Chapter 187 - Multiple Thoughts
The tone of the words was a bit vague, wasn't it? Cha Eui-jae retorted, stepping back with an awkward expression.
"Leave...? What do you mean? You're the one speaking strangely. That's your house in the first place. I was the one out of place there."
"Why... haa."
Lee Sa-young crossed his arms and tilted his head. He let out a sigh, loud enough for Cha Eui-jae to hear. His fingers tapped his arms with a hint of anxiety.
"Where'd you sleep the past three months, on the ground? No, right?"
"What?"
"You lived at my place for three months. Doesn't that count as living together?"
"No, that was only because I had no choice. It was a temporary arrangement, like cohabiting for caretaking purposes."
"Mm... is that so?"
His violet eyes gleamed sharply. There was a strange intensity. Now that Cha Eui-jae looked, his eyes were quite deranged. He was always a little unhinged, but never had he seemed this far gone. It had only been a week since they were apart, yet he now carried the tense air of a starving beast. Enough to give someone chills.
Cha Eui-jae blinked.
'This is weird...'
This guy had waited for a dead person to return without any guarantee, for eight years at that. Has his patience finally worn thin after all this time?
'No...'
It couldn't be Lee Sa-young. Cha Eui-jae was certain of that much. Lee Sa-young would always wait for Cha Eui-jae. That's what he believed. So, the Lee Sa-young standing in front of him now was definitely not normal.
'Is this the influence of the other Sa-young?'
A brief image of a crying and irritated Lee Sa-young flashed through his mind. Had he lost control of his body again, like that time? But his mind still seemed like the Lee Sa-young he knew. As Cha Eui-jae was trying to deduce the cause, Lee Sa-young blinked and spoke coldly.
"What, do I have to collapse again for you to come back?"
"You've lost it. Hey!"
Cha Eui-jae instinctively yelled, then turned around sharply. At this distance, the director in the director's office would've overheard their conversation for sure. Lee Sa-young should've known that too. Cha Eui-jae glanced back at him. Lee Sa-young was staring at him intently, seemingly unfazed by the idea that the director might hear.
Lee Sa-young responded bluntly.
"It's not 'hey,' it's Lee Sa-young."
"That's not what's important right now... ha."
Cha Eui-jae ruffled his hair, then grabbed Lee Sa-young's arm. He lowered his voice and whispered.
"Just try saying that kind of nonsense again."
"And what if I do?"
"I'll make sure you can't say anything again."
"How?"
"What do you mean, how? I'll shut you up physically. Hey, no, I mean... come with me, Lee Sa-young."
When Cha Eui-jae tugged on his arm, the large figure followed without resistance. His crazed eyes and ominous aura had calmed somewhat. Lee Sa-young asked,
"Where are we going?"
"If we talk here, the director will hear everything, right? Let's go somewhere else and finish this conversation."
His grip tightened on Lee Sa-young's arm, but their steps halted at the stairs. Lee Sa-young planted himself like a rock, his violet eyes glaring at Cha Eui-jae reproachfully.
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"Is the director more important right now?"
"I said it is, so let's just go!"
"More important than me?"
Cha Eui-jae tried to reply, but stopped himself. Of course, the director was important... but he couldn't deny that his concern leaned more toward Lee Sa-young. But he didn't want to voice that thought. He wasn't ready to admit that, not yet. Instead, he snapped irritably,
"Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? You weren't like this before."
"Stop dodging the question and answer me. Is the director more important than me?"
'This is driving me crazy.'
With each word, the urge to gag Lee Sa-young or knock him unconscious surged. But oddly enough, Lee Sa-young, standing there with that sulky expression... looked strange.
Wait?
Cha Eui-jae widened his eyes and scanned Lee Sa-young from top to bottom. The gas mask, the black coat, arms crossed, standing there like a statue... was cute. Even with a gas mask on!
'Am I crazy?'
Cha Eui-jae was horrified. His heart had already been pounding whenever he saw Lee Sa-young, and now he found his menacing gas mask cute? This was serious. He had it bad.
'Ah, shit. I think I'm totally screwed.'
While Cha Eui-jae rubbed his face in disbelief, Lee Sa-young, still waiting for an answer, furrowed his brow.
"You're not going to answer?"
"Just hold on. I need to think."
"Think about what? Is this really something you need to think about?"
"Just wait a sec."
At this point, his sulking felt almost cute. Cha Eui-jae patted Lee Sa-young's arm reassuringly as he thought it over. Lee Sa-young's behavior now was strikingly similar to Park Ha-eun when she didn't get her way and started to sulk. It seemed like a display of anxiety caused by losing control...
Wait, losing control?
