Come Back

Chapter 6

After finishing his shower in the guest bathroom by the living room, Lee Hae-sung tied the knot of his bathrobe and walked toward the window. He had rushed out of the bathroom to avoid the humidity, and water droplets trickled down the robe, sliding over his calves.

Outside the window, rain was still pouring over the city’s dark blue dawn, just like the second night he had spent holding Choi Hong-seo.

He shoved his hand into the bathrobe pocket and gazed blankly down at the world below from the 20th floor. While not particularly high, the hotel built on Namsan Mountain offered a panoramic view of Seoul, including the Han River and, further beyond, Gangnam and Dongjak districts. The perceived height easily surpassed that of a 40-story building.

Silent, he let out a heavy sigh and moved to the minibar to heat some water in a kettle. He took out the teapot and prepared for tea, waiting for the water to boil. The round table by the window already had the remnants of three or four cups of tea.

Truthfully, he wanted to drink some alcohol, but he would soon have to drive. He had an interview scheduled with foreign media, including lunch. He had to return home within a few hours to prepare for it. On a day like today, he didn’t even want an assistant.

Leaning his hand on the edge of the minibar, Lee Hae-sung exhaled, using his whole upper body. His face reflected in the mirror on the bar, showing the wear of sleep deprivation. He imagined he would get an earful from the secretary’s office.

After sex, he had tried to rest a bit, but it was impossible.

He had stared at Choi Hong-seo’s exhausted face, stained with tears, as he lay asleep. Even after falling into sleep, Choi Hong-seo still seemed to be trembling, exhaling heavily as if sobbing from some sorrow. Lee Hae-sung had gently, very carefully brushed aside the sweaty hair that clung to his face.

Even after climaxing three times inside him while changing condoms, Lee Hae-sung still wasn’t sure if it was permissible for him to gently caress that face.

“I might not feel it much when we do it…”

He had already been surprised when he heard that, but it was within the range of what he had expected.

However, before any proper caressing had even begun, Choi Hong-seo had tried to place his mouth on Lee Hae-sung’s genitals, suggesting they should do it without a condom.

Wearing the pajamas he had worn while with Choi Hong-seo, he was lying on his stomach, still holding the scent they had shared. He no longer appeared to Lee Hae-sung as “Yun Hye-an.”

If he wasn’t Yun Hye-an, then what was he?

“Uncle… I, uh, I’ve never… done it like this, so…”

He had cried like that with his face buried in the pillow. There was no awkwardness or hesitation in the voice calling him “uncle.”

Lee Hae-sung could go no further. Testing himself, trying to confirm something he couldn’t understand, he had asked him to “hold me like Choi Hong-seo.” But if this continued, he felt like his sanity might truly unravel. Perhaps it wasn’t Yun Hye-an who needed therapy—it was Lee Hae-sung himself.

So he fled.

He was about to become a madman, stepping outside the bounds of the common sense he had trusted.

And then, when his fingers touched the bare skin on his back…

When those fingertips started to trace letters, forming words…

Lee Hae-sung had no choice but to cross out all the options from 1 to 5, the answers that had been suggested as solutions to his mental questions.

The choices he had written based on correct logic and objectivity. One of those answers had to be right.

Whether by coincidence or effort, Yun Hye-an had obtained information about Choi Hong-seo and was trying to use that to entice him into gaining something. All of his answers were minor variations of that theory.

But at that moment, Lee Hae-sung couldn’t ignore the possibility of a 6th answer.

An answer that could not exist, one not present in the choices.

“We’re talking about someone who knows everything about us, someone like Yun Hye-an, almost like a god,” he had sarcastically said once.

But now, he believed that he truly knew everything. It was unbelievable.

The water in the kettle had finished boiling, and the power turned off automatically. Lee Hae-sung poured the water into a teacup to warm it, then discarded the water and refilled the cup. He slid the tea bag into the hot water, watching as the strong aroma quickly mellowed into a delicate scent that lingered.

After a moment, he removed the tea bag, took the teacup to the window, and sat down. He inhaled the scent deeply and stared intently at the faint light of the morning that was slowly brightening. It was as though he was trying to push away the expanding pale blue edge of the sky, resisting the arrival of the day.

He knew everything.

He could be a god, or Choi Hong-seo himself. There was no other explanation.

The possibility he had considered was so absurd that Lee Hae-sung shook his shoulders and bitterly mocked himself.

Was he finally going to admit that he was crazy?

The tea was cooling, almost untouched.

Looking at Earth from Space.

There is no breath of wind around, no vibrations of sound. There is no “my hand” or “my voice.” It is just observing something.

It was a sensation he had felt before. The silence, the overwhelming loneliness as if he were the only one in the universe—Choi Hong-seo knew it well.

In the moment of being crushed by fear, another place unfolded.

This time, the scene was filled with people. Men and women dressed in flashy clothes, drinking and laughing in an open space beneath the night sky. Surrounding them were the dazzling lights from tall buildings, creating a vibrant cityscape.

