Chapter Text
Chapter 1
He was happy when he woke up this morning. He received an email from his university that he will graduate with honors and not only a simple certificate but he will be the top number 1 in all of his batch. He beams in excitement, loving the fact that all of his hard work is getting paid. Thanks to his family and friends that keep supporting him.
Kim Seungmin is a model student, has good grades, and is diligent and skillful. He is also from a prominent family in Korea and is very wealthy. He has an older brother and sister who also have outstanding merits. It runs in the blood, while his older brother is the CEO of Kim Group, and his older sister is the director of Kim Medical Hospital in Seoul. Seungmin took up laws because aside from this is what his father wanted for him, he was also very intrigued by helping the less fortunate. His heart is full of love and kindness. He wanted to help with pure intention and Seungmin will do anything in his power to win all of the battles in the court. He is ready for another chapter of his life. His plan for the future was written in his journal and has been rotting in the pile of books in his room.
He got everything under control. He is Kim Seungmin after all, Jaemin sometimes teases him for being a hardcore OC and gave him the nickname of Mr. Myway because of how he deals with things, which furthermore he frowned upon but also considered his friend's observation of his personality.
He's sure about his day to be perfect like always. until of course, it wasn't.
He died. He knew that he died saving a little preschool student from crossing the road. It was so sudden that he didn't have time to think. His body moves on its own like it has its own mind. He runs to the kid and saves her from dying... He only mumbled the words 'fucking shit' for the first time in his life when the truck hits his frail body and got thrown onto the pavement.
Seungmin only sees blood in the videos and pictures when his professor from uni discusses a murder scene and for the love of holly, it wasn't blurred. He was also immune to blood but when he saw the flash from his own body, Seungmin thought he's gonna throw up. He prayed that if he was ever saved, he would also forget the amount of blood that was painted on the pavement. His body is numb though, what a relief. He feels nothing but a floating feeling, blurry visions because of tears, and the number of shadows gathering near his injured body.
"Fucking shit indeed." He cursed internally.
–
Waking up was a far cry from what Seungmin imagined when he thought about the Almighty’s care. He was certain the accident would have killed him, but now he found himself conscious and aware of his surroundings. It wasn’t the familiar VIP room in his family’s hospital. Instead, he was in a cramped, run-down apartment, the kind found in the seedier districts of Seoul. His body throbbed painfully, especially near his ribs, and a sharp sting tugged at his lips. Seungmin winced inwardly; he’d never felt real pain before. His mother had always shielded him as a child—he had been cherished, protected.
He swallowed hard, his throat painfully dry, as if he hadn’t had water in days. Dehydrated, he dragged himself from the bed and stumbled out, looking for the kitchen. The apartment was so small, it didn’t take long to find the fridge. He opened it without hesitation. Inside, there was little more than beer, soju, some side dishes, and a few bottles of water. With a frustrated sigh, he grabbed a bottle and downed it like a man starved. He coughed from his haste, hands shaking, but he reached for another bottle and emptied it just as quickly.
The water brought some relief, and Seungmin felt more human again. He tossed the empty bottles in the trash, then began inspecting the apartment. It was even smaller than he first realized. His bathroom back home was more spacious than the entire living space, and he couldn’t help but scowl at the state of it.
The couches were worn, cheap, and practically screamed poverty. Seungmin’s confusion grew into anxiety. Why was he in a place like this? His chest tightened with unease. He hurried to the bathroom and turned the faucet, but the water came out icy cold, and the tile walls were grimy. He grimaced in disgust, searching for any cleaning supplies, but found none. His stomach lurched when a bug crawled across the edge of the shower. He fled the bathroom immediately.
The living room was no better. There was an old, outdated flat-screen TV and a small coffee table. The tile floor was freezing beneath his bare feet, and it was obvious the apartment had no heating. Seungmin moved to the lone window, peering outside. From the second floor, he had a clear view of the street below, where people wandered aimlessly, indifferent to their surroundings. His eyes narrowed on a narrow alley in the distance.
There were four men gathered in the alley, and one lay on the ground, coughing violently. Seungmin gasped, covering his mouth, as one of the men pulled out a handgun. In a flash, the man on the ground was shot, right between the eyes. His body crumpled to the pavement, lifeless, while the rest of the street remained eerily unfazed. No one moved to call the police. No one cared. A murder had just unfolded before Seungmin’s eyes, and yet the world went on as if nothing had happened. His heart pounded so violently in his chest it felt like his ribs might crack. He swallowed thickly, the burning sensation in his throat unbearable.
