"Ray... Ray!"
A familiar voice cut through the fog of my thoughts, accompanied by a sharp poke to my shoulder with a pencil. I blinked twice, returning from my long daydream to find Jin's face filling my vision, his usual sarcastic grin plastered across his features. "Are we back in the land of the living? The bell rang a minute ago, dude."
I looked around. The classroom was emptying quickly. The scraping sound of chairs being pushed back, the laughter of teenagers eager for the end of the day, and the orange sunlight dyeing the desks the color of sunset. Everything... normal. Perfectly normal.
"I'm with you," I mumbled, slowly packing my books into my bag. "Just a slight headache."
"Headache?" Jin raised an eyebrow, leaning against my desk. "That's the third day you've said that. Are you staying up late gaming without me?"
My hand paused for a second. I wasn't staying up late. And I wasn't sick. The problem was with my... memory. For the past two days, I had begun to feel a strange sensation. An hour ago, when the teacher's eraser fell, I had "seen" it fall in my mind two seconds before it actually happened. And when the girl in the front row called my name, I knew her name and her question before she even opened her mouth. A feeling that I had lived this day before... or that I was reading from a script.
"It's nothing..." I shook the thoughts from my head and stood up, smiling at Jin. "Just study fatigue. Anyway, is the challenge still on?"
Jin's eyes widened with a gleam of excitement. "Of course! The new cyber café! They say they've brought in combat simulation machines. I'm going to crush you today, Ray, and a headache won't work as an excuse."
I laughed, and we walked out of the classroom together, leaving behind that nagging feeling of strangeness.
[The Cyber Café – 4:30 PM]
"Left! Right! Ray, watch out behind you!" Jin was shouting excitedly, mashing the buttons on his controller violently. On the screen, my character was fighting his in a street fighting game. Jin was fast, aggressive, and relentless. But I... was calm.
For some reason, I could see his moves with strange clarity today. I saw his finger press the button, and I knew his character was going to jump. Low kick... block. Upper cut... dodge. Now... the counterattack.
"K.O!" The big letters flashed on the screen. I had won for the fifth time in a row.
"Man!" Jin threw his controller down in mock despair. "This is cheating! How did you know I was going to use my ultimate move? I didn't even touch the button!"
I took a sip of my cold soda, feeling refreshed. "You're readable, my friend. Your moves are obvious." "Obvious?" Jin laughed as he stood up. "Fine, genius, the bill is on you today."
We walked out of the café laughing. The air was cool and crisp. Jin was talking about his plans for the future, his desire to study engineering, and the girl he liked in the next class over. I listened to him, feeling grateful. A simple life. A loyal friend. An open future. What more could I want?
[Home – 7:00 PM]
"I'm back!" I took off my shoes at the door, welcomed by the scent I adored. The smell of the stew my mother cooked with unmatched skill.
"Welcome back, son," my mother peeked out from the kitchen, her face carrying the weariness of the day, but her smile hadn't faded. "Wash your hands, your father just got back."
I sat at the dinner table. My father sat at the head, still in his formal work clothes, though he had removed his jacket. He looked exhausted, but he put his phone aside as soon as I sat down. "How was school, Ray?" he asked in his calm voice.
"Good, Dad... I beat Jin five times at games," I said with childish pride.
My father chuckled. "Poor Jin... he never gives up." Then he sighed and took a bite of food. "I wish I had his persistence at work. The manager was angry today about the tax accounts. Looks like we'll have to work overtime next week."
I looked at him. The fine wrinkles around his eyes, the hair that had begun to turn gray for our sake. "Don't worry, Dad," I said sincerely. "When I graduate and work, I'll make sure you retire and rest."
My mother looked at me with shining eyes and patted my hand. "We know that, honey... You are our hope."
It was an ordinary dinner. Filled with the sound of spoons, news of work, and the warmth of family.
[The Sports Club – 10:00 PM]
The sound of the ball hitting the wooden floor echoed in the indoor hall. "BAM!" I jumped high and struck the volleyball with my hand, crushing it into the opponent's court (the neighborhood team).
"What a hit, Ray!" one of my teammates shouted. "Your jump is getting higher!"
I landed on the floor, panting, sweat covering my face. The feeling of physical exhaustion was enjoyable. It washed the mind clean of all thinking. I wiped the sweat with my towel and drank water greedily.
I looked at my hand. It was trembling slightly from the exertion. And for one single moment... just a very quick flash... I saw my hand... not holding a water bottle. But holding a black knife. And the wooden floor beneath me... looked like a pool of blood.
I closed my eyes quickly and shook my head. I opened them. The hall was back. My friends were back. The water bottle was back.
"What was that?" I whispered to myself, my heart pounding fast. "Am I that tired?"
"Ray? Are you playing the second set?" the coach called out to me.
"Coming!" I ran to the court, trying to forget that terrifying image. Just an illusion. Just exhaustion. My life was perfect... and I wouldn't let anything disturb it.