Min-joon did not sleep that night.
He sat by the window, watching the sun rise over the city. His phone lay on the windowsill, dark and silent. Waiting.
Nineteen hours until the next task.
Tae-hyun woke up at six AM. He got ready for school quietly, trying not to disturb Min-joon. But Min-joon was already awake, making breakfast in their tiny kitchen.
"You are up early," Tae-hyun said, surprised.
"Could not sleep," Min-joon replied. He put rice and soup on the table. "Eat before you go."
They ate in comfortable silence. Tae-hyun kept glancing at Min-joon, like he wanted to ask something but was afraid to.
Finally, he spoke. "Hyung, about what you said last night. About the debt being paid off soon. How is that possible?"
Min-joon paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. He had known this question would come. He just wished it had come later.
"I found a new job," Min-joon said. Another lie. He felt reality shift slightly, making space for the falsehood to become truth. "It pays very well."
Tae-hyun's eyes widened. "Really? What kind of job?"
"I cannot talk about it much," Min-joon said carefully. "But it is legal. I promise."
That last part was actually true, as far as he could tell. The Debt System was strange and dangerous, but it was not illegal. Speaking that small truth caused a tiny stab of pain in his chest, but it was bearable.
"When do you start?" Tae-hyun asked.
"I already started," Min-joon said. "Last night was my first day."
Tae-hyun jumped up from his chair and hugged Min-joon tightly. "This is amazing! I was so worried. I thought we would be stuck forever."
Min-joon hugged him back, feeling the weight of his lies pressing down on him. "Everything will be fine. I will take care of us."
After Tae-hyun left for school, Min-joon cleaned the apartment. Then he tried to sleep for a few hours before his construction job. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw those creatures climbing the wall. He heard the clicking of their claws.
At eight AM, he gave up and got dressed for work.
The construction site was across the city. Min-joon took two buses to get there. He arrived fifteen minutes early and put on his safety gear. Hard hat, gloves, steel-toed boots.
"Hey, Min-joon!"
He turned to see Seo Ji-ho jogging over. Ji-ho was his age, maybe a year older, with a stocky build and a friendly face. They had worked together for six months.
"Morning," Min-joon said.
"You look terrible," Ji-ho said, frowning. "Did you sleep at all?"
"Not much."
"The night shift again?"
Min-joon nodded.
Ji-ho shook his head. "You are going to kill yourself working like this. When was the last time you had a day off?"
Min-joon could not remember. "I am fine."
"You are not fine. You look like a ghost." Ji-ho clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. We are on the tenth floor today. Try not to fall off, okay?"
They worked for four hours straight. Carrying steel beams, mixing concrete, hammering rebar into place. The sun beat down on them. Sweat poured down Min-joon's face. His arms ached. His back screamed in protest.
But at least it kept his mind busy.
During lunch break, Min-joon sat in the shade and checked his phone.
Fourteen hours until the next task.
"What are you always looking at on that phone?" Ji-ho asked, sitting down next to him with a lunch box.
"Nothing," Min-joon said quickly, putting the phone away.
"Come on, you can tell me. Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"A boyfriend?"
"No."
Ji-ho laughed. "Then what is it? You check that phone every five minutes like you are waiting for something important."
Min-joon wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell someone, anyone, about what was happening. But he could not. Speaking the truth would hurt him, and Ji-ho would never believe him anyway.
"Just checking the time," Min-joon said.
"We have a clock right there," Ji-ho pointed at the timer on the wall. "Try again."
"I am waiting for a message from my brother," Min-joon said. This was actually true, sort of. He often texted with Tae-hyun during breaks. The small truth caused a tiny ache in his chest, but it was manageable.
"Ah, the famous brother," Ji-ho said. "The smart one. How is he doing?"
"Good. He ranked fifth in his class."
"Fifth out of how many?"
"Three hundred students."
Ji-ho whistled. "That is impressive. You must be proud."
"I am," Min-joon said. And that was completely true. The pain that came with it was sharper this time, like a needle poking his heart. He winced.
"You okay?" Ji-ho asked.
"Just sore from work," Min-joon lied. The pain disappeared immediately.
After lunch, they went back to work. Min-joon tried to focus on the physical labor, but his mind kept drifting. What would the next task be? Would it be worse than the first? How many tasks would he need to complete before the debt was fully paid?
And what about this curse? Every lie becomes truth. Every truth causes pain.
He had already started using the lies to his advantage. He told Tae-hyun the debt would be paid off, and now reality was shifting to make that happen. But he did not fully understand how it worked. What were the limits? Could he lie about anything? Could he say the sky was green and make it so?
He needed to experiment. Carefully.
At three PM, Min-joon's shift ended. He collected his pay for the day and took the bus home. On the way, he practiced small lies.
"This bus is empty," he whispered, even though there were five other passengers. Nothing happened. He frowned.
