# Chapter 120
“…I guess the kids don’t know that Moon Seoheon is your nephew.”
At my straightforward comment, the teacher silently laughed while crossing his arms.
“Well… that’s right. The only people who know at school are the Principal, Junhee, Seungha. And Hyoin and Moa… and now you’re included too.”
My eyebrows shot up at the familiar way he addressed The Four. Seeing my surprised expression, the teacher playfully shrugged and asked bluntly:
“Do you know when you’ll switch again?”
My body flinched at the question that came without warning. Wondering if Moon Seoheon had told him, I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head.
“It’s not like I can switch whenever I want to.”
And the methods to try are quite dangerous. Without saying the latter part aloud, I remained silent as he rested his chin on his hand, appearing deep in thought, and asked with furrowed brows:
“Then do you know why the switching happens?”
“…I’m not sure. Maybe there’s some connection between Yoon Taeho and me… I don’t really know.”
At my answer, the teacher uncrossed his arms and stared at me intently. When I turned my head to meet his gaze, the smile on his face faded wistfully. There was even a hint of anxiety in his subdued eyes.
I was slightly amazed at the precarious atmosphere emanating from him. Now that I knew, I wondered how I hadn’t noticed before—he looked so much like Moon Seoheon.
“Seoheon has been having a hard time lately.”
“…Yes, it seems that way.”
“Do you know why?”
I couldn’t answer. But regardless of what expression I wore, the teacher smiled slightly as if he understood.
“I’m not particularly upset or trying to interfere. In fact, I’d like to support him, but do you have no intention of accepting him?”
“……”
When I just swallowed quietly, the teacher sighed and muttered, “Poor kid.” I quickly changed the subject, afraid this conversation might continue.
“But why did you hide your family relationship? Were you worried about difficult situations arising?”
“Well, yes. Our school can be quite harsh. There might be gossip.”
I nodded in understanding, but laughed slightly at some inexplicable feeling of letdown.
“You must have really wanted to acknowledge him all this time.”
“That’s right. It was hard holding back. …Especially whenever I heard about you, I wondered if I should say something.”
When I stared at him blankly, unable to simply brush off his words, he waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s just that whenever I asked what happened at school, almost all his answers were about what he did with you or what he ate with you.”
“Ahem……”
“It was difficult to act like I didn’t know you at school, so I asked out of curiosity, but now he brings you up first or asks what we did in the club, so it concerns me.”
I unconsciously rubbed my chest, feeling a tingling sensation inside. As I also felt thirsty and was thinking I’d like to have a glass of water, a memory suddenly came to mind, and I spoke up:
“I thought Moon Seoheon lived alone, but you live together, I see?”
In the anime, I had only seen him living alone in an old house, so it was something that had been bothering me, but I wondered if I was wrong. The thought that reality and anime could be different, just as the character I saw after returning felt like a completely different person.
The teacher raised his eyebrows as if he’d heard an unexpected question, then narrowed his eyes.
“Of course we live together. You don’t still believe that rumor about Seoheon being from a poor background, do you?”
“No… it wasn’t me who called him poor.”
Feeling a pang of guilt, I added as if making an excuse:
“Yoon Taeho was just feeling hurt and angry in his own way… well, I guess I was wrong.”
Having switched bodies with Yoon Taeho, I found myself unintentionally sympathizing with him and blurted out a shabby excuse. In any case, since I was in the wrong, I held back from saying more.
The teacher chuckled at my awkward behavior, took a moment to catch his breath, then ran his hand through his hair. His hair, stuck to his skin with sweat, scattered upward.
“I wasn’t going to say anything about it. …I’m not so insensitive that I would scold someone who’s hurt.”
Does that mean he would have scolded me if I were fine? Recalling how much he cared for Moon Seoheon, I understood, but for a concerned tone, it seemed a bit strange. Even his expression as he gazed at the alley across the street was unreadable, as if he were thinking deeply about something.
“You don’t disbelieve me when I say I’ve switched bodies, do you, Teacher?”
Honestly, even if he heard it from Moon Seoheon, this isn’t the kind of story that’s easy to believe. It was fortunate enough that he didn’t simply think I was crazy, but his unexpectedly favorable attitude was meaningful.
Come to think of it, how could anyone believe that a student he teaches and his nephew’s friend suddenly had a change in personality as if becoming a different person, and it turned out he really did switch bodies?
As I stared intently at the teacher, trying to gauge what he was thinking, he looked at me, quickly raising one eyebrow before lowering it.
“Honestly, it’s an unbelievable story. In fact, I still don’t fully believe it… I just want to help somehow because Seoheon is confused.”
