"So what you're saying…"
Atmosphere in the room felt stiff, the gazes of the 4 men were all serious as they quietly spoke to one another, careful not to be too loud to alert anyone who may be nearby and listening.
"Yeah, I'm telling the truth. This is definitely the same story."
Ito was aware of just how strange and even impossible the situation was.
However, he had also known that he along with each of these men definitely lived through the situation which he had previously thought made no sense.
He was sure that he wasn't crazy.
Ito nodded as he looked at the blond man sitting across from him.
His expression wasn't much different than the expressions of the other 2 men.
Pale and some variation of worry or devastation.
They had all experienced it, and for the two that didn't deal directly with the monster, even if they didn't see, they had also been affected.
Their coworkers and friends were killed, they were injured.
Not just Ito, but everyone in the room knew that it was real.
"S-so then– why? If everything was real then why is nothing happening now?"
The timid younger man spoke up in a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
Ito knew that despite the man's actions, it wasn't truly because he didn't believe, he wasn't stupid. That much, Ito could tell.
"I have an idea but I have only checked it once and I'm not sure if it was just a coincidence or not."
Ito too still had skepticism. Not because he didn't understand but because he didn't know what to do or think.
'If it's true, if it's real.. then that means they knew about it.. but how would they have known.'
"First, I think it's best if we introduced ourselves. After all, we can't just keep referring to each other as you, right?"
The blond man spoke after letting out a sigh and smiled warmly at everyone.
"I'm Park Keith. As you probably already know, I'm with the police department like these 3 here, I'm also the oldest one since I'm 28."
Ito nodded slightly, at the man. He seemed young and energetic, more than the other two, more than everyone in the room in fact.
Ito was shocked to hear that Keith was the eldest out of everyone but he did a decently good job at not showing it on his face as he looked at the timid officer next to him.
The slightly shorter, thin man spoke after realising that it was his turn.
"I-I.. I'm Choi Haewon, the youngest officer but oldest in terms of how long I've been one."
Ito nodded again.
He quickly took notice of the man, Haewon, and realised that he seemed to be a very weak natured person, constantly nervous or wary despite having such a strong name.
"I'm Ryu Jaehyuk, 27 years old. I just recently became an officer."
Ito looked at the men in front of him.
Keith, Haewon, and Jaehyuk were all very diverse. Yet they all seemed to work well together and got along well too.
Keith seemed to be more outgoing and playful, he was kind to a fault and practically radiated nothing but pure sunshine energy.
Despite that, the look in his eyes became slightly sharper when it was time to be serious, and everyone seemed to listen to and respect him without missing a heartbeat.
Ito knew that underestimating him just because he seemed too kind would be a foolish mistake.
Haewon was similar, despite his thin frail looking appearance and the timid nature he had, Ito had come to notice that the man was extremely perceptive and skeptical.
Ito knew that it was better to be wary of things and want some level of security than to be completely oblivious or way too trusting.
He liked Haewon because he was similar to him in that regard.
Jaehyuk was a mix of both. Despite his tough appearance and quiet nature, he was also very observant and despite his inability to think quickly on his feet in dire situations (reference to his actions in the 5th chapter), he had good instincts and the ability to act on them even when he's worried was an admirable one.
Ito then sighed inwardly and his eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.
"Matchikawa Ito, 19. I'm just a college student."
"Woah, you're a foreigner?" Haewon asked almost excitedly.
"No, I'm mixed. My mother was Japanese."
Haewon nodded at Ito's response with an understanding expression and then Keith cleared his throat slightly before speaking.
"Now that we're all done with introductions, you said you have an idea of what's going on. Can you share it?"
At his words, everyone returned their gazes to Ito which made his stomach turn.
Ding
He shook his head, ignoring the discomfort and sighed before speaking as he reached into his pocket. He had gotten a new phone shortly after waking up since his old one was destroyed.
He took one glance at the phone and a slight wary smile spread thinly across his lips.
"I think that this webnovel has something to do with it."
Unsurprisingly, as he spoke and showed his phone screen to the 3 men. They simply stared at him and the screen with a confused expression.
"Uh.. Ito, what webnovel?"
Keith asked with a slightly nervous chuckle as he looked at Ito.
"What?"
Ito looked at his phone screen. Clearly, the notification was right there.
[The World Awakening has updated a new chapter!]
"This… am I the only one that can see it?"
Ito tilted his head. He wasn't one to get easily flustered, especially over something so small.
"It's weird but.. If you're saying there's something there then maybe there's a reason only you can see it?"
Haewon spoke cautiously, a lingering spark of uncertainty and disbelief in his eyes but he seemed more interested than he tried to let on.
Sighing lightly, Jaehyuk spoke next.
"Ito, if what you're saying is true then this could be a clue."
Even without having to stare into Jaehyuk's intense gaze or the equally intense gazes of Keith and Haewon, Ito knew that this new chapter which was way too well timed
'It's a clue, it definitely is.'
"I'll read it."
Chapter 2 - Yuri Gyosil
Have you ever transferred schools?
It's not an experience that everyone has had to go through, but it isn't uncommon.
Today, you're going to experience it for yourself.
What do you feel?
Are you excited?
Scared?
Nervous?
You are growing up afterall!
Your family must be so proud yet sad to let you go, but it's fine.
Their worries and yours are for naught.
The new home you've moved into, the new school you're attending, the new friends you will meet and come to love.
The new family you will come to accept and become a part of.
"This is your new life."
Suho felt annoyed.
He didn't want to go to school and meet new friends.
He definitely didn't like his new home, nor did he wish for a family.
He did not want his new life, not at first.
That was until he went to school.
Previously, he had been a bit of a delinquent.
He was smart but never applied himself, he never did his best let alone doing half of it to at least pass classes.
He constantly got into fights and skipped school or ditched classes.
That was the case for a while after his first day.
However, something changed.
Suho began to enjoy his time at school.
He became happy.
He loved his new life and classes, he loved his new school. He loved his new friends. They became
Family.
"Now it's your turn. Welcome to the start of your new life."
"Welcome to Hwaeun High, we are excited to meet you"
"Thank you for reading, making new friends is necessary in life. However, please remember that it's okay to take breaks and return home safely and quickly once school is over. (￣∇￣人￣∇￣) Fighting!" - Null