Light Mr. XX

As they wrapped up their impromptu fashion show, a delightful aroma wafted into Kim Min-seok’s nose. He turned once in front of the mirror, taking in his carefully styled appearance before stepping out of the dressing room.

When he reached the kitchen, he saw that Ha Jun-seo had already finished cooking and was setting the food on the dining table. The smell was so mouthwatering that he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

“You must be hungry. Come, have a seat.”

Ha Jun-seo smiled warmly as he pulled out a chair for him. His excessive kindness seemed to be a natural habit. Feeling slightly awkward, Kim Min-seok walked over and sat down in the chair Ha Jun-seo had pulled out for him. As soon as he sat, Ha Jun-seo took his own seat across from him and lifted the lid off the pot in the center of the table.

The scent, which had already been making his nostrils twitch, surged over him in full force. Inside the pot was a porridge made from who-knows-what ingredients, yet it looked unbelievably appetizing.

For Kim Min-seok, who had rarely eaten a proper home-cooked meal, the aroma was utterly irresistible. Unconsciously, he swallowed another mouthful of saliva, and Ha Jun-seo ladled some porridge into a bowl for him.

“Go ahead and eat.”

Ha Jun-seo encouraged him.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Without hesitation, Kim Min-seok picked up his spoon and quickly took a bite. The moment the warm porridge touched his tongue, its nutty, umami-rich flavor made him so happy he almost teared up.

“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”

Ha Jun-seo asked.

“Yes. It’s perfect. Completely perfect.”

Kim Min-seok nodded frantically as he kept shoveling porridge into his mouth with one hand, while his other hand shot up a thumbs-up to express just how good it was. Ha Jun-seo let out a small chuckle, as if he found the sight adorable, then picked up a side dish and placed it on top of Kim Min-seok’s rice.

The meal was nothing short of a storm. Not just the porridge—every single side dish was absolutely delicious. It had the unmistakable warmth of homemade food. Kim Min-seok drastically revised his opinion of Ha Jun-seo. A kind man who could make such amazing food? It was unlikely he’d ever have to choose between the two men, but if it ever came down to it, there was no doubt—he’d pick Ha Jun-seo without hesitation.

Ha Jun-seo barely ate himself, spending most of the meal attending to Kim Min-seok instead. His attentiveness was almost eerie—whenever Kim Min-seok so much as glanced at a side dish while chewing, Ha Jun-seo would immediately place it on his spoon. It was hard to tell if he was acting like a boyfriend or a doting caretaker.

In the end, Kim Min-seok only stopped eating after finishing two whole bowls of porridge. As he rubbed his full stomach and let out a satisfied sigh, Ha Jun-seo watched him with a pleased smile. Feeling a little embarrassed about how ravenously he had devoured the food, Kim Min-seok gave him an awkward grin.

“I’ll clean up,” Kim Min-seok said as he got up from his seat.

Ha Jun-seo shook his head. “I’ll take care of it. You should finish looking around the house, Ha-yoon.”

Despite being busy cooking, Ha Jun-seo had somehow been aware of what Kim Min-seok had been doing earlier. That was a little embarrassing, but his curiosity about the house won out. He nodded and stepped away from the table.

The sound of dishes clattering echoed from the kitchen as he made his way to a room he hadn’t checked yet. The moment he stepped inside, he couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

The room was, quite literally, a miniature PC café.

A high-spec gaming rig sat on the desk, exuding an almost divine glow, paired with an enormous monitor. Even the desk and chair were top-tier gaming equipment.

The entire setup consisted of high-end brands, the kind you’d only expect to see in the latest PC cafés.

Against the back wall, right behind the two side-by-side computers, was a snack and cup noodle shelf—exactly like the ones found in gaming cafés. Next to it stood a transparent-front beverage refrigerator, the kind you’d typically see in convenience stores. Inside, an array of drinks was neatly lined up, covering every imaginable variety.

“Wow… Holy shit. This is insane. Absolutely insane.”

Kim Min-seok muttered to himself as he scanned the room over and over again. At that moment, he made a firm resolution in his mind. I didn’t take over someone else’s body—I just lost my memory. I am not Kim Min-seok. I am Seo Ha-yoon. Even if I die, I am Seo Ha-yoon.

Feeling as if he were taking his rightful place on a throne, Kim Min-seok carefully lowered himself onto the gaming chair. The moment his body sank into its perfect comfort, pure bliss spread through him. He pressed the power button on the PC, resting his hands on the mouse and keyboard. That was when something next to the keyboard caught his eye.

“This is…”

He picked up the object, which was neither too big nor too small, turning it over in his hands to examine it closely. It wasn’t that he didn’t recognize it—he just couldn’t believe his own eyes.

After staring at it for a moment, Kim Min-seok suddenly shot up from his seat and bolted toward the kitchen.

“Ha Jun-seo! Ha Jun-seo!”

Startled by his urgent voice, Ha Jun-seo, who had been loading dishes into the dishwasher, turned around while wiping his hands on his apron. Kim Min-seok rushed up to him, shoving the object in front of his face as he asked in a desperate tone,

“This… Is this mine?”

