Prologue - This is Us

[There are three ways to survive in a ruined world. Now, I have forgotten a few, but one thing is certain. The fact that you who are reading these words will survive for sure.]
***

I am Ha Kun.

That is not your typical Korean name.

But my parents had never bent to the rules of anyone but themselves, and so, they decided to name me something... ‘special.’

They originally wanted to name me Hak-Kun, which meant ‘one with literary roots.’ They had always wanted me to be a reader, for some unknown reason. Whenever I asked them about it, they would just give me a mysterious smile.

But of course, they decided to make it into ‘Ha Kun.’

They had once told me when I was a little kid that in their secret language, Ha Kun meant ‘survivor.’ Not Korean, not English, not any known language in the world.

No, it was their own special language that no one else knew.

Years after they had told me this, I began to wonder if they had known what I would’ve gone through. The trials I would have faced, the companions I would befriend, and the souls I would vanquish.

My name is Ha Kun.

And this is my story.

***

I was always a troublemaker.

Everyone said so.

My parents, my friends, my teachers, and my peers.

I had a great talent for getting into trouble. I would skip class, disobey orders, have a very large collection of colorful swear words at my disposal...

I didn’t listen, I didn’t do anything great, and honestly, I couldn’t care less.

Hyun Ki, right?

“Wise and astute.”

That’s the meaning behind the name that doesn’t quite fit me. I am astute, that I admit. I am shrewd and cunning. But, I am far from wise.

I wonder what my parents would think of me now.

“Who are you without your mask?”

Someone had asked me that once.

I guess it took me a very long time to answer that question. Several lifetimes, in fact, just to find the answer to that one question.

So, let’s get started.

Chapter end