By Zephyria While others were organizing their thoughts, Ki Jae-eon, the person who had lost his memories, was sitting on the bed, holding his head in his hands, deep in agony. Tick-tock-. Only the sound of the clock ticking echoed in the room. Before he could empty his dizzy head, the cell phone he had thrown carelessly on the desk began to ring urgently. A faint curse word slipped out through his lips. Ki Jae-eon only raised his eyes to look at the cell phone. The name on the screen was [Mother]. Ah, again? Ki Jae-eon’s expression darkened. That’s because for several days now, at eight o’clock in the evening, he receives a ‘check-in call’ from his mother. It was so foreign that Ki Jae-eon doubted himself, wondering if he was having a false dream.
Vroom-!
How long has it been since he saw his mother’s name on the call list? Eyes that were difficult to read stared intently at the cell phone. Soon, the phone that had been ringing vroom- stopped. One missed call immediately appeared. But Ki Jae-eon was unmoved. Normally, he would have called back immediately.
“……”
As the room became quiet, the stability that had been lost seemed to slowly return.
In fact, looking back, it wasn’t something to get so excited about. Whether he put a rolled omelet on the rice or dumped food waste on it, he could have just ignored it as he always had. But despite that, there was a clear reason why he was so angry.
Being treated like a shell.
The situation where he, who was considered excellent, had become someone else’s substitute was quite unbearable.
Even from his mother’s check-in calls to his Hyeong’s playful messages, he felt an inferiority complex of unknown origin towards another ‘me’ who had created an ideal [family] form that he had never created. What’s even more absurd is that it’s an inferiority complex about something he hadn’t really been conscious of before.
Rather than parents and children, Teacher and disciple.
Rather than Hyeong and younger sibling, successor and closest aide.
Just that much.
A relationship that was determined like that.
There was no resentment.
Rather, he had lived feeling it was natural.
Everything changed overnight.
A mother who hugs me and feels relieved?
Who is that?
A Hyeong who sends me gift certificates that I don’t even eat and jokes around?
Who is that?
‘Appearances I’ve never seen before…’
In other words, they were able to show him the appearances that Ki Jae-eon had wanted. A warm embrace, sharing of small daily life. It’s not that they couldn’t do it, but that they didn’t do it.
When he realized the truth, he felt somewhat empty.
No, the fact that he felt empty made him feel ashamed.
“Crazy bastard.”
Ki Jae-eon twisted the corners of his lips.
What the hell did ‘I’ do? Was I more capable than the current me? Was my work more perfect?
‘Or…’
Ah, forget it. What am I saying?
It was the first time he had compared himself to someone, so he didn’t know where to start or how to feel frustrated. It just felt like everyone except him was deceiving him as one.
‘I feel like I’m the only idiot.’
Above all, the attitude of the people here was the most unpleasant. Looking at the pitying glances they showed from time to time made him so annoyed that he wanted to beat them up.
Especially every time they stuck to him pretending to be friendly…
‘Don’t think I don’t know.’
Even if they don’t say it, he can tell.
Who the guys are really hoping for.
Every little consideration was directed towards the other ‘Ki Jae-eon’. The little ones who matched habits and tastes that ‘I’ didn’t have as if they were familiar with them. It was clearly kindness that was for ‘me’ but not for ‘me’. There’s no way I could feel good about something that wasn’t mine in the first place.
It may be an overinterpretation, but it was like telling the other ‘me’ to come back… Making the current ‘me’ an alien with nowhere to go. It’s like indirectly experiencing the position of an Evil Spirit who has taken over a perfectly normal human body for no reason.
‘It’s this side that’s embarrassed.’
Rather, the Evil Spirit to the current him is ‘me’ who is not in his memory. Because of that one guy, he’s going through all the confusion he shouldn’t have to go through.
Well, I guess they’re thinking the same thing over there? Ki Jae-eon muttered, staring blankly at the plain wall.
“…Who’s the fake?”
“Both are real.”
Click, the door opened and someone came in. A white and round appearance. Ah, what was it?
“Cursed Womb Cave.”
“Ahn Seo-myeong.”
I think that was roughly the name.
Anyway…… he wasn’t in the mood to play with the main office leftovers right now. Ki Jae-eon glanced at Ahn Seo-myeong, then quickly looked away, waving his hand dismissively as if annoyed.
