Lost

“Was it late morning?I turned on the TV, and a psychic appeared. It seemed to be a broadcast from a few years ago, where an old man stood in the middle of the stage wearing a red martial arts uniform with an open chest. Then, he began sticking a spoon to his forehead, then his belly, then his arms, claiming that magnets flowed through his body, causing metal to stick to him or something like that.After watching for about a minute, I changed the channel, and this time a boy was bending a spoon. I didn’t know if it was real or fake, but he only stared at it, and the spoon bent as if it were a candy stick. Do people still believe in that kind of thing these days? While absentmindedly pondering that, I turned off the TV.And then, what happened after that?Did I fall asleep lying on the sofa? No, I think I fell asleep looking at my phone. Lying on the sofa, looking at texts on my phone…While looking…“…”I fell asleep while looking…I stared at the white ceiling, then turned my head and saw a small refrigerator. Next to the noisy, rattling fridge was a tiny sink and a built-in drum washing machine. Clothes were haphazardly thrown over a chair, a small cordless vacuum lay discarded in the corner, and a TV with a chipped edge sat on a shelf.It looked familiar. It was a scene I’d seen somewhere before. I looked around the small room, which seemed barely ten square meters, and as I slowly started to get up, I heard a loud noise. Startled, I looked down, and my phone was vibrating under the blanket.I stopped getting up, sat back on the blanket, and picked up the phone. It wasn’t my phone. The model, color, nothing about it resembled mine.[Asshole]I stared at the name displayed on the screen, and the phone stopped ringing. The missed call notification popped up, and just as it did, the phone started ringing again.[Asshole]“…”Who on earth was this? I frowned, trying to figure it out, and then lifted my head to look around. I’d had a bad feeling since earlier. I didn’t know why, but the thought that something had gone seriously wrong wouldn’t leave my mind.In the meantime, the call stopped again, only to start ringing right after. Eventually, I had no choice but to answer the call from ‘Asshole.’“Hello…”— Hey! Where are you?“…”— Why didn’t you pick up? Didn’t I tell you there’s a group event today and to come early? Damn, if you couldn’t make it, you should’ve said so in advance!The shouting was so loud it made my head hurt, so I had to pull the phone away from my ear. Frowning at the name ‘Asshole’ on the screen, I heard the furious voice booming through.— If you’d told me earlier, I could’ve found someone else! Where are you now? Can you make it? Why aren’t you answering, you idiot?

“Hello.”I couldn’t stay silent anymore, so I opened my mouth with the phone away from my ear.— I can hear you, so answer! Are you coming or not?“Who are you?”— What the hell are you talking about? Isn’t this Kang Seoju’s phone?“…”— Isn’t it?When I stayed silent, the voice softened and asked again. I didn’t know how to respond, so I couldn’t open my mouth. Technically, I was Kang Seoju, but this wasn’t my phone.— Hello? Hey, did this jerk change his phone number? Someone else is answering.I could faintly hear him talking to someone else on the other end of the line. What on earth was I supposed to say?— Isn’t this the right number? Did he change his number and ghost us? Ugh, just because we messed around a bit, this guy seriously…“Hello.”— Ah, yes, sorry, I think I dialed the wrong number.“No, I am Kang Seoju, but…”— What?“I mean, I am Kang Seoju, but this phone…”— Is this guy messing with me right now…?I tried to explain earnestly, but even I didn’t understand what I was saying, so of course, the other person wouldn’t understand. Sighing in frustration and bewilderment, I asked.“Who are you?”— Have you lost it?“I haven’t. Who are you? What’s your name?”— Are you still drunk? Do you want to die? God, I’m busy as hell, and now I’m dealing with an absolute idiot.“No, damn… But why are you cussing at me like crazy since earlier? Is asking who you are that big of a deal?”I had no idea what was going on, and while I was confused, I was starting to get irritated just sitting here listening to someone swear at me. Was it really so wrong to ask who this person was?“My phone has you saved as ‘Asshole,’ but I must’ve forgotten who you are, Asshole. Who are you?”— Ha…A sigh escaped from the other end of the line. Why was it so hard to get a name? As if I weren’t already feeling dazed, trying to figure out what was going on or where I was… Maybe I should just hang up. Just as I thought that, ‘Asshole’ spoke again.