Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cough, cough, heugh, euhg, cough!

Cheon Seongheon started to bang on the thin door.

“Hyung, open the door!”

As if Cheon Seongheon found a key, he heard the sound of scrapping metal a few times, and then soon a click and the lock opened.

‹2… 1… 0.›

Almost at the same time as the door opened, his vision was wrapped in pure white light.

For an instant, pure white light shone and then-

"Ah! The room changed! Did we teleport? Wait, no, are we in a simulation? Is this how the simulator works? Wow, I've never experienced a simulation before!"

"What? Is the entrance exam starting already? The supervisor hadn't come and said anything yet..."

"Is this the practical? It doesn't look like one..."

Jo Uisin blinked the stars out of his vision and looked around to see kids in a familiar uniform talking over each other. Everyone looked to be in different stages of confusion. Even the adults looked confused...

Wait.

Jo Uisin stared.

There was no way that a PMH fan like him could not recognize the only other adults in the room. 

PMH still had a few concrete fans, but were there any hardcore cosplayers among them?

No. Jo Uisin held his head as he looked at the perfect 'ecstatic' expression on the game dragon as the game dragon looked around the room in fascination. There was no way that a sane modern human being could replicate that expression. Not that anyone who played PMH was sane, but there was no way that a modern human being could replicate how the person (Jin?) he suspected was Yong Jegeon was now flying to test the ceiling and walls of the room.

But could he be in the game?

Jo Uisin remembered the terms 'Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification', 'dimension synchronization', and 'transfer' with a complicated feeling in his chest. His head felt dizzy. Was he still lacking air from coughing to his death just seconds earlier? Was he still dying?

Was he already dead and now he was just... 'dreaming'?

Jo Uisin felt a little unsteady, but two strong hands firmly held his shoulders. Jo Uisin turned his head to automatically thank the person and tell them that they didn't have to be bothered with him, but he found himself staring again, this time at the stoic black-haired student that somehow seemed very familiar.

Very, very, familiar.

He looked like a certain disguised faculty member in the latter half of the game. But that couldn't be it... Surely, that person wouldn't be so shameless as to make himself look even younger and wear a school uniform for students like the chairman had before he had disappeared.

But before Jo Uisin could look at him even more, something across the room exploded.

BAM!

Jo Uisin jolted out of his thoughts and turned his head back to the rest of the crowd to see faint wisps of cyan sizzling off of an intact wall.

"Teacher Yong Jegeon-nim." Ham Geunhyeong said with the barest hints of long-suffering. Well, to a PMH stagnant water like him at least. The kids looked just as wary of the scary-faced Ham Geunhyeong as they did of the chaotic playful dragon. "Please do not cause big explosions in a small, enclosed space filled with children."

Yong Jegeon.

He said the name. 

There was no way to deny it anymore.

Yong Jegeon laughed as he floated back to the crowd of children who were now silent and looking at him warily. 

"No worries, Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim! I put up a barrier. See?" Yong Jegeon said, knocking the space around the children wearing Eungwang High School uniforms. The solid sound certainly did prove that Yong Jegeon did put up a barrier, but it was also certain that the dragon who normally made his barriers cyan had intentionally made it transparent this time to get a reaction out of his fellow teacher.

Ham Geunhyeong sighed, no doubt knowing the same.

"Um..." A girl spoke up. Jo Uisin widened his eyes as he recognized her. Kim Yuri. Another one of his playable characters! She looked nervous for a moment before she looked back up at the teachers bravely in the eyes. "Teachers-nim?" She began quizzically, probably more doubtful that Yong Jegeon was a teacher than Ham Geunhyeong. "Do you know what happened to us?"

As expected of his playable character. Judging by the teachers' reactions and how Jo Uisin had never seen this room or scenario before, it was evident that it was not part of Eungwang High School or its practical entrance exam. Though Jo Uisin was a bit confused as to why everyone was wearing a variation of the Eungwang High School uniform despite talking about the practical entrance exam.

If they were wearing the uniform, then didn't that mean that they had already taken the exam and passed?

Ham Geunhyeong frowned before shaking his head. Jo Uisin stared.

"Wow!" Yong Jegeon said the words for Jo Uisin. "Not even you know? Nothing at all? Isn't your Insight category skill the highest among all of us?"

Ham Geunhyeong's face darkened as he nodded.

