# Chapter 147
Jeon Seohan got up abruptly as if he had been waiting for my answer, and then smiled broadly.
“Then let’s execute it right away.”
“What? Right now?”
“Yeah. I mean, yes.”
Are you saying we should do it, or not? When I frowned at his ambiguous response, Jeon Seohan laughed softly and corrected himself.
“Let’s do it. Since I speak informally when it’s just the two of us, I’m not yet in the habit of using formal speech in front of others.”
Come to think of it, he was speaking to me informally quite naturally. It seemed we had become quite close, which made me laugh awkwardly. Even though I knew the person he wanted was Yoon Taeho, realizing that the body was mine made all kinds of thoughts come to mind.
Deciding not to think too deeply about it, I asked Jeon Seohan, who was offering to help, in a serious tone:
“But how will you do it? Do I need to take that drug again?”
“That’s the most suitable method right now. It’s better than jumping into the Han River or leaping in front of an oncoming car.”
I tried to relax my expression, which had stiffened at those alarming methods. Since I had done this before, I wasn’t too worried, but I wasn’t completely at ease either, feeling that repeating such actions could lead to serious trouble.
I stared blankly at Jeon Seohan as he took out an envelope filled with white powder from a drawer, then snapped back to attention.
“That’s a sleeping pill, right? Is there any chance it could go wrong? Like harming the body without switching?”
Jeon Seohan paused at my low voice, thought deeply for a moment, and then shook his head.
“There shouldn’t be any such case. Honestly, I tried everything and didn’t die. Looking back, if it weren’t for that surgery, we might still be living by switching bodies. Well… we might have died from old age too.”
Jeon Seohan, who displayed a self-deprecating smile, raised his hand holding the drug upon seeing my dark expression. His staring eyes seemed to ask if I wasn’t going to go back.
After a moment of silence, I sighed softly and reached out my hand, indicating I wanted the drug. I had already firmly made up my mind to do this anyway.
Jeon Seohan glanced at my outstretched hand and handed over the drug willingly. I opened the envelope and poured some of the white powder into a cup. Watching Jeon Seohan kindly pouring more water, a laugh escaped me due to the bizarre feeling.
It wasn’t like we were performing some ritual, but this was certainly an irrational action that even I thought was absurd.
After mixing the water completely, I unconsciously looked around. If I go back, it will be goodbye to this place for a while. Maybe I might never return.
Although I didn’t have much attachment to the world I had been living in, leaving a familiar place wasn’t an easy thing. I had decided to go back, but it was surprisingly astonishing that Yoon Taeho wanted to stay here, where he even had family.
Is it because he has no attachments there, or is he thinking simply because there’s a way to go back anyway? If not that, perhaps Jeon Seohan had become a significant person to Yoon Taeho.
For me too, whenever I had difficult times, unexpected encounters were helpful. Like when a police officer took me to eat a meal when I was standing by the river for a while, or people who handed me drinks for simply doing my job kindly—those ordinary acts became motivation for life.
Looking at Jeon Seohan, who was quietly gazing at me, I parted my lips.
“It might be strange for me to say this, but please take good care of my body. And Yoon Taeho too.”
“Of course.”
I laughed incredulously at his refreshing answer, then whispered softly:
“Anyway, thank you. I guess Yoon Taeho’s change is all thanks to you.”
My words seemed unexpected as Jeon Seohan opened his eyes wide. Soon, he covered his mouth with his hand while stroking his jaw, and smiled with crinkled eyes.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard such words. That’s what I wanted to say to this person…”
Realizing that “this person” referred to the original owner of the body Jeon Seohan had entrusted, I paused before putting the cup to my lips.
“What was his original name? If a funeral was held, there must be a grave, right?”
“…Park Yewoon. If a grave was set up, it would have been moved to a columbarium in Bundang. There’s a place my father purchased.”
After nodding in acknowledgment, I gulped down the water. As the cool water went down my throat, I frantically poured out words at a sudden thought.
