Chapter 2 |
As I studied his features closely, I couldn’t help but smile.
The pupils, visible between long eyelashes, had a light pigmentation, giving them an otherworldly feeling. The combination of prominent double eyelids and slightly slanted eyes created a mysterious aura. Under the blush that spread like watercolors, the white skin shone whitely as if illuminated by a light. The features, flawless in every way, were truly unbelievable. Even the teeth were perfect.
Honestly, no amount of adjectives were enough to describe it.
‘Has he been hiding a face that looks this perfect all this time?’
No, perhaps it was because he was so strikingly good-looking that he chose to hide it. There were plenty of people who were introverted and avoid attention. Seeing that he didn’t even use social media, I had a rough idea.
‘Now that I think about it, what kind of person is the owner of this body?’
Ironically, I knew nothing about this body other than its stunning appearance.
“I have all the plans.”
Celebrities did all sorts of things to relieve boredom during the long waiting times. From knitting to yoga and even reading web novels. Since my younger brother was into them, I too, ended up reading a few web novels myself.
“Hyung, it’s just a novel. Calm down. They must have their own circumstances.”
My younger brother seemed to enjoy reading those web novels, but they weren’t for me. Still, there were things I learned on surface level.
“Status window.”
Once my cooldown time was up, I could gather information, check other people’ stats, monopolize the good items, and all that, right? I didn’t plan on using the status window to increase my skills, but it would have been a huge help for understanding the situation. I called out the status window with a voice full of anticipation.
“……….”
Nothing came up.
“…..Status window.”
Nothing came up.
“Quickly, quickly, pop, come out.”
I raised my middle finger and slammed it into the air several times. Nothing came up.
“.…Ah, I’m dizzy.”
I felt dizzy for a moment due to frustration. As I started to feel embarrassed by flapping my hand in mid-air, I gave up on the idea of living life easily.
I had always been successful, and once I convinced myself with the miraculous rationalization that I would still succeed without special skills, I became a little less angry.
‘So what does this kid do?’
The problem was this body. Even if I could somehow cover up the skills with my past life experience, if I didn’t even know who I was, I would be treated like a crazy person.
“Hmmm.”
Even in a world where manners have gone on vacation, it wasn’t like there was nothing I could do. It was okay. Let’s calm down. In this modern society, human nature was easier to understand than you might think. Just by thoroughly checking their phone.
Luckily, my phone wasn’t locked with a password or pattern, but was set to face recognition, so I simply pointed my face at the camera to open it.
I opened my contacts and saw my name, phone number, and email at the top.
[Han Seungbeom]
“It’s not typical. It’s pretty decent.”
If you’re going to be a celebrity, your name better be unique. Passed.
The next important thing was the gallery.
“….Let’s go.”
This was the most nerve-wracking moment. If the owner of this body was a bad guy, all my plans would be ruined. I could feel my breath catching in my throat with nervousness. If there were pictures of me drinking green holy water1 or eating cloud-shaped cookie2, or bullying someone, everything would be over.
‘These days, the society is sensitive to school violence.’
There weren’t that many photos or videos in the gallery. Most of them were of animals, like cats, dogs, and birds, and landscapes, like the ocean. The few photos of people were of children who appeared to be friends, shoulder to shoulder in their uniforms, smiling broadly.
‘His friends seem to have neat appearances and good manners, and his relationships with others seem to be fine.’
But there were only a few photos and videos of his friends, and none of them showed his face.
‘Is Han Seungbeom being ostracized?’
“Did you study hard for the exam?”
“I did it in moderation.”
“You said you always did it in moderation, but when I actually check the result, your score is high.”
My doubts were quickly resolved after I watched a video of him talking to his friends.
Another peculiar thing was that only basic applications were installed on his phone. He didn’t seem to be using social media or anything similar.
‘If I had this face, I would be on SNS3.’
“Is he an immortal in the mask of an angel?”
Of course, it was a great thing for me, but I couldn’t help wondering why someone with a face like an angel who had fallen to earth lived such a boring life.
After conquering the gallery, I immediately started looking through his browsing history. As much as I wanted to respect this kid’s privacy, I knew that if I didn’t properly find out his information right now, I might end up in the hospital with a mental breakdown.
[Sado Building]
The most recent entry was a search for the name of the building where I died.
These days, information was shared freely on SNS, so no matter how hard news articles or reports tried not to give away the details, information inevitably spread.
‘He probably saw the news that I died and became curious, so he looked it up.’
The child probably never imagined that the protagonist of the incident that shook the world would end up in his body. Thinking about it, I felt sorry for him.