"Then this space and any Enemies that might be in it must be of an extremely high rank!" Yong Jegeon declared without any care for the anxious hearts of children. Or too much care. For their reactions, that is.

"How interesting that the space had changed most of our attire too!" Yong Jegeon continued, noting that all the children were now wearing Eungwang High School uniforms. "I would say that it's because of the difference of our levels that the trick didn't affect only us... but that wouldn't apply for certain 'children' now, would it?" Yong Jegeon said, his eyes crinkling in amusement as he looked in a certain student's direction.

Jo Uisin followed the dragon's not-so-secret gaze to be taken aback at the sight of the chairman. 

Fortunately, Jo Uisin had already decided to keep silent. Jo Uisin had no doubt that the chairman might sincerely consider killing him to silence him if he gave away the disguised chairman's identity by accident. 

The hands on his shoulders tightened. Jo Uisin winced, and the hands quickly loosened their grip. Jo Uisin wondered why the student besides him was still steadying him though. He didn't look that faint, did he? Jo Uisin surprisingly felt much better despite dying just moments ago.

Jo Uisin looked at his hands, wondering if it was because he had been coughing blood earlier. Did he have blood on his hands?

That was when he realized that he too was wearing an Eungwang High School uniform. Like a PMH cosplayer. And fellow adult pretending to be a child. 

His arms and legs seemed shorter. Was he also 'younger'?

Jo Uisin felt a little dazed again. He didn't dream, but this was really feeling like one. Had he actually died?

As if answering his question, something in the empty space finally happened.

[Loading complete.]

[Welcome, all future 1st year class 0 teachers and students.]

Yong Jegeon looked ecstatic at the system windows that appeared and the voice that sounded like many voices unrecognizably synthesized together. 

"Me too? Am I going to teach a Class 0 in the future?"

Jo Uisin was almost certain that Yong Jegeon had never been interested in becoming a homeroom teacher or vice homeroom teacher for any class before, but now because of the situation, Yong Jegeon was caught like a fish on a hook.

But Jo Uisin also found himself paying attention to the voice. 

'Future'? Then did that mean that whoever was behind this knew the future?

[Please relax. Although you will be in this space together for a long time, it will be beneficial to you, and your time here will only be perceived as an instant in the outside world.]

"Beneficial?" Ham Geunhyeong asked, rightfully wary of the voice.

[Yes.] The synthetic voice answered, not at all bothered by his tone. Rather, it almost sounded cheerful... [In this space, you will watch the past, present, and future.]

Jo Uisin wasn't the only one who took a deep breath. None of his playable characters had the skill of prophecy, but it was known to be a dangerous thing. He imagined it even more so for the characters... no, Jo Uisin corrected himself because of the warm, sturdy hands on his shoulders and the real expressions of those in the room, people of PMH.

[And watching until completion will give you the right to change the future as you please.]

Jo Uisin wasn't certain of why he, who had no future and also no part in this world, was included in this space, but the thought of being able to help them change their future appealed to him.

If he could help them - 1st Year Class 0 and indirectly the others in Eungwang District that he cared for - achieve their happy ending, then he could die happy even if he returned to coughing blood in his gosiwon in the instant that he left the space.

The hands on his shoulders tightened again, but Jo Uisin didn't notice, too deep in his thoughts and plans.

Although the situation wasn't ideal, Jo Uisin could entrust everything that he knew from ten years of playing PMH to them who could still change their future.

[Breaks will be given whenever teachers make a request. During breaks, the room will open up to a kitchen, a dining room, a recreation room, a training room, and bedrooms with bathrooms.]

[Food and drinks seen in the future may be requested during the viewing experience.]

[Note: Due to syncing, all people will share the same senses as their future selves on the screen.]

Jo Uisin snapped out of his plans and thoughts in alarm. He was tentatively fine with letting them see the future because seeing a bad future was better than living a bad future, but to share the same senses? Didn't that mean that they would experience pain and death?

But before he could consider what to say, the voice continued.

[Viewing will start shortly.]

[Please take a seat on a couch in front of the screen.]

[Note: No one may leave the space until the future viewing is experienced in full.]

"Oh! I wouldn't even think of it!" Yong Jegeon said happily as he took over a side couch that would let him watch both the screen and the other couches where the children would be sitting.

While Jo Uisin was happy that his playable character was happy, he looked over to the students in worry, this time taking in each of their features properly.

