# Chapter 125
Because of the commotion caused by Moon Seoheon and The Four barging into the hospital last night, I couldn’t sleep at all. Yet rather than feeling drowsy or tired, my mind only grew clearer as time passed.
Morning sunlight filled the hospital room through the half-drawn curtains by the window. The warmth that gently heated my body was at just the right temperature, not hot enough to even notice the brightness hurting my eyes.
I grabbed the bed remote from the bedside table and adjusted the backrest angle. As the upper part automatically rose, I briefly lifted my waist and then settled back into a comfortable position.
My eyebrows shot up when I noticed a familiar silhouette in the distance, visible with just a slight turn of my head.
Though the hospital room was on a high floor, making the two figures appear small and difficult to recognize, I immediately identified them by their identical school uniforms and their striking appearances that stood out even from a distance.
“Yoon Taean and… Moon Seoheon?”
The facial contours of the two approaching the building entrance became clearer. I opened the window and stretched my head out to look at them, when Moon Seoheon suddenly looked up and our eyes met.
Startled by the perfect timing, I unconsciously averted my gaze. Then I naturally pulled my head back in and straightened my posture.
Checking the time, it had just passed six-thirty. What business could they have so early in the morning?
Maybe they’re visiting someone else in the hospital? But if it was Moon Seoheon and Yoon Taean coming together, of all people, they were obviously coming to see me.
And as expected, after some time passed, the hospital room door opened, and the two showed their faces.
I was a bit flustered about what important business they might have, coming before school when they could have visited after it ended.
I needed time to organize my thoughts after yesterday’s events. Of course, I had plenty of time to think while staying awake all night, but there’s also a matter of mental preparation.
I was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of people I had naturally expected to see in the late afternoon or evening.
Yoon Taean, who stepped inside first, looked surprised to see me wide awake and sitting up in bed.
“You’re awake?”
“Yeah. What’s going on? This early in the morning?”
“Ah, I just came to see if you were okay.”
“You could have come after school ended.”
When I answered flatly, Yoon Taean lifted the lunch box he was holding and waved it as if to show me.
“I brought breakfast. Mom told me to bring it because she said you seemed to like it better than hospital food.”
“There’s a lot of side dishes left from yesterday.”
“But there’s no rice, rice. Here, take it.”
I unconsciously took the lunch box that he suddenly held out, hugging it to my chest, and felt the warm heat coming through the plastic containers. As I sniffed the faint smell escaping, I caught the distinctive aroma of eggplant and mushrooms.
I thought you said rice? When I looked at him questioningly, Yoon Taean spoke as if I was being fussy.
“Mom put various things in the rice cooker and steamed them. She woke up at dawn to make it.”
Though his tone was grumbling, it didn’t contain any complaints. I could feel his concern and a hint of embarrassment. I smiled slightly when I heard him say that I should definitely eat it for mom’s sake after all her hard work.
Anyway, I can understand why Yoon Taean came early, but why is Moon Seoheon here?
It felt awkward to see his face just a few hours after our last encounter. Especially because he was seriously misunderstanding something, I didn’t know how to look at him.
I seemed to understand why Moon Seoheon’s eyes had trembled every time he looked at me. Though his condition appeared to have improved since before, as instead of revealing an anxious emotion, his clear white eyes pierced into my face as if to drill through it.
Rather, I had no room to feel comfortable.
“I heard from Seoheon hyung. He said he saw you briefly yesterday. When I said I was stopping by the hospital, he asked to come along.”
Yoon Taean explained as I was looking at Moon Seoheon.
I nodded vaguely as if to say ‘I see’ while opening the lunch box. It was an action to hide my unsettled feelings, not knowing where to look under his persistent gaze.
As expected, the container was packed tightly with rice made of various grains, not just eggplant and mushrooms. It looked like such a healthy meal that I thought about how much trouble his mother must have gone through.
After Moon Seoheon and The Four left like that last night, and after thinking all night, I decided to tell everything to my family members who would visit the hospital today. That I am not their family, and that Yoon Taeho had temporarily switched bodies with me, who lives in another world.
I was planning to tell them anyway, but I had intended to do so after my body got better. After all, mentally unstable Yoon Taeho must have shown only anxious behavior for a while, and I didn’t want to immediately shock the family who thought he had finally improved since my return.
And since it was largely my fault that the body was badly injured, I thought healing it should be the priority.
But a split personality… If Moon Seoheon and The Four think that way, then Yoon Taean and other family members might think so too.
I was wondering if they already thought so, but looking at Yoon Taean’s behavior, it doesn’t seem that way.
“That must have been a lot of work. And thanks for bringing it.”
“Well, it’s nothing… Mom and Dad said they’re coming together later, so tell them then.”
“And you? Can you come right after school?”
“Huh? Why? Is there something you want me to do?”
I shook my head as I carefully put the lunch box down to the side. Then, looking at Yoon Taean’s questioning face, I said solemnly:
“I have something I want to say when everyone is together.”
