Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Reunion (3)
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Ha Jae's parents from his childhood were a diplomat couple.
While they were working in the United States representing our country, they had Jae.
Jae grew up as a happy child under his parents' devoted love.
But in the year Jae turned three, his parents were reassigned to another country due to diplomatic rotations, and Jae returned to Seoul alone to be raised by his maternal grandmother.
As heartbreaking as it was to not see his parents...
"Mom! Dad! Did you have a good day today too? At kindergarten today, Jae..."
Still, Jae made sure to call his parents once a day without fail, waiting for them with a joyful heart.
Jae was a sensible child, so he could endure that much.
That year, when Jae turned seven, his parents finally finished their overseas posting and returned to Seoul.
Thanks to that, Jae got to live with them for about three years. Two years later, they even moved to the United States together. It was truly happy times.
But when Jae was ten, misfortune struck suddenly.
[Las Vegas Flight HG082 crashes mid-air... No survivors in shocking incident]
His parents were heading to another state for work when the plane they were on plummeted due to engine failure.
Because of the sudden plane crash, Jae lost his parents and had to return to Korea alone under the nation's arrangements.
After that, Jae grew up under his grandmother's care until, at seventeen, he passed an audition and became a trainee at UJ Entertainment.
The reason Jae wanted to become an idol might have been loneliness.
Idols were beings who could receive everyone's love.
But Jae didn't know.
That the path he chose seeking love would end up strangling him instead.
Things not going well, members' scandals, the group stepping into disbandment without even fulfilling their contract period.
Because of that, Jae began suffering from depression.
Jae was tormented. He thought no one loved him.
Every time he opened the internet, it was filled with insults about him and his group.
Unable to contain his empty heart, Jae devoured everything. It made him feel full inside, even if just for a moment.
But it was only temporary. In the end, Jae had to vomit it all back up.
This kept repeating, and Jae grew even more tormented.
"Instead of living like this..."
Eventually, Jae swallowed countless pills he shouldn't have.
He fell into a deep sleep, and when he woke again, he was no longer "Jae."
* * *
"...That's how it happened."
Listening silently to his story, I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest. What a lonely life he'd lived.
He said it was the path he chose because he wanted love. But "Ha Jae" never received much attention during his activities.
'He was strangely unmemorable.'
Even I remembered the other EverPlanet members clearly, but not Ha Jae. Of course, I remembered them because of the scandals they caused.
"But we have something in common. My dad passed away in an accident right around that age too. Car crash."
"Ah..."
"So, what about the last five years? Living as EverPlanet?"
This part was especially important to me.
Because I was the one who had to walk that path again.
Any info on the members' scandals, even a little, would help a lot.
But at my question, the real Jae scratched his cheek with a troubled look.
"Il-hyun, um..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Actually, my memories after debut are a bit unstable."
"What do you mean unstable?"
"Exactly that. From when I was twenty, active as EverPlanet, until twenty-four... it's like there's fog over them. I vaguely remember the big picture of events, but the details won't come. Every time I try to think, my head hurts. ...Probably a side effect of the pills."
"Hm."
"I'll tell you everything I know as best I can. Not sure how helpful it'll be."
I asked him various things about the members' scandals.
How those things happened, if there were any hidden circumstances.
Unfortunately, he only remembered that they happened, nothing about the details.
The more he tried to recall, the paler he got, so I gave up asking.
Instead, I shifted to stories about my family that I'd always wanted to hear.
"Did you meet my mom and sister by any chance?"
"Oh, yeah. They're both really nice. When I first woke up in your body and said I'd lost my memories, they rushed over from Cheongju. And... during break, I went down to the family home in Cheongju to stay."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. Your mom told me to come..."
Kinda jealous.
"It was great. As you know, after Grandma passed, I've been living alone without family. Spending time in a real family atmosphere after so long... it felt so good."
That's why he didn't want to come back. He added that, lowering his head.
Like he felt guilty for avoiding me on purpose.
That's when I finally understood his feelings.
"It's okay. From now on, just keep in touch well."
"...Right!"
"Oh, right. How's school life? Not too hard? You probably never studied for the CSAT. Or do you have something else you want to do? If so, that's fine too. You can transfer majors, or even drop out and do what you want."
After all, I was living in Jae's body doing what I wanted.
Telling him to keep living my life felt like forcing it.
But Jae shook his head.
"Not sure yet. What I want to do, when I'm happiest. So for now, I'm just staying in your spot."
"I see. Then, studying okay?"
When I asked again, Jae smiled and answered.
"It's hard. Hard, but... I'm keeping up since I'm working hard. And the classmates are all nice... I had no idea college life could be this fun."
Good to hear.
"Glad to hear it. Any clubs?"
"A Sunbae from the theater club... keeps asking me to join, but it's a bit burdensome, so I've been avoiding it."
