• Chapter 1.

“It’s lung cancer.”

Blink. Blink.

“Did you hear me, Ms. Seo?”

Nod. Nod.

“The cancer has already spread to your ribs, so surgery isn’t an option. Unfortunately, we’ve also missed the window for chemotherapy…”

“But I don’t even smoke.”

“Lung cancer doesn’t only affect smokers. Broadly speaking, there are two types of lung cancer: small cell and non-small cell…”

Sure, I’ve always had a bit of a lingering cough. 

That’s why I came in for a check-up. 

But to go from that to “Stage 4 lung cancer”? 

Feels like we’re moving a little fast, don’t you think?

“You said you don’t have any family?”

Nod. Nod.

“Is there anyone else—a friend, maybe—who could support you through this?”

Shake. Shake.

The doctor’s gaze softened, he seemed more sympathetic now than when he first broke the news. 

Ah. 

So, being alone in this world is apparently sadder than terminal cancer. 

Interesting. 

“How long do I have?”

“With this level of progression… three to six months, I would say.”

So, to sum it up:  

Seo Joo-young, twenty-four years old.  

A terminal cancer patient, with half a year left to live. 

# 

The first thing I did after receiving my terminal diagnosis was check my bank account. 

— Balance: 30,059,948 KRW

I’d saved up about 30 million won. 

With only six months left, that’s 5 million won to spend each month. 

No one to leave it to, so I might as well go out with a bang. 

I stopped by the department store for that fancy wine I’d been eyeing and ordered the priciest steak on the delivery app.

This wine!

It’s unlike any wine I’ve known. 

Is this what wealth tastes like? 

And the steak! 

How could meat be this succulent? 

I guess money really does buy happiness. 

As the wine warmed my body, I flipped through my phone contacts.

Under “K,” I spotted “Kae Min-seok.” 

He’s the team leader at the call center where I work. 

His surname is not actually “Kae (dog),” but that’s what I call him anyways. 

I hesitated for a moment, then sent a text.

— I’m not coming in tomorrow. Don’t be an asshole, Kae Min-seok.

For a second, I thought about calling instead. 

But there’s no way I’m saying that over the phone? 

*Bzzz! Bzzz!*

My phone started to vibrate like mad. 

Looks like Kae read the message. 

I ignored his repeated calls until finally, a text came through.

— Seo Joo-young! Why aren’t you picking up? Have you lost your mind? Your behavior reflects your upbringing, raised with no proper adult guidance. What do you think you are? 

Oh, he’s mad. 

Well, it makes sense. 

Even the most serene person would get mad if their quietest employee suddenly texted, “Kae Min-seok!” like that.

It’s practically calling him a bitch.

*Bzzz! Bzzz!*

Persistent, isn’t he? 

Kate proceeded to call me eighteen more times, even switching numbers. 

Before he could hit nineteen, I sent him another text.

— Turns out I have cancer. Goodbye.

That finally shut him up. 

Hmmm. 

We’ve worked together for years, and he doesn’t even say “take care, die well?” 

That’s cold. 

But then again, who am I to talk?

Anyways, I no longer needed to go to work. 

I’d already reserved my spot in a hospice, and sold off unnecessary belongings. 

I’ve got no family, no friends to say goodbye to—except maybe Kae Min-seok. 

To sum up, it took me a single day to sort out my life of 24 years. 

Well, they say minimalism is all the rage. 

This is minimalism at its finest.

I sprawled out on my bed, opened my phone, and started my favorite game. 

But for some reason… I couldn’t focus. 

It was the same with movies, or even YouTube. 

I could see, but none of what I saw sunk in. 

I could hear, but not listen. 

“What’s wrong with me?”

This is weird. 

I thought I had no attachments to life — no unfulfilled dreams, no one who’d mourn me. 

I’m an orphan. 

My mom passed away when I was born, and my dad died in a car accident when I was still in high school.

I don’t remember saying goodbye to my mom, but I definitely remember losing Dad. 

It shook me, I guess. 

He had worked harder than anyone; he was an earnest man. 

And what for? 

To live like that, only to have a single truck end everything. 

It was all pointless: saving for a house, saving for my college tuition, giving all his energy and health, hustling for a better life. 

But. 

There are just way too many trucks roaming in Seoul for that kind of dream to come true. 

I grasped that truth at an early age, and embraced the art of “giving up.” 

So, I dropped out of school and spent my days lost in movies, manga, dramas, anime, novels, games, etc. 

Some people pitied me, but I was happy. 

Not many people their lives as fully as I do. 

Hooray for the room-bound life!

If life were a coming-of-age tv show, a passionate teacher would burst into my house, saying, “Come back to school! Your friends are waiting!” 

But real life doesn’t work like that. 

It’s not that my teacher was a bad person. 

I mean, he came by my place to help me drop out of school. 

I spent my dad’s savings bit by bit, and when my balance started to dry up, I got a job at a call center. 

It wasn’t my dream job, but it was bearable — aside from the psychopath Kae. 

All I had to do was memorize the script, rattle off “I’m so sorry, dear customer!” and repeat “We love you, dear customer!” like a parrot; and the paycheck rolled in each month.

I was a soulless parrot for eight hours every day. 

Then, after work, transformed to a human and savored my paradise. 

I was content. 

But maybe, to god, I looked a bit too lazy. 

Maybe that’s why he or she decided to pull the plug on me. 

Ugh, this is annoying. 

I closed my Netflix app and opened the web novel app instead. 

