SDM 68

Yeah, it would be difficult to guess it’s Jin Seong-woon from that acceptance speech…. No, maybe the subject of that speech isn’t Seong-woon at all?

Seong-woon wiped his cold, sweaty palms on his pants as he gathered useless thoughts. He needed to see his face right now.

As he suddenly stood up, the gazes of his family members, which had been focused on the TV, all turned to him at once. Without paying attention to them, Seong-woon picked up his phone.

“Chae-yoon, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, no. I’m just going out for a bit.”

“At this hour? Where to?”

The eyes of his family members, which had been full of question marks, narrowed. It was obvious where Seong-woon was going, suddenly saying he was going out right when Baek Sang-hyun received the grand prize.

“…You can congratulate him over the phone, you know?”

It’s not about congratulations, you know? Of course, he would congratulate him too, but that’s not the important thing right now.

“At least take a taxi….”

“Are you crazy? A taxi?”

Then drive me there. This is why I should have gotten my license earlier. It was difficult to even sign up for safety education because there were so many people trying to get their license during the vacation.

“Chae-yoon.”

Seeing his parents’ worried faces, he couldn’t insist anymore. Seong-woon let out an endlessly long sigh and rubbed his face. During that time, his phone flashed a few times.

Baek Sang-hyun sunbae-nim: I’ll call you.

What call? The excitement that had momentarily surged subsided, and he felt a bit resentful.

Did he make me watch that speech on purpose? Knowing how much I hate it when the relationship between Baek Sang-hyun and Jin Seong-woon surfaces?

“I’m going to bed.”

His family members, who had been tense thinking Seong-woon might suddenly rush out, let out a sigh of relief. Although they would try to stop him, they know they can’t prevent the youngest in this house from doing what he wants to do.

“Okay. You must be tired. Go up and rest quickly.”

“Good night. Bro and sis, go home soon too.”

“We’re staying over. We have to eat tteokguk in the morning.”

“Want me to let you sleep here?”

“No thanks.”

Seong-woon retorted at Ryu Chang-yoon’s nonsense and quickly climbed the stairs. His phone was ringing.

He entered his room, closed the door tightly, and stared at the flashing phone for a while. The contact name ‘Baek Sang-hyun sunbae-nim’ was particularly irritating today for some reason.

Baek Sang-hyun sunbae-nim: Are you sleeping?

After a little while, another message came in.

Baek Sang-hyun sunbae-nim: I’ll contact you again tomorrow.

Geez, looking down at the messages that seemed so dejected, Seong-woon pressed the call button hard. Baek Sang-hyun answered the phone before the ringtone could even properly sound once.

─ Were you sleeping?

“Why.”

─ Pardon?

“I asked why you called.”

─ Ah, well….

“……”

─ Are you angry?

Yes, he was angry. Seong-woon knew all too well that he only had anti-fans… no, that everyone harbored ill will towards him. Now that he even knew the reason was because his soul and body didn’t match, he had no will to activate his happiness circuit.

Even when he was Jin Seong-woon, he pushed Baek Sang-hyun away because he hated hearing bad things about him, and even after becoming Ryu Chae-yoon, he always worried about unnecessary rumors because Baek Sang-hyun owned all of Jin Seong-woon’s works… How could he do this knowing all that?

─ …

“If you have nothing more to say, hang up.”

─ I’m sorry. But I can’t apologize for the acceptance speech.

What are you talking about, you already apologized.

─ If you were offended… and I’m sorry for causing you trouble, but I’m not sorry for the speech itself.

Ah, really? I don’t understand what kind of sophistry this is. It was so absurd that he let out a hollow laugh. Annoyed, Seong-woon roughly pushed back his falling hair and was about to press the end call button.

─ You’re angry because you’re worried about me, right?

“No, I…”

It’s not that I was worried about you, but that I was angry because you didn’t understand my anxiety. I’m not that altruistic, I’m just self-centered…

─ I’ll do everything else as you wish, but this… I can’t. I can’t do it either.

“My reputation is worse than you imagine. And I told you the reason.”

