TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains mention of suicide and emotional distress. Please don't continue if the material is triggering for you.

Staring at the mirror with tired eyes. Water dripping down from the face of a familiar young man. Exhaustion could be seen right through the man's eyes. Kim Jisoo is looking at his 21 year old self. Anyone would be happy to be this young again, except for Kim Jisoo. Because this is not him.

"My name is Kim Jisoo, I'm 34 years old. My mother and father are Kim So-e and Kim Sangchul. I have a brother named..." He can't remember. He's slowly forgetting. How could he forget! Rushing out of the bathroom, he immediately bent down beside the bed and got the box underneath it. Inside the box, there were diaries and sketches. He rummaged through the sketchbook and found the face of his younger brother. Kim Jian, his brother. With almost similar features but not quiet. Feeling resentful and relief, Jisoo's tears streamed down his face. Jisoo started his mantra again. "My name is Kim Jisoo, I'm 34 years old. My mother and father are Kim So-e and Kim Sangchul. I have a brother named Kim Jian." Jisoo was smiling with tears streaming down his face.

3 years ago was the start of Jisoo's nightmare. One day, he just woke up and was transferred to another reality. He doesn't know how it happened or what caused this shift in reality. He only knows one thing, the luck that he had with his previous reality was opposite to the Jisoo in this one. With the misfortunes that followed this reality's Jisoo, he decided to kill himself. And for whatever reason the world has, he was placed in this world's Kim Jisoo.

It started small, like forgetting his favorite cartoon from his prepubescent years. Then proceeded to the small details during his childhood. After realizing that he was forgetting things from his real world, Jisoo started to write things down, sketching things he could still remember. After a while, even forgetting where he used to live. Every small and important detail he started to write down in case he actually forgets. This slowly chips away from his sanity. Like an old paint in the wall slowly chipping due to the passage of time. He even started to question himself. Was he actually from an alternate reality? BUT HE KNOWS. He knows that he doesn't belong here. And whatever small willpower he had left after suddenly coming to this reality, he wrote and draw everything down. To keep him grounded to the fact that he doesn't belong here.

Crumpled on the floor while hugging all the contents of the box, Kim Jisoo wailed like a child. "Mom.. I miss you... Dad... I'm not strong enough.. Please get me out... Please.. Please..." Resenting himself for not acting like an adult, resenting the world for placing him here. Jisoo just continued to sob quietly and pitifully on the floor. Asking for his parents, his actual parents to come and take him away from this nightmare that became his reality.

After crying for what felt like eternity, Jisoo who was lying on the floor in a fetal position slowly composed himself. He slowly gathered all the materials that was inside the box previously and gently laid them all back again inside the box. Like a treasure kept from the world. He then placed it where he previously took it from. After sitting for a minute in the same place beside the bed, he faced the dresser and slowly got up.

He took his phone and checked the time. 7:43 AM was glowing on the cracked old screen. Jisoo felt so tired already even though it's still early in the morning. "Classes.." he mumbled to himself, remembering that it was his first day as a freshman in a prestigious school of Korea through scholarship and part time. For some, this might be easy peasy since they have a family to fall on back to. However, luckily or unlucky for the Kim Jisoo of this world, he has none of those. The Kim Jisoo of this world lost his family at the age of 17 with no living relatives close by. Jisoo wasn't sure if he'll feel sorry for the kid who lost his parents at a young age, or feel relieved that because they're gone, they won't have to experience having to live with a son who wasn't theirs.

Kim Jisoo was in no way getting used to this world. He doesn't accept it even for a bit that he might stay here for the rest of his life. No. He will never accept getting stuck in this world. He has a life to go back to. His, friends, his brother, and his parents. He can't just accept to redo his younger years and without them to booth. However, for whatever chance that the original owner of his body might get back into this world, the least he could do was set him up for a great future. Though, socially wise, Jisoo never made friends or meaningful relationships. That was for the original owner to do, but at least he knows that he set him a good environment.

