Lee Jae-hoon was born with a dirst spoon in his mouth. He tried every possible way to claw his way up, but all that remained were loans he still had to repay.
Enjoying the carefree youth of college like his friends was a joke as he practically lived in the library just to squeeze out even a little more scholarship money.
When he was too exhausted from juggling part-time jobs and studying for his brain to function anymore, he passed the time by reading books.
It wasn't because he was some refined intellectual who loved reading. He simply had no room in his life for any other hobbies.
Lately, he had been reading about ancient Roman history. It wasn't that he particularly liked Rome.
Still, he figured that reading ahead would give him an advantage in his Western history class, so he picked out a few volumes.
As it happened, he also had an assignment to research a figure from ancient history and write a book review, so he planned to finish everything today.
If one were to name the most famous person in ancient Rome, it would undoubtedly be Julius Caesar, also known simply as Caesar. Even while buried under mountains of debt, he managed to seize success.
That fact felt bitter somehow, sharply contrasting with Jae-hoon's own situation.
"Yeah, but that was possible because the past and the present are different… No, what kind of pathetic thoughts am I having right now?"
Exploding with feelings of inferiority toward a figure from the past would only leave him with self-loathing.
"If only I could read the future the way I read history in books, I could succeed on a scale that wouldn't even compare to this."
As he flipped through the pages, lost in pointless fantasies, his vision strangely began to blur.
Maybe it was because he had forced himself to work a part-time shift yesterday even while burning with fever.
Even though he had taken fever reducers, his condition hadn't improved.
"…To hell with the assignment. I should sleep for now."
He laid down, using the book as a pillow, and within five seconds an overwhelming wave of sleep crashed over him.
Until the very moment he slipped into unconsciousness, the interest on his unpaid loans continued to swirl through his mind.
"Damn it… If only I could live even one day without worrying about money…"
That was the final thought Lee Jae-hoon left behind in this wretched life.