August 2020.
Hyunsoo is 17 again.
‘This feels so unfamiliar.’
Anyone who has experienced regression would understand.
Waking up 30 years younger overnight, even if it’s your own body, it feels as if you’ve entered someone else’s body altogether.
Especially for Hyunsoo, who had lived in the darkness of complete paralysis without any sensation, regaining the vigorous (?) body of a 17-year-old made the difference even more significant.
‘Humans do adapt, after all.’
Despite that, Hyunsoo quickly adapted.
First, he did all the things he couldn’t do due to physical limitations.
“Son! Lift the seat when you pee!”
“Yes!”
Going to the bathroom without anyone’s help.
“Son! Time to eat.”
“What? There’s no meat… Ouch!”
“Complaining about side dishes? Maybe going hungry for three days will fix that habit?”
“Wow, this is like a king’s feast. I am deeply honored.”
Feeding himself with his own hands.
“Why have you been exercising so much lately? Are you thinking of joining a sports team?”
He exercised every day until he was drenched in sweat.
It felt like he was letting go of all the regrets from his past.
“Oh? What are you doing, so embarrassing?”
“Hahaha. But it doesn’t feel bad.”
And Hyunsoo made sure to hug his parents once a day.
‘Thank you.’
They were the ones who devotedly took care of their unworthy son who was nearing fifty.
Their sincere wish was to die a day later than their son.
‘Thank you.’
Every night, Hyunsoo wept with gratitude for being able to return to the past.
His parents’ eyes no longer held sadness.
The normal family life he had longed for.
If there was one thing he regretted…
‘No matter how much I search my phone, there’s no girl’s number.’
He had something he wanted to do once he regained his health…
Since he had lived as a bachelor until his last day, it was no different at 17.
“Sigh.”
As of this moment, Hyunsoo’s family had immigrated to the United States about a year ago.
‘Back then, I was excited thinking I was just going to study abroad, but now looking back, my parents made a huge sacrifice.’
Hyunsoo was a versatile student who excelled in both academics and sports, and had a knack for many things from a young age.
Until elementary school, he attended various academies and showcased his talents, but as he progressed in his education, he had to choose and focus more.
-Your child is very bright. How about preparing him for competitions through rigorous study?
Hyunsoo, who enjoyed studying, stood out in international competitions and was set to enter the prestigious Minsago.
Then, a connection with a sponsor opened up a great opportunity in the United States.
-There is a high school among the American upper class that is most popular. Although it’s public, the school district has the most expensive real estate in the world, so each student comes from a wealthy family, and among them, the top 1% are called ‘elites’ and receive the best individualized curriculum. They don’t have to give up either academics or arts and sports.
A scholarship admission offer to Johannes High School.
‘Though I had to drop out after the accident, it was a really good school.’
It had a large student body, making high school sports active, and maintained the highest level of education quality in the world.
This was possible due to the astronomical donations it received, even more than prestigious universities.
-Son, Minsago is a good choice, but this study abroad offer in the U.S. seems more suitable for you. Various experiences at a young age will be a great asset in life. Think carefully and decide; I will support any choice you make.
At the time, South Korea had a clear distinction between arts and sports and academics… Johannes boasted a balanced education system of world-class standards in all fields.
Naturally, Hyunsoo, already excited about the possibility of studying abroad, chose to attend Johannes High School, and his family prepared to immigrate.
‘Didn’t you say that family should live together?’
Hyunsoo could have gone abroad alone, but due to his father’s strong will, the family immigrated together.
His father gave up an executive position at a significant company and used his savings for the immigration settlement fund.
‘I heard it was expensive, but I didn’t know it would be this costly.’
At 17, he lacked an understanding of economics, but now he saw that Silicon Valley was just as expensive in the past and future.
In the U.S., the basic housing unit is a house. Even to a family accustomed to apartments, a small and old house cost 2 billion won.
Additionally, fixed expenses like health insurance, car insurance, utility bills, and various living costs were among the highest in the world.
‘My parents gave up everything for my education.’
Having lived almost to his parents’ age, Hyunsoo understood the weight of their decision.
Immigrating to the U.S. in their 50s, where both language and culture were entirely different? Giving up a comfortable middle-upper-class life in Korea?
