Episode 2
When I took a close look at my appearance, I burst into laughter.
The eyes revealed between the long eyelashes had a light pigment and had a unique feel, and the clear double eyelids and slightly raised eyes at the ends created a mysterious atmosphere. Underneath the blush that spread like watercolor, the white skin glowed white as if a light were shining on it. It was truly absurd to see the flawless features. Even the teeth were perfect.
Honestly, no matter what I put on my face, it wasn’t enough.
‘Have you been hiding such a face all this time?’
No, he could have hid it because he had a good appearance. Some people avoid attention and are introverted, so it’s not unheard of. Not even having a single social media account gave me a vague idea.
“Come to think of it, who is the owner of this body?”
Irrationally, I knew nothing about this body other than its extraordinary appearance.
“I have plans.”
Celebrities do all sorts of things to pass the time during long waits. From knitting to yoga and even reading web novels. I read a few web novels along with my sibling.
– Don’t try to be an idol with such a weak heart! What? Level up? What do you mean, SKY? Practice until you fall behind!
– Bro, it’s just a novel. Relax. They must have their reasons too.
My sibling seemed to enjoy reading web novels quite a bit, but it wasn’t for me. Still, I picked up some things superficially.
“Status window.”
I should be able to gather information, check others’ stats, and monopolize valuable items during cooldowns, right? While I didn’t plan to use the status window to improve my abilities, it would be helpful for situational awareness. With anticipation in my voice, I called out for the status window.
“….”
Nothing appeared.
“…Status window.”
Nothing appeared.
“Swoosh, swoosh, come out, come out.”
I swung my hand through the air several times. Nothing came out.
“…Ah, I’m dizzy.”
I got angry and felt dizzy for a moment.
As I embarrassingly flicked the air, I gave up on trying to live an easy life.
I was always doing well, and even without skills, I could manage, convincing myself of this rationalization helped ease my anger.
‘So, what does this guy do?’
The problem was this body. In my past life, even if I could somehow cover up my skills, not knowing who I was could lead to being treated like a crazy person.
“Hmm.”
No matter how harsh the world was, it wasn’t without any solution. It’s okay. Stay calm. Human nature can be easily understood in this modern society. Just by thoroughly searching through the phone.
Fortunately, the phone was unlocked by facial recognition, so I just needed to show my face to the camera.
When I opened the contacts, my name and phone number, email, etc., were displayed at the top.
[Han Seung-beom]
“Not obvious and quite decent.”
It’s better for celebrities to have unique names, after all. Approved.
Next was the gallery.
“…Let’s go.”
It was the most nerve-wracking moment. If the owner of this body is a bully, my plans will all go down the drain. My anxious heart felt like it was being suffocated. If there were photos of me devouring green holy water or cloud snacks, or any pictures of bullying others, it would be disastrous.
‘These days, society is sensitive to school violence.’
With slightly moist fingertips, I brushed against my clothes and opened the gallery.
There weren’t many photos or videos in the gallery. At most, there were mostly animal photos like cats, dogs, birds, and landscape photos like the sea. The only photos of people seemed to be of friends wearing school uniforms, smiling and happily posing together.
‘The friends look decent and well-behaved, and their relationships seem fine.’
However, there were only a few photos and videos of friends, and there were no pictures of him.
‘Could it be that Han Seung-beom is being ostracized?’
– Did you study hard for the exam?
– I did it in moderation.
– Even though he always says did it in moderation, his grades are always high.
The sudden surge of doubt was resolved only after watching a video with voices of friends chatting.
Another peculiar point was that only basic applications were installed on the phone. It seemed like he didn’t use social media.
‘If I had this face, I think I would have used SNS at least.’
“Is he an immortal wearing the mask of an angel?”
Of course, it was good news for me, but I wondered why someone with a face like an angel would live such a boring life.
After conquering the gallery, I immediately started looking through the internet usage history. Although I wanted to respect this kid’s privacy, if I didn’t properly understand the situation now, I might end up hospitalized due to mental breakdown.
[Saedo Building]
The most recent record is a search for the name of the building where I died. Nowadays, with information being indiscriminately shared on social media, even if efforts are made to avoid giving out accurate information through articles or news, the information still spreads.
‘Maybe he searched because he saw news about my death.’
This kid probably never imagined that the protagonist of such a sensational event would end up in his body. Come to think of it, it was pitiful.
