MIM 38

He hadn’t slept a wink.

Jae-seung sighed deeply, holding his throbbing head. Perhaps due to lack of sleep, even painkillers weren’t very effective. He tried listening to the voice message Shin-woo left, but it was of no use. He even attempted to sneak into the annex in the middle of the night to sleep, but when he got there, not a trace of the guy remained, making it a wasted trip.

That bastard had taken everything, including the blanket and various pieces of trash from there. Seeing that he had even taken the toy block house, he either had a hoarding disorder or was intentionally trying to erase all traces. The way he vanished as soon as he was told to leave made it seem like he had been prepared to flee at any moment.

Despite leaving without a hint of lingering attachment, the guy had asserted that Jae-seung would need him. It was frustrating because it was true.

“Your birthday is coming up soon. I was thinking we could perhaps hold a small party with just the household members.”

His leg, which had been shaking uncontrollably due to unrelenting anxiety, suddenly stopped. Butler Hwang, who had cautiously broached the subject, closed his mouth at Jae-seung’s sharp gaze.

A birthday party? In his already heightened state of agitation, his words came out harshly.

“Is this really the time to be talking about that?”

“I apologize. However, since you’ve been regaining your strength since the end of your rut, and in celebration of your enrollment, I thought maybe just once… It would just be among household members, so there wouldn’t be much pressure.”

Butler Hwang replied calmly in a tone that didn’t sound apologetic at all. It was a composed attitude similar to when Jae-seung had inquired about the experiments.

Butler Hwang and the three employees Shin-woo hadn’t dismissed knew about the experiments. He said that anyone who had worked at the mansion for a long time would inevitably know that Jae-seung was taking phenotype transformation drugs, even if they didn’t know the details. Butler Hwang added that he wasn’t intentionally keeping it a secret but was naturally waiting for his memories to return.

It wasn’t an incomprehensible position. It was probably because he sincerely thought this way that he could bring up the birthday party. He seemed to think there was no reason to refuse a party this year when Jae-seung’s condition had improved significantly. It was also the year he became an adult, and the timing was good as it avoided the 5-week rut cycle.

“And I… hope that young master can move beyond the shadows of the past and live in the present.”

Jae-seung raised an eyebrow at Butler Hwang’s careful words. The shadows of the past. He understood what was meant, but it was something that could only be said by someone who hadn’t been in his position. How many people could live normally after losing their memories overnight? Especially in his position, connected to the interests of many people. He had to uncover the truth surrounding the phenotype transformation research and his father’s death.

The tension in Jae-seung’s brow gradually eased as he pondered. He had just had a good idea.

“If we hold a big birthday party for me, could we invite my father’s acquaintances or their children?”

“I suppose… we could?”

It was an opportunity to arrange a place to talk with those who had invested in the research or their associates. Ye-wook alone had limitations. Though he denied it, Ye-wook must resent him. While it was good to have someone to talk to, he needed to carefully filter the stories Ye-wook told him.

Can you be close to him?

The son of that man?

Suddenly, a familiar voice, the true feelings the guy had revealed when Jae-seung wasn’t around, echoed in his ears. From the first time he heard it until now, that voice had lingered by Jae-seung’s side like an auditory hallucination. Even when lying in an empty room, even when looking around the desolate annex.

He knew. It was something he already knew, so why did it feel like this…

“Great! Let’s have a grand party!”

Jae-seung abruptly lifted his chin, which had been drooping. Raising his voice made him feel a bit better.

“Don’t just call it a birthday party, attach a more grandiose meaning. Coming of age ceremony! Or maybe a 4th anniversary memorial for Chairman Ma’s death! Anything that makes it hard to decline when invited. I’ll make the calls myself.”

“…Pardon? Young master, that’s a bit-“

“Compile a list of people to invite and bring it to me by tomorrow.”

He just needed to compile a list of people to send invitations to, and ask Ye-wook if there was anyone to add. He had just created a social media account, so once he had a rough estimate, he could promote the party there. He intended to throw a party that everyone would want to attend. Checking his social media, he already had nearly a million followers.

“Huh? What’s this?”

As he scrolled down after logging in, a photo immediately caught Jae-seung’s eye. One of the most trending posts was a photo of Shin-woo taken at an animal hospital, sitting at the top of the popular posts tab.

