episode_0067

The next day, without any prior arrangement, I met Siwoo at the hospital.

“What… are you standing there like a ghost for? You scared me.”

“I thought you might come, so I was waiting.”

“If you thought so, you should have just come home…”

The surveillance net is always spread out.

Although the law and treaties are not being violated, there is no room to worry about dealing with all-out efforts.

If you can bypass it, you should bypass it and make full use of it.

He followed Siwoo around as he had X-rays taken, diagnosed, and went back and forth here and there.

Even when drinking water. Even when going to the bathroom—

“Hey, hey. How far are you going to follow me?!”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“Be careful!”

I almost turned Min Chaewon into a pervert without even realizing it.

Even though I brainwash myself by staring at the mirror every morning while washing, saying ‘I am a woman,’ there are still mistakes.

But with mistakes come changes.

If I sit next to Siwoo like this right away, a reaction comes.

“……?”

“Why?”

“Hey. You. You’re sticking to me too much… aren’t you?”

When I used to vent out the accumulating explosives, I used to feel an inexplicable sense of alienation towards my self from 3 years ago.

But not anymore. Just watching the explosives being consumed makes me feel at ease. It turns out that it really helps to relieve stress.

When Siwoo sneaks away, I sneakily follow him.

After moving about three chairs, there is another waiting patient next to him.

There’s nowhere else to run. I should give up and sit quietly…

“Ouch.”

Siwoo suddenly stood up and fell over to the side.

A face of a young man I’ve never seen before comes into view. It’s probably his thigh that hit the back of my head.

“I’m sorry.”

Siwoo apologizes in my place and sits back down. This time, he leaves a whole space between us.

Step by step, if I narrow the gap by one space, he widens it by one space.

Ah.

Why are you running away like this.

“Patient Jung Siwoo?”

When the nurse called his name, Siwoo happily got up from his seat.

Thanks to that action just now, my precious Chaewon has been deeply wounded.

The naughty Jung Siwoo will have to apologize with his life as soon as he comes out of the examination room.

Tap tap.

Turning the phone screen on and off repeatedly, I waited for Siwoo to come out.

Time really doesn’t pass by.

Just waiting and doing nothing made time crawl at a snail’s pace.

Swoosh.

As soon as I heard the door opening, I headed towards the door of the examination room.

“Mom.”

“I’m sorry.”

The nurse sister came out first.

Siwoo, who was watching from behind, quickly blocked my path before he came out.

As a result, he pushed me aside with a troubled expression.

I’m not a baggage. What are you doing.

Chasing after him as he ran towards the reception desk, I poured out my complaints.

“I told you last time. You have to pat me when I want you to.”

“Why do you act like this every time we meet.”

“You have to. Otherwise, it’s a big problem.”

“A big problem?”

If the explosives warehouse were to explode beyond the allowable limit, the memories of when I was 6 years old might disappear.

I hope Siwoo’s remaining consciousness can recover all those memories and give Chaewon time to apologize.

“You might lose precious memories.”

Jung Siwoo, with his mouth agape, lost his words.

A moment later, his hand naturally brushed lightly against my forehead.

Good. That’s right.

Handling explosives.

Improving Min Chaewon’s mood.

“Is that… okay?”

“Okay?”

“I want to show you the expression on your face.”

“What, how is it?”

“You giggled.”

I was so busy handling explosives that I was out of my mind.

There’s no reason to giggle. I’m doing something very important and dangerous.

Just now, Siwoo’s words were like mocking a firefighter who just saved lives and came back from a fire scene.

I extended my index finger and lightly tapped Siwoo’s forehead.

“Don’t pick on me just because I’m ticklish.”

I nudged him to hurry up and put away his things, then slowly walked towards the hospital lobby.

“It’s piling up again…?”

Why does it feel like the explosives are accumulating faster?

I’m sure I’m cleaning up diligently, but the more I clean, the more it piles up.

It’s unsettling, but I’m glad that Jung Siwoo is nearby.

Even if it piles up quickly, it can be easily handled.

“Let’s go.”

Siwoo, who had finished organizing, passed by me as I matched his pace with brisk steps.

Siwoo’s legs are longer than I thought, so I have to step up my pace.

“And by the way, what were the test results? Are you fully recovered?”

“Yeah, I’m all better now.”

“Can you go back to your normal activities now?”

“They said to be cautious for a week just in case.”

“That’s good.”

You’ve been through a lot, Jung Siwoo.

You’ve finally gained freedom from the first threat that ruined your life.

“Now that the foundation complex construction is finished, we can start sending Yoon Jichang back.”

“Him? He left on the day you moved in.”