[East Sea]
[Cat Snacks]
[Han River]
[Geese]
‘Other than that, it’s ordinary.’
The search history looked familiar. The gallery was full of photos of oceans, rivers, and birds, so it seemed he liked places with lots of water. The judgment was made. He was a good high school student. Tuk, tuk.
‘Rather, I find it more frightening that he seems to have no flaws, it’s almost unnatural.’
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
Once the biggest concern was resolved, my tension eased, and I felt a shiver of cold. It was already November, yet I went out wearing only a hoodie. It was unbelievable for someone who was so sensitive to the cold.
I quickly opened the messenger app and pressed the conversation list with [Father] that was at the top.
[Father, I’ll go out in the evening and come back]
[Where to?]
[Cheongdam-dong. I’m meeting a friend for a bit, then I’ll be back.]
[Okay, I got it. Have fun and be back not too late.]
I checked the text messages and searched through the wallet in my pocket.
‘He doesn’t bring an ID, or any photos.’
I quickly threw the wallet, which only contained a debit card and cash. It flew through the air in a parabola and landed in the trash can.
I went straight to my contacts and pressed [Father].
‘This is what happens when you raise a child, Father.’
After a few rings, I heard a middle-aged man’s voice.
“Yes, Seungbeom-ah. What’s the matter?”
“Father, I can’t go home because I lost my wallet. Can you come pick me up?”
The person on the other end of the line hesitated for a moment. Then he started talking again, as if nothing was wrong.
“Your wallet? Oh my … be careful. Okay, then tell me the nearest buildings and I’ll pick you up.”
‘What is this?’
I called out the address, trying to ignore the strange feeling.
“Yes, I’m at the convenience store next to the Gyro building in Cheongdam-dong.”
“Okay, I’ll be there soon, just wait a bit.”
After that, it was an ordinary small talk between father and son. After hanging up, I crouched down next to the convenience store.
‘Since the setting is that I lost my wallet, I can’t go inside the convenience store.’
I froze to death.
I was about to freeze to death, not to mention I was being the center of attention because of my face, so I pulled my hood down deep and put on the mask.
Honk! Honk! After sitting there for a while, I heard two soft klaxons.
When I turned my head toward the sound, a middle-aged man rolled down his window and waved at me. Han Seungbeom’s face was unusual, so I expected his father to have a heavenly face as well, but he only seemed to have a moderately well-groomed appearance. The only similarity was the bright color of his eyes.
“Seungbeom-ah, get in quickly.”
It was the same voice I’d heard on the phone.
“I’m sorry. I’ve caused you trouble.”
With a quick apology, I got into the passenger seat. Based on the text history, Han Seungbeom wasn’t a rebellious son, but he wasn’t a sweet one either. It seemed that my guess was correct, as my bluntness didn’t seem to bother him.
‘It’s better that way.’
“What, it’s all right.”
“…….”
“Dad’s on the way home from work, and Mom’s picking Jaewoon up from his cram school. Let’s go home and have dinner together.”
“Okay.”
Who is Jaewoon?
A younger sibling? An older sibling? Judging by the name, it was obviously someone related to this body.
“Mom has been so busy lately, going back and forth to your younger brother’s school. Dad also came out today to pick you up. Should we order delivery today?”
‘Ah, it’s a younger brother.’
At my father’s words, I was finally able to guess the identity of ‘Jaewoon‘.
“Yes, that’s good.”
“…….”
“…….”
After that, there was only silence in the car.
I was a person who lacked social skills.
***
‘Password 763220. Okay.’
I waited for Han Seungbeom’s father to open the front door, washed my hands and feet, and slipped into my room.
When I picked up the frame from the table, a rattling sound came from the back. The frame held a family photo. There was the father with his hand on Han Seungbeom’s shoulder, and a woman standing side by side with a young boy who appeared younger than Han Seungbeom, both smiling brightly.
‘This woman must be his mother.’
The child she was holding in her arms must be Han Seungbeom’s younger brother, Han Jaewoon.
‘They’re wearing the same school uniform, just different tie colors, so he must be a year or two younger.’
There wasn’t much I could say about the family photo at someone else’s house.
‘…It’s a harmonious family.’
If I had to express my thoughts, it would be that although Han Seungbeom had outstanding looks, his family was surprisingly ordinary. It sometimes happened, like a mutation, where one child in the family stood out with exceptionally striking looks.
Ding. Ding. My phone vibrated on the table. I checked the screen and saw it was a call.
[Aunt]
‘He didn’t even save his younger brother’s number, but he saved his aunt.’
