episode_0020

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“Do you plan on continuing to stay at the hotel? That’s not the case, right? I want to play the piano a bit. It feels uncomfortable going to the studio every time.”

Kang Hwi smiled and shook his head.

“Don’t worry about that. We’ve only been temporarily staying at the hotel from February until now.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Above all, it’s better to move into a proper home soon, especially with Strelka.”

“Oh, I see.”

Right.

Leaving the poor wolf at the pet hotel continuously while roaming the wilderness around the castle was not an option.

“But why didn’t you check beforehand?”

“The conditions were a bit demanding.”

“Conditions?”

“Yes, Miss. Ah… Well, Miss 0 had some very difficult conditions a few years ago. There were issues with land compensation, and even after construction began, it took some time. Originally, we were supposed to move in by February this year, but due to some issues with the construction company, it got delayed to mid-April.”

“Where is it located?”

Soon, Kang Hwi brought a tablet and showed me a map.

“You marked this neighborhood here…”

No matter how you looked at it.

The unfolded roads and buildings, all seemed familiar.

“This… This is where you chose?”

“Yes? Yes. The neighborhood is somewhat underdeveloped, but due to its proximity to the Han River, there is considerable residential demand. So, we proposed to the district office to construct a mixed-use complex for young artists to stay.”

Not far from the road leading to the Han River Bridge.

Close to where the U.S. military base used to be, yet quite a rundown neighborhood despite being by the river.

“It’s our neighborhood!”

Whoosh. Number 1 popped out holding a large panel, smiling.

There you go, the possibility of Jung Siwoo.

Why would Chae Won want to get a house in this neighborhood?

“No, no, no, no, no. Wait. Calm down.”

My heart just raced significantly.

Almost stopped. Anyway, I don’t know.

Calm down.

“Yeah… The building is going up. We can see it from our house.”

Even among the freshmen at Hanyang University, there were discussions about applications from national art prodigies for residency.

It’s just a 10-minute walk from our house.

And right next to the café where I met Chae Won.

“To ensure that future talents can freely use the facilities, we have secured over 500 practice rooms on the lower floors. For the residential spaces above, we focused on soundproofing for sensitive musicians to provide comfort. That was the plan.”

“So… did I invest in that plan?”

Strictly speaking, it was Miss 0 who proposed it, and the foundation chairman, the owner, approved it.

That was Chae Won’s parents’ project.

The completion goal was February, but it got delayed until this month.

“I came to Korea in February and went back. Was it to investigate the reason for the construction delay?”

The tablet map turned off, revealing a blueprint.

“If you look here, there are individual houses in the corner of the mixed-use complex. This is where we will be living in the future.”

Next to the spacious grass field for residents, they had set up a large garden where Strelka could run around, separated by iron fences.

“Oh no…”

My heart wouldn’t stop.

What, what is this? Did Min Chaewon really mean that?

She liked me?

Was I the destined partner from number 0 to 25?

Oh no.

I really want to hear an answer from Chaewon!

Please come back!

“And here, our place has a separate entrance.”

“… Huh?”

“If you go straight this way, you’ll reach Sung Hyuk’s residence in about a 2-minute drive.”

Kang Hwi smiled innocently without any ulterior motives.

Truly, because it seemed like there were no ulterior motives, it made me sadder.

“It should be convenient for weekend outings too. Sung Hyuk always comes to pick you up, right?”

A 2-minute drive. A 10-minute walk.

In terms of distance, it’s almost the same.

The self that was executed 992 times, with a hole in its head, smiled and recited a sentence in English, shattering hope with despair.

“Special Thanks, SSunH.”

Chae-won, who had mastered all musical instruments and returned to the piano, eventually attached himself to the channel called Acler.

Was it truly because of his love for piano playing?

Or was it because he enjoyed creating the channel with Song Seong-hyuk?

Legally and as promised by Min Seok-hyun, Song Seong-hyuk would only be an older brother to Chae-won’s siblings until five years later.

“That guy must have casually patted Chae-won’s head…”

The self that had been boasting suddenly appeared.

Claiming ignorance, Si-woo swiftly pressed Panel 992 with Song Seong-hyuk’s face imprinted on it.

The other selves began tearing open popcorn bags as if watching an entertaining spectacle.

The atmosphere had already turned into a colosseum.

Oh damn.

This rotten world of selves, neither can I destroy it.

“Chae-won said you’ll understand when you think about it.”

Assuming I am half of Chae-won.

