Dream Breaker

"Oh! Jellyfish! Hello!"

As the view reversed, a cylindrical aquarium full of immortal jellyfish appeared.

It was proof that I had successfully infiltrated Choi Kang-min's dream.

I decided not to rush and wait for the ship's owner to come while watching the jellyfish.

'Ah! Right! The letter... It came safely.'

The letter from Manager Seo Hye-joo to her future self.

I was very curious about the content, but it wasn't polite to read it first, so I left it quietly in my pocket.

"...I'm bored."

I wanted to access the internet and check the latest news, but I couldn't do anything because the principal's office computer was password-protected.

Thump.

"Hmm?"

As I leaned on the desk with the computer, my eyes were drawn to the title of a stack of documents that touched the back of my hand.

<Kang Moon-soo's Authentication Report>

"......"

It's my name. How can I not read it?

Swoosh-

The first page was adorned with a notice about reissuing a resident registration card.

'It’s still in progress even though I suddenly disappeared?'

A considerable amount of time had passed, as time flowed three times faster in this reality.

But Vice President Seo Hye-joo didn't give up and proceeded with my identification process step by step.

I was a little moved.

"Hmm..."

I skimmed through the documents a little more.

'Isn’t it too obvious?'

There was no shocking content about me being a mutant.

A very ordinary human.

And the scientific data that perfectly matched the genes of 'Attorney Kang Moon-soo,' who died 15 years ago, was the main focus.

"...Mr. Kang Moon-soo?"

"Ah!"

"Where have you been all this time- No, how did you get in here? I don't remember giving you the password to the room or an access card."

Vice President Seo Hye-joo, who approached like a ghost without a sound, asked.

"Well... Should I say I came in through a four-dimensional door?"

"If someone else had said it, I would have treated it as a joke, but since you're saying it, I have no choice but to believe you."

Vice President Seo Hye-joo had already calmed down.

She sat down heavily on the soft sofa and took a comfortable position to have a conversation.

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Before I tell you, please take a look at this first."

I handed her the letter I received from Manager Seo Hye-joo.

"What is this?"

"You'll know when you see it."

Vice President Seo Hye-joo tore open the sealed envelope with a curious expression and began reading the letter.

"...What is this?"

"I don't know the content either."

"......"

She furrowed her brow and focused on the letter with her lips tightly closed.

'What could be written?'

What would I have said to 'myself 13 years in the future'?

I wouldn't just send trivial greetings.

Stocks, war, environment, politics, disasters...

I would ask various questions to prepare for an uncertain future.

"...There are many shocking stories."

"Is that so?"

"First of all, I understood why Mr. Kang Moon-soo only had no memories of his attorney days. And a world without Magical Boy-like monsters. I really miss that. It was like that here 20 years ago."

A world without Magical Boy.

It seems Manager Seo Hye-joo told her future self everything.

"If you have any more questions, I can explain them."

"I'll ask later if I have any. It's quite detailed in this letter. It has everything I would be curious about."

"Aha!"

Does she know herself well?

It was good for me since I had less to do.

"If you had told me earlier, I wouldn't have wasted my efforts... I'll have to start the research again. The first button was wrong. It wasn't a resurrection,was it?"

"I'm sorry."

"I understand that too. It must have been difficult to trust me. But now, you trust me, right?"

"Yes."

Can a person change so much with just one letter?

Her gaze and the overall atmosphere towards me became very similar to the 'real Seo Hye-joo.'

"According to me 13 years ago, if the Magical Boy disappeared, the world would return to the fair and rational world of 20 years ago."

"That's true."

"The hero who protected humanity was actually the mastermind behind all the threats... a self-made drama. It's not even surprising."

"Do you believe it?"

"If I don't trust myself, who else would I trust? 13 years ago was a time when my ambition and confidence were at their peak - it's my dark history. It's embarrassing just to think about it."

"Ha, ha..."

As if to prove it wasn't a joke, her face turned bright red, and she fanned herself with her hand to cool the rising heat.

Then, as if throwing it out,

"I'll help you."

She gave me the answer I wanted.

"Thank you!"

"Are you sure that the identity of the Magical Boy is Chairman Choi Kang-min?"

"Definitely. He himself said that he had hidden it with magic."

"And you were killed right after that?"

"Yes."

I also experienced hell as a bonus.

"Hmm... It's incredibly dangerous. The Magical Boy who is a symbol of power and a political heavyweight, Chairman Choi Kang-min. It's an unbeatable combination."

"That's why I won't confront them directly."

"If it becomes known that I'm helping you, it'll be difficult for me to stay safe."

"......"

Her sharp words weighed heavily on my heart.

"Although I don't like the current world, I can't risk my life."

"...I understand."

"So, the only support I can provide to Mr. Kang Moon-soo is untraceable cash and information."

"That's enough."

How many things can't be done with money in a capitalist society?

Even without a resident registration card, you can solve the necessities of life if you have money. Plus, information!

In other words, I get all the support I need.

"Let's discuss how to transfer cash later..."

Swish-

Holding a pen, Vice President Seo Hye-joo drew pentagons and hexagons on a white paper, connected them with lines, and densely wrote down alphabets and numbers.

"Is this... a chemical formula?"

"Yes. It's the chemical formula of a new drug developed two years ago. The world turned upside down because of this."

"What kind of drug is it?"

