Chapter 3
As the message about the activation of ‘Fateful Opportunity’ appeared, a new window materialized in front of me.
```
Person: [Yong Sang-jae]
Stage 1 – Hold Yong Sang-jae’s hand with both of your hands. (Incomplete)
Stage 2 – Locked
```
‘…What the hell is this?’
I frowned at the cryptic message.
Hold his hand with both of mine? What kind of nonsense is that?
“Baek Kang-hyun, are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting a bit strange.”
“Huh? Oh.”
Yong Sang-jae was looking at me with a puzzled expression.
I must’ve scrunched up my face without realizing it.
But honestly, who wouldn’t react like this after seeing a message like that?
“Baek Kang-hyun?”
He called my name again.
I might end up making him suspicious if this keeps up.
I quickly shook my head.
“No, no, it’s nothing. The guy just came at me out of nowhere, so I dealt with him, that’s all.”
“…You got hit?”
“I hit him back.”
I’m serious—I did hit him. One good smack to the back of his neck.
“You’re not exactly talented at fighting, though.”
Yeah, I was terrible at fighting back in middle school.
Now that I think about it, during those days, Yong Sang-jae would check every day to make sure I was carrying that stun gun.
Come to think of it, this guy knew the middle school version of me way too well.
“…So I zapped him with the stun gun.”
I cursed my own lack of eloquence.
How am I so bad at talking my way out of things?
But honestly, that was the only response I could come up with.
Thankfully, Yong Sang-jae didn’t press further.
He just looked at me blankly…
“Baek Kang-hyun, did your talent awaken?”
“Huh? My talent?”
And then he hits me with that out of nowhere.
I always knew this guy had zero tact, but damn.
“Why would you think that?”
“I heard that sometimes people’s personalities change when their talents awaken.”
That’s just a rumor.
In reality, it’s just that powerless people reveal their true selves once they gain power.
But I guess I can see why he’d think that, considering I never used the stun gun in the past.
‘What do I do about this? Should I tell him or not?’
I hesitated for a moment.
Should I say something, or keep it to myself?
My talent did awaken.
The talent called ‘Fateful Opportunity.’
But I still don’t know what this talent even does.
The status window even says its rank is still “under adjustment.”
‘And there’s that weird condition attached to it.’
The “action” of holding Yong Sang-jae’s hand with both of mine.
I had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
What’s going to happen if I grab his hand?
‘And how am I supposed to hold another guy’s hand like that?’
If it was just a handshake with one hand, fine, but both hands?
That’s basically telling me not to do it, right?
How am I supposed to do something that awkward?
“Baek Kang-hyun, you’ve been acting strange since earlier.”
“Huh? Oh, I was just lost in thought for a bit.”
“…Thinking?”
Even now, I was debating whether to tell Yong Sang-jae.
We’re definitely friends, after all.
But the decision came more easily than I expected.
I pulled the stun gun out of my pocket and grinned.
“Like you said, I was thinking maybe my talent will awaken soon. I mean, I’ve never used this thing before, right?”
Yeah, let’s not say anything.
I know Yong Sang-jae isn’t a bad guy, but that doesn’t mean I have to spill everything about my situation.
I’ve studied countless talents as a reporter, and even I don’t know what my own talent is—how could he possibly understand?
“It might be a sign.”
“…A sign?”
“Like I said, people sometimes change when their talents awaken.”
I told you, that’s just a rumor.
But I guess he can interpret it however he wants.
That’s kind of impressive, Yong Sang-jae.
“Yeah, it kinda feels like that…”
I gave a vague response, worried I might raise suspicion.
To be fair, Yong Sang-jae had a point—He’s not wrong though—people often show signs before awakening their talent.
“It’s getting late. Let’s go.”
“…Go where?”
“Home. Weren’t you waiting for me?”
“Huh? Oh, uh… yeah, right.”
Now that I think about it, back in the day, I used to study talent-related stuff in the school library while waiting for Yong Sang-jae to finish his classes.
I glanced down.
“…What about this guy?”
Kang Woo-hyuk was still sprawled out on the ground, unconscious.
“Leave him.”
“…Just leave him here?”
Yong Sang-jae was surprisingly blunt.
Was the Yong Sang-jae in my memories glorified as a hero on TV, or is this just his true nature?
I’m not sure.
“He’s not dead.”
“Well, yeah, he’s not dead.”
He’s an Awakened, after all.
With his endurance skill, a little zap from a stun gun isn’t going to kill him.
“He started the fight, right?”
“…Yeah, he did.”
“Then he’ll be too embarrassed to tell anyone. It’s self-defense.”
Yeah, that makes sense.
If word got out that Kang Woo-hyuk got knocked out by a “talentless” guy with a stun gun, he’d probably be too humiliated to show his face, given his personality.
