ETP Ch 35

“Was this what he meant by ‘you can take it with suppressants’?”

Seongyeon, back home, rummaged through the bulging convenience store bag, examining the hangover cures. There were so many brands and various ways to take them. Compared to his old routine of clutching his burning stomach the next morning and settling it with a bowl of hangover soup, this was a much more convenient and improved situation.

Indeed, Hwang Yoohyun definitely had a soft heart inversely proportional to his prickly personality.

“Heh.”

He wasn’t sure if it was thoughtful or not, but he remembered Yoohyun, who’d patiently responded to all his drunken ramblings.

He was glad that the last person he saw was Hwang Yoohyun, with his beautiful, pleasant pheromones. He was glad that Hwang Yoohyun was standing at the end of the swaying road, swaying along with his unsteady body.

His childhood friend, Hyungseop, the energetic Beagle Trio, and the boisterous Yoo Sunjung were all good people.

Still, among the people Seongyeon met as Bokseung, the most trustworthy, the one he could entrust Bokseung to, was Hwang Yoohyun. Just standing in front of him calmed his anxious heart, and he was someone who could brush off any nonsense with a small, amused smile.

He thought someone like that, especially someone with the same secondary gender, would continue to look after Bokseung.

Lost in thought, he’d unknowingly lined up the hangover cures he’d taken out of the convenience store bag on the table in order of height.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Seongyeon poked each one, starting with the smallest, and smiled again.

“How cute.”

Thinking of Yoohyun’s sullen expression, Seongyeon downed the hangover cure. Even the slightly bitter aftertaste was sweet.

🍑‧₊ ⋆˙

“Teacher Seongyeon!”

Seongyeon looked at Bokseung, who was smiling brightly in front of him.

What is this? Why is Bokseung in front of me…?

With a bewildered expression, Seongyeon looked around.

At the tables lined up along the gray painted walls, people were gathered in groups of threes and fives, grilling samgyeopsal. Looking closely, he realized he was sitting in the same restaurant where he had last eaten dinner with Bokseung.

“Uh…?”

Seongyeon let out a stupid sound.

What, what is this? Did I dream this while sitting down? Did I really drink that much?

Seongyeon looked down at the glass he’d been drinking from.

There was still more than half of the beer left in the glass, and only two beer bottles were empty on the table. This wasn’t nearly enough to affect him, it was strange.

Seongyeon tilted his head.

He couldn’t figure out how to explain this situation. It felt too real to be a dream, the sensations were too vivid.

“Teacher Seongyeon?”

“Huh?”

“I was talking about something really important.”

Bokseung narrowed his brown eyes at Seongyeon. He looked displeased that Seongyeon had been distracted during their conversation. Soon, his small lips, like a bird’s beak, jutted out.

It was an expression he’d seen consistently for years. Directly through Lee Seongyeon’s eyes, not a mirror.

Seongyeon relaxed his stiff expression.

He must have been dreaming while sitting down.

But still, how could he dream about entering Bokseung’s body? If he even joked about such a thing, he’d definitely get slapped left and right.

Shrugging, Seongyeon ruffled Bokseung’s soft hair.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something else. What were you saying?”

At Seongyeon’s question, Bokseung smiled gently, his lips curving upwards. Naturally, Seongyeon also smiled along with him. This peaceful atmosphere felt strangely unfamiliar.

“I was saying thank you.”

“Huh? What are you thanking me for?”

To Seongyeon’s confused question, Bokseung simply smiled. Then, after taking a sip of beer, he continued.

“For living as Kim Bokseung.”

Bokseung sipped the remaining beer in his glass with a casual expression, as if he’d just made a small comment about how delicious the samgyeopsal was.

However, Seongyeon’s expression was anything but casual. He frowned so deeply that his forehead wrinkled.

Seeing his drastic change in expression, Bokseung laughed again. This time, with a “Puhaha!”

“Hey, Bokseung. Seriously, stop joking…!”

“I’m not joking either.”

