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Junho opened his eyes. The pattern on the ceiling was clear. The small crack, the peeling paint—he remembered it all precisely. The bedroom looked exactly as it had ten years ago. He moved his fingers. All five responded. He raised his arm. No pain up to his shoulder. He bent his legs. There was slight stiffness in his knee joints, but that too was exactly as it had been ten years ago. A young body at twenty-five. He got out of bed. The moment his feet touched the cold floor, memories came pouring down. ——— November 23, 2034. Basement Level 1 parking lot of Daewoo Group headquarters. Junho's vision was blurry. The airbag from the dashboard had deployed, striking his face. The taste of blood spread in his mouth. Had he bitten his tongue? No. His forehead was wounded. Blood flowing from the wound he'd gotten when he hit the dashboard. It was a car accident. But it wasn't an accident. Junho looked behind through the rearview mirror. A black SUV was ramming into his car. Intentionally. Deliberately. He could even see white-gloved hands gripping the steering wheel. In that moment, something struck his brain. His heart began beating irregularly. It was a signal of death. In his final moment, what reflected in Junho's eyes was: His father collapsing in the conference room. His older brothers parting ways. Minji walking alone down a street. His mother crying in an empty house. And Park Eunyoung's laughter. ——— Junho went to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror. There was a face. The face of a twenty-five-year-old. His brow was slightly furrowed. There was a faint bruise-like mark on his left cheekbone, exactly as it had been ten years ago. A mark from a quarrel with Lee Sujin last year. He'd told his father he'd fallen by accident. He touched his face with his fingers. The sensation was precise. The temperature of his skin. The hardness of his jaw. The fine wrinkles around his eyes. Evidence that his memory was correct. Junho gripped the sink with both hands. His fingers pressed against the cold ceramic edge. It was the sensation of reality. Ten years had come back. He drank water. The taste of tap water spread in his mouth. A slight chlorine smell. The distinctive taste of Seoul tap water. Exactly as it had been ten years ago. He returned to the bedroom. He turned on the laptop on the desk next to the bed. The Windows login screen appeared. He typed the password. It was correct. The desktop background was also exactly as it had been ten years ago. A night view photograph of the Han River. He picked up his phone. Several alarms were displayed on the screen. One message from his father. The time indicator showed it was close to midnight. [Tomorrow morning 7 AM conference room. Important matter.] The Junho from ten years later had simply read that message and moved on. He already knew about the company's crisis situation. He had already experienced his father's bankruptcy announcement. But the current Junho was different. He knew exactly what that message meant. Tomorrow morning at 7 AM. At that time, his father would announce the company's financial situation in the conference room. In front of the executives. While hiding the fact that his heart condition was worsening. Three hours after that announcement. Around 10 AM. His father would get into his car in the parking lot and become caught up in an intentional traffic accident. Junho's heart began to race. But this time was different. He opened a notepad on the laptop. His fingers stopped above the keyboard. The memories from ten years later began to organize themselves. Like scattered puzzle pieces finding their places. Park Eunyoung. Executive director in charge of accounting. Outwardly, a capable executive. In reality, an embezzler. Over the past three months, she had siphoned off 1.5 billion won from the funds of Daewoo Group's subsidiaries. Junho knew this. He had confirmed it directly in the management diagnostic report from ten years later. But by then, it was already too late. Lee Junseok. His father's older brother. Company director. He had conducted insider trading using his father's trust as a weapon. Junho knew this too. From the surveillance camera footage revealed ten years later. Secret conversations with Park Eunyoung. Contact with external forces. Lee Sujin. His second older brother. An ambitious businessman. He had betrayed Junho after their father's bankruptcy. He had spun off his subsidiary and moved to another conglomerate. Junho remembered this too. The coldness in his brother's eyes when looking at him. His brother's appearance after abandoning their father. Lee Jaehun. His eldest brother. Excellent at management but lacking in political acumen. Junho knew that his brother had eventually died of a heart attack ten years later. From overwork. While giving up his own health to try to save their father. Minji. His younger sister. Talented in the arts, but left alone after the family scattered. Junho remembered that scene clearly. The image of Minji walking away from Seoul in tears. Getting on a plane alone to New York. Mother. His mother with a weak personality. Left alone after his father's death. She lost her mind. Drug addiction. A nursing home. Junho remembered his mother's final appearance. The mother he last saw in 2043 did not recognize her own son. Everything was clear. Junho began writing in the notepad again. [Park Eunyoung - Embezzlement exposure → Dismissal proceedings] [Lee Junseok - Monitor external dealings → Collect evidence] [Lee Sujin - Control ambition → Induce cooperation] [Father - Health checkup → Ensure safety] [Family - Prevent dispersal → Integration strategy] He stopped his fingers. The most important thing was tomorrow morning's 7 AM meeting. In that meeting, Junho would directly expose Park Eunyoung's embezzlement. In front of his father. In front of his brothers. And he would redirect his father's attention from the company's crisis. Through a different method than bankruptcy. Junho closed the laptop. He looked at the clock. 