Hot water

"Hey, Liam! Were you dozing off in class?"

"Huh?" Liam opened his eyes sluggishly, prompted by the voice calling him.

Suddenly, a stream of light gradually appeared, filling the room before Liam's eyes. It was a large classroom, with people sitting at various rows of desks, accompanied by the sound of hushed conversations. At the front was a large blackboard—a typical lecture hall in a university.

The unexpected scene left Liam a little disoriented and frozen in place.

Before he could fully recover, the murmuring voices fell silent, replaced by the creaking sound of the large door opening. A middle-aged man with white hair stepped in. He made his way to the podium, casting a stern gaze across the students.

"Today, we will be studying: Hypertension Diagnosis."

His eyes then fixed on one person.

"You there! Did you not get enough sleep last night? You can leave if you want, but if you're in my class, stay focused."

"Uh... Oh... Yes! I'm sorry!"

That person was none other than Liam. He instantly snapped to attention after the professor's rebuke.

"Alright then, let's start the lesson."

Without wasting any time, the professor turned on the projector and began his lecture.

"The first thing we will cover is the definition of hypertension."

...

Time passed quickly, and before long, the class had come to an end.

"Alright! If there are no more questions, you're dismissed!"

The old professor, looking tired after the lesson, left the room, followed by the familiar "click" of the door closing.

And once again, everything resumed as before—the familiar hum of conversations filled the room. Naturally, both Liam and his friend contributed to the noise.

At the back row, a black-haired guy with a mischievous grin spoke up:

"You must have been up playing games all night, huh?"

"Sigh... Bam, I don't know... Too many things are happening."

Liam glanced around, tired, and at his friend. Everything felt so familiar, just like the world he used to know. He wondered if this was all just a dream, but in any case, what had happened should be left behind. He wearily stood up, grabbed his bag, and left his seat.

"Let's head home."

Noticing his friend's downcast mood, Bam grew a little concerned and quickly followed him.

"Wait up!"

...

"Hey! You seem like you've got something on your mind."

"Hmm... What makes you say that?" Liam glanced sideways while dropping a coin into the vending machine.

Clink... Clink... Clink...

The sound of the Coke can moving echoed, but after a few moments, nothing came out.

Nearby, Bam chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Man, your luck is terrible... Let me take you to my cousin's café. I'll treat you, but on one condition—you've got to tell me what's going on."

"Tch!"

Liam frowned, frustrated at losing his money without getting what he wanted, but eventually accepted his fate.

"Fine, whatever you say." Liam shrugged. After all, what he had to say wasn't that big of a deal, and besides, he'd get free drinks and food.

"Let's go!"

...

"So that's what happened?" Bam leaned back comfortably against the large seat behind him.

"Yeah. The strange thing is, it all felt so real. I think I might be losing my mind. Maybe I need to get some sedatives."

"Man... Who knows... If everything happened the way you say, then maybe what's in front of you... is just an illusion."

"Huh..." Liam looked at Bam, surprised by his words. He couldn't believe Bam would say something like that.

Seeing Liam's expression, Bam smiled and took a sip of his cold drink.

"Don't forget who we are. If a patient's symptoms aren't lies, then there must be a cause for them."

"Everything has a reason, even if it's random."

Feeling the coolness of the beer bottle in his hand, Liam leaned back into his seat, his weariness apparent.

"Talk is cheap. If only your grades were as good as your words."

Bam flinched when Liam said that.

"Tsk. Don't hit me where it hurts."

Exhausted, Liam placed the cold beer bottle on his face, seeking comfort in the coolness.

Seeing this, Bam frowned. After all, Liam hated alcohol. But remembering what Liam had just said, Bam suddenly understood.

"Hmmm... Liam."

Clearing his throat, Bam said, "Do you remember the psychiatric module we studied?"

With the cold bottle pressed to his cheek, Liam replied without much thought,

"What do you mean?"

With a shrug, Bam sighed and answered,

"I seriously doubt your grades... Someone who's afraid of something will always avoid it and use something else to suppress that fear. In your case, I think you're afraid of fire or something related to heat."

"Why would you think I'm afraid of fire?"

Bam furrowed his brows, looking at Liam with a strange expression.

"I think you should take a look at your actions and think about what's been happening."

After hearing Bam's words, Liam realized something. The beer bottle was pressed against his cheek, and it felt oddly pleasant. He was surprised because normally, he would never drink alcohol, yet in that moment, in his desire to feel the cold, he hadn't hesitated to drink several cans and even place the bottle on his face.

But there was something even stranger—the beer he drank had no taste. He'd always heard that beer was bitter and made you feel warm inside when you drank it.

Just then, a chill ran down his spine. Liam shuddered, throwing the bottle to the ground.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Liam's sudden reaction, Bam became a little worried.

"What's wrong?"

Liam replied wearily,

"The beer I drank had no taste at all. It felt like plain cold water. Everything else I drank was normal."

"How is that possible?" Skeptical of what Liam had just said, Bam picked up the beer bottle Liam had thrown away and took a small lick.

Within seconds, Bam, one of the brightest medical students in the country, connected all the dots.

"Damn it!"

"So, everything you said is true. This is all just your imagination, but there's a flaw—it can't replicate things you've never tasted before."

"Given everything we've discussed, it all makes sense now!"

He turned to Liam, his emotions conflicted—both sad and relieved. Relieved that Liam had a second life, but sad because he couldn't join him.

"So... what will you do next?"

Liam looked up at the sky, staring at the fake world he had created in his mind.

"I don't know."

Perhaps this illusion was a blessing. If he returned, he'd face danger and torture, things he had already endured more than enough of. Besides, he didn't even know how to return. The answer was already in his mind, but he was too afraid to admit it.

"Well, it's up to you. The decision is yours. After all, I'm just an illusion you made up."

Bam sat across from Liam, pouring himself another beer and drinking it.

"So... any advice for me?" Liam sighed, looking at Bam who was leisurely drinking.

Finishing his beer in one gulp, Bam set the glass down and replied:

"Advice, huh... I always do what I like and what I want. If I can't, I just try harder because, in the end, mistakes happen. If you're asking for advice, I first need to ask you one question: What do you want? If you're lost on your path, just think back to where you started. If the road to your goal is too difficult, you have two choices—give up or keep going. Those choices will define who you are."

Listening to Bam's words made Liam ponder. What did he really want? It was a simple question, but it would decide the path he would take. Reflecting on his past and the new world he now faced, the answer seemed all too clear.

"I want to live. It's just... it's too hard, and I don't want to face it anymore. So, does that make my choice a cowardly one?"

"Huh. Well, who knows? What matters is whether that choice makes you uncomfortable. Does it go against your nature? If not, then even if it's cowardly, it's okay."

Bam shrugged, continuing to drink another bottle of beer.

Liam gazed outside through the large restaurant window. Cars moved along the streets, and people bustled about on the sidewalks, but everything felt so fake. The scene seemed lifeless, like a film being played on repeat, which made Liam a bit uneasy.

Taking a deep breath, Liam looked at Bam, who was casually sipping his beer.

"Get me a liter of boiling water!"