112.
Even the best songs grow tiresome after hearing them too many times, and so did the luxurious time on the high-end yacht that Lee Han-seo had procured from somewhere, along with the sashimi freshly sliced from just-caught fish. Though only one person was actually confined, the three extras who had voluntarily imprisoned themselves alongside him stuck stubbornly to Ryu Ho-yeon day after day, undeterred by Choi Jae-won’s glares.
The freeloaders’ current obsession was binge-watching long-finished dramas one by one. It seemed like there were endless dramas that had aired during the nine years Ryu Ho-yeon had been gone. After being caught in his lie, Choi Jae-won had immediately reconnected the internet, so the supply was truly overwhelming.
“Seriously, how is that even possible by any standard?”
“What’s not possible now?”
“Huh? What? You think it’s actually possible to become a food industry tycoon just like that with something like kimchi-bibimbap-chicken-tteokbokki? Is becoming a tycoon that easy?”
“Oh, it’s just a drama, a drama! Just watch it for fun!”
Today was yet another peaceful day following the same routine. Lee Han-seo, who had been lying lazily with his head on Park Woo-jun’s lap, was bickering with Song Won-young about the drama’s content when he suddenly sat up and called out, “Ho-yeon!” asking him to take his side. Ryu Ho-yeon, who was just about to take a bite of the apple Song Won-young had peeled for him, rolled his eyes awkwardly, as Song Won-young had immediately called out “Esper-nim!” to him as well.
“Hey, Ryu Ho-yeon! Aren’t you being too much?”
Lee Han-seo’s sharp voice changed its target. He seemed quite shocked that the friend he firmly believed would take his side was hesitating and stalling.
“You really… even if you can’t remember, how can you compare me with someone like that who you’ve barely met…!”
“Someone like what? What does that mean? And anyway, since you can’t remember, if we’re just going by when Esper-nim met us, I met him first!”
“Hey!”
“What!”
Song Won-young talked back just as fiercely. It had been a long time since someone had confronted Lee Han-seo, who only knew how to act recklessly without any sense. Choi Jae-won had long since left, disgusted by the ongoing squabble.
Ryu Ho-yeon glanced at Park Woo-jun, who was strangely calm despite Lee Han-seo spitting fire, and crunched into his apple. Though Lee Han-seo seemed hurt, if he had to choose sides, it would obviously be Lee Han-seo’s. And his memory was actually fully intact.
Yet Ryu Ho-yeon found it difficult to easily take Lee Han-seo’s side because… the problem with “kimchi-bibimbap-chicken-tteokbokki” was that it wasn’t just a fictional product in the drama but an actual product, and what’s more, it was developed and sold by the distribution company run by Lee Han-seo’s mother. In fact, the company’s name was prominently displayed among the sponsors at the end of the drama—right at the top.
“Oh, honey. They’re kissing.”
The calm Park Woo-jun tapped Lee Han-seo’s shoulder as he was busy growling at Song Won-young. Lee Han-seo immediately forgot his anger and whipped his head around.
“Oh my god, really? Rewind it, rewind it!”
“Ahhh! No way. She takes him back? This quickly? That’s even more unrealistic!”
“Exactly. How can she take back a cheater like that? Wow, if it were me, I would really…!!”
The living room once again filled with the duet of Lee Han-seo and Song Won-young. Perhaps it was because their personalities were similar that they clashed often, but they also seemed to get along well. Ryu Ho-yeon continued gnawing on his apple with his front teeth, his gaze fixed on the large television screen without saying a word.
“Hmm…”
“……”
Cold sweat broke out all over. Unlike the two who were completely absorbed in the makjang drama, Park Woo-jun’s sharp eyes were fixed on the side of Ryu Ho-yeon’s head.
Ryu Ho-yeon tried his best to act natural, but he couldn’t completely hide his awkwardness. Though he wasn’t sure exactly when it started, it had been days since Ryu Ho-yeon detected suspicious glances directed at him.
It seemed he had become too relaxed with both Choi Jae-won and Lee Han-seo around, plus not having to call Choi Jae-won “hyung” anymore. The problem was that he had let his mental guard down from living too comfortably.
Even after settling on the island, Lee Han-seo often contacted the outside world and would squawk about all sorts of things: how Lee Hyesu, a mental Esper, had decided to get back together with her ex-boyfriend; how some short, arrogant kid named Seo Geon-woo had the audacity to say he didn’t like the birthday gift his uncle bought him—his reasons for getting heated were diverse.
For Ryu Ho-yeon, who supposedly had lost all memories, Lee Hyesu and Seo Geon-woo should have been names he was hearing for the first time.