Without thinking, he found himself following the murderers, as if drawn by some unseen force, still in shock over what he had just witnessed.
The men walked calmly down the narrow alley, and in an instant, Seungmin realized with horror that they were heading toward his apartment. A sob escaped his lips, and he quickly hiccuped, trying to stifle it. Fear surged through his veins, paralyzing him. What was he supposed to do?
Panic gripped him as he trembled, his mind racing. Were the murderers coming to his building? He didn’t know for sure, but the terrifying thought that they might choose his unit made him feel like the walls were closing in. His knees buckled, and when he collapsed onto the floor, his instinct was to crawl.
From the ground, the living area seemed massive. Desperately, Seungmin dragged himself back to the room he had woken up in. He focused on controlling his breathing, gaining just enough strength to stumble to the door and shut it with trembling hands. His eyes darted around the room, searching for a place to hide his fragile body. Had the men seen him earlier through the window? He had gasped aloud when the man was killed; surely, they might have noticed him too. The thought made his fear even more overwhelming.
Seungmin's mind raced, his survival instincts kicking in. His thoughts were clouded, but his intuition screamed at him to act. He approached the closet, his movements oddly familiar, though he wasn’t sure why. Without thinking, he pushed aside the drawer, revealing a small hidden space. He didn’t hesitate—he squeezed into the dark opening and slid the drawer back into place, tucking his body as tightly as possible inside the cramped compartment.
The air was thick with dust, but a wave of relief washed over him, quieting the alarms blaring in his mind. He pressed his back against the cold stone wall, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. For a moment, he simply focused on calming his breathing, but the suffocating fear still clung to him, unrelenting.
Minutes passed, though they felt like hours. Seungmin’s fatigue from shock and confusion threatened to pull him into sleep. His eyelids grew heavy, and he nearly succumbed to exhaustion when the sound of the door opening jolted him awake.
A loud thud echoed through the apartment, making him flinch violently. He covered his mouth to stifle any sound, his body tense, forcing himself to stay alert. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might give him away, but he remained still, listening intently, waiting for whatever came next.
"Boss, I swear I saw a shadow move by the window. Seungmin went home," he said, his voice trembling with shock at how these people knew his name.
"My son is my concern, you impertinent fool. Even at 19, he's nothing but a spoiled brat. If he's gone home, it’s only a matter of time before he returns, groveling at my feet again." The voice that responded was laden with a menacing intensity that made Seungmin's skin crawl.
"He wants to go to college, doesn't he? Why not send him to Seoul? He's smart, and becoming a police officer there would be a convenient outcome. After all, he's still your property."
"You're meddling in matters that don’t concern you. I know he’s smart—that’s why he’s still breathing. He’s obedient, but his weakness infuriates me! He behaves like a frightened child, crying and pleading with such ease. You think you know him? I am the leader of this district! I could eliminate anyone who dares to cross me! And that worthless coward, he's just like his pitiful mother—easily frightened and prone to tears like a damsel in distress! I should have beaten him more, driven home just how feeble he is!" Seungmin bit down so hard on his lips that blood seeped through. He fought back tears, desperately trying to remain silent as fear engulfed him. Every inch of his being trembled, struggling to comprehend why he was ensnared in this nightmare.
"Don’t be hasty, Boss. Seungmin will prove useful in time. At 19, he's fragile. I heard the mob boss from Spain is searching for an obedient boy to train. If you have no use for him, we could sell him to forge some powerful connections. Seungmin’s beauty is undeniable; his physique delicate. Many mafia leaders now prefer taking a boy as their prized possession. He could bring you immense wealth and invaluable connections."
An eerie silence followed, and Seungmin felt nausea rise within him. Panic gripped him, and confusion clouded his mind. Why was he here? What did that man mean when he spoke of him as his son? What horrific revelations had he just overheard? His mind was a storm of questions, and anxiety gnawed at his insides like a ravenous beast. Breathing became a struggle, his head pounded with relentless anguish, and he felt himself slipping into oblivion.
