NOVEL NEXT Ch 1 - Prologue
**Doppelgänger.**
A doppelgänger is a figure from German superstition that has appeared in various media over the years. It’s fascinating, not only because of the uncanny nature of someone looking exactly like you but also because of the dark legends that come with it. They say if you see your own doppelgänger, you’ll die or be cursed with misfortune—a gripping premise that easily invites speculation.
But strictly speaking, that’s just an urban legend. It’s simply a ghost story that defies scientific explanation.
Before the events unfolded, Jin Song-i thought the same.
Doppelgängers? Imagining seeing your own lookalike, or someone else’s doppelgänger near you—it doesn’t make sense. A person’s life is more than a face. Their experiences, places they’ve been, environments—all of these things shape them. The idea of perfectly mimicking that? Utter nonsense. Anyone close would immediately notice something off. And if they didn’t? Well, they’d be a fool.
At least, that’s what seemed logical.
So when Jin Song-i heard what she was hearing now, she couldn’t make sense of it.
“So, you’re telling me that you’re my real brother, Jin Si-hu, who disappeared in 2024—and that *he’s* your doppelgänger?”
In front of Jin Song-i were two men, each with the same face and almost identical build.
2024.
That was the year the world underwent the “Great Cataclysm.” Gates opened across the earth, and monsters began to emerge from them. At the same time, some people experienced “awakenings.”
The timing was oddly precise. August 16, 2024.
It was not only the day of the Great Cataclysm but also the birthday of these two men standing before her.
One of them claimed he’d been forcefully summoned to a strange world called Titan and had just returned, while the other insisted he’d never gone missing.
Today is May 5, 2034. Children’s Day, a day usually filled with laughter.
Clearly, one of them is lying.
Jin Song-i sighed briefly.
“This is insane.”
It felt like she was living in a novel.
A novel where doppelgängers exist.
## Chapter 1
*Beep, beep, beep.*
The alarm sounded in the Gate Safety Management Team 1 office at the City Hall of Cheongju, South Korea.
The entire team looked up at the sound, their expressions a mixed display of fatigue, boredom, and weary anticipation.
A man with messy hair sighed.
“Again?”
“Yes, sir. It’s another anomaly detected at the L Outlet on the 2nd Ring Road in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju.”
“The 2nd Ring Road? Isn’t that the L Outlet?”
“Yes, it’s the L Outlet on the 2nd Ring Road.”
The man with messy hair shouted in irritation.
“Hey, rookie! Just say the L Outlet, don’t confuse people by calling it the 2nd Ring Road! You’re really odd, you know that?”
“S-sorry, sir.”
The man being scolded was a rookie in the Gate Safety Management Team 1, Jung Bin.
Jung Bin reflected on the day.
Today was May 5, 2034.
It was his birthday. Taking criticism on his birthday wasn’t exactly pleasant.
This was the fifth time today that an “anomaly” had been detected near the L Outlet on the main road.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Gate Safety Management Team had responded five times, each time to a false alarm.
Nothing was there. Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Just in case, they kept the area under control, but now another alert had come through.
If they responded to this one, it would be the sixth time.
To reiterate, this frustrating series of events was unfolding on Jung Bin’s birthday.
The man with messy hair, Ji Chang-su, the team leader of Gate Safety Management Team 1, asked, “What’s the threat level?”
“Still estimated at F-level, sir.”
Ji Chang-su sighed.
“Are the guys maintaining the sensors even working? This is driving me crazy.”
Adapting to a world that had changed so much wasn’t easy.
“Hey, rookie.”
“Yes, team leader.”
“Head out and check the alarm again.”
“…Alone, sir?”
“If it’s showing F-level, it’s probably just a glitch. Worst case, an F-level could spike to an E-level. Go check, and if everything’s clear, bring us back some coffee. I’ll take an espresso, strong.”
Orders for coffee came in from all around the office. “Espresso, strong, for me, too,” “Iced Americano with five shots of syrup,” “Café mocha,” “Frappuccino,” and so on.
The most confusing order was an iced Americano with no ice, which was like saying, “I’ll have a coffee—without the coffee.”
Once again, adapting to a changed world was anything but easy.
As Jung Bin sighed at his desk, Ji Chang-su urged him on.
“What are you waiting for? Get going!”
“Yes, sir, heading out now.”
This was the daily grind.
Some people in this world had developed the ability to see “status windows,” like in a game, while others faced “gates” from which monstrous creatures emerged.
In simple terms, humans started calling these creatures “monsters,” and those who fought them “awakened ones.”
Awakened ones and monsters—the new keywords that defined this world.
The Gate Safety Management Team operated under the Ministry of Public Safety and Administration. They were almost like a special division of the police. In fact, people often saw them as police officers, and all their recruits passed police exams.
