OMS 104
by CherrySitting at the outdoor wooden table, two customers entered the cafe. Lee Hee-soo sat across from him, unable to lift his head like a guilty person, picking at his nails. Meanwhile, an employee came out, looked at Lee Hee-soo once, and asked Park Dong-sik, “Would you like some coffee?”
“No thanks. I’m pregnant, so I can’t have any coffee.”
When he opened his oversized coat, Lee Hee-soo’s eyes and mouth widened simultaneously. The employee seemed slightly surprised too. After the employee left, Park Dong-sik closed his coat, crossed his arms, and smiled.
“Why do you seem surprised? You’ve been living well with my body too.”
Lee Hee-soo seemed so shocked he couldn’t speak for a while.
“Aren’t you curious whose child it is?”
“…”
“It’s fine if you’re not.”
“W-Whose child is it?”
“Don’t know. Won’t know until they’re born.”
Lee Hee-soo’s face turned pale. Not knowing who the father was made him wonder if Park Dong-sik had been mistreated. All sorts of thoughts crossed his mind, making his throat tighten and tears well up.
“I’m sorry…Because of me…Such terrible things…Because of me…”
Park Dong-sik was dumbfounded at the sight of the other man crying.
“What are you talking about, terrible things? I’ve been in absolute heaven.”
Lee Hee-soo looked bewildered, and Park Dong-sik smirked.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both Kim Jun-han and Kim Tae-han.”
Looking at the pale-faced Lee Hee-soo, Park Dong-sik drove the point home.
“You asked who the father is? This is just my guess, but it’s likely Jun-han.”
Lee Hee-soo covered his mouth with both hands in shock.
“I’m sorry. He was your husband, but I went and did that. He was totally my type. Couldn’t help it.”
“Oh my…”
Seeing his intense reaction, Park Dong-sik asked uncertainly, “Did you like Jun-han?”
Lee Hee-soo shook his head in disgust. His reaction was similar to the shaman’s when she met Kim Jun-han, making Park Dong-sik laugh out loud bitterly.
“Did Jun-han do something bad to you?”
“Not exactly…”
“He’s cold, lacks humanity…” Lee Hee-soo trailed off, glancing around, and Park Dong-sik nodded in understanding. He too had disliked Kim Jun-han at first, even cursed him as an annoying bastard.
As an awkward silence fell between them, the employee brought hallabong juice and cookies. Thirsty, he removed the straw and drank it in one go, the pulp bursting refreshingly in his mouth. Delicious. Meanwhile, he could feel Lee Hee-soo stealing glances at him.
“Why are you looking like that? Weird seeing your own face?”
Lee Hee-soo silently nodded. Park Dong-sik felt the same way. Seeing his supposedly dead self after half a year felt rather strange. Park Dong-sik put aside his drink and asked about that day’s events.
“The day of the accident, how did you get out of the water?”
“I don’t know…When I came to, you were lying next to me…”
“Then you should have woken me up.”
“At first, I was too shocked about the body swap to think…I tried to wake you, but I heard people coming…”
“So you just ran away?”
“Yes…”
“Without trying to fix things?”
“…”
“Tell me. I’m not angry, just curious.”
“I thought it was an opportunity…A chance to live as someone other than Hee-soo…”
“You wanted to escape from your family?”
Lee Hee-soo noticeably tensed at the mention of family.
“Is that why you decided to switch with my body?”
“I’m sorry…”
“How is it?”
“What…?”
“Are you happier than when you were Hee-soo?”
Tears welled up in Lee Heesoo’s eyes. Though he nodded, he seemed overwhelmed with guilt. Why feel so sorry and guilty when neither of us meant for this to happen and we’re both living well?
Sighing, he turned his head and met eyes with the man called the owner. He was watching from inside the store with his arms crossed, he looked nice enough, but it was hard to imagine him dating Lee Hee-soo. Maybe after being burned by handsome guys, he decided to stop caring about looks altogether.
“Is the cafe owner really your boyfriend?”
Lee Hee-soo hesitated before confessing the truth.
“That’s a lie…Male customers were hitting on me…He volunteered to help…”
Park Dong-sik was incredulous.
“There are men hitting on you?”
Lee Hee-soo nodded slightly, and Park Dong-sik was outraged.
“Damn! When I was Park Dong-sik, they wouldn’t even look at me!”
“…”
“Guess they were afraid of getting beaten up…”
Lee Hee-soo pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh at the muttered comment.
“You think that’s funny?”
“I’m sorry…”
“If it’s funny, laugh. And stop apologizing with my face. It’s really annoying.”
“Yes, I’m sor—I mean, I won’t.”
Park Dong-sik finished his juice and organized his thoughts.
“Hey. If you could go back, what would you do?”
“What?”