[East Sea]
[Cat snacks]
[Han River]
[Geese]
‘Other than that, it’s ordinary.’
Familiar search records appeared. Seeing lots of pictures of the sea, rivers, and birds in the gallery, it seemed like he liked places with lots of water. Trial over. He was a decent high school student.
‘I’m rather scared that there’s nothing weirdly ugly about it.’
“Brr, it’s cold.”
With the most worrying issue resolved, the tension eased and a shiver ran down my spine. It was already November, yet I was only wearing a hoodie. It was unbelievable for someone who used to feel cold easily.
I quickly opened the messaging app and tapped on the conversation thread with [Father], which was at the top.
[Father, I’m going out for the evening.]
[Where to?]
[Cheongdam-dong. Just meeting a friend briefly then I’ll be back.]
[Okay, got it. Have fun and come back not too late.]
As I checked the text history, I rummaged through my pocket for my wallet.
‘No ID, no photos.’
I threw away my wallet, which contained only a debit card and cash. It flew and landed in a trash can.
Immediately, I went into the contacts and dialed [Father].
‘When you raise a child, things like this happen too, Dad.’
After a few rings, a middle-aged man’s voice came through.
“Yeah, Seung-beom. What’s up?”
“Dad, I lost my wallet and can’t go home. Could you come pick me up?”
There was a moment of hesitation from the other end of the line. Then, the voice resumed casually.
“Lost your wallet? Oh dear… Be careful. Alright, tell me the nearby buildings, and I’ll come get you.”
‘What’s going on?’
Ignoring the strange feeling, I called out the address.
“Yeah, it’s next to the Zairo Building in Cheongdam-dong, at the convenience store.”
“Got it. I’ll be there soon, so just wait a bit.”
From then on, it was a typical conversation between a father and son. After ending the call, I crouched down next to the convenience store.
‘I can’t go inside the convenience store since I lost my wallet.’
I will freeze to death.
Whether it was because of the attention due to my face or the imminent freezing to death, I pulled my hood tightly over my head and even put on a mask.
Bang! Bang!
After sitting there for a while, the claxon sounded lightly twice.
When I turned my head toward the sound, the middle-aged man rolled down the window and gestured. Given that Han Seung-beom’s face wasn’t ordinary, I had expected his father to have a celestial face as well, but it was just a decent appearance. Perhaps the bright color of his irises was the only similarity.
“Seung-beom, get in quickly.”
It was the same voice I heard during the phone call.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
I offered a brief apology as I got into the passenger seat. Looking at the text history, Han Seung-beom didn’t seem like a rebellious son, but he also didn’t seem like a gentle one. Seeing that he didn’t feel anything special even with my tone, it seemed like the correct answer.
“Well, it’s fine.”
“….”
“I was on my way home from work, and your mom went to pick up Jaewoon from his academy. Let’s go home and have dinner quickly.”
“Yes.”
Jaewoon. Who is he? A younger brother? A brother? Judging by the name, there was no doubt he was someone close.
‘He wasn’t in the contacts.’
“My wife has been busy shuttling Jaewoon back and forth from his academy lately. I’ve been picking you up often too. Should we order delivery tonight?”
‘Ah, so he’s the younger brother.’
It was only after my father’s words that I could guess Jaewoon’s identity.
“Yes, it sounds good.”
“….”
“….”
After that, it was silent.
I had a lack of social skills.
***
‘Password 763220. Okay.’
I waited until Han Seung-beom’s father opened the front door, then washed up and went straight to the room.
As I picked up the frame on the table, there was a creaking sound from the back. In the frame was a family photo. Seung-beom’s father had his hand on Seung-beom’s shoulder, and a younger boy, who seemed younger than Seung-beom, had his arm around the boy’s shoulder, smiling widely together.
‘This woman must be the mother.’
The boy with his arm around Seung-beom’s shoulder appeared to be Han Seung-beom’s younger brother, Han Jaewoon.
‘They must be only a year or two apart, judging by the same school uniform with different tie colors.’
There wasn’t much to say about someone else’s family photo.
“…Seems like a harmonious family.”
If I had to give an observation, despite Seung-beom having a striking appearance, his family seemed more ordinary than expected. Sometimes, there’s a child in the family who stands out with their appearance like a genetic mutation.
Buzz, buzz.