When he finally opened his eyes again, the pain surged back, throbbing mercilessly. His body felt like it was on fire, the warmth around him suffocating and agonizing. Memories came crashing back in a chaotic flood. Dizzy and drained, his heart pounded furiously as he realized the truth—he knew who was behind all this suffering.
In his past life, Kim Seungmin was 23 years old, but in this world, he is only 19. The contrast between his old life and his current existence is stark and painful. His mother died tragically in an accident, but witnesses claimed she was not in her right mind when she crossed the road. She was young and beautiful, her life cut short by a dashing vehicle. Her body, bruised and battered, suggested she had been fleeing something—someone—that prevented her from seeing the oncoming danger.
Now, 19-year-old Seungmin faces a different kind of torment. His father, a monstrous figure of pure evil, has ruthlessly seized control of the outskirts of Seoul, killing the District Leader and establishing himself as the unchallenged King of the area. His reign is marked by brutality and terror; the gangsters in town bow to his will, unable to defy his command.
Seungmin's father is not only greedy and violent but a sadist who coerced Seungmin's mother into marrying him. His father had an older son studying law in the US—the product of a long-forgotten first love who never knew she was pregnant. Years ago, Seungmin’s father discovered her in the impoverished part of the district. He brought her and his half-brother into his mansion and enrolled the boy in a prestigious Seoul school, while Seungmin was condemned to a public high school in town. Despite Seungmin's intelligence, his timid nature only fueled his father’s hatred. His half-brother, in stark contrast, lived an extravagant lifestyle, while Seungmin struggled to make ends meet with part-time jobs. He never understood why his father, who had been absent from his life since his mother's death, made the occasional visit.
Seungmin's interactions with his father were infrequent—once a month during middle school, and only once since his mother's death four years ago.
The memory of the brutal beating Seungmin endured from his father is still vivid. His father’s fists nearly ended his life months ago, leaving him with broken ribs and blood pouring from his mouth. The hatred directed at him was incomprehensible. As he grew older, he began to understand the grim reality surrounding him.
Desperate, Seungmin pleaded with his father to leave him in peace or at least arrange for him to attend university in Seoul, hoping to escape the hellish existence he was trapped in. He prayed daily for deliverance, but his prayers seemed unanswered until one fateful day.
Juho, Seungmin's father’s second-in-command, kept a disturbing watch over him. His presence was a constant, unnerving threat, marked by his unsettling visits late at night. The 19-year-old Seungmin was paralyzed with fear at each knock on his door. When he could no longer bear the pressure and pain, he fell into a restless sleep without taking his pain medication. When he awoke, he found himself transformed into a different Seungmin.
Wincing from the headache, Seungmin slowly assessed his surroundings. The apartment was eerily silent, and he decided to emerge from his hiding place. His body ached from being cooped up for so long, and he massaged his sore muscles, whimpering from the sudden pain.
Seungmin now faced a hellish reality he never anticipated. The fortune and knowledge from his previous life seemed meaningless in this agonizing world. With his father and Juho still a looming threat, Seungmin knew that if they found him, death might be a preferable fate compared to being sold off by a mafia lord.
Seungmin devised a desperate plan, fueled by his will to escape the clutches of his father. With his 20th birthday approaching, he knew he had accumulated savings in the bank—his only chance for freedom.
It was a perilous and risky decision, driven by his sheer determination to survive. Seungmin realized that to escape his father's torment, he had to simulate his own death. He planned to use a specific drug that would cause his heartbeat to become erratic, triggering a temporary heart attack. In the emergency room, 145 seconds without a pulse would officially declare him dead. This plan had to be executed with utmost precision; failure was not an option. If he died trying to escape, he would face a different kind of hell—one where he would have to endure the irony of having killed himself in a bid for freedom. But in the hell he currently lived, he was prepared to use every ounce of his intellect to break free from this agonizing life.
He owed his knowledge to his sister, a director and a self-proclaimed nerd who had taught him how to brew medicine. Seungmin was grateful for her teachings and, under different circumstances, might have pursued a career as a doctor. But in this life-or-death moment, he would use every skill at his disposal to reclaim his freedom.
For the past three days, Seungmin had ventured out only to procure the necessary ingredients. Thanks to his memories, he had memorized safe routes to avoid detection. He had altered his appearance, changing his style of clothing to blend in and remain unrecognizable. His bag was packed with only the essentials, enough to sustain him for a few days in Incheon. His savings were secured in a train station locker, with the code 0022—his lifeline to a new beginning.
