This Life’s Universal Superstar
Chapter 3

Oh no. What did I just do?

“Are you all right?”

I rushed over to the officer, who was now groaning on the marble floor.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

“I-it’s fine.”

“Here, let me help you up.”

As I steadied him, my mind raced.

What on earth just happened?

In a flash, my body had moved on its own and thrown a stranger to the ground. The officer looked just as confused as I felt. I had just used the same move as the one from the action movie playing on the lobby TV.

“Hello, Mr. Sun.”

After relocating to the hospital café, the man introduced himself.

“I’m the inspector in charge of this case from the Eunpyeong Police Department.”

“Hello.”

With his cropped hair, tan, and strong features, he looked every bit like a police inspector. He handed me a business card.

—Jang Gyeongil, Traffic Investigation Division

“Oh, by the way… Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said with a chuckle. “I was on a judo team back in the day, so something like that’s nothing— Ow!”

“Are you sure?”

“Ah… Yes, yes, completely fine.”

He looked like he was in pain, but I decided not to push it.

“That was quite a throw. You must have a lot of experience for that to come out on instinct. Were you an athlete or something?”

“Oh… Yes, something like that…”

“I figured.”

I couldn’t exactly explain how I had accidentally copied a stunt from a movie, so I went along with it. Inspector Jang pulled out his notebook and asked for my account of the accident. I answered as best I could, recounting all the details I remembered. When he finished, I asked something that I had been wondering all day.

“Was the driver drunk? His car was all over the place.”

“No, actually. He’s an epilepsy patient. From what he said, he had a seizure right after dropping his daughter off for her exam.”

“Epilepsy patients can drive?”

“Yes,” Inspector Jang replied with a nod. “It’s a bit complicated, but legally, he met the requirements to have a license.”

“I see…”

I felt a pang of bitterness, realizing I had missed my exam because of another test-taker’s family.

“So what happens now?” I asked.

“He’ll be charged. Regardless of the cause, he nearly killed two people.”

It sank in just how close I had come to losing my life. Running in front of a speeding car had been completely reckless. Would I do it again? Honestly, I wasn’t sure I would. My life mattered, and there was only one person who lived for me.

“Have you been able to reach your family?”

“My grandmother lives in Gunsan. I tried calling, but her phone’s been off. She’s probably still at the temple, praying for my exam.”

“Oh…” Inspector Jang gave me a sympathetic look and quickly changed the subject. “It might be hard to see it now, but you did something admirable.”

“Thank you.”

I had heard the same thing so many times all day. This must have been the twenty-sixth time.

Then, he added something different, “You’re probably feeling frustrated, maybe even angry, but life has a funny way of rewarding good deeds.”

“Sorry?”

“Things are about to get better for you.”

He smiled as he packed away his notebook.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know what hospitals and police stations have in common?” he asked cryptically.

“No… What?”

“They’re both places where news spreads fast.”

As he extended his hand, I shook it, confused.

News spreads fast?

I was still puzzling over his words as we left the café together, but it became clear immediately.

“Oh! There he is!”

In seconds, I was surrounded by a crowd. It took me a moment to process what was happening. The crowd was a mix of men and women, some dressed in business attire and others in casual clothes. As soon as I noticed a person with a camera on their shoulder, it all clicked. One of them stepped forward and handed me a business card.

“Hello, Mr. Sun. I’m No Yonggi, a reporter with KTN. Do you have a few minutes for an interview?”

I stared at him blankly, and then it all started to make sense.

So that’s what the inspector meant.

News of the incident must have spread quickly through the hospital and among the police staff. I had to admit, it would make a compelling story—a student on his way to the college entrance exam risking his life to save an elderly man pushing a cart. I looked down at the business cards the reporters handed me and smiled.

“Sure, I have time for an interview.”

I remembered a phrase from one of my English study guides—“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” It meant that when life throws challenges your way, you should turn them into opportunities. And since things had already turned out this way, I figured I might as well make the most of it. I was ready to make some lemonade.

***

That evening, I turned on KTN News. A middle-aged anchor with neatly combed hair appeared on the screen. A headline reading 2014 College Entrance Exam Day flashed behind him as he began speaking.

“This is Issue Talk, where we cover the internet’s top trending stories. Anchor Hong Aran, could you tell us more?”

“Yes, of course.”

The screen shifted to a female anchor standing in front of a display of top search terms.

“Today, on college exam day, we have a story that’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming.”

“Yes, please share the details.”

Anchor Hong tapped the screen, which zoomed in on the number one search term.

“The trending topic we will be discussing today is ‘The Hero Samaritan of Galhyeon-dong,’ which has held the top spot in real-time searches since this morning. Let’s take a look at the footage.”

