Come Back

Choi Hong-seo’s gaze slid back over the table once more. His breathing became ragged as he lost his composure.

“After the team disbanded, I worked in any job I could, even minor roles. I didn’t have time to despair.”

Representative Lim also came forward and tried to persuade Yoon Hye-an to stay on the team. However, Yoon Hye-an was the type of person who did not feel the need to choose the ‘path that would benefit us all’ over the ‘path that would benefit me’.

It was a blessing in disguise for Park Dong-ha, because according to the contract, Yoon Hye-an had to take care of the remaining investment in Titan. At least she could get paid as she worked. Yoon Hye-an’s sponsor paid the remaining investment to Titan all at once, and Yoon Hye-an brought in a pretty good profit for ENA for a while. It was not a bad story for CEO Lim either. After all, Im Sang-jin was also trying to run a business that would make a profit, not a charity.

Even though I swallowed my saliva, my mouth and throat were parched. As if he had read my thirst, Representative Lim took out a bottle of water from the mini fridge in the corner. Choi Hong-seo took the water he had casually handed him and barely managed to drink one or two sips, not much.

Representative Lim went to the seat across from him and sat down, lighting a new cigarette.

“Of course, Dong-ha and the others don’t think well of you either. They tried to please you in the beginning because your sponsor made their name known, but in the end, you threw them away.”

Choi Hong-seo also came from an idol group. He knew very well how fatal a problem member withdrawal or replacement can be to both popular and unpopular groups.

Representative Lim squinted his eyes and puffed out smoke.

“No, rather, it’s Park Dong-ha who needs money the most and who resents you less than the others.”

That was another unexpected content. Choi Hong-seo, who was twisting the water bottle as if squeezing it, looked up and looked at Representative Lim.

“Even when I knelt before you, I begged you to cut off my sponsorship and work hard together to get there. That’s why I clung to you like that.”

His eyes stung from the cigarette smoke that Representative Lim was spewing out. Blinking his eyes several times, Choi Hong-seo asked quietly and fearfully.

“Then what did I say to Dong-ha?”

“pants.”

“yes?”

“It’s a new Louis Vuitton pair, but the pants are wrinkled.”

The voice of Representative Lim, who said that while sitting obliquely and blowing out a long stream of smoke, was bitter. There was silence for a moment. All that could be heard was the sound of Lim Sang-jin sucking in and blowing out smoke. Choi Hong-seo thought that the sound sounded like the breathing of a large, crouching, sleeping animal.

Kaak.

Representative Lim picked up the ashtray and prepared to spit. Phew.

“Did I practice hard?”

“……Did you do it?”

A look of askance as he puts down the ashtray.

It seemed like he didn’t try hard enough. Choi Hong-seo just wanted to check.

I looked out the window over the sturdy shoulder of CEO Lim. Instead of the flashy scenery that people think of when they think of Gangnam, I saw the shabby signs of stores in old buildings across the alley. Specializing in buying used luxury goods at high prices, job placement, and foreign employment…

In my previous life, it was completely different from the splendid view of Seoul I had seen from the hotel room where Hae-seong had invited me. Even though it was in the same Gangnam, only 20 minutes away.

From far away to near. Choi Hong-seo asked with some difficulty, focusing on Representative Lim.

“I wasn’t that… good.”

What should he say? Choi Hong-seo, who was choosing his words, eventually chose the word ‘not really’.

“Well, honestly, I can’t say he was a good person.”

The cigarette butt, which had become shorter before he knew it, looked even smaller between Representative Lim’s large fingers.

“Because you were like a machine that ran solely on desire.”

“……”

“As if I only feel alive when I pursue and fulfill that.”

I thought that Im Jin-jin might have been both an onlooker and the person who understood Yoon Hye-an’s life the most. An onlooker who understood but did not interfere. However, can he be held responsible for not actively interfering with others’ lives?

“But, Representative, Yoon-hye… you took care of various things as my guardian while I was unconscious.”

“I paid the hospital bills every month with all the money I had left.”

“Still. If I had become an unclaimed person, the hospital might have euthanized me before I even woke up.”

“poisonous mushroom.”

Mr. Lim said this as he added another cigarette butt to the pile of ashtrays and put it out.

“I thought that when I first saw you. You look flashy and sleek on the outside, so you look good, but you don’t seem sincere, and you obviously have a bad temper… I thought that if I ate this, I might get in trouble. But I thought that I was somewhat responsible for dragging you in and making you the center.”

Silence fell again through the acrid smoke that hung there even though he was no longer smoking.

The day he visited Park Dong-ha’s officetel with Yongjae, Choi Hong-seo looked at Park Dong-ha’s family photo for a long time. It was a country house in Gyeonggi-do that Park Dong-ha had purchased with a loan of half, and it must have been a cozy nest of dreams for the family.

“You probably don’t remember, hyung. My father was very sick, because of the accident.”

At that time, Park Dong-ha probably wanted to say something like this.

‘Don’t you remember? Back then, when I was begging for my life, you left the team without batting an eye, so I had to live in hell for a while.’

