PIA 5

Seeing Ji-an’s stiff attitude, Mrs. Yoon leaned back and looked at his complexion. Taking care of her recessive Omega son was something she always did.

“You come here. Why did you suddenly come home in broad daylight?”

Mrs. Yoon’s face was filled with worry as she dragged her only son onto the living room sofa by the arm. She had lost her eldest son, and while her remaining son was precious, he happened to be a psychopath in the drama.

Moreover, now their roles have reversed. Ji-an wondered whether the change would be fortunate or unfortunate for her.

‘Switch with me.’

Was that psychopath really the one who used to live in this world? If so, what was his mother doing in that other world by now?

The voice remained quiet after that.

“Ji-an?”

“No. It’s nothing. I came here to take a bath and rest. I’m a little tired.”

“You came to rest?”

“Yes. Then I’ll go into my room.”

Despite his efforts to deflect attention, there was a noticeable unease in her eyes. A mother’s intuition, it seemed. Ji-an thought that the longer he spent with Mrs. Yoon, the worse the situation would become. He got up as if he was exhausted and wanted to be alone in his room, but Mrs. Yoon, or his mother, reached out and held his hand.

Ji-an was surprised by the warmth of her touch.

“Go wash up and come out. I’ll prepare something delicious for you.”

“There’s no need to prepare food. I just want to rest a bit… Mom.”

“Then, do you want to sleep and then go shopping later? You know Director Cha, right? Mom will call him right away. They told me that a new collection from your favorite D-brand just came out.”

“I’m really fine.”

He nodded and walked away, but Mrs. Yoon’s voice kept coming to the back of his head.

“If you’re not feeling well, why don’t you go on a short trip somewhere nearby? Hmm?”

Ji-an ran away while really seeming exhausted, much like a real villain in a drama. Everyone in the room seemed momentarily deceived. In reality, he was somewhat disoriented, so it wasn’t a 100% act.

There was no need for Ji-an to worry that he would not be able to move naturally because he did not know the structure of the house. As soon as Ji-an moved, the employee quickly followed suit. They walked ahead of Ji-an, leading him to a huge bathroom with a bathtub. He felt a little better about being in the drama after seeing the massive bathtub made of cypress wood.

Ji-an decided to relax a bit and slowly think about the future.

∞

Among the many office buildings of JM Group, Jeong Hee-seo’s offices had been quite busy since the morning. The Omega who came in at 9 o’clock in the morning and left after shaking things up was the first, and the Alpha who came running frantically with his body covered in the Omega’s pheromones was the second.

The person standing in front of Jeong Hee-seo, with a face that skillfully concealed his irritated expression, was Jeong Han-joo, his younger brother with whom he did not get along very well. It was unexpected that someone who rarely visited in the first place would show up like this.

What came out of his mouth was even more unusual.

“Did Ji-an come here?”

It was a question filled with confidence. Jeong Hee-seo chuckled.

“Why ask when you already know.”

The entire office was filled with Seo Ji-an’s Omega pheromone.

Ji-an aroma blanketed the corridor and even the elevator, as if he had crushed and rubbed rose petals along the path he had gone. It was as if it had filled this space completely. Jeong Hee-seo could easily imagine it, as if the space was completely saturated with it. 

Moreover, the scent was all over his younger brother’s body as well. It seemed like they had been rubbing their bodies against each other somewhere. It was enough to make Jeong Hee-seo scowl in dissatisfaction.

“It looks like Seo Ji-an was very busy during the short time he visited our company.”

“What happened between you and Ji-an? Why is he coming to see you?”

“You should be the one to explain what you did with Mr. Seo Ji-an during working hours. Where have you been rolling around all this time?”

“That can’t be possible!”

Jeong Hee-seo couldn’t help but be a little amused. He was tempted to retrieve the two pregnancy tests Ji-an had carelessly left behind, throw them on the table, and see how his younger brother’s face would change.

“Hyung, be honest… What’s your relationship with Ji-an?”

“Is there any reason why I should answer that for you?”

“He… He is a younger brother whom I cherish. He’s still quite young, especially to you.”

Jeong Han-joo had an anxious expression. He was impatiently questioning Jeong Hee-seo as if he already knew everything. All because of the pheromones lingering in the room.

He thought Han-joo would faint if he told him what he did with that sneaky kid.

Jeong Hee-seo smiled mischievously and lifted one hand to rest his chin.

“Why? Are you interested now? You should’ve tried harder when Mother was trying to set you up at social gatherings.”

“What nonsense. I’m seeing someone.”

“Really? I didn’t know.”