─ I know. But I don’t want to regret anymore.

“What regret…! I’m telling you, you’ve already done something to regret!”

─ I don’t like it. I won’t listen to you about this.

“Hey, Baek Sang-hyun.”

─ Something happened… because I listened to those words.

Seong-woon was at a loss for words at the despair in Baek Sang-hyun’s voice. Does he think Jin Seong-woon‘s death was his fault?

“Don’t think strange things.”

─ What strange thoughts?

“I… I mean, that traffic accident was really an accident. You’re not responsible at all, so why…”

─ I became one of those people who agreed with that reputation.

“No, I was the one being unreasonable…”

─ …You must have thought there was really no one by your side.

Unable to deny it, Seong-woon just gripped his hot phone tightly. At the moment of death, and when he opened his eyes in Ryu Chae-yoon’s body, what did Jin Seong-woon think?

He really had no lingering attachment to his previous life. Because he thought no one would remember him, no one would reminisce about him, no one would recall him. What if Baek Sang-hyun had refused to be pushed away?

…Maybe he would have regretted Jin Seong-woon’s death a little, maybe he would have thought Jin Seong-woon’s life had even a tiny bit of meaning.

“Just for something like that…”

─ It’s not just that. For me, that’s…

Baek Sang-hyun’s voice was tinged with inexplicable sadness as Seong-woon recalled Baek Sang-hyun’s tear-stained face at his funeral. What kind of thoughts did I have…

“So you vented your feelings, is that it?”

─ I’m going to do it every year.

I’ve lost, really. Covering his face, Seong-woon let out a sigh. Right, it’s not like Baek Sang-hyun would be tarnished now just because he was a bit close to Jin Seong-woon, or because he liked Jin Seong-woon as an actor. He decided not to worry unnecessarily.

“Okay, I understand what you mean.”

─ Then tomorrow…

“Tomorrow is not possible.”

─ Are you still angry?

“No, I’m supposed to eat tteokguk with my family tomorrow and go out together.”

─ …Then it can’t be helped.

Seong-woon chuckled at the dejected voice. Sensing that Seong-woon’s attitude had lightened, Baek Sang-hyun also laughed a little.

“I’ll contact you around evening. I think I’ll have time then.”

─ Okay.

“…Congratulations on winning the grand prize.”

─ It’s all thanks to you, sunbae-nim.

He could tell just from his voice that he was smiling brightly. Seong-woon found himself smiling along before barely managing to control his expression. Even though no one was watching, it didn’t mean it wasn’t embarrassing.

“Well, aren’t you doing some kind of fan meeting?”

─ Briefly in the broadcasting station parking lot…

“Then hurry and go.”

─ …Um, sunbae-nim.

“Yes?”

─ …Never mind. It’s too late at night.

“What… Don’t tell me you were planning to come here after it’s over?”

─ Yes… that wouldn’t be okay, right?

Baek Sang-hyun’s voice, which had momentarily risen when Seong-woon caught on to his intention, soon plummeted. What time is it now? Seong-woon was about to say it’s obviously not okay, but he couldn’t bring himself to firmly refuse right away.

“It’s already almost 1 AM, and after the fan meeting…”

It would be past 2 AM, and honestly, putting aside whether Baek Sang-hyun could handle it, there was no way Seong-woon could stay up that late. His body, which usually needed to sleep by 10 PM, was already overclocked, and if he slept any later, he couldn’t guarantee his condition for the next day.

─ Yes, that’s right. Please go to sleep soon.

“You’re really not coming, right?”

─ …

“Why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you’re planning to wait until morning or something…!”

─ Of course not.

Do you know how many times has your “of course not” led to trouble?

“Go home quickly, I’m really going to sleep without waiting for you.”

─ Okay. Please just give me a call when you wake up in the morning.

Anxiety swept through his body, but Seong-woon rubbed his goosebump-covered arms a few times and tried to ignore it. Judging by the bustling noise coming through the receiver, it seemed Baek Sang-hyun was nearing the fan meeting venue.

