episode_0034

You’ve done well enough.

Don’t belittle your efforts.

There will surely be someone who understands.

The soliloquy I uttered as if resigning myself was actually what I wanted to hear.

I don’t need anyone’s help.

I’m fine on my own. I’ve been doing well on my own.

Loneliness is familiar, so I can live well just like this.

The reassurance that it’s okay to be alone was just a lie filled with echoes.

I was lonely.

I wished someone would be by my side.

Always, always. I stayed up all night thinking like that.

I fell asleep exhausted, as if collapsing, because if I didn’t, I couldn’t bear the emptiness before falling asleep.

It’s embarrassing to say it out loud, but I don’t know how many times I wished Chaewon would be there when I woke up.

But I owed Professor Baek Jung-eon 20 years.

I owed the Kanghwi Cultural Foundation, owned by Chaewon, for 8 years.

I had to become stronger.

I couldn’t rely on anyone.

I couldn’t continue to be like a child even as an adult.

So I forced myself to endure.

The loneliness.

I didn’t want to show my suffering to anyone other than myself.

Because I thought they wouldn’t understand.

Because I thought it might seem like bragging.

I don’t know how many times I swallowed my words before saying them.

I decided that the negative emotions I felt would always be carried by me alone.

I had to show a good image in front of others.

I promised, and promised again.

Becoming Min Chaewon didn’t change anything.

Because she’s three years ahead of the past me.

Naturally, she should lead and take care of me.

Since I’m worn out, it’s okay.

Thinking like that, I hid, concealed, and pretended to be okay in front of Siwoo.

“It might sound a bit strange.”

But.

“When I’m with Chaewon, it feels like meeting a lost twin.”

If the other person is myself.

If they can understand me perfectly.

“No, well. Maybe you made a mistake, like the way you acted when you came to my house last time. In many ways, you’re similar to me…. So, I mean! I’m not trying to force a connection between you and me! That….”

My mask, my persona that I use in front of people.

Do I really have to keep using it?

“I… When I’m feeling thoughtful, I listen to classical music while taking a bath. But the music you played while bathing, it was exactly the music I wanted to listen to…. Well, your thoughts may have been different. That’s how I felt.”

The only person in this world who can understand the me who hides a lot.

It was myself.

It was Jung Siwoo in front of me.

“Siwoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Since we’re on the subject, should we become sworn siblings?”

Balancing between Song Seonghyuk and Jung Siwoo.

I just wanted to get closer to Siwoo.

I couldn’t just be friends after not seeing each other for so long.

The owner of the hot air balloon that witnessed the beautiful scenery from high above was once again hoping to fly high in the sky.

“Sworn… siblings?”

So if I become Siwoo’s sworn sibling, wouldn’t it be easier to deal with him than before?

Thinking back to how I doubted the relationship between Song Seonghyuk and Min Chaewon, and how a few words about being like siblings quickly reassured me.

This is a kind of boundary.

Being able to get closer to Siwoo beyond the boundaries, while not progressing to a romantic relationship.

“Sorry. That’s a bit…”

However, contrary to my hopes, Siwoo’s opinion was firm.

I had to doubt my ears for a moment.

Three years ago, Jung Siwoo made his point.

He casually revealed his inner thoughts in front of Min Chaewon.

“I… I can’t be sworn siblings with you.”

Why not?

Because I like you.

Because if we become siblings, we can’t date.

‘What’s wrong with you.’

It’s similar to me, but a little different.

The past me wasn’t as brave as this.

Is it natural for things to evolve naturally as I spend more time with Chaewon…?

Come to think of it, my resistance to women has increased ever since I was badly treated by Yoon Jiyu.

Chaewon may be different from that villain, but just by staying by her side for a longer time, is she influencing me in some way?

“Uh… Yeah. I don’t like step-siblings.”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like them. It’s for a different reason…”

If I knew even a little bit about dating, I would have refrained from asking questions without thinking here.

“A different reason?”

But I never even properly flirted with Min Chaewon.

I got close to Yoon Jiyu, but of course, we were not lovers.

I was just a clueless fool who didn’t even know the basics of dating.

However, even I instinctively knew.

Jung Siwoo keeps glancing at me with a strange look.

This is a confession gaze.

—

— Yoon Jiyu: Hey

— Yoon Jiyu: If you don’t tell me where you are, you’ll regret it tomorrow

— Yoon Jiyu: I’ll tell dad that you skipped class

— Me: ?

— Me: Crazy b*tch

I bravely promised to protect Chaewon, but the truth is, Yoon Jichang wasn’t in a great situation either.

— Yoon Jiyu: I’ll give you 5 minutes

He really looks like a space monster covered in chitin.

“Ugh, geez.”

Yoon Jichang cursed as he got up from his room.

There was only one bed in the spacious room.

And there were only two guitars displayed on the wall.

The room felt even emptier due to the white wallpaper.

“I’ll just leave and that’s it.”

After putting the electric guitar and bass guitar into separate bags, Yoon Jichang unplugged the wireless charger and cable next to the bed and put them in the guitar bags as well.

“Annoying.”

Surrounded by the two guitars, he quickly ran down the stairs.

The shoes in the shoe rack were so worn out that it was hard to tell when they were last bought.

He put on his shoes and headed out.

The neighborhood, where only well-off people lived, was quiet.

Except for public service vehicles, the occasional car passing by was a foreign car.

