YHP 3

TL: Slumber

Hyo-jun’s remark that he had the most perfect schedule in the world wasn’t just a bluff. It wasn’t until the third period that Jeong-in realized it.

Surprisingly, he hadn’t moved an inch from Room 307 since the first period. All of the lectures today so far had been in Room 307.

All Jeong-in had to do was sit in the corner and watch the professors and students change with each lecture. Just like the previous periods, as the hour approached, the empty lecture hall began to fill up again.

A teaching assistant who had arrived early was fiddling with the PC at the podium. Was this supposed to be a liberal arts course? After this, classes would be over for the day.

Despite his initial anxiousness, the day had been fairly uneventful. The problem was the low-grade fever that had been lingering since the morning.

“Ah.”

After noon, his breath started to feel hot, and then a headache soon began to creep in.

He knew why. Either the weather was a little too chilly for a sweater, or he had taken the wrong medication this morning.

Of course, the former seemed more likely. A cold or a flu would be over after a day or two of rest, but if the suppressant suddenly acted up, he could end up suffering in pain for days without even a sip of water. Hoping it was just an ordinary cold, Jeong-in sucked in his hot breath.

The words on the TA’s powerpoint slide caught his eye.

Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. ~~^^~~

The white text on the black screen stood out. It seemed to have been written with the intention of imprinting it in people’s eyes whether people agreed with the statement or not.

After finishing the setup, the TA pressed the space bar several times, and the slides began to change. Some slides were packed with text, while others featured an cheesy-looking rainbow ribbon running through them. Soon enough, the TA paused, and a plain font filled the entire screen.

!!!!!Facing My Past Self!!!!!

“…”

As Jeong-in blankly stared at it, a sudden pressure gripped his head. The headache hit him without any warning, and he doubled over without even letting out a sound.

He could sense people glancing in his direction as they passed by. He knew he needed to get out of there quickly. With trembling hands, he gathered his books. For a moment, he hesitated, thinking that he should at least attend the first lecture, but since the other lectures only went over a basic introductions and guidelines, he figured it would probably be the same for this one too.

Once he quickly reached a conclusion, he left the classroom, passing by the professor entering the lecture hall.

His head thumped with every step he took, and it became increasingly clear that this was more than just a simple cold.

Of course. No wonder things had gone strangely smooth.

Please, just let me make it home. No, or even just until the car, he thought as he slowly made his way down the stairs to the lobby, hoping his body would hold out.

“Seriously…”

However, the lobby was filled with the strong smell of wet soil.

“This is ridicious.”

He never imagined that the weather outside would have changed that much because he had only been in a windowless lecture all the whole time.

Rainwater splashed with each hurried step from the people coming and going, and beyond the wide-open entrance, rain pounded down heavily, as if it had never been clear.

Jeong-in suddenly recalled his worried uncle’s voice. It’s going to rain today. Don’t forget your umbrella.

Leaning halfway against the wall, Jeong-in looked out at the rain. Chaotic ripples formed in every puddle, reflecting the downpour.

Should I stop by the shop downstairs to buy an umbrella? But he wasn’t sure how much longer his body would hold out. On the other hand, trying to push through in his current state would be literal suicide. He decided it would be best to find the closest exit to the parking lot and try to get out while getting as little wet as possible.

He turned around to get a general idea of the direction. As expected, his condition worsened as he crossed the hallway, and by the time he reached the end, his forehead was drenched in cold sweat.

Jeong-in had a bad feeling. Barely managing to exhale her increasingly uncomfortable breath, he pulled out his phone. He should call his doctor and make an appointment now, but he realized something just as he found the familiar number and was about to press the call button.

“…….”

They’ll find out back home, too.

With that thought, his fingertips stiffened.

“I’ll have to go somewhere else.”

Plenty of clinics could treat his condition, so he could stop by the officetel and grab a fake ID. He shoved his phone back into his pocket.

How long does it take to get to the parking lot? Do I have to die in the meantime? Jeong-in glared at the rainy void and caught his breath. Then he slowly counted in his head.

