Sometimes people appeal to others by claiming their lives have stories comparable to those on human documentary shows.
I, born as a son of Korea, was no different. To summarize in the form of a narration for convenience, it goes like this:
“After losing my parents at a young age, I single-handedly raised my younger sister who was 7 years my junior. Working manual labor day and night for 10 years to support my sister who showed talent in academics. My sister proudly gained admission to Korea University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy. Ah, dear departed mother and father. I am happy. Although I’ve aged without accomplishing much myself, JangHaesu was accepted into Korea University. This must surely be the family’s honor…”
So if there were a competition of misfortunes, I could at least secure a middle rank.
If I hadn’t been blessed with the fortune of my sister getting into a prestigious university, perhaps I could have aimed for an upper-middle rank.
Well, even now, my spine is still bending from college tuition and living expenses. But for JangHaesu, who dreams of becoming a university professor, I could sacrifice this body at any time. Despite our lifelong bickering, nothing was more precious to me than her.
“This is driving me crazy.Haesu, what kind of part-time job are you talking about? Forget it, just focus on studying comfortably. I’ll handle all the money…”
“What are you saying when you’re living on painkillers because of construction work? If I do tutoring, I’ll earn 4 times what you make in 8 hours. No, I’ll earn 5 times more.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“If it’s true, then stop nagging. It feels like my ears are getting crusted over listening to you. Why are you so full of nagging?”
Hae-su had been treating me a bit curtly lately, as if going through delayed adolescence. Well,Haesu was already twenty years old now, so perhaps this distance was a natural outcome.
Everyone has their own life.
That was whatHaesu emphasized to the point of tedium. Oppa should live Oppa’s life.
‘…Is this empty nest syndrome?’
But I couldn’t help feeling the loneliness that washed over me.
Hae-su seemed to have taken to university life and hadn’t shown her face lately. Our conversations had naturally dwindled as well.
Though I knew there was no need to feel hurt, I stupidly felt lonely.Haesu must have felt frustrated and resentful growing up under an inadequate oppa.
I trusted thatHaesu, who had never gone astray, would conduct herself well. Or rather, I felt that regardless of what she did, I shouldn’t interfere too much.
Honestly,Haesu was a hundred times smarter and wiser than me. As long as it wasn’t something legally or morally serious, I had no right to tellHaesu what to do or not do.
But now I had discovered traces of deviation that forced me to interfere unavoidably.
‘What the hell is this,Haesu…?’
On a strange day when a suspicious package was delivered to the house. Blinded by curiosity, I opened the packaging and was engulfed by a tremendous shock.
– Hng, ah…, n-no, I don’t want to!
– You don’t want to? You’re just being coy.
I discovered a gay romance novel of unbelievable explicitness onHaesu’s old desk.
Recipient: JangHaesu. Order request: “Please contact me before delivery”…
‘Is this the result of breaking my back to send you to college,Haesu? Is this it?! Who the hell did you buy this trashy gay novel for?!’
With trembling hands, I snatched the book and stepped into the forbidden territory. Fortunately or unfortunately, the pages flew by quickly.
❖ ❖ ❖
A week had already passed since I read that book. Thankfully,Haesu showed no interest in the missing book.
Only I felt relief, stroking my chest, having hidden the book in a place she would never think of.
“…But it still bothers me.”
In truth, ifHaesu was determined to find the book, there was no reason she couldn’t. Yes. If I was going to dispose of it anyway, it would be better to do it thoroughly.
After wrapping the damned book in blue tape, I ran straight to the garbage dump in front of the house. I planned to throw it away so that not even a trace could be found.
After throwing the book into the already full recycling box, I dusted off my palms. I kept feeling unwell and nauseous, as if the impure energy of those gay guys was stuck on me.
“I’m sorry for touching your book without permission,Haesu. Haah… But it’s all for your own good.”
I muttered, desperately rationalizing to myself. This was a tearful effort to protect my sister from harmful media, definitely not a situation caused by my disgust for men’s lovemaking.
Queer? Well, I’ve seen a couple of those movies, so I know. Just like those movies swept awards ceremonies, there could be many novels with artistic and literary value.
But the novel onHaesu’s desk wasn’t like that. Honestly, I thought I was being a considerate oppa just for not slapping her right then and there.
I left the garbage dump leisurely, recalling circus-like scenes from the book. Shit, can a stiff man move his thighs like that?
And at that very moment, I properly paid the price for stealingHaesu’s book.
Beep… Beep!
Car horns blared frantically. The last scene I remember was, well, a black vehicle speeding down the main road hitting me as it passed by.
If this was the price for disposing of my sister’s cherished possession without permission, it seemed a bit too harsh.
