Wonyoung swallowed a sigh inwardly and struggled to remain calm as he barely managed to continue speaking.
“Why did you come here? H shouldn’t come out into the world.”
“That’s exactly why I’m going. What if the nouveau riche comes looking for you?”
“…….”
“That psychopath bastard is dangerous too. I heard you reconciled, but I still feel uneasy about it. His face looks terrible.”
“If you keep this up…….”
What will you do if I disappear again? Wonyoung stopped, about to say that thoughtlessly. Even to his own mind, it was too much.
But when it came to reading the mood, that was Ki Siyeon—he seemed to have already anticipated the rest of what Wonyoung had swallowed.
“……I’m sorry, hyung. I was thoughtless.”
Siyeon’s dejected apology doubled Wonyoung’s guilt. This damn mouth. Wonyoung grimaced as he reproached himself.
“You’re right, hyung. But I’m still worried, so…… I’ll stay outside.”
“What? Why should you?”
“I need to block anyone who barges in.”
“There’s no need for that. Just go home. Hurry.”
“Hyung…….”
Siyeon calling him in such an earnest voice gave Wonyoung a headache. But after only a moment’s hesitation, remembering Siyeon wandering around having lost him before, Wonyoung firmly ordered him.
“No, don’t come. Go back home.”
“…….”
“Promise me.”
“Okay…….”
Wonyoung felt uncomfortable at Siyeon’s sullen voice, but it was much better than seeing his tears. He didn’t even know if he could stake his memories and return again next time.
“Then get home safely, and I’ll contact you again when I return as Narae.”
“Yes…….”
Wonyoung was about to hang up, leaving his regret behind, when a voice came from behind him.
“Then it’s just the two of us?”
The one saying that with a grin was none other than Heegang. Wonyoung jumped in shock and exclaimed.
“Baek Heegang……! Why are you here too…….”
“Because it seemed like something happened to you.”
At that nonchalant answer, Wonyoung clutched his startled chest.
“At the very least, can’t you please knock on someone’s door before entering?”
“You looked busy talking to that gangster bastard.”
How ridiculous. You can count on one hand the times you’ve knocked before entering, you bastard.
While Wonyoung grumbled inwardly, he still distanced himself from Heegang for now.
“It’s dangerous for you to be with me. I didn’t mention it, but it happened last time when I was with Siyeon too.”
At those words, Heegang’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
“What happened?”
While feeling an inexplicable uneasiness at that curiosity, Wonyoung honestly confessed. Because lies didn’t work on Baek Heegang.
“……I disappeared. As the price for exposing this appearance.”
“But you came back, didn’t you?”
Wonyoung, who had spoken while setting the mood in his own way, was flustered by Heegang’s immediate rebuttal. But soon, he spoke seriously again.
“That’s because of my memo…… Anyway, I can’t come back like that this time.”
“Forever?”
“What? No, not forever…… I did come back after a few hours…….”
“Then I’ll wait. Isn’t that fine?”
“No…….”
Ah, Baek Heegang…….
Heegang had a way of making people feel troubled just when you’d forget about it. No, Wonyoung corrected his recent thought. He just did that every time he appeared.
Fortunately enough, it didn’t seem like a bug was occurring right away. Was there something special about Siyeon?
Wonyoung didn’t know yet. That Heegang couldn’t see Wonyoung’s appearance clearly. To Heegang’s eyes, Wonyoung’s appearance only faintly overlapped on top of Narae’s appearance.
However, only Ki Siyeon must have clearly recognized Heo Wonyoung for some reason.
‘That’s why he disappeared. By whatever it was—god, game system, or whatever.’
Of course, Heegang had no intention of telling Wonyoung his speculation. Half spite, half consideration.
But then Wonyoung called Heegang seriously.
“Heegang.”
“…….”
Heegang was a bit irritated. At himself for being swayed by just that one pitiful call.
“I don’t want to cause you trouble too. It’s not even certain what will happen this time. We promised, remember? To stay as long as possible.”
“……I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. Heo Wonyoung, H, shouldn’t be here. If you come to recognize him…….”
“I can’t see him properly.”
In the end, Heegang revealed the truth.
“To my eyes, you look like Narae. Occasionally Heo Wonyoung overlaps semi-transparently, that’s all.”
“……What?”
“So it’s fine.”
Only then did Wonyoung feel a bit relieved. Then for sure…… Siyeon was the dangerous one.
“But still, it’s not completely safe…….”
“Wonyoung.”
There were two cases when Heegang called someone’s name so gently it seemed to melt. Either he was extremely angry, or he was fucking angry.
This time it was the latter.
“I’m compromising a lot too, you know. I want to see you for a long time, not thinking it’s fine as long as you remain in this world wherever you are. If that’s the case, I’d rather you leave. No, I’d rather you died in this world.”
“…….”
“Why. Do you think I’m selfish? Do I seem like a crazy bastard all of a sudden?”
What returned to Heegang’s question tinged with laughter was an unexpected apology.