One.

Two.

On the count of three, the raindrops slicing through the clear air fell on his shoulders and splattered.

***

It’s raining a lot.

The whole world appeared hazy. Watching the raindrops sliding down the large window, Ho-jin quietly sighed. Something had felt off with his shoulder since the morning, and maybe that was why.

He had successfully completed the rehab program, and the feedback from the center was mostly positive. But the change in weather was enough to make him feel doubtful again.

Maybe it’s an illusion. Is my brain fooling me by creating pain that doesn’t actually exist?

In order to regain the muscular endurance he had lost during rehab, he couldn’t miss a single day of training now. The sudden discomfort in his shoulder was an unwelcome surprise. Originally, he had planned to have a light meal after all his classes were over, but everything had changed. If he didn’t stop by the conditioning center now to address his shoulder issue, it would derail his workout plan for the day.

“I need to recover quickly. This is a serious problem.”

Fortunately, the professor of the liberal arts class understood Ho-jin’s situation.

“It’s fine this week since it’s just orientation and doesn’t count toward attendance, but from next week on, unless there’s a special circumstance, it’ll be difficult to excuse absences, even for you. You understand, right?”

“Yes, I know. Thank you.”

The elderly professor chucked as Ho-jin bowed at a ninety-degree angle. Then he walked into the lecture all.

Ho-jin watched the professor’s back until the door closed, and when he turned around, someone approached him.

“Excuse me…”

He turned to see unfamiliar faces standing there.

“We’re fans of you. Could we possibly get your autograph?”

Their tone was very cautious, as if they had been waiting for him from a distance. Ho-jin smiled warmly and took the piece of paper. This was something he had gotten used to by now.

After signing the journals and notebooks presented to him one by one, people added a word of praise with happy expressions.

“I’ve really been following your matches closely. Your mental fortitude is truly impressive–I always admire it. You’re really amazing.”

All the sincerity mixed with the kind words were warm and gentle. Ho-jin made contact with each person amidst the continuous outpouring of support and responded sincerely. In return, they carefully bade him farewell, a courtesy he rarely received outside the school which was usually filled with reporters.

Ho-jin calmly turned and headed toward a secondary entrance in the corner of the building. He often used that exit as it was relatively deserted.

The sound of rain echoed in the stillness. Leaning against the doorway, Ho-jin blankly stared at the streaks of raindrops. Then, gripping his throbbing shoulder with one hand, he gently rotated it. He felt all the joints and ligaments moving smoothly. He pressed on the spot where he had been injured, but it felt fine. Nevertheless, the nagging pain did not fade at all.

It seemed to be a psychogenic pain after all.

Your mental fortitude is truly impressive–I always admire it. 

What an exaggeration. He couldn’t even control his own body, constantly hitting his limits like this.

Even though he knew it wasn’t meant to pressure him, he still felt suffocated. Of course, he couldn’t show it anywhere. There was still a long day ahead–it was too early to break down.

“Get yourself together.”

He pushed aside the bitterness and regained his composure. He felt like he had to move as quickly as possible to leave no room for other thoughts.

Right, it would be easier if his thoughts were really the cause of his pain. While physical problems were unavoidable, if he pushed through his emotions a little harder, they would fade away because it was something he could overcome with his own strength.

He forced the corners of his lips up and stood tall, wearing the most confident expression he could muster. Finally, Ho-jin opened his umbrella and stepped out into the rain. 

He walked for a bit with the droplets of water cascading off the ribs of the umbrella. In the distance, below second doorway, he saw a finger standing there, staring blankly at the ground.

“Um…”

It looked like they didn’t have an umbrella. Luckily, Ho-jin had a spare umbrella in his bag. As he stepped closer, intending to hand it over, the person suddenly looked up.

Ho-jin’s slow steps came to a halt.

Forgetting even to breathe, Ho-jin stared at him.

“…”

The rain streaked across his vision, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

What could he say?

It was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life.