12:37 AM. 8 hours and 23 minutes remained. As he tried to return to bed, Junho stopped again in front of the mirror. He looked at himself in the mirror. A twenty-five-year-old face. But the eyes were those of a thirty-five-year-old. Eyes that had lived ten more years. Eyes that had seen death. There was a slight tremor around his mouth. Was it fear? No. It was resolve. A gift left by the memory from ten years later, and at the same time, a curse. Knowing everything. But also knowing that he could change everything. Junho placed his hand on the mirror. His fingers felt through the cold glass. It was reality. This was reality, tomorrow would come, he would save his father, and he would protect his family. At that moment, his phone rang. The name [Father] appeared on the screen. The time was 12:48 AM. Junho stood looking at the screen. His finger slowly moved and answered the call. "Yes, Father." What came through the phone was rough breathing. His father's heartbeat. A weakening pulse. A pulse heading toward death. "Junho... were you... sleeping?" His father's voice was trembling. "No. I was awake." Silence. "Tomorrow morning... you must come. The company might... end." "I understand, Father." "What do you... think? About the company's future..." That question came. The Junho from ten years later had not received that question. His father had not asked him that night. He had simply worried alone and died. Junho spoke slowly. "Father, there is still much you can do." "...What?" "Tomorrow morning, I will see you in the conference room. I will show you then." The breathing through the phone became slightly more stable. "I see... then... I will look forward to it." "Yes, Father." The call ended. Junho put down his phone. His reflection still stood in the mirror. A twenty-five-year-old face. Eyes carrying ten years of memory. Tomorrow would come. And this time, it would be different. Junho returned to bed. In the darkness, he looked up at the ceiling. He did not close his eyes. He needed to stay awake. Eight hours. During those eight hours, he had to plan everything. The clock moved past midnight. March 16, 2024. One hour later, the sun would rise. Junho kept his eyes open. And he waited. Junho got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He hadn't been lying down all night—he'd only been sitting. He hadn't even closed his eyes. He'd stared at the styrofoam molding on the ceiling, felt the surface of the bed with his fingers, and listened to the night sounds of the high-rise apartment with his ears. It was all the same. This present moment, wedged between the memories of 25 years ago and 10 years from now, was exactly the same. The bathroom light came on. Three halogen spotlights were embedded above the mirror. The exact same arrangement as what he'd seen in his past life. Junho stood in front of the mirror. He faced his reflection. It was the face of a 25-year-old. His face. His eyes were clear. Black pupils reflected the mirror light and gleamed. Ten years of time were contained within them, but it didn't show on the outside. His skin was still smooth. His jawline was sharp. A 25-year-old body—one that hadn't finished growing yet, one that still had room to change. Junho raised his hand and touched his face. His fingers passed over his cheek. It was warm. Blood was flowing. It was real. He touched his jaw. It was rough because he hadn't shaved this morning. Even 10 years from now, he wasn't a morning person. Back then, shaving was always late. He'd always rush to do it an hour before meetings. The man in the mirror mimicked the gesture exactly. Junho placed his hand on his chest. His heart was beating. He could feel the pulse. It was regular and strong. Not weak like his father's. Junho knew that his father's heart would grow even weaker 10 years from now. That heart, which continued to deteriorate even after taking medication following the myocardial infarction diagnosis. He lowered his hand. He looked at the mirror more carefully. There was no fatigue under his eyes yet. 10 years from now, it was obvious. That version of Junho always looked sleepy. He'd stayed up all night with work at the company, suffered from insomnia due to his brothers' betrayal, and became increasingly haggard as death drew near. There were no traces of that fatigue now. Not yet. This face hadn't been ruined yet. Junho didn't take his eyes off the mirror. He opened his mouth and closed it. Movement was visible in his neck. Evidence of reality. He wasn't in a hallucination. It wasn't a dream from a bed in a psychiatric ward. He turned on the water. Cold water poured down. He raised his hands. Water flowed between his fingers. It was cold. Junho submerged his face in the water. The cold water, so intense he couldn't breathe, penetrated his skin. Water nearly entered his nose. He lifted his head. Water dripped down his face. It splashed on the mirror. In the blurred mirror, he could only see his own outline. But that outline was definitely there. He grabbed a towel and wiped his face. He looked at the mirror again. Wet hair clung to his forehead. He brushed it back with his hand. The stray hairs aligned themselves. 