At any rate, Jung Bin arrived at the L Outlet in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju.
Everything was the same.
Still, nothing was there.
“…The sensor detected something, but… what could it be?”
Just as he sighed and prepared to report that all was clear, a loud *thud* broke the silence.
Then, a blaring car horn echoed in the distance.
Jung Bin quickly turned around.
It was a crosswalk.
And standing there was a man.
What the…? Just a moment ago, no one was there.
His confusion was brief. As mentioned earlier, the Gate Safety Management Team, while different in role, was often regarded as police. Technically, they were indeed police, so he acted like one.
Jung Bin ran to the crosswalk. He flashed his ID to get the attention of the drivers, who allowed him to escort the man safely to the sidewalk.
Now, he could get a better look at the stranger.
The man’s hair was long and tied back, which complemented his slender face.
He had a solid, toned build—not overly muscular, but his physique hinted at a strength akin to a boxer’s. He looked to be about 175 cm tall.
And yet…
Something felt strangely familiar about him.
Like he had seen this face somewhere before.
But he kept this feeling to himself.
The man, however, seemed to notice.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I was someone you knew?”
“…Not exactly. Why are you so confident? Didn’t you just jaywalk?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why were you standing there?”
The man’s answer was stunning.
“Well… this is where I went missing.”
Where he went missing? Is he crazy?
Now that he noticed, the man’s clothing was odd too.
It was May, yet he wore a thick coat of some unknown material.
Could he be…?
“Are you an awakened one?”
“Awakened? Are you calling me a junkie? I don’t do that stuff.”
“…Is this guy messing with me? You’re playing word games with a cop?”
“No, I’m not….”
“Should we go have a proper talk somewhere else? Or should I issue a warning right here…?”
“Can I ask you something first?”
Jung Bin hesitated but decided to let it slide.
After all, his birthday was already ruined. Why not let it spiral further?
“What is it?”
“What’s today’s date?”
“May 5, 2034.”
“…2034?”
“Yes, it’s 2034.”
“….”
“What’s wrong?”
“…No, it just felt strange hearing those numbers after so long.”
Jeongbin thought to himself, *This guy is really odd.*
The man looked up at the giant screen near the L Outlet in Cheongju with a strangely pensive expression.
*Sigh.*
Jeongbin let out another sigh.
“Hey, mister.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t jaywalk anymore. Keep your head up when you’re walking, or you’ll end up getting hurt. Think about your family, alright?”
The man gave a faint, odd smile, but Jeongbin ignored it.
“Stop smiling and get going. Next time, I won’t go easy on you.”
“Can I ask just one more question?”
“What is it now?”
“The woman on that screen—what’s her name?”
*What’s up with this guy?*
Jeongbin sighed again.
“Have you been living under a rock? That’s Jin Song-i, one of the Seven Rivers. How could you not know?”
The man gave a small laugh.
“It’s May 2034, so it’s been about ten years, huh? I never expected her to grow up to be so beautiful.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing. That Jin Song-i is my sister. My real sister.”
Jeongbin frowned.
“…Excuse me, what?”
“I’m telling you, she’s my real sister.”
Jeongbin took a moment to think.
*Jin Song-i.*
She was a national hero of South Korea. Starting her career in the Gate Rescue Team, she made her debut as an “awakened” and, eight years ago, established the “Salvation Guild,” which she grew into one of the world’s most prestigious guilds.
This meant that she was immensely famous. So famous, in fact, that a lot of information about her was public knowledge.
Jin Song-i did have a younger brother.
His name was Jin Shi-hoo.
His job? A genre novel writer.
Jin Shi-hoo didn’t have any works that were globally renowned. Normally, no one would have any reason to know the personal details of a genre novelist. In fact, there’d be no reason for him to be famous at all.
Yet people knew him. Not just Jeongbin—at least half of the South Korean population knew who he was. Jin Song-i was that famous.
“…So, you’re saying that you’re ‘Jin Shi-hoo’?”
The man nodded.
“Yes, I am Jin Shi-hoo.”
But that was impossible.
“Are you joking with me?”
The man claiming to be Jin Shi-hoo looked at him, confused.
“Is there a problem?”
“A problem? Of course, there is.”
Jeongbin searched something on his wristwatch, then showed it to Jin Shi-hoo.
At that moment, Jin Shi-hoo’s expression hardened.
It was understandable.
Displayed on the screen was a profile. The kind of profile that appears when you search for someone’s name on a portal site.
There was a smiling man on the screen who looked strikingly similar to the man standing before him.
“Jin Shi-hoo, a genre novelist and YouTuber. This is supposed to be you?”