...
The chatter filled the room. The mercenaries, who had come to inform us that visiting hours were over, stopped at the entrance, their gazes fixed on the scene before them. At first, their eyes widened in shock, but soon smiles began to spread across their faces, broad and incredulous.
"He really woke up..."
"This is unbelievable. The president will be thrilled to hear this."
"Today is quite the day for our young lady."
They murmured among themselves, exchanging excited glances, but no one dared to interrupt the moment.
Chae Nayun sat at the edge of the bed, clutching her brother's hand tightly, as if afraid he might vanish at any moment. Her eyes shimmered with a mix of joy and disbelief, and every now and then, small tears escaped, silently sliding down her cheeks. Even as she smiled, there was a hint of hesitation, as if she was still convincing herself that this was real.
I observed the scene in silence, a small smile forming on my lips.
My thoughts, however, drifted elsewhere.
Images of a distant past surfaced in my mind—happy memories that belonged to a world long lost to me.
A six-year-old girl throwing a tantrum because I didn't want to share my ice cream.
A woman of unparalleled beauty gazing at me with a sweet smile as she corrected my homework.
A man with a stern posture who, when we played video games together, never hesitated to tease me every time I lost.
My family.
'Will I ever see them again?'
It was a foolish thought. They were dead. Not just dead, but in another world, in another reality, separated from me by a distance I couldn't even begin to fathom.
'I have the power to bring them back to life, but I don't know where my home planet is.'
Traveling across the universe in search of my homeland? It was a possibility, but an extremely uncertain one. Even if I crossed thousands of galaxies, there was no guarantee I'd find it.
'There are so many dimensions...'
To most people, they were invisible, intangible. But to me, who had inherited the knowledge, experiences, and abilities of Anos Voldigoad, dimensions were something I could feel around me. Thousands of them, overlapping and interconnected in complex ways.
'But they all seem closed off...'
Even if one of these dimensions contained my world, I couldn't simply cross into it. They were fragile, extremely fragile. If I tried to force my way in, i risked destroying them in the process.
No... If I destroy the world I once I'm looking for in without realizing it, all hope will be lost.
If there was a solution, it lay in that "SYSTEM" that appeared to me when into this body.
"Sigh!"
As I was lost in these thoughts, the door to the room opened.
The doctor entered, carrying a tablet, his eyes glued to the data projected on the screen. He seemed distracted, absorbed in analyzing the reports, but the moment he lifted his head and saw Chae Jinyoon sitting on the bed, his body froze.
"This...!"
The surprise hit him like an electric shock. His eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the tablet.
"C-Chae Jinyoon...?"
Silence dominated the room. The doctor stood still for a moment, his mouth slightly agape, as if his mind was struggling to process what he was seeing.
He then quickly moved to the side of the bed, his eyes shining with a mix of disbelief and professional excitement.
"This is a miracle...!"
Muttering to himself, he grabbed his stethoscope and began examining Jinyoon with slightly trembling hands.
"Mr. Chae, how do you feel? Can you hear me clearly?"
Jinyoon blinked a few times, his expression still a bit confused. His gaze wandered around the room, passing over Nayun, then me, before finally resting on the doctor.
"I feel... weak... my throat is dry..."
His voice came out hoarse, almost a whisper, showing the effort it took to speak.
"That's completely normal."
The doctor nodded, regaining his professional composure.
"Your body has been inactive for a long time. We'll arrange for intravenous fluids and run a series of tests to ensure everything is in order."
The mercenaries, who had remained silent until then, chose to leave, but each made sure to offer a few more words of congratulations before exiting the room.
The doctor, after confirming that Jinyoon was conscious and seemingly well, realized the gravity of the situation from a medical standpoint. A patient who had been in a coma for so long simply waking up without any logical explanation was something that completely defied his knowledge.
Even though he wanted to continue observing Jinyoon's condition, he knew he needed to report this immediately. Not just to the president, but also to other specialists who could analyze the case.
So, after a few quick notes and ensuring that the IV fluids were being prepared by a nurse, he hurried out of the room, grabbing his phone on the way.
He needed to assemble a team of specialists to examine Jinyoon, review his tests, and try to understand how something so impossible had happened.
Of course, he had no idea that he would find no scientific explanation for it.
"Ah! Today is going to be exhausting."
Watching the doctor's incredulous face as he left the room, Nayun smiled.
"Oppa is causing trouble for others."
Jinyoon let out a weak sigh, his mouth curving into a half-smile.
"Apparently so, but not as much as you..."
His voice was still hoarse, but the light tease in his tone made Nayun let out a soft laugh. She squeezed his hand tighter, shaking her head.
"You have no idea."
She sniffed discreetly, wiping away a stubborn tear before composing herself.
'This girl is going to get dehydrated at this rate.'
I, who had been watching her shed tears yet again, was starting to get a little worried.
The atmosphere began to relax gradually. With the doctor out of the room and the mercenaries having withdrawn, the silence gave way to a lighter mood.
Nayun leaned back slightly, her eyes turning to me, a small, indecipherable smile playing on her lips.
It was only then that Jinyoon seemed to truly notice my presence. His eyes met mine with an assessing look, his eyebrow raised in confusion.
"By the way... Who are you?"
I straightened up, feeling the weight of his sudden attention. Before I could respond, Nayun was quicker.
"Ah, this is Theo. He's my..."
"I'm just a friend...."
I interrupted quickly, forcing a polite smile.
"Just someone who was helping out while you were away."
Since Nayun didn't want our relationship to be announced, it would be best to keep it under wraps...
There was a brief silence. I could feel Nayun's gaze on me, and when I turned to look at her, I realized her thoughts didn't align with mine.
Clearly not acting as I thought she would.
"Actually, oppa..."
She turned to Jinyoon, her voice taking on an almost casual tone, as if she were talking about the weather.
"Theo is my boyfriend."
My body froze. Seriously? I thought you'd make some kind of joke, but confessing just like that? What if your brother doesn't have a good impression of me?
"...Huh?"
Jinyoon blinked slowly, seeming to process the information. He looked at Nayun, then at me, then back at Nayun.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Finally, he opened his mouth.
"Wait, wait, wait. You have a boyfriend?"
"Yup."
Nayun smiled.
"We've been together for a while now."
Less than a week, thankfully you didn't tell him that.
"But... you?"
He looked at her as if she had just announced she'd become a Buddhist nun.
"Since when did you start dating? You couldn't even talk properly to boys before."
"Hey!"
Nayun frowned, giving him a light punch on the arm.
"That was years ago! I've grown up, you know?"
Jinyoon looked at me again, his gaze now filled with a mix of surprise and suspicion.
"And you?"
He asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Is this for real?"
I opened my mouth, still trying to process the unexpected turn of events, but Nayun stepped in again, holding my arm and leaning slightly against me.
"Very real."
Jinyoon still seemed doubtful, so Nayun decided to hit where it hurt.
"Didn't you want me to get a boyfriend?"
She pouted playfully.
"I thought you'd be happy."
"...I did, but..."
"Then it's all good!"
She smiled, satisfied.
Jinyoon massaged his temples, letting out a long sigh.
"I wake up from a coma, and the first thing I find out is that my sister has a boyfriend... What is happening to young people today?"
...