PIA 120

The glass mountain crumbled all at once, scattering shards in every direction. The fragments gleamed as they reflected light, while droplets of liquid splattered messily across the room. The sound of shattering glass—echoed slowly in Ji-an’s ears.

“Ji-an!”

Ji-an turned his head at the sound of people screaming, but what clearly pierced his ears was Jeong Hee-seo’s voice. He ran in, fearlessly stepping on glass shards, and pulled the crouching Ji-an tightly into his arms.

As he fell into Jeong Hee-seo’s embrace, Ji-an turned his head. He saw Seo Ji-hyuk lying on the floor.

His palm was soaked in blood, seemingly cut by crystal glass fragments as he fell. Beyond the staff rushing to support Ji-hyuk, he could see jeong Han-joo running over, shouting wildly.

“Are you okay?”

“…Hyung, yes. I’m fine.”

His mind snapped back at the worried whisper.

Ji-an blinked to shake off the champagne in his eyes. Then Jeong Hee-seo’s hand carefully wiped the moisture from his eyebrows. His hands slowly brushed his cheeks and neck in turn, checking for any glass fragments.

People gathered, murmuring. The music in the hall stopped abruptly, followed by the frantic movements of staff coming to clean up.

“Ji-hyuk! Wake up!”

Jeong Han-joo’s wild shout pierced his ears, causing a headache. All kinds of noise swirled around, making Ji-an feel like he was standing in the middle of hell. What a miserable entanglement. He thought it was going to end in some way or another.

Ah, it seemed not willing to go easily to a happy ending. Was it going to ruin everything like this— Ji-an’s head spun with such thoughts.

“It was… in the champagne…”

“Let’s go somewhere quiet first.”

Jeong Hee-seo didn’t even wait for him to finish. Jeong Hee-seo swiftly picked Ji-an up. Weakened by the shock, Ji-an didn’t resist and instead wrapped his arms around Jeong Hee-seo’s neck, resting his face against his chest.

Carrying Ji-an as though it were second nature, Jeong Hee-seo strode decisively out of the chaos.

* * *

By the time they reached a familiar suite, Jeong Hee-seo had a phone conversation with Jeong Hee-young. He briefly explained the situation and informed about Ji-an’s condition. Ji-an thought he heard talk about Seo Ji-hyuk from the other end of the line, but he couldn’t make it out.

Jeong Hee-seo sat Ji-an on the long marble countertop in the powder room. He carefully removed Ji-an’s outer clothes, bundled them up, and stuffed them into the trash can.

Ji-an watched silently with lowered eyes as the suit that had made him uncomfortable all day disappeared into oblivion.

“Are there any places that feel stinging or feel off?”

Jeong Hee-seo’s warm hands worked methodically, removing Ji-an’s shoes and socks before checking from his feet up to his calves.

“I didn’t realize they weren’t plastic glasses. I didn’t think they’d break like that…”

“It’s because Hee-young noona is extravagant. She probably insisted on crystal because it looks pretty.”

Jeong Hee-seo remained entirely focused on checking Ji-an’s skin, inspecting his hands, arms, and neck—anywhere glass shards could have reached. He even meticulously examined Ji-an’s face and hair.

Ji-an exhaled sharply, letting out a small laugh.

“But… why aren’t you asking anything?”

“Hm?”

“I thought the usual order would be to ask what happened, why we fought.”

Now sitting there in nothing but his underwear, Ji-an raised an eyebrow and asked earnestly. Jeong Hee-seo’s nose twitched slightly in response, as if amused.

“Isn’t checking if you’re hurt the first priority?”

Jeong Hee-seo took Ji-an to the bathtub, laid him down, rolled up his sleeves, and started washing his hair. He patiently rinsed for a long time under running water, until not even a small glass particle could be seen.

Ji-an closed his eyes and thought as he entrusted his body to him.

If Seo Ji-hyuk successfully held the engagement ceremony and made it to the wedding, it would indeed achieve a happy ending. But he hadn’t deeply considered before what would happen to the entire Jeong family afterwards.

If Ji-an and Jeong Hee-seo had their baby and got married, they would become family with them. The reason he hadn’t thought that far, or rather, didn’t want to consider it closely, was probably because it would truly make them a dysfunctional family. A family rife with resentment and hostility, snarling and grinding their teeth at one another every time they met.

Seo Ji-hyuk and Ji-an had an irreparable relationship that couldn’t be mended by anything. 

What would happen if the secret of his birth was revealed on top of that?

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Jeong Hee-seo spoke as if seeing through Ji-an’s complicated thoughts. Ji-an opened his eyes that had been closed.

In the eyes looking down at him, there wasn’t even a hint of blame or interrogation. It was just affection.

“…I can’t give up.”

At this sudden remark, Jeong Hee-seo raised the corners of his mouth. He even responded with a baseless ‘Me too’ without even knowing what Ji-an meant.

After the bath, Ji-an sat wrapped in a cozy robe on the sofa, holding a mug of warm milk. Jeong Hee-seo gently dried Ji-an’s damp hair with a blow dryer. The warmth surrounding him seemed to calm Ji-an’s frayed nerves.

“There’s one thing I’m curious about though.”

Jeong Hee-seo asked, turning off the hairdryer.

Here it comes. Ji-an braced himself. How should he explain that Seo Ji-hyuk tried to drink the rut inducer, and how he immediately recognized it as such? As Ji-an swallowed dryly and looked at him, Jeong Hee-seo asked something completely different with a serious face.

“Do you want to rejoin the party downstairs? Regardless of the incident, they say they’ll finish the meal. It’s hospitality for those who took the time to come.”

“…Why would I go back there?”

“Well, the food? You quite liked it, didn’t you?”

Ji-an furrowed his brow.

“What do you take me for…”

“Can I be honest?”

“No.”

Jeong Hee-seo laughed, pouring himself a glass of whiskey before sitting beside Ji-an. Ji-an took a sip of milk and waited for Jeong Hee-seo to look at him before speaking.

“Ji-hyuk hyung, Seo Ji-hyuk-ssi tried to take some drvgs. He was going to mix it into champagne and drink it.”

“Drvgs?”

“…He said it was a rut inducer.”

Hmm. Jeong Hee-seo let out a small, intrigued hum.

“We weren’t fighting. I reached out to stop him, and I grabbed the glass, but I must have dropped it.”

“I saw. From the moment you reached out in surprise.”

Ji-an felt himself shrinking under Jeong Hee-seo’s calm gaze.

“Ji-an, even if I hadn’t seen it, I’d never think you acted without a reason.”

The unwavering trust in Jeong Hee-seo’s eyes made Ji-an lower his gaze involuntarily.

“So you don’t need to make excuses. Understood?”

Ji-an nodded firmly, leaning back against the sofa and resting his forehead on Jeong Hee-seo’s shoulder.

The rut inducer was something that made Ji-an’s chest feel tight just thinking about it. Even though it was related to the incident that became the starting point of their relationship, he had forgotten about it for a moment. Even if every other issue were resolved, this was a wound Ji-an would have to carry forever, buried in his heart.

Would Jeong Hee-seo still understand, even if it wasn’t Ji-an that day? Could this unwavering, straight-as-an-arrow loyalty truly remain directed at him without faltering?

If someone were to ask Ji-an if he was certain, he knew he wouldn’t be able to answer.

“…”

“I don’t know why you’re so troubled.”

Jeong Hee-seo hugged Ji-an tightly.

“I’ve changed my mind. I need to settle things between those two.”

“Settle things?”

Ji-an’s eyes widened, and he tried to sit up, but Jeong Hee-seo pulled him back down.

“Yes. If it can’t be fixed, then it has to be cut off. What else can I do?”

He had planned to wait for the sake of Jeong Han-joo’s pride, hoping that Seo Ji-hyuk and Jeong Han-joo would find their own way to solve this. After all, they were family, and his older sister had her own concerns. But if things continued to spiral into such a tangled mess, that was a different story. He had already given them three chances.

“So you don’t need to worry about future things. I’ll make sure you never cross paths again.”

Haha, Ji-an let out a half-hearted chuckle. Jeong Hee-seo’s solution, as always, hit the mark in addressing Ji-an’s concerns—though only halfway this time. Even someone as perceptive and determined as Jeong Hee-seo couldn’t possibly imagine the truth.

That Ji-an had come from another world. That he had switched bodies with the original owner of this one. That the first time they were tied together by that rut-inducing drug, it wasn’t even him, but another being entirely.

Ji-an placed his hand on Jeong Hee-seo’s cheek. When Jeong Hee-seo turned his head to meet Ji-an’s gaze, there wasn’t a hint of hesitation.

“When… did you start liking me?”

“…”

Jeong Hee-seo furrowed his brow at the unexpected, sudden question. “Hmm,” After pondering for a moment he slowly answered.

“It was vague before. Whether it was the day you doused yourself in cheap perfume and bought me a hamburger. Or the day you ran away at full speed in front of the hospital…”

He paused mid-thought and planted a light kiss on the tip of Ji-an’s nose.

“But thinking about it now, I guess it was from the very beginning.”

“The beginning…”

“Yes. From that very first time I saw you at the foundation anniversary party.”

Thump, Ji-an’s heart sank.