Chapter 118: That Man's Life (Fake Si-woo Ver.)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: That Man's Life (Fake Si-woo Ver.)
With an hour left before leaving work, he ended up facing the person he wanted to see the least.
Jung Si-a, 26 years old, A-rank Hunter.
She preferred being called by her title, ‘Princess,’ rather than her name, and her goal was to become an S-rank Hunter and be called ‘Queen’—a severe case of chunibyo.
She was annoying in many ways.
Because.
“Hmm… so you’re a fake today, too.”
Because Jung Si-a had vaguely sensed that he was not the real one, but a fake.
“…That again. Aren't you getting tired of it yet?”
He retorted, doing his best to hide his stinging unease and imitate Son Si-woo's way of speaking.
As long as he didn't show it, he would be fine.
From the moment she first saw him, she had realized he was a fake.
Back then, he thought his heart would drop, but fortunately, he wasn't driven out by everyone.
“You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool my eyes, fake.”
It was all thanks to the fact that no one believed her.
Perhaps because of her notoriously eccentric persona, everyone just assumed she was obsessed with playing detective this time and moved on. Not a single person paid her words any mind.
From then on, she started showing up unexpectedly to scold him.
“Bring the real one here at once. Otherwise, I shall punish you severely!”
“…Hah.”
After enduring this for several months, he had realized something.
The best way to get rid of her even a little bit faster was to not respond at all.
Then, when someone came over after hearing her screaming at the top of her lungs…
“Please take her away.”
“Yes, sir. Our apologies.”
“Ah, ahh! Unhand me! That fake bastard…!”
And just like that, he could send her away with them. End of story.
Easy, isn't it?
“I thought I was going to die.”
Actually, there was another, real reason she was so annoying.
It was because of her Trait.
“Ugh… so stiff.”
Because of her ridiculous Trait that pressured everything in sight and rendered it immobile, whenever he faced her, his body would slowly start to stiffen, beginning from his fingertips and toes.
Rotating his hands and feet and massaging them a few times like he was stretching would make it better quickly, but the sensation he felt during the stiffening process was so unpleasant that he wanted to avoid facing her if at all possible.
“Phew.”
Feeling the sensation in his hands and feet fully return, Fake Si-woo took out his smartphone and called his driver.
-Yes, Guild Leader.
“I'm leaving work now, so have the car ready.”
-Understood.
4:30 PM.
Not forgetting Han Ju-hee's request, he hurried to prepare to leave, even though it was earlier than usual.
Saying he had something to take care of at home and had to leave early, he exited the building and immediately got into the sedan waiting in front.
“Shall I take you home, sir?”
“Yeah.”
Inside the car, retracing the exact same route he had taken that morning.
Fake Si-woo was lost in thought for a moment.
Han Ju-hee had told him.
To leave work early because it was the day Ju-yeon was returning to the country.
From the way she said it, it seemed like this person was a welcome guest and someone close to them.
‘Who's Ju-yeon?’
No information about a person named Ju-yeon came to mind.
However, the name was somewhat familiar to his memories as Kim Do-jin.
‘I feel like I've heard it somewhere…’
The memory was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite recall it.
‘Ju-yeon, Ju-yeon, Ju-yeon… Ju-hee, Ju-yeon…’
As he repeated the names Ju-yeon and Ju-hee, something suddenly flashed in his mind.
“Ah!”
He remembered.
He'd seen it when he was eagerly searching for information about Han Ju-hee.
Han Ju-yeon.
Han Ju-hee's younger sister, born late in their parents' lives, more than ten years her junior.
Was it five years ago, or six?
He'd heard she left Korea after receiving an offer for an enormous sum from an overseas guild. It seemed she was returning today.
“Wait a minute, then…”
Han Ju-yeon was his wife's younger sister.
‘What do you call your wife's younger sister?’
He quietly took out his smartphone and searched for "wife's younger sister."
Namuwiki, the hall of knowledge, bestowed new wisdom upon him.
‘Ah, sister-in-law.’
His nervousness began to slowly subside.
Even better, his search revealed that she had left the country six years ago and had never come back.
In other words, they hadn't seen each other's faces even once in the last six years.
The relationship between a brother-in-law and sister-in-law who hadn't seen each other in six years.
Wasn't it obvious?
