A TRANSMIGRATOR.
Someone whose soul awakens inside someone else's body.
***
Ah-In kicked off her designer heels with zero decorum, flinging her bucket hat onto his coffee table before rudely flopping onto Hanseong's sofa.
"Get me water," she demanded, sinking into the cushions like she owned the place. "I had to dodge three paparazzi teams on my way here."
Hanseong scoffed, but walked over to the kitchen counter anyway, grabbing a glass from the cupboard.
Looking at her sprawled across his couch in an oversized hoodie, it was hard to believe she was one of the nation's biggest celebrities.
Six years ago, when she first transmigrated into this world, she had woken up in the body of Yoon Ah-In—a famous, B-list K-pop idol whose career was actively dying because of her notoriously blunt mouth. Industry insiders hated her. Netizens dragged her daily for being 'annoying' and 'filterless.'
Turns out, Yoon Ah-In's "blunt personality" had nothing to do with bad manners.
She'd simply awakened inside a BL manhwa and had zero patience for its absurd clichés.
And Hanseong had been her very first target.
He still vividly remembered the day a tearful, frantic B-list idol had cornered him in a high school hallway, grabbed him by the shoulders, and yelled: "Hi! I'm a transmigrator, and you're going to get flattened by an S-Class monster in six years if you don't break up with your boyfriend!"
Naturally, he'd thought she was an escaped mental patient. But then her wild predictions started coming true. Dungeon breaks happened exactly where she said they would. Unawakened civilians awakened on the exact dates she wrote down.
Eventually, her 'bluntness' turned into an iconically unfiltered personality that shot her to global stardom—before she abruptly announced a 3-year hiatus to lock herself indoors for whatever reason.
Hanseong walked back into the living room, setting the glass of water on the table with a soft clink.
"So," Hanseong said, folding his arms. "You came all the way here in disguise just to strangle me and scream about the plot?"
Ah-In took a heavy gulp of water, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and narrowed her eyes at him.
"I came here because I was worried about you," she said, deadpan.
Then her eyes landed on his swollen, puffy face. "You cried?"
"No..."
A soft clatter echoed from the hallway outside the front door. Hanseong stiffened, turning his head, while Ah-In's face slowly lit up with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, right. I brought Jae-won, if you don't mind..."
A tall, stoic young man cautiously peeked around the doorframe.
Dressed in a sharp black suit, Jae-won quietly slipped off his shoes before stepping inside, six packs of ramen tucked beneath one arm.
He offered a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"Hanseong-hyung."
Jae-won was Ah-In's C-Class Esper bodyguard and the youngest member of their little trio, three years younger than both of them.
Hanseong pinched the bridge of his nose. Couldn't he just be depressed in peace?
Jae-won slowly studied his expression, then he sighed as if pitying Hanseong. "Ah-In nonna was right. You do need emotional support..."
He stepped into the kitchen like it was most normal thing to do.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"How many times do we have to repeat ourselves?" Ah-In yawned.
Hanseong flopped onto the wooden floor and sighed. He stared at his annoying celebrity bestfriend and her C-Class Esper bodyguard who was currently busy cooking ramen in his kitchen.
Everyone was just bent on interrupting his peace.
Jae-won finished placing the steaming bowls on the low table. Ah-In readied her chopsticks as Jae-won sat beside her. Hanseong just sat there, eyeing the ramen like it had personally insulted him.
"Hyung."
"Hm?"
"Why do you look like someone who's about to die?" Jae-won asked, taking a bite of ramen.
Hanseong stared at him for a long moment. Then, a faint, exhausted smile touched his lips.
"Funny you should mention that..."
***
"YOUR SYSTEM GAVE YOU WHAT?!" Ah-In and Jae-won exclaimed in unison, nearly choking on their noodles.
[I don't like Host exposing me. You're making me seem like a villain.]
'You are a villain!'
[I am not.]
Ah-In slammed her hand on the table. "I told you to just be a good little cannon fodder!"
"I did!" Hanseong shot to his feet.
"I let Min-Jae go!"
"I didn't become a villain!"
He jabbed a finger toward the empty air.
"Then this stupid thing shows up and tells me to guide Lee Taehyun!"
"HOW IS THAT MY FAULT?!"
Jae-won slowly set down his chopsticks and so did Ah-In.
