episode_0092

“So… did I chase after you thinking you were running away?”

The man who I thought ran away after looking at me actually just ran to see the camera set up on the tripod for filming.

I was a complete idiot.

Looking around, it wasn’t just one or two men in jackets and jeans. It was a potential chaos. Did they have some kind of group meeting or something? Their outfits are overlapping too much.

“No, it’s just that the clothes are too similar…”

“Well, that’s true…”

Siwoo chuckled as if he understood the reason.

“It’s spring, the season when there are a lot of couples. If you search for men’s date looks on the internet, they’re all pretty much the same.”

Well, there was a separate underlying reason.

“Although the clothes are pretty much the same. The problem is that you look too ordinary.”

“I can’t deny that.”

I stared at Siwoo with a gloomy expression for a while.

Soon I realized that it was a mistake.

“Sorry. No, you’re not ordinary.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s not just anyone saying it, it’s you.”

“…Well, that’s true but…”

If I were to give Siwoo a compliment,

Even though dark circles were prominent, if he got rid of them, he would instantly become a handsome guy. It’s not the face I see in the mirror every day. It’s a fact.

Sharp nose, distinct features.

Tall legs over 180cm.

It’s not an exaggeration. Even if Chae-won saw him from her perspective, he would look the same.

“If you call yourself ordinary, it’s deceiving.”

Of course, he’s not as good as Song Sung-hyuk.

That guy covers his face with his hair, that’s why he looks like that. Once he gets a proper haircut, he transforms into a different person.

He probably would have been successful as a fashion model if he hadn’t been a musician. I’m not just calling him Alpha Mail for no reason.

“Well, anyone looks ordinary next to you.”

I almost exploded at the sudden compliment, but surprisingly, I managed to keep my cool.

Maybe the ongoing reinforcement work was helpful. This level of explosion is now tolerable.

At first, when Siwoo attacked me, I was worried that the explosion would be too much. But maybe it became a last resort that actually promoted my growth.

“Let’s be honest, anyone looks ordinary next to me, right?”

Boldly praising Min Chae-won’s appearance, Siwoo burst into laughter with raised eyebrows.

“Okay, okay. You’re beautiful.”

“Who are you kidding? Of course.”

“Yeah, you’re really beautiful. I think this is the first time I’ve seen you dressed like this. Today’s outfit is cute and nice.”

That’s right. It was the first time I showed this outfit. But I’ve heard the compliment several times.

“Today, your scent seems a bit different. Did you use hotel shampoo?”

– Bang.

Cracks began to appear in the delayed explosion. Explosions were still happening inside, so I hadn’t noticed the hardening outside. The powder keg was starting to tilt.

“Wait—!”

I covered Siwoo’s mouth and left with just a few words, running towards the main street.

“I’ll change my clothes and come back, let’s meet in front of my house. In 2 hours!”

Siwoo followed me for a moment, but soon he just watched me run away with a smile.

As soon as we arrived at the mansion, I called Kang Hwi to do a full-body wash, and sat on a stool to discuss the requirements for getting ready to go out.

“Dress me up… cutely.”

“Cute? Are you talking about the 4th outfit?”

“No! The… 2nd one. Like the one you wore out yesterday.”

“Oh, I see. Cute in that way? Are you going to meet Siwoo?”

2. When going out, outfit number 2 includes active pants, shirts, hoodies, and the like.

I’ve been refraining from dressing like this when meeting Siwoo because I was worried he wouldn’t like it. But then again, why should I avoid outfit number 2 when I’ve already seen him in pajamas?

I nodded vigorously, conveying my determination to Kanghwi.

“Anyone would envy Jiwoo. So, no matter how many times we meet, always outfit number 2. I’ll show you how.”

Kanghwi chuckled like a girl, gently touching my cheek with one hand and clenching his fist.

“I’ll make you the most beautiful girl in the world, so don’t worry. Every man in the world will envy Jiwoo. Besides, you’re naturally pretty without much dressing up, you know?”

It’s strange. Even though I’ve heard similar things before, Kanghwi’s words are the only ones that make my heart race.