Of course, even in the midst of that, I started making useless calculations. Even as my body was flying about 2 meters through the air and tumbling down.
‘In-insurance money.’
Come to think of it, I took out accident insurance 5 years ago. While dying, a sense of relief welled up. If I could extract compensation damages too, wouldn’t it be enough to coverHaesu’s remaining college tuition?
‘Why is life so fucking miserable?’
My floating body crashed onto the asphalt with a thud. A terrible pain spread from the back of my head to my spine. An ominous feeling flashed that even if I survived luckily, I would be disabled at minimum.
Should I calculate the death insurance benefit? But before I could think further, my eyes heavily closed. It was a moment that made me realize that death truly comes without warning.
And when I regained consciousness again, I was lying neatly in a proper position on some soft, fluffy bed. This isn’t some ridiculous drama… The thick microfiber blanket was white without a speck of dust.
“What’s this?”
I sat up with a bewildered feeling. Did I survive? I moved my arms a few times to check if I could feel anything. Surprisingly, my nerves and bones seemed to be intact. Maybe passersby demonstrated remarkable civic consciousness and saved me, I thought. Was there a nurse nearby? Or a doctor?
I looked around the room while considering various scenarios.
…It seemed like a hotel. And one I’d never seen before.
I felt increasingly out of place. Getting in a traffic accident and waking up in a luxury hotel that wasn’t in my destiny?
With an instinctive sense of crisis, I hurried toward the entrance. At the same time, I witnessed it. My new appearance reflected in the full-length mirror.
“…I’m not dreaming now, am I?”
I’ve grown younger! No, not just younger, I had become a completely different person.
Clean skin that looked like it had never done manual labor, clear features, a smooth, well-proportioned body and long legs that were not mine. They absolutely could not be mine. Absolutely not.
“…This is crazy.”
While fumbling and touching my face like a dazed person, I became confused. What the hell is this situation?! A dream? Or the afterlife?
But everything around me seemed too real to be the afterlife. Finally gathering my thoughts, I firmly pressed down on the area near my severely racing heart.
I could feel that unique pulse of being alive. Yes. I was still alive.
“…Then whose body is this?”
My brain momentarily stopped, unable to gauge even one step ahead.
How do you normally deal with something like this? Damn it! I only felt a vague sense of fear, as waking up to find yourself in someone else’s body shouldn’t even exist in this world.
After taking a long time to catch my breath, I thought to look for an ID. Name, residence, resident registration number. Check everything. Who is this handsome gentleman?
And soon after, I had a brief regret that it might have been better not to look.
“Nam Heejae (濫凞渽).”
The moment I discovered the familiar name, I felt like my breath had stopped.
Nam Heejae? Nam Heejae…?
Suddenly, with a spine-chilling sense of déjà vu, I ran back to the mirror to carefully examine this body’s upper half. No matter how I looked, he was quite handsome. A warm appearance that didn’t seem real.
Right after that, my head was filled with words that my sister, JangHaesu, used to mutter to me as often as she ate.
“Ah. I wish I could possess someone and live an easy life too.”
“Pos-what? Possess?”
“Novel characters live so easily, you know. You go in there and pretend that you were originally that person. They call it possession. No need to act like a workaholic, no need to work day and night. No need to look for all the money-making jobs like delivery, insurance, and manual labor like you do, Oppa. Isn’t that nice?”
As my reminiscence lengthened, a vibrating sound came from somewhere nearby. Startled as if I’d seen a ghost, I turned my head to find a white mobile phone.
Should I ignore it? Or should I answer?
The vibration continued so intensely that sweat was automatically forming on my palms. Having become frightened in advance, I steeled myself and checked the phone.
Ah, it seems it wasn’t for nothing that I thought ofHaesu.
“Baek Sahyun”
At the three clearly written characters, I couldn’t help but recall the damn novel book that I had removed fromHaesu’s room and thrown in the trash. That book containing passionate love scenes between crazy men.
I seem to be possessed inside a novel called “Excessively Brilliant.”
If so, there was only one path for me to consider.
…Isn’t Nam Heejae a villain character destined to be punished? I wondered if that meant I would end up the same way, and my heart tightened with a thud.
Damn it! Do I have to be tortured by Baek Sahyun, that crazy character, and exit? With a desire to defy this harsh fate, I busily racked my brains.
And then I came to a decision.
One way or another, finding out must take priority. At which point in this damn novel I’ve been possessed into.
Therefore, I was inclined not to respond to Baek Sahyun’s incessant calls. It was difficult to blindly accept contact from a character called Baek Sahyun without properly understanding the situation.
Ignore it. That’s the second-best option for now.