— I’m the manager of the bar where you begged for a part-time job. I’ll transfer you your pay for the work so far, but don’t bother coming to the bar anymore, you ass.A part-time job? Bar manager?What was he even talking about? I’d never asked for a part-time job. How would I even work at a bar? If Jung Woojin found out, he’d throw a fit and scream. Did I get hit in the head or something?“…..”— You’re late, idiot. You’re fired. Just text me your bank account number, and let’s never meet again.“Oh, uh… sure.”Forget the job; I needed to figure out where I was and why I’d woken up here. As I gave a vague answer and tried to hang up, his sharp voice came through again.— Sure? Sure? This brat’s really testing me, huh? Why are you talking down to me all of a sudden?Hearing his snide laugh made me feel annoyed again.“You fired me, right? That means we’re not connected anymore, so why can’t I talk down to you? And anyway, who are you to swear at me and talk down like this?”— Wow, look at this kid. Don’t you want your money?“Just keep it and get lost, asshole.”Who the hell is this guy? I threw the phone onto the blanket, but it immediately started ringing again. A quick glance showed it was ‘Asshole’ calling. Ignoring the loud ringing, I looked around slowly, and my lip stung.Now that I thought about it, I’d been too disoriented to notice, but my body felt heavy. Was it muscle pain? And why did my lips ache? Tilting my head, I naturally went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My lip was cracked with dried blood, as if I’d been hit somewhere.“My face…”I blinked, leaning close to the mirror. Why did I look so young? And wait, how did I know the bathroom was here? Why did everything seem so familiar?“…”Wait a minute.‘Asshole’? Bar manager?“Jessia?”Could it be that the bar was Jessia? That was the bar where I’d briefly worked back in school. The manager would hit and curse at us as a “joke,” so I quit in less than a month. It was such a miserable place that I still remembered it.But why was the manager from there calling me? I quit years ago. Wait a minute—didn’t that place shut down?“…”The face in the mirror started to contort. I kept staring at myself, forgetting to blink, then rolled my eyes down to the blue tiles on the bathroom floor.“Here…”No way, this place…This was the house I rented with the money I made doing labor jobs as soon as I turned twenty.Even though it was a studio apartment and I rented month-to-month, it was my first place. Security deposit of 500, monthly rent of 55.I could never forget it. Why? Because the landlord ran off with my deposit. That was all the money I had at the time. And he took it.“That bastard…”I burst out of the bathroom and dashed out.＊ ＊ ＊The landlord lived on the top floor of the same building. I went up from the first floor to the fifth, knocking on the door for a long time, but no one answered, either because they weren’t home or were pretending not to be. Kicking the metal door, it made a loud bang.As my anger gradually faded, I began to come back to my senses.“…”But why was I here?“…”Jessia had been gone for a long time, and the landlord had taken off with my deposit, and the building had gone up for auction.“…What’s today’s date?”I fumbled around to find my phone, recalling that I’d thrown it on the blanket a little while ago. I went back down to the first floor to try the door, but it wouldn’t budge.“Ha…”Damn it… the password…What was it? What was it?“Seriously, what the hell is going on?”I tried all the passwords I’d used before—1111, 1234, 0000—but the door didn’t open.“I’m going crazy.”Even my bank card password didn’t work, and the alarm began to blare loudly, as if it was upset from so many failed attempts. Finally, the noise prompted the door next door to open.“Excuse me, can you please keep it down? It’s past eight o’clock…”A girl with glasses cracked open her door and poked her head out, looking thoroughly annoyed.“Sorry, I forgot my apartment’s password… By the way, do you know what day it is today?”“Pardon?”“I just can’t remember today’s date…”“It’s the 24th.”“And, uh… what month is it?”When I asked quietly with an awkward smile, her expression turned even more disgruntled. I understood. I knew I seemed really suspicious right now.“November.”“Ah, yes… Thank you.”“Anyway, please keep it down.”