Flap!
The king of hell flapped his wings fiercely as he flew around in the space.
Whoosh.
It was vast and mostly empty. The king lifted his chin and examined the movement patterns of every moving thing in the vicinity, before descending.
Whoosh!
Six legs were folded as the wings zapped. The former ruler of the underworld viciously and ruthlessly landed near his target.
Thud!
The king of hell satisfactorily licked his lips as he looked pompously around like the force of nature he was.
Feeble things around him grabbed his attention. The king of hell violently swept through the small crumb of chips... or so he thought. A fly swatter flew his way.
Wham!
The swatter slammed against the desk, and the king of hell barely managed to escape doom and flew away in time. He flapped his wings even more viciously to continue traveling, as colossal humans conversed with one another.
"Oh, no. It got away. You're terrible, girl."
"Ugh, it's not like I can use the spray in the hospital."
"Just give me the swatter."
"Oh, yeah? Let's see how you do it then."
"Watch and learn, haha."
The two nurses by the neatly maintained desk lightly bantered, and the king of hell instinctively knew it was dangerous here. He needed to get away. The fly's flapping of wings became even more diligent as he quickly traveled across the hallway of the hospital as the voice of the news reporter spoke through an old-school television in one of the rooms.
"Bringing news from the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. I'm sure everyone still remembers the outstretched leg of the skater who won the Republic of Korea the first gold medal in the Winter Olympics history. The same skater, Kihun Kim, has delivered another scintillating run to win gold in men's short-track skating for 1,000 meters. Connecting to a live reporter at the scene."
Buzz.
The sound from the television declined as the king of hell viciously flapped his wings and moved away from it. The fly continued traveling and headed inside the elevator, from which he barely escaped after ascending and descending a few floors. He then fiercely flew in the hallway of a different floor of the hospital, until a certain man clapped with pinpoint accuracy.
Slap! Pop!
The king of hell, who had ruled over the underworld tyrannously and mercilessly, was reborn into the body of a fly in a whole new dimension. And he just ended his new life.
"Eww. Why is there a stinking fly in the hospital?"
The man in his mid-thirties wiped his hand with the handkerchief, not realizing what accomplishment he had just made by slaying the supreme being that used to manage the underworld across the dimensions. He had no idea that the nonchalant clapping of his hands just crushed this force of nature to death. The man continued walking down the hallway until he saw an old man sitting on the bench and greeted him.
"You really don't have to. I don't want you to go through the trouble."
"No, it's okay. How can I leave, when my grandson is struggling to survive?"
"But you should still get some rest. You haven't rested for some time."
"Tsk. I can't bring myself to."
"I'm sure it's going to be alright. He's a bit underweight, but the doctor said he's breathing fine. He should be able to get out of that thing after a day or two."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
The man and the old father-in-law stared through the transparent glass and watched the incubator inside the room. A boy was resting in one of them. It was the villainous and impish, original Lloyd Frontera that had just been reborn into the body of the infant.
They speak with an interesting accent, not to mention how loudly he talks. Hmm. I suppose I am his son.
He was just born in the morning and couldn't even open his eyes to see anything yet. He could still hear the conversation from outside of the room, especially because the man and the old father-in-law spoke loudly and clearly.
They sure talk a lot.
The bum Lloyd instantly realized they were his new family. He grumbled because he had wished to be reborn as a whale out in the ocean. He wondered what kind of world he was in, as he recalled what he had just experienced at the gate of rebirth.
The gate felt so strange.
He had finally gotten some peace for the first time since his death, after bidding farewell to the fake Lloyd, Kim Suho, who had stolen his original body on the platform at the end of the underworld. Real Lloyd was able to step through the portal of rebirth thanks to fake Lloyd's kindness and help.
Ha. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be grateful or mad at him.
He chuckled out of confusion. While he resented the fact that the fake Lloyd had stolen his body and thus caused him to wander restlessly between the underworld and the human realm like an apparition, he was grateful for the help the fraudster provided after the coincidental encounter in the underworld.
Thank you, Suho.
The bum Lloyd internally expressed his gratitude and strengthened his resolve to lead a new life, remembering the kindness Suho had shown him in the underworld to help him pass through the gate of rebirth. He also regretted how he led his previous life.
Father, mother, and Julian.
It was heartbreaking to think about his family. Although there were things he particularly did not like about them, he could only think of all the mischief and trouble he had caused as the eldest son of the house. He regretted having yelled out in anger to his father. He regretted having failed to listen to his mother. He regretted having failed to treat his younger brother Julian with more love.
And Javier Asrahan.
He also recalled the dirty look his bodyguard gave him.
Right. You must have found me so despicable.
He acknowledged that it was a fair assessment of his character. Lloyd realized that he had nothing to complain about, even if the scorn was from his own parents or brother Julian. There was no room for any excuses to come into play. He was trashy and unworthy. He was a bum. He had only caused inconveniences for others.
I am so sorry, everyone.
The bum Lloyd shed tears out of regret. He repented, but it was too late. So he decided to work hard and be benevolent in the second lease in life. He wanted to lead the life that Kim Suho had, helping others instead of causing trouble. He strengthened his resolve and reiterated this to himself. He was determined not to forget this new attitude and mindset, which were going to fade away soon due to the law of rebirth.