Ha Jun-seo glanced between Kim Min-seok’s face and the object in his hands before nodding.

“Yes. It’s yours, Ha-yoon.”

In that instant, an overwhelming sense of joy surged through Kim Min-seok’s entire body.

“Are you fucking serious? This is really mine? For real, for real?!”

He practically bounced with excitement, shouting like a kid who just won the lottery. Ha Jun-seo let out a soft chuckle before reaching out and ruffling his hair. Then, he said with a gentle smile,

“Yes. It’s yours, Ha-yoon. I gave it to you a few months ago as a gift. Don’t you remember?”

“A gift?!”

Kim Min-seok’s eyes widened in shock at Ha Jun-seo’s words. He quickly looked down at the object in his hand again.

It was a car key. Not just any car key—a BMW key.

I have a car? And it’s a foreign luxury car? A BMW?!

Kim Min-seok felt like he could float away at any moment. Overcome with sheer joy, he lunged forward and wrapped Ha Jun-seo in a tight hug.

“Thank you for the gift, Ha Jun-seo! I love you! I seriously love you!”

Unable to contain his excitement, Kim Min-seok clung to Ha Jun-seo, bouncing up and down like an overjoyed child.

He was practically out of his mind with happiness. But then—Ha Jun-seo hugged him back. At first, it was fine. However, the strength of his embrace gradually intensified.

The pressure kept increasing until Kim Min-seok felt like his bones might crack under the force.

“Ha—Ha Jun-seo! That hurts! Ha Jun-seo!”

Even as Kim Min-seok shouted, Ha Jun-seo didn’t loosen his grip. Their height difference made it so that all Kim Min-seok could see was Ha Jun-seo’s clavicle and shoulder.

That familiar chilling sensation he had occasionally felt around Ha Jun-seo surged back. He struggled to break free, but Ha Jun-seo was far too strong. There was no escaping his grasp.

It was getting hard to breathe. When Kim Min-seok finally stopped moving, Ha Jun-seo’s grip eased—just slightly. He stood there, still holding him tightly, breathing heavily.

Kim Min-seok could feel Ha Jun-seo’s warm breath against his ear.

Instinctively, he knew—I shouldn’t provoke him right now.

Ignoring the pain, Kim Min-seok remained completely still, frozen like a corpse.

How long did they stay like that? Finally, Ha Jun-seo spoke.

“Just for a single car… you say you love me?”

His voice was a murmur, and it didn’t seem like he was expecting an answer.

Hah.

Ha Jun-seo let out a scoff before finally releasing his hold. Then, he grabbed Kim Min-seok’s left hand and lifted it up. Wrapped around his wrist was the watch he had picked out earlier.

Ha Jun-seo ran his fingers over the watch face and murmured,

“This watch is more expensive than that car. Do you remember what you said when you received it?”

“…Of course not. Obviously….”

Kim Min-seok muttered under his breath, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.

Noticing his nervousness, Ha Jun-seo’s expression softened just slightly. A faint smile returned to his lips—but this time, Kim Min-seok wasn’t fooled.

Ha Jun-seo was still in a very bad mood.

“I almost wish you’d just stay like this forever, Ha-yoon.”

Ha Jun-seo gently stroked Kim Min-seok’s cheek as he whispered.

“…There’s a chance I might never get my memories back.”

Kim Min-seok mumbled in response.

It was half a wish. If he ever had to return to his original, insignificant body—poor, powerless, and pathetic—how was he supposed to go on living?

“Yes. That would be for the best.”

Ha Jun-seo murmured in agreement.

“But if you do get your memories back…”

His voice trailed off. His gaze turned hazy as he locked eyes with Kim Min-seok. Then, slowly, he lowered his head.

Kim Min-seok could tell—Ha Jun-seo was about to kiss him.

But he couldn’t move. He didn’t have the courage to pull away.

So he simply stood there, frozen, as Ha Jun-seo’s lips brushed against his.

Soft. Warm. The kiss was light, fleeting.

When Ha Jun-seo finally pulled away, Kim Min-seok sucked in a sharp breath.

It hadn’t been unpleasant.

That was the strangest part.

Ha Jun-seo smiled faintly as he watched his reaction. Then, leaning in, he pressed his lips close to Kim Min-seok’s ear and whispered, finishing his sentence from earlier.

“I’ll never let you get away with betraying me.”

Despite the gentle tone of his voice, the words themselves were anything but.

The moment Kim Min-seok heard that whisper, chills ran down his spine. His breath caught in his throat.

But as if he had never just murmured something so terrifying, Ha Jun-seo casually pressed a light kiss against Kim Min-seok’s earlobe. Then, with a smile, he added,

“See? I told you earrings suit you well. And look at that—you obediently chose both the watch and the earrings I gave you as gifts.”

Ha Jun-seo’s eyes curved into a pleased smile, as if genuinely delighted.

But now that Kim Min-seok had caught a glimpse of his true nature, he wanted nothing more than to rip the earrings and the watch off and fling them away.

Of course, he didn’t have the guts to do it.