But… something was definitely off. 

When I was working, I never had enough time to read. 

Now, with nothing but time, I couldn’t focus.

I switched between dramas, movies, novels, and games, finally tossing my phone aside in frustration.

Tick-tock.

Lying on my bed, the only sound I could hear clock ticking. 

Maybe I should switch to a digital clocking; the sound was grating my nerves. 

It was that moment. 

A novel I’d read a few months ago popped into my mind.

What was the title again? 

Something Academy something…. 

I felt a sudden urge to read it again, and dove into a frantic search. 

And I found it. 

❮I Possessed a Character in a Doomed Academy❯

A bit dramatic, isn’t it? 

No clue why this novel popped into my head—I’d actually dropped it ages ago. 

I had my reasons.

First, I’m not a fan of “academy” stories. 

If I were that crazy about school, I probably would’ve finished it. 

Second, ❮Doomed Academy❯ has so many “seriously, author?” moments. 

I had to stop and wonder why the author made such unreasonable choices. 

But the main reason? 

It’s an endless string of infuriating deaths. 

Just as things start to get interesting, a criminal mastermind pops up, and bam—our protagonist’s friends are brutally taken out. 

The cycle repeated: progress, mastermind, death, let’s go again. 

Readers left in droves, and I wisely followed suit.

Yet, somehow, this author kept posting new chapters.

For free.

Even when the readership dwindled to nothing. 

I’ve got to hand it to them for their tenacity.

I don’t know why I thought of this novel now, but since I have time to kill, why not give it another go? 

It’s like watching a bad TV show — maybe it’s entertaining in its own way. 

Plus, I have all the time in the world now. 

Well, six months, but still.

So I dove back in…

And was surprised. 

What? 

I was drawn into the story, and couldn’t believe I had ever dropped it in the first place. 

Maybe I’m seeing it through rose-tinted glasses. 

Whatever, the reason, all the flaws suddenly became endearing.

“Ugh! The side characters are hogging the spotlight!” became  “Look at this nuanced character work!”  

Those endless bits of unnecessary exposition? 

“Such rich world-building!”

Most of all, I found myself loving this grim, dark world.  

Cancer is a minor inconvenience, in comparison. 

It’s much better to die with a few coughs — I mean, compared to getting ripped apart by monsters.  

What about watching all your friends die in front of your eyes? 

I guarantee, it’s much more preferable to be alone from the start, thank you very much.

And that’s how, at the end of my life, I’ve found my masterpiece.

# 

The masterpiece ended. 

In the worst way possible — every single character dead.

With a hollow laugh, I accessed the comments, only to find everyone else reeling in similar dismay.

「Has the author lost their mind?」  

「They didn’t even resolve many of the plot threads. An indefinite hiatus would’ve been better than this ending.」  

「Why bother with a remake, if this is the outcome?」  

「If you have any integrity at all, don’t even think about changing your pen name.」  

「After investing in these characters for over 400 chapters, I’m regretting reading it at all. Please show some responsibility next time as a writer — though I won’t be reading it.」

The comments ranged from angry rants to foul-mouthed grievances, from disappointed sympathizers to moral high-grounders.  

Scrolling through, I felt compelled to leave my own: Give me back my time! Spit back my money!  

My fingers hovered over the keyboard… but I held back just in time.  

I mean, I’m down to two months. 

What good will it do to express my rage? 

If I were going to live longer, maybe. 

But to commit such sin right before Judgment Day? 

Besides, to be honest…. 

I savored every moment of that novel. 

For the past few months, this story had been my anchor. 

I rooted for those kids, who did not give up, no matter what. 

I cheered for their happiness, and every character felt intensely intimate. 

Also…

‘How could I be mad at this face?’

The illustrations the author shared were the bright points in my numbered days.  

Beauty is truth, after all! 

Even a brutal ending has its own charm when good-looking people are involved.

「Thank you for all your hard work. I’d have preferred a different ending, but the time spent with these characters made me happy. Best of luck on your next work.」

This is the comment I ended up leaving. 

Then, it hit me. 

That unexpected void. 

I still had two months on the clock.  

No other story could pull me in quite like this one did.  

So… I decided to re-read it. 

All over again. 

# 

*Cough, cough!*

This cursed cough.

One more fit, and I might hack up a lung.  

Pain gnawed at every part of me, my vision blurred, but I kept scrolling.  

For the past few months, my one hobby has been rereading the ❮Doomed Academy.❯ 

Don’t I get sick of it? 

Nope! 

Each reread reveals a new, unknown side of my favorite characters — so there’s no time to get bored.

*Cough, cough!*

Feels like someone’s driving a blade straight into my lungs.  

Just as I’m about to start my 34th reread, my hands start shaking uncontrollably.  

These coughing fits have dwindled to two-second breaks, and every breath scrapes like metal.  

This is it. 

My last read.  

That thought stirred up something wild in me.  

Instead of tapping into Chapter 1, I foudnd myself sending a message to the author.

— Dear Author, I’m a terminal lung cancer patient…  

— Any chance you’d consider revising the ending?  

— I’d give you my entire life savings if you’d just…

Driven by some madness I can’t explain, I flooded the author’s inbox with numerous such messages.  

Just fix the ending! 

That’s all I ask!  

Let me leave this world, after seeing my favorite characters happy.  

Come on, it’s my dying wish! 

And just as I was spamming like a madwoman—

— Hello, dear reader.

A reply.