At my words, his eyes widened, and after hesitating for a moment, he nodded. After confirming his response, I turned my gaze to look at Moon Seoheon.
The guy who had been leaning against the wall, silently listening to our conversation, detached himself from it and narrowed his brows at my changed atmosphere.
As our eyes met, I had the illusion that sparks were flying between us. It was just a momentary instant, but an intense tension was conveyed through our entangled gazes.
Right now, Moon Seoheon must have realized the intention behind my words. He was asking with his expression if I was planning to reveal to my family about what he had asked.
So I told him with my expression too. Though it’s a misunderstanding, what you’re thinking is correct.
“Taean.”
“Yes?”
“Could you let me be alone with Taeho for a moment?”
Surprised by Moon Seoheon’s sudden request, Yoon Taean looked back and forth between us for a moment, then answered in a subdued voice that it was okay and went out of the hospital room.
Before the door could even close, Moon Seoheon came close to me, took a deep breath, and spoke in a voice just loud enough for me to hear. Despite us being the only two in the room, his attitude was cautious, as if worried that Yoon Taean outside might hear.
“Yoon Taeho. I guess you don’t understand your current situation well, but don’t say anything to your family.”
I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected statement. It was too warning-like to be just a concerned remark, and I didn’t understand why he was saying not to say anything.
“What are you talking about, telling me not to say anything to my family? Then who should I talk to about my condition if not my family?”
“…Family? Do you really think of them that way?”
My body flinched at Moon Seoheon’s question as he stepped back with furrowed brows. Since I couldn’t understand any of these statements, I kept my mouth shut, and Moon Seoheon pressed his forehead as if he was the one with the headache.
I frowned, feeling my heart sink. What Moon Seoheon was saying was too strange for someone who mistakenly thought I had a split personality. Moreover, even if it wasn’t a mistake, it didn’t make sense that he was stopping me when I was trying to tell my family directly about my mental condition.
If Moon Seoheon wasn’t mistaken… I exhaled quietly, deep in thought, and blinked a couple of times. Hastily, I grabbed the hem of Moon Seoheon’s shirt, my hand slipping before grasping it almost desperately.
“You… do you know something? Was that talk about a split personality just something you made up?”
“……”
“Hey. What is it?”
Moon Seoheon, who had been standing upright, tilted his head due to our different eye levels with me sitting on the bed, and leaned his upper body down further. Moon Seoheon’s presence, which I hadn’t felt much in the dawn with only the small light from the auxiliary lamp, seemed even more intense in the bright space.
Now that I look at him, this guy seems to have grown taller and bigger too? Just as I was having this random thought, a small shadow fell over Moon Seoheon’s face as he drew closer.
The distance was already very close, and this time my face was facing up toward his. Moon Seoheon didn’t stop bending his head, and soon rested his forehead on my shoulder.
His slight sigh traveled down one of my arms.
“So what… are you going to say your body switched again?”
What the hell, this guy. He already knew! What he asked at dawn about a split personality wasn’t a question but an attempt to confirm if it was really me.
I remained silent without giving any answer. If he already knew, I didn’t think I needed to explain further. But Moon Seoheon, who had slightly lifted his forehead, murmured in a low voice:
“…I can’t believe it.”
The voice was so desolate, so close to my ear, that my fingers tingled.
Turning my head would be a dangerous angle, so my nape became stiff, and I could only swallow, but he withdrew first and adjusted his slipping bag.
“I’ll come back later.”
With those final words, Moon Seoheon opened the hospital room door. Yoon Taean, who had been waiting, looked at Moon Seoheon coming out of the room and at my frozen form, then waved his hand and closed the door.
Only then did the tension dissipate, making my shoulders stiff.
* * *
After lying down all morning, eating lunch, and doing rehabilitation training in the afternoon, I planned to shower with help when my parents arrived. I hadn’t had the presence of mind to wash yesterday.
After roughly wiping my sweaty body with a towel, I sat on a single sofa rather than the bed and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, I opened my eyes to a ringing bell and saw the word ‘Mom’ displayed on the screen.
“Hello?”
―Taeho. Something came up at the store, so I’ll be a bit late. It seems like I’ll need to stay for another hour or two, is that okay?
“It’s fine, take your time coming.”
―Alright. I need to find a caregiver soon. Anyway, see you later.
“Yes.”
With the call ending quickly as she was busy, I put the phone down and leaned back.
The sweat had evaporated quickly in the air conditioning, but the sticky feeling remained, which was frustrating. If there was a caregiver, I would have asked for help right away, but apparently Yoon Taeho hadn’t been properly cared for and had quickly sent away two caregivers.
As I was clicking my tongue in regret, I turned my head at another ringing bell.
“Is there something more you wanted to say?”
Thinking it would be his mother, I picked up the phone, but my body froze at the name displayed on the screen.
[Yoo Wono]
There’s no way this could be in Yoon Taeho’s phone. Wondering if I had seen wrong, I rubbed my eyes. But the name remained unchanged, and fear preceded confusion.
If it’s the Yoo Wono I know, why is his number saved here?