“Alright. I’ll call you in the morning.”

─ Okay. Happy New Year.

“…Yeah, you too.”

Come to think of it, welcoming the new year itself feels like a dream. For ‘Jin Seong-woon’, it’s an extension of a life that was already dead, and for ‘Ryu Chae-yoon’, it’s finding a soul to prevent the body’s collapse. They’ve also overcome the threats made by that soul adjustment project – returning to a timeline where they’re both dead.

─ …

“Hang up quickly.”

─ You first, sunbae-nim.

Seong-woon had to rub his face several times with his dry palm before he could finally press the end call button. Then he tossed the warm phone onto the bedside table and buried his head in the pillow. Having already exceeded his physical limits, he fell asleep quickly and woke up on time in the morning.

Blinking his eyes blankly, Seong-woon tried to check the time on his phone and saw Baek Sang-hyun’s message that had come in at 2:30 AM.

Baek Sang-hyun sunbae-nim: Please call me when you wake up in the morning.

“What is he planning now…”

Roughly combing his flattened hair, Seong-woon entered the bathroom while calling Baek Sang-hyun. As soon as he put toothpaste on his toothbrush, Baek Sang-hyun answered the phone immediately.

─ Yes, sunbae-nim.

“Why do you keep asking for a call?”

─ Just in case.

“In case of what?”

─ You woke up early, huh?

It’s almost eight o’clock, so it doesn’t seem particularly early. Just from the noisy sounds coming from downstairs, it was clear that the rest of the family was already up and busy preparing breakfast.

“You probably didn’t even get a few hours of sleep.”

─ I slept enough.

“Must be nice to be so robust.”

─ Haha… Have you had breakfast?

“I’m about to, I guess? I really called you right after waking up, so I don’t know.”

Holding his toothbrush covered in toothpaste and water, Seong-woon sat on the edge of the bathtub. It seemed the call might be longer than expected…

─ You told me not to come last night.

“Of course… Don’t tell me you…?”

─ Ah, no. I’m not waiting outside.

“You scared me.”

─ I did leave something at the security office last night though.

“What?”

─ It’s nothing special.

Throwing down the toothbrush he hadn’t even put in his mouth, Seong-woon rushed downstairs. As soon as he stepped on the last stair, Ryu Chang-yoon blocked his way with a sullen expression.

“Hyung?”

“Why are you in such a hurry first thing in the morning?”

“No, it’s just…”

He was holding a bouquet of flowers and a small box from early in the morning. Instantly, Seong-woon realized that these must be what Baek Sang-hyun had left at the security office.

“Those are for me, right?”

“……”

“Give them to me.”

Ryu Chang-yoon frowned as if he wanted to throw them away immediately, then let out a long sigh.

“What is it? What is it?”

Seong-woon should have quickly taken them and run away, but Ryu Ho-yoon poked her head out from the dining room. She was chewing something, apparently having already eaten quite a bit.

“…Did Chae-yoon receive flowers?”

“What kind of flowers?”

Even Ha-yoon came out of the dining room at the commotion. Not wanting any more attention, Seong-woon approached Chang-yoon and leaned in close, looking up at him. Chang-yoon’s eyebrow twitched as Seong-woon got closer, and he stepped back, roughly handing over what he was holding as if throwing it into Seong-woon’s arms.

“Chae-yoon, let’s eat breakfast.”

“Just a moment!”

Why did he send flowers again? Back in his room, Seong-woon examined the flowers closely, unable to identify their type once again, when he found a card among the flowers.

I finally found the subject of my acceptance speech.

Inside the box was the grand prize trophy. As soon as Seong-woon saw it, he called Baek Sang-hyun immediately.

“I’ll return it. I’m not the one who won it.”

“I won’t accept it though.”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“I’m not joking.”

“I’ll throw it away then.”

“You can throw it away, or do whatever you want.”

“Hey, Baek Sang-hyun!”

“I’m really not joking here… “

The long back-and-forth finally ended with Baek Sang-hyun agreeing to take it back when Seong-woon moves in.