If he had lost control, that meant the other Lee Sa-young was influencing his body. It also meant that the usually dormant soul was now awake, or both souls were coexisting. Which meant...
"Let's sleep together."
"Choke me harder. This feels good..."
He wouldn't have to sleep next to that pervert anymore, right? Since there was already another Lee Sa-young inside him?
It felt as if a lightbulb had turned on in his head. Cha Eui-jae grinned broadly, impressed by his own quick thinking.
They say you can survive even a tiger's den if you keep your wits about you. This was an opportunity he couldn't miss. He had no desire to sleep beside a pervert who liked being strangled. He'd much rather endure his heart racing, cold sweats, and nervous jitters while lying next to Lee Sa-young. Enduring was something Cha Eui-jae was good at.
He felt sorry for Lee Sa-young, but while he was out of control and not quite himself, yet not under the full influence of the other Lee Sa-young, now was the time to act. Right now!
Cha Eui-jae grabbed Lee Sa-young by the shoulders.
"Let's go."
Lee Sa-young eyed him suspiciously.
"Suddenly? Where to?"
"My house. Do you have Hong Ye-seong's scroll?"
"My house? Your house? Suddenly?"
"Do you have it or not? If you do, take one out."
Without warning, Cha Eui-jae reached into Lee Sa-young's coat pocket. All he found was a phone. Lee Sa-young grabbed his wrist and snapped,
"What are you doing, suddenly? Trying to change the subject again..."
But Cha Eui-jae cut him off, even faster than Lee Sa-young could finish speaking.
"I'm not changing the subject. I want to show you my house. Aren't you curious?"
"..."
The grip on his wrist loosened. Good, he's interested. Of course, he'd be curious. I'm curious too. Cha Eui-jae seized on the slight opening and pressed further.
"There are things I need to bring from there too. Stuff I used for work. You might even find the clothes you wore when we went to the hospital."
"..."
Lee Sa-young let out a small sigh, much softer than the one earlier when he seemed ready to kill someone. Sensing the moment, Cha Eui-jae added the final push.
"If we go now, you'll be the first visitor in eight years. What do you think?"
The hand gripping his wrist fell away. Without a word, Lee Sa-young pulled out a scroll from his inventory and handed it over. Cha Eui-jae grabbed Lee Sa-young's arm with one hand, the scroll with the other, and bit down on the scroll.
'Home.'
Then, he tore it.
***
The cozy scent of fabric softener tickled the tip of Cha Eui-jae's nose. He slowly opened his eyes. They were standing in the entrance hall now, having apparently moved there.
Cha Eui-jae stared quietly at the door between the entrance and the living room. The wooden pollock fish hanging in the corner of the door was a gift from his aunt. She had said it was a talisman to ward off bad luck.
'Did it really ward off any evil?'
Beyond the glass of the door, the hallway and living room looked exactly as he remembered. It felt like he had gone back in time, as if everything that had happened was just a nightmare, and he had finally returned home.
"..."
But with Lee Sa-young beside him, it couldn't possibly be the past.
Lee Sa-young stood there, waiting patiently like a guest who had just been invited in. When Cha Eui-jae took off his shoes, Lee Sa-young, who had been standing quietly next to him, followed suit and took his off as well.
He carefully opened the door. Creak. It opened more smoothly than he had expected. There wasn't a speck of dust on the wooden floor connecting the living room to the entrance. Cha Eui-jae instinctively softened his footsteps as he walked inside. Behind him, he could sense Lee Sa-young following closely. Soon enough, the living room came into view.
"..."
It was the same.
The scene he had taken the last time he left the house was exactly the same. The ivory-colored leather sofa his aunt had picked, the white curtains, the wooden table, the vase of flowers his aunt had left, the TV covered in dust from lack of use...
No, there was one thing that was different. Cha Eui-jae picked up the round stone placed in the center of the coffee table. Its smooth surface glimmered with a faint blue light. From behind him, Lee Sa-young commented.
"It's a preservation stone."
"..."
"Usually, they're used in dungeons to keep food or valuable items in good condition... but to use one at home..."
"I didn't put it here."
"..."
"The director must have left it."
Cha Eui-jae swallowed hard. What had been on her mind, what thoughts did she have as she left a preservation stone in this empty house? In his house, and even at his aunt's place. He couldn't begin to imagine. A dull ache spread through his chest. Cha Eui-jae, feeling uneasy, tugged at Lee Sa-young's arm.
"Come here."
"...Huh?"
"I'll show you my room."
"..."
It felt like there was a bit of resistance in Lee Sa-young's arm. Cha Eui-jae opened the door that had been tightly shut. Inside was just a bed and a single wardrobe. The neatly folded gray blanket, even the creases on it, were exactly the same as in his memories. It didn't feel at all like