‘And then there’s this guy.’
I glanced over at Yong Sang-jae.
An S-rank talent awakener, Korea’s promising Awakener, Yong Sang-jae.
I could recite his future achievements all day long.
And that guy…
“Baek Kang-hyun, don’t worry too much about Kang Woo-hyuk.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Because something like this won’t happen again.”
His words were oddly reassuring.
Looking back, he was always the one looking out for me in the past.
What was I so jealous of that I pushed him away?
‘Inferiority complex, that’s the real sin.’
In the past, my inferiority complex ruined what could’ve been a lifelong friendship with Yong Sang-jae.
But things are different now. The situation has changed.
At the very least, I won’t make the same mistakes this time.
***
Slurp!
Yong Sang-jae and I stopped by a convenience store to scarf down some instant noodles.
Thinking back, this was our routine during school days.
It was a bit past 6 p.m., the perfect time to feel peckish.
We always picked the same menu: Shin Ramyun for me, Sari Gomtang for him.
“They asked me to try Frost Release earlier. But it’s not working.”
As always when we ate noodles, Yong Sang-jae would tell me about the Awakeners he met or the training he did that day.
Being obsessed with talents, I always listened with sparkling eyes, soaking up every word.
“So, did you pull it off? The frost release thing?”
“No, not really. I can gather it in my hands and burst it, but I can’t release it from my whole body yet.”
“Sounds pretty tough.”
“It’s probably because I’m still inexperienced. They say I need to master it before entering Polygon…”
“Psh, someone like you? You’ll get it in no time.”
I’m not lying.
Yong Sang-jae ends up mastering full-body frost release by the time he takes the Polygon entrance exam.
I already know this, so I’m not worried, and it’s not exactly new information.
But man, this guy really gets talkative when he’s with me.
On TV or in public, he barely says more than two words.
That’s how he got the nickname “Frost King.”
Thinking about it now, that’s a pretty grandiose title.
“So, Sang-jae, when’s your entrance exam?”
“March 3rd, next month. Three weeks from now.”
“So, March 3rd, 2067…”
I slurped down the rest of my Shin Ramyun broth while thinking.
From talking with Yong Sang-jae, I pieced together three things:
1. I’ve somehow gone back to my third year of middle school.
2. Unlike back then, I now have a talent.
3. The Polygon entrance exam hasn’t happened yet.
What’s certain is that I have a skill called ‘Fateful Opportunity,’ even if its rank is still unclear, and I’ve definitely awakened a talent.
That means I perfectly meet the conditions to take the Polygon entrance exam.
‘Of course, I still don’t know exactly what this ‘Fateful Opportunity’ does.’
I glanced over at Yong Sang-jae.
Come to think of it, this guy probably doesn’t have a single worry in the world.
“What’s up?”
“…Nothing, just a bit jealous.”
“Jealous? Of what?”
“You’ve got an S-rank talent, so you’re probably not even worried about the entrance exam. Me… well, I still don’t have a talent.”
“…You got an S-rank aptitude result too.”
My mouth suddenly felt bitter. The ramen’s spicy, so why does it taste like this?
Yong Sang-jae was right. I did get an S-rank aptitude result.
The problem is, until I came back to this moment, that result never became reality.
“Ha, I wish I had a talent like yours, Sang-jae. I’m confident I could make good use of it.”
“You’re probably right. You’re smarter than me, so you’d handle it well. I’m still struggling with the calculations…”
“That’s because you’ve got four skills. Just make them work together like gears, and it’ll be easy.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. Plus, your ice powers are gonna look super cool.”
In the future, Yong Sang-jae’s fusion of multiple skills was a sight to behold. How many commercials did he film with those again…?
“No, having four skills makes it harder. People expect so much, and it’s tough to keep up.”
What’s that?
Is that the confidence of someone who has it all?
It kinda pisses me off. Those S-rank skills are what everyone dreams of, and this guy’s acting like it’s a burden.
Then, I remembered the message from earlier.
```
Stage 1 – Hold Yong Sang-jae’s hand with both of your hands. (Incomplete)
```
…Should I just give it a try, just in case?
Yeah, friends can hold hands, right?
Alright, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll try it.
But grabbing his hand out of nowhere feels weird, so I should say something first…
“Hey, if you’re gonna complain like that, just give them to me! I’ll put them to good use!”
I regretted it the second the words left my mouth.
Why did I have to say that?
Embarrassed, I quickly shoved more ramen into my mouth.
Saying stuff like that to a friend is kinda pathetic!
“If it were possible, I’d want to.”
“Pfft!”
I nearly spat out my ramen.
I was just joking, but he said it so seriously that it caught me off guard. And those eyes—he’s dead serious.