I clearly heard what to expect after being reborn. I would retain a part of my memory from the previous life pertaining to the intellectual ability of my new body, but even that should fade away fairly quickly.
He heard he would forget all memories from his past life, the moment he heard his name for the first time. The bum Lloyd desperately tried to engrave this mindset and attitude within himself before it was too late.
The conversation between his new father and maternal grandfather could be heard from outside the room.
"By the way. Have you thought of a name for the kid?"
"Huh?"
"So you don't, yet," said the old man.
"Well, I do have something in my mind," replied the father awkwardly.
"I see. But you should still hear an old man out."
"I'm listening."
"I actually consulted a renowned shaman and got a really good name that would bring him good fortune."
"From... a shaman?"
"Yeah. Looking at the kid's birth hour, day, and year, he suggested a perfect name."
"What is it?"
"Palbong. Palbong Kim."
“...”
"Well? Do you like it?"
The man remained silent. The bum Lloyd was in a state of emergency.
Tell him no! What kind of name is that?!
Lloyd knew not what were trendy, cool names in this universe, but the name the old man just suggested sent chills down his spine for some reason.
No. I don't know why, but no. That's not the name. Come on, dad! Decline it! Who names his child Palbong?!
Lloyd genuinely began cheering for his father like a sports team. To his relief, the support seemed to have reached him.
"Well, uhm..." said the man in an uneasy tone.
"What is it?"
"Can you please reconsider?"
"Why? Do you not like Palbong?"
"Uh, well... I really appreciate how you went out of your way to get a recommendation and all, but Palbong is just... not fit."
"Why? Because it sounds too old-school? That's nothing to worry about. A boy's name should be old-school and conventional!"
"But still..."
"Hahaha, but I paid 200 dollars for this name."
“...”
"He's going to lead a good life, without any trouble with this name."
The man became speechless again, causing the bum Lloyd to internally shout out more desperately.
Old man? Gramps? Are you out of your mind? Was that name blessed by priests or something? Why would you play around with somebody's name?!
He was afraid of being given the terrifyingly horrible name the old man suggested. The bum Lloyd shivered in anxiety, but it didn't conclude that moment.
"Very well, please give me some time to think about it."
"Understood."
The voices of the two men faded away. It appeared that they were going somewhere while conversing with one another. The bum Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief and felt extreme fatigue all of a sudden.
Phew. Thank goodness. For now.
It was fortuitous that he wasn't given that name at the moment thanks to his new father's intervention. It was clear his father did not like that name.
Come on. Be more assertive. It's your own son!
The bum Lloyd desperately wished for his father to express his thoughts more clearly. But he gradually felt more fatigued and tired, and couldn't overcome the urge to fall asleep.
I guess it's because I'm a newborn...
He couldn't resist. Lloyd fell asleep like that, and couldn't think of anything anymore. It was comfortable and cozy. He was sound asleep.
♣
He did not know how many hours had passed when he fully woke back up. He recalled how he had awakened a few times in the middle of the sleep, only to pass out again.
He tried to pay attention to his surroundings, which clearly felt a bit different. The air was different as well. The cozy warmth surrounded him as if somebody was holding him, and the voices of people were louder than ever.
"Oh, he woke up."
It was the voice of the man from before, but in a whispering manner, followed by the voice of a woman.
"Honey. Are you sure about that name?"
"Yeah. I don't think we can persuade your father, so we'll just have to do it."
"But he may be upset if he finds out about it. He even went to the shaman."
"It's okay. Do you want to name our kid Palbong?"
"...No."
"See? I thought the same. I love my father-in-law, but that's a bit of a stretch."
The conversation was clearly between his new father and mother. The bum Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief, as it appeared that his parents were intent on declining the terrible name.
I wonder what my new name is going to be.
It was going to be decided soon, and he would forget the memories from his past life the moment he was called by the new name so he could lead a whole new life.
And I won't screw up this time. I swear.
He recalled everyone that he felt sorry for from his previous life such as his family and knights in his service, and vowed again never to forget this mindset even if all memories were lost. A huge hand approached the baby as he strengthened his resolve, and cautiously and gently touched him on the forehead.
"You're so small and adorable."
"Stop. You're going to make him cry."
"Even if he does, he'll still be so cute."
"Haha."
"Alright then, we agree on the name, right?"
The woman's body slightly rocked as she held the baby. It appeared that she was nodding to her husband's response. The bum Lloyd nervously anticipated what kind of name he'd be given. He was curious about the new life that was ahead of him. He was full of worries and excitement at the same time.
And the gentle voice of his new father graced his ears.
"Do you hear me? This is your dad. I'm so excited about raising a boy."
...Huh?
That was when the bum Lloyd began forgetting things. Memories about the Frontera Estate when he was young, the picnic he went on with his family, and when he made fun of Javier and ran away began to fade away and pop like bubbles, one by one.
"My boy."
The moments he cherished and loved slowly but surely disappeared with each word his new father spoke.
"Kim Suho, my beautiful son."
The gentle touch from his father's hand on the baby's cheeks caused the former bum Lloyd to put a smile on his face. The baby Kim Suho was genuinely delighted to start anew.
