Chapter 47: Is this normal for couples..?

He truly cherished our past relationship.

That was a relief.

I had been worried about how to respond if he recognized me, but it seemed I didn’t need to worry about that for now.

‘He doesn’t seem to remember.’

There was no sign of recognition, and he seemed to be simply confirming what he had vaguely remembered.

Perhaps due to his past trauma, he completely forgot about me after activating his trait.

Perhaps when he saw me, he subconsciously associated me with someone else.

But what if he remembers later after seeing me? I needed to be prepared for that possibility.

I needed to plant some suggestions that would prevent him from recognizing me, even if he did remember.

I needed a convincing alibi.

It would be more credible to mention someone close to me who also knew my past self.

I’ll mention Han Shin-woo.

Besides, it’s true that I’m worried about Shin-woo. That wasn’t a lie.

“I haven’t heard from him either…”

I added, pretending to be slightly concerned. He responded with a slightly sad expression, as if recalling a memory.

“Really? I’ve been wanting to contact him too… Do you perhaps know how Shin-woo is doing?”

He was genuinely curious about Shin-woo. I recalled our past conversations.

“I heard he’s developing his skills with the Strauss Family. You must be close too.”

He seemed genuinely surprised.

“You…”

“But you really haven’t heard from him at all? You were so close.”

He continued to probe.

“Yes… To be honest, I haven’t been able to contact him either. I thought maybe Shin-woo changed his contact information…”

He seemed to accept my explanation.

“You haven’t…?”

He looked a bit bewildered.

I continued to act slightly embarrassed. This seemed to be working.

“Really…? Then… do you have any other mutual friends besides Shin-woo?”

He was observing me intently.

I avoided his gaze and pretended to be lost in thought.

“Hmm… There was… one more…”

I trailed off, feigning difficulty remembering.

He was eagerly awaiting my answer.

“Yes… anyone else besides him come to mind?”

He pressed me, sensing I was close.

“Besides him… there was someone… Oh Dong-seok, I think. But I haven’t seen him in a while either.”

This was true.

I hadn’t seen Oh Dong-seok in this life.

“Oh Dong-seok… you didn’t get along with him very well, did you?”

He seemed confused. I responded, tilting my head slightly.

“Yes. We weren’t very close.”

He seemed satisfied with my answer and didn’t probe further.

This was a relief.

“I understand… Thank you for your time.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you find him soon.”

“Thank you… If you happen to see him, please tell him I asked about him.”

I added this request, maintaining my slightly embarrassed facade.

“Of course. I’ll be sure to.”

He smiled warmly.

I felt a pang of guilt, but I maintained my composure.

“Yes… thank you.”

“Hmm… Is something troubling you?”

He noticed the subtle shift in my expression.

I was startled, but quickly regained my composure.

“Well… it’s nothing serious. I just…”

He seemed genuinely worried.

I hesitated, pretending to be unsure about sharing.

“Please tell me if it’s something you can share. You can tell me anything. Is… is there something wrong…?”

He was trying to understand me, his expression filled with concern.

I lowered my head slightly.

“It’s nothing!”

I denied it abruptly.

It was too dangerous to continue this line of questioning.

“Really…? It seemed like you were struggling. Please don’t hesitate…”

“It’s fine. I was just thinking about something… Sorry for making you worry…”

“Anything else?”

He asked, his gaze searching. I responded, avoiding his eyes.

“Yes… there isn’t anything else I can remember.”

I feigned a struggle to recall more.

“Hmm…”

He seemed deep in thought.

He probably wasn’t entirely convinced. I needed to end this conversation.

“I should get going.”

I stood up, preparing to leave. He also stood.

“Yes.”

As I turned to leave, he added,

“If you remember anything, please let me know. Any small detail could help.”

I paused, feeling a pang of guilt. What should I do…?

“Yes…”

I managed a weak reply, my emotions conflicted.