By Zephyria “Rather than close, I knew a lot about Hyung.”
“……”
“Because I was in charge of Hyung. I took you wherever you went and brought you back.”
He swallowed the words, But I guess I wasn’t that nice a person to Yong-jae.
“You said you took care of my cat, Yong-jae?”
“There was no one else, so…”
Did he have no family, no close friends who could look after his home or pets at a time like this?
According to what he learned at the hospital, Yoon Hye-an had a complicated family background. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say it was simple?
When Yoon Hye-an was less than a year old, his parents moved to the United States. Less than five years after moving, his parents divorced, and Yoon Hye-an, who moved back and forth between his biological father and mother, ended up living with his stepmother, who was not related by blood, when his father divorced his third wife.
Later, after repeatedly running away from home and eventually leaving the US to return to Korea permanently, he lost contact with both his biological parents and his stepmother. Therefore, in practical terms, he had no family.
The fact that not all families are harmonious and sacrificial towards each other was a type of misfortune that Choi Hong-seo understood better than anyone. That was a much more common story than people with ordinary families might think.
“If you still need time to adjust, I can keep her for longer. Tiffany doesn’t cause any trouble and is cute.”
“No, if it’s alright, please bring her over. I’ve already caused you trouble, so I should take care of her from now on.”
“……”
Yong-jae, who was tidying the kitchen as if it were his own home, turned back. His long, slanted eyes, without double eyelids, looked sharp at first glance, but the gaze within seemed pure, like a frightened animal.
“Why?”
“No, it’s nothing. Then, please rest, and I’ll go get Tiffany.”
Although he said no, Choi Hong-seo had a vague idea. The Yoon Hye-an before the accident was probably not the kind of person who would say such things.
“While I’m at it, I’ll do some grocery shopping too. There’s nothing to drink or eat. If there’s anything you’d like to have, please send me a message.”
“It’s okay. I think it would be better if I did the shopping myself.”
“Yourself?”
“My favorite drinks or foods… I think they’ve probably all changed.”
“Ah…”
Yong-jae, who had tucked his feet into his shoes while standing at the entrance, slowly nodded. Even so, his suspicious and wary gaze remained. He still didn’t fully believe that his memory had been lost.
“By the way, Hyung.”
“Yes.”
“Could you please do something about the formal speech?”
“……”
“It’s too hard to adjust to. You seem like a different person, and it’s a bit… scary…”
“I’m sorry, but… it’s the same for me. I’ll adjust slowly. Please bear with it a little, even if it’s awkward.”
As Yong-jae, who had finished putting on his shoes, stood still and spoke, the sensor above his head turned off, and the entrance grew dark.
“Hyung.”
Yong-jae’s expression and voice, which seemed almost desperate, sounded like someone who had summoned great courage.
“Do you really not remember anything…?”
Choi Hong-seo, who had come to the entrance to see Yong-jae off, nodded.
“You don’t remember Representative-nim or me either?”
“Not right now. I’m sorry.”
“And you can’t even use informal language with me?”
“We’ll get closer and do that slowly.”
Yong-jae took a step closer with a determined look. It was a spot outside the sensor’s range, as the light didn’t turn on despite his movement.
“Hyung, then… how about an iced mocha latte instead of an iced vanilla latte?”
It was an odd question, its intention impossible to discern. Yong-jae’s eyes waited so earnestly for his answer that Choi Hong-seo flinched back, reacting involuntarily.
“Aren’t they the same thing?”
“Right? They’re the same, right?? They’re both just super sweet drinks!”
Yong-jae looked overcome with emotion, like someone freed from an unfair misunderstanding after years. He even grabbed Choi Hong-seo’s hands.
Yong-jae’s eyes, close to a three-eyed stare, peered intently at Choi Hong-seo’s face from up close. His eyes seemed to believe Choi Hong-seo’s words much more than before. And he seemed relieved, rather than anxious, that Yoon Hye-an, now awake, didn’t remember the past. Yong-jae’s expression and shoulders seemed much lighter as he left the entrance, telling him to take it easy and rest.
The house, now empty, was silent, as if cut off from the world.
A chill ran down his neck along with a sense of dread, so Choi Hong-seo quickly opened the window. Once some external noise seeped in, giving him a feeling of connection to the world, he finally calmed down.
Was it because of the memory of being alone in absolute silence before waking up as Yoon Hye-an? Choi Hong-seo, when he was himself, disliked noise, but now he feared silence. He felt like he would be sucked back into that solitude, without a body or a voice, all alone.
He slowly looked around the house amidst the comforting noise.
There were three rooms. Of the two rooms facing each other near the entrance, one seemed to be used as a storage room, and the other was a dressing room. The dressing room was overflowing with luxurious designer clothes, bags, and shoes. So much so that the door could barely open.
But the rest of the space was desolate. It was as bare as a house about to be vacated tomorrow.
Living in a stylishly designed officetel built on expensive land, and even draped head-to-toe in designer brands, perhaps Yoon Hye-an had only cared about his outward appearance. Unlike the dressing room, which was so full there wasn’t space for even one more t-shirt, there was no trace of money spent elsewhere in the house.
Choi Hong-seo walked into the bedroom, where the blinds were down, and opened a drawer in the nightstand. Among miscellaneous items like a cigarette pack, lighter, receipts, and keys, there was another phone.
He sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the phone.
There were only about five or six contacts saved. Two of them were CEO Lim and Manager Yong-jae, one person who seemed to be a member of ‘Titan,’ and one number labeled ‘Shithead’ whose identity was unknown. That was it.
Yoon Hye-an was the pretty face of ‘Titan.’ Among more extreme people, he was known for the backhanded compliment that ‘his best skill was his face.’ To think that such a handsome face was called ‘Shithead.’
He hadn’t heard any good rumors about Yoon Hye-an, but still, he thought it didn’t match, and Choi Hong-seo shook his head. Then, he suddenly touched his face. He thought, This must be that face.
All records on the phone had been deleted.
Only a few messages of concern and congratulations on his discharge from some obsessive fans who even knew his private phone number had arrived. All records up until he jumped off Dongho Bridge had been erased.
It wasn’t someone trying to scare someone by faking his death, as CEO Lim might think, but someone determined to succeed in suicide. At least, that’s how it seemed to Choi Hong-seo, who had died once.
Suddenly, fatigue washed over him.
“Haa…”
He collapsed his upper body from a sitting position and lay on his side, letting out a long sigh. He lay curled up for a moment, listening to the distant city noise seeping through the open door. Anxiety and loneliness began to creep in.
Who am I, really?
How long can I inhabit Yoon Hye-an’s body like this?
Or, am I, in fact, Yoon Hye-an?
A deranged Yoon Hye-an, who believes he is Choi Hong-seo and holds fabricated memories.
If that’s the case, when Yoon Hye-an regains his memories, will the personality who currently believes he is Choi Hong-seo disappear?
Even though he jumped to disappear, he was afraid of disappearing again. Paradoxically. But this state of internal and external discord was equally confusing.
To forget his anxiety, Choi Hong-seo looked at his phone. Confirming that Lee Hae-sung was connected to the world, that Lee Hae-sung was alive in the world, felt like the thick fog blurring his vision would dissipate, and the path he had to take would become clear. He could forget his anxiety and confusion.
It didn’t matter if that path led to a dark and uncertain future. For now, he decided to focus on one thing and move forward.
He slowly reread the article he had found for the first time a few days ago, and had read over and over since.