“Director? Please wake up.”
It seemed he had dozed off without realizing it. Waking up to Seung-hyeon’s voice, Seon-woo glanced around, trying to shake off the haze clouding his mind. Everything was just as it had been in the motel room where he’d fallen asleep with Seung-hyeon. Even though he knew the intense scene just now had only been a dream, the lingering aftereffects made it hard to regain his composure.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
Seung-hyeon, who must have woken up earlier, didn’t look the least bit groggy. His eyes were sharp, and he was perfectly put together. Seon-woo glanced at him briefly, then rubbed his forehead.
“It’s nothing…”
He had meant to brush it off with those words, but his lips, once parted, failed to finish the sentence and simply closed again. A sudden sense of unease had struck him. He slowly lifted his head and examined Seung-hyeon’s face before asking:
“Is there something important about today?”
At that, Seung-hyeon’s expression shifted into something unreadable. It wasn’t immediately clear what he was feeling, but at a glance, it looked closest to being flustered.
Is today actually significant? Could it be related to the scene from my dream?
He hoped not. But judging by how serious Seung-hyeon’s expression became, it didn’t seem like Seon-woo’s wish was going to come true.
“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
Of course, he had no ready answer for that. Seon-woo averted his gaze evasively. It was similar to how he’d reacted back at the beach, when asked if he didn’t dislike Seung-hyeon. But unlike back then, Seung-hyeon’s voice remained surprisingly calm. He spoke again, this time with measured caution.
“Did something come back to you?”
Hearing that, Seon-woo suddenly understood what was going through Seung-hyeon’s head. It seemed he believed that Seon-woo’s cryptic questions meant his memories were starting to return. A small part of Seon-woo thought that agreeing might help avoid suspicion over his strange behavior. But just as he was about to nod, he hesitated—because of Seung-hyeon’s expression.
Though his face had returned to its usual composed self, the stern look from earlier couldn’t have been a trick of the eye. Seung-hyeon looked like someone who absolutely did not want Seon-woo to regain his memories. And really, if the idea of Seon-woo remembering was enough to make him freeze up like that, there was no need for further explanation.
What, is someone regaining their memories that terrible…?
The thought crossed Seon-woo’s mind idly, but then he nodded, quietly understanding. From Seung-hyeon’s point of view, it made perfect sense to be worried—because if Gwak Seon-woo went back to being the person he was before the memory loss, that would mean returning to being a volatile, toxic wreck of a man, just like when they first met.
So, Seon-woo mumbled out a vague answer.
“Well… maybe.”
…Honestly, he should’ve just answered properly. Seeing the way Seung-hyeon’s brows furrowed even deeper than before, Seon-woo couldn’t help but regret his choice. Seung-hyeon didn’t reply right away. In the end, it was Seon-woo, frustrated by the silence, who spoke up first.
“Are you really that bothered by the idea that I might get my memories back?”
The question slipped out in a disgruntled tone before he could stop himself. Seung-hyeon turned to look at him and offered a faint smile. For a question asked so bluntly, the answer came back surprisingly calm.
“It’s not exactly a good thing.”
He hadn’t expected such a straightforward agreement. Now that Seung-hyeon was being honest, Seon-woo found himself at a loss for what to argue back. He nodded slowly, as if to say, Fine, you’ve got a point. But Seung-hyeon wasn’t finished yet.
“You’re the type who immediately tries to distance yourself the moment you feel like your memory might be returning—because you don’t like it.”
There it is again. Guilt-trip tactics…
Seon-woo clamped his mouth shut even tighter. The annoyance was clearly written all over his face, and Seung-hyeon responded with a soft chuckle.
“That’s…”
He felt compelled to explain himself somehow. Seon-woo parted his lips with the intention of giving some kind of excuse—but when he met Seung-hyeon’s eyes, he couldn’t come up with anything clever.
“That’s not entirely why.”
It wasn’t a great answer, but it wasn’t exactly wrong either. He was confident at least in this—he hadn’t been trying to keep a distance. If anything, he’d been thinking the opposite.
Seung-hyeon didn’t respond. Maybe that silence was what made it easier for Seon-woo to continue.
“But the fact that we’re talking about this now… doesn’t that mean you don’t think it’s happening yet?”
If Seung-hyeon truly believed that once Seon-woo regained his memories, he’d go back to despising and rejecting him like before—then even he wouldn’t be able to say that kind of thing directly to his face.
“About halfway.”
Seung-hyeon nodded without resistance, though the content of his words stopped short of full agreement. Now it was Seon-woo’s turn to look confused. He raised a brow, silently prompting the rest. Seung-hyeon continued in that same casual tone.
“It’s not like I’m entirely unafraid either.”
The words hit like a stone in the chest. That probably meant… he, too, was scared of how cold and indifferent Gwak Seon-woo could be. And if that were the case, what else could Seon-woo even say?
“Even if my memories do come back… I don’t think I’d act that way again.”
