Choi Sang-hyuk’s reaction was unexpectedly indifferent. He showed neither surprise nor curiosity.
“What you said before was right, Choi Sang-hyuk. You said you got turned on seeing Seo Ha-yoon crying like an abandoned cat. I never thought you actually meant that literally.”
“I don’t lie.”
Choi Sang-hyuk cut in firmly. Kim Min-seok chuckled softly. Somehow, he found this man a little cute.
“You pay ten million won a month just to have him do housework, keep him around for months without laying a finger on him, agree when he asks for a housekeeper, say yes when he asks for an allowance, don’t smoke in front of him because he doesn’t like it—and even quit smoking altogether because he hates the smell. From a third party’s perspective, that’s real love. Like, totally head over heels at first sight, don’t you think?”
Kim Min-seok spoke playfully but quickly realized he had broached too serious a subject. So, he hurriedly added,
“Well, I mean, you’re filthy rich, so I guess it makes sense to do that for someone who’s your type. I just don’t get it because the scale of it is way beyond me.”
As he spoke, he bit his lip. His heart pounded for no reason.
What if Choi Sang-hyuk admitted that he loved Seo Ha-yoon? Then wouldn’t that make him, Kim Min-seok, nothing more than a thief—living in the body of the man Choi Sang-hyuk truly loved, enjoying everything that rightfully belonged to him? Worse still, he was getting greedy, wanting to keep living as Seo Ha-yoon.
He didn’t want to know. And yet, at the same time, he did.
Did Choi Sang-hyuk love Seo Ha-yoon?
If he said yes, it would make Min-seok feel disappointed and hurt. But if he said no, that would also be disappointing. What kind of contradiction was this?
“What about you?”
Choi Sang-hyuk asked in return.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Do you think I love Seo Ha-yoon?”
Kim Min-seok froze at the blunt question. He was afraid his feelings had been exposed—that this selfish, thieving heart of his had been laid bare.
“I… I don’t know.”
He murmured, pressing himself deeper into Choi Sang-hyuk’s embrace. The warmth of their touching skin, the faint scent of his body—it was intoxicating. And that made it all the more painful.
It wasn’t his.
He was merely borrowing it for a moment.
And yet, he wanted it too much.
He resented Seo Ha-yoon for it.
“Choi Sang-hyuk.”
“Say it.”
“I don’t know when it’ll happen, but… if Seo Ha-yoon comes back to this body and Kim Min-seok disappears… do you think you’ll remember me even a little?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Ah…”
Kim Min-seok was deeply disappointed. He hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection—Sang-hyuk outright stating that he wouldn’t remember him. His eyes burned.
Who was he to ask to be remembered when he was occupying someone else’s body? Maybe it was too much to ask.
Biting his lips hard, he forced back the tears. He didn’t want to be seen crying. That was his pride.
“You’re not going to disappear, so don’t waste your time thinking about nonsense like that.”
“…What?”
Startled, Min-seok lifted his head from Sang-hyuk’s shoulder and met his gaze.
Choi Sang-hyuk gently brushed his fingertips over the corners of Min-seok’s slightly reddened eyes and spoke calmly.
“Kim Min-seok or whatever your name is—you’re not going to disappear from that body. So stop worrying about pointless things.”
“…Why? Why do you think that?”
Min-seok’s voice trembled slightly as he asked.
“Because Seo Ha-yoon wants it that way.”
“Seo Ha-yoon? Wants what?”
“This. The way things are now.”
“This… state?”
“Yeah. Just like this.”
“…I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Min-seok was confused. But Sang-hyuk didn’t seem inclined to explain further.
“Come to think of it, Ha Jun-seo said something similar. That Seo Ha-yoon is happy right now. That he’s living much more comfortably and happily than before. Since Seo Ha-yoon’s happiness is what matters most, he’s fine with things staying the way they are. That’s what he said.”
“That bastard?”
Sang-hyuk scowled, clearly displeased to hear Ha Jun-seo’s name.
Min-seok observed his reaction for a moment before hesitantly asking,
“…Do you know where Seo Ha-yoon is right now?”
For the first time, Choi Sang-hyuk looked away. He was avoiding the question.
That reaction made Min-seok’s heart race with anxiety.
“What is it? Why won’t you answer me? Tell me. Do you know where Seo Ha-yoon is right now? Choi Sang-hyuk!”