“Ah, I have to go to work later! I need to greet the manager, and the restaurant time has been changed. And I’ll make sure Yoon Taeho’s body gets healthier, so you too…”
At that moment, my vision went dark and my head began to spin, making it impossible to continue speaking. Only as I was leaving did I remember all the things I needed to say—what kind of sloppy farewell was this? Even in this ridiculous situation, I felt Jeon Seohan supporting and embracing my body.
In my fading consciousness, I saw a face smiling gently. Following that, I heard kind words as if telling me not to worry.
“If the opportunity arises, let’s meet again later.”
* * *
Even before I regained consciousness, the loud sound of rain hitting my ears gave me a strange sense of stability.
My head was throbbing as if I had a fever, and it was difficult to move even a finger, but I realized I had safely returned thanks to the soft touch of the blanket against my skin.
I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids. I blinked several times due to the dryness. As my vision became somewhat distinguishable, I gradually took in my surroundings.
I could tell it was the hospital room where I had been staying all along, but it was completely dark, making it hard to gauge the time. When I turned my head, I could see my arm with an IV drip inserted through the faint light coming through the window bars.
I tried to lift my upper body with force, but immediately fell back down due to a sudden dizziness that made my vision spin. My throat was sore too, suggesting I had properly caught a cold.
As I sighed softly, a small noise came from a corner that had been quiet all along, and it started to brighten with an orange light. Startled, I turned to look and my body jumped at a figure sitting on the sofa.
“……”
The mood lamp cast deep shadows on Moon Seoheon’s face. Perhaps due to the shadows, his eyes looked more sunken than usual, making him appear especially sensitive.
As the scene overlapped in my mind with the similar situation when I had returned before and met him again, I lowered my gaze and looked around. Unlike then, The Four were not visible, though they might be outside. I barely parted my dry lips.
“Are you alone? Ahem, what time is it now?”
My cracking voice sounded quite unsightly. After moistening my lips and clearing my throat, it got a bit better. Moon Seoheon just silently watched my actions. His large eyes gleamed sharply, giving off an inexplicable sense of pressure.
“…Are you angry by any chance?”
Had more time passed than I thought? It was practically like I had returned right away. Since I had collapsed in the middle of the pouring rain and left like that, he might have been very worried. Anyway, seeing his rigid face made me feel awkward.
Seeing him just staying silent without answering, the memory of being force-fed carrot juice came to mind, making my throat instinctively tighten.
“I came back as promised… Don’t feed me carrot juice. I have no strength now and my head hurts.”
As I drooped my eyebrows to emphasize that I was a patient, Moon Seoheon’s eyes widened. Soon, he got up silently, approached me, and reached out to gently rub my cheek.
The cold touch pleasantly soothed my heated face. When I slightly closed my eyes and then opened them, the hand on my cheek was trembling slightly.
“Yoon… Bowon hyung?”
“…Yes.”
“…Really?”
As if he couldn’t believe it, he bowed his head deeply and let it fall onto my shoulder. Carefully moving my hand to avoid tangling the IV line, I stroked Moon Seoheon’s hair. The soft texture felt good. I wanted to mess up his hair, but since I didn’t have the strength, I just lightly caressed it.
Instead, Moon Seoheon firmly grabbed my hand and brought it to his face, burying his lips in it. Even though I could only see his teary eyes with his lower face hidden, I could feel the movement of his lips forming a long arc, making my hand tickle.
“I like you.”
His voice, muffled due to being covered by my hand, might have been amusing, but the feelings contained within were fully conveyed, making me press my lips together. As I frowned my eyebrows as if helpless and smiled, a single tear drop fell from his eyes that had been silently staring at me.
I moved my free hand to wipe away the tears flowing down his face.
Although I had already heard his confession and had once blurted it out myself, it was a bit embarrassing to set the mood and say it again. But I still had to do it.
Looking steadily at his tear-filled eyes, I whispered softly:
“I like you too.”
His hand, which had stopped trembling, fell down along with my hand it was holding. Only then did a wide smile bloom on his fully revealed face, imprinting itself on my heart.
In that moment, I thought it was really good that I had returned here in exchange for the world I had been living in. Despite having tried to forget everything and turn away, right now, happiness filled my heart.
It was fine even if my sacrifice was needed to make that smile bloom again. Seeing how my world had become worth living just by feeling and exchanging interest and love.