"Why not give it a try? It's fun."
"Still..."
Jae trailed off, clearly reluctant.
Well, if that's how you feel, nothing I can do.
I brushed it off casually and downed the last sip of my latte.
"Anyway, looks like we'll have to keep going like this for the time being."
"Yeah."
"Let's do our best in each other's places. And take good care of my mom and sister..."
With that, I offered him a handshake.
A handshake between comrades in similar situations.
"Y-yeah. Me too... take care of my members. They're not bad guys, really. I guarantee it."
He nodded and took my hand without hesitation.
And so, my first meeting with the real Jae—as "Seo Il-hyun"—ended with forming an alliance.
* * *
After parting with the real Jae, I called Han Tae-hee.
He said he was just finishing up everything and about to call me.
I met him outside school, and we headed back to the dorm together.
After changing clothes, we sat down for dinner with the members.
Suddenly, Han Tae-hee shoved his phone at me.
"Hey, Jae. Is this you by any chance?"
"What's that?"
I read the post on the screen he handed me.
Seo Yeon University Bamboo Grove... Moran Hall bench... campus chase...
'Hm, it's all perfectly about me.'
Denying it wouldn't work; Tae-hee wouldn't buy it straight. Those eyes said he already had strong suspicions...
No choice, I nodded and admitted it.
Tae-hee burst out laughing, like he knew it.
"As expected! Our Ha Jae. Sparkling wherever you go, self-luminous? It hits the Bamboo Grove right away."
No. I didn't use Sparkling today.
"Why, Tae-hee hyung? What happened?"
"Oh, Su-rim. Check this out. Jae went to our school with me today..."
Tae-hee, grinning ear to ear, showed Park Su-rim the screen and explained everything.
Su-rim gave me a thumbs-up like it was impressive.
"As expected. Jae's got that star quality."
"But who'd you see to chase after in a full campus pursuit?"
Tae-hee's sudden question. I came up with a suitable edited version in my head.
"Just an old friend. Bumped into him by chance, wanted to say hi... but I was wearing a hat and mask, right? He thought I was some weirdo and ran."
"Makes sense. With all the 'trust no one' stuff going around these days."
"Yeah. Caught him eventually, cleared it up. That's it."
They accepted my explanation without much doubt. Phew.
After chatting with the members, I showered, went to my room, and lay on my bed.
Staring blankly at the empty bottom bunk of the bunk bed, I sank into thought.
Why was I living "Ha Jae's" life?
What was behind this incident, behind the system that came to me?
Did the real Jae get that special ability "Guideline" because of the system too?
If so, why just us? Or were there others going through the same?
Unanswered questions filled my head.
And the one capping it off:
Beyond all these quests that came to me, when I finally reached the end, what would be waiting?
Could I really return to my body?
It all came back to the "end" of this incomplete life.
'Argh, no clue.'
Frustrated, I thumped my chest with my fist and sighed.
No idea what was what.
To clear my cluttered head, I started a cat video on L-Tube.
Staring blankly at a cat getting bathed and yelling "Let me out!" when suddenly a notification popped up at the top of my phone. KakaoTalk message.
[Seo Il-hyun: Il-hyun, you up?]
[Seo Il-hyun: Not much, but this]
[Seo Il-hyun: Got it from your sis]
[Seo Il-hyun: Seemed like you wanted to see it...]
[Seo Il-hyun: (photo)]
I checked the chat in a frenzy.
There in the middle was the huge photo he'd sent.
The moment I saw it,
"Ah..."
My throat tightened up.
I zoomed in on the photo of Mom and Sis on the screen.
Faces I'd missed so much.
"I miss you..."
I rubbed their beaming faces with my thumb.
So glad to see them, even like this.
After staring at the photo for a long while, I saved it to my gallery and replied to the real Jae.
[Me: Thanks, Jae]
[Me: Seriously...]
[Me: Thank you so much]
A quick reply came back from the real Jae.
[Seo Il-hyun: No biggie lol... If my grandma were alive, I'd have asked you a ton too]
[Seo Il-hyun: I'll keep passing stuff along]
[Seo Il-hyun: So like we talked, let's both do our best in each other's spots!]
[Seo Il-hyun: I'll live hard so I don't stain your name]
[Seo Il-hyun: Like I said, I really like living your life]
The real Jae really seemed scared to go back to his own life.
What exactly happened? And was his foggy memory really just from the accident? Or some other force at play?
[Me: Yeah]
[Me: Take good care of my body]
[Me: Hit me up anytime if you need help, no hesitation]
[Me: I'll reply as fast as I can]
Sending the reply, I thought again about the mysteries surrounding us.
[Seo Il-hyun: Yeah, you too]
But no matter how much, no answers came.
Frustrated, I sighed deeply and closed my eyes.
Hell, it'd be way more believable if this was all a dream like some drama. The thought crossed my mind.