“No, just, I’m a bit sorry.”
“You’re sorry?”
“I wondered how desperate you must be to think all those things. You don’t actually want me to die.”
Heegang, who had been staring blankly at Wonyoung as if dumbfounded for a moment, burst into laughter.
“The crazy one isn’t me, it’s you.”
“I think I’ve already been crazy since the moment I launched a dropkick for your sake.”
At those words, Heegang’s laughter grew louder. Wonyoung smiled along with him.
Heegang wasn’t emotionless. He just felt emotions a bit differently from others depending on the situation.
Even now, he knew Heegang’s statement stemmed from anxiety. And that the anxiety was caused by him.
As he said, he was compromising a lot. He didn’t want to make him suffer any more than this. Even if everything would be forgotten soon due to restoration mode anyway.
Then, Heegang, who had been laughing, said quietly.
“I like you, Heo Wonyoung.”
“…….”
“So don’t make me like you more.”
How should he answer this? Wonyoung was agonizing over an answer with a slightly reddened face when suddenly the phone rang. Checking the caller, it was Siyeon. Wonyoung answered the phone for now.
“What is it, Siyeon?”
“Hyung, something terrible happened.”
“What terrible thing?”
“It looks like the nouveau riche is heading to your house.”
“What? Taerim-ssi?”
Why would that person come here? Today isn’t even my day off?
As if answering that question, Siyeon explained.
“It seems he stopped by the cafe. I guess he heard you didn’t come out.”
“……Ah.”
Of all times, now.
Wonyoung answered with thanks and hung up. Before his eyes, Heegang sat in a posture that seemed to enjoy this situation.
“……Baek Heegang.”
“You want me to help?”
“It doesn’t seem like you’ll have immediate problems. Send Taerim-ssi away.”
“Kyung Taerim might see you only as Narae.”
“I can’t reveal my appearance to test that.”
“Are you afraid of Kyung Taerim getting hurt? Or of you getting hurt?”
Wonyoung pulled the blanket over himself and lay down just in case, saying.
“Both.”
Then Heegang approached and sat by the bedside, asking.
“What if you don’t return to Narae forever at this rate? Will you leave without seeing Kyung Taerim?”
Wonyoung pulled down the blanket and glared at Heegang sourly.
“……Why are you being spiteful again?”
“I want to see Kyung Taerim in despair, but then seeing you take care of that bastard makes me feel disgusted.”
“Baek Heegang-ssi’s personality is what’s disgusting.”
“Is that Heo Wonyoung’s speech pattern?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sulking? Do you use Heo Wonyoung’s speech pattern when you sulk?”
As Wonyoung buried himself in the blanket without a word, Heegang pulled down the blanket and kissed Wonyoung’s forehead.
“How cute.”
“Hey, you……!”
“He seems to be coming now. Wait quietly.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of knocking was heard. At the same time, Wonyoung’s heart began to pound.
“Rae-ssi, are you inside? This is Kyung Taerim.”
Wonyoung barely held back from reflexively answering by biting his lip. Instead, Heegang got up from his seat.
The door opened and at Heegang’s unexpected appearance, Taerim’s thick eyebrows furrowed.
“What are you?”
“I’m nursing Rae.”
At those words, Taerim’s expression that had contorted changed to worry.
“Is Rae-ssi very sick?”
“Just, the flu? Rae told me to tell you to go back so you wouldn’t catch it.”
“What foolish talk. I’ll call my personal physician here.”
As Taerim said that and tried to enter, Heegang quickly blocked him.
“Didn’t you understand? Fuck off.”
‘Baek Heegang, has he lost it? Even begging him to leave wouldn’t be enough……!’
No, he himself was the one who’d lost it for asking Heegang for help in the first place. But the current Wonyoung couldn’t throw off the blanket or mediate between the two. It was enough to drive him crazy and make him jump.
“Whether I fuck off or not isn’t for you to decide. Step aside while I’m being nice.”
“Rae doesn’t want to see you.”
“How am I supposed to believe that?”
“Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter, just go back.”
Finally reaching the limits of his patience, Taerim roughly pushed Heegang aside. Then this time Heegang grabbed Taerim by the collar.
“I haven’t liked you from before, Kyung Taerim.”
“Ha, those aren’t words I want to hear from a pathetic bastard who was cast out even within his own family.”
‘Hey, you bastards―!’
Someone’s sick and you feel like fighting? Huh? I kept these things around as precious bastards! Wonyoung’s silent lamentation shook the earth.
Then, like a ray of hope, a savior appeared.
“What are both of you doing?!”
The one who separated Taerim and Heegang just before they threw punches at each other was none other than Siyeon.
He didn’t know why he’d come when he’d firmly told him not to, but for now he was just grateful.
“Hyung is…….”
“Sick. Can’t meet anyone.”
Heegang cut off Siyeon’s words sharply and responded that way. At his words, Siyeon seemed to immediately catch on to the current situation.
“……I understand. Hyung is okay, right?”
Heegang nodded. But Taerim still didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down.