Far away, he could see the main road and the overpass.

Across the street, the Gwanghwi Cultural Foundation was nearing completion of a mixed-use complex.

The exterior finishing was done, and they were probably working on the interior.

“I hope the construction finishes soon.”

Although he had already applied for residency, the construction had been delayed due to the contractor’s circumstances, pushing it back for over two months.

The students who had applied were causing a commotion, saying that their schedules were messed up.

Luckily, Yoon Jichang was fine.

He had a house nearby, and if things didn’t work out, he could just stay at Siwoo’s house nearby.

But isn’t it rude to suddenly barge into someone’s house after only a little over a month of knowing them?

“Jung Siwoo!”

It’s okay.

Jung Siwoo is the type of person who clearly shows when he doesn’t like something.

For example—

“Not today.”

“Ugh.”

That’s how he talks.

Of all days, this had to happen on the day he ran away from home.

Yoon Jichang sighed as he set down the two guitars on the entranceway.

“Then just take care of this for me.”

“… A guitar? You play the guitar?”

“As a hobby.”

But as Yoon Jichang was about to step back, a subtle scent caught his nose.

“This is…?”

It was definitely the unique floral scent of Min Chaewon, an acleuret.

“But why can’t we do it today?”

“I have a guest coming over.”

“Oh. Who?”

“You figure it out.”

An irritated Jung Siwoo pushed Yoon Jichang away.

But now that he had caught a whiff of Chaewon’s scent, he couldn’t back down.

There were too many things that the two of them shared, to say they were just strangers.

Even within the department, Jung Siwoo, known as the colorless musician, was a rare breed.

Yoon Ji-yoo recorded La Campanella played by Jung Si-woo’s technique.

Upon hearing the remark that Jung Si-woo can’t play the piano, Chae-won immediately retorted in anger.

“But we’re just friends.”

A passing dog looked bewildered and let out a bark.

“Why. Am I not supposed to know?”

“Hey, wait. Hey.”

“Hey. You’ll break a rib. If you force it, it’ll break.”

“If not, don’t come in!”

A subtle struggle ensued at the entrance, as if pushing and being pushed, but Jung Si-woo, injured as he was, was not able to stop Yoon Ji-chang’s swift movements.

“Min Chae-won!!”

Through the straight kitchen into the room.

“… Hi.”

Chae-won sat in front of the one-person dining table with a somewhat vacant expression.

Yoon Ji-chang collapsed to the floor, wailing as if crushing both knees.

“I hoped it wouldn’t happen! I hoped it wouldn’t happen!”

“Wait, calm down. Calm down!!”

***

“So, are you like siblings?”

“That’s right.”

“Jung Si-woo. Say something too.”

“… Yeah.”

“What this guy is saying is a bit suspicious.”

Although I couldn’t completely believe that Jung Si-woo and I were just friends, thanks to Yoon Ji-chang, I let out a sigh.

“Anyway, I trust you because you’re my friend. And because you’re Chae-won.”

“The reasons are a bit strange, but thank you….”

“Of course, you idiot. Keep it a secret.”

“Heh… He’s my partner in crime! Haha!”

It’s fortunate that Jung Si-woo is in a mental breakdown state, or it could have been a bit dangerous just now.

At this rate, more and more people will know about Aclertra’s true identity.

‘I survived….’

Jung Si-woo, who has never been in a relationship and is about to make a sudden confession, is in a crisis.

“Jung Si-woo!!”

If Yoon Ji-chang hadn’t knocked on the door, the awkward atmosphere would have lasted for about 30 minutes.

I had no manual on how to respond in such a situation.

Since I’ve never confessed to Chae-won, I’ve never seen her postpone or reject a confession.

All that remained in my mind were stories from the internet and dramatic love stories from anime or games that Yoon Ji-chang had told me.

But you can’t apply that in real life.

‘I understand your feelings, but… I’m sorry. I have to reject you’ and the following ‘I don’t have much time left to live’ are things I can never say.

Maybe I should have made more friends. Especially someone good at dating. Yeah. I should have befriended someone like Song Sung-hyuk.

“Well. Anyway, Si-woo. Let me stay here for a while.”

With nothing but two guitars and a body lying on Si-woo’s bed, the guy nonchalantly sprawled out.

I frowned and watched his actions carefully.

“So, why did you leave home?”

Now that Si-woo had regained some energy, I was also curious about that point.

At this time, Yoon Ji-chang should not come to our house.

He should live a dissolute life in my house about 15 minutes away for a month.

“Why, you ask.”

His finger pointed at me.

“I was trying to protect him from my sister, but it turned out like this. Damn brat.”

Si-woo chuckled.

“Protect?”

“Yeah.”

Yoon Ji-chang casually showed Si-woo the message he received from Yoon Ji-yoo.

“Hey, that—.”

I tried to stop it, but it was too late.

The video of my performance sent by Yoon Ji-yoo and the video I shot with Yoon Ji-chang in the practice room were clearly displayed on Yoon Ji-chang’s screen.

Si-woo’s expression began to darken rapidly.

“You two were quite close.”

Gradually, the anger that even I could feel from a distance began to be directed towards Yoon Ji-chang.

No, there’s a bit of a misunderstanding, Si-woo.

“So that’s how it was….”

What you should be restraining is not that side but someone else.

My name is Song Seonghyuk.