Where I Wake Up Instead

I-seo considered grabbing another cookie but soon set down the one he had picked up. Perhaps because he had no appetite, the thought of eating simply didn’t appeal to him. Just as he decided to buy something simple on his way home, someone entered the breakroom.

“Oh? I-seo? Weren’t you on sick leave today?”

It was Alex.

“I was, but something urgent came up, so I stopped by for a moment.”

“Well, if it were a situation where you could have asked someone else for a favor… you wouldn’t have come,” Alex said with an awkward laugh.

“I should head back now.”

As I-seo finished the conversation and stepped out, a folder on Natalie’s desk caught his eye. It was a folder he recognized instantly.

“Oh, my god.”

Approaching the desk to check, I-seo covered his mouth. It was exactly what he thought—the materials prepared for the new product launch.

It was an essential document for today’s presentation. To have left something this important behind… it wasn’t like Natalie. It seemed she had been quite frantic trying to fill the hole left by I-seo’s absence yesterday and today.

Without hesitation, I-seo called Natalie.

“Natalie?”

I-seo? How are you feeling? Are you any better?

“I’m alright. But Natalie, have you checked the documents regarding the new product specs?”

The documents? Hold on… Oh, no. Good lord. I left them behind.

“I happen to be at the office right now. I’ll bring them to you immediately. Can you wait for me outside the venue?”

Oh, heavens… I guess God hasn’t abandoned me yet. Alright. Thank you, I-seo. Thank you so much.

Checking the time after the call, he saw the presentation hadn’t started yet. If he hurried now, he could make it in time. I-seo grabbed the documents and jumped into a taxi without a second thought. It was a mode of transport he usually avoided to save money, but now, he had no choice.

He had been in no condition to even walk to the venue, yet here he was. Was this the so-called “force of the original script”? It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel a flicker of expectation even now.

But the situation didn’t flow so smoothly. To make matters worse, a traffic accident had caused a massive gridlock. Fretting inside the car, I-seo checked the distance—about 3km left to the venue—and hopped out of the taxi to run.

It was a distance he could usually jog with ease, but in a physical state that couldn’t be called “usual” even as a joke, it was grueling. His fever hadn’t spiked yet, but his body felt like lead, as if he were sinking into the pavement. One chocolate cookie was clearly not enough fuel; the stomach pain was becoming severe.

Clutching his abdomen with one hand, I-seo ran frantically until he finally collided with someone on the street.

“Ah…! Oh. I’m so sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine. It’s my fault for looking at my phone.”

Relieved by the answer, I-seo frantically gathered the papers scattered on the ground.

“These look important?”

The man picked up a stray sheet of paper and handed it to I-seo. Nodding, I-seo thanked him.

“Yes, they are. I’m in a bit of a hurry. Again, I’m so sorry for bumping into you. If you feel any discomfort later—”

“No, no. I’m fine, so go on ahead.”

“Thank you.”

I-seo sprinted off, clutching the documents to his chest. His breath hitched at the back of his throat, and his vision began to flicker. Above all, this damn burning in his stomach was the problem. It felt like someone was scrubbing his insides with a towel made of thorns. The sensation made him nauseous. He bit his lower lip so hard it bled.

Only when he could barely breathe did he finally reach the venue, where he saw Natalie waiting outside. Natalie, wearing heels that looked easily over 8cm, ran toward him.

“My god, I-seo! Look at all this sweat. Are you okay?”

“I’m—gasp—fine. Huff, huff. Please, take these… so you’re not late. Go, quickly.”

“Thank you. You saved my life. I’ll definitely pay you back for this.”

Watching her sprint up the stairs toward the hall, I-seo collapsed on the spot. He felt the glancing eyes of passersby. In a sea of people in suits, he must have stood out significantly in his tracksuit—especially while gasping for air on the floor.

He knew it, but he lacked the strength to move. His lungs felt like they were tearing from the heavy breathing. He figured he’d be okay if he just rested for a moment.

