SS 6(1) Part 1

Side Story #6. Secret (1)

“Are you sure you’ll be okay going alone?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. And you said you’d be waiting right out front.”

“I will. Press the button if anything happens, okay?”

“Trust me.”

Bomin tapped Jeong Hotae’s arm, which was wrapped around him in a tight embrace. 

They were standing in front of a shabby three-story building on the outskirts of Seoul. The first floor housed various restaurants, while the second and third floors were residential.

“Why don’t you go to that cafe over there and wait?”

He knew Jeong Hotae would just stand there and wait for him otherwise.

“I’m fine. I prefer standing.”

“No. Buy yourself a drink and send me a screenshot of the transaction. ”

He had no idea how long he would be, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Jeong Hotae just standing there, waiting.

“It’s almost time for my appointment. I need to go up now. Wait for me at the cafe. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

Jeong Hotae, his lips capturing Bomin’s in a quick kiss, nodded.

Bomin waved goodbye and entered the building.

“I guess they recently renovated the interior.”

Unlike the dilapidated exterior, the inside was surprisingly clean. He climbed the stairs to the second floor.

There was only one door on the second floor. He took a deep breath, his hand reaching for the doorbell, when… 

“Why are you just standing there? Come in.”

“…Hello.”

He hadn’t meant to show his surprise, but his eyes widened as the door opened. He managed a greeting. 

A middle-aged woman with a kind face stood before him. She was wearing a bright fuchsia blouse and floral pants. It was a rather striking outfit.

He wondered if he had come to the right place. He had asked around for a skilled psychic, and this woman… she just looked like an ordinary person with a flamboyant sense of fashion. 

“Come in. I have another appointment right after you.” 

“Ah, yes.”

He followed her inside, his fingers brushing against the bracelet on his wrist. He could press the button and Jeong Hotae would be here in an instant. 

“What would you like to drink? I have instant coffee, barley tea, and chrysanthemum tea.” 

“You have chrysanthemum tea?”

“Yes. I’ve been into floral teas lately.”

Bomin had become fond of chrysanthemums ever since Kim Seohun gave him a bouquet of his birth flower. Birthdays used to be depressing, but now… he felt… different. 

“I’ll have chrysanthemum tea, please.”

“Alright. Have a seat in that rocking chair over there.” 

Bomin nodded, his eyes scanning the room curiously. It looked like an ordinary apartment, except for the large, sturdy rocking chair next to a table that held a strange, colorful orb. 

The rocking chair looked like it could easily accommodate someone much larger than him. He carefully sat down.

“Whoa…” 

He almost fell backwards as the chair rocked. He was still trying to find a comfortable position when the psychic returned with his tea. 

“Here’s your tea. Take a sip. You need to relax.”

She placed the cup on the table beside the rocking chair. Dried chrysanthemum flowers floated in the white porcelain cup. 

Bomin took a sip, the warm liquid soothing his nerves. 

He had been more nervous than he let on.

“So… what brings you here?”

The psychic, pulling up a chair with wheels, sat down next to him. His gaze was drawn to the crystal ball on the table, her hand gently stroking its surface.

It glowed faintly under her touch. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

He placed his teacup on the table, his gaze fixated on the crystal ball.

“…There’s someone I’m looking for.” 

“Someone?”

“I’m not sure. They might not even exist in this world.”

The happier he became, the guiltier he felt about the original Bomin. He had wanted to find him, to know what had happened to him, ever since he realized he had been transmigrated. 

But everything that had happened afterwards… he had been too busy. But now, everything was back to normal.

Seok Changmu’s body was rotting in a dungeon. The Guides who had been captured by Non-K had been freed. 

The Association President had committed suicide in prison. Jeong Hotae had officially joined the Association, working alongside the other S-rank Espers. 

The Association, under a new President, was functioning normally, protecting Korea from monsters. 

Everything was back on track. Except for one thing. 

The whereabouts of the original Bomin. 

He had been conflicted about coming here. He was finally happy. 

But he was also afraid that if he found the original Bomin, his own soul might disappear, and the original Bomin might return.

‘Why are you looking for him? I’m sure he’s fine.’ 

Song Jaeho hadn’t agreed with him. The others were worried too, afraid something might happen to him. But they couldn’t dissuade him.