(Photo)

@animal911 With Shin-woo^^ He was kind when I met him in person. His real appearance is amazing!

(3,209 comments)

@pileup_0 Wow, you risked your life to take this picture

@cdyocpen Shouldn’t you take down the photo?? I saw it in passing and I’m really worried ㅠ Just leaving a comment..

Shin-woo was photographed in a composition that made “together” seem ironic, looking more like a candid shot, with only the back of his head barely visible, making the mention of his “real appearance” seem ridiculous. Even that was terribly blurry and out of focus, as if hastily taken. Jae-seung zoomed in on the blurry photo as much as possible with his fingers.

Why an animal hospital? Did he hit an animal while driving? Looking closely at the photo, it seemed he had brought a dog. Jae-seung gestured to the private investigator who had been waiting beside the butler.

“Report.”

“Ah, yes!”

The investigator promptly stepped forward and handed over dozens of photos. Jae-seung immediately spilled the photos onto the desk and began examining them hurriedly. As he flipped through the photos one by one, he couldn’t help but laugh, eventually unable to close his mouth.

“Well, look at him living it up in a hotel?”

“It’s a 5-star hotel with a good view. I don’t know the exact room number, but the elevator stopped at the 27th floor, so I think he’s staying on that floor.”

The investigator chattered as the background in the photos changed. Jae-seung had assigned someone disguised as a reporter to monitor Shin-woo’s every move, but the guy’s recent activities were ridiculously unexpected. How had he been living in that shabby annex room all this time if he rushed to a 5-star hotel as soon as he was told to leave, and why did he take a dog to the animal hospital?

“What’s with this dog?”

“I’m not certain, but it seems he’s keeping it. He took it to the animal hospital and seems to be walking it too.”

“Keeping it? It’s not just a stray?”

“I don’t think so. He even had it groomed.”

The investigator pulled out a photo from the back to show. A dog with neatly rounded fur was grinning in Shin-woo’s arms. He’s really having a grand time, isn’t he? Feeling upset about not having slept properly for days, Jae-seung asked angrily.

“What about Hye-jeong? Isn’t it her dog?”

“That, I’m not sure about…”

“Go ask at the animal hospital. There must be a different owner. There’s no way that bastard would have a dog.”

He knew he was asking unnecessary questions, but he couldn’t shake his agitation. While it was natural for him to stay in a nice place, the fact that he started taking care of a dog at this particular time was unbearably bothersome. He felt spiteful, even hateful, towards the guy who was busily walking and grooming a dog instead of cleaning up after him.

Because it seems like only I’m a mess while his daily life remains the same.

“Um, I don’t know if it’s the woman called Hye-jeong, but here. This article came out a few hours ago.”

The investigator hesitantly offered a tablet, looking cautious. The tablet screen displayed a recent article with the glaring headline: “Charming Shin-woo, Dating an Ordinary Woman?” Just below, a photo of Shin-woo handing over a dog to some woman immediately caught his eye.

His heart sank. Suddenly, his stomach hurt as if his intestines were twisted, and an emotion that could only be described as resentment welled up to his throat. Not knowing how to process this unfamiliar feeling, Jae-seung first clutched his aching stomach.

“Painkillers!”

At his shout, a servant standing behind rushed out to fetch medicine. The level of distress suggested it might be an aftereffect of the experiments. Gritting his teeth and trying to calm his emotions, Jae-seung saw Butler Hwang kneel before him. With a worried face, he handed over medicine and water, then checked for fever.

“You don’t have a fever. Should I call a doctor?”

“Look closely at this woman. Isn’t it Hye-jeong?”

Ignoring the question, Jae-seung pushed the article towards Butler Hwang. As if there was no need for a long look, Butler Hwang glanced at the photo and immediately answered.

“No, it’s not. Miss Hye-jeong is much younger.”

“Then who is this woman? Is he some kind of Casanova?”

Meeting this woman and that woman, taking money from me and selling his body, isn’t he the worst kind of prostitute? After chewing and swallowing the painkiller without water, Jae-seung forced himself to focus and examined the article photo closely. He had only vaguely grasped the figure due to a nebulous aversion, but now he realized the woman’s face looked familiar.

The owner of the ice cream shop in front of the school. The woman who always gave Shin-woo an extra scoop of ice cream.