“Yes, sorry about that.”When the door closed, the loud alarm stopped. It was clear that pressing more numbers would just set it off again.But today is November 24. It was definitely summer before. I had fallen asleep on the sofa after Jung Woojin asked me to go see a movie tonight…“Jung Woojin. Where’s Jung Woojin?”Suddenly, I jumped up and ran outside. As I stepped out of the building, the cold wind swept over my body. How do I get home from here…? I should head to the main road and catch a taxi…“…”As I hurried through the alley, I gradually slowed down. It wasn’t until I came to a complete stop that a question arose: if I go now, will Jung Woojin be there? No, is that even our house? My current home is that studio over there.“What the hell is going on…”I held my head and sank to the ground.It’s November 24. When I looked down, I saw my bare feet in slippers. I had just rushed out wearing only shorts and a thin t-shirt, so the cold was making my skin crawl. But I couldn’t move easily. I was too confused. I had no idea what was happening.I had worked at Jesia when I was twenty. And the landlord took my money when I was twenty-one. Today is November 24.“…Am I really twenty?”I lowered my hands from my head and stared at my palm.“What nonsense…”I couldn’t even laugh at the absurdity. Am I really twenty? Did I time warp? Or am I just dreaming?Dreaming? Living with Jung Woojin—was that a dream? No, maybe this is a dream.“Oh, right. This could be a dream.”I stared at my palm weakly before suddenly standing up.“It’s a dream. This is a dream.”Nodding to myself, I slapped my cheeks hard. A sharp sound echoed, and pain shot through my skin.Smack. Smack. Smack.Even after hitting myself multiple times, I didn’t wake up from the dream. My lips felt hot, so I stuck out my tongue to taste it, and it was blood. Now that I think about it, the scab I saw earlier must have burst again.“Why can’t I wake up?”My palm hurt, and my cheeks were sore, so I stopped hitting myself and scratched my head instead. A cold wind blew as I sank back to the ground.“No, damn it… no, ha…”Burying my face between my knees and mumbling to myself, I began to laugh at this ridiculous situation. Just then, another gust of wind blew, making a whistling sound, and when it stopped, I shivered.“…”So I’m twenty years old right now. Today is November 24.“…”No matter how much I hit myself, I can’t wake up. So, does that mean this isn’t a dream but reality?“…”If this is reality, then what I’ve been…“…”What I’ve been through was just a dream?“…”Whether I time warped or if that was a dream, or this is a dream.These three scenarios were the only possibilities that came to mind.“Excuse me…”Just then, a shadow loomed over me. Sitting on the ground in shorts in this weather must have looked suspicious. But I didn’t have the time to care about other people’s gazes right now.“Are you feeling unwell?”“I’m fine, so just go away.”“Are you sure you’re okay?”“Just…”My voice cracked. I was in shock beyond what I could handle. My vision blurred, and my mind went blank. But it couldn’t be some other voice; there was no way I wouldn’t recognize this voice.I opened my eyes wide and slowly raised my head to see Jung Woojin’s youthful face.“…”“…”His pitch-black eyes looked me over. With skin so pale it was almost white and black hair that swayed when the wind blew, he seemed taken aback.“I just happened to pass by…”“…”When I remained silent, Jung Woojin’s face turned awkward as he started to explain.“I just happened to pass by and wondered if you were okay… you were sitting on the ground, and your clothes looked too thin… I was just worried…”His words were jumbled, as if he wanted to say that this situation we found ourselves in was just a coincidence. Now that I think about it, Jung Woojin had said he stalked me since high school. Could it be that he had been waiting in front of my house all this time? In this cold?Looking closely at Jung Woojin, who was wearing nothing but a gray school uniform and no coat, I furrowed my brows, making him swallow hard.“Why are you doing this here? Is something wrong?”“…”Aren’t we meeting for the first time? Of course, I know Jung Woojin, but… If I’m twenty, then Jung Woojin is eighteen. At that time, we had never met. If it were the current me, I would definitely think he was a meddling kid.But now, I know Jung Woojin. I don’t know what this situation is, or why I’m twenty, but I couldn’t treat the Jung Woojin in front of me like an annoying kid.“Jung Woojin.”“…”As I spoke his name, which had been stuck in my throat, his worried face relaxed in an instant. His eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly. I watched him as he expressed his surprise with his whole face, then said again.“You’re Jung Woojin, right?”“How…”Jung Woojin, who looked like he couldn’t believe it, took a few steps back. He stared at me with a confused expression, then seemed to relax and said something like he had realized something.“Is this a dream?”“No.”“I think it’s a dream.”