“Heck yeah.”

Why is it that only when Siwoo speaks, my heart races like this?

‘Heart…?’

My heart is racing, what a strange thing to say.

I’ve been so preoccupied with handling explosives until now.

Oh.

That wasn’t an explosive.

I just mistook the racing of my heart for the sound of a bomb exploding.

‘…Really?’

As I think of Siwoo with my pounding heart, thump. Thump thump.

The dangerous explosives were actually my heart.

The explosions happening inside were actually special emotions packaged in the form of explosives.

‘Huh?’

It’s only now, after dating him for a few weeks, that I realize.

***

The moment a child takes one step closer to becoming an adult.

This period, known as the second puberty in professional terms, is described as the time when one starts feeling special emotions towards the opposite sex.

However, I didn’t experience that period. Without going through a proper second puberty, I became an immature adult.

At 24, my body may have become that of a fine man, but my mind was not.

I don’t know if the incident where Min Chaewon and I swapped bodies was the starting point, but I think there’s a high probability that it was the cause of my abnormal growth.

In just half a year, living as a woman had an impact. It made me lose interest in the female species.

Thanks to that, at an age when I should be in love with people, I loved the piano. Looking back now, I’m not sure if I really loved it. Anyway, I’ve lived for over ten years with a body that can’t live without the piano.

In addition to that, the tormenting Baek Cheong and the fleeing Yoon Jiyu who took only what was necessary. All these factors combined to lower my expectations of women to the extreme.

At the brink of death, I was so broken that I couldn’t love anyone other than Min Chaewon.

So when I resurrected as Min Chaewon, my mind was still that of a young boy who didn’t understand love.

Furthermore, through some event, Chaewon and I were completely mixed, and I even destroyed the tower of music that I had embraced for over ten years.

Having pushed away everything that made up my identity and being born anew, I finally started to like someone romantically.

“I thought you liked it. It’s been a while since we watched an orchestra performance together.”

I realized my proper mental maturity at the same time. I wondered who was the reason I had become such a respectable adult.

“Y-yeah. It’s been a while.”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, no! I do. Why are you saying it like you don’t know?”

“No. I know. It’s just that you don’t look very happy…”

“No! No! I’m just thinking about something else. I really like it.”

Me and Jung Siwoo’s tastes completely overlapped, so I thought it would be very easy to lure him and capture him. But on the contrary, I realized that I could easily crumble as well.

Of course. No matter what I do, there’s someone waiting to predict my every move, aiming straight for my preferences. And that person is someone I’ve liked for 14 years?

How could I resist? It was already a challenge to hold back from setting off the gunpowder until now.

“I can’t stand it.”

My heart is pounding to the point of madness. Not being able to hold hands for a month is like torture. Why impose such a restriction? Am I in my right mind?

Today is May 26th. There are about ten days left until our contract relationship ends. I hope it ends quickly. I hope those ten days pass quickly.

“Hand….”

When Siwoo asks for my hand, my hand is already intertwined with his. The form of holding hands was slightly different from usual. It was the hand interlocking where a little progress was needed, as described in dating books.

“……….”

I stared straight into Siwoo’s tense eyes without avoiding them. As if sensing something, Siwoo subtly moved his body back.

I tightened my grip on the intertwined hands. Where are you trying to escape to? After making me like this, do you think you can just run away? Do you think that’s possible?

“Chae Won?”

“Yeah?”

As Siwoo subtly avoided my gaze, I frowned and followed his gaze.

It was futile to try to avoid it. I knew exactly where he was trying to avert his gaze. If he ran away, we would meet again. If he ran away, we would meet again.

For over five minutes now, our eyes had been fixed on each other’s pupils.

“Tell me. Why?”

Siwoo swallowed his saliva. His nervousness seemed particularly pronounced today. My heart was racing.

“You’re going to lose your eyes….”

What am I saying again?

After blinking a few times, I said to Siwoo.

With the gunpowder disappearing and my heart remaining, I was a person who didn’t know how to retreat.

“Why? Can’t you look at me like this?”