"What... What is this?"
"It's called a car."
"How can it move this fast? What kind of magic is used?"
"It's not... exactly magic..."
I was in a taxi with Astina, heading to the wedding venue.
I knew the engine ran on fuel and did something to make the car move, but I didn't fully understand the mechanics behind it.
I just gave an awkward smile.
I thought I'd feel embarrassed saying that, but seeing Astina looking around in wonder, it didn't feel so bad.
Usually, Astina was the one explaining things to me.
It was a rare moment for me to share knowledge, even if it wasn't something I invented.
I felt a sense of pride.
As Astina glanced between the taxi and the outside world, she turned to me with a question.
"So, where are we?"
"Ah... It's complicated to explain..."
I scratched my cheek, wondering if she'd believe me.
Where should I start and how much should I tell?
I cautiously began,
"This is where I originally came from."
"Originally?"
Astina tilted her head in confusion.
That's when the taxi driver chimed in,
"We're here!"
"Ah, thank you."
As I exited, Astina followed, pressing me with her question again.
"What do you mean by 'where you originally came from'?"
Seeing her like this, I smiled.
"I'll explain everything slowly. But first..."
"First?"
"Would you like to meet my family?"
I pointed to the building in front of us.
"Wh-What is this place...?"
The massive building, even impressive by my standards, was the venue where my cousin's wedding was being held—a grand hotel in a part of Seoul.
Astina looked up at the building, her mouth agape in awe.
"Let's go in."
"Y-Yeah, okay."
She followed with an air of bewilderment, sticking close behind me, occasionally glancing around.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})She clung to my coat with a timid grip.
It was a side of Astina I hadn't seen before, and I couldn't help but smile.
But I could empathize; I'd probably act the same way if I were suddenly dropped into an unfamiliar world.
"Ah! Is that my son arriving?"
As we entered the wedding hall, a cheerful middle-aged man greeted us.
Astina, hearing his words, widened her eyes in surprise.
"Ru-Rudy? Son?"
Her face showed evident confusion.
Seeing her reaction, I smiled and replied,
"It's been a while, father."
Astina immediately tugged on my sleeve, seeking an explanation.
Astina tiptoed closer to whisper into my ear.
"Rudy, that's your father?"
"He's my elder uncle."
Hearing my response, Astina heaved a sigh.
"Once everything is over, you better explain everything to me."
Until now, Astina had always shown me great consideration.
Whenever I asked her to do something, she never questioned the reasons behind it.
She would proceed without asking, always hinting that she wanted answers someday.
But now, it seemed she wouldn't step back any longer.
She looked at me, expecting a full explanation.
"Understood."
I replied, nodding at Astina.
She had risked her life coming here.
It didn't make sense to keep her in the dark any longer.
I had delayed for too long, but I intended to tell her everything now.
"My boy! Do you think it's acceptable to be late for your sister's wedding?"
Boomed my elder uncle, approaching with a hearty laugh.
A middle-aged man with a muscular build, that's how I remembered my elder uncle.
Even when I made mistakes, he would forgive and cherish me, always treating me warmly with a touch of playfulness.
I barely remember my real parents since they passed away when I was young.
I never really missed them.
But I always felt apologetic towards my elder uncle.
He had always cared for me, and in the end, I could only show him my broken self.
The regrets and feelings of guilt welled up within me, but for now, I faced the present.
I wanted to let go of these regrets and move forward.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Smiling at my elder uncle, I said,
"I apologize, Uncle. I drank a bit too much last night."
His eyes widened in surprise.
"What? Our little bookworm had too much to drink and came late?"
He laughed heartily,
"Well, if that's the case, can't help it then! Hahaha!"
Watching him laugh so genuinely, I too broke into a smile.
As his laughter subsided, he squinted towards something—or someone—behind me.
"But... who is she?"
He asked cautiously, seemingly referring to Astina.
Stepping forward slightly, Astina introduced herself,
"Greetings. My name is Astina."
