The stranger's eyelids fluttered as if caught in a storm. A rough hand shook him awake, and he groaned.
Cheol Gae (leaning over): "Are you alive?"Gao Zhi (exhaling in relief): "Finally—you're awake. You passed out yesterday. Probably exhaustion."
The stranger tried to speak.Stranger: "I thought you said my memories were sealed and I—"Gao Zhi (cutting him off): "We'll discuss that after school. For now: get ready. We need to leave—now."
In the bathing room, ice-cold water hit the stranger's skin. No mirror. No brush. No toiletries. He forced the thoughts aside and scrubbed himself awake. Wrapping the thin towel Cheol Gae had offered, he padded out and asked for clothes.
Cheol Gae handed over loose, baggy night trousers and a tight tank top. The stranger stared at himself—his slim frame swallowed by fabric two sizes too large. He gulped, then shrugged on the clothes.
Outside, the morning air was fresh. As they reached the gate, the landlady—a wizened old woman—called out:
Landlady: "Oi, Gae! Who's this young lad with you?"Gao Zhi (smiling politely): "He's my cousin."Landlady: "What's his name, then?"Gao Zhi: "His name is—"Stranger (stepping forward): "Inglen Thoithoi."
The landlady's eyes widened.Landlady: "Thoithoi? From the South? He's quite the look—might almost pass for a girl if not for those clothes! Is he from your aunt's side?"Gao Zhi (agreeing): "He has his own style."
Cheol Gae (smirking): "No, from his uncles side"
The landlady ducked back inside, muttering about "modern fashions," and the three set off toward the university.
Walking, Gao Zhi nudged Inglen.Gao Zhi: "That's a fine name you came up with."Inglen: "It came from my memories."Gao Zhi (intrigued): "We'll talk more after classes."
They reached the gates, where a stern guard barred their path.Guard: "Gao Zhi—who's this?"Gao Zhi (quickly): "He's my cousin. He'd like work here—as a janitor."
Inglen glanced around the modest campus courtyards, low buildings and quiet lawns. Few students had arrived, but whispers followed them—some teasing about the new face, others curious about his odd outfit.
At the dean's office, they entered a small chamber. Behind a cluttered desk sat a rotund, nearly bald man with a pointed nose.
Dean (peering over spectacles): "Gao Zhi—this is?"Gao Zhi: "Inglen Thoithoi, sir. He'd like a janitor position."Dean (rubbing his chin): "We don't need a janitor today. But… there is an opening as gardener in Miss Larisa Petrovna's lab."
Inglen nodded. "That's fine."
Gao Zhi and Cheol Gae exchanged worried glances. Miss Petrovna was known for her exacting standards—her exotic greenhouse was as famous as her temper.
Before they could speak, the bell on the door jingled. A young woman stepped in for a teaching interview. The dean gave inglen a set of gardning clothes and wheeled them all out with an wave
Cheol Gae, Gao Zhi, and Inglen filed out into the hallway. Cheol gave Inglen a supportive nod, Gao Zhi offered an encouraging grin, and Inglen straightened his oversized trousers.
Today, Inglen Thoithoi would plant seeds—both in the greenhouse and in his new life. And from the looks of the morning sun, nothing here was going to be easy… or ordinary.