"APPA… ABEOJI…"
Aigoo.
Koo Mujin's heart broke while watching Koo Hajin cry.
His son may look like he was already in high school because of his height and build, but Koo Hajin was still a child.
He's only 12, turning 13 in a few months.
Koo Hajin was still their baby.
"Just let it all out, son," Koo Mujin whispered, encouraging his son to cry even though the kid could neither see nor hear him. "I promise you that you're appa and I will wake up. I'm not sure what's happening, but a System suddenly appeared in front of me. I didn't know I was supposed to be completing missions until that moment. But, for some reason, I got a reward for my first mission. And the reward is to get a glimpse of the real world."
Koo Mujin was still a little lost.
But, after returning to the real world, his mental age seemed to have readjusted with his physical age.
He noticed that he was calmer and more composed now.
My husband calls me a 'golden retriever' because of my energy. But I've mellowed down when I reached my late twenties. Then, when I entered that world, I noticed that I returned to being as hyper as I was when I was in high school.
It was as if Koo Mujin's mental age had regressed, along with his physical age.
I swear I'm not as dumb as I was in high school anymore.
He couldn't have been the Vice Chairman of Komet Corporation in his early thirties if he hadn't matured and become wiser.
But all that maturity and wisdom disappeared when I became 17 again.
"Hajinie, our poor baby…"
Oh.
Koo Mujin beamed when his family finally arrived.
His parents and his older sisters immediately hugged Koo Hajin.
Okay, this is making me cry.
Koo Mujin got emotional while watching his family comfort his son.
"We told you to rest in the meantime, but you're here again."
"Hajinie, it's not that we're stopping you from staying with your parents. But you fainted after seeing them in this state. And now you look like you're about to faint again."
Koo Mujin felt a pang in his chest after learning that his son fainted.
No wonder my family looks surprised and worried to see Hajin here.
"My precious nephew, please take a rest first. We'll make sure your parents are well taken care of."
"Unnie is right, Hajinie. Your cousins will keep you company."
Right.
At this point in time, both of Koo Mujin's older sisters were already married.
Mido Noona and Mihyeon Noona both have kids, too.
Koo Mujin was the youngest among his siblings, but his son was the oldest among his cousins because Koo Mujin got married and became a parent before his older sisters.
But my son gets along well with his younger cousins.
And that was a huge relief.
I'm sure my nieces and nephews won't let my son feel alone and lonely in these trying times.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Aunties… will Appa and Abeoji wake up?"
Aigoo.
Ah, Koo Mujin couldn't stop his tears from falling this time.
The pain in his son's voice was devastating.
He wanted to hug his child, but he couldn't.
"Hajin-ah, your appa and I will wake up. I'll do everything in my power to bring us back in this world— back to you," Koo Mujin said, clenching his hands tight. "Until then, please wait for us, son."
[Time's up.]
Oh.
The same Status Window that Koo Mujin saw earlier appeared in front of his face once again, and then everything turned black.
***
WHEN Koo Mujin opened his eyes, he expected to find himself back to his 17-year-old version in that strange yet fascinating alternate universe.
However, he found himself in a plain white room…
… while standing in front of a giant semi-transparent screen.
My Status Window got bigger than it was before.
"Uh, System?" Koo Mujin called awkwardly, his voice echoing in the room. "Are you not sending me back to that 'dream?'"
['Dream?']
"Lee Haneum and I are currently in a comatose state," Koo Mujin explained. "The world where you sent me is no different from a dream to me. It's not real, but it's a nice place."
[Then, I suppose we can call it a 'dream.']
"Why did you send us there?"
[To grant Lee Haneum's birthday wish.]
"Can you please elaborate on that?"
[I don't want to.]
"Huh?"
[It's a long story.]
"Yah. Don't be lazy."
[My identity doesn't really matter.
What matters is that you complete your mission, if you want to return to reality.]
"Fine. I'm not that curious about who or what you are anyway," Koo Mujin lied. He was curious about the System, but he thought something else was more important. "What exactly is my mission? What do I need to do for me and my husband to wake up from this dream?"
It was a beautiful dream, but a dream nonetheless.
I would stay wherever Lee Haneum is, but we can't leave our son alone in the real world.
[You just have to get rid of Lee Haneum regrets before meeting you.]
"What?"
[You'll understand the more you get to know Lee Haneum.
For every regret that you clear, you'll temporarily wake up from the 'dream' and return to reality. After all, we know that you're worried about your one and only son.]
That was a relief.
[But you can't take your time, Koo Mujin.
The more you stay in that 'dream,' the more your mental age regresses. You probably haven't noticed yet, but your memories of the real world are slowly getting erased. That's why your mental age regresses every time you return to the 'dream.'
After all, that body doesn't belong to you.
The Koo Mujin of that 'dream' has his own memories, too.]
Oh.
"The Koo Mujin version of that dream world exists?" Koo Mujin asked in disbelief, pointing at himself. "And I'm possessing the kid's body?"
[You have to complete the mission before Lee Haneum's 18th birthday.
Otherwise, you and your husband will get stuck in the dream world forever.]
"Excuse me?!"
[Good luck, Koo Mujin— we're rooting for you.]
"Hey, at least let me keep my intellect as an adult!" Koo Mujin complained to the Status Window that was quickly disappearing in front of him. "I was really dumb when I was in high school!"
***
"MY INTELLECT…"
"What are you saying, idiot?"
Koo Mujin opened his eyes when he heard someone call him an 'idiot' and was about to complain, but he forgot everything when Lee Haneum's worried face greeted him. "Hi."
Lee Haneum lightly smacked Koo Mujin in the chest. "Koo Mujin, stay away from me from now on, you hear me?"
Aigoo.
Just what happened while I was asleep?
***
Please ADD