Earlier, his mind had been dazed by everything going on, but now, he forced himself to more clearly look at them. 

To his distraught, he recognized half of them. He hadn't realized that some of them had been in 1st year class 0, but he knew them. 

Kim Yuri who was afraid of her own Gwangrim and would die by Christmas. Han Yi who would stay by Gong Cheonghwon's side until the end. Dokgo Miro who would stop attending school after Han Yi was gone. Gu Seulbi, Maeng Hyodon, Sawol Seeum. A girl who he was certain was Min Geurin under the hood and AR glasses, Song Daeseok, Ong Gildong, and Hwang Jiho.

Lee Lena was a surprise because she was of a different class, but perhaps the system had added her for another reason. 

But even Lee Lena would go through much hardship and then die a horrible death.

Jo Uisin carefully didn't frown, not wanting to ruin their tentative anticipation for the future. Perhaps because Ham Geunhyeong was watching over them like a protective guardian and because Yong Jegeon was so happy and relaxed, they also felt safe and curious, happy and excited at being able to see the future - something everyone from the times of old have dreamed at least once of doing. They were amazing teachers and good kids who ordinarily would have bright futures.

But the future set for them as if it was an unstoppable fate wasn't so bright at all.

"Let's go."

Jo Uisin blinked when the student next to him pulled him to a two-seater couch in the back. Jo Uisin wanted to tell him that he was fine by himself if the other wanted to sit somewhere else. Jo Uisin couldn't possibly be good company right now, but the student sat firmly next to him like a stalwart wall that couldn't be moved or taken away.

Jo Uisin swallowed and looked away. How did this person die, he involuntarily wondered in this room filled with people who were going to watch their deaths.

He hoped that there was a way for them to watch something better, a future less painful.

Was it not enough that three million gamers in their world were excited for PMH only to find out that the beautiful game that they were expecting to be a masterpiece was actually a bloody national wreck?

Jo Uisin wished that there was a way to make it so that they wouldn't have to taste the pain, horror, death, suffering, darkness, and despair of their future.

And then the screening began.

Jo Uisin blanked, even if he seemed to have somehow inadvertently gotten some of his wish.

Why was he on the screen meant to show the past, present, future of potential 1st year class 0 teachers and students?

(A tiger stifled his laughter even as he continued to hold onto Jo Uisin's hand.)

Chapter Text

In Seono thought about taking the other couch in the very back of the room, the first one having been immediately taken by a boy who was very concerned over his friend who was bundled up in clothes, near the brink of a panic attack, and barely holding on with her hands pressing down on the AR glasses covering her eyes as if she was using the AR glasses to ground her.

Social anxiety? In Seono wondered. For a Eungwang High School class, there weren’t that many people in the room, but if her ‘future classmate’ was afraid of people, then even this much was probably too much.

In Seono hoped that the AR glasses that the girl had didn’t need electricity for recharging. If the girl needed the AR glasses to pretend that she wasn’t in a room full of real humans, then it wouldn’t be so good if the AR glasses ran out of battery. In Seono wasn’t sure if this space had electricity despite how unreal everything about this space was.

Past, present, and future? The right to change the future by merely watching something? A space even Great Archer of Blue Sky and the Dragon King God’s favorite dragon, the Cintamani, couldn’t see through?

The only thing that seemed to make sense was that yes, In Seono was planning to be in 1st year class 0 in the future. She had been planning to start looking for clues of Insomnium as soon as she finished the Eungwang High School entrance exam interview, but now, In Seono almost wondered if Insomnium had instead found her and somehow got her without her knowing.

This space was almost like a dream or a nightmare. Trapped with strangers in an enclosed space. Watching a possibly wretched future if they were given a chance to change it. Even her clothes were changed to the old Eungwang High School uniform without her knowing.

In Seono wanted to sit in the back to quietly watch everyone from the shadows, but she spotted another pair of future classmates that looked to be needing it. Even though a back couch would allow the teachers to oversee the entire class and defend against any possible dangers, the teachers seemed to recognize that as well and choose the side couches instead.

The boy looked rather calm and composed to a normal person, but to In Seono, especially with how the boy next to him was holding his shoulders and watching closely over him, that kid also looked to be on the brink of a panic attack – barely able to breathe and stand.