‘If I just say what's necessary and keep my mouth shut, there shouldn't be any major problems.’
If they had been close, they wouldn't have gone six whole years without seeing each other.
Feeling a bit more relieved, he watched the scenery pass by outside the window.
This was one of the most peaceful moments he was allowed.
“We've arrived.”
Perhaps that's why it always ended in an instant.
“Hah, good work.”
“Have a good evening, sir.”
Forcing his reluctant feet to move, he got out of the car and slowly entered the house.
The servants, bustling about, greeted him.
Fake Si-woo barely acknowledged them as he went up to his room, showered, and changed his clothes.
Beige cotton pants and a white collared shirt.
For Fake Si-woo, who had always been cooped up at home in shorts and a t-shirt, it was an incomprehensible outfit.
“It's my own home, can't I dress a little more comfortably…”
Just as he was about to lie down on the bed for a short rest, muttering a small complaint…
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door.
“Sir, Madam has asked you to come down. Your sister-in-law has arrived…”
“Ah, yes. I'm coming now.”
It seemed there was no time to rest.
He immediately opened the door and headed for the entrance hall.
There, the reunion of three women was already in full swing.
“Ah, Brother-in-law!”
The woman who had been jumping up and down while hugging Son Seo-yeon just a moment ago waved in his direction.
Short hair and slightly tanned skin, as if she'd been sunbathing.
Other than that, she had facial features almost identical to her older sister's, but her vibe was completely different.
Unlike Han Ju-hee, who looked intelligent and level-headed, she seemed bright and cheerful.
Judging by their vibes alone, it was hard to believe the two were sisters.
“Brother-in-law, it's been so long! How long has it been, six years?!”
“Uh, yeah, that's right.”
“You've been well, right? I heard you were taking a sabbatical. You're not sick or anything, are you?”
“I'm fine. How have you been, sister-in-law?”
“Hehe, I've been great! Learning the language was a bit tough at first, but everything's great now! Oh! Except that the food is a bit greasy and hard to eat!”
She was quite the chatterbox.
It was Han Ju-hee, standing beside her, who stopped her from chattering on.
“Are you going to keep talking in the entranceway?”
“Oops, silly me. I'm sorry, Brother-in-law!”
“Haha… it's fine.”
The four of them finally left the entrance and headed to the kitchen.
A magnificent feast was spread out, featuring both Eastern and Western cuisine.
“Let's eat!”
The meal began with her bright greeting.
“Mmm… this is it, this is it! I missed Korean food so much!”
Her cheerfulness, which continued throughout the meal, made Fake Si-woo smile without realizing it.
Until now, he'd thought Han Ju-hee was the best, but now he was thinking Han Ju-yeon wasn't bad either.
‘Maybe that one would be easier?’
Unlike Han Ju-hee, who was difficult to even approach, Han Ju-yeon seemed easy to talk to.
Their faces are similar, too, so maybe I should aim for her instead…
‘No, that won't work.’
He had momentarily forgotten they were sister-in-law and brother-in-law.
If he made a wrong move, not only would his image be shattered, but the entire family could be ruined.
‘That can't happen.’
Fake Si-woo's number one goal was to return to his original body.
To be precise, it was to get back the body that Son Si-woo had cultivated, completely intact.
To do that, he couldn't cause any problems in this body.
In short, just like Han Ju-hee, Han Ju-yeon was also a pie in the sky.
‘Damn it, that was a nice thought while it lasted.’
Fake Si-woo scowled without realizing it.
Seeing this, Han Ju-yeon asked in a worried tone.
“Brother-in-law, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well? Should I heal you? I can even cure indigestion!”
“Ah, no. It's nothing, so you don't have to worry.”
“Hehe, that's a relief then. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you have to tell me, okay?”
“Okay, I will.”
The friendly atmosphere continued.
The cheerfulness she exuded brought a faint smile to Fake Si-woo's face as well.
‘It's amazing what a difference one person can make.’
Until now, only once.
Fake Si-woo had eaten dinner with Han Ju-hee and Son Seo-yeon.
Do you know how many conversations took place during that 30-minute meal?
Just one.
He didn't know the exact meaning, but he remembered the content.
Han Ju-hee had told him to stop being stubborn and come back, and he had retorted that he had no intention of doing so.
After that, both of them finished their meal without another word and left abruptly.
