OMS 10

“The funeral expenses have been paid?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“By whom?”
“I cannot disclose that. Why do you ask?”

Park Dong-sik pressed his lips together tightly. He had planned to pay for the funeral with the condolence money, but it was already paid for. The only suspect was Kim Jun-han. Not only did he give condolence money, but he also paid for all the funeral expenses.

Park Dong-sik put the envelopes back in his pocket. That man who called himself a father would just waste it on gambling anyway. This was money earned from his death. He’d rather give it to a beggar on the street than to that man.

As Park Dong-sik approached, Kim Yoon-ah opened the car door for him. After he sat in the back seat, the car started moving. He couldn’t take his eyes off the gloomy scenery outside. The street trees were bare, and the cold temperatures had cleared the streets of all existing signs of life.

Throughout the ride, Park Dong-sik stared blankly at his faint reflection in the window. Does this mean there’s no going back? Where did Hee-soo’s soul disappear to? If my soul is in Hee-soo’s body, shouldn’t Hee-soo be somewhere too?

Could he possibly be here with me? Like possession?

Park Dong-sik looked down at his stomach and muttered.

“Hey, are you in there?”

Silence. He patted his stomach. Are you there, sir? In the quiet of the moment, his eyes met Kim Yoon-ah’s in the rearview mirror. Would she believe me if I told her I’m not Hee-soo?

“I’m really going crazy.”

He banged his head against the window and writhed in distress before slumping down. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Kim Yoon-ah turned down the radio volume. As if things weren’t bad enough, they were stuck in traffic on the bridge over the Han River.

Park Dong-sik stared at the dark Han River waters, sighing deeply.

I shouldn’t have jumped in. I should have just ignored it.

“Mr. Hee-soo, is something worrying you?”

Kim Yoon-ah, who had been quietly observing until now, asked. Silently, Park Dong-sik took out a cigarette and lit it. When he opened the window to blow out the smoke, Kim Yoon-ah handed something back to him. It was a spray to remove body odor.

“What’s this?”

“The family elders don’t know you smoke…”

“Leave it. So what if they find out? They’ll just think I’ve finally gone crazy.”

“It won’t end there, which is why I’m telling you…”

“If not the end, then what? They’ll throw me out?”

Kim Yoon-ah remained silent, and Park Dong-sik let out a hollow laugh.

“That’d be great. They’ll give me alimony, right? My husband seems done with me anyway, and that guy, what’s his name? The brother-in-law. Kim Tae-han? I heard he’s been having an affair with me recently? After the divorce, I can live with him. Haha, what a mess. Right?”

Kim Yoon-ah turned around with wide eyes.

“What are you saying?”

“Don’t pretend. You know everything about me. You know about my affair too.”

“…”

“Did you not know that Kim Tae-han was my lover?”

She moved her lips several times with a complicated expression on her face. Not only had the traffic stopped, but now it started snowing. After muting the radio completely, Kim Yoon-ah turned around.

“Aren’t you mistaken?”

“About what?”

“As far as I know, Kim Tae-han…it’s not him.”

“What do you mean it’s not him? There’s clear evidence. Phone calls, exchanged messages.”

Plus, Kim Tae-han had the phone, and didn’t he confess himself? But Kim Yoon-ah’s expression suggested otherwise. Park Dong-sik bit his cigarette with his front teeth and took out an old phone from his pocket. He showed it to Kim Yoon-ah.

“Do you know this? Look here. Isn’t this Kim Tae-han?”

Kim Yoon-ah, scanning the messages, shook her head awkwardly.

“No…”

Park Dong-sik burst out laughing in disbelief. What? Did that bastard Kim Tae-han lie to me? From Kim Yoon-ah’s expression, she seemed to know who the real person exchanging calls was. Park Dong-sik tapped the screen with his fingertips.

“If it’s not Kim Tae-han, then this person is the real lover, right?”

Kim Yoon-ah barely nodded her head, as if finding it difficult to answer. Yes…Suddenly, Kim Tae-han’s words flashed through his mind. What did he say to me with that pitiable expression?

“Let me ask one more thing. Is it true that Kim Tae-han is an illegitimate child?”

“No. How could that be…”

Without further thought, Park Dong-sik kicked the passenger seat backrest. “Fuck! That bastard!” As soon as he cursed, Kim Yoon-ah hurriedly tried to calm him.

“Don’t get angry! It’s not good for your heart!”

Park Dong-sik made an incredulous expression at those words.

“I have heart problems too?”

“Yes…That’s why you shouldn’t be smoking actually…”

“Ha, it just keeps getting better. It’s no wonder my face looks as white as a ghost.”

