Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

Kang YuWon thought as his overgrown jet-black hair spilled over his eyes. Known for his unkempt hair and oversized unwashed clothes, his attire complimented his gloomy and loner attitude.

Although his college was just thirty-five minutes away by subway, he didn't have enough money to get on one. Instead, he had to walk for two hours just to get to the college in time. But things weren't bad a year ago.

One lie ruined his whole life, and no one seemed to care enough to find out the truth. Why? It was because he looked the part to be involved in some perverted scheme. That was it.

He lost everything he once cherished. A loving mom, close friends, everything. That incident from last year forced him to turn into the outcast he is today.

YuWon looked at the sky, wanting to curse the god for his fate. But then he noticed something. He squinted at the sky, trying to make sense of the strange writing among the clouds.

He was so engrossed in that he didn't notice the person in front of him until it was too late.

"Watch where you're going, weirdo!"

A strong shove sent YuWon stumbling backward. His glasses flew off his face, landing on the pavement.

"I-I'm sorry," YuWon stammered, crouching to find his glasses.

"This idiot... he never learns, does he?"

YuWon could barely make out the outline of the person he bumped into, but he felt scared when he recognized the voice.

"Oh, no…" YuWon whispered under his breath, realizing it was his bully, Kim Hoon.

"Do you need a hand there?" Kim Hoon scoffed.

Before YuWon could respond, a fist slammed into his nose, and he fell to the ground, dazed. A moment later, everyone burst out laughing, and through his tear-filled eyes, he saw familiar faces mocking him. Some of them used to be his friends, but not anymore.

"Get up, you idiot!" one of Kim Hoon's lackeys said as he grabbed YuWon by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to-" YuWon stammered.

However, Hoon wasn't done. He began slapping YuWon across the face, each hit more forceful than the last. YuWon's cheeks burned with pain, and tears streamed down his face.

"Look at him cry! What a little baby!" another one of his former friends taunted.

Kim Hoon delivered a final, hard slap that left YuWon's face swollen and red. His vision was still blurry, but he could see enough to notice his stepsister, Yeji, standing with Kim Hoon. She had her arm linked with his, and she stared down at YuWon with a look of cold indifference.

"Yeji…" YuWon called out weakly, hoping for some help, for the old time's sake. But she didn't move, didn't even flinch. She just kept looking at him like he was a stranger.

"This is what you get for being in my way," Kim Hoon said.

He then kicked YuWon between the legs. YuWon curled up on the ground, trying his best to breathe as he felt the worst pain any man could.

"See you after the break, loser," Kim Hoon laughed, grabbing Yeji by the waist. "We've got something special planned for you."

With that, he and his friends walked away, leaving YuWon squirming in pain on the ground. YuWon lay there for a few moments, gasping in pain.

He could hear whispers and see teachers looking at him with disgust. None of them offered to help. He knew they all disliked him, but this level of hatred was something new.

Slowly, he got to his feet, his body still hurting. Eventually, he found his glasses on the ground and put them on. He saw his bag thrown to the side, but he didn't bother picking it up. There was no point; he wouldn't need it, anyway.

With one last look around, YuWon walked away, but not towards the classes as he would.

***

"You really wanna do this?" the girl asked, blowing a bubblegum bubble.

"Yes... will this be enough?" YuWon asked, handing the girl some crumpled notes. "This is all I have on me..."

Popping the bubble, the girl grabbed the money, quickly pocketing it. "It would be enough for half a pill. But since I'm feeling generous, here, take it."

However, YuWon wasn't listening. He was more busy looking at the girl's tanned body which added to her gal look. YuWon couldn't help but think that she was undeniably beautiful, with a curvy figure and a big chest that made her stand out even more. If he had met her a year ago, he would have asked her out... but it was too late for that.

"Are you done mentally stripping me?" the girl rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Fucking weirdo. Just take the pill and get lost."

"I-I'm sorry!" YuWon mumbled, snatched the pill, and ran away without a second look.

The girl raised an eyebrow as YuWon ran away, wondering if he was the pervert everyone warned her about.

"He is a pervert alright," Hannah chuckled before leaving herself. It would be bad if someone caught her selling inside the college campus.

***

Sitting on the edge of the terrace, YuWon wondered if his death would affect anyone. He thought about it, but didn't think anyone would even bat an eye.

He was once the star student of the college. Unfortunately, his popularity attracted the wrong crowd toward him. His mother was proud of him and so was his stepfamily, but all that changed one day.

One day, completely out of the blue, he was called into the dean's office. When he walked in, he saw his stepfather, stepsister, and mother sitting there.

At first, he thought something bad had happened to his grandmother. But then, his stepfather punched him in the face, and his mother just kept crying.

Through the screams and crying, YuWon pieced together that his stepsister was accusing him of taking her pics in the school's locker room and selling them online.

YuWon vehemently denied doing such a thing. But Yeji's claim was more than enough to brand him as a pervert. After all, she was a valedictorian. Why would she lie about something like that?

Ever since then, Kim Hoon, Yeji's boyfriend, has bullied him relentlessly, and no one did anything about it. YuWon knew it was Kim Hoon who put Yeji up to it because YuWon had the spot on the soccer team that Kim Hoon wanted.

What hurt YuWon the most was when Kim Hoon and his gang attacked him and broke his leg. Even after that, Yeji defended Kim Hoon, saying YuWon had been trying to peek into the girls' washroom.

She claimed Kim Hoon only pushed YuWon because he saw him, and accidentally broke YuWon's leg. Once again, she had no reason to lie and Kim Hoon had his parent's backing unlike him. That was the day YuWon gave up defending himself.

As a result, every club kicked YuWon out and asked him to thank Yeji because she was willing to bury everything for the sake of his mother and not get him expelled.

When he returned home, he also got kicked out of the home his father built before dying. Living by himself, doing every meager job he could to pass by. But now he had enough.

He was going to end it all.

"...this is it, Dad," YuWon mumbled, looking at the pill in his hand. "It's not the end I wanted, but... you already know why."

Even though he wanted to, he was too scared to jump. So, he saved up what little money he had to buy the pill that would give him the courage to leap.

Just then, something strange happened. Suddenly, the sky filled with the same writing he had seen before. This time, though, the words were easy to read.

[Initializing Global Awakening Protocol.]

[Please select a class.]

[Note: The class you choose will stay with you forever. Choose carefully.]

YuWon blinked twice, convinced he was hallucinating because of the pill he had taken earlier. He waved his hands frantically, trying to get rid of the illusion. To his surprise, the screen disappeared, only for another to appear.

Before he could make sense of it, a loud explosion erupted from within the building, right as the bell rang for the start of classes.

The force of the blast shook the entire structure, causing YuWon to lose his grip on the railing and fall. This wasn't how he wanted it to end, but it seemed like it was all over.

YuWon closed his eyes, accepting his fate. He felt like he was falling forever, but then something changed. Suddenly, he no longer felt the rush of wind around him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, expecting to see the ground rushing up to meet him. Instead, he was standing back on the terrace.

"What… what just happened?" YuWon muttered, pinching himself to see if it was a dream. But it wasn't.

He looked around in confusion and noticed the campus's big clock. It was five minutes before the bell rang. It was difficult to believe, but he had somehow gone back in time.

The familiar screen reappeared before him, congratulating him.

[Congratulations on selecting the <Revenant> class.]

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