What It Means To Be A Hero

Jinhoo opened his eyes and noticed he was in a white world. There was no sound and nothing could be seen except white.

"Is this heaven?" He asked.

"No, just a place in between." A voice answered him making Jinhoo turn around but he saw nobody.

"In between what?"

"Living and the afterlife." The old man that explained to the woman what happened materialized in front of Jinhoo.

"Who are you?" Jinhoo asked.

"Someone that saw your struggle and found it interesting." The old man answered.

"Do you have a name?" 

"That's beyond you. Well, I am here to offer you a chance."

"What chance?"

"Chance to a better life." 

Jinhoo has no idea if this is a dream, but he has nothing to lose by listening to the man.

 "How?"

"You have two options, the first option is to survive the accident and become successful in whatever you do. To explain it in simple terms, if you want to become the president of the country, it would happen if you work towards it."

"So it won't just magically happen, I still have to work hard for it?" Jinhoo asked.

"Of course, nothing good comes easy." The old man chuckled. "But isn't it comforting knowing you will succeed in something as long as you work towards it."

"Yes, the thought is comforting." Jinhoo admitted. He thought about how the world would be a better place if humans struggle knowing they would eventually succeed.

"You can become the richest man alive, you can get the prettiest girl. You can have the money to change your look and become handsome. All these are little compared to what you can actually achieve." The thought of standing on top of the food chain was already exhilarating.

"You can even carry out your revenge." The smile on Jinhoo's face disappeared and the old man scoffed.

"Then the second option is to go back to your teenage years, before the scar." The old man paused for a moment as he noticed the reaction from Jinhoo. "You get the chance to change your life for the better. You may think it's the best option but unlike the first option, there is no guarantee you would succeed, you might end up having the worst life."

"What could be worse than this?" 

"You would be surprised if I show you." The old man shrugged. "So, which option are you choosing?"

Jinhoo sighed and thought about the possibility of all this being a dream or just a game God play before allowing people to cross over. He deliberated on the two options and thinking about it, he felt the first option is the best. He has the guarantee that he would succeed in everything he does as long as he works for it. Also, he can change his appearance and people would no longer see him as a monster. 

"I can even become the president and change the country, I would make sure no one does as Bella did." He muttered to himself but went silent as he thought about Bella. 

"I wouldn't have everything I need if I select the first option." 

"What do you mean?"

"Bella would still be dead, my parents would still be dead. I would still be empty inside even with all the riches." Bella became the reason for him to choose the second option even when it has a greater disadvantage.

"You might end up dying and Bella might still die. There is no guarantee that you would succeed if you choose the second option." The old man tried to make everything clear.

"I am well aware of that. I am taking the second option" Jinhoo has already made his decision.

"Alright, the choice is yours." As the man came forward to touch him, Jinhoo asked him another question.

"Why are you giving me this chance?"

"I have watched you for your whole life, and irrespective of the hardship you go through, you never gave up on life. You love the gift of life so you value it a lot, only selfish people are like that. So, I thought you were selfish and you would never put yourself in harm's way, but today you easily risked that life you value so much to save a young kid. Even now you are still struggling to stay alive, showing you didn't save the child because you don't value your life. You saved the child because you know life is sacred, that's the attribute of a hero."

"A hero?" Jinhoo scoffed at the man's words. Jinhoo has never thought of himself as a hero, it's something that has never crossed his chain of thought. Even as he was rushing to save the boy, it wasn't an act of heroism for him, he just didn't want a little boy to suffer.

"Hero doesn't put his life on the line because he doesn't value his life, he just does it because all lives are sacred. It would do you good to remember this." The man now placed his palm on his head. "Ahh, lest I forget, you will be awarded a point for every accomplishment and that points can be used to make yourself better." 

Jinhoo didn't understand what the man meant, and the man had no intention of explaining to him. The man felt it would be less interesting if he explained everything to Jinhoo, so he decided to leave some things for Jinhoo to find out by himself.

"I would be watching you." The man said as he pushed Jinhoo down and suddenly everything went dark.

"Jinhoo, Jinhoo." Jinhoo heard his name and the voice calling was his mother's voice. He instantly stood up and looked around the room he woke up from and recognized the room.

"It wasn't a dream." Jinhoo said as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Over the forty years old man has suddenly gone back to being a handsome teenager with no scar.

"Jinhoo, your friends are outside." Jinhoo's mother said from outside the room and Jinhoo couldn't help but rush outside to see his mother.

"Mom." Jinhoo said as his eyes turned glassy. He couldn't believe he would ever see his mother again.

"Are you alright?" She asked as Jinhoo wrapped his arms around her. 

"Yes, it was just a bad dream." Jinhoo replied.