“Hyung, I’m really serious. Don’t mess with Ji-an.”

His younger brother has been very jealous since he was young. He was the kind of person who had to have everything his older brother had. However, those were stories from their youth, and now he was old enough to hide those childish emotions. Hee-seo had long forgotten about it.

Jeong Hee-seo looked at his younger brother’s face seriously as he spoke. He wondered why he was suddenly acting this way. He had only sniffed the Omega’s pheromones for a few seconds when his head began to spin…

Han-joo was revealing his deepest thoughts in front of him, with a desperate expression that suddenly brought back memories of their childhood.

It was a very recognizable pheromone. He was secretly investigating the incident when he spent the night with Seo Ji-an before because he suspected it was a drug-related accident. But after smelling Ji-an’s pheromones today, he discovered a strange suspicion.

He wondered if Seo Ji-an’s pheromones made him crazy and… commit the crime.

“What should I do with this? The more you talk about it, the more I’m interested.”

Jeong Hee-seo smiled mischievously as he carefully looked at his younger brother’s flushed face. His unnecessary curiosity and competitive spirit slowly raised its head.

∞

“Wow… ”

Ji-an stood blankly, looking down at the bathtub while holding a small bamboo basket given to him by the employee. The bamboo basket contained bath salt, flower petals, and dried fruit that appeared to be bathing goods that villain Seo Ji-an would have enjoyed using. The wooden bathtub itself was so luxurious that entering it felt uneasy.

Ji-an wandered around for a while, feeling awkward and hesitant. When he finally turned on the water, he almost fell while adjusting the temperature.

“I should be able to do this… naturally.”

Someone might grow suspicious sooner or later if he was so anxious even while he was alone. It was bad enough to be trapped in an unfamiliar world, but ending up in a mental hospital was out of the question.

Ji-an slowly undressed and soaked himself in the hot water. He felt his exhaustion gradually dissipate as the bath salts formed bubbles and released a fragrant smell, and the strewn flower petals soaked in the water. Even in the midst of his tension, he made use of everything that had been provided.

Being alone and surrounded by silence, Ji-an began to regain his composure. He closed his eyes and reflected on the moment he had encountered his doppelganger, getting hit by a truck and the development of the drama.

He thought it was absurd to be so certain that he came into another world inside a drama, as if he had gotten some sort of holy revelation. However, he couldn’t deny what he had seen with his own eyes, from the voice in his head to the events he had experienced up to this point.

Moreover, this fantastic and realistic bathtub was enough proof that this place was a different world.

“Wait… I’ve already deviated slightly from the plot. Does that mean the storyline will change now…?”

He shook his head in dread as he remembered the elevator kiss scene between Jeong Hee-seo and villain Seo Ji-an in the drama. They were definitely actors in the drama, but perhaps his mind went crazy and he felt like Jeong Hee-seo and he were the one kissing.

Can I survive this…

– Yeah. It’s possible.

“What!”

Ji-an’s screams echoed throughout the bathroom.

– Oh, you’re loud. Stop making noise stupidly every time I talk to you. If someone sees you, you’ll easily be misunderstood as a crazy person.

“Who are you to call me a lunatic? Who are you?”

– Me? I’m you.

Ji-an vigorously rubbed his face with wet hands. This is insane. He didn’t know what to say, or rather, he didn’t even know where to start with questions. He was just thinking when the voice in his head spoke again.

– Calm down and listen.

“How can I keep calm in this situation?”

– I have a wish I want to fulfill, and it can only be achieved in the dimension where you originally lived. This is a place I found after exploring all 7,187,689,326 parallel worlds.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

– Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. Anyway, lend me your place for a year. When I return, I’ll reset it to the way it was back then.

“One year?”

– Yes, just lend it for a year.

“You forcefully sent me away, and now you ask me to lend it to you. Do you think I’ll believe you? What is your real intention?”

– …You’re sharper than I thought.

Even if he underestimated people… this was beyond his imagination. Ji-an was astonished and abruptly stood up. Perhaps due to sitting in hot water for a long time, he felt lightheaded.

– Is that important? You also have a wish you want to fulfill.

“What is your wish?”

– Do you think I’ll tell you that? Just focus on your wish. That place is the most suitable and the easiest to fulfill it.

“How do you know what my wish is?”

– Your wish is #$%#^&$#^…

“No, just send me back to my place!”

The sound crackled as if a communication error occurred. Ji-an knew it was futile but stubbornly pressed his ear. The sound continued for a while, like a buzzing in his ears, and eventually, it went silent. He felt devastated.