But now, drawn in by Han Ju-yeon's questions, those same two had already spoken several times.
‘This is what it feels like to really live.’
Thanks to her, he was able to enjoy a meal in a comfortable atmosphere for the first time.
After an hour, the meal ended, and Son Seo-yeon was the first to get up.
“Aww, stay a little longer!”
“I'm sorry. I have exams soon…”
“Ah, then it can't be helped! Study hard, my niece!”
“Okay.”
The three who remained shared a glass of wine with some light snacks.
Fake Si-woo copied what the two of them were doing and drank the wine.
A sour, astringent taste lingered in his mouth.
‘What's so good about this stuff?’
Of course, he didn't show it on his face.
Unlike his own indifference, the two of them seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit, so he had no choice but to play along.
“Heh… it's been a while since I've had a drink with you, sis, and you, brother-in-law,” she said, her face flushed after just one glass of wine.
“That's because you went to America and never came back.”
When Han Ju-hee chided her with a thorny tone, Han Ju-yeon threw her arms around her and whined playfully.
“Aww, sis, I'm sorry~! But I'm back now, so we can see each other often, right? Huh? Huh?”
“I get it, so let go.”
Seeing the two of them, so similar yet with such different vibes, hugging like that was like a scene from a painting.
So much so that if he could, he would have taken a picture to cherish for the rest of his life.
Around the time the expensive bottle of wine was empty, Han Ju-hee stood up.
“Ah, sis, where are you going!”
A slightly drunk Han Ju-yeon lunged at her, but it didn't work.
“I still have work to do.”
“Hmph…”
In the end, Han Ju-hee also left for her study, leaving only Han Ju-yeon and Fake Si-woo in the kitchen.
It was a rather heart-pounding development, but even Fake Si-woo knew that this was the most dangerous moment.
He was in a state where he couldn't recall any memories of her.
If she happened to bring up old stories, it could lead to a major disaster.
“W-well, should we call it a night, too?”
“Ehh, you too, Brother-in-law?!”
“Sorry. I have to be out early tomorrow morning, too.”
“Hmph… If that's the case, I guess it can't be helped.”
He turned his back on her dejected figure and walked away with heavy steps.
Barely making it back to his room, Fake Si-woo let out a sigh of relief and laid his body down on the bed.
A day that ended well without any major crises, and on top of that, a meal in a cheerful atmosphere for the first time in a long while.
Just as he was concluding to himself that today was the best day he'd had living as Son Si-woo…
Knock, knock, knock!
“Brother-in-law~ Can I come in for a second? There's something I want to talk about!”
“……?”
It was Han Ju-yeon.
‘What's going on all of a sudden?’
The countless porn videos he had watched up until now made him imagine a suggestive situation.
Brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
The passionate lovemaking of two people who could never be together.
‘Nah, no way.’
While telling himself it couldn't be, he secretly held onto a sliver of hope as he threw open the door.
“What… is it?”
“There's something I want to talk about! Can I come in for a moment?”
“Ah…”
“Then excuse me!”
Han Ju-yeon slipped inside before he could even give permission.
Fake Si-woo closed the door with a nervous expression.
‘No way, no way, no way…’
Was something he'd only ever seen in porn about to happen in real life?
Overly nervous, Fake Si-woo walked stiffly toward Han Ju-yeon, who was looking around the room.
“S-so… what is it you w-wanted to talk about?”
In the end, his tongue got twisted and he ended up stuttering.
Hearing this, Han Ju-yeon burst out laughing.
“Ahahaha! Brother-in-law, what's with you~ That's hilarious!”
“Ha, haha.”
Is this what they call a blessing in disguise?
Seeing her laugh so joyfully, he thought it was actually a good thing.
Soon, she stopped laughing and, with only a faint smile on her lips, opened her mouth.
“I just stopped by because there's one thing I wanted to ask.”
“Ah… something to ask.”
The smile vanished from Fake Si-woo's face.
‘Of course.’
He'd harbored a foolish fantasy only to be left with disappointment.
Rapidly losing interest, he asked in an indifferent tone.
“What is it?”
“Um, well.”
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then her eyes suddenly flashed.
“I was just wondering who you are, to be inside my brother-in-law's body!”
“……!”
Fake Si-woo thought.
It seemed like this time, he was well and truly fucked.