“It’s not.”I sighed and said it wasn’t true, but whether he heard me or not, Jung Woojin nodded to himself in agreement. I sighed again, braced myself on my knees, and stood up, causing Jung Woojin to take another few steps back.“Don’t you know me?”“…”“From when I was younger…”Before he could finish, Jung Woojin dashed toward me. Before I could step back in surprise, he wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me. As I stumbled, I let out a small sound, and Jung Woojin, with his youthful face, looked up at me.“…”“…”Now that I think about it, Jung Woojin is smaller than me. I had never looked down at someone like this, so even in this situation, it felt strange. Just as I was about to say something, Jung Woojin inhaled sharply and pushed me away. He pushed me so hard that I almost fell backward.“What are you doing?”“Why can’t you wake up?”“What?”“Why can’t you wake up? Who are you?”“…”I watched Jung Woojin in silence as he spoke incomprehensible words, then sighed. Really, I’ll never understand this guy, not in the past or now.“This isn’t a dream, you know. You spoke to me first.”“It’s not a dream?”I nodded to confirm, but before I could say it, Jung Woojin spoke first.“Hyung, you don’t remember me.”Hearing him call me “hyung” without warning, I was momentarily speechless. When I just stared at him wide-eyed, Jung Woojin urged me for a response.“You don’t remember, do you?”“……”“You didn’t remember last time I spoke to you either.”… Last time? What last time? When was that? Come to think of it, I vaguely remember him saying he spoke to me when he found me. Was it after that? Thinking this over with a reluctant expression, I finally spoke.“I remember now.”“……”“I remember. That time… I just… it’s just that it had been…”“……”“…it had been such a long time, so maybe I didn’t remember.”The suspicious look on Jung Woojin’s face started to soften, only to turn into one of shock.“You remember me?”“How many times do I have to tell you? I know you, Jung Woojin.”“…How do you know I’m Jung Woojin?”“What?”“Not Kim Woojin, but Jung Woojin?”Only then did I realize what he was talking about. The twenty-year-old me only knew someone named Kim Woojin. While I was thinking of how to handle this, Jung Woojin suddenly closed his eyes. Clenching his fists tightly, he took a deep breath, then bit his lip, releasing a shaky exhale.“You already knew, didn’t you?”“What?”“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?”“Um… knew what?”When he opened his eyes again, Jung Woojin looked angry.“Who told you?”“……”“You knew who I was even the first time we met, didn’t you? So why are you just now pretending to know?”What on earth am I supposed to say to that? Should I just tell him I came from the future? Although, if it’s Woojin, he might actually believe that kind of nonsense. But this Jung Woojin isn’t the Woojin I know.“You knew all along, didn’t you?”He repeated the question he’d just asked. What does he keep saying I knew all along? I frowned, and he bit his lip.“You knew I was following you around?”“……”“You knew and spoke to me anyway! Who told you? Did you meet my parents? Or was it the director? Who was it? Who told you? What did they say?”His barrage of questions was so overwhelming I could hardly keep track of what he was saying.“Calm down a bit, will you?”“When did you find out?”“Hey, I’m freezing here. By the way, do you know my apartment code?”“What?”Standing out here in this freezing wind in bare feet and shorts was killing me. Shivering, I asked, and Jung Woojin froze with his mouth open. Then, looking flustered, he swallowed and opened his mouth.“Well…”His lips, which had started to move, closed again. After a while, he turned his head away as if to avoid my gaze, and murmured softly, like an ant crawling by.“How would I know that…”“……”“……”That was definitely the face of someone who knew. I squinted my eyes, and Woojin asked me, “Why are you asking me for your door code?”“I forgot.”“You forgot that?”Woojin frowned and raised his voice, then shut his mouth without finishing his sentence. After fidgeting like an anxious puppy, he began taking off his school jacket.“What are you doing?”“Just put this on for now.”“Don’t take it off.”“You’re cold.”“It’s too small. It won’t fit me.”Despite what I said, he still took off the jacket. But he didn’t hand it to me, nor did he put it back on; he just held onto it.“So, you’ve been standing here because you forgot your door code?”“Yes.”“Did you try 1234?”When I nodded, Woojin fiddled with the jacket in his hands and asked again.“How about 0000?”“It’s not that either.”“…What about 123400?”“……”Looking up from the jacket, Woojin glanced at me. 123400? Hearing it, my brain sparked with recognition.