“… You were alone on the weekend?”

“Yeah.”

Jichang.

I gave you money to eat beef because I thought you looked tired watching Siwoo. Is this the right thing to do?

Do you really want to be left out?

“Say something.”

“What? Are you here to scold me?”

“You must have gone.”

Siwoo imagined something in his head and then turned away with a cough.

“You imagined something naughty.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then what? Why are you avoiding eye contact?”

“Just imagining lying down together under a blanket.”

I can’t believe the Jung Siwoo I know is this innocent.

If I say this, it will make me look like the weird one.

“It’s obvious that you’re lying.”

“You must have seen it wrong.”

“I’m you, how can I see it wrong? It doesn’t make sense.”

“You’re starting to get confused as you adapt to that body.”

I helped Jung Siwoo three years ago to become a great man. But I didn’t expect him to grow up so rapidly.

I was running ahead, but suddenly I was caught up. And that’s not all, I’m starting to fall behind.

Is it because his legs are long? I can’t catch up with Chae Won’s short legs by running heavily.

“Why would I be confused? You’re the one who needs to be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I’m clearly keeping them separate.”

“Really? Then who am I right now?”

I put on a blatantly seductive expression. It was one of the facial expressions I wished Chae Won would make.

The answer came immediately.

“Me.”

“….”

Why do I feel like I’m the only one losing?

Like I’m the only one being made a fool of.

Smack.

“Ouch.”

On instinct, I slapped Siwoo’s forehead and started running away.

“Hey, don’t stand there!”

“Don’t follow me!”

Don’t follow me.

I’ll run first.

You don’t know. You don’t know what your future self will become.

Don’t act like you know everything when you’re three years behind.

“Hey! Starting next week, I’m taking the dog for a walk!”

“Come or don’t come!”

#

After a childish argument that felt like going back to elementary school, Min Chaewon slapped her forehead and ran away.

Rubbing his sore forehead, Jung Siwoo sat down on a bench in front of the hospital.

“Every time I react, it’s a big deal. If I brush it off calmly, it’s calm… Which rhythm should I follow?”

When they first exchanged names, it was undoubtedly himself inside Min Chaewon.

Every word he spoke was Jung Siwoo, and even when he was quiet, the vibe overflowed.

But as time passed, it became increasingly difficult to distinguish between the real Min Chaewon and himself.

Even after asking to be touched on the cheek, she subtly sought physical contact.

If he didn’t respond, she would cling to him and wait for a reaction like earlier.

“As expected, was that just Chaewon’s prank…?”

A whimsical story of splitting into two and entering the body of first love.

Amidst convincing oneself, a story accepted in a hasty manner.

Slowly, the confusion between whether those things are true or false began.

Perhaps to cover up the fact that she had been stalking him all this time, she may have acted as Jungsioo based on the information she had.

“Lost precious memories.”

However, because of the bone-chilling words often spoken, it makes Chaewon realize that there are two selves within her.

“I exist within Chaewon….”

I exist, but gradually fading away.

Just as an ordinary person who dreams every day of being a dog cannot actually become a dog in reality. While the self may blur, it is limited to when there is no mirror at home.

The brain recognizes what is true and what is false the moment it sees a mirror. Shocked by the fact that the self has been worshiping falsehood all this time, it opens its eyes wide.

The current Min Chaewon is similar. Every day, she looks in the mirror and takes the red pill. Perhaps that’s why the personality of Jungsioo that was imposed is being washed away.

Influence of the environment. Influence of the surroundings. Influence of the body.

Everything is making her into Min Chaewon.

The Min Chaewon who will return in three years, could she be talking about a completely changed version of herself.

If so, the reversal of the previous idea may indeed be a groundbreaking move.

“Jungsioo’s personality overlaid on Min Chaewon…. As time passes, the overlaid personality is being erased….”

She has refrained from physical contact with herself, considering it would be uncomfortable.

She has ignored all the persistent advances, thinking it was all just a mischievous prank.

But in the end, it’s still Min Chaewon.

“… Should I be more proactive.”

No matter how much she tries to block it, Jungsioo cannot completely hide his feelings for Min Chaewon.

Although she hardly remembers meeting him when she was young, she was properly hit by an 810-ton dump truck when they met again. She likes him a lot. She just wants to cherish him.

Especially the three weeks spent with her were very significant.

She felt the preciousness of her that she wouldn’t have felt if she had been immersed in the piano. In just three short weeks, she felt too much.

The desire to keep Min Chaewon by her side for the rest of her life is not the day they returned from the accident and fell asleep in the same room at the hospital.

Right now, it is the biggest desire.