"If you memorize this chemical formula perfectly, I'll tell you."

"Ah…"

Since even a slight mistake in a chemical formula can lead to completely different results, you can't memorize it roughly.

"Our conversation has gotten long. I have work to do, so I'll leave for now. Keep memorizing in the meantime."

"...Vice President?"

"The restroom is inside. If you're thirsty or hungry, help yourself to the refrigerator."

"That's not what I meant. Can a person actually memorize this chemical formula?"

"I memorized it."

"Ah, yes."

With a gloomy feeling, I looked at the densely drawn shapes and alphabets on the paper.

* * *

Depending on culture and environment, there may be some differences, but children are generally pure because they are not yet tainted by society.

Request, secret, trust, responsibility, betrayal…

This means they don't think and act on these things.

For example,

"Why are you bullying me?"

"I don't know. Your brother told me to."

...Such absurd developments are entirely possible!

The identity of the client is a 'secret' that should never be leaked, but they don't think of it as 'betrayal.'

Everyone! Please answer your friends and adults sincerely when they ask questions!

...Because that's what elementary school and kindergarten teachers teach.

So,

"Brother, I won't let it slide like before."

Despite his father's meticulous information blockade, Choi Kang-hoon had known for a long time that his half-brother Choi Kang-min was responsible.

However, he had endured it because he didn't want to fight with his seemingly affectionate brother. He also lacked the courage to fight.

Now?

"I hope my brother wakes up soon."

He won't run away anymore.

"Lord Choi Kang-hoon, you are truly a wonderful brother."

"When your brother wakes up, he will surely be proud."

The guards sitting in the driver's seat and passenger seat created a heartwarming atmosphere.

"But I'm worried. If I involve Hyung Moon-soo and something goes wrong..."

When he heard the news that Kang Moon-soo's heart had stopped, he was so shocked that he couldn't breathe.

"It'll be okay."

"Believe it. He's a man approved by you, isn't he?"

"Right?"

But even with the guards' consolation, his worries did not fade.

What if Kang Moon-soo dies?

What if he remains trapped in a dream and never wakes up?

As all sorts of negative thoughts swirled around, Choi Kang-hoon even felt disgusted by his own selfishness.

'But I can't give up.'

He couldn't stand to see Choi Kang-min, the hypocrite, run away without even apologizing.

Especially after hearing the 'ridiculous future' that Kang Moon-soo casually mentioned, he couldn't accept it at all.

Magical Boy Choi Kang-min.

The story of a brother who sends his sibling to prison and lives happily for 20 years, pretending to be a hero.

Even if it was just a dream, he couldn't accept it.

"...I hope my brother's treatment goes well."

When his estranged brother wakes up after turning away from reality for seven years, he will gladly welcome him with open arms.

'Brother, please come back soon. It would be disappointing if you leave like this.'

Choi Kang-hoon prayed as he looked at the approaching Elmorangs Hospital.

* * *

While the results of P's aptitude test are important, that doesn't mean school grades can be ignored.

When aptitudes are the same, companies conduct a secondary review based on school grades and personal records.

What I'm trying to say is...

"Has my head gone bad...?"

Although I wasn't always the top student, I consistently maintained a high rank. If I didn't have a part-time job, I would even have had a bit of pride that I could have been number one.

Isn't it a problem that I, who have been like that, can't memorize a single chemical formula and have been staring at it for 8 hours?

"I wonder how you passed the lawyer exam."

"It wasn't me who passed it!"

I couldn't help but get annoyed at Vice President Seo Hye-joo's sarcasm.

"Our brain capacity is the same, isn't it?"

"Ugh..."

I have nothing to say!

"The cash is hidden in the place marked on this map."

Shush-

What she handed me was a roughly hand-drawn map.

'A mountain...?'

A circle in the middle of a highland area with contour lines kindly depicted.

It seemed like I would have to go hiking out of the blue.

"It's like a treasure hunt."

"It's a small treasure. It contains my precious salary."

"Thank you."

"If you have any questions, ask now. Whether you succeed or fail, this will be our last meeting."

"Hmm... I don't have any right now."

I can get almost all the information from the internet anyway.

And the most important schedule of Magical Boy Choi Kang-min can only be checked in real-time, with no other way.

"Then get ready. When I send the signal, the surveillance camera in the hallway will stop working for 30 seconds. Immediately turn right around the corner and go down the emergency stairs."

"You're very thorough."

Her intention to hide the fact that I had left the Vice President's office was quite clear.

"I can't run away to the past like you."

"...Thank you."

I could only repeat these words.

"5:58 PM. Get ready. There are 2 minutes left."

"Yes."

"......"

"......"

"Ah! Right. What's the effect of the drug made from this chemical formula?"

It would be a bit disappointing if it was nothing special after spending 8 hours struggling to memorize it while pulling my hair out.

"Ha... What a waste. I wanted to make the past me who tried to steal the future's achievements suffer."

She seemed to have wanted to skip it without teaching me.

"Tell me quickly."

"Are you really curious?"

"Yes!"

Vice President Seo Hye-joo, who answered cheerfully, handed me a mask and a hat to cover my face.

With a mischievous smile in her eyes, she said.

"The secret of my youth."

"What! You mean-"

"Time's up already. Hurry up and leave."

"Darn it..."

I reluctantly left the Vice President’s office quietly.

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