“Have you tried 123400?”“No, I haven’t… but that’s the one.”Seeing my face of disbelief, Woojin frowned.“How could you forget something so easy?”“It happens. How’d you figure out my door code in three guesses?”“I just guessed. It’s simple, right?”Of course, he would say that.Seeing it happen right in front of me was something else. He said he’s been following me since high school, and now he really knows the code. What else does he know besides my door code? Though I was curious, I decided to drop it. Woojin probably knew everything already. Everything.“Go inside; you’re cold, aren’t you?”He looked at me with eyes like a deserted puppy.Technically, this was the first real conversation we’d had since we parted ways after that incident. But Woojin seemed calmer and more composed than I’d expected. Other than knowing my door code, he didn’t seem different from other kids his age. Well, other than being paler and much prettier than them, but he was so much more level-headed than I’d thought.It was hard to believe that this kid would kidnap me to an island a few years from now. Or maybe he’s just hiding it well. The way he mentioned dreams earlier is still on my mind.“Want to come inside for a bit?”“What?”“Aren’t you cold? Come in, have something warm to drink. I mean, we met by chance, so might as well. But if you’re on your way somewhere, I understand.”Both Woojin and I knew this wasn’t just chance, but we had to pretend otherwise.“…What do you mean?”I meant exactly what I said. Is “come inside for a bit” really that hard to understand? It felt like he was looking at me as though I’d called the sky the ground.“Come in and have something to drink before you go.”“Why?”“Well, you know, since we ran into each other like this… Forget it if you don’t want to.”I’d expected him to follow me in without a fuss, but high school Jung Woojin was a lot more sensible than I remembered. It stung a bit, but this was how it should be. Even if we knew each other before, it would be odd for someone his age to just accept an invitation into a stranger’s home. Besides, he’s still a minor, and I’m an adult.“You just invited me to your place?”I nodded silently to myself, then spoke up.“It’s getting late, so maybe tomorrow…”“No, I don’t have time tomorrow.”“Then the day after?”“I have tutoring then.”“How about the weekend…”“I have to do volunteer work on the weekend.”Seeing him rush to answer before I could even finish, I tilted my head. Volunteer work? Since when? Was he interested in things like that, or was it a school requirement? His face looked like he might cry if I pressed him any further, so I gave in.“Then come in for a bit now.”“Okay.”He nodded so enthusiastically that I shut my mouth. I almost reached out to pat his head but barely restrained myself. I took a deep breath and, using the code he’d told me, unlocked the door. As it beeped and opened, the whole room came into view at once.“It’s just a studio, so it’s really small.”I stepped in and took off my shoes, but he didn’t answer. Looking back, I saw Jung Woojin standing outside, just staring at me.“What’s wrong?”Jung Woojin opened his mouth, hesitated, then bit his lips, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed hard.“…”“…”Huh… This feels familiar somehow. Like that time when he was signing that agreement and first came to my place, all nervous and hesitant. Is he feeling the same way now?Seeing the tension on his face made me frown a little. Finally, he spoke up.“What happened to your face?”“My face?”I automatically lifted a hand to touch it. As my fingers brushed my cheek and then my jaw, I noticed a pain I’d forgotten.“What happened? That slap from before didn’t do this.”Is he not even trying to hide that he’s been watching me? I stared at him with an exasperated expression and sighed.“Just come inside already. We’ll talk once you’re in here.”“I’ll go to the pharmacy first.”“No, it’s fine—”“Should I get something to drink too? Have you eaten? Is there anything you want?”I was about to tell him again to just come in, but instead, I nodded, thinking I’d use the time to tidy up a bit.“That’s not necessary; just get some band-aids or something. Do you know where the pharmacy is?”“Do you want something to drink? Or eat? Anything else?”“…No… Actually, wait, let me get you some money.”I turned to find my wallet, but I couldn’t remember where I’d left it. It had to be either in my pocket or on the bed, but it was nowhere to be seen.“Hyung, I have money.”At the sound of his quiet voice from behind, I turned around to see Jung Woojin hesitating in the doorway.“I’ll be right back.”“Wait a second, I have—”“I’ll be right back.”