episode_0015

It was a bit surprising to hear him suggest getting food.

Unexpectedly, Siwoo obediently followed me.

Perhaps he thought that if he came directly to talk like this, Chaewon would give up.

It was actually a plausible attempt.

Even those who have things still have worries and anxieties.

Appropriate sympathy can make the other person grateful, but excessive sympathy can feel like mockery.

He might have suspected, “Did I care too much about Siwoo?”

But I knew very well the limit of not trampling on Siwoo’s pride.

Because I am Jung Siu.

From now on, no matter how much Siwoo refuses, I intend to repay what I owe him and return to the hotel.

“What’s with that disappointed expression?”

“Oh, no! I’m not disappointed.”

“Are you sure? You seemed disappointed just now.”

“No, really, I’m not.”

Since I came out neatly dressed, he probably expected me to take him to an expensive restaurant.

Seeing that I brought him to a common local Western-style pork cutlet place, his surprise was evident.

Siwoo might find it fascinating that I know such a place.

Yesterday, I might have picked something haphazardly like tteokbokki, but today, I had decided beforehand.

“How did you know about this place? Even though I often eat around here, it’s my first time here….”

The expected question popped up immediately.

While cutting into the tonkatsu that had just arrived, I casually threw out the prepared answer.

“I searched for it?”

“Ah.”

“These days, when you search for good restaurants, they recommend everything automatically. So, I just picked one.”

“I see.”

Once again, Siwoo thought he had overthought things and felt embarrassed.

I didn’t think I had a hobby of tormenting myself.

Why is this more fun than I thought?

Maybe because I can see clearly ahead.

Becoming someone who can see the future might be more enjoyable than I anticipated.

“The taste is better than I expected?”

“Is it different from what you usually eat?”

“What do you usually eat?”

“Uh….”

There’s no need to mention the economic gap between Chae Won and me; there’s no need for statements that would make the atmosphere awkward.

Whether he understood it himself or not, Siwoo held back his words.

“I thought you’d prefer something more like pasta rather than Korean-style food. Like pretzels.”

It’s amusing to throw out random things you’ve picked up somewhere.

Did I ever say something like that? My memory is fuzzy.

According to what Chae Won told me in the past, he prefers Kaiser Semmel, a bread shaped like an imperial crown, and croissants familiar to us, even though they’re both pretzels.

He seemed to enjoy soups as appetizers. For the main course, he mostly ate meat dishes coated in breadcrumbs and egg wash, like schnitzel or Tafelspitz, made by boiling beef rump.

In addition, similar to the German cultural sphere, he enjoyed sausages. The famous Wiener sausage originates from Vienna, and locally, it’s called Frankfurter sausage.

These are stories I wouldn’t have known if Chae Won hadn’t told me.

Fortunately, I remember every story Chae Won told me, so if I feel like it, I can naturally unfold my experiences just like he did.

But there’s no need to poke at facts and say, ‘You’re mistaken,’ as it might hurt.

Just acknowledge it and move on.

I am a merciful Min Chaewon.

I won’t give Jung Siwoo any blanket kicks.

“Even though you may look like a foreigner with your hair and eye color due to being mixed race…. If you look closely, you’re Korean. I used to eat Korean food at home frequently.”

There’s a good sentence that I remember Chae Won wrote.

“Your mom really likes it.”

“Your mom really likes it.”

At that time, I wondered why she said that.

His Austrian mother preferred Korean food more than his Korean father.

So, instead of focusing on each other’s familiar food cultures, let’s just eat what we want right now.

That must have been the intention.

“I see.”

Siwoo smiled brightly, seemingly realizing something.

This, this is Jung Siwoo.

If we happen to eat together, have you been thinking about where to take me next?

It seems like the market tteokbokki and an 8,000 won breakfast were not enough.

… You’re not already imagining having a child, are you?

Even I find that chilling no matter who it is.

Maybe it’s because of Jung Siwoo being a Gemini.

For a while, only the sound of a knife scraping against a plastic plate could be heard.

Since Chaewon couldn’t stand the silence, she felt like she had to say something.

Of all things, what came to mind was criticism about the sauce.

Whispering quietly so Siwoo wouldn’t hear me, Siwoo’s eyes widened.

“But the sauce is too sweet.”

“Uh….”

Wondering why he was saying that, I looked at him silently for a moment.

Briefly, from Siwoo’s perspective, I recalled the recent situation.

The girl he liked was thinking the same thing as him.

She even timed her words just like him.

‘Oh.’

It was a crisis even I, who doesn’t know much about love, could sense.

I tried to remedy the situation immediately, but,

“I, I also thought the same way.”