With his plan in place, Seungmin steeled himself for the execution of his escape. He knew that every step had to be meticulously calculated if he hoped to succeed. The thought of regaining his freedom, of escaping this nightmarish existence, drove him forward. He was ready to face whatever came next, determined to leave behind the hellish life he had known.
He was poised at the brink of his escape, with only the final act remaining: drinking the medicine and feigning food poisoning. The timing was crucial—D-day was the day his father would visit. Relying on his memories and Juho's consuming obsession with him, he downed the medicine. Almost immediately, Seungmin's body convulsed violently. The pain was excruciating, and an unbearable heat consumed him. As tears threatened to spill, he could only hear the chaotic sounds around him. The food lay shattered on the floor, a testament to his suffering. Despite his torment, he managed to maintain his facade. The door burst open, and he heard shouting and Juho’s piercing gaze. Seungmin could only hope his earlier suspicions were true. They needed him, and he watched as Juho frantically grabbed his phone to call for help.
Lying on the stretcher, Seungmin’s vision swam in a haze. The oxygen mask pressed against his face, and a grim smile played on his lips. He knew the oxygen would do little to save him—it would only worsen his plight. Vomiting blood, he was certain that if he didn’t regain consciousness within 145 seconds, death would claim him.
Juho's voice echoed in a strained call to Seungmin’s father, as the boy’s pulse faltered to near silence. The monitor emitted a thin, steady beep, marking the moment Seungmin was officially unconscious. Juho’s face was etched with a grave expression, while Seungmin’s father remained unmoved, coldly accepting the news of his son's death from food poisoning. With a chilling disregard, Juho left the lifeless body behind and instructed the doctor to dispose of it immediately, ignoring the doctor’s knowing glance.
That night, in the sterile confines of the emergency room, Kim Seungmin died. An hour later, his body was set for cremation, but it was not the real Seungmin that was reduced to ashes. In a clever disguise as a hospital staff member, he maneuvered through the chaos effortlessly. Juho required no trace of Seungmin’s death, so his body was unceremoniously discarded. The supposed ashes were flushed into the toilet, with one of Juho's men verifying the disposal.
With his disguise in place, Kim Seungmin slipped out of the hospital and boarded a bus to the train station. He gathered his belongings, purchased a ticket, and set his course for Busan. He intended to remain there for a time before deciding whether to proceed to Incheon or perhaps Seoul. His plans shifted under the weight of his fear; whether he wanted it or not, the dread of his father discovering his ruse and dragging him back to that hellhole loomed large over him.
—
Two months had passed since Seungmin escaped the suffocating grip of his father. For the first few weeks, he lived in seclusion, haunted by the fear of being recognized. By the third month, he dared to venture out for necessities. His landlord, valuing convenience, allowed him to pay rent online, a small blessing in his new life. Seungmin had transformed his appearance: his jet-black hair now a soft brown, his once-pale skin now holding a hint of warmth, and his injuries fully healed.
His life had been turned upside down by his simulated death. Working online, he found solace in the anonymity it provided. He managed legal documents, filed them with the court, and occasionally offered legal advice. His remarkable accuracy went unquestioned, and the decent pay kept his bills at bay. The prospect of returning to university was a ghost of his past, shadowed by the trauma of his previous attempt. For now, he savored the quiet comfort of Busan.
Yet, tranquility was a fragile illusion.
The peace shattered one ordinary day at a bakery, where Seungmin was on a mission to buy a cake for his mother. It was the second birthday he would celebrate for her since his escape. Overwhelmed by a surge of emotion, he resolved to buy a cake, choosing a cheesecake—a tribute to his mother’s favorite.
As he examined the selection, a man with a constellation of freckles and an impossibly dazzling smile appeared before him. The man's grin was so blindingly bright that Seungmin had to blink repeatedly to clear his vision.
“Hello, have you made your choice?” the freckled man inquired, his deep voice resonating like a thunderclap. Seungmin was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure, nodding.
“Could I get two pieces of cheesecake? I can’t eat it all, but it’s for my mother,” Seungmin whispered, his voice barely above a tremor. The man hesitated, his expression a mix of curiosity and doubt. Seungmin, feeling a pang of vulnerability, bit his lip and averted his gaze back to the cakes. Chocolate held no allure for him; he was drawn to the bitter notes, and the cheesecake’s enticing aroma was impossible to ignore. He clung to the hope that the man’s captivating presence would sway him to fulfill his request.