“Hold on, just…”Ignoring me, he slipped out, only to stop and come back to place his jacket on the floor. Then he rummaged through his pocket, pulled out his phone, and gently placed it down too.“I’ll be back in ten minutes. Or maybe five.”“Do you even know where the pharmacy is?”“If I run, I can make it in five.”“You’re going to run? Is it about to close?”Is that really necessary? There was a pharmacy nearby, though I couldn’t recall exactly where. I looked at his tense face, my head tilted slightly.“It’s cold. Wear your jacket.”“I’m not cold.”“Then why leave your phone?”“No one’s going to call me anyway.”He even gently placed his wallet on top of the jacket, leaving him with nothing in his hands. Once again, he repeated the line he’d already said several times.“I’ll be back. Just five minutes.”I blinked, watching him as he turned to leave. He kept glancing back at me as if he really didn’t want to go. I finally called out to him.“Do you have money?”“Yes. I do, so don’t worry about it.”“Really?”He looked down at the wallet he’d placed on his jacket and winced. He hurriedly took out a card from his wallet, pressed it into my hand, and said, “I’ll be back soon.”“…Don’t rush. You don’t need to run.”“I won’t rush.”“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re going to ‘run slowly’?”“Uh… yeah. Slowly…”Standing there by the entrance, he shifted from foot to foot like an anxious puppy, then took off his shoes, slipped on my slippers, and said, almost sheepishly, “I’ll be right back.”“…”Even as he walked away, he kept glancing back, taking forever to disappear from sight. Jung Woojin had always been unpredictable. His actions often seemed to lack purpose.Sometimes he’d call my name just to say it, or he’d grab my hand or hug me suddenly. He’d comment on random things, almost as if trying to hold my attention. So most of what he did seemed unconnected.I wanted to brush this strange behavior off the same way, to not think too much of it. But as I stood there staring at where he’d disappeared, my chest tightened.Could he be worried that I wouldn’t let him back in? Is that why he left so many things behind as if they were tokens to secure his return? But even with that, he hadn’t looked reassured. He’d been anxious even as he went down the stairs.Would he really come back in five minutes? Given the late hour and the way his face had looked just now, I couldn’t sit still.I grabbed his school jacket, his phone, and his wallet from the floor and followed him outside. He might already be at the pharmacy by now. He’d said he’d ‘run slowly,’ but I had a feeling he’d run with everything he had as soon as he left.I went down the stairs a bit faster, worried he might have tripped or fallen since he was out in slippers.Once I got outside, I paused for a moment, trying to recall where the pharmacy was. Jung Woojin was nowhere to be seen, as if he’d really sprinted there. I looked around, hoping he’d show up, but the only sound in the alley was the wind.Which way was it again? Was it this way or that way? Wait, weren’t there two pharmacies nearby? I think one was really old, and the other was newer… unless it hasn’t opened yet? If it had opened, would he have gone to the new one?Now that I thought about it, the older pharmacy closed earlier. Should I head in that direction, then?I was about to move after my brief thoughts when I suddenly felt someone’s presence behind me. Reflexively, I turned toward the sound, but since the streetlight didn’t reach that spot, I couldn’t see anything. Normally, I would’ve assumed it was a stray cat, but something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but a strange feeling rooted me in place.I stared into the darkness, listening in silence, when the sound came again. Squinting hard, I began to make out a faint shape.“……”“……”To my astonishment, it was Jung Woojin standing there in the shadows. What was he doing here? I couldn’t make sense of the situation and could only stare at him blankly. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, his face, shrouded in darkness, came into full view.It was an expression I couldn’t put into words. I had no idea what that look was, nor why he was looking at me like that. His tightly pressed lips and dark, unblinking eyes stared at me like nails driven into wood. It had only been a few minutes, but the atmosphere felt completely different.It wasn’t a question of whether this was Jung Woojin or not—I almost wondered if he was even human.“What… are you doing here?”The moment I spoke, goosebumps prickled across my skin. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something else, but my instincts told me this wasn’t a good situation.I waited briefly for an answer, but his closed lips didn’t part. He looked like a robot that had shut down. Staring into his dark, empty eyes, I finally heard him speak.“Hyung, what about you?”“Huh?”“What are you doing here?”It felt like standing in a blizzard rather than just a cold breeze. Did I do something wrong? Somehow, it felt like I was in trouble, though the atmosphere was even more intense than that.“You left your clothes… your phone and wallet… you left them all behind…”“I’m the one who left them.”“What?”“I said I was going and would be back.”Emotion started seeping into his previously ghost-like expression, and his face began to twist as if he was angry. Just as I was about to speak, he opened his mouth first.“I said I’d be back.”Yet the storm of emotions that seemed about to explode deflated like a balloon losing air. Standing there, staring at his clothes in my hand, he didn’t even glance at me before turning away.“It’s late, so I’ll just go.”“What did you say?”Go? Where? Was he really planning to just go home? I didn’t expect to hear such a thing, so I froze in surprise. Seeing his back as he walked away, I snapped back to my senses and ran to grab his wrist.“Hey, if you leave like this…”The moment I touched his wrist, he shook off my hand with a violent jerk and turned back to face me. My hand, pushed away so abruptly, hung in the air for a moment before I slowly extended his jacket toward him.“Aren’t you going to take your clothes? And your phone, and wallet…”“I don’t need them.”“What do you mean, you don’t need them? What are you going to wear to school tomorrow?”“Don’t need them. Throw them out, or do whatever you want.”He looked up at me, eyes narrowed, like a wounded animal.I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why he’d suddenly changed so drastically. But seeing him essentially telling me he was too hurt to care about things like his wallet, phone, or clothes, I couldn’t just let him go.“And you’re wearing my shoes.”At my words, he glanced down at his feet, still in my slippers, and spoke.“I’ll buy you a box of the same ones.”“I don’t need a whole box.”“Then I’ll get you ten pairs tomorrow.”“I don’t need ten pairs either.”Woojin frowned as he looked up at me. His expression was still far from cheerful, but it wasn’t the ghostly face from before.“You don’t have to buy me anything. Just come inside.”I reached out and took his wrist again, feeling his trembling through the touch.“No.”His voice was softer, almost muttering, and I tilted my head at the sound.“Why? Is it because it’s late?”“……”Woojin closed his mouth again, refusing to answer my question. I didn’t know why he was suddenly acting like this. His seriousness seemed extreme, and I clenched and unclenched my fists, feeling a strange itch in my fingertips.Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to say no. Woojin rarely gave me negative answers, so to hear him say it—even knowing this wasn’t quite the Woojin I knew—caught me off guard.I never imagined he’d be standing here, trembling, with a face that looked like he’d cry if I so much as touched him, mumbling a refusal while avoiding my gaze.“How old are you again?”Woojin raised his eyes to look at me, a faint look of confusion flickering across his face. I closed my eyes briefly and opened them.Woojin was always sensitive, but this wasn’t just the usual sulking—it felt like I was dealing with a child-like version of Woojin. I never imagined I’d see him like this, in his school uniform, looking up at me with that kind of expression.I hadn’t done anything wrong, but somehow, I felt like a creep.“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”“Never mind.”I shook my head to snap myself out of it, and Woojin scowled.“Why are you asking about my age?”“It’s nothing.”“What do you mean, nothing?”Seeing him insistently question me, as if I was hiding something major, I sighed.“It’s just that… you look so young.”“We’re only two years apart. What are you talking about?”“Well, yeah, but…”If I were really twenty, maybe that’d be fine… though, two years is still a big difference when it’s between a minor and an adult.“Why?”“Huh?”Dissatisfied with my answer, Woojin asked again. The habit of questioning me must’ve been ingrained from childhood.“Why’d you suddenly think that?”“It’s just… a thought. Why are you asking? What am I supposed to say to that?”“Do you like that I look young?”“What?”“Or do you dislike it?”Even though we were looking right at each other and talking, I had no idea what Jung Woojin was getting at.“Do I like it because you look young? There’s nothing to like or dislike about it. If you look young, then you just look young.”