“Figure it out yourself.”
“I didn’t come to ask about Art of Magic.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’m not asking you to eat. Are you hungry?”
This guy…….
Ki Jae-eon, with a look that said, ‘Are you making fun of me?’, straightened up from his slouch and glared at Ahn Seo-myeong.
“Hey.”
“Ahn Seo-myeong. That’s my name.”
“Why do I need to know your name?”
It wouldn’t matter if he just acknowledged it, but he was being deliberately difficult. If he showed how unwelcome he was, he figured the guy would soon leave on his own.
But.
Despite his openly blunt attitude, the uninvited guest didn’t seem particularly offended, and without a change in expression, slowly raised his hand and pointed to himself. A briefly moving hand, a faint scar on the back of that hand. His gaze was momentarily drawn to it before returning to the youthful face.
“You probably don’t remember.”
Ahn Seo-myeong continued in a monotone.
“You’d hate it if I acted friendly.”
Fingers that were larger and longer than expected slowly reached towards Ki Jae-eon this time.
“So I want to get to know you?”
“I don’t particularly want to get to know you.”
“I meant that I want to get to know you.”
I don’t know much about you, hyung… no. About you, senior. Ahn Seo-myeong shrugged. Ki Jae-eon was taken aback.
He wants to get to know me?
‘The current me?’
Not waiting for the ‘me’ before I lost my memories?
……Well, but would it even matter if he did?
Ki Jae-eon narrowed his eyes and muttered, “Why bother?”
However, this little guy was not to be underestimated.
Whether he was naturally oblivious or just pretending to be, no matter how much he hinted, he stubbornly stuck to his own agenda without being affected.
“Yes, well. Why bother.”
Then, without permission, he pulled out a chair and plopped down.
“Is this a meeting?”
“Have you ever been on one?”
“…….”
“I haven’t. I’ve never been on a blind date or gotten a number either. I’m innocent.”
“Why are you appealing that to me?”
“Then who should I appeal to? There are only two people in the room.”
That’s tr- no. What is? He almost fell for it.
‘This bastard, the way he talks is unusual.’
Ki Jae-eon was helplessly being led around because he had never been talked into something like this before.
“…….”
“Oh, do you have a lot of work to do?”
Is that really something you should say to someone who clearly looks like they have nothing to do?
“Are you messing with me?”
“I hope you’ve eaten?”
“……Hey.”
“Can I talk more?”
“I have nothing to tell you.”
“Then I’ll talk about myself.”
“I’m not curious about your story either.”
“…….”
“Why?”
It was the moment he thought he’d finally offended him.
Contrary to expectations that he would get up and leave, complaining about his abrasive tone, Ahn Seo-myeong tilted his head as if it were nothing. Only Ki Jae-eon flinched at those persistently reaching black eyes. What? Why is he staring so intently?
“What.”
“No……. Just.”
Then he raised the corners of his lips and added.
“I just thought you were the same person whether you lost your memories or not. It’s amazing. Your essence doesn’t change, I guess.”
“Essence?”
Ki Jae-eon tilted his head slightly, as if curious.
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“The feeling that you don’t have any friends.”
Right? Senior, he smiled with his eyes……. Ah, I get it.
I don’t know about anything else. I only know one thing for sure.
‘I definitely wasn’t close to that bastard.’
It’s just going to stir up trouble if I keep talking to him. I dug my own grave.
Ki Jae-eon sighed and turned his head away.
Before he could issue an eviction order to stop messing around and get lost, a white hand suddenly came close to his face. A hand that fearlessly closed the distance in an instant.
“……!”
Just as it was about to touch his wavy bangs, Ki Jae-eon reflexively slapped it away.
Smack!
A rather sharp sound echoed in the room. A throbbing sensation transmitted across his skin.
Ki Jae-eon paused for a moment, wondering if he had hit too hard, even though he was the one who hit.
But the reaction of the person who was hit was absurd.
He didn’t get angry or annoyed.
He didn’t even ask why, and instead, he even laughed?
“Ah-.”
A dry exclamation.
“I found something else.”
Eyes that curved playfully as if he had been waiting for it.
“Senior…….”
A clear and refreshing voice.
“You don’t like being touched, I see.”
He was crazy.