“I know a shaman who understands our situation. She says we could return to normal with a ritual. Of course, it’s not certain. I’ve only heard about it.”
Lee Hee-soo looked incredulous.
“But as you can see, I’m not alone right now so it’s complicated. If you want, I can switch back after the baby is born. What do you think?”
“Can I be honest…?”
“Yeah.”
“I want to stay like this…As Kim Kyungsu…Like now…Could I?”
“Why?”
“I only have painful memories of being Hee-soo…If you’ll allow it, I want to stay this way…I don’t want to go back…”
“What if the things that tormented you were gone?”
“…?”
“Chairman Kim is locked up in a mental hospital, and Park Jae-min, your lover, is dead. And your mother and brothers will spend their lives being chased by debt collectors. When they can’t pay anymore, they’ll even lose their organs.”
Lee Hee-soo’s mouth gaped in surprise.
“What…do you mean…”
“You saw what kind of person I was before you fell in the water. Did you think I’d take things lying down? I didn’t do everything myself, but I took care of everyone who tormented you. That means even if you become Hee-soo again, life won’t be hard anymore.”
Lee Hee-soo’s lips trembled.
“Mom…my brothers…they really…got punished?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t have to see them again…?”
“Of course not. And that’s not all. They’ll feel every bit of the hell you felt. Especially that bastard Lee Hoon-jae, I specifically ordered them to be extra rough with him. Told them to make him wish he were dead.”
Tears welled up in Lee Hee-soo’s eyes, and after hesitating, Park Dong-sik spoke.
“Except Kim Tae-han is on hold.”
Lee Hee-soo’s eyes changed at the mention of Kim Tae-han.
“He wronged you, so that’s your decision. Whether to forgive him or not.”
“Wronged me…?”
“Ah shit. If I tell you, it’ll feel like tattling.”
While he hesitated, Lee Hee-soo spoke first.
“If it’s about making Park Jae-min approach me…”
When asked if he knew, Lee Hee-soo nodded his head.
“You knew and still stayed with Kim Tae-han?”
“Tae-han was the only one who treated me sincerely…and I was the first to break our promise…After saying we’d run away together…I was scared and only ended up hurting him…He must have hated me…”
Park Dong-sik snorted.
“Well, well, your heart’s as big as the Pacific. That’s why you were taken advantage of.”
Lee Hee-soo smiled sadly at the harsh words. Park Dong-sik sighed and got up to his feet.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, fine. Let’s end that discussion here.”
As he was about to step away, Lee Hee-soo urgently grabbed his clothes.
“Where are you going?”
His fingertips conveyed desperation like a child afraid of losing their mother.
“Just going to the car.”
Lee Hee-soo withdrew his hand embarrassedly, and Park Dong-sik, who had been watching, suddenly lifted his shirt.
“Hey, let me see your abs real quick.”
Lee Hee-soo screamed “Kyak!” and Park Dong-sik sighed after checking the muscles.
“Ah, my abs…”
Lee Hee-soo blushed, lowering his shirt.
“I’ve been working out hard…”
“Be honest. After being in this scrawny body, it feels good to be in that body, right? Decent build, muscles, big dick, nice balls! Tell me, huh?”
Lee Hee-soo didn’t deny it, and Park Dong-sik clicked his tongue regretfully.
“Can you at least give back the balls?”
“What?”
“Kidding. Don’t take it so seriously.”
Then he headed toward Kim Jun-han’s car in the distance. Seeing him approach, Kim Jun-han started to get out, but Park Dong-sik quickly closed the door, keeping him in the driver’s seat. Kim Jun-han lowered the window, looking displeased.
“What is it?”
“Stay here quietly. Don’t come out and make people faint.”
“Who would I make faint?”
Instead of answering, Park Dong-sik just smiled bitterly and reached for the button. The trunk opened, and he pulled out a large travel bag, dragging it to the cafe where Lee Hee-soo was. Setting it beside him, Lee Hee-soo looked at it curiously.
“Do you have a car?”
“Yes…”
“When I leave, put this in your trunk right away. Don’t tell anyone about it.”
“What is it…?”
“You’ll know when you open it at home.”
“Are you…leaving already…?”
He’d expected him to be happy and maybe even dance, but the tone of regret in his voice bothered him.
“Phone.”
When he held out his hand, Lee Hee-soo gave him his phone. Park Dong-sik entered his number and returned it.
“Live well.”
“…”
“Contact me if things get tough.”
“Is that…okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? We’re blood.”
At those words, Lee Hee-soo lowered his head and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. Park Dong-sik felt choked up too and pressed down on his head.
“Stop crying, kid. Your dick will fall off.”
On the other hand, his heart ached thinking how lacking in family support Lee Hee-soo must have been to cry at such a small kindness.