“…”“Are we going to keep talking out here?”If he had gone to the pharmacy, he’d already be back by now, and we’d be sitting in the room, maybe with a coffee. Looking at Jung Woojin, who had fallen silent again, I asked.“Why’d you suddenly get in a bad mood?”“…”“You weren’t like this before you left. You said you’d run to the pharmacy in five minutes. What were you even…”I trailed off as I began to get an inkling of why he might have been standing there like that.No way. Seriously?Looking at him in disbelief, I asked, “Did you really stand there like that because you thought I might… run away while you were gone?”“…”“Is that what you thought?”I was hoping he’d shoot back with something like, “What are you even talking about?” But Jung Woojin kept his mouth shut. Turns out, that ridiculous thought was true. He really thought I’d run away. That’s why he’d been standing there with that ghostly expression.“Why would I run away?”Was he out of his mind? I asked, incredulous, and saw his lips part. After a few false starts, he finally managed to speak.“You don’t like me.”“…”I never disliked him.I’d told him this a few times before. But this high schooler version of Jung Woojin hadn’t heard a word of it. Today was probably the first time we’d met since that incident. While I briefly considered where to begin explaining, Jung Woojin added, “I don’t like you either.”“…”“I just came to see how you’re doing.”His voice, which had softened a little earlier, was starting to waver again. Ever since I first met him, I’d felt this: he was so unpredictable. One minute he’d be angry, then suddenly he’d seem depressed, and then angry again. And if I talked to him or touched his hand, he’d shiver like he was scared.“I’m not insane or anything. Why would I come see the person who nearly killed me? And if I did come, it wasn’t for anything good.”I frowned at his self-justifications, even though I hadn’t once asked why he’d sought me out.“Yeah, I found you. I asked people around and tracked you down, but…”“…”“It’s just that… a lot of time has passed, so…”What are you even talking about?He didn’t seem to know what he was saying either. As he mumbled words that barely formed sentences, I watched him quietly and then asked, “So, are you coming in or not?”“…”“If you have more to say, can we please just go inside…”I was just about to tell him that when he suddenly turned and started running away.“…?”The suddenness of it caught me off guard, and I froze. I watched as he disappeared down the narrow alleyway, and then, snapping out of it, I shouted after him.“Hey! Where are you going?!”I tried to chase after him, but he was already gone.＊ ＊ ＊His school jacket, phone, wallet, bag, shoes.I looked over the things he’d left behind and sighed. I’d lost count of how many times I’d done so.I didn’t know the high school version of Jung Woojin. I didn’t know why I’d suddenly turned twenty, but when I was twenty, I hadn’t met Jung Woojin. We didn’t meet until after he was already in college. And even then, it took us a long time to have a proper conversation.In fact, I didn’t even know he was Kim Woojin until he abducted me.But now, everything was different.I was twenty, and we’d met not in college but when he was still in high school. This timeline was different from the life I’d lived. Now, even though this was supposedly my past, I couldn’t predict what would happen.Was this even my past? Or had time just rewound for all of us? And if so, why was I the only one who remembered?Or was it more like a parallel world? Did I somehow end up in a version of the present that was different from the one we’d shared? If so, what had happened to the original Jung Woojin in that world, and what about the me who should’ve been here?“…”The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt.Sighing deeply, I reached for the phone Jung Woojin had left behind. I figured it’d be best to start by figuring out how to meet up with him again.I didn’t know where he lived, and without a phone, I couldn’t call him. Even after checking his bag, I couldn’t find anything about his school. Should I just wait for him to come back to me? Or should I collapse outside my place again? That might bring him here.I stared at the locked phone in my hand and, on a whim, punched in 1208.“Why am I not even surprised…”The lock screen opened, and I let out a hollow laugh. Since when had he set his passcode to my birthday? Had he started doing it after he found out my birthday and just kept it that way? I’d never questioned it before, but seeing that eighteen-year-old Woojin’s phone password was my birthday made me curious.