The video was slightly grainy, with a caption noting the footage came from a nearby car’s dashcam. It showed an elderly man struggling to push a cart, followed by a young man in a yellow jacket walking over to help him. The screen then switched to CCTV footage of a car speeding down the street. The young man sprinted forward, pushing the elderly man out of harm’s way. The video had no sound, but the cart shattered instantly, scattering debris everywhere. After a few spins, the car finally came to a stop. The screen returned to the news anchors.

“This accident happened around 6 A.M. in front of a high school in Eunpyeong-gu’s Galhyeon-dong area. The vehicle lost control, leading to the incident. Police reports reveal that the driver, who was diagnosed with epilepsy last year, experienced a seizure and accidentally pressed the gas pedal.”

“A tragic situation. Were there any casualties?”

“Thankfully, no. As you saw, Mr. Choi, the elderly man in his seventies, was nearly hit but was saved by a passerby.”

“And this rescuer’s identity has been the day’s hot topic, correct?”

“Yes, it has.”

Anchor Hong tapped the screen again, pulling up a video thumbnail of the young man in the yellow jacket.

“The young man, who risked his life, was a student on his way to the college entrance exam. Here’s an exclusive interview conducted by Reporter No earlier today.”

The screen cut to footage of the young man in a café, wearing a black sweater after having taken off his yellow jacket. He looked a bit tired, but he was very handsome. The young man gave a slight, bittersweet smile.

[Sun Woojoo / Hero of Galhyeon-dong]: “Do I regret it?”

[Sun Woojoo / Hero of Galhyeon-dong]: “Sure, it’s a shame to miss the exam, but human life is more important. I can retake the exam anytime, but how many chances will I get to save a life?”

[Reporter]: “What were you thinking when you ran in to help?”

[Sun Woojoo / Hero of Galhyeon-dong]: “Oh, then? Honestly… Nothing. My body just moved on its own.”

The brief clip ended, and the broadcast returned to the studio. Anchor Hong looked directly into the camera and then continued.

“That was an interview with Mr. Sun, the Hero of Galhyeon-dong. Despite tumbling down the hill, he fortunately suffered only a mild concussion. As it turns out, he was a top scorer in recent practice exams, making his sacrifice even more remarkable.”

“A touching yet bittersweet story. How is the elderly man doing?”

“Mr. Choi was taken to the hospital and treated for a fractured rib and some bruising. He’s expected to make a full recovery.”

“That’s very fortunate.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“This incident has also sparked public debate over licensing regulations for individuals with certain medical conditions.”

I turned off the news. When I checked my phone, I saw my name plastered across all the major news sites.

[Student Saves Elderly Man’s Life On College Entrance Exam Day]

[“Hero of Galhyeon-dong” Sun Woojoo: “All this attention feels like too much for something small.”]

[Seoul Metropolitan Police Considers Awarding the Galhyeon-dong Hero]

Taking in the cold night air, I looked up at the dark sky. Life was full of strange twists. When I was a trainee, I often imagined what it would feel like to be famous, to have people recognize me just by my name. Now, I was finally getting a taste of that.

Of course, I knew better than anyone that this kind of attention wouldn’t last, but tonight, I was probably more famous than any trainee out there. And it wasn’t just my “hero” status catching people’s attention online. Screenshots of my interview had gone viral, with hundreds of comments in online communities.

- Wow, he’s really good looking lol

- He looks so young. I thought he was still in high school!

- If I owned a cram school, I’d sponsor his tuition just to have him!

The compliments were endless and almost embarrassing, but I kept scrolling. The attention was nice, although it felt strange. After all, two years of studying had just gone down the drain. I blew out a sigh. I looked back at the night sky, then down at my phone, which was buzzing nonstop with notifications—texts and calls from close friends, acquaintances I barely talked to, and even people whose names I hardly remembered. My usually quiet phone was practically overheating from all the messages pouring in. Most were probably checking in after seeing the news, but I couldn’t deal with that right now. There was something more important on my mind.

I looked down at the baseball in my hand. The school field was dark and empty—the school lights were off since it was exam night. I gripped the ball tightly. I needed to figure out what had happened in the hospital lobby. Just as I was about to throw the ball toward the bleachers as part of my little experiment, my phone vibrated again. When I saw the caller ID, I froze.

Why is he calling me?

I answered, “Hello?”

“Oh, you picked up.”

The man sounded surprised, and I couldn’t help but pout.

“What kind of greeting is that?” I replied.

“Wow. So you haven’t forgotten about me yet.”

“Of course not.”

