Chapter Text
They say that the existence of a child can change a person.
They say. It was an otherworldly experience, a moment of realization that you now have another person being a part of your life, and you're willing to love and cherish them unconditionally.
That exact experience was currently happening to Vicross Molran, who's on his way back from the market.
A bag full of groceries was forgotten as he approached a corner of the alleyway which was filled with the stench of alcohol and vomits. The alleyway, which he used to ignore, felt rather strange, and Vicross thought he was even stranger.
Even with the mud staining his leather shoes and the acrid scents assaulting his nostrils, his gaze remained fixed on a certain cardboard.
[Good baby's home.]
Beyond the hustle and bustle of the world, the words written clumsily on the torn cardboard were imprinted in bold to Vicross.
It broke something in his heart.
He struggled to suppress a frown, and he barely managed to restrain himself from running his way to his destination.
At the same time, his mind was filled with anticipation and wonder.
Both for the better and the worse.
There were multiple black spots on the cardboard, it appears that something charred was repeatedly gracing its surface.
'No, it wasn't something.'
Vicross corrected his mind internally.
It was someone.
Tap.
As his steps took a halt right in front of the cardboard, Vicross crouched down, his eyes trembled as the figure he'd only seen a glimpse of before was now laid bare to his face.
The sight of a child no older than three years old curled up inside was haunting him.
The child was small, much smaller for his age. The rag cloth he wore was burnt in various places and Vicross swore the skin underneath was almost entirely concealed in black.
"...."
Distinctly, a mirage of his childhood flashed through his mind.
The first day on the run was the day his family was slaughtered. Once upon a time, Vicross' clothes were also burned, his skin was also black from the repeated exposure to the charred fabric, and he was also struggling to find a place to rest and sleep at night.
'But never alone.'
His father had made sure to give no chance for loneliness to creep its way into his mind.
What if he was alone, though?
If he had been alone, would he die at the first step he took to run away?
If he had managed to survive even all alone, would his fate be the same as this child, curled up inside a torn cardboard hidden from the scorching heat of the day, praying for a better life?
Vicross had no way to answer those questions.
Because his father made sure he wouldn't ever come to know the answer.
However, what guarantee did this child have to ensure he remained blissfully oblivious?
Nothing.
Vicross took a deep breath once his thought reached this far.
At that time, as the typically calm young Molran lost his composure, the child stirred awake from his slumber.
Then, a pair of dark, golden eyes finally met with browns.
"....."
Vicross wished to protect the child.
::
::
::
Contradicting Vicross' train of thought, the child did have a guarantee to ensure he remained blissfully unaware.
Because the child just happened to be there at the exact time Vicross Morlan made his way to Super Rock Villa.
In other words, the three-year-old child had just 'born' at that time.
Not that this knowledge ever came to the surface later on, so let's slide things aside for now.
"....."
Anyway, Park Moondae was momentarily stunned and had no idea how on earth he was supposed to react.
What reaction should he have?
How should he react to the fact the world had gone bigger than the last time he remembered, and everything in the said world was completely foreign?
Was he even in Korea right now?
Fuck.
Wasn't he just got a fragment of the car pierced his chest a moment before?
They said people who wake up from a coma usually have problems with their memories.
Don't tell him it was because of how outrageously random the dream they're experiencing.
The reality was distorted. And now Park Moondae was trapped in a strange sense of alienation.
He kept his silence and stayed still when an unfamiliar face was staring at him intently like a hawk the moment he opened his eyes, but in all honesty, Park Moondae had been on the edge.
'... Please say something, sir.'
Please at least say something so he can be sure that he hasn't gone mad yet.
The whole situation was starting to creep him out.
Vaguely, as he maintained eye contact with the strange man, Park Moondae began to inspect his current state.
… First of all.
He was small.
So small.
He can see the surface of cardboard in his peripheral vision, he must be small enough for it to be spacious.
'A child, then.'
Huh. How strange.
The sensation he felt at the moment was similar to when he experienced the 'Truth Verification', but at the same time, it was too vivid for it to be a simple 'observation'.
'Was it similar to the first verification?'
This certainly was the point of view of a first-person.