Park Dong-sik roughly pushed back his fallen bangs. That fox Kim Tae-han. He pretended to be the lover, acting all pitiful, while completely fooling Lee Hee-soo? That bastard. Well, whatever, it wasn’t like they went all the way. And didn’t I kind of enjoy it too? Though he tried to let it go, he couldn’t help feeling indignant.

Furthermore, he became curious. Then where was the real lover…?

“You know who this phone belongs to, right?”

“Yes, I do…”

“Where is that person?”

When Kim Yoon-ah looked troubled, Park Dong-sik’s eyes wavered.

“It’s not the old man, is it?”

“The old man…?”

“Chairman Kim. My father-in-law.”

Kim Yoon-ah made an expression of disbelief. Surely not…

“Then who is it?”

“…”

“Come on, just tell me. I’m dying here.”

“They’re missing…”

Park Dong-sik was rendered speechless. What? Meanwhile, the car slowly moved forward. In the silence, only the sound of wipers could be heard as Park Dong-sik thought. So the lover has disappeared? Why? Perhaps that’s why suicide was chosen? From the loss?

“Don’t know if they’re dead or alive?”

“Probably not…”

Park Dong-sik leaned back in his seat and lit a second cigarette. Why is everything so complicated? But how did Kim Tae-han have the phone? As his eyes rolled in thought, Park Dong-sik reached the conclusion that maybe Kim Tae-han killed the lover. Given his behavior, he seemed capable of such things.

Ah, my head is splitting.

He closed his eyes against the continuing headache. He dozed off briefly, and in his dream, he saw his own face in the morgue. He stood there, quietly staring at that face. It’s clearly me…but that’s Park Dong-sik…

From behind, he heard sobbing. Turning around, he saw a hunched figure in the corner. Hic…hic…The sobbing sound was sorrowful. Who are you? As Park Dong-sik approached, the figure’s head whipped around.

It was Lee Hee-soo as he had seen him before death.

Lee Hee-soo screamed, crying tears of blood.

“Get out of my body right now!!!!”

Park Dong-sik woke up with a gasp.

As he breathed heavily, Kim Yoon-ah checked his condition.

“Are you alright?”

His whole body was drenched in cold sweat. He touched his face and looked out the window. The car had passed through large iron gates and was now on a forest path.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Park Dong-sik pressed his lips tight and glared at his reflection in the window. Get out of his body? Who’s fault is it that I’m in this state? If you’re so wronged and upset, take it back now. Just bring my body back to life.

As he glared at the window, the car stopped in front of the annex. When Park Dong-sik tried to get out, Kim Yoon-ah held him back and asked with a troubled expression.

“Did you have any unnecessary contact with Kim Tae-han today…?”

Unnecessary contact. Well, yes, there were some. When he didn’t deny it, she handed him a small deodorizer.

“Spray this before going in.”

He didn’t even have the energy to ask why. He just wanted to go in and lie down quickly.

Park Dong-sik roughly sprayed the deodorizer on himself and slammed the door. As he entered the annex, someone was on the second-floor balcony. It was Kim Jun-han. With his hands in his pockets, looking down, he resembled a predator preparing for the hunt.

Using the key card to enter, he felt warm air, unlike outside. As he climbed the tired steps upstairs, Kim Jun-han slowly walked down. He remembered seeing him at the funeral. Why did he go there? Did he really go to pay his respects?

“You’re late.”

Stopped halfway up the stairs, Kim Jun-han showed no emotion on his face. Does he know? That just hours ago, I was rolling around on the second-floor sofa with his brother? They say alphas can smell these things—is he pretending not to know?

Come to think of it, he couldn’t smell any scent from himself either.

“Where have you been?”

I was at my funeral. I saw you there. You gave condolences too. Quite generously, judging by the thickness of the envelope. Though I don’t like your attitude, I really appreciate that. So, if we end up divorcing, I hope you’ll be generous with me. Though I can’t guarantee I’ll still be Hee-soo by then.

“Just…out taking a walk.”

“And?”

“That’s all. I thought I might remember something after walking around, but nothing came to mind.”

“I see.”

Step by step, he came down the stairs. The closer he got, the more suffocating it felt. Unlike Kim Tae-han, he definitely had an overwhelming presence about him. As Park Dong-sik tried to move aside cautiously, he simply passed by and stopped a couple steps down.

Then, without looking back, he said, “You should shower right away when you go up.”

He disappeared into the first floor, and Park Dong-sik sniffed his sleeve. Was the cigarette smell that strong? Upon reaching the second floor, Park Dong-sik took out the deodorizer Kim Yoon-ah had given him. Looking closely, it was smaller than the one from the funeral. As he examined the deodorizer absent-mindedly, his expression gradually twisted.

“Pheromone deodorizer?”