His father saw potential in a business venture with some partners, but it all stopped when Hyunsoo had an accident.
His father had to urgently buy a failing laundromat, as he needed the safest way to earn money immediately.
Fortunately, the laundromat, which adopted Korean service systems, did well, but with the steep medical bills, his father worked tirelessly, even on weekends.
Later, when Hyunsoo’s company was established, he barely saw his father. After that, Hyunsoo was too busy to spend time with his family.
‘What was I in such a hurry for?’
He always felt grateful but realized he was poor at expressing it.
He whipped himself, saying he needed to get better for his family, but had he missed out on something more important?
‘This second life that came like a miracle. This time must be different.’
For weeks, Hyunsoo reflected on his past and deeply thought about how to live moving forward.
If the future unfolded as he remembered, money wouldn’t be a concern.
If he wanted, he was confident he could become one of the world’s top billionaires again.
He even made a brief plan… but the biggest problem was that his heart wasn’t in it.
Although he had previously accumulated a fortune in the tens of trillions and earned global fame with a Nobel Prize,
all those achievements evaporated with his regression… he didn’t feel an ounce of regret.
In fact, he was happier now.
He had regained his healthy body and reclaimed lost time.
-If I hadn’t had that accident, what kind of life would I have lived?
It was a question that tormented him all his life.
Ironically, a nightmare for Hyunsoo was dreaming that his body was fine. It was such a happy dream that he didn’t want to wake up. But why was it a nightmare?
No matter how vivid the dream, the moment of waking would come. The weight of the emptiness he felt then was enough to cause a mental breakdown.
Reality was a mess. No matter how much money or fame he gained… he wasn’t free in his body.
‘Let’s forget the past now.’
Although Hyunsoo’s contemplation was long, the conclusion was simple.
-Let’s live an ordinary life now.
Become a good son to his parents and take better care of himself.
Attend school like an average 17-year-old and try dating once.
What do I like, and what am I good at?
Instead of living a life driven by something as in the past, let’s go with the natural flow this time.
‘Don’t I deserve that now?’
A normal and mundane life.
Hyunsoo decided to use this opportunity to overwrite the painful memories from his accident.
“Huh?”
Jessi, with her doll-like stunning looks, sighed while looking at her iPad.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have more students to mentor. My schedule for this semester is already hell!”
A student profile popped up on Jessi’s screen.
Kyle, lying on the bed playing games, glanced at it briefly and lost interest immediately.
“An Asian, huh.”
“That’s all you have to say? He was almost demoted from being a scholarship student last year.”
“Haha, really? You’re stepping on crap from the start of your term as student president.”
Only then did he show some interest and added,
“Didn’t you almost lose your GPA because your mentee screwed up last time?”
“Crap! All you think about is crap? Ugh, why does our school even evaluate leadership and torture people?”
“What kind of guy is he this time?”
“A typical Asian exchange student. A bookworm who has only studied all his life. His pronunciation is poor, and his conversation skills are a mess. No matter how good he is in math or science, he barely avoids failing in presentations and discussions, according to the red notes.”
“Ah, Hyun, was it? I remember. He’s a sophomore, right? I think he was the laughingstock during PE because he wasn’t athletic.”
They scrutinized Hyunsoo’s photo.
“He looks fine, so why did he come to the U.S.? He must be a top student back in his country to get a scholarship, but why go through the trouble?”
“So, what’s your role?”
“That’s the most annoying part. First, improve his English skills. Last year, as a freshman and first year in the U.S., they let it slide, but if he doesn’t show scholarship-level skills this year, he will be demoted. In the worst case, expelled.”
“Haha, if that happens, your leadership GPA will drop.”
“Shut up. The second condition is worse. He has to join a sports team, any sport. Are they crazy?”
“A sports team? With an Asian physique? Puhahaha.”
Kyle rolled on the bed, laughing.
“You’re laughing? You find this funny?”
“Wouldn’t you laugh if you were me? This is practically an assassination attempt. You won’t graduate with a perfect GPA either.”
“Ugh, this is infuriating.”
Jessi ruffled her blonde hair in frustration. Kyle wiped his tears and tried to hold back his laughter.
“Don’t worry too much. They didn’t say he has to be a starter. He’s not short for an Asian, so a little basic training should get him into an unpopular sport. If it doesn’t work, send him to our football team. We’re always short on ball boys.”
