episode_0005

6 A.M.

An hour when the sun has yet to rise,

Thud!

The darkness of the room is shattered as the lights flicker on, breaking the silence that had lingered since dawn.

“Ugh~ Has it already become this time..?”

Just like any other day, the sun rises at 6 A.M., stretching diligently as if it were a routine for office workers.

While it might be a suitable waking time for working adults,

For Sun, who is nothing more than a middle school student,

It was an excessively early hour to rise.

However, Sun goes to bed early and wakes up early accordingly.

No late-night phone calls or gaming for him.

Using electronic devices before sleep is the archenemy of sound rest,

He doesn’t even like them in the first place.

Why waste time on such things? Instead, he puts effort into exercising during that time.

Sleep is truly the best remedy for all ailments!

As fatigue dissipates throughout the day, energy fills his body!

An essential element for living in this world,

Without health, no matter how hard you try to live, nothing takes precedence over it.

That’s the epitome of a righteous youth!

Like a bird catching the worm by rising early,

Self-care is fundamental for Sun.

Opening the window to feel the cool breeze and shake off drowsiness completely,

The first thing he does upon waking up

Is to turn on his phone and check the stock-related news, akin to a battlefield that unfolded overnight!

Though he thought it was too early to mention to his dad,

He continued to keep an eye on the stock market trends and make modest investments.

Since necessities for humans include eating, sleeping, and money,

And money is at least a modicum of dignity,

Without money, there’s no need to cling desperately or endure stress.

Moreover, letting my girls pay for our dates?

That’s something my pride can’t tolerate.

Preventing such situations beforehand is key.

Naturally, preparing a heartfelt birthday gift for Dad every year goes without saying.

Consistently studying strategies and accumulating data to profit, Kim Sun is relentless!

“Hmm, I think I can leave the remaining diversified investments as they are… Huh?”

An unnoticed notification catches his eye,

He checks the dozens of KakaoTalk messages and missed calls on his phone status bar.

KakaoTalk (25)

Missed Calls (12)

Sun, I keep thinking of you and can’t fall asleep hehe. Hey Sun, can I call you?

Sun… Sleep?

Sun… I bought new clothes today. I saw them while passing by and thought they’d look good on you when we go on a date.

“They must be tired; they’re not even sleeping.”

In the wee hours, Kim Sun’s KakaoTalk is flooded with numerous messages.

“There are too many messages to reply to individually.”

“I don’t have time to study in the morning.. Sigh.”

With too many messages to reply to one by one, he just turns off his phone.

“Well, we can talk about it later when we meet.”

What’s regrettable is not me but the girls.

The last thing he does before engaging in serious morning studies is to chat with girls!

Although some may boast about pulling all-nighters to catch up on missed studies,

I realized early on that it’s incredibly inefficient.

Why go through so much trouble studying like that?

If you sleep well and wake up early, things stick better in your memory, and your mind clears up effortlessly.

…

“… Am I getting taller?”

“It hasn’t been long since I changed uniforms, it feels a bit tight..”

“I’ll tell Dad later.”

Dressed in a slightly tighter uniform due to his growing stature, he finishes getting ready and heads out the door.

“Alright… Ready!”

“Today, I’m going to find a new girlfriend again!”

My day starts as usual, following a set routine.

Starting with seeing my favorite person in the world, Dad’s face,

And then, as soon as I descend the stairs, the scent of toast wafts gently towards me.

“Dad, are you awake?”

“Oh, Sun, good morning~”

As always, wearing an apron and preparing breakfast,

Dad greets me warmly with a smile, never showing irritation no matter how tough things get.

Alone, I’m always grateful to my dad who raised me with hardship until now. It’s a given that the son, Taeyang, who has repeatedly ignited his father’s heart countless times without realizing it, is a filial son.

“Since I’m making breakfast today.”

“Nah~ Breakfast is simple, so it doesn’t take much effort. Besides, Dad wakes up earlier and gets bored, plus he enjoys cooking.”

“Taeyang, you’re not playing around, right? Dad knows you wake up early to study and work hard.”

“…Thank you, Dad.”

“What for?”

A heartwarming conversation between a teenage son and his father, something one wouldn’t expect.