“Good to know my networking skills haven’t failed me.”

“You must be feeling better, seeing as you’re making jokes.”

The caller was Yoon Seokhwan, my former manager back when I was a trainee.

“How’s your back? I heard you had to quit soon after I left because of a herniated disc,” I asked.

“Who told you that?”

“Taehyeon.”

Han Taehyeon was one of my fellow trainees from TNT’s debut lineup. We had kept in touch for a while after I left, but after I enlisted, I had only been able to follow his updates on TV.

“So, are you doing okay now?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I went back to work while you were in the military.”

“To TJ Entertainment?”

“I tried, but they’d already filled my position. You know how it is in big companies.”

“Yeah, that sounds like them.”

We shared a laugh, both grumbling a little about the industry.

“So, why’d you call?” I asked.

“Do I need a reason to call?”

“Yes.”

Seokhwan was silent for a moment.

“You’re calling for a reason, aren’t you? Just tell me. I don’t mind.”

“Well, I actually have a proposal for you,” he finally admitted.

“And you can’t just say it over the phone?”

“Come on, you know how it works in this business. These things are always done face-to-face. Are you free tonight?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Great. Let’s meet up, then. We can catch up too. I’ll treat you to dinner.”

My stomach growled. Now that he mentioned it, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day with everything that had happened. I cleared my throat, feeling the empty ache in my stomach.

“All right, but nothing too fancy.”

“I’ve got the company card, so you can pick anything you want.”

“Rib eye steak.”

“Rib eye?”

“Yeah, not just any rib eye. A5 marbled rib eye.”

“Aren’t you usually more of a pork guy?”

He wasn’t wrong. I had always preferred pork, and I still did. But for some reason, my last memory after slipping on the ice was incredibly clear.

Three servings of sirloin for 45,000 won.

If not for that, I probably would have just asked for pork belly.

“Man, you know how to take advantage of a free meal. All right, I know a great place. You’re still in Eunpyeong-gu, right, Woojoo?”

“How’d you know?”

“How do you think? Your face is all over the internet right now.”

I hadn’t realized the news had spread so widely.

“I’ll text you the address,” he said.

“It might take me a bit to get there.”

“How long?”

I rolled the baseball in my hand.

“I just have something to take care of first.”

“All right. Just text me when you’re on your way.”

After I hung up, I stood and brushed the dust off my pants with one hand while opening MeTube on my phone with the other.

[MLB Top Plays]

I clicked on a compilation of baseball highlights, and the video started with background music. I watched closely, absorbing each pitch and catch. Several minutes later, the video ended, and an ad started playing. By then, I was certain. The entire time I had watched the video, I had felt a strange sensation—something I couldn’t easily describe. It was like I was tapping into a sense beyond the usual five, something almost instinctual.

This little experiment was to test that feeling. With a rough sense of the moves, I set my phone on the bleachers to record. I backed up, creating some distance, then took the stance for pitching. The moment I focused on throwing, my body took over. It was the same sensation I had felt when I instinctively flipped the officer this morning—it was as if my body had a mind of its own. I felt a sharp pull in my shoulder as I twisted farther than usual, but the discomfort faded quickly. My arm swung in a perfect arc. The baseball shot forward, slamming into the bleachers before rolling to a stop.

Instead of picking up the ball, I rushed over to grab my phone and check the recording. I played the first video I had recorded before watching the clips. I cringed immediately. Every movement looked stiff and awkward, my limbs jerky and uncoordinated. No wonder they called me “The Robot” when I was a trainee. The ball left my hand with zero finesse. I had thrown a few more pitches in that video, but it wasn’t worth watching any further. I quickly exited and clicked on the next recording. The second video had barely started when I found myself holding my breath.

Is that… me?

Everything was different. My form, my focus, my posture—all of it was surprisingly good. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked like I could hold my own in a game. These two videos had been recorded just five minutes apart, yet somehow, in that short time, my form had improved so much that I could hardly believe it.

There was only one possible explanation for such a huge leap in skill—I had just watched professional pitching clips. My suspicion was starting to solidify into certainty. It seemed like I could imitate movements perfectly after seeing them just once. I had no idea why, though. Maybe the concussion had rewired something in my brain, or maybe this was the universe’s way of rewarding me for my good deed. Regardless, two things were certain.

“Ah!”

A sharp pain shot through my thigh. In my attempt to mimic a pro-level pitch, I had pushed my leg past its usual limits. Grimacing, I rubbed my sore thigh. My body wasn’t equipped to handle the movement I had just performed. Nothing in life comes for free—that was the first truth I was certain of. And the second? A new path had just opened before me.