Dream Breaker

"Ugh... Is it a cold? My body feels chilly."

Ever since I got a job, changing into a swimsuit has become a daily routine, but suddenly my spine felt cold.

It's as if a grudge-filled virgin ghost is glaring at me from behind!

But there was no one behind me. Instead, next to me,

"Tsk! I told you to take care of your health because you have a match."

My swimming coach, who looks after my well-being, clicked his tongue.

"It's okay, coach. It's not serious enough to affect my performance."

"We'll see that when we look at the match record later."

"Yes."

I didn't argue in a pathetic way either.

The results will tell.

The atmosphere of today's swimming pool was different from when we usually practice.

"......"

"......"

Swimmers in swimsuits were observing us from the stands with long towels over their shoulders.

'Young.'

Maybe it's because of the geniuses who pour out every year through P's aptitude test?

More energy than experience!

And beneath that was a solid confidence in their abilities. They all had arrogant expressions and attitudes.

"It's the second team."

"School representative? Then where is the first team?"

"The first team left for a camp training in the Pacific on a luxury cruise ship."

"Huh...."

Camp training on a luxury cruise ship?

I was lost for words at the stark discrimination divided by grades.

"We can go too. First, you have to get into the second team."

"But is the coach the same even if I get into the second team?"

"Why? Don't you like me?"

"Don't misunderstand. I'm just asking out of curiosity."

The coach answered while lightly massaging my shoulder.

"I go with you up to the first team. If you want to part with me early, you just have to become a national representative within a year."

"That seems impossible."

"That's up to you to do."

"......"

I was planning to live as an athlete for just one year until I found a stable job.

'I thought the coach didn't have high expectations either...?'

Apparently, his expectations are much higher than I anticipated.

"You don't need to feel pressured. Just do as you did yesterday."

"Yes."

I had no intention of slacking off to lower those expectations.

If you've started something, do it diligently!

That's why I've been trusted by the convenience store owner for a long time.

"He's finally coming."

The coach gestured with his eyes.

"... Geez."

Even without a second look, it was clear from a distance that he had longer arms and legs than me.

And the wide palm of his hand, which can push water away like a fish's fin!

That player had a physical advantage that Song Seon-young, whose aptitude was a swimmer, did not have.

"He's your opponent."

"Coach, just looking at his body, I think I'm going to lose."

"You're not bad either. For a general person."

"That's not comforting at all."

"Do you want to eat beef?"

"Oh! I suddenly feel energized! I will do my best!"

"Good! That's the spirit!"

While I was warming up and loosening my body, the coaches met and shook hands, asking each other how they were doing.

"Nice weather to be humiliated, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's raining, so even if you cry, it won't show. Haha!"

"Tsk tsk. Where did you pick up a kid who can't even get a proper meal?"

"I starved him to feed him a lot in the evening."

"I can't believe it. Can that flimsy body even finish the race?"

"You should worry about your player. I heard he's quite lazy..."

"Instead of listening to false rumors, you should prepare money to buy tuna sashimi."

"Oops! I forgot to prepare because I was thinking of winning."

"... Are you going to break the promise?"

"Who said I am breaking it? I said I would win."

"We'll see when the match results come out."

"Let's see after it's over."

An exciting battle began, with the coaches' psychological warfare being more intense than the players'.

* * *

"Save me~!"

"Ugh! Mom! Mom!"

"Help, help me!"

Without any warning, the apartment froze entirely, and people on the street froze instantly as if they had been put into liquid nitrogen.

And there was someone happily laughing in the middle of this gruesome scene...

"Uhahahaha!"

A silver-haired man wearing armor made of ice on his naked body without a single strand of clothes.

As unique as his outfit that defied common sense, everything he looked at froze solid.

Trees, grass, insects, people...

There were no living creatures around him.

"Shoot!"

"Fire!"

Bang Bang Bang Bang-

Because of this ability, the police and soldiers who couldn't approach him were shooting from a distance to contain him.

If he had been an ordinary violent criminal, he would have been suppressed by this overwhelming firepower.

"Haha! How amusing!"

But the bullets froze just before they touched the man's body and fell to the ground, causing no effective damage.

But they couldn't launch a missile in the middle of the city, could they?

They were utterly helpless.

"Request for reinforcement...!"

"He's coming!"

"Retreat! Everyone retreat~!"

"Move the defense line back!"

The police and soldiers could do nothing but provoke the man and run away like in a game of tag.

But I don't think this action is meaningless.

"Thank you!"

"Huff! Huff! I survived!"

Because it buys time for the citizens to escape.

"Ugh...!"

"Can you move?"

"My…. my legs are frozen..."

The damage was snowballing, with many more deaths than injuries.

So they didn't say it, but they all thought the same thing in their hearts.

'When is he coming?'

'Why is he so late?'

Did these feelings finally reach him?

Finally, the 'hero' arrived.

"The Magical Boy who protects the world has arrived...!"

The Magical Boy descended from the sky, fluttering his red cape.

Boom! Boom!

Despite not setting any stage devices, colorful fireworks burst from his left and right as he landed.

"It's the Magical Boy!"

"We're saved now!"

"Magical Boy~!"

The citizens, who were trembling due to the indiscriminate attacks of the murderer with surreal powers, let out cheers of relief.

The same goes for the soldiers and police who had to face a monster impervious to firearms to protect the property and lives of the people.