Maybe it would’ve been better to keep his mouth shut. But he wanted to say this. He saw Seung-hyeon turn toward him in his peripheral vision, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at his expression.
The system was utterly silent now, as if it had well and truly given up on him. Seung-hyeon wasn’t saying anything either. Eventually, it was Seon-woo who broke the silence again.
“So, your answer?”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t I ask you earlier what today is?”
He had nearly forgotten, but this was an important question. The moment the tension eased, he brought it up again. Seung-hyeon wore that conflicted expression once more—like he wasn’t sure whether he should say it. But the hesitation didn’t last long. He finally spoke in a calm voice.
“It is a significant day. It’s the anniversary of my father’s death.”
There was no way he’d kept his face neutral after hearing that. Sure enough, the shock must’ve been written all over him, because Seung-hyeon actually looked startled and stepped closer.
“Are you alright?”
But even as Seung-hyeon gently cupped his face, coaxing him to look up, Seon-woo couldn’t bring himself to respond. His mind was already spinning at full speed.
The fact that today was the death anniversary of that man—Gwak Seon-woo’s uncle and Seung-hyeon’s father—was directly tied to the dream he had just awoken from. In the dream, Seung-hyeon’s mother had visited her husband’s columbarium. Most likely, it was because today was his memorial day.
Which meant… the events in that dream could very well be happening right now.
Seon-woo rose to his feet with a pale, stricken face.
Of course, considering how much their relationship had changed, things wouldn’t unfold exactly as they had in the dream. In the dream, Seung-hyeon had seemed suspicious of him—but now, even if something similar were to happen, it was safe to assume that suspicion wouldn’t be aimed at Seon-woo.
But that wasn’t the issue.
The problem wasn’t whether he would be treated like a suspect—it was the very real possibility that Seung-hyeon’s mother could be attacked by an intruder and seriously hurt. More than anything, what worried him most was how Seung-hyeon would react if something like that happened.
“Um… that…”
He struggled to get the words out. The moment he did, Seung-hyeon leaned in slightly, as if trying to catch every syllable with utmost care.
“The… where is your father’s columbarium located?”
Seung-hyeon’s expression shifted subtly, as if he hadn’t expected that question. It looked like there were a dozen things he wanted to ask. But after a short silence, only a calm response left his lips.
“You want to visit?”
Seon-woo could only feel grateful that Seung-hyeon had asked first. He didn’t know when it might happen, but either way, the best move right now was to go there. He tried to think of how to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. Even if he told the truth, it would sound completely absurd. So for now, the best plan was to get moving, then find an excuse to have Seung-hyeon call his mother.
But… what if they were already too late? What if by the time he called, the attacker had already come and gone—and Seung-hyeon’s mother was already in the hospital?
Seon-woo’s anxiety must have shown clearly on his face. Seung-hyeon reached out and gently caressed his cheek, as if trying to soothe him.
“Okay. I don’t know what this is about, but it’s alright… Let’s go now, alright?”
Before Seon-woo could respond, Seung-hyeon’s hand was already guiding him up. Swept up in the moment, Seon-woo was led all the way to the car without a word.
Even after getting in the car, he still couldn’t bring himself to speak. He was too preoccupied with trying to find a way to explain himself without sounding like a lunatic. Then again, judging by Seung-hyeon’s attitude, maybe it wouldn’t be a problem. Despite how suspicious Seon-woo had acted, Seung-hyeon had calmly agreed to head toward his father’s columbarium without protest.
Perhaps sensing that Seon-woo had calmed down a bit, Seung-hyeon finally spoke.
“Feeling a little better now?”
The quiet steadiness in his voice was oddly reassuring. After a long silence, Seon-woo impulsively opened his mouth.
“…Call your mom.”
“My mom?”
Seung-hyeon asked, sounding slightly taken aback. Seon-woo gave a silent nod without offering any further explanation, which only deepened the confusion on Seung-hyeon’s face.
“Don’t argue—just call her. Ask where she is. If she’s planning to go to the columbarium, tell her to wait a bit.”
The confusion hadn’t fully left Seung-hyeon’s expression, but he still gave a small nod. He handed his phone to Seon-woo and spoke.
“Give it back to me after you dial. Around this time, she’s usually already on her way there… Are you planning to meet her?”
Seon-woo nodded. He didn’t have any other explanation at the moment. It would be easier to explain everything once the call was over. He scrolled through the contacts, found “Mom,” and tapped the call button, holding the phone up to Seung-hyeon’s ear.
Seung-hyeon looked slightly surprised but didn’t say anything, focusing on the dial tone.
“Hello? Yes, Mom. Where are you right now?”
The conversation began calmly. Since Seon-woo couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, he kept his eyes locked on Seung-hyeon’s face. But before long, Seung-hyeon’s expression began to change.
“What? …Hold on. You’re with who?”
His tone sharpened abruptly, voice rising.
“Wait—why are you with him?”