“…Well, he told me he couldn’t believe it either.”
“Did he? …Seoheon said that. Then he said he didn’t know who he liked or who he should like. He came to me for dating advice, which was nice.”
“…I see.”
My complicated feelings were rendered meaningless by his continued words, and I felt deflated. Chewing my lips to hide my disappointment, I reluctantly asked:
“What will you do then? I might go back soon… can you console him well?”
“Go back?”
“Well, I’ll probably end up like that eventually. I came here without any intention on my part.”
At my words, he looked as if he were the one with complicated feelings, slowly stroking his chin before staring at me.
“You have no intention of staying here at all? Ah, you must be worried about your family and friends there.”
I tried to shake off the emptiness that washed over me and spoke casually:
“I don’t have a family. They passed away when I was young. And friends… well, I barely have any to speak of.”
“What?”
As if shocked, his hand that had been resting on his waist slipped. Seeing his shoulders droop, I looked at him as if to ask if he was okay, and after exhaling softly, he continued hesitantly:
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better for you to stay here than there? It doesn’t seem like you have much reason to be there.”
“I don’t have a particular reason to be here either.”
“That’s true.” The teacher, who had opened his eyes wide as if surprised, muttered in a dejected tone. With my questions answered and nothing more to say, I turned around. I was planning to go back to the hospital room now.
As I bowed my head and gestured a goodbye, intending to wish the teacher a safe trip back, he nodded but then raised his voice as if remembering something:
“Ah, when are you going to keep your promise to come to THE Oneday with Seoheon?”
“Oneday?”
“Oh, maybe you don’t know? It’s a place near your father’s restaurant.”
“What?”
As I raised my voice at the incomprehensible statement, he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. My eyes trembled slightly as I took it and examined both sides.
[THE Oneday
Branch #2
Seoul, XX District, XX-dong 18-9 (1st floor)
- 601. 3724]
Looking at the address, it was indeed close to my father’s restaurant, Roun. Could such a coincidence exist? Or did Moon Seoheon know and choose it? In any case, a familiar phrase came to mind at the restaurant name, and I clicked my tongue.
“Is this a restaurant from The One Foods?”
“Yes.”
I remembered how my parents had worriedly mentioned that a new franchise had opened nearby when I was at home before. I guess this was it. Wondering if it was popular, I put the business card in my pocket, and the teacher said something surprising:
“Let me know before you go. I’ll tell them to make it especially delicious for you.”
“…Tell them?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about the money and order whatever you want.”
I took out the business card again and stared at it intently. I was checking if perhaps there was a name with the surname Moon written on it. There was no surname, let alone a similar name, and as I looked at the teacher with confused eyes, he smiled awkwardly as if he had noticed my intention.
“It’s because my father is the CEO.”
“…The CEO of this restaurant?”
“No, of The One Foods.”
Moon Seoheon… so he was born with a silver spoon. Despite this shocking revelation, strangely, I wasn’t excited and just burst out laughing. No, I think I just felt enlightened. Why on earth did they portray him that way in the anime? I wanted to meet Jeon Seohan and question him.
Wait, if that’s the case, then Teacher Jaewon is also from that family—was telling me about the contest intentional?
Seeing my dumbfounded expression, the teacher made an “umm” sound and then spoke as if making an excuse:
“It’s nothing compared to Junhee’s family. It’s just that our food business has been doing well and became famous.”
“…Is there anything else you’re hiding? I mean, any other achievements I don’t know about.”
“Hmm, my relationship with Suhyeok-ssi, I mean, the Principal?”
“No, you don’t need to tell me about that specifically.”
I shook my head vigorously as if to shake off the risqué scene I had witnessed in the club room that kept coming to mind.
“Haha, is that so? Well, there’s nothing else. How else could we have become such good friends?”
“Ah, I guess that’s true.”
I had been wondering how everyone had built their friendships, and now I understood they had known each other for a long time. Somehow, it felt a bit special to discover things that would be absolutely unknowable just from watching the anime. Now I don’t think I’ll equate the content of the anime with this place anymore.
The teacher chuckled at my curt response and gently patted my shoulder.
“Then I’ll come visit again later, so take good care of yourself. And if possible, be good to Seoheon.”
“…Yes.”
As I watched the teacher waving his hand and going down the stairs, I raised my head when I saw him suddenly stop walking. Looking in the direction he was staring, I could see Kwak Junhee and Byeon Seungha approaching with quick steps.
“Ah… really. What day is this?”
A sigh escaped me as my mind grew weary.