“Then right now, you’re saying this isn’t reality?!”

Seongyeon couldn’t help but yell.

If this wasn’t reality, it meant that his real body, Lee Seongyeon’s body, was dead, and the reality was that he was living parasitically in Kim Bokseung’s body.

“Teacher…”

“Like this, I can hold it with my own two hands. I, I…”

Heat rushed through his body, his eyes burning.

Seongyeon slammed his glass down on the table.

It made a loud bang, but none of the people around them looked over. They simply continued grilling samgyeopsal with the same expressions as before.

Seongyeon looked around with a terrified expression. An involuntary sigh of despair escaped him at the unchanging, alien-like scene.

Bokseung, who had been silently watching Seongyeon, reached out his small, white hand. Then, he clasped Seongyeon’s dark hand resting on the table.

“I’m really sorry.”

“…….”

“Back then, I just… I really just wanted to die. No matter how hard I tried to live, bad things kept happening, and it just became harder and harder for me.”

Like a confession, Bokseung recounted his difficult situation in a small voice.

Seongyeon’s heart ached as he listened.

“You know, don’t you? That I’ve never been welcomed or loved by anyone since I was born.”

How much hurt and disappointment must he have experienced to be able to say such things himself? Pity filled Seongyeon’s face, which had been flushed with anger just moments ago.

Seeing him empathize with his pain so quickly, Bokseung smiled brightly, his round eyes crinkling.

“But you weren’t like that, Teacher. You didn’t abandon me like my parents, you didn’t hit or curse me like my grandmother, you didn’t use me like my high school friends.”

The small, white hand that had been enveloping the larger one was now enveloped by it. Bokseung’s eyes moistened as he looked at Seongyeon, who was holding his hand preciously.

“So, Teacher, thank you so much. I thought that if there was someone in the world who cared for me, it would be you, only you.”

As the child continued speaking, Seongyeon shook his head urgently.

“No! No, Bokseung! That can’t be true. Where would you find a child as kind and lovely as you! You deserve to be loved, more than enough! From now on, from now on…!”

As Seongyeon spoke to Bokseung, he realized something.

Ah, I see. It’s time to return this child’s life to him. The premonition he felt this morning was right.

Pausing for a moment, Seongyeon patted Bokseung’s white hand once more. His expression had softened considerably.

“From now on, you’ll meet many people like that. People who care for you as much as I do, no, even more than I do. Really. So don’t worry, you can do well.”

He meant it sincerely.

He knew better than anyone how kind, cute, and lovable Bokseung was. Such a child would have endless happiness ahead of him.

Seongyeon wanted to bless Bokseung’s future with all his heart.

He wondered if this situation was created by Bokseung, who felt guilty about his death.

“Bokseung, you know it’s time to go back, right?”

“Teacher…”

As expected, Bokseung was looking at Seongyeon with a face full of guilt. He must have felt immensely responsible for Seongyeon’s absurd death.

But that guilt shouldn’t change the course of the child’s life. That couldn’t happen.

“I’ve been working hard, but I’m not sure. Well, I messed up this exam. But I think if you do well on the finals, Bokseung, you should be able to get at least an average grade…”

Seongyeon scratched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. If only he’d come a little earlier. Then he would have done well on the midterms too.

It was embarrassing to think about how he’d pretended to be smart in front of Bokseung as his teacher.

At Seongyeon’s words, Bokseung smiled softly and shook his head.

“It’s okay, Teacher. None of that is important.”

“I, is that so? That’s a relief then.”

It was a real relief. With Bokseung’s abilities, he could probably manage somehow. Seongyeon nodded.

“Then, I’ll be going now. From now on, no matter how upset you are, don’t drink and go near the road. Okay?”

Seongyeon stood up, forcing a playful smile.

There were countless things he would miss, but that would be the same no matter how or at what age he died.

Considering that, he’d enjoyed a 49-day grace period, so he could say he had a better death than others. Although, he didn’t have much to say if someone questioned whether there was a good or bad death.