“The cake is usually sold whole, but seeing how much you seem to cherish it, I’ll make an exception,” the freckled man said, his smile as radiant as ever. His eyes sparkled as he handed over the cake. Seungmin, deeply moved, thanked him profusely.
“I’m sorry if this seems odd,” Seungmin began, his voice tinged with emotion. “It’s my mother’s birthday today, but she passed away months ago. I wanted to buy a whole cake, but I didn’t want to waste it. This was her favorite.” He reflected on the last birthday he shared with her, when she had bought two slices of cheesecake, one for each of them. They had shared those slices together, a simple joy that now felt bittersweet. Cheesecake in his district was far more affordable than the elaborate birthday cakes, and those memories, though humble, were precious to him.
The freckled man’s eyes softened, a fleeting, inscrutable expression crossing his face. “Oh, that’s... Happy Birthday, then,” he said softly. Seungmin nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude as the man carefully sliced the cake, placed it in a box, and added a small candle, taping it to the top. Seungmin quickly paid at the register, his heart swelling with a bittersweet mixture of happiness and nostalgia.
“Thank you so much!” Seungmin bowed deeply before leaving the bakery, his smile broad as he stepped out onto the street. His joy was abruptly interrupted when a car, swerving erratically, nearly struck him. It crashed into a streetlight with a deafening crash.
Instinctively, Seungmin rushed toward the wreckage, ignoring the persistent voice of caution in his mind. The sight of the damaged car and the urgency to help overpowered his fear. He pried open the driver’s side door, which yielded easily due to the impact. Inside, two men were sprawled in the wreckage. The driver was unconscious, his head bleeding profusely, while the other man, slumped in the passenger seat, was bleeding from a severe wound in his lower torso.
The wreckage was grim, but Seungmin’s focus sharpened. He first attended to the driver, the door on that side being easier to open. Glass shards littered the interior, and blood flowed freely from the driver’s head. Seungmin’s hands trembled as he tried to assess the extent of the injuries, knowing that every second counted.
Seungmin turned his attention to the other passenger, struggling as he worked on both men, who remained unconscious. The taller passenger's wound was severe, and Seungmin tore strips from his own flannel shirt to staunch the bleeding. He did the same for the driver, his hands shaking as he worked in the chaos.
After calling the emergency hotline, Seungmin was advised to accompany the injured men to the hospital. He glanced at the crushed cheesecake on the ground, a stark reminder of how abruptly his peaceful day had been shattered.
At the hospital, Seungmin explained the injuries to one of the paramedics, his clothes stained with blood. Despite the grim circumstances, he was relieved when the doctor later approached with a smile.
“They’re both stable now. You did an excellent job with the first aid,” the doctor said. He informed Seungmin that the passenger was in a more precarious condition but had been saved by Seungmin’s quick actions in stemming the bleeding. The driver had only minor injuries to his head, which could have been much worse without Seungmin’s help. The doctor was curious if Seungmin was studying medicine, given his adeptness at providing first aid.
“I’m just a passerby,” Seungmin replied. “I’ll check with the nurse to see if their families have been contacted.”
The nurse confirmed that family members had been notified, so Seungmin decided to wait for them before heading home. Exhausted from the day’s events, he felt drowsy as he heard raised voices approaching.
“Oh my god, I’m here for Lee Minho and Hwang Hyunjin. Are they okay? They were in a car accident!” A pale man with an accent, his face etched with worry, rushed in. Seungmin recognized him as one of the families of the injured.
The man, with tears brimming in his eyes, clung to the nurse’s words as she guided them down the hallway. The tension in the air was palpable as they hurried to find their loved ones, leaving Seungmin alone, reflecting on the unexpected turn of events that had brought him to this place.
"Hello, are you the one who helped them?" the nurse asked kindly. "Can we get your phone number in case they need to reach you?"
Seungmin shook his head, declining politely. "It's alright, no need for that. I need to go now. Thank you for all your hard work."
He bowed to the nurse, who returned the gesture.
Feeling a pang of disappointment over the crushed cake, Seungmin sighed and made his way to the bus stop. The weight of the day's events lingered as he rode home.
By the time he arrived, it was well past midnight.