Maybe the lie needed to be more believable? Or maybe it only worked when someone heard it?
He tried again when an old woman got on the bus. As she walked past him, Min-joon said quietly, "That woman is wearing a red coat."
She was wearing a blue coat. But as soon as he spoke, the color shifted. Blue became red.
The woman did not notice. No one noticed except Min-joon.
So it did work. Lies changed reality. But they had to be spoken out loud, and maybe someone had to be present to hear them, even if they did not actually hear the words.
Min-joon spent the rest of the bus ride thinking about the implications. This power was dangerous. If he was not careful, he could change things he did not mean to change. He could hurt people without meaning to.
He needed rules. Personal rules to keep himself safe.
Rule one: Never lie about Tae-hyun. His brother's reality should stay pure and untouched.
Rule two: Only lie when necessary. Every lie changed the world in small ways, and he did not know what the long-term effects might be.
Rule three: Never lie about the Debt System itself. That felt dangerous, like it might break something fundamental.
When Min-joon got home, Tae-hyun was already there, studying at the table. He looked up and smiled.
"How was work?"
"Tiring," Min-joon said. True. A small pain, bearable. "But I am okay."
He made dinner while Tae-hyun finished his homework. Rice, kimchi, and some cheap vegetables. They ate together, talking about Tae-hyun's day at school.
"My teacher said I should apply for the scholarship program," Tae-hyun said excitedly. "If I get it, university would be almost free."
Min-joon felt a surge of hope. "That is wonderful. When do you apply?"
"Next month. I need to write an essay and get recommendation letters."
"You will get it," Min-joon said. "I know you will."
Tae-hyun grinned. "I hope so. Then I could become a doctor and take care of you for once."
"You already take care of me," Min-joon said. True. Pain flickered in his chest. "You keep me going."
After dinner, Tae-hyun went to bed early. He had a test tomorrow. Min-joon cleaned up and then sat by the window again, watching his phone.
Eight hours until the next task.
He tried to prepare himself mentally. Last time, he had to survive for thirty minutes against those creatures. This time might be longer. Or harder. Or both.
He needed weapons. But what kind of weapon could he bring into that mirror world? Would it even transfer over?
Min-joon looked around the apartment. They did not have much. Some kitchen knives, but those were dull and small. A baseball bat that Tae-hyun used to own, now buried in the closet somewhere.
Wait.
If lies became truth, could he lie about having a weapon?
Min-joon stood up and walked to the middle of the room. He spoke quietly, so he would not wake Tae-hyun.
"I am holding a steel pipe."
He looked down at his empty hands. Still empty.
Nothing happened.
He frowned. Maybe the lie had to be more specific? Or maybe he could not create physical objects out of nothing?
He tried a different approach. He picked up a wooden chopstick from the dish rack.
"This chopstick is a knife."
The chopstick shimmered. Its shape did not change, but when Min-joon touched the tip, it was sharp. Sharp enough to cut.
His heart raced. This could work.
He grabbed the baseball bat from the closet. It was old and scratched, but still solid.
"This bat is made of steel."
The wood grain faded. The bat became heavier, harder. Min-joon swung it experimentally. It felt completely different now. More dangerous.
He had a weapon.
Min-joon sat back down, holding the steel bat across his lap. Four hours until the next task. He wanted to sleep, but he was too anxious.
His phone buzzed.
Min-joon looked at the screen. It was not the Debt System app. It was a text from an unknown number.
"Hello, Kang Min-joon. This is your final warning. You have twenty-eight days to pay fifty million won. Do not make us come looking for you."
The debt collectors.
Min-joon stared at the message. Twenty-eight days. By then, he needed to complete enough tasks to erase the entire debt. Was that even possible?
He did some quick math. The first task had removed five million won. If every task removed the same amount, he would need to complete ten tasks total. But what if the later tasks removed more? Or less? What if he failed one?
Stop, he told himself. Do not think about failure. Just focus on surviving the next one.
Three hours.
Min-joon made himself some instant coffee and drank it even though it tasted terrible. He needed to be alert. Awake. Ready.
Two hours.
He paced back and forth in the small apartment. Tae-hyun mumbled something in his sleep but did not wake up.
One hour.
Min-joon stood by the door, holding the steel bat. His phone was in his pocket. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it.
Thirty minutes.
He went to Tae-hyun's bedside and looked down at his sleeping brother. Peaceful. Innocent. Unaware of the danger lurking just outside reality.
"I will come back," Min-joon whispered. "I promise."
That was true. The pain hit him hard, doubling him over. But he gritted his teeth and bore it. The promise was worth the pain.
Ten minutes.
Min-joon stood in the center of the room, bat in hand, waiting.
Five minutes.
His phone screen lit up red.
SECOND TASK WILL BEGIN IN 5 MINUTES.
PREPARE YOURSELF.
Four minutes.
Three.
Two.
One.
The world turned white.