Chapter Text
There was a world where desire reigned absolute.
A world carved by longing, scorched by ambition, and drowned in the echoes of those who wanted too much. In that world, every wish cut deeper than a blade. Every victory demanded something precious. Every dream risked becoming a curse....
And at the center of the final battlefield stood a lone figure, facing the towering embodiment of desire itself.
Silence first.
Then- A heartbeat, followed by a clash of light and somewhere beyond that digital war...
fingers tightened on a controller. They trembled- not from fear, but from raw anticipation.
From the electric thrill of nearing the end. The screen's glow illuminated the mysterious player's face.
Black hair falling messily around slightly chubby cheeks and the eyes had the starry night in it but in the moment, it was heavy with exhaustion yet locked onto the screen with a hunger matching the game's protagonist.
Those eyes had clearly been awake for far too long.
Clear signs.
Red at the corners, half-lidded.
Tired as fuck.
But absorbed. Consumed. Breathing in sync with the final battle unfolding before them.
In that dim room, framed by the light of the monitor and the shadows of another sleepless night...
A girl.
A girl that stayed up last night playing a game that lead her to a bad ending.
A girl that clearly doesn't realize that she has a test today and she only has an hour to get ready.
A girl that didn't notice a shadow looming over her figure- the shadow exerting authority quietly stayed.
"Choi Yeonbok."
The girl- Yeonbok flinched as uncomfortable silence infiltrated her room.
She recognizes that voice. She recognizes it very well and judging by the tone- she is cooked.
Yeonbok turns slightly, fingers that tightly clenched the controller loosened as she trembled slightly.
She made eye contact.
A tiny gap in between closed curtains shone light onto the shadow's face— it was her mother.
Eye contact between the two broke as her mother let out a hefty sigh.
"You do know that you only have an hour left to shower, change into clothes, and eat breakfast?"
An exasperated voice rang through the whole room as her mother began massaging her temple.
"Yes.... I know." It was her fault. No, it was literally her fault, she isn't going to deny that fact. But—
"It's fine, I can get ready with just an hour-"
"I know! So, get your ass up from that rotting bed of yours and jump into the shower-," her mom paused for a moment and turned off the monitor and spreaded the curtains, "—I'll be waiting for you downstairs, I made Kimchi-jjigae your favorite, so come down quickly."
Yeonbok momentarily paused and processed the information but then-
Gasp!
"You made me Kimchi-jjigae today!? When did you even get the time to go shopping? Aren't you busy with your clothing business?"
A genuine question from a shocked girl that learned that her almost always busy mother made time to go shop for ingredients and cook the one dish that she loved the most.
Wow.... mom you're the best
Her mom's face soon turned into a scowl, "just- come down quickly when you're done. Do you really want to be late?"
"Of course not!"
"Good."
Her mother went down, and she sighed as she turned to her calendar.
Upon all the scribbles, drawings and sticky notes that were in the calendar, there was one that stood out.
D-day! CSAT time ^^
Surrounding it were drawings of a spiral and cute not-that-detailed drawings of cats.
Ugh... so much preparation just for today to start out like this.
She almost despaired. Almost. Because the warm feeling of water penetrating her body and reaching her soul (not literally) was so exhilarating.
Hah.... now... this is life.
She would've spent another hour doing her shower ritual but unfortunately, she cannot since she is trying to hurry.
She reluctantly stepped out the shower and dried her hair and body with a new towel.
What to wear... what to wear...
Eventually she settled with a gray hoodie and jogging pants.
The traditional "tired and i don't want to try making myself look good" kind of outfit.
But for some reason despite staying up so late, she looked like she was glowing!
THE POWER OF FACE MASKS!
She revered herself in the mirror, tracing her finger in each part of her face.
But, a shout interrupted her sweet time with herself.
"CHOI YEONBOK, I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T COME DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT NOW- I WILL COME UP AMD SKIN YOU ALIVE WITH MY KITCHEN KNIFE."
She sighed, "coming mom!"
Grabbing her small bag filled with snacks and things needed for the test, she headed down to where her parents are.
Her mom was chilling near the counter sipping tea that she made while her father was laying on the couch watching the news.
Her breakfast presented itself beautifully on the table as her eyes feast on the visuals.
"If I remember correctly.... eyes don't chew your food, right? Stop staring, sit down and eat."
She gulped nervously, "yes ma'am..."
Yeonbok slid into her seat, clasping her hands together like she was about to pray to the holy Kimchi-jjigae gods.
The first spoonful hit her tongue and- peace. Warmth. Flavor. Love.
The kind of perfect comfort that made her want to sob into the bowl. Her mom glanced over. "Slow down. You aren't filming a mukbang video."
Her dad added without looking away from the news, "Eat well so you won't faint during the exam."
"I won't faint," Yeonbok mumbled through a mouthful of tofu.
Hopefully.
The warmth settled into her stomach, grounding her entire being- she really needed this.
Eating good food with family around you. Just something normal before her entire future sat on a test paper.
Her mom poured her a cup of water. "After you finish, we'll walk you to the gate. Car broke down, seems like your good luck didn't work this time haha!"
Mom laughed as small water droplets formed in her eyes, gently wiping one off while Yeonbok froze mid-sip into the broth of the stew.
Good luck.
That word always lingered around her a little too long. But she smiled anyway. "Yeah. Sure, thanks- maybe its because i stayed up late using my luck on the game that I don't have any left to spare?"
The family laughed heartily as Yeonbok felt an uncomfortable feeling of dread creeping up her back.