad.
Before looking, I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment...
Then took a deep breath and opened them.
"Fuck..."
A hollow curse escaped like a sigh as all strength drained from my body.
A dream? I forgot to breathe, numbly touching my face.
No way this delicate face was mine.
But the soft texture under my fingertips proved this was no dream.
Pinching my cheeks over and over yielded the same result.
"What the hell is going on..."
My hands trembled. I took another deep breath to stay calm.
A middle-aged man who'd been watching me asked worriedly.
"Kid, you okay?"
"...Yeah."
No, I'm not okay at all.
I wanted to say that but barely held back.
"If you're not feeling well, call the nurse..."
"I'm really fine. Don't worry about it."
"Oh, alright..."
The man shook his head like he'd seen it all and left the bathroom.
Alone now.
I gripped the white sink and racked my brain.
...Okay, stay calm and think this through.
Why did this happen to me? Who is this guy? Reboot? What even was that reboot...
Ah.
Recalling the green text that flashed by during the accident, something clicked.
[Reboot in progress... Attempting synchronization with new character... 99/100%]
Did that synchronization with a new character mean I'd entered someone else's body?
Holy shit, for real? It was hard to believe. But nothing else explained this.
Wait, possessing someone else's body? That's straight out of web novels.
'This is insane. I'm losing it.'
Why me? What was that blue window?
...What do I do now? Can I get back to my original body?
No answers came no matter how I pondered.
After staring into the mirror for a while, I trudged out of the bathroom.
I tried heading back to my room, but I'd run out in such a panic that I couldn't remember where it was.
And without a name...
I paused, then headed to the reception desk.
"Excuse me, can I ask something?"
"Yes, what is it?"
The nurse on duty replied kindly.
I hesitated, then spoke up.
"What's... my name?"
* * *
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[Anon] Saw an idol trainee at the hospital today!!!
He got in a car accident recently and was admitted.
Went to the reception desk to ask something quick.
This super handsome guy suddenly rushes up and asks the nurse what his own name is lololol
At first I thought he escaped from the psych ward.
But turns out he's an idol trainee who fell during dance practice.
Must've hit his head wrong and lost his memory.
Heard his debut is coming up soon... kinda sad... tsk.
Memory loss means debut's probably toast, right?
Face was legit insanely handsome though. What a waste.
=====================
Comments (12)
- No proof, huh?
└ Proved with my cast leg (pic)
└ Hmm lol does this count...
- Go write novels on Cocoa Page if you're gonna make shit up.
- Handsome?
└ Yup, face was perfection. Hottest guy I've ever seen irl. Idols aren't just anyone.
└ No company name? What's his name?
└ Not a tiny company. Didn't catch the name.
- If real, that trainee's fucked lolol Debut right around the corner and he gets screwed lolol
- Writing this for attention off someone else's accident lol
- Spend that attention-seeking time living your own life.
- Who seeks attention with shit like this... Can't understand exhibitionists.
[This post has been deleted by the author.]
* * *
My question must've been taken seriously.
I sat on the bed, watching a psychiatrist alternate between his chart and me.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and asked me various questions.
"So, you can't remember your name or age. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Okay, how many is this?"
He held up three fingers.
Who does he think he's talking to?
"Three."
"Correct. And what's today's date?"
"...No idea."
Come to think of it, what day is it really?
The scenery outside the window didn't look much different from before I entered this body.
The doctor asked a few more.
"Who's the Joseon king that invented Hangul?"
"Sejong the Great."
"What's the element symbol for oxygen?"
"O."
"And where are we?"
"A hospital."
"Do you remember why you were admitted?"
"...No."
A ridiculous expression flickered across the doctor's face.
I got it, though. A patient who remembers zero about himself but has all basic knowledge? I'd react the same.
The doctor hummed low and jotted something on the chart.
Then he said,
"Looks like temporary amnesia from a head injury."
"Temporary amnesia?"
"You—er, Ha Jae—fell during dance practice yesterday, hit your head hard on the floor, and got admitted. The impact must've caused some memory loss... It's odd, though. CT shows no abnormalities... Could be psychological factors."
No, I just rebooted.
I desperately wanted to say it, but held back—might end up in a locked ward.
Yeah, better to play it off as amnesia.
Conveniently, the original owner had a head injury too. Perfect fit.
Ha Jae, huh? Sounds familiar. And this face...
I must've looked serious while thinking, because the doctor smiled reassuringly and tapped the chart with his pen.
"Still, these cases often recover memories gradually with normal life, so don't worry too much. Cognition, motor skills, communication—all seem fine, so you can probably be discharged. Your guardian wants it as soon as possible."
"My guardian?"
Who could that be for this kid? Family?
"Yes. Still, take it easy after discharge and be extra careful in daily life. Come back if anything feels off."
Before I could ask more, he stood and left.
Soon after, the nurse came in with a new IV bag.
"Don't worry too much. You'll get your memories back soon."
"...Thanks. Um, nurse?"
"Yes?"
"Is my name... Ha Jae?"
She nodded while deftly swapping the IV.
"Yes. You're twenty this year."
"Twen..."
Rejuvenated. Five years younger?
Five years younger? Secretly thrilled. No one hates being young. Especially fresh twenty.
So what happened to the real Ha Jae?
'...Not dead, I hope.'
No way to know.
But I hoped he was living happily somewhere.
Taking a dead kid's body would be too much.
I'm no horror movie demon.
The nurse neatly coiled the line, picked up the chart from the nightstand, and asked,
"Anything else?"
"What's today's date?"
Should've asked the doctor earlier. Missed the timing.
"April 1st."
April 1st—date's almost the same.
Time didn't change...
Wait.
"What year?"
"Pardon?"
"What year is it?"
"You really remember nothing. It's 201X."
Damn. Thought I got younger, but time rewound instead.
Regression? ...I'm going nuts.
Possession plus regression—pure novel trope slamming into my reality. Total panic.
"Get some rest tonight. Your guardian comes tomorrow, so you can discharge then."
"Okay."
She left with a "sleep well."
Haa... Alone in the room, I cradled my head and sighed.
Still couldn't believe it.
But everything around me proved this was real.
...Alright. What now? Gotta do something.
No clue what's what, but since I'm here, might as well live.
Then I can find a way back or whatever.
Despair and die? Not a chance.
Right then.
Ding! A familiar sound effect rang, and a blue window popped up.
Whoa! I jumped, eyes wide.
Same as before I died.
Clutching my pounding chest, I read the white text.
['Second Life' tutorial. Proceed? Y/N]
Second Life tutorial?