* * *

The building he’d seen every time he went to the shop felt quite intimidating today. Baek Sang-hyun stood quietly on the sidewalk, looking up. By the time a circular wall of people formed around him with murmuring sounds in the background, he lowered his head and smiled slightly at the people watching him.

Fortunately, since it was an area with many office workers, no one approached too closely, but it seemed like quite a few photos would be uploaded… Ah, would sunbae-nim see them? That wouldn’t be good…

Normally, he would have covered his face with a hat or mask, but this time he couldn’t. He was here to meet Ryu Byung-chan, Seong-woon’s (that is, Ryu Chae-yoon’s) father and the chairman of Ryu Shin Group.

As Baek Sang-hyun approached the information center on the first floor, a man who appeared behind him held out an ID card.

“The chairman is waiting for you.”

“Ah, yes.”

Following his guidance, Baek Sang-hyun boarded a separate elevator inside. It seemed to lead directly to the chairman’s office.

“Mr. Chairman, actor Baek Sang-hyun has arrived.”

Upon hearing a response from inside, the secretary opened the door. As he stepped into the chairman’s office, the first thing he saw was a floor-to-ceiling window, half filled with blue sky and half with Gangnam buildings.

“Hmm… Are you actor Baek Sang-hyun?”

“Yes, hello.”

Baek Sang-hyun greeted with just the right amount of courtesy. Ryu Byung-chan, who had been flipping through some documents while wearing glasses, came around the large desk and extended his hand.

“I’m Ryu Byung-chan, Chae-yoon’s father.”

Introducing himself as Ryu Chae-yoon’s father rather than the chairman of Ryu Shin Group, Baek Sang-hyun couldn’t help but be flustered inwardly, though he didn’t show it outwardly.

Was it really as he said in that phone call, “I’m Chae-yoon’s dad, can we meet?”?

Despite being well over sixty, Ryu Byung-chan’s hand was quite large and very firm. When Baek Sang-hyun reached out to shake it, he applied just the right amount of pressure.

“Sit here.”

“Yes.”

“Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Still, I can’t not offer anything to a guest. At least have a glass of water.”

The friendly tone was completely different from what Baek Sang-hyun had imagined. Chairman Ryu Byung-chan was described as a giant, an iron man who raised Korea’s economy, and his public appearances were always very cold and sometimes even scary.

Seated across from him, Ryu Byung-chan observed Baek Sang-hyun in detail from head to toe. His gaze was notably persistent, and Baek Sang-hyun felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Was it… when filming the Ryu Shin Construction ad? Ryu Chang-yoon had looked at him just like his father.

“Hmm… So… What’s your relationship with our Chae-yoon?”

It seemed like he was asking despite already knowing the answer. Baek Sang-hyun quietly looked at Ryu Byung-chan, then decided to use his face to its maximum effect. Seeing how weak Seong-woon was to his face, perhaps his family would be similar?

With more effort than ever, he put on a bright smile and filled his voice with as much sincerity as possible. Of course, he had no intention of acting. There was no need for acting to utter this sentence.

“We’re in a serious relationship.”

“…Is that what I think it means?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Ryu Byung-chan’s face flushed red and blue upon hearing Baek Sang-hyun’s answer. Whether he was angry, enraged, or dumbfounded, complex emotions rose and fell in an instant.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious.”

“…Our child liked you a lot.”

Why the past tense? Baek Sang-hyun also knew that ‘Ryu Chae-yoon’ liked his acting. Of course, that was more like an accident that happened during the journey to find ‘Jin Seong-woon’.

“After being very sick last summer, it was a bit less… Now I think he likes you in a different way.”

“Really?”

“What?”

“Does Chae-yoon really like me a lot?”

Baek Sang-hyun couldn’t help but ask. If it’s noticeable to others, especially parents, then it must mean he really likes him a lot.

“…Is that important right now?”

As Baek Sang-hyun looked up with full of expectation, Ryu Byung-chan just laughed as if it was absurd and moved on to another topic without answering.

“I heard that my secretarial office treated you badly. I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up.”