Though, he had no reason to see a memory from someone who didn't even exist in his world(?), now does he?
He was half right.
The moment he blinks the eyes which still feel as though it wasn't his, a status window obstructs his vision.
[Name: Park Moondae (Ryu Gunwoo)]
[–Enjoy your daydream:)–]
… Daydream?
Right … this, this wasn't 'Truth Verification' in the first place.
What was the cause of this phenomenon…?
Park Moondae then recalled the existence of the 'Coin' he took as mission compensation instead of another 'Truth'.
It was the compensation he took to evade the risk of another mental-damaging truth, especially so since he couldn't afford to be psychologically affected when the group's schedule was in its earnest.
It had been some time before the car accident happened, but until now, he didn't see any particular use this 'Coin' had possessed.
'Then.'
Would it be possible for it to act as some kind of 'extra life'?
Then it would make sense for this daydream to be something he must gone through to wake up.
Reaching this conclusion, Park Moondae started by checking his motor skills.
That was.
'Right! Stranger's danger, you fool!'
Trying to evade the strange man's right hand who slowly reached out to him.
"Ah!"
A childish voice erupted from his mouth.
The body was moving clumsily and instead of leaning away, it went all the way to the other side of the cardboard, prompting him to stumble and fall, causing the cardboard to flip over along the way.
Splash–!
"...!"
Cold. Sticky.
Furthermore, the stench assaulted his nostrils mercilessly and he needed to struggle not to vomit.
Park Moondae immediately moved the body frantically to stay far, far, far away from the disgusting puddle he had just fallen into while taking extra caution to avoid the strange man at the same time.
"... Howwy shit."
((tl: "... Holy shit."))
With his body leaning heavily on the wall, both hands spread around as though to ensure the wall behind him was sturdy, his chest was moving up and down in panic as he tried to catch some breath.
His eyes were chaotic when his brain fully processed the event that had just taken place.
He didn't even realize the first words he said upon waking up were swear words.
"....."
The man across from him only stayed silent, his hand still hanging in the air, as though he didn't believe Park Moondae had just deliberately evaded (and swore at) him.
But he couldn't care less.
'It's cold.'
His body was trembling from the coldness of the water, it was a straight contrast to the searing heat he vaguely felt beyond the alleyway.
How could this be possible, anyway?
Just what kind of place did he find himself estranged into?
"... I mean no harm."
Then, the strange man, who was stunned, finally opened his mouth after a brief period of silence, his baritone voice echoes loudly in the dim corner of the alleyway where they're located.
"Yo-u ca't twust the wolds ofp a stwangerl."
((tl: "You can't trust the words of a stranger."))
"....."
So what? Bastard.
In the first place, he should've said something instead of watching Park Moondae creepily without a word.
If he had just been any child, he would've long since crying or even run away.
The man seems lost, as though he struggles to form a reply.
The sight of it was strange in his eyes, it's especially so since his stature somewhat reminded him of Keun Sejin.
It somewhat irked him.
And that's why.
Although some people were shit with children, cuteness always has the biggest potential to be the ultimate weapon. He should at least give a little mercy to the man who admirably didn't force his way to catch(?) him.
(It was sarcasm, by the way. Not that he cares.)
'I'm a child, after all.'
Thinking so, Park Moondae opened his mouth once more, "Big maen shyuld hav mannerls."
((tl: "Big men should have manners."))
That's right. He knows so well how humiliating it was to be taught by a literal child, so he might as well use it for revenge.
'It's surprisingly convenient.'
His pronunciation was shit, to the point where he can't even understand what he was saying if he didn't concentrate hard enough, but he's a child, so it doesn't matter.
Also.
He hadn't noticed it since the conversation was nonexistent, but he was able to easily understand and master a foreign language which he never initially heard.
Why?
'Dammit. Let's just say it was the system's work and move on.'
"Achoo!"
This whole charade was too much for a child's body.
Please give him some mercy.
He faintly saw the way the strange man rushed to his side when the world tilted from its axis.
'Whatever.'
Park Moondae decided it was a headache for the future to deal with.
Like that, he lost consciousness on the first day of daydream.