Perhaps I could figure out the answer by picturing the two alternately with closed eyes.

Song Seong-hyuk. Apart from being a bit short-spoken due to his limited Korean proficiency, he was perfectly fine personality-wise. Living in his own world with a somewhat drowsy expression.

He had known Chae-won since they were 8, getting along like close siblings despite living separately.

Expected to rise as a global star after winning the Chopin Competition in two years. Already captivating both the piano department and professors within a month of starting his first year at a prestigious arts school in Austria.

Usually messy-haired, but meticulously neat when going for competitions, causing quite a stir at an Austrian art high school due to the stark contrast.

The more I scrutinized, the more…

He’s too perfect.

It tormented Jiung’s self-esteem overshadowed by overwhelming inferiority.

Still, comparisons must be made.

Next is me.

Jiung. Physically and in terms of musical prowess, not much different from Song Seong-hyuk, except for falling behind in hand size, crucial for piano playing.

Met Chae-won at age 6, but apart from playing together at a playground for a few months, there had been no interaction until their recent reunion.

Three years later, still a student at a prestigious arts school. Likely to live post-graduation as an unknown music teacher, church accompanist, or private broadcaster due to failing to clear the graduation assignment given by Professor Baek Jung-eon.

Always neat and tidy. Appearance-wise, upon looking in the mirror after a shower, he considered himself almost perfect.

“… Ugh.”

I groaned, clutching my chest.

“Why, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, really.”

The accumulated damage in my heart almost killed me.

The more I compare, the more fatally wounded I become.

Song Seong-hyuk, the maker of this sense of inferiority.

Why are you so perfect, annoyingly so.

Self number 992 chuckled.

In the arena, number 1 lay beneath his feet.

Wake up.

Clearly, Chae-won prefers Song Seong-hyuk, no matter how you look at it.

Accept reality.

“As expected… that’s how it is…”

Yet, number 1 hadn’t given up yet.

He abruptly rose and smacked Panel 992.

Stop. Jiung’s face got creased, no, split.

Today, for the first time, I realized how cruel the cheering other selves could be.

“Let’s clear our minds.”

Chae-won will slowly reveal the answer.

I’m not running away because I’m afraid Song Seong-hyuk might be the answer.

Now is not the time.

No, it’s not.

Destroy the colosseum. Everyone out.

“Kang Hwi… hey?”

“Yes.”

“Are we… friends?”

“Yes. Aren’t we?”

Turning towards her with a lingering feeling, I hurled the remaining fragments of the colosseum.

“I mean me. Whom do you like? Is it Song Seong-hyuk after all…?”

Jolted, Kang Hwi grabbed my shoulder and shook me gently.

“That, I don’t know either.”

“Why?!”

“Well… because I don’t know?”

“No, how can you not know? You said you were watching me. It doesn’t make sense not to know. You should know everything about where I am, what I’m doing, who I’m with, where we went on dates. Don’t you know?!”

Perhaps thinking words weren’t enough, Kang Hwi lightly tapped my head with his knuckles.

“We’re worried about what might happen, that’s why we’re watching! We’re not monitoring your private life to pry into it. So if you don’t tell us, we won’t know about the progress in our relationship either! We all refrain from speculating as we monitor!”

A ding— echoed through the hall.

Finally, some rationality returned to me.

“Initially, you hardly ever left the house, right? Your outings were predetermined.”

But at the mention of predetermined meetings, the regained rationality flew away once more.

“It’s Song Seonghyuk!”

“There’s one more person, isn’t there…?”

From the collapsed Colosseum ruins, a clink.

Number 1 extended their head and spoke.

See, there’s still hope.

“That… Siwoo. Are you speaking?”

“Yes.”

992 began throwing shards around, telling them to stop making noise. They seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation.

“I must confess, I was eavesdropping outside the house yesterday.”

“As it was the first time you spent a night at someone else’s house with a changed personality, we couldn’t help but worry…. Since only I overheard, you don’t have to be too concerned. No records were kept.”

I sprang up and stomped on 992.

“Say it again.”

“I’m sorry. Yesterday, I had no choice but to eavesdrop…”

“No, not that. What’s the first time about?”

Kang Hwi scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“It’s the first time you stayed overnight at a friend’s place. It’s also the first time you slept so peacefully while staying out. If it wasn’t home, you always needed Strelka or me by your side to fall asleep.”

Amidst the fallen debris, the egos lying down started rising simultaneously.

On the t-shirts they wore, various pictures of Jung Siwoo were printed.

“Is that so?”