It seemed like she had heard everything she wanted to hear. There was no twist for Yoon Hye-an. It seemed like her life truly fit the phrase, “true to her desires.” Still, at least, it was true that she had sought out a sponsor of her own volition, so at least… she should be thankful. It was hard for Choi Hong-seo to even smile bitterly.

“Talking about it like this today, it really feels like all my old memories have flown away.”

At the moment when he was about to wake up, Representative Lim opened his mouth first.

“Not to mention her facial expressions and speech… even her eyes that change from moment to moment… there is nothing that can be called Yoon Hye-an.”

“As if he had witnessed a supernatural phenomenon that could not be explained by common sense,” said Representative Lim, his expression filled with curiosity bordering on admiration.

“Even if you lose your memories, can a person change this much?”

Even so, absolutely, no one would have imagined that another person’s soul was inside Yun Hye-an’s body. Yun Hye-an, who woke up from unconsciousness, lost all her memories and became a different person because of that. That was much more convincing ‘common sense’.

“Thank you for your time. Thank you for telling me so many things. Okay.”

Choi Hong-seo put down the water bottle, glanced at the half-eaten apple on the table, and got up from his seat. Just as he was about to open the door and leave, he heard Representative Lim’s voice behind him.

“When I brought you in as the last member, you were the only member who welcomed me without being pushy.”

“……”

“I think the team will do well if a visual person who can take center stage comes.”

When I looked back, Representative Lim was half-turned and looking out the window.

“I may resent you, but I’m not the type of person who can hate someone endlessly. From what I know.”

Choi Hong-seo also hoped that what Representative Lim said was true. However, he could not forget the eyes of Park Dong-ha, full of hostility, that were glaring at ‘Yoon Hye-an’.

“I thought my brother’s method was wrong. I thought I could succeed in a slow and time-consuming way, but I didn’t need to resort to such dirty methods. But that wasn’t the case. No matter how hard I tried and waited, I might not even get the chance here.”

Park Dong-ha seemed to have almost believed Yoon Hye-an’s words that she probably didn’t remember. However, seeing Yoon Hye-an ‘seducing’ Lee Hae-seong just like in the past, he must have thought it was a lie. Like everyone he’d ever met, Yoon Hye-an was someone who would do that and still do it.

As I stepped out into the hallway, the security guard who had been waiting approached me.

“The vice president has arrived. Please come down.”

“Are you here?”

Choi Hong-seo, who had been lost in thought, quickly took out his cell phone.

At the time when we were busy practicing for the new and final single of ‘Layered’.

The content was very similar to the message that Lee Hae-seong had left when he came to the practice room.

ah…

In an instant, a strong headache came over me, as if an awl had stabbed my temple. It was so painful that it felt more like a sharp toothache than a headache. Choi Hong-seo pressed his temple with his palm and leaned his shoulder against the hallway.

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

The bodyguard came over and helped him up.

“I have a migraine for a moment.”

“I’ll take you to the hospital right away. Let’s talk to the vice president and then go together.”

“No, I’m fine. I don’t feel like I’m going to pass out, I just have a headache.”

Choi Hong-seo firmly denied it and moved the hand that was pressing on his temple to show that it was okay.

Up until now, I was happy to share the same things I had said before. It seemed like it showed him more evidence that I was Choi Hong-seo, and I was overwhelmed with longing for the past. It was like a precious code that allowed us to recognize each other.

But now, I was overcome with the fear that time was turning back.

Choi Hong-seo didn’t wait for the elevator, but jumped into the emergency exit and ran down the stairs. The bodyguard quickly followed him. When he roughly pushed open the door on the first floor, Lee Hae-seong’s sedan came into view. He hurried his steps as if he was running and got into the back seat.

Lee Hae-seong, who was watching Choi Hong-seo and the bodyguard running towards him, had a surprised expression. As soon as he saw Lee Hae-seong’s face, Choi Hong-seo hugged his waist. He buried his nose and lips in his shoulder and deeply inhaled his scent. There was another attendant in the driver’s seat, but he didn’t care.

“What’s wrong? What happened inside?”

He asked with concern, carefully hugging her back.

“Should I go up and meet the clinical team?”

Choi Hong-seo shook his head and spoke in a small voice.

“I want to be alone. Is that okay?”

With his arm around Choi Hong-seo’s back, Lee Hae-seong lowered his voice toward the driver’s seat.

“We’ll move on our own, so let’s return together in the VIP security vehicle.”

“Understood, Vice President.”

After the sound of the driver’s door opening and closing, the interior became quiet.

Understanding waited without asking anything. He gently stroked Choi Hong-seo’s back as if he was soothing and comforting a whining baby. But this time, it didn’t seem like his feelings would subside easily despite his affection.

“mister…”

“hmm.”

“Vice President.”

“Oh, Hongseo.”

“Mr. Haesung.”

“…Yes, Mr. Hongseo.”

“Why did I wake up in this body?”

“……”

Lee Hae-seong’s hand that was sweeping his back stopped. And this time, he tightened the arm that was wrapped around Choi Hong-seo’s body and hugged him tightly.