"Will you read them?" Sana asked, waiting for a quick response.

I thought long and hard about whether it was a good idea, but we had come this far. I couldn't let my fear take control. These people were probably an important part of my life, so I had to at least make an attempt to remember them. I could at least do that, no matter how difficult the situation might be afterward.

"Yes, it might help me regain my memories. Something my parents surely don’t want to happen," I whispered, taking the first letter and twirling it between my fingers.

Baeck Seok. I settled comfortably, glancing at Sana before opening the letter.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here," she said, nudging me to open it.

I took a deep breath as I opened the envelope, and a sheet of paper fell out, along with two silver initials.

"What is this?" the girl asked, and I shrugged, taking a few seconds to recall the bracelet in the pocket of my jacket. I pulled it out and placed it next to the fallen initials, looking at Sana.

"Okay, this just got a bit creepy. Why do you have the initials of people who, according to your mother, will be 'unnecessary items'? I don’t remember ever having such things even with my best friend... imagine having them with six other people who are 'unnecessary' in your life. To own something like this... these people must be more than just 'friends.' They must have been like family to you, Keith," Sana commented, and I agreed with every word she said. Each envelope contained something similar that weighed heavily on my mind, leading me to think that the initials of the others were also there.

I wanted to say, "I can’t believe this," but I already had to expect anything from my parents. I was going to find out what they were hiding, and then I would demand an explanation.

I picked up the two silver letters, standing behind the name "B" - for Baeck and "S" - for Seok, as I threaded them onto the bracelet, which I fastened onto my wrist with Sana's help.

I lifted the fallen letter, unfolding it in amazement at the beautiful handwriting. I began to read aloud, so Sana would be up to speed on what was happening.

"Hello, Keith. If you're reading this, it means that everything..." As I read aloud, I felt my voice fading more and more with each passing second until I was left voiceless. I glanced up at Sana to find that the girl had also lost her voice.

I suddenly stood up, letting the letter fall to the ground, as the entire room began to crack. White light sought to seep through the crevices, and I had no voice to scream for help. I shut my eyes, starting to hear voices that grew louder and louder until it felt like they were right beside me. Fear engulfed my body, sweat trickled down my forehead, and I didn't dare open my eyes until I felt a strange touch on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" a strange voice asked, pulling me back into reality.

I wasn't in my home in Daegu. I was in a classroom, the children around me were running and playing, having long forgotten their problems. Panic gripped my entire being. Was everything until now just a dream? Sana was gone.

"Keith, are you okay?" I heard the question again from beside me. I turned my attention to the voice and saw a boy about my age sitting next to me. His worried expression made me wonder if I had really been in some strange dream until now. I didn’t recognize him; I had no idea who he was or where I was. I had one mission, and that was to escape somewhere.

I ran toward the exit of the room, knowing one thing for sure: I was having a panic attack. Everything around me was spinning, moving light-years ahead, as if time was sped up around me, and I was the only one caught in this trap of a terrifying phenomenon. I couldn't focus on anything; the voices grew louder and heavier to bear. I didn’t know what was happening or how to help myself. I ran somewhere; I didn’t know where, but I just did it. I thought I would see something that would help me remember where I was. Just when I thought I was lost in my own world and didn’t exist in someone else's, I suddenly collided with someone and fell to the ground. A sharp pain shot through my wrist, reaching my brain, making me grunt in response as I looked up at the person I had bumped into.

"Oh my God, Keith, are you okay?!" the voice said, pulling me back into the normal mode of life, managing to help me up from the ground.

The people around me started to function normally; the voices were no longer so loud, and with the stranger's touch, calmness began to flow into my veins as if I were on a heavy sedative.

"Yeah... I’m fine," I barely said, trying to catch my breath. My voice sounded different. The first thing I noticed was that something was definitely wrong with me.

"I’m sorry, I really didn’t see you... your uniform... oh, I’m sorry," he mumbled, allowing me to dive deep into the scene’s problem. He held a half-empty cup of coffee in his hand, having spilled it not only on the ground but also on myself. At least one good thing in this situation—the coffee was already cold.

"It's fine, really," I started wiping my uniform with the napkins he handed me.

"It’s not fine; I feel bad because I wasn’t paying enough attention. But you didn’t look well... is everything okay? Did you get into a fight with someone from your class again?" he asked while I was trying to piece two and two together. It was absurd, but it felt like I was in a dream.

A lot of things were not realistic, leading me to that conclusion. While talking to the boy in front of me, it felt like the world had stopped; everyone had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Something wanted me to focus solely on the boy in front of me. To be honest, I felt like I was in a game. You couldn’t break away from its story; you couldn’t change it or escape it. There was no button to skip or bypass it. It was like those cutscenes where you had to stand and just watch.

"Earth to Keith Hyun, are you with me, kid? You look pale," the man in front of me sighed, and I shook my head. I needed to focus. My gaze quickly reacted, landing on the name tag pinned above his uniform pocket, the name "Baeck Seok" lighting up the bulb in my head.

"I’m really fine..."

What I knew:

- This was not reality.

Why did I think so:

• Time was not functioning properly. At times it sped up, while at others it slowed down. It was as if something was controlling it.

I had been with Sana before I opened the letter; it was possible to enter some semi-reality where you received visions. I didn’t know if Baeck was a vision, but I knew that his name was on the letter. No matter how absurd it was, this seemed to be the way to understand my connection with this person.

"Let me make it up to you, okay? I didn’t even get to finish my coffee," Baeck shook the nearly empty cup, laughing, and I nodded.

• Something didn’t want me here. I was sure of it because it was causing me unbearable pain in my head and stomach.

If until now I hadn’t been sure, then the first thing I thought was confirmed. Time was not functioning properly, just like in reality. While we were in the hallway, I was now sitting on a tall chair called a "Stork," no longer wearing my uniform, while Baeck was behind the bar, washing used cups.

Theory 1:

- I was jumping through time.

Just like in a game. It did what it wanted, no matter how much you disliked it. I had to follow the mission to the end.

"You look deep in thought, Keith. Is something bothering you?" the boy in front of me asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Not exactly." I glanced at my smoothie cup, stirring the liquid with the straw.

"Keith, I’ve known you for too long. You can’t lie to me." The man in front of me muttered, and I froze.

What did he mean by saying we had known each other for a long time? How long was "a long time," and why didn’t I remember it?

My theory of jumping through time was just confirmed with this evidence.

"I’m not lying to you. I’ve just been really stressed lately." I managed to come up with an excuse, the man in front of me visibly unconvinced, but it seemed he would let me get away with it this time.