"Phew!"

"He's here."

They became soldiers and police out of a sense of duty that suits their aptitude, so they didn't turn a blind eye to crime or run away, but they are human too.

When they saw the 'evil', a monster that remained unscathed even after showering with dangerous bullets, they could only seek a god beyond despair.

And that god finally arrived.

"Don't worry now! The Magical Boy is here!"

Choi Kang-min, who changed not only his appearance but also his voice and speech like a child.

As always, he charged to take down the villain.

"Magical Boy...!"

The man, who had been victimized countless times by the Magical Boy, glared at him as if he were his sworn enemy.

Whooosh~!

A blizzard that even froze the air blew.

"Cool, isn't it?"

But Choi Kang-min broke through that attack, which had taken countless lives, as if it was nothing.

"Magical Boy! Don't underestimate me!"

"I don't want to."

"You're interfering agai- Choke?!"

Crash-!

The man's ice armor was effortlessly destroyed by the staff that the Magical Boy swung like a blunt weapon.

A single blow.

The villain's demise, who had driven the city into fear, was too anticlimactic.

"The Magical Boy won!"

"Our hero! Magical boy!"

"Long live the Magical Boy!"

People who were watching from afar cheered for him, the savior of the city.

"Ugh..."

"Quickly cover his eyes and capture him!"

"Yes, officer!"

The defeated murderer went back to prison instead of executing him...

The purpose is to research surreal powers, educate villains, and turn them into public servants dedicated to humanity!

However, the plot of escaping from prison, committing a crime, and being caught again by the Magical Boy has been repeated for 20 years.

"Magical boy. Thank you."

"Don't worry about it! I didn't do it to receive thanks!"

Choi Kang-min, who met the on-site manager, answered humbly and in an innocent voice as usual.

"But you were a bit late."

"......"

"I don't blame you, but please know that the damage was severe."

"......"

"There have been rumors that you've been late frequently these days..."

"...It's just a rumor!"

Choi Kang-min answered, struggling to maintain his about-to-crumble expression.

"Don't worry about it. It's not right to complain when we're unilaterally receiving help."

"......"

What's the point of saying don't worry after you've already said it?

Choi Kang-min wanted to smash the head of the on-site manager.

No-

'You, I'll remember you.'

If it's the word of Choi Kang-min, the businessman, not the Magical Boy, it's not a big deal to pull down a mere public servant.

I'll make him retire in disgrace without a pension, even creating a crime if it doesn't exist!

"I'll get going!"

"Take care."

The on-site manager, who didn't know his life was already over, saluted.

Boom! Boom!

The exit was also colorful with fireworks!

But as soon as Choi Kang-min, who flew high into the sky, confirmed that there were no onlookers around, he yelled.

"Damn...! Damn it...!"

It's not a baseless rumor. It's a fact that he has been late to the scene recently.

If the reason for being late was significant, it would be different...

'What the hell is the problem!'

I've noticed that I've been spacing out a lot without thinking.

The Magical Boy, who can fly to the other side of the Earth in a second, spacing out?

No one would believe it.

(...Chairman!)

"Ah!"

Choi Kang-min was startled by the desperate voice of the secretary coming from the communication device in his ear.

Did he spaceout again during that time?

He had no idea.

(You need to come back quickly. People are starting to suspect.)

"...How long was I silent?"

(About 5 seconds.)

"Okay."

By the time he responded, he had already returned from being the Magical Boy to businessman Choi Kang-min.

The time it took to get here was only 1 second.

If he hadn't been spacing out, he would have returned to the company much faster.

"Chairman. Please head to the conference room."

The secretary, who had taken her mouth off the communication device, wasn't surprised as this was a common occurrence.

"How late am I?"

"23 seconds."

"Tsk. The impatient shareholders must have said something."

"Yes, they did."

Choi Kang-min is not usually late.

But in this world where businesses are won or lost by a second difference, it's extremely critical!

The same goes for the work of the Magical Boy who saves the world. It doesn't take minutes for a city to be destroyed and people to die.

Moreover, the 'evil' he faces are all surreal entities specialized in mass murder!

Therefore, the damage increases enormously every time he arrives at the scene a second late.

"There are complaints."

"Who is complaining?"

"Not the media. We have firm control over that. Mostly on private websites..."

"What about the sycophants?"

The part-time fan club that always praises the Magical Boy!

Their numbers may be small, but the voluntary fan club has gathered steadily over 20 years and become an iron fortress.

However...

"With the families of the victims at the center, it's not easy due to the spread of sympathy."

"Then hire hackers to shut down the site altogether."

"Yes, Chairman."

Choi Kang-min, who was giving instructions to the secretary, felt his insides burning.

A controversy that wouldn't have existed if he hadn't been late.

It was all the more embarrassing because there had never been such a case in 20 years.

'Why on earth!'

His body is perfectly fine, but he's been zoning out for a few seconds more frequently. And the trend is increasing.

He couldn't figure out the cause.

However,

"Why Kang Moon-soo..."

The face of a man who claimed that this world was a dream and that he was about to die kept coming to mind.

'No! Absolutely not!'

Flash!

Madness was in Choi Kang-min's eyes as he denied it.

* * *

"Match over! The winner is Kang Moon-soo...!"

"Huh? Really?"

My aptitude is a shaman, isn't it?

In reality, not a dream, he had beaten the swimmer.

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