RACA 53

It wasn’t just his expression and demeanor that had changed. His tone of voice was different too. Unlike the character in the drama, who was sly yet ruthless, actor Pyo Jaebeom was fundamentally a polite and courteous person.

Naturally, the way he addressed Eunsol had to change. Before, he’d treated him as a gang boss would, but now he was a colleague he needed to address with proper manners.

“Hah, that’s a problem too, I suppose.”

Thinking of Eunsol, worries flooded in about how he should face him going forward. What had happened between them wasn’t something he could just brush off as drama content.

While he hadn’t changed much after the possession, Eunsol had twins on the way. That made it all the more important to talk properly.

“Let’s go for now.”

When he came back out of the bathroom after gathering his thoughts, what he found this time was the cat sitting in a similar position, looking up at him.

“Yeah, you played a big part. If I hadn’t doubted your existence, I might never have realized it. Right, Jongjong?”

Meow.

As if asking what that was all about, the cat meowed while wagging its tail.

“Don’t worry, I’m Pyo Jaebeom. Things won’t change much from how they’ve been.”

In a way, the character in the drama was nothing more than fabricated memories. In reality, the time Jaebeom spent playing the role of ‘Pyo Jaebeom’ probably wasn’t much different from his time with Eunsol.

“Should we go to Lee Eunsol for now?”

When Jaebeom held out his hand, the cat leaped up and snuggled against him. They headed straight out of the study.

•••

“Grandma has everything ready. Don’t worry about a thing and just go.”

It was after dinner, when they were each sipping a warm cup of saenghwacha as dessert. Eunsol’s eyes widened at his grandmother’s sudden suggestion.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the house you’ll live in alone.”

“Why are you suddenly asking me this?”

Seeing the serious look on Grandma’s face, Eunsol couldn’t possibly take it as a joke. He set down the cup he was holding and turned to face her.

She too must have decided she needed closure, for she likewise faced Eunsol.

“What could you possibly accomplish staying in this small town? Young people should go to Seoul.”

Eunsol had heard that line so often since he started high school that it was practically ingrained in his ears. His grandmother, disappointed that he planned to get a job instead of going to college, stubbornly insisted that he had to go to Seoul no matter what.

He could understand that much. But the look on his grandmother’s face as she said it really bothered him.

“Aren’t you coming with me, Grandma?”

“An old person going there would only drain their energy and make their health worse.”

Eunsol sighed as the bad premonition he’d held turned out to be true.

“Then I won’t go either. I don’t really have much desire to succeed anyway.”

“Huh, you little rascal! You shouldn’t say that.”

“What’s wrong with that? There are plenty of people who need me here, right? I can make a living just fine doing what I’m doing now.”

“Who do you think you are saying that! You’re still a young buck!”

After scolding him like that for a while, grandmother suddenly smiled. Just as he thought that mischievous smile seemed somehow familiar, she pulled Eunsol into her arms.

“Eunsol, I prepared this because I can’t be with you anymore. So you must live happily from now on. Understand?”

Eunsol closed his eyes, sulking. Then, within the warm embrace, a bittersweet wafted through the air. It was strange. It wasn’t the usual herbal medicine scent he could smell from Grandma.

‘What is it?’

Eunsol opened his eyes, puzzled.

“Huh?”

There stood Pyo Jaebeom, holding a large cat.

“Are you awake?”

Eunsol blinked his eyes.

“If you’re feeling better, why don’t you sit down?”

He must still be dreaming. He closed his eyes, then opened them once more. Pyo Jaebeom was smiling. Of course, he always did laugh.

But the difference now was that his smile wasn’t a bit crooked, or tinged with a hint of mockery.

So that’s not the expression he knows Pyo Jaebeom would show Eunsol. He must not have fully woken up yet.

“Are you still tired?”

“Huh!”

Unable to hold back any longer at the soft tone that followed, Eunsol gasped. Clutching the blanket, he pulled it up to just below his nose. His brown eyes, filled with suspicion, stared at Jaebeom.

“Wh-wh-who are you?”

“Huh? Lee Eunsol-ssi? What’s wrong?”

“Y-y-you’re… you’re… you’re Jaebeom…”

“Ahh…”

After carefully studying his face as he looked up at him with a stammering voice and a confused expression, Pyo Jaebeom finally realized why Eunsol was reacting that way.