Choi Hong-seo knew where this place was.

His limbs, which no longer existed, started to tremble. Among the happy people, he saw the faces of his managers and bandmates. The camera, as if searching for the protagonist, moved erratically through the scene until it finally found Choi Hong-seo.

The other side’s Choi Hong-seo was drinking whiskey on a bar just a few steps above the table.

Finishing the whiskey, he looked up at the sky.

Or maybe, X-gun and the Vice President could be offered together as a set. If you love someone, you should always be together.

The Choi Hong-seo on the other side thought of Lee Seo-kyung’s email. He could even read it clearly in his mind.

The Choi Hong-seo on this side tried to stop the one on the other side, but there were no bridges to cross, no arms to embrace, no voice to shout “no.”

One, two… three… The Choi Hong-seo on the other side began counting, folding his fingers.

The other Hongseo was so close to madness that he had a fit. But in reality, he couldn’t even create the slightest ripple. Not even a faint breeze.

The moment the hot tears, boiling as if they were, flowed down his temples… the two Hongseos—this one and that one—became one, and finally, ‘the body’ could move.

“Hah… Hah… Hah…”

Hongseo exhaled heavily, inflating his chest with a quick gasp as if he had just risen from the water after being submerged. It felt as though he had been underwater, struggling to stay afloat.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“Hah… Hah… Hah…”

He barely rolled his eyes to follow the voice’s direction. There was Lee Haeseong, fully dressed, holding his shoulder tightly with a worried expression on his face. He had woken him up. Stopping that terrible event from repeating… He had prevented it.

The events that happened after Hongseo had opened his eyes in Yoon Hyean’s body gradually began to flow back into his consciousness.

Hongseo groped for Lee Haeseong’s hand, which had shaken him awake by the shoulder, and held it tightly. He wasn’t afraid of being rejected. He just wanted to make sure this was real.

“You’re sweating a lot. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No… it’s… the dream… the dream…”

Swallowing dryly, Hongseo sat up. His body, still sluggish from the nightmare, didn’t quite obey him. He rubbed his face with both hands, trying to collect himself.

“What time is it?”

“It’s still early. You can sleep for a while longer.”

Hongseo looked at him, standing by the bed. He appeared as though he would leave the room at any moment.

“I’d like to stay longer, but I have a schedule this morning.”

Seeing the furrowed brow on his face, Hongseo knew that his words weren’t a lie. It wasn’t something he would say just for the sake of it.

“Then I’ll get up too.”

He moved to the edge of the bed, dragging himself to get out. Lee Haeseong’s hand stopped him, holding his shoulder to prevent him from leaving.

“You should rest a little longer.”

“…”

“It seems like it’s been a while. You might be worn out.”

It seemed like it had been a while since the last time. His words took a couple of seconds to register. He must have felt it too, having been involved physically.

Hongseo quickly rubbed his face, trying to hide the flush on his cheeks.

“I’m fine. It wasn’t like we… didn’t finish. I’ll just quickly shower…”

Despite the words, his legs were still shaky. He was quickly supported by Haeseong’s arm. By the time they reached the bathroom, Hongseo was finally able to stand on his own.

“Do you need help?”

He shook his head at his offer with a pitying look.

“I’ll just wash the sweat off. If you’re in a rush, you can go ahead…”

This time, Haeseong shook his head firmly.

“I have time. I’ll wait in the living room. Take your time.”

He said to take his time, but Hongseo hurried. Even though they used a condom, the lingering sensation from the sex, which had continued until Haeseong had climaxed three times, still clung to him. His pelvis felt stretched, and below his waist, he was sore and tired, while the inside felt numb. It was more comfortable to bend slightly rather than sit up straight.

The feeling of Haeseong’s body inside him lingered in his hips with a dull ache and heat. It was as though yesterday’s events weren’t just a dream, and the traces of them didn’t feel unpleasant.

Once he finished in the bathroom, he walked out to the living room, where a light meal was waiting on the table. He sat awkwardly in the seat across from Haeseong, who gestured to him. The simple porridge and fish soup with a few unspicy side dishes surprisingly stimulated his appetite. Realizing he hadn’t eaten in over half a day, he became even hungrier.

After a few spoonfuls of the warm soup, Haeseong spoke.

“Your phone has been ringing continuously in your jacket.”

“Ah, yes. It’s probably work-related.”

“I thought it might be from your manager, so I answered it.”

“… What?”

Hongseo paused, the spoon hovering over the porridge.

“I didn’t want them to keep worrying, so I told them you were resting nearby, that you were asleep now, and I’d make sure to take you home when you wake up. I told them not to worry.”

It was odd that Haeseong, the major investor of the movie, ARA, had been the one to take care of Yoon Hyean when his body was unwell, while others from the production company were left out. Just that fact alone was strange.

Haeseong’s expression and voice were calm, as though it was just another matter to him.

“Did I do something wrong?”

He asked casually, his tone and face steady.