# Chapter 130
If there was anything fortunate, it might be that Moon Seoheon wasn’t involved. His lonely figure walking away at the end had been lingering in my mind, and I was at a loss for how to approach him if we met. But the only visitors were those guys and no one else.
It was strange that Maeng Moa and Jung Hyoin weren’t here, but it wasn’t exactly normal for these two to visit together either.
Of course, dealing with them was awkward and tiring too, but I decided to consider it fortunate since I had something I needed to say.
“Yoon Taeho! Why aren’t you answering your phone?!”
Kwak Junhee, who reached me first, stood right in front of me and shouted. He seemed urgent, not even noticing Teacher Jaewon nearby.
I glanced briefly at Teacher Jaewon, who was looking at us with what seemed like an intrigued expression, then turned to Kwak Junhee.
“You came together just because I didn’t answer my phone?”
I looked over both of them as they caught their breath, apparently having run from somewhere. Kwak Junhee standing next to Byeon Seungha looked flustered despite maintaining an expressionless face, but the beads of sweat on his forehead and his tense jaw revealed how startled he really was.
Kwak Junhee soon seemed to calm down, regulating his breathing and lifting the corners of his mouth. It looked less like his discomfort had passed and more like he was deliberately hiding his rising emotions.
“Yes. I was worried when you didn’t answer, so I came.”
Returning to his usual composed self, Kwak Junhee feigned ignorance. I clicked my tongue inwardly at the sight.
He clearly knew something and was testing me. If he didn’t know, he wouldn’t have rushed over so urgently or spoken as if spilling excuses. I stared at them blankly for a moment before asking directly.
“Why? What were you so worried about that you installed cameras to check on me? If you saw that, you would have also seen that I was just quietly staying in the hospital room before coming out.”
“……”
Everyone here, not just Kwak Junhee, seemed completely caught off guard by my statement, standing with their mouths agape.
“Hey! You……”
Byeon Seungha stepped toward me and started to speak, but promptly shut his mouth when Kwak Junhee’s hand stopped him. Instead, he glared at Kwak Junhee with disapproval, which the latter ignored as he replied nonchalantly.
“We installed them because we were worried you might do something with your suddenly changed personality.”
His tone and expression were as calm as if it were nothing significant. Well, they should have been calm. Since he wasn’t typically emotional or easily flustered, it wasn’t readily apparent, but I noticed the trembling in his downcast eyes.
As expected, unlike Moon Seoheon, he seemed to think I had two personalities. Wondering if he might be testing me, I looked at Teacher Jaewon, who shook his head when our eyes met, as if he’d caught my concern.
I adjusted my crutch, suppressing a sigh that threatened to escape, and stood up straight. My leg was starting to hurt from standing for too long.
“I don’t have dissociative identity disorder.”
“……”
At my bold and straightforward statement, Kwak Junhee and Byeon Seungha blinked, glanced at each other, then let out small sighs. My brow furrowed at their exchanged looks that seemed to say they should be understanding because I was unwell.
“Don’t worry. It might take a long time, but they say you’ll be fine with consistent psychological counseling and medication.”
He grabbed both my shoulders and spoke gently. His attitude suggested he was trying to calm me down. I couldn’t help but laugh a little out of exasperation. Despite being in a situation where I should send them away with angry words, I felt no desire to argue, only disbelief. I must be getting used to these guys.
Finally, as if his proper thinking had returned, Kwak Junhee turned his head to look at Teacher Jaewon.
“It’s been a while. Sam… I mean, teacher.”
“Yes. You seem very busy these days.”
“Yes. There’s a lot to prepare.”
After watching their exchange and the teacher’s expression suggesting Kwak Junhee was working hard, I suddenly remembered something and twisted my upper body. It was a gesture to remove the hands on my shoulders, but I gave up when I felt the increased pressure and left them be.
“The performance is coming up soon, right? I’m sorry. As you can see from my condition, I won’t be able to participate… but I’ll try to attend if possible. They said I could go out for a day.”
Perhaps it was because I was meeting club members, but I finally said what I should have said earlier but couldn’t. I genuinely felt embarrassed and sorry that I couldn’t do anything after returning.
With my arm properly broken this time, I couldn’t even hold an instrument, let alone play one. Since I could at least walk with my injured leg, I was planning to ask my parents to take me. Of course, this would only be possible if my body didn’t switch again, so I couldn’t promise for certain.
Since I intended to tie up all loose ends before leaving, I spoke to them as if making a promise. But despite my determination, they apparently didn’t care at all and burst out.
“Is that what matters right now?!”
More precisely, Byeon Seungha shouted as if grabbing my collar, causing me to stagger. Thanks to Teacher Jaewon and Kwak Junhee who rushed to catch me, I didn’t fall. One of my crutches, however, clattered to the ground with a loud thud.
Instead of thanking the two who caught me, I sent them a grateful look with my eyes and frowned at Byeon Seungha.
“What else matters then?”
“We already decided your brother would do the performance with us.”
At this surprising news, my eyes widened, then I felt slightly relieved. That’s good. Yoon Taean, that kid didn’t even tell me… I was thinking that when the next words made me flinch.