Renting a small 1 room flat above the home of the landlord. With all the things that he might need. Even if it's a low rated one, at least there's no trouble that comes along with it. The landlord was pretty amicable as long as the rent was paid on time. The neighbors weren't nosey with anyone's business. And it provided a roof over his head. He's doing everything he could with his current state of mind and it's doing pretty well unlike his mental state for the past 3 years. Jisoo has done everything he could to get back home. Praying on every church, visiting every temple, consulting shamans here and there, and even getting in touch with physicists that studied alternative reality. But no matter what he did, it was all for naught. Maybe the world has forsaken him.

Kim Jisoo can't dwell on this depressing mental state for much longer, he needed to prepare to go to class. He dressed himself up with regular Tee, washed out pants, black jacket, and a hat. After getting everything that he needed, he put on his wired pods and prepaid to go outside for another agonizing day.

Getting to school was one of the easiest part, however, navigating through the sea of people inside the campus was the worst. After checking his schedule through his phone, he immediately went to the freshman orientation. There were far few people and he decided to go and sit down to the far end nearest the exit door. Some people were just doing their own thing, some were getting acquainted, and others were sleeping on their sit. Jisoo looked at the time. It's already 8:46 AM and orientation starts at 9 AM. He slowly put his head down to the desk in front of him to get some rest. Slowly, people started to pile up inside the classroom. After a while, a TA from the business administration course came in to welcome all the students.

It was your regular freshman year orientation, just like the one he already did when he was 18. After being lost in his own thoughts, Jisoo looked at the podium in front when a group of what seems to be the course committee started to introduce themselves. All the freshmen were buzzing due to the good looks of some of the committee. Which added to Kim Jisoo's already pressisting headache. They announced that there will be a get together later that day and started discussing important things to note on while taking the course. Jisoo did not heed the socializing information as much since he is not planning to join any of them. After a while of discussing things, the orientation ended and Jisoo was one of the first people to immediately go.

Kim Jisoo was having a smoke break in the back alley from his work shift in a bar called ABISSO. He's a staff member in this well known bar. Checking the time, it was already 3 in the morning. Thankfully, his class starts in the afternoon today. Jisoo is trying to keep himself busy while also trying to keep himself afloat with all his living expenses piling up. He sighed due to tiredness. "Kim Jisso." Jisoo looked at where the voice was coming from. A man taller than him was standing a few steps away. "Sorry, sir, I'm currently on break. If you have any concerns, I'll let the other staff know." The man looked at him, unreadable. "No, there's nothing that I need right now. I don't know if you remember, but we were classmates in senior year. I'm also in the orientation this morning."

Jisoo stared at the man blankly, thinking of Kim Jisoo's memory. Trying to find a name for this man. "I'm sorry, I don't really remember much during senior year." He answered nonchalantly. There was a flick of surprise in the man's face before immediately smiling politely. "I figured much. I'm Lee Hyuk" He smiled with an empty look in his eyes. He reached his hand out to shake Jisoo's hand. Kim Jisoo just stared at his hand, not really moving to receive it. Lee Hyuk retrieved his hand while his polite smile faltered. "I'm actually part of the committee for the business administration course. I saw you in the orientation and was wondering why you didn't come to the welcome party for the first years."

Kim Jisoo took awhile before answering. "I'm not planning to attend any gathering that's not school related." he answered coldly. Lee Hyuk looked at Jisoo for awhile before continuing the conversation. "Attending isn't mandatory for the course but it has perks. You'll get notes from the Subaes, you should reconsider." Before Jisoo could answer, his co-worker came out of the bar's backdoor and called Jisoo out. "The manager is looking for you, the break is over." Jisoo nodded to his co-worker before looking back at Lee Hyuk. " I'm sorry but I need to go back to work. If you have nothing important to say, I'm going to go back to work now." Lee Hyuk nodded and said okay. Jisoo walked back inside the bar, feeling the lingering look behind him. It doesn't matter because he's not planning to form any relationships with anyone here.

Lee Hyuk just stared at the backdoor of the bar for a while before looking at his hand that Kim Jisoo did not receive. " Huh.." Lee Hyuk is intrigued with how things played out. He wasn't really interested in Kim Jisoo. He was just intrigued with how small the world is. Finding someone that he briefly remembered in high school. After a while, Lee Hyuk walked back inside the bar, not minding the interaction that just happened.