The phone on the desk vibrated. Checking the screen, it was a call.
[Aunt]
‘He didn’t even bother to save his brother’s contact, but he saved his aunt’s.’
I didn’t want to answer. However, it was necessary to know the identity of this seemingly important ‘aunt’. After a moment of hesitation, I touched the call button.
“Hello.”
– Seung-beom! Why didn’t you come when Aunt said she’s coming over today!
‘Did he have such an appointment?’
If you have an appointment, make a habit of leaving a note, Seung-beom.
“Oh, I forgot. I’m sorry.”
– Then make up for not coming today by coming to Aunt’s place tomorrow! Anyway, we had too many guests today, so there wasn’t time. Tomorrow, there are fewer reservations.
No, I don’t want to go. I’m already exhausted. Save me from people. My social skills, scraped together from the bottom, were slowly showing signs of wear and tear.
“…Yes, I understand.”
Even though my mind resisted, my mouth obediently replied. Anyway, sooner or later, I would have to face it. They say it’s better to take the blow quickly.
– You know the address, right? I sent it to you in a text.
“Yes.”
I switched the call to speakerphone and checked the text history. There was a message with the address. It was a commercial street in Cheongdam-dong.
‘I can visit SU Entertainment after stopping by Cheongdam-dong.’
Cheongdam-dong is lined with entertainment agencies. The reason I met Lee Yuri and Kang Hyuk-woo today was probably because that’s where Cheongdam-dong is.
Since I was planning to contact Lee Yuri by the end of the day and schedule something for tomorrow anyway, visiting a nearby store once wasn’t too much trouble.
“Seung-beom, come and eat.”
I heard my father’s voice from the kitchen.
“It’s mealtime, Let’s stop here.”
-…Alright, got it. Enjoy your meal, and see you tomorrow.
“Yes.”
After ending the call and leaving the room, I saw a row of delivery food containers removed from their packaging on the dining table. The rest of the family was already seated at the table, and as I sat down, I picked up my chopsticks.
As we calmly ate our meal, the conversation revolved around how the day went. It was a new place we ordered from, but it seemed better than expected. We exchanged the same mundane conversations. I listened to it all and reluctantly ate my food.
‘It’s not good.’
“How was Cheongdam-dong? Mom was surprised when Dad said you lost your wallet.”
The woman who appeared to be my mother smiled at me as she chewed her food. Everyone at the table looked up.
“….”
There was a reason I remained silent and just listened.
I simply couldn’t figure out what the relationship between this body’s owner and his mother was like. There were no text messages left, and there were no call records either. To avoid suspicion, I needed to engage in conversation, but it wasn’t easy to find the right words.
Should I answer informally or politely?
‘Does he usually not communicate much with his mother?’
Was it a blunt tone or a gentle one?
What were the usual terms of address? What kind of conversations did they usually have?
It would have been better to possess as the Little Prince in a secluded world. Then it would have been easier.
Little prince, encountering enemies and almost having your blood pressure rise twice. If only there were a certain tone of speech to adhere to, it would be easier. Argh, my head’s going to explode.
“….”
“You seem unusually quiet today.”
As my father continued with his idle thoughts and I remained silent, he glanced at me and tapped my hand lightly.
“Seung-beom? Your mother is worried. Please answer.”
With the gaze of the entire family upon me, judgment time had arrived.
“…I had a good time.”
I found a safe enough response and smiled.
“….”
The atmosphere grew tense as if I had poured cold water over it.
Clang!
The spoon that my mother was holding slipped, creating a sharp sound that reverberated through the air.
‘Did I say something strange?’
“I had a good time.” It wasn’t really an unusual thing to say.
‘Then what’s the problem?’
Glancing at my family’s faces, it seemed something was off. They all turned away as if they had witnessed something they weren’t supposed to see, like some secret agreement.
‘…this hasn’t happened once or twice.’
I slowly raised my hand and gently touched my face, wondering if there was something unusual about me.
“….”
There was nothing unusual.
I simply smiled normally.
The three family members, excluding me, continued to eat as if they were being chased by something, glancing nervously at their plates before hastily getting up from the table.
‘There’s something strange about this family.’
I acted normally. But if someone reacts strangely despite that, then it’s not my fault.
A sudden wave of fatigue hit me, and I rubbed my eyes.
Give me the status window, you f*ckers ……………….