10 years from now, more hair fell out in various places. It could have been from stress, or simply from aging. For now, it was still full. Junho sighed. The certainty that time had really turned back came rushing through him now, through the mirror. Numbers and calendars alone hadn't been enough to believe. But the mirror couldn't lie. This face was 25 years old. And Junho could prevent that face from aging again. No. More precisely, he could make sure it didn't age again. Next to the bathroom mirror was a small shelf. Skincare products placed there. 10 years from now, he didn't have the luxury to care about such things. Junho had just washed his face and left. Sometimes he'd even skip washing. Junho reached out and examined the mirror more closely. The shape of his eyebrows. The height of his nose. The color of his lips. The angle of his cheekbones. Everything that had changed 10 years from now wasn't here. It had been restored. What about Father? Junho left the bathroom. He headed to the living room. Outside the window was still dark. 4:30 AM. The Seoul sky was black. In the distance toward Gangnam Station, lights were visible. Convenience stores and cafes. Part of the city that stayed awake all night. Junho returned to the bedroom and got dressed. A black t-shirt and gray pants. Casual clothes. The meeting was at 7, but leaving around 6:30 would be enough. Daewoo Group headquarters was five minutes from Gangnam Station. He checked his phone. There were no new messages. It had been over two hours since his call with his father. Junho thought his father was probably sleeping by now. Or he might still be awake. Either way, his father was expecting something from tomorrow morning's meeting. "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow morning." Junho's words back then had been correct. He had something to show. Evidence of Park Eun-young's embezzlement. Numbers not yet exposed. False accounting ledgers. And a strategy for how to reveal it. The Junho from 10 years later had gathered that evidence, but it was too late. His father had already decided to file for bankruptcy. Lee Su-jin had already begun dealings with Park Eun-young. Lee Jun-seok had already siphoned off funds. This time would be different. Junho sat on the bed. He looked at his watch. 4:47 AM. Two hours and 13 minutes. During that time, there was one last thing to confirm. Junho picked up his phone and opened the memo app. There was a plan he'd written throughout the night. **[Meeting Scenario - March 16, 2024, 7:00 AM]** **Phase 1: Present Questions (7:00 - 7:15)** - Request disclosure of Park Eun-young's recent three-month transaction history - Confirm Father's reaction - Observe Park Eun-young's reaction **Phase 2: Present Evidence (7:15 - 7:30)** - Present embezzlement scale estimate - Calculate losses by subsidiary - Present Park Eun-young's arterial transaction records **Phase 3: Decide on Measures (7:30 - 7:45)** - Recommend Park Eun-young's dismissal - Determine timing of police report - Present security enhancement measures **Phase 4: Secure Brothers (7:45 - 8:00)** - Induce prior cooperation with Lee Jae-hun - Block Lee Su-jin's reaction Junho read the memo again. The plan was simple. Too simple. But simplicity was its strength. The more complex it was, the more variables there were, and the more variables there were, the higher the probability of failure. He put the memo down. He wanted to look at the mirror again. He returned to the bathroom. The halogen lights were still on. Junho stood in front of the mirror. It was the same face. A 25-year-old face. But now there was a different light in the eyes. Eyes that had lived 10 years were trapped inside a 25-year-old face. Junho touched the mirror with his hand. The glass was cold. His hand's reflection overlapped on the glass. Hand upon hand. The boundary between reality and mirror disappeared. He lowered his hand. "I can do this." His voice came out. It was his own voice. The voice of someone who had lived 10 years. But it came from a 25-year-old's throat. The man in the mirror opened and closed his mouth. The same movement. Junho left the bathroom. The clock showed 5:02 AM. Two hours and 58 minutes remained. He returned to the bedroom and lay down on the bed. This time, he closed his eyes. But sleep didn't come. It couldn't have. No one could sleep on a day like this. Junho stared at the ceiling. He opened his eyes again. In 50 minutes, the sun would rise. After that, time would start moving again. The memories from 10 years later would collide with reality, variables would appear, and the plan would fall apart. But Junho knew. That the face reflected in the mirror hadn't been ruined yet. And this time, he could make sure it didn't get ruined.

Chapter 2