Astina greeted my uncle with respect.
"Um..."
He switched his gaze between Astina and me.
From his perspective, he had never seen me with someone else.
I didn't have many friends.
Because for me, studying had always been my only companion.
I felt I knew what my uncle was thinking.
After all, I had suddenly brought a girl, so what else could it be?
And I wanted to live up to that expectation.
"Yes, she's my girlfriend."
"…What?"
"Wait... What did you just say?"
Astina's eyes widened in shock, and my uncle stepped back, clearly flustered.
"Hey, what... what does that mean...?"
Astina stammered, looking at me.
I smiled at her reaction.
"I'm sorry. Can you please play along?"
Even though it was just a dream, I wanted to show my uncle my best side.
I wanted to present the successful version of myself that he had always hoped for.
Saying that, I took Astina's hand.
And I held it out as if to showcase it to my uncle.
"She's beautiful, isn’t she? My girlfriend."
My uncle stared at me with his mouth agape.
For a moment, he was speechless.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})But soon, a proud smile formed on his lips.
"Yes, she truly is beautiful."
I continued,
"And now I have many friends, and have some skills to boast of as well."
"Did you get your test results back?"
At my uncle's question, I couldn't help but smile.
"It's not about that."
Right now, I wanted to express my true feelings, my resolve.
The reason I couldn’t leave this place.
To be honest, I wanted to return to my world.
I was scared.
In the new world I found myself in, everyone around me was in danger, and my life was always on the line.
That world terrified me.
That's why I depended on the future I knew.
Even though I realized that future had changed, I still clung to it.
I wanted to depend on the story I knew.
Because it was a story where everyone found happiness.
A story where I didn't have to take action.
In my own way, I was avoiding reality.
But now, I've made up my mind.
I've decided to venture onto a new path.
To carve out my own path.
"To be honest, I don’t know what the future holds, but I'll give it my all. Everything I've got."
My uncle looked deep into my eyes.
Then he smiled.
He spoke,
"I've always believed in you."
It was something he always said, whether I was going to college without money, preparing for law school, or when I felt down.
He always supported me.
I know this isn't reality; it's a dream.
But hearing my uncle’s voice, I wanted to hear him say those words.
I looked at my uncle and smiled.
"Just watch me."
On the rooftop of the hotel.
After the wedding of my cousin, Astina and I had walked up to the rooftop.
Astina stared intently at me.
"So, where are we?"
Instead of answering her question, I replied,
"I am not Rudy Astria."
Hearing this, Astina's face hardened with surprise.
"Then, who are you?"
"Just an ordinary person borrowing his body."
"Since when?"
"Since the entrance ceremony."
Astina seemed to relax a bit at my response, gracing me with her signature warm smile.
"So when I first met you, it was actually you,"
She mused.
"Yeah…"
She lightly tapped my chest,
"Then, to me, you are Rudy Astria. At least, I and those around me never knew the Rudy Astria before."
A smile formed on my face,
"Thank you for saying that."
"Why? You merely stated who you are."
She shrugged,
"So, where are we?"
"This is a place called Korea. It's probably a city that doesn't exist in your world."
I then proceeded to explain how I became Rudy Astria, delving briefly but in detail about her world being from a game.
"So… our world is a game? You've seen our future?"
While it was challenging to fully explain the concept of a game to Astina, she seemed to grasp the idea to an extent.
"However, that future has already been disrupted. Things are progressing very differently."
"Hmm…"
Astina touched her cheek, lost in thought.
After a moment, she looked up sharply.
"I might know about this…"
"What?"
My eyes widened.
"I can't be sure just yet, but I'll look into it."
How could she know about this?
I was about to ask her another question when a portal-like void appeared next to us.
Astina gestured toward the black void,
"To figure this out, we'd need to go back, right?"
She flashed a reassuring smile.
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And that's the dream! I had honestly hoped for much more, but this isn't too bad.