“Oh, right, son.”

“Yes?”

“I have a drinking appointment tonight, so I might have to eat alone.”

“I forgot to mention it was a sudden plan.”

“Okay, Dad, don’t drink too much.”

“Sure, sure.”

Enjoying a toast made by his dad, we engage in continuous pleasant conversation.

Finishing the leisurely meal, I realize it’s time to head to school.

I say goodbye to Dad and step out the front door.

“I’ll be back~”

“Come back safely~”

Heading out to school, the sun gradually rises, enveloping the once chilly morning streets in warm sunlight, a small healing moment in daily life.

This is why I can’t break the habit of waking up early!

“Ugh… still cold.”

“It’s already autumn…”

Even with a windbreaker on, the crisp autumn morning air seeps into every corner of my body, signaling the start of a good day.

“Hmm… how should I plan my day today?”

Maybe I’ll try solving some sample math problems since I’m a bit weak in that area.

For evening exercise,

since I worked on my chest yesterday, I’ll focus on my back today…

Let’s save leg day for next week.

As I meticulously plan my time to avoid wasting any, suddenly,

Bang!

The neighboring door slams open.

“Hey! Kim Taeyang!!”

A loud, irritated voice echoes from the early morning.

“Huh? Who’s making such a ruckus this early in the morning?”

“Huh?”

“Oohyo ~ www Look at our little beauty king’s friend~”

“This guy never gets tired of being annoying.”

“I warned you.”

“You still messing with my friends?

Because of you, I can’t show my face around here, you know?”

A fiery tone like an old man, but as I kept hearing it, it oddly became charming.

And this early morning, the angry childhood friend who got under my skin is Choi Se-hee.

With her black short hair, light makeup, a skirt neither too short nor too long, and no overly puffy blouse like others, she still confidently flaunts her presence with her two hills that catch the eye.

Clearly~

“Today’s starting off lucky from the morning~”

“This guy’s harassing me from the morning!”

“Ugh”

Feels like a punch.

Other girls easily brush it off when teased, but my childhood friend Se-hee doesn’t budge.

Strange… Se-hee doesn’t seem to hate it that much.

“What are you looking at!”

…Right?

“Do wrinkles form on your pretty face when you frown from the morning?”

“Because of whom, I can’t walk around with a smile.”

“www Who? The guy bothering our Se-hee? I should go give him a piece of my mind.”

“Sigh… Damn it.”

After the usual morning greeting(?), I walk to school alongside Se-hee.

“…So, after I warned you, you were holding back, but my friends contacted you first?”

“www What can I do? As a male, I’m way cooler than those anchovy-like juniors, so naturally, girls are drawn to strong males.”

“Stop talking about being a ‘male’ in front of me, you crazy guy.”

“I can’t understand why a lowlife like you is chasing after me.”

“Even if I keep working on it, isn’t it strange that you’re not coming over?”

“Now I’m tired… exhausted.”

“Blah blah blah.”

As they exchanged mundane everyday conversations, they found themselves in front of the school gate.

“I’m here..!”

“!”

“!”

“!”

The girls who had been waiting eagerly spotted their prey.

Their target: Kim Taeyang!

As soon as they entered through the gate, without any distinction between juniors and seniors, everyone surrounded Taeyang like a flock of birds attacking prey.

“Taeyang, did you fall asleep quickly..? Sorry, did I send you a pointless message..? I hope I didn’t wake you up with my noisy text while you were sleeping?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for bothering you, I won’t do it again. Don’t leave me, Taeyang, I only have you.”

“Taeyang, don’t you want to go eat together tonight? I know a famous place, of course, I’ll pay! Hehe..”

“Today, healing by looking at Senior Taeyang’s handsome face again!”

More chaotic than a market full of stray dogs.

“Hey, calm down, everyone! I just looked at his face because I was too lazy to talk!”

“….”

While being bombarded with questions non-stop,

Sehee, who had been standing next to him, was seen leaving abruptly and heading into the school building.

“Hey! Sehee, let’s go together!”

“Hmph! Kim Taeyang is so popular, people are piling up like mountains to praise him. If I go in with those people, it should be fine. I’ll go first!”

… Why is she like that?