He had made it to the venue as the original story dictated, but apparently, just arriving was the end of it. In this state, he couldn’t even go inside. He had expected as much, but it still felt a bit hollow.

I-seo’s heart thrashed violently, exhaling ragged breaths. A freshly caught fish must feel like this, he thought dizzily, observing his own state as if he were a bystander. Only then did he realize his vision was fading.

Thump. Thump. The pulsing sound of his heartbeat told him something was wrong. At this rate, he would lose consciousness. He didn’t have enough spare cash to pay for hospital bills.

As that thought crossed his mind, the strength drained from his body, and the world was swallowed by darkness.

It was warm and cozy. The touch of the blanket was a kind of softness he had never experienced before.

“…Mnh.”

I-seo opened his heavy eyes. A strange ceiling greeted him. What is this situation? Why am I here? I-seo barely managed to recall that his last memory was in front of the product launch venue. But where on earth was this?

Looking around, I-seo’s gaze fell upon an IV drip—drip, drip—falling one drop at a time. Oh, no. Is this a hospital? I-seo immediately sat up. He couldn’t afford hospitalization fees; how much would they charge him?

Frowning, he tried to call for someone, but the place was too large to be a hospital, and it didn’t feel like a patient room. If one were to fill a hospital room with such luxury furniture, the cost would be staggering. It was also far too spacious—the bed, the room, everything. His fear regarding the bill grew.

Is there anyone to ask? Just as I-seo was about to climb out of bed, someone walked in. It was a tall, middle-aged man. He was dressed in a comfortable sweater and had a soft impression, perhaps due to his brown horn-rimmed glasses.

“Whoa, you shouldn’t get up just yet.”

“…Excuse me, where am I?”

I-seo asked the man, who had approached the bedside to check the IV. The man confirmed the drip was fine and then answered.

“This is the CEO’s private quarters. I am Kane, the personal physician to the Scott family.”

“…Pardon?”

Scott? Did he just say Scott? And the CEO’s private quarters? Wait, how is this happening?

I-seo furrowed his brows in confusion. It was exactly like the original story. He wondered if this was how he would be connected to Ethan. He felt a mix of bewilderment and a chill down his spine, wondering if the “force of the original script” was manifesting in this way.

“Um, what will the… costs be?”

“Eh? Ah, the CEO has decided to take care of that, so you don’t need to worry.”

Looking at the smiling Kane, I-seo felt a wave of relief. He had been incredibly tense at the thought of having to pay. He felt a sudden surge of gratitude toward Ethan, thinking that he was being treated kindly because he was his secretary. It felt like a reward for all his hard work at the corporation.

“How are you feeling? Does your body feel heavy or difficult to move?”

“No. I feel quite light.”

“Let’s take your temperature.”

Beep. The electronic thermometer sounded. 37.7°C (99.8°F). There was a slight fever, but compared to the day it exceeded 39°C, he felt like he could fly.

“The fever has gone down a lot, and your condition seems stable. That’s a relief.”

“Where is the CEO?”

He wanted to offer his thanks. As if his heart had reached the heavens, the door opened, and someone walked in.

Naturally assuming it was Ethan, I-seo turned his head toward the door—and froze solid.

“How is your body?”

“…….”

Without waiting for a response from the dazed I-seo, the man turned his gaze toward Kane. Kane, quickly realizing he was being asked for a report, spoke immediately.

“Ah, yes. The fever has subsided, and he has improved significantly.”

I-seo wondered if the man before him was really the person from his memories. This was not the Ethan he expected. Kane hadn’t lied. Yes, he too was a member of the Scott family and a CEO.

Alexander A. Scott. Ethan’s older brother. While Ethan handled the electronics industry, Alexander was in charge of the defense industry.

“He certainly looks much better.”

I-seo snapped out of it at those words. He realized he had been staring quite rudely. Alexander was thirty-one, two years older than Ethan, and had been mentioned in the game as a strategist no less capable than his brother.