The boy watching over that kid briefly sensed her gaze and matched her eyes with a cold, fierce look. The boy didn’t need to look at her like that. In Seono expressed her intent to leave the couch to them and instead looked around at the other students.

Most of the other boys in the class seemed to choose to sit in the front row of couches near the large movie theater-like screen. They were rather awkward with each other, but, being all new and all young teenaged males, they quickly made a consensus to sit together like boys going to an ordinary movie theater to hang out after school.

Sort of.

From the bits that she overheard from their conversation, In Seono was certain that only one of them went to middle school and it was that male student’s first time watching a movie too.

In Seono had no room to judge because she also had never been to school or a movie theater before. Her parents had locked her in her room until the Eungwang High School entrance exam that she was supposed to take today.

How ironic that, on her first day outside of her house, In Seono was locked up in a room again.

Not that In Seono minded this space as much as her own space at home. This seemed far better. She was certain that her future teachers and classmates would make far better company than her parents too. Anyone would make better company than her parents who were priests of the Demon God of Death.

In Seono looked to the row behind the boys in the front row. The girls in the class seemed to have the same idea of sitting together.

Two of the girls even knew each other, and the pink-haired girl asked the girl with a short bob-cut if they could sit together. The quiet girl gave the pink-haired girl a complicated look, but she nodded in assent.

A girl, who seemed very socially capable, asked if she could sit with the quiet girl in the middle of their row. The quiet girl seemed glad for another person beside her, and the pink-haired girl, as if knowing her position and their unspoken history, didn’t argue with sitting on the outside of their row.

The socially capable girl introduced herself as Kim Yuri, and she happily invited another quiet, but more in an awkward way, girl to sit with her on her other side. In Seono memorized their names as they introduced each other one after another.

The second row of girls were: Lee Lena, Kim Yuri, Han Yi, and Dokgo Miro.

When the first row of boys overheard them and awkwardly remembered to introduce themselves, In Seono memorized those names as well: Jin Jeongmuk, Maeng Hyodon, Sawol Seeum, and Mok Uram.

And finally, the last row of students.

The boy, who introduced himself as Luis Perenna to the girl beside him, and the girl, who called herself the Great Druidess Gu Seulbi, had claimed those seats first before anyone else had claimed their own seats.

Unlike In Seono, they didn’t seem to recognize that there were people who needed the more hidden, quiet back corner two-seater couches. Rather, they seemed to have chosen those center seats in the back row of the cluster of couches because they wanted to sit in the back and center, but they didn’t want to be far from everyone, much less in the very back couches that were more shadowed.

From the way that they had introduced themselves, they seemed to be attention seekers. And In Seono chose the seat next to the female attention seeker who seemed both bothered by the lack of attention as everyone was busily introducing themselves to each other and a little left out by how most of the girls were sitting in another row. Which couldn’t be helped because each row of couches in the center only had four couches. Even the very socially adept girl, Kim Yuri, was apologetic about that, something that eased Gu Seulbi just a little when Kim Yuri turned her head to apologize to Gu Seulbi, the girl sitting behind her, for being unable to sit all together.

But In Seono could sit with her. And In Seono didn’t mind. It was rather new to sit with people her age.

In the games that she played online, In Seono was rather used to people with all kinds of personalities and personas as well.

Gu Seulbi smiled happily when In Seono asked if she could sit next to her.

On the opposite side of the row, In Seono heard the last student finally look away from the entire room at large, the teachers on the opposite sides of the room, and then the pair of boys in the back left corner of the room to ask Luis Perenna if he could sit next to him.

So their back row became: Hwang Jiho, Luis Perenna, Gu Seulbi, and In Seono.

And when the stoic boy led the boy, who was hiding his upset with a blank expression, to sit down at the remaining couch in the back, the large movie theater-like screen turned on as if it had been waiting for them to all sit down.

Seating Arrangements (as of now):

--- Back ---

 In the right back corner Song Daeseok | Min Geurin

Jo Uisin | Baek Hogun in the left back corner

(Ham Geunhyeong and Yong Jegeon sitting alone in the opposite left and right side couches respectively)

Hwangho | Ong Gildong | Gu Seulbi | In Seono

Lee Lena | Kim Yuri | Han Yi | Dokgo Miro 

Jin Jeongmuk | Maeng Hyodon | Sawol Seeum | Mok Uram

--- Front ---

--- Screen ---