Just Another Day

Seun-mi Ho sighed as he looked out of the window in Room 2-B of Songpa High School. Outside, the sky was gray and dull, perfectly reflecting his mood that day. It had been 18 years of dragging himself through this flavorless school, attending classes that hardly interested him.

Suddenly, Professor Kim called out, "Ho Seun-mi! Can you tell me the answer to the question on the board?" Seun-mi jumped, disoriented. He hadn't paid any attention to the math class. Stammering, he attempted a random answer that only made Professor Kim sigh. "I see that you have other things on your mind than my lessons. Care to share?"

Seun-mi lowered his eyes, ashamed. In reality, his thoughts were drifting to more exciting worlds than his mundane life as an ordinary Korean teenager. If only something surprising could happen... But for now, all he could do was endure Professor Kim's reprimands, or he might end up in detention after school. Another day like the others awaited him.

Professor Kim sighed again. "Come with me, Ho. The principal wants to see you."

Dejected, Seun-mi followed the professor to the principal's office. Once there, Mr. Kim knocked on the door, saying, " It's for Ho Seun-mi."

Inside, Principal Song sat behind his imposing desk, brows furrowed. "Sit down, Ho. Mr. Kim, could you leave us?" The professor nodded before exiting.

The principal leaned towards Seun-mi. "Your performance is dropping worryingly, my boy. If your results don't improve in the upcoming exams, I fear you may not finish the year and get your diploma."

"B-but, sir..." stammered Seun-mi.

"Do you have any idea how many students would dream of studying in this high school? You have a golden opportunity, and you're wasting it. I expect better results next time, understood?"

Seun-mi nodded, crestfallen. Leaving the office, he wondered what he could do to turn the situation around.

When Seun-mi left the principal's office, classes were finally over. As he lingered in the hallways, he spotted Eun-bi, a pretty classmate he secretly admired.

He took a deep breath and decided to approach Eun-bi before she left school. As she passed through the gates, Seun-mi hurriedly said, "Um, hi Eun-bi! How do you like my new haircut? Pretty stylish, huh?"

Eun-bi raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Yeah, okay, see you tomorrow, Seun-mi." But he insisted, "Hey, how about we grab a bubble tea together? Come on, say yes, don't you want to relax with the class's best guy?"

This time, Eun-bi burst into laughter. "Sorry, Seun-mi, but you're clearly not my type. See you later." Leaving Seun-mi crestfallen on the sidewalk, she walked away briskly.

With a heavy heart, Seun-mi Ho leaves. Another failure... When would he stop embarrassing himself in front of girls?

With Eun-bi's rejection still on his mind, Seun-mi walked lethargically to his usual convenience store. Maybe a good comic book would manage to lift his spirits.

Inside the familiar store, he automatically headed to the aisle dedicated to his favorite superheroes. That's when he saw the new limited edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum. His eyes sparkled with excitement like a child.

But when he lifted the book, his smile faded. The price on the cover caught his eye—far too high for his meager student budget. He sighed sadly and delicately placed the comic back, as if it were an unattainable treasure.

Then a voice echoed behind him, "You love it, huh, this edition? It's a shame it's so expensive..." Seun-mi jumped and turned to face Kim Jung-hyeok, a friendly classmate who shared his passion for Batman. Jung-hyeok smiled, "I might be able to borrow it for you one of these days..."

Seun-mi and Jung-hyeok were engrossed in an animated discussion about the adventures detailed in the limited edition of Batman when suddenly, the sound of shattering glass rang out.

Intrigued, the two friends left the convenience store and stood in awe, witnessing chaos in the street. People ran in all directions, screaming in panic. In the midst of the turmoil, Seun-mi thought he saw a menacing but blurry figure.

"What's happening?" Jung-hyeok asked, wide-eyed. Seun-mi scanned the street but saw nothing abnormal, except for the panicked crowd. Then, an elderly lady stumbled near them, yelling, "A monster! A monster is attacking the city!"

Seun-mi and Jung-hyeok exchanged puzzled glances. Whatever this "monster" was, the situation seemed to be dangerously escalating. Yet, their teenage curiosity was piqued. What was the real story behind this bizarre incident in the heart of Seoul?

While helping the old lady to her feet, Seun-mi observed the surroundings more carefully. Amidst the panicked silhouettes, he finally clearly saw the source of the commotion: a bearded man with an impressive physique, armed with an AK-47.

Even from a distance, his ugliness and ominous tattoos did give off a "monster" vibe. However, Seun-mi also noticed the absence of supernatural claws or fangs. He must simply be a twisted criminal escaped from prison.

The criminal was now firing indiscriminately. That's when Seun-mi saw a little girl, shocked and frozen in the middle of the road. The sound of bullets drowned even her screams. Without thinking, Seun-mi rushed towards her.

But at that very moment, the criminal noticed his stationary target and aimed his weapon. Seun-mi firmly grabbed the girl, shielding her with his body just as a bullet pierced his chest. In shock, he collapsed with the child in his arms. His world turned black. The last thing he heard was the panicked honking and Jung-hyeok's desperate cries. Then, nothing.

In the limbo of unconsciousness, Seun-mi suddenly heard a synthetic voice:

- Welcome, user. Recognized identifier: Seun-mi Ho, 18 years old, deceased on Earth.

Seun-mi, disturbed, tried to respond, "Who... Who are you? Where am I?"

- I am the Celestial Interface, the information system of the virtual world Heaven's Realm. You have been selected to reincarnate in our world as a player, following your heroic death on Earth.

- Reincarnate? But I don't understand; I'm dead, right? What does Heaven's Realm mean?

- Heaven's Realm is an MMORPG where the souls of virtuous deceased individuals like you are given a second chance in digital form to progress in our divine system and accomplish new quests. You will wake up in the body of a novice with special abilities. Ready for your new adventure?

Seun-mi was lost but also intrigued. Was he really going to reincarnate into a game world? This prospect filled him with both fear and excitement...