Park Si-woo gaped, craning his neck to take in the full height of the 45-story luxury apartment complex.
This place is amazing, he thought, his eyes wide. It’s so much better than our old house. He’d seen pictures, but they hadn’t done it justice.
Ignoring his younger brother’s breathless chatter, Park Jin-ho approached the security post and informed the guard they were moving in.
"What about our luggage? Did you bring it?"
"No," Park Jin-ho said. "We left everything behind."
After a quick verification of their identities, the main gate slid open. Inside, in front of the elevator bank, a second security officer checked their IDs again.
Park Si-woo was impressed. The tight security felt like something out of a spy movie.
"Wow, they even have a separate security team inside?"
"The security here is the best you can find," Park Jin-ho replied.
They finally arrived at their new home on the 43rd floor. As soon as Park Si-woo stepped inside, he stopped dead, his jaw slack with awe.
"Hyung, how many square meters is this place?"
It was a staggering upgrade, from their cramped, 10-square-meter room in a multi-family house to this luxurious 100-square-meter apartment.
Park Si-woo shook his head, struggling to believe it wasn't a dream.
"But, hyung," he said, a note of concern in his voice. "Is it really okay for just the two of us to live in a place this big?"
"It's fine. If we have the money, we should live in a place like this."
Despite moving, the two brothers had brought almost nothing with them.
"It might feel a bit empty," Park Jin-ho said, "but all the necessary appliances are built-in. We can buy everyday things downstairs. I already ordered furniture, and it should arrive today. In the meantime, feel free to look around."
Park Si-woo wandered through the apartment, his admiration growing with every room he saw.
"Wow… how many rooms are there?"
"Four bedrooms," Park Jin-ho answered. "And each one has its own bathroom."
"Wow! Each room has its own bathroom!"
Amazed, Park Si-woo walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. From this height, he could see the entirety of the nearby Busan Forest, and even the distant glimmer of the Han River. The view from the 43rd floor was, without a doubt, spectacular.
"Hyung… isn't this place too big for just the two of us?" he asked again, the sheer scale of it all sinking in.
"An expense like this is necessary," Park Jin-ho said, his tone serious. "The security here is top-notch."
On the first day of each month, players were overcome by an irresistible, paralyzing sleep. It was in those moments that they were most vulnerable.
No matter how skilled we become in the other world, it's all over if we die in reality.
There was no guarantee that an accident—a fire, an earthquake, some other disaster—wouldn't strike while he was unconscious. A player had to ensure that the place they crossed over from was the safest place on Earth. That was the real reason Park Jin-ho had spent so much on this apartment.
And later on, players will start targeting each other.
Of course, since all players slept and woke at the same time, they couldn't attack each other directly. But that didn't stop them.
It’s entirely possible to hire non-players to commit murder.
In one of his previous regressions, a player had hired an assassin to eliminate his competition in the real world. That was why Park Jin-ho had been so careful to hide his identity.
"So? What do you think? Do you like the new house?"
"Are you kidding? It's amazing!" Park Si-woo exclaimed, his face alight with excitement. A smile naturally curved Park Jin-ho's lips.
To his younger brother, it was a simple story: his hyung had hit the jackpot and bought them an expensive house. Park Si-woo had no idea this wealth had been purchased at the cost of ninety-nine deaths, or that his brother was preparing to pay the final price.
A flicker of memory, of all the suffering he had endured, crossed Park Jin-ho's face. Park Si-woo caught the bitter shadow in his brother’s gaze.
The smile instantly vanished from Park Si-woo’s face. "I… I shouldn't be so happy," he said, his voice laced with apology. "I'm sorry, hyung."
"In a month, you'll have to go back to that world and fight again. But here I am, acting so excited about all this… Sorry. That was thoughtless of me."
Park Jin-ho understood. His brother was just an innocent middle school student. It was he who had been forced to mature far too early. Or perhaps, he hadn't matured so much as simply lived for far too long.
Park Jin-ho let out a short laugh and clapped his brother lightly on the back.
"Why are you acting like it's the end of the world? Worried I won't come back from the next round?"
"I'm just being cautious."
There's no way I'll be eliminated in the second round, Park Jin-ho thought. I'm the only one who ever made it to the twentieth.
"Let's not worry about things we don't have to," he said, steering his brother toward the door. "Let's go get something to eat and check out the shopping center. There's a Korean restaurant on the second floor that's supposed to be great."
He was determined to lighten his brother's mood. As they walked, his phone buzzed. The caller ID read Lee Jun-ho. Park Jin-ho rejected the call without a second thought.
He probably knows I've moved by now.
Based on past experiences, Park Jin-ho knew Lee would come looking for revenge. But he was confident they would never cross paths in the real world.
Unless, of course, we meet in the other world.
Park Jin-ho chuckled softly and slipped his phone into his pocket.
As he followed his brother through the sprawling shopping center, Park Si-woo couldn't shake his growing unease.
I completely forgot that we basically sold our souls to get this lucky. And Hyung is going to be pulled back into that world next month…
The novelty of his brother becoming a player and moving into a nice house had evaporated. All he could think about was the truth of their situation.
Players were pulled into the other world every single month to complete a mission. Next month, and the month after that, and the one after that. It was like living on borrowed time, with no known expiration date.
Park Jin-ho was acting calm, but it felt like the calm before a storm.
He’s not showing it, but he must be terrified. Even if he doesn’t say anything, he must feel like he's standing on the edge of a cliff.
While Park Jin-ho felt no such worry, Park Si-woo continued to scold himself.
You idiot! Your brother is in mortal danger, and you were just laughing and getting excited about a new apartment!
What could he possibly do to help?
Park Si-woo thought hard, reflecting on his own uselessness.
I should at least handle the housework. That's the only thing I can do right now.
He decided then and there to take charge of all the household chores, to give his brother as much time as possible to rest.
"Hyung, if there's any laundry, give it all to me. I'll do it!"
"Hyung, I'll take care of the cleaning, so you can rest in your room where it's quiet!"
"Hyung, I'm thinking of going grocery shopping. Can I… can you give me some money?"
Park Jin-ho just smiled at his younger brother's sudden enthusiasm.