“See? You don’t know again! Why are we talking about something that’s already settled?”
“……”
“What? Why don’t you say it doesn’t matter to you again?”
“Byeon Seungha!”
Byeon Seungha, who shouted at me while I remained silent, scowled intensely. Kwak Junhee tried to stop him, but his expression didn’t soften. Rather than being angry at him, I just felt a heaviness in my chest. It was natural that I didn’t know what had happened between them, and my actions and words were as frustrating to them as they were to me.
It seemed like Byeon Seungha wasn’t so much angry at me as he was expressing his own suffocating feelings. It felt somewhat of a relief that this was different from when he was angry out of suspicion towards me.
“Do you know what you said to us as soon as you opened your eyes? You asked why we were talking to you. With a face like you were meeting us for the first time!”
His expression was one of shock, as if he’d witnessed something unimaginable. I swallowed dryly, then feeling my leg throbbing with pain beyond mere discomfort, I reached out as I felt my body collapsing.
My outstretched hand flailed in the air, but fortunately, I didn’t fall thanks to the three people holding me from all sides. Instead, one of my crutches fell with a loud thud.
At that unsightly scene, Byeon Seungha seemed more shocked than I was, his pupils trembling visibly. Even Kwak Junhee carefully removed his hand and took a step back.
As heavy silence enveloped us, Teacher Jaewon, who had been quietly observing, spoke.
“Taeho seems to be having a hard time. Why don’t you all go back for now?”
At those words, as if receiving a signal, the two who couldn’t even respond looked at me for a moment before turning around. Leaving with just one parting remark.
“…Rest up. See you later.”
* * *
On the day many visitors came and left, surprisingly, neither The Four nor Moon Seoheon, whom I expected to visit the very next day, showed up at all.
Instead, club members came to visit one or two at a time whenever they could, chatting briefly before leaving. After a week had passed and the day of the performance approached, it was actually me who grew anxious.
“Taeho, if you’re ready, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
I turned my gaze from the camera lens I had been staring at to look at my mother calling me from the doorway.
Since the day I definitively learned about the camera’s existence, I had been staring at the lens whenever I had the chance. I felt uncomfortable and wanted to get rid of it immediately, but I realized it had been installed with my parents’ permission, so I couldn’t take any action.
Normally, this would have been more than enough time to get help from my family who would have discovered that I wasn’t Yoon Taeho but someone else, but they hadn’t accepted that fact at all.
They were relieved by my subdued behavior but still worried about when I might change again. My mental state being officially deemed unstable meant they were watching over me like surveillance.
Was I too hasty? I could only bite my lip as I felt a suffocating pressure in my chest.
“Ah, did you submit your assignments well? Was there anything difficult?”
“No. The deadline was generous, so it wasn’t hard.”
“I see……”
Being hospitalized, I was able to substitute assignments for the final exams that should have taken place this week, thanks to the school’s accommodation. It was actually simpler than taking the exams, so I was able to complete everything without issues, but the grades were a problem.
Does it even matter anymore? If I were actually Yoon Taeho, I probably would have done worse.
My mother, who had opened the door wide telling me to come out carefully, wore a regretful expression. Perhaps because of this, I endured the throbbing headache I’d had since morning, pretending not to notice as I slowly stepped into the corridor. The identical rhythm of footsteps following behind somewhat reassured me.
She’s not crying, is she? My chest ached uncomfortably, preventing me from looking back.
The shocked expressions they had worn when I blurted out that I wasn’t Yoon Taeho still flashed before my eyes. Maybe I really was too hasty.
I swallowed a sigh and approached the car waiting outside. It would take us to school for today’s performance.
My father, who had gotten out of the car, opened the back door and helped me in, which I now accepted naturally as I carefully sat in the back seat. My mother sat beside me, and as my father started the engine, I leaned back comfortably in the smoothly departing car.
Despite leaving with ample time, as we approached the school, cars were lined up densely near the main entrance. There were people carrying small children or supporting elderly individuals as they entered. They were all families coming to watch, like us, causing traffic delays.
“I wonder if there’s parking inside.”
“I heard there’s parking at the back of the mountain.”
In response to my mother’s worried murmur, my father reassured her. Soon the car passed through the main gate and proceeded smoothly inside, heading toward the back of the building.
I felt strange seeing the familiar scenery after so long. I even let out a small exclamation when I looked at where the skybridge should be. My mother, noticing my sigh, called to my father in a low voice.
“Honey, drop Taeho and me off in front of the building.”
My father nodded in agreement and soon turned a corner. I was about to say it wasn’t necessary, not wanting to cause concern, but realized that walking to the building would be difficult too, so I stayed silent.
“I’ll join you after parking.”
After dropping us off in front of the building where the event was being held, my father made sure the car door was closed before heading back the way we came.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
I took steps while slightly leaning on my mother, who gently held my arm. Unlike how it had been tightly closed before, the foundation-owned building was now wide open, with a large banner hanging on the wall.
After glancing over the banner, I had only walked a few steps when I spotted Jo Youngmin and Hong Hachan standing with what appeared to be parents in one corner.
I’d heard Ye Abin and Son Gyucheon were under house arrest due to an injunction, but it seems these guys weren’t affected.