“I don’t have time for that. I don’t have time to help him with English, let alone physical training. Can’t they cut a senior some slack? Dumping such a bomb on me.”
She continued to complain, with Kyle teasing her appropriately, and they bickered for a while.
“Who knows? Maybe he worked hard over the summer and is now proficient in English and good at sports. Don’t worry ahead of time.”
“…You deserve a beating.”
Jessi couldn’t hold back and gave Kyle a thorough beating for spouting such clichéd nonsense.
Jessi suffered from nightmares until the first day of the new semester. Her chronic perfectionism was to blame.
It was a driving force that enabled her to accomplish anything, but it also made her want to die rather than face failure.
-Jessi, failure is just a process in life. What matters is how you get back up after experiencing failure. It’s about not giving up until you succeed. There’s no need to enjoy failure, but there’s no need to fear it either.
Recalling her father’s words, she calmed herself, but her mood didn’t improve.
‘No matter how many times I experience it, it never gets easier… this dirty feeling.’
With a heavy heart, she had her first mentor meeting with her assigned student.
“Hyun? I’m Jessi.”
Her first impression of Hyunsoo was good.
‘He looks better than I thought.’
He looked better in person than in his photo. His features were very attractive, and his overall appearance was masculine. He was 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm), quite tall for an Asian.
‘Surprisingly confident and seems self-assured.’
She planned to start by casually testing Hyunsoo’s English.
Although she had read his profile, she needed to personally assess how subpar his English was.
But something very strange happened.
“We’re speaking for the first time, right? I was so busy last year…”
Jessi casually started the conversation, but Hyunsoo, upon seeing her, asked with a suspicious look,
“Jessi L. Goldstein, Vice President?”
Receiving Jessi’s puzzled look, Hyunsoo awkwardly smiled.
“Oh, sorry, sorry. My English is a bit weak because I’m a foreigner. You’re not the Vice President; you’re the Student President, right?”
“…”
Despite his mistake, his explanation in English was too fluent. Jessi, now even more suspicious, glared at Hyunsoo.
“But how did you know my middle name? I never disclosed it to anyone. Have you been stalking me?”
“Ah?”
The current student president and future Vice President of the United States, Jessi Goldstein. Their second (?) first meeting seemed to start off on the wrong foot.
After regressing, Hyunsoo noticed several strange things.
Of course, the premise of having regressed was already an issue, but… he seemed to have gained an extraordinary memory.
‘I was really taken aback.’
Humans are creatures of forgetfulness. If it’s not a frequent memory, even yesterday’s events can be hard to recall.
But having regressed 30 years, Hyunsoo could recall exactly where his current house was. He could navigate complex routes accurately without using any apps.
Besides that, he remembered his phone’s password from 2020, what he did yesterday, and the exact conversations he had with his parents, down to the last word.
No, saying he remembered is incorrect—he knew. He didn’t need to search his memory; the information naturally came to him.
‘Is this even possible?’
At first, he thought that his 17-year-old body had naturally recovered the memories from that time.
But after meeting Jessi Goldstein again, he became more certain.
‘Born on July 7, 2004. She has a twin brother, graduated top of her class from Johannes High School in 2022, went to Stanford, entered politics, and eventually became Vice President of the United States… she was one of the angel investors who first invested in our company.’
Seeing her, all their future conversations? No, all their future interactions came to mind. He remembered every step she would take, and at what time and date those would happen.
‘Is this what perfect memory is?’
Even Hyunsoo was surprised and instinctively called her by her future title, Vice President. Fortunately, the term ‘Vice President’ also commonly means vice chairperson, so he wasn’t treated as a complete weirdo.
“Your middle name? It was in the school magazine. I read a brief Q&A interview with you in a column there.”
This time, he didn’t make a mistake.
‘October 2019 issue. Colin asked Jessi about her middle name after reading the interview. She just replied with the initial L because she didn’t want to reveal it. It was exactly on the 3rd page, bottom right section.’
Perfect memory that automatically brought up related information.
Jessi just nodded quietly.
“Your English is pretty good.”
For some reason, she seemed particularly interested in Hyunsoo’s English skills.
“Shall we head to the testing center now? You know you have to take a level test on the first day, right?”
