Chapter 1: Stepping Out (1)
Park Min-Jun dragged himself out of his work desk and forced himself to go outside despite his splitting headache.
“Ugh...” he groaned, slowly making his way to the door, stumbling along the path. His left arm clenched tightly onto the side of his pale head, as if his skull were threatening to split open from the throbbing pain circulating his brain.
[You are experiencing “Super Strong Migraine”!]
“Damn.. must be from suddenly standing up after a long slumber,” he muttered to himself, his words slurred by the discomfort.
He reached out and twisted the gold door knob while mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. As he turned it millimeter by millimeter, his mind wandered.
‘If only I could laze around all day,’ he thought wistfully, feeling as though he had already expended fifty percent of his calories just to keep his eyes open. ‘These dreary eyes just won’t stay open.’
[You used 50% of your calories!]
“It’s for real..” he sighed, his hand still on the knob, twisting at a glacial pace. ‘If only I could do nothing. Ahhhhh.. I hate life!’ he began to sing in his mind, the melody carrying his frustration.
‘I hate working!’ he added after a brief pause, taking approximately 31.4 seconds to rest his body and brain. ‘It’s tiring to even form tho-”’
“Oppa,” a voice interrupted, and the door suddenly swung open. Min-Jun nearly jumped out of his skin.
‘Oh, it’s just you,’ he thought, rather than say.
A squeaky and irritating voice shattered his delusional world. “Oppa. Father said to-””
“Hurry up?” Min-Jun interrupted, taking a deep breath that seemed to suck in all the air in the villa.
The little girl avoided eye contact, keeping her head low. Min-Jun couldn’t help but infer from her gesture that she hated him, though her fidgeting and forced smile belied her true feelings.
He released the breath he had been holding. “Fine.”
Mi-Cha nodded gleefully, her sudden bright beam contrasting with Min-Jun’s evident discomfort. “Be back soon, okay?”
Min-Jun raised his arm threateningly, his eyebrows furrowing in discomfort. The toddler flinched as he patted her head.
“I will, Mi-Cha,” he assured her, mustering a grin that belied his true feelings, before striding out of his room for the first time in two years.
As Min-Jun made his way towards the hallway’s exit, he felt a sour taste erupting from his throat. He hurriedly covered his lips as it enveloped his mouth.
“Blegh!”
The cringe was too strong.
...
Meanwhile, as Mi-Cha walked in the opposite direction of Min-Jun, she suddenly felt the urge to vomit. Her face turned sour, and her mood plummeted.
“Blegh!”
The cringe here was also too strong.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
*
Today marked Min-Jun's seventeenth birthday.
In the nation of Vervillia, when a boy reached sixteen years old, he was required to undergo the final magic ranking test at the Royal Palace. This rank could determine his status in society, though wits and physical strength could also compensate for any deficiencies in magical prowess.
Having missed the fifteenth and sixteenth birthday tests, Min-Jun found himself compelled to undertake all three examinations this year, including the strength test. The government believed it necessary to assess the strengths of Vervillia’s citizens to assign suitable jobs or statuses.
Royal and National Academies were established to nurture the talented and skilled, though Min-Jun had spent two years skipping classes. Despite his expectations of expulsion, the academy had allowed him to continue his education, much to his chagrin.
Sighing, Min-Jun combed his jet-black hair back with his hands, bracing himself for the sun's warmth as he stepped outside. The maids opened the front door for him, and he reluctantly made his way into the sunlight.
‘I'm tired,’ he thought, his newly formed laziness popping as soon as he saw a familiar figure dashing towards him.
"Ah!! My son!" the figure exclaimed.
“Ah!! My father!” Min-Jun mimicked, though his enthusiasm was lacking.
His father enveloped him in a tight embrace, soaking his shirt with snot and tears. “You’re finally going to touch grass! You’re finally feeling the sun! Thank the heavens!”
A pang of regret washed over Min-Jun. His father, Park Cordelia, wasn't a terrible man, but he had left them in dire financial straits once again. Too lenient and kind to properly manage finances, he had agreed with the Royal Palace to send Min-Jun back to the academy, unwilling to shoulder the burden of another mouth to feed.
But as Min-Jun pondered the situation further, a darker realization dawned on him. He felt like an extra in the family, posing no real contribution and thus seen as a useless burden.
‘Aghh, my brain hurts just thinking about this stuff.’
[Reminder! You are "Lazy as Fuck”!]
‘Shut up.’
[Reminder! You are ...]
‘I know that! Damn!’
His father’s demeanor suddenly turned serious. “Anyway, you know you’re being sent back to the academy, right? Make me proud again, son.”
A bitter smile tugged at Min-Jun's lips. His father had never truly been proud of him; “again” was a lie to motivate him, and Min-Jun knew it. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of motivation at the thought.
“The academy is a battleground of power and influence. Spread the great Park family name around,” his father continued, pressing his hands firmly on Min-Jun's shoulders.
Min-Jun winced inwardly at the mention of their "great family name." Despite their purported greatness, they couldn’t even clear their debt, which had accumulated over four long years.
“Yes, father. I will do my best!” Min-Jun forced a grin, though his heart wasn’t in it. “By the way, how’s our debt?”
“It increased by 75%. We’re now 15,346,400 gold coins in debt.”
A surge of pain ripped through Min-Jun's head, feeling like a dragon attacking his brain.
“Fuck...”
“Young Master! Please hurry up!” the carriage driver called out.
‘Oh. I forgot about him. I’ve kept him waiting for far too long.’ Min-Jun stared blankly at the sky. ‘... Well, I guess I have no other choice.’
Taking his time, Min-Jun made his way to the carriage, dragging his feet as if each step were an insurmountable obstacle. The sun was draining all of his energy, and his cells were working overtime to adjust to its warmth. After all, he had spent the last two years shut away in his room, living like a degenerate prince.
[You have “Vitamin Deficiency”!]
[You have “Super Strong Migraine”!]
[You are in dire need of “Vitamin D”!]
‘Thanks, I didn’t know.’
As he reached the carriage door, all the energy drained from his legs, and the strength to keep his eyes open dissipated.
[You have “Low Blood Pressure”!]
...
“Young Master!”
“Sigh.. just throw him in the carriage.”
Was that his father?
“Heave-ho!”
'Well, shit. Whatever.’
[You have fainted!]