‘I really don’t like Lee Hyesu. Is she crazy? She just takes him back? She’s such a pushover.’
Lee Han-seo had grumbled after hanging up the phone. Lee Hyesu, an A-class mental Esper, had been quite close with not only Lee Han-seo but originally with Ryu Ho-yeon as well, centered around Lee Jung-hyuk.
It was now such an old memory that he couldn’t recall exactly when, but Lee Hyesu’s boyfriend and pair Guide had suddenly changed his mind shortly before their wedding, even breaking their imprinting. For a while, Lee Hyesu had barely functioned as a person. Seeing this, Ryu Ho-yeon had even asked Choi Jae-won if he would go on a blind date…
‘Hey, would you… like to go on a blind date?’
‘What? What kind of bull—, I mean, what are you saying, hyung?’
‘A noona I know broke up with her boyfriend and asked if I knew anyone to introduce her to, and I happened to mention that I knew a not-bad-looking younger guy with a good personality.’
Ryu Ho-yeon suddenly felt like he had committed many sins.
Anyway, that wasn’t the point. The point was that Ryu Ho-yeon, who shouldn’t have remembered any of this and shouldn’t have known who Lee Hyesu was, had unconsciously responded to Lee Han-seo’s comment.
‘Still, what can she do? It’s fortunate she’s not re-imprinting too.’
He flinched right after saying it. Luckily, only he and Lee Han-seo had been there. Ryu Ho-yeon was sweating bullets, worried that Lee Han-seo might notice something odd, and thought that at this point, he should just confess the truth and somehow find time to talk to Choi Jae-won separately.
‘Oh, really? I don’t know. Hearing her voice now, she’s completely fallen for him. What a fool. From the looks of it, she’ll probably re-imprint right away.’
Lee Han-seo, absorbed in his immediate irritation, didn’t seem to have noticed.
Instead.
‘Honey, we should go to bed now.’
‘Okay. I’m coming. Good night, Ho-yeon. See you tomorrow.’
‘……’
It must have been clearly heard by the natural Esper with ghost-like sensitive ears. Park Woo-jun’s gaze had started to become strange around that time.
In fact, Park Woo-jun had been sensing something odd for a while. Ryu Ho-yeon had only fully realized it then. Whenever Lee Han-seo brought up topics that the current Ryu Ho-yeon should have known nothing about—like how a frequented snack shop near the Center had closed, or how Kim Jun-young and Lee Jung-hyuk had another childish argument over nothing—Ryu Ho-yeon would unconsciously nod in agreement or express sympathy.
Surprisingly, no one except Park Woo-jun detected anything unusual.
Song Won-young, despite his intense admiration, didn’t know much about the original Ryu Ho-yeon to detect that these responses were strange. As for the two cousins who would drop everything for Ryu Ho-yeon, they seemed to leave their intelligence behind when in front of him. Unintentionally, Park Woo-jun was the only one who knew the original Ryu Ho-yeon well while remaining objective enough not to be infatuated with him.
After carefully observing the situation for several days, Park Woo-jun reached a conclusion. Whether he had been pretending from the beginning or had regained his memories partway through, the current Ryu Ho-yeon clearly remembered his past.
“I, I, I need to go, go, go to Jae, Jae, Jae-won.”
Unable to bear the suspicious gaze any longer, Ryu Ho-yeon stuttered nervously and hurriedly left his seat.
“Why is Ho-yeon acting like that all of a sudden?”
“Who knows. Maybe he’s cold? Choi Jae-won will take care of it, I’m sure.”
“Hmm, I’m worried though…”
“Honey.”
“Yes?”
“Is this the time to worry about others?”
Park Woo-jun turned away, exaggeratedly puffing his cheeks as if upset. It was practically a protest that he had been giving too much attention to someone other than himself. Lee Han-seo burst out laughing and embraced his boyfriend, who was a head taller than him, while Song Won-young clicked his tongue and shook his head as if he’d seen something unbearable.
With his forehead buried in Lee Han-seo’s chest and his arms tightly wrapped around his thin waist, Park Woo-jun inwardly calculated the right timing.
He needed to send a warning before Lee Han-seo caught onto Ryu Ho-yeon’s secret.
He didn’t care what Ryu Ho-yeon was thinking or why he was deceiving others. He only couldn’t tolerate Ryu Ho-yeon hurting Lee Han-seo’s feelings by confessing his lies at the wrong time.
“Honey. Focus only on me. Love only me.”
“What’s this? Why are you being so clingy?”
“Hm? Hmm?”
“Alright, I will.”
For Park Woo-jun, nothing else mattered.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