Min-seok pressed for an answer.
Sang-hyuk absentmindedly traced the beauty mark beneath Min-seok’s eye with his fingertip, lost in thought.
Then, after a long silence, he finally spoke in a slow, deliberate voice.
“Seo Ha-yoon hid himself somewhere I can never find him. Unless he chooses to come back on his own… I’ll never be able to find him.”
“A place even you can’t find?”
“That’s right.”
“But… is there really a place in this world that you can’t reach?”
“Normally, no. That’s why I’m saying Seo Ha-yoon is clever. He managed to find a place to hide where even I can’t reach him.”
“…I don’t really understand.”
“You don’t need to. There’s no need for you to think about it.”
Choi Sang-hyuk gently stroked Kim Min-seok’s head.
“But this is my problem too. When Seo Ha-yoon comes back, I have to return this body to him… My whole life depends on it.”
As Kim Min-seok pushed back, Choi Sang-hyuk fixed him with a piercing gaze. His eyes were unreadable, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
“Do you hate it now?”
Choi Sang-hyuk asked.
“That’s…”
“Have these past few days been unbearable? I’m asking if you want to hurry back to your own body. Don’t add unnecessary words—just answer honestly.”
His gaze was serious. Under that stare, Kim Min-seok couldn’t even think of lying. He took a few shallow breaths before finally parting his lips.
“…No. I didn’t hate it. If anything… I liked it.”
Kim Min-seok barely managed to speak, feeling the heat welling up in his eyes again.
“I’ve never had anything like this before. I was an orphan. No real friends, nothing to my name, no one who ever gave me love or affection. If I suddenly died one day, there wouldn’t even be anyone to hold a funeral for me. No one would grieve for me.
“But Seo Ha-yoon… he’s different. He has a home, a family, money… and he has you, Choi Sang-hyuk. He has everything I’ve never had. So how could I possibly hate this?”
In the end, tears welled up and blurred his vision. He felt like a pathetic crybaby. Choi Sang-hyuk gently brushed his thumb under Kim Min-seok’s eye, wiping away the teardrops that spilled over.
“…That’s why I’m greedy. None of this belongs to me… It’s all Seo Ha-yoon’s. Even this body isn’t mine. I know that, and yet, I can’t help but want it.
“I know going back to my own body is the right thing to do, but I’m terrified of it actually happening. And I hate myself for being this selfish.”
Choi Sang-hyuk seemed about to say something but closed his mouth again. He let out a quiet sigh before pulling Kim Min-seok into his arms.
“So, are you happy right now?”
“…Yes.”
Kim Min-seok’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Then just stay like this. Don’t think about going back. Don’t think about disappearing. Just live as you are.”
“But if I do that… what about Seo Ha-yoon?”
“That bastard was right.”
“Huh?”
“Ha Jun-seo was right. Seo Ha-yoon seems to be much happier now. So you just keep living like this.”
Kim Min-seok started to wonder if Choi Sang-hyuk and Ha Jun-seo already knew where Seo Ha-yoon was. Based on what they were saying, it seemed likely.
But he decided not to ask any further.
He didn’t want to know.
If he found out where Seo Ha-yoon was, his conscience would force him to go to him. He would have to return his body.
So he decided to pretend he didn’t know.
“…Are you really okay with me continuing to live as Seo Ha-yoon like this? You love him, don’t you, Choi Sang-hyuk? At the very least, you like him. And yet, you’re fine with this?”
“That’s exactly why I’m okay with it.”
Choi Sang-hyuk answered in a low voice.
Kim Min-seok didn’t fully understand his response. But one thing was clear—Choi Sang-hyuk had completely accepted his existence. And that was what mattered.
“…Thank you, Choi Sang-hyuk.”
“If you’re grateful, stop crying. It turns me on. And stop saying thank you all the time. That turns me on too.”
Choi Sang-hyuk muttered bluntly.
Kim Min-seok couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
“Getting turned on by someone crying and by hearing ‘thank you’… Don’t you think you might have a bit of a perverted streak, Choi Sang-hyuk?”
“Don’t push it.”
Choi Sang-hyuk growled as he yanked Kim Min-seok forward by the back of his head.
And this time, his kisses were rough, untamed.
Kim Min-seok wrapped his arms around Choi Sang-hyuk’s neck and kissed him back just as fiercely.