I didn’t want to answer, but I needed to know the identity of this seemingly important ‘Aunt’. After a moment’s hesitation, I tapped the call button.
“Hello.”
“Han Seungbeom! You said you were coming to visit your aunt today, so why didn’t you show up?”
‘Did he have such an appointment?’
Make it a habit to write a note when you have an appointment, Seungbeom-ah.
“Oh, I forgot. I’m sorry.”
“Then come to Aunt’s shop tomorrow to make up for today! Anyway, there were too many customers today, so I probably wouldn’t have the time. Tomorrow, there will be fewer reservations.”
No, I don’t want to go. I’m already exhausted. Help me.
“….Okay, I will.”
Even though my mind refused, my mouth obediently answered. After all, even if I avoided it right now, it’s something I would have to face eventually. Wasn’t there a saying that it’s better to get beaten up quickly?
“You have the address, right? The one I texted you.”
“Yes.”
I put the call on speakerphone and checked the text history, and there was one text with an address. It was a shopping street in Cheongdam-dong.
‘I’ll go there after visiting SU Entertainment.’
In Cheongdam-dong, entertainment agencies were lined up one after another. The reason I ran into Lee Yooin and Kang Hyukwoo today must have been because it was right in the heart of Cheongdam-dong.
I was planning to contact Lee Yooin later today and make an appointment for tomorrow, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle to visit a nearby shop.
“Seungbeom-ah, dinner.”
I heard my father’s voice from the kitchen.
“It’s time for dinner, so I have to go now.”
“…Yeah, okay. Enjoy your meal and see you tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
After hanging up the phone and stepping out of the room, I saw a row of delivery food with their packaging removed on the table. The rest of the family, except for me, was already seated at the table, and as soon as I sat down, they picked up their chopsticks.
As we calmly ate, small talk like “How was your day today?” and “This restaurant is new, but it seems better than expected” flowed. I let all of it go in one ear and out the other while shoveling food into my mouth.
‘It tastes awful.’
“How was Cheongdam-dong? Mom was surprised when Dad told me you lost your wallet.”
The person who appeared to be my mother smiled at me as I mechanically chewed my food. The family all glanced up at me.
“……..”
There was a reason I hadn’t spoken, just listened. I had no idea what kind of relationship the owner of this body had with his mother. There was no text history, or even call logs. I needed to say something to avoid raising suspicion, but I couldn’t say anything so easily.
‘Is it normal for him to not be in touch with his mom that much?’
Should I answer informally or formally? Should I respond with a blunt or friendly tone? What’s the name he usually used to call her? What kind of conversation did they usually have?
It would have been better to possess a prince of a faraway land instead. That would have been easier.
This lowly one almost died twice upon encountering the enemy, my blood pressure soaring so high. Something like that.
It would be easier if there was a way of speaking that I had to keep in mind. Eh, my head was going to explode.
“…….”
“You’re unusually quiet today.”
When I didn’t say anything as I continued my rambling thoughts, my dad noticed and patted the back of my hand.
“Seungbeom-ah? Your mom will be worried. Answer her.”
With all eyes on me, the time for judgment approached.
“….It was fun.”
I searched for a decent answer and mouthed it. Then, I smiled.
“………”
The atmosphere turned icy, as if cold water had been thrown on it.
Clang! A sharp sound echoed through the room as my mother lost her grip on the spoon.
‘Did I say something weird?’
It was fun. It actually wasn’t a strange thing to say.
‘Then what’s the problem?’
I glanced at the faces of the family, and something was off. They all turned their heads away as if they had promised to avoid seeing something they shouldn’t have seen.
‘….It’s not something that happened just once or twice.’
I slowly brought my hand up and stroked my facial muscles. Was there something strange in my face?
“…….”
There was no abnormality.
It was just a normal smile.
The three family members, except for me, continued to eat, staring at their rice bowls as if they were being chased by something, and then hurriedly got up from their seats.
‘This family, there’s something wrong.’
I acted normal. But if the other person still reacted strangely, then it couldn’t be my fault.
I rubbed the corners of my eyes as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over me.
Give me the status window, you bastards…….
Translator’s Corner:
- Green holy water here Refers to alcohol. ↩︎
- Cloud-shaped cookie (구름과자) is a slang for cigarette. This slang was created by associating it with the cloud-like smoke produced when smoking a cigarette . ↩︎
- Ah this will used often so I’ll explain. In Korea, they often refer social media with “SNS”, an abbreviation for “Social Networking Service”. It’s basically social media, like facebook, twitter, etc. ↩︎