Siwoo, who wanted to empathize with his first love, was a bit faster.

“It’s a bit sweet, right?”

Looking at Siwoo smiling broadly, my alter ego, who had been teased earlier, blurted out.

If this continues, there’s no way there won’t be a possibility.

If that’s the case, just connect Siwoo and Chaewon already.

Other alter egos simultaneously pounded Alter Ego 1, who had just popped up.

No way.

What could possibly follow?

Nobody knows Min Chaewon’s fate.

Three years later, she should be left to make her own decisions.

“Why are you copying my evaluation?”

“Huh?”

“You just copied it.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t copy it. I also—.”

“Who asked you to think the same way?”

“Is, is that also wrong?”

***

After the meal, I casually hailed a taxi in the direction of Siwoo’s house.

“You don’t have to take me home….”

“Precious patient.”

“… Okay.”

The destination is not home, but somewhere else.

“The closest mart to your place. Just tell the driver anywhere.”

“A mart?”

“I want to restock what I ate yesterday before leaving.”

“Oh, no! It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine for me, so hurry.”

After giving Siwoo a forced order, I ponder for a moment.

‘Continuing to make mistakes could be dangerous.’

Many people seek partners who resemble them.

People who can understand each other without speaking, whose conversations flow with just a glance.

As I continue to make mistakes, how will Chaewon appear in Siwoo’s eyes?

He will probably see her as a ‘perfect soulmate.’

Knowing himself so well.

He even scratches where it itches.

Some people are willing to sacrifice looks for a good personality, but Chaewon is perfect both inside and out.

There’s no thought of letting her slip away. He must want to keep her by his side.

Without realizing that what’s inside her is actually me.

‘I have to admit some things….’

I can’t become a perfect Min Chaewon.

I’m just a copy following Chaewon.

But if I want to interfere in Siwoo’s life, I have to keep looking at his face.

And every time I look at his face, I’ll probably make mistakes reflexively.

How do I stop the dam from bursting when it’s about to burst.

As Alter Ego 1 said, the possibility of Siwoo and Min Chaewon getting together becomes too great.

I would be manipulating Chaewon’s life according to my wishes.

It’s time for a fundamental solution.

“Chaewon, we’re here.”

“Oh.”

Already?

As I fumbled with my phone to pay the taxi fare, Siwoo, who had already gotten out of the taxi, called me with a bowed waist.

“I already paid.”

“Oh.”

My thoughts have been getting more complicated since earlier, and it’s slightly embarrassing to think the same thing but be a half beat late.

“No, why should you pay?”

“Because you seemed preoccupied with something…?”

A broke guy easily opens his wallet in front of Min Chaewon.

I wonder if this guy knows that my concern isn’t just about encountering the bitter Jung Siwoo later on.

“When we go to the mart, put everything you want to eat in the cart, including the taxi fare.”

“Huh? Why is that…?”

“You paid for the taxi. You should reimburse as much as you spent.”

“Uh… okay.”

All I can do is insist on Chaewon’s style.

As these situations repeat, Siwoo slowly starts to adapt.

Though he should take charge of the situation,

he ends up making mistakes while trying to lead,

and after the mistake, he gets dragged along.

Except for knowing the future, I seem to have more flaws and mistakes now than I did three years ago.

“It’s been a while since I’ve come to the mart so leisurely on a weekday….”

Look at him now.

Even I unintentionally empathize with Siwoo, who marvels at the quiet scene of the mart on a weekday morning.

“Well, yeah….”

There’s no choice but to empathize.

I can’t even remember how many years it’s been since I visited the mart on a weekday morning.

As we head towards where the carts are neatly arranged, Siwoo takes out a 100-won coin from his pocket.

I use the coin he handed me to get an empty cart.

“….”

So smooth that it was a perfect pass without me noticing.

It was like a seamless 2-on-1 pass in soccer.

“… Darn it.”

“Huh?”

Is there no way?

A way to disrupt this insane harmony between him and me.

“For now, this and this should be enough. We don’t need more.”

Meanwhile, Siwoo nods as he places a pack of instant noodles and instant rice in the cart.

The empty space in the cart felt desolate.

Ugh.

Regardless of worries or whatever, the first thing is to make sure this guy doesn’t starve to death.

“Hey.”

I pull the instant rice and noodles to the innermost part of the cart as if commanding.

“About 30,000 won. Different varieties. Put in everything you want to eat.”

If we’re the same person, he should understand my feelings right now.

I just can’t let this slide without accepting.

“Uh. Uh…. Got it.”

Whether I should like this or not.

I really don’t know.