“Honestly, I don’t need four skills. Even two feel overwhelming. If I could give one away, that’d be great.”
What the heck? This condition might be easier to clear than I thought.
…Wait, is he actually serious? No way, right?
“…Hey, don’t joke like that. You’re gonna make me actually want it.”
“Does it sound like a joke?”
Would it sound like anything but a joke?
He looked at me with a slight smile. Hey, don’t look at me like that, I might get attached.
“I’d give it to you if I could.”
“…Seriously?”
“These skills are too much for me. And since we’re friends, it’d be pretty cool to use the same kind of magic, right?”
“…You’re not actually serious, are you?”
“I am. I don’t know about anyone else, but for you, Baek Kang-hyun, I’d give up a skill.”
A skill is just “something” to him?
This is insane. Skills aren’t just “something,” my friend…
“No, dude, I’m not your family or anything…”
“You’re like family.”
“…”
I knew Yong Sang-jae and I had relied on each other since we were kids, but I didn’t realize it was this deep.
Was I already like family to him, even at this point in time?
But in the end, I cut ties with him…
No, no, that’s all in the past.
‘Right, I just won’t cut him off this time.’
I won’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
That’s enough for now.
“Hey, Yong Sang-jae.”
I put down my chopsticks as I called his name, letting out a heavy, unnecessary sigh for dramatic effect.
“…?”
Sensing something was off, Yong Sang-jae put down his chopsticks and looked at me. Man, this is kinda embarrassing.
“Don’t worry too much. Even if no one else can…”
I quickly grabbed his hand with both of mine as I spoke.
Holding another guy’s hand like this feels so wrong.
But still…
“You’ll definitely pull it off. I guarantee it.”
I wanted to say at least that much.
Seeing this usually confident guy looking so down bugs me even more.
This guy’s someone who can actually make it happen.
The Yong Sang-jae I knew was genuinely an incredible guy.
Of course, I’m not sure how much my words, coming from a “talentless” person, would mean to him.
But at that moment—
```
[Fateful Opportunity Condition, Stage 1 – Hold Yong Sang-jae’s hand with both of your hands: Completed!]
[Person: Yong Sang-jae’s skill has been added to the selection slot!]
```
My brain froze at the unimaginable message.
What the… Does this mean I actually took Yong Sang-jae’s skill?
Yong Sang-jae’s skills are S-rank. If his skill was added, that means I now have an S-rank skill too.
“Baek Kang-hyun?”
“Huh? Oh?”
“…Your hand.”
“Oh, s-sorry!”
I was so caught up in the message that I was still holding his hand.
God, this is so embarrassing.
“You’ve been spacing out a lot. Are you really okay? If something’s wrong, I can call my doctor…”
“No, no, I’m fine! Just lost in thought for a sec!”
“…Alright, if you say so. By the way, Baek Kang-hyun, tomorrow…”
Bzzz.
Suddenly, Yong Sang-jae’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
“…Sorry, one sec.”
“Yeah, sure. Take your time.”
While Yong Sang-jae took the call, I finished off the rest of my Shin Ramyun.
I was dying to check ‘Fateful Opportunity’ right then and there, but with Yong Sang-jae—an S-rank Awakener—sitting right in front of me, I’d probably give away that I’ve awakened a talent if I started poking around.
Still, my mind was spinning.
What does it mean for a skill to be “added to the selection slot”?
What the hell is this ‘Fateful Opportunity’ skill?
“Sorry, Baek Kang-hyun. Something came up.”
Wow, talk about perfect timing.
“If you’ve got something to do, go take care of it. Oh, just head out. I’ll clean up here.”
“…Thanks. You’re always…”
Come on, it’s just cleaning up some ramen. Why’s he acting like it’s a big deal?
“No, no, don’t worry about it. It’s what friends do, right?”
“…Yeah, friends.”
“Exactly, friends.”
“…Thank you.”
Yong Sang-jae looked like he was genuinely touched or something.
It’s not that big of a deal…
He quickly grabbed his bag and left the convenience store. Watching his back as he disappeared, I rubbed my chin.
What was he about to say earlier?
‘Something about tomorrow…’
What’s happening tomorrow? I checked my phone’s calendar.
I’ve always had a habit of noting down important events in my phone’s calendar.
February 19th, 2067.
Looks like today’s Friday, so tomorrow’s Saturday.
There’s nothing written in the calendar.
In other words, it’s a completely free weekend.
So, what Yong Sang-jae was probably trying to say was…
‘He was probably asking what I’m doing on this free weekend, right?’
Now that I know I’m in the past, there’s one thing I need to do.
The one thing I swore I’d do first if I ever got the chance to change the past.
The thing I thought about over and over again while living my life.
‘Let’s start by sorting out “myself.”’