"Hanseong-ah... I'm sorry." Ah-In said softly. "But how exactly does your System expect you to guide an X-Class Esper to sanity?"
"Exactly" Jae-won added.
Hanseong gripped his hair. "I don't know."
Jae-won turned to Ah-In. "Didn't you say the main characters of this world are Guide Seo-yeon and Esper Kai?"
Ah-In frowned. "That's true..." Then she shook her head. The main characters she read about were definitely the cold, natural S-Class Esper with an ice affinity and his little ray-of-sunshine Guide.
She remembered side characters too.
Cannon fodders like Hanseong.
But every year since awakening in this world, more of the story slipped through her fingers.
Major events.
Character arcs.
Even entire conversations faded into blank spaces.
It was as though something was deliberately preventing her from remembering.
Ah-In also got on her feet. She cleared her throat and paced around the room.
"You" She suddenly pointed at Hanseong.
"Are just a mere plot device for the progression of Min-Jae and Yi-Hyun's relationship."
"Noona... That's not nice." Jae-won whispered but she silenced him with her finger on his lips.
"You were supposed to die in episode... ten. But you got crushed by an S-Class monster."
Hanseong facepalmed. "This solves my predicament how?..."
"Right..."
Jae-won sighed. "How much have you forgotten this time, Nonna?"
Ah-In's expression flickered. "I don't know... But it feels like the story is changing."
Jae-won spoke quietly.
"If the original story is changing... then maybe the mission isn't random. Maybe Hanseong-hyung is supposed to guide Taehyun because the plot needs him to."
Ah-In's eyes widened. "That's... actually a good point."
Hanseong blinked. "A very good one."
A small blush crept onto Jae-won's cheeks. "It's just a speculation."
Ah-In ruffled his hair playfully. "But why Hanseong?..." She muttered.
Then her eyes suddenly widened. She charged at Hanseong grabbing him by the collar.
"You awakened two months ago... Right?",
Hanseong nodded. Then Ah-In turned to Jae-won.
"How does your system usually interact or give you missions or whatever."
"My System doesn't talk much, and it doesn't give me random missions unless a Gate within my rank appears nearby." Jae-won said as he scratched his cheek.
"Does it give you any penalties if you fail?"
Jae-won shook his head.
"That's weird."
"And this is the first mission your System is giving you since your awakening right?" She asked as she released Hanseong's collar.
"Yes..."
"Well, I think your system is possessed Hanseong-ah." Ah-In concluded. While Hanseong groaned.
He thought she was actually onto something.
"Maybe your system is just toying with you. I'm pretty sure that even A-Class Guides don't receive these types of missions."
"It's not toying with me." Hanseong said through gritted teeth.
"Or maybe hyung has like a secret power?" Jae-won's eyes suddenly shone. Ah-In nodded.
"I don't think so, Jae-won-ah." Hanseong replied sighing.
"Then... Your System really hates you." Jae-won mumbled.
"Okay, let's stop thinking about all of that." Ah-In put on a serious expression.
"How is a D-Class Guide going to get into a well-reinforced facility? How is he even going to get in range of an X-Class Esper?!"
"We're talking about Lee Taehyun here. The Lee Taehyun."
"How nice to you to ask, Ah-In-ah." Hanseong smiled.
"Perhaps we should call—"
"Nope, absolutely not" Hanseong abruptly cut Jae-won off.
Ah-In frowned. "That's the solution to your problem Hanseong, you have to call them." She stated firmly.
"I still have forty days to live. I can figure it out, I'm not calling them and neither should you guys."
Ah-In raised her hands in defense. "Okay..."
"G-guys..." Jae-won stuttered. Then he pointed his phone at Ah-In.
Ah-In took the phone from him and her eyes widened.
"What?"
Ah-In slowly showed Hanseong the phone.
BREAKING NEWS: Esper Lee Taehyun has just been moved to a confinement area near Gwang-Hyundo district.
Hanseong's mouth suddenly gaped open.
The walking Time bomb had just been brought to his neighbourhood?! For what reason?!
[DING!]
[Mission Updated!]
[OBJECTIVE: Guide Esper Lee Taehyun back to Sanity.]
[TIME LIMIT: 7 Days.]
[REWARD: ???]
[PENALTY: Death.]