A chuckle escaped his lips. The smile looked similar to his usual one, and Eunsol felt himself relax without realizing it.

Guess he was just half-asleep earlier and misread him. Pyo Jaebeom actually smiling kindly.

“Aren’t you feeling stuffy? Why not pull the blanket down a bit? Or just get up if you want.”

“Huh!”

But it seemed too soon to relax. Eunsol was startled again by the tone that was far too polite to come from him.

Eunsol immediately sat up, scrambled back on his legs, and leaned against the headboard. Pyo Jaebeom, who had been watching him silently, remarked indifferently.

“If you’re awake, come out to the living room. I think we need to talk.”

Then, having turned halfway away, he looked back at Eunsol again.

“Coffee’s okay, right?”

“Huh? Yes….”

It doesn’t really cover much, though.

‘But who are you?’

Maybe he didn’t notice the bewildered look in his eyes or simply didn’t care.

Pyo Jaebeom flashed Eunsol that signature sweet smile that could cause a stir, then left the bedroom. Left alone, Eunsol shivered, his shoulders trembling.

For some reason, a chill ran down his spine. He rubbed his arms frantically, then looked down to find goosebumps rising all over his body.

“What the hell? Did I eat something bad?”

Eunsol quickly looked at the shelf beside the bed. He usually placed his phone there before sleeping. But instead of his phone, something else was visible.

“Ah…”

Eunsol let out an gasp as he stared at the photo of the twins tadpoles against the black background. Come to think of it, he had no memory of entering the room.

After all, the last thing he remembered was looking at the ultrasound photo.

So it seemed like Pyo Jaebeom was the one who moved it here and placed it on this spot.

“What is this?”

Acting all overly friendly like that.

“So pretending it wasn’t like that was okay after all?”

Then he understood on his own. Even though it was sudden, he felt good knowing the twins were growing healthy inside him.

Eunsol gently rubbed his belly. He’d always been careful even before he knew, but seeing it with his own eyes made it feel different.

“Ssangssang, Ddungddung…”

Today, while bickering with Pyo Jaebeom, he rolled the names they’d come up with on his tongue. When he said them, he’d thought, What kind of childish thing is that to name them after? But now they seemed quite cute and stuck to his tongue nicely.

“Hehe…”

Eunsol, who had been laughing while stroking his belly, suddenly remembered that Pyo Jaebeom had told him to come out to the living room.

His attitude, politely asking him to come while even preparing coffee, still puzzled him. But Eunsol figured it must be because of the twins again and got out of bed.

As he walked down the hallway, the rich aroma of coffee wafted toward him.

“Oh… that smells really good.”

Was this even in the house? Come to think of it, since getting pregnant, he hadn’t even considered drinking coffee for the babies’ sake.

No, to be precise, the problem was that Pyo Jaebeom wasn’t the type to elegantly roast beans and drink coffee like this.

He was the type to either drink instant coffee or choose not to drink it at all.

“But what happened? Why did he suddenly change?”

Eunsol hurried his steps, thinking that whatever it was, meeting him would resolve it.

The moment he stepped out of the room, he froze at the unexpected sight before him. It was Pyo Jaebeom, who always sat with one leg crossed, slumped.

But now he stood perfectly upright, holding a coffee cup.

‘… He looks just like actor Pyo Jaebeom.’

Eunsol gasped in shock. His thought was close to the truth, but hesitating at the idea that it couldn’t be, he cautiously approached Pyo Jaebeom.

“If you’re here, sit over here.”

Before that, Pyo Jaebeom, sensing someone had arrived, pointed to the sofa across from Eunsol.

“Huh? Yes… yes.”

His tone was soft and gentle, as expected. Even that didn’t sound like the gangster Pyo Jaebeom Eunsol had known; it resembled the actor’s voice from his memories, making him unsure.

“I was about to make coffee when I realized my mistake. Since you’re pregnant, Eunsol-ssi, caffeine probably isn’t a good idea.”

“Oh, right, that’s true.”

“So I looked for decaf, but since there wasn’t any available, I searched online. Fortunately, they said it’s okay to have one cup lightly brewed in the morning, so you can have one without worry.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Him, searching to see if Eunsol can drink coffee or not? It really is the most uncharacteristic thing for Pyo Jaebeom to do.