Jeong Hotae had insisted on accompanying him, worried about his safety. The others had wanted to come too, but Bomin had stopped them. 

He knew he would never be truly happy unless he found out what had happened to the original Bomin. 

“Judging by your expression, you’re looking for a soul.” 

The psychic, seeing his hesitation, guessed his intentions. Most of her clients came to her with spiritual problems. 

“Do you think you can find him?” 

“We’ll have to try.” 

He hoped the original Bomin was happy, living a good life, just like he was now. 

“Close your eyes. And take a deep breath.”

The psychic adjusted the rocking chair, making him lie down. Bomin closed his eyes, the afterimage of the glowing crystal ball lingering in the darkness. 

“Inhale deeply… fill your lungs… and exhale slowly.”

He did as he was told, his breathing slow and steady. He felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, despite there being no incense or aromatherapy. 

It was a comforting warmth, like sinking into a soft bed after a long, sleepless night. 

“Think of the person you’re looking for. Focus.” 

Bomin’s brow furrowed. The original Bomin looked exactly like him. The only difference would be their personality. 

He pictured the original Bomin as described in the novel, his phone’s wallpaper… 

A picture of the sky. 

And the text messages he had exchanged with the Espers. 

His heart ached as he remembered the loneliness in those messages. 

‘…Where are you?’

He had been a lonely child, just like him. So lonely that he had resorted to hurting others.

“Focus… You need to focus… It’s too faint…” 

The psychic, her hand on the crystal ball, reached out with her other hand, her fingers wrapping around Bomin’s. Bomin’s fingers twitched at her touch.

‘…I’m sorry for stealing your life. I didn’t mean to… but it was yours.’ 

He hadn’t asked to be transmigrated.

He hadn’t even remembered his previous life at first. The memories of being murdered by Seok Changmu had returned later, but… he still didn’t understand how or why he had ended up here.

Jeong Hotae didn’t know either. 

He had interrogated Seok Changmu before killing him, but Seok Changmu had said he had just woken up in this world one day. 

‘…I hope you’re happy… as happy as I am.’

His guilt grew with his happiness. 

He would often find himself lost in thought, his smile fading, whenever he thought about the original Bomin. 

“Almost there…” 

Beads of sweat formed on the psychic’s forehead. Bomin’s brow furrowed as he concentrated. 

‘…I can see the sky…’

An image, clear and bright, appeared in the darkness behind his eyelids. It was a picture of the sky, dotted with white clouds. 

It looked like the wallpaper on his phone. 

He stared at the image, his mind clear, and he called out the original Bomin’s name, his own name, but… a different person.

‘Lee Bomin.’

“He’s close. Don’t give up. Follow that image.”

The psychic’s voice seemed distant, her words barely reaching him. 

—Where are you going?

Another voice, unfamiliar, cut through the haze. 

—Come over here. The view of the sky is amazing from here. 

Another voice, also a young man’s. 

—Be careful, there might be monsters. Slow down. 

The first voice, now laced with concern, made the image shift, focusing on two young men walking together. One had dark khaki hair, while the other… 

—Kang Yihan.

Bomin, seeing the man with black hair, his face so familiar, instinctively knew.

“…I found him.” 

He opened his eyes, blinking slowly. He didn’t want to forget the image. 

“It seems like you’ve found what you’re looking for.” 

“Yes…”

It felt unreal. He had expected it to be more difficult, and yet… he had found him so easily. 

He remembered the man’s face, his black hair and eyes, his youthful features. His cheeks were still a bit chubby, his eyes large and round, giving him an innocent air.

The man is called ‘Kang Yihan’. 

He had a strong feeling that this was the one he was looking for. It was illogical. 

But then again, being transmigrated into a novel was illogical too. He closed his eyes, his heart filled with a strange mix of relief and something else. He needed time to process everything.

He pressed his hand against his chest, his heart pounding beneath his palm. It felt like it might burst out of his chest.

“You have an unusual soul.”

“…Me?”

He blinked, the psychic’s gentle voice bringing him back to reality. Her eyes, unfocused, seemed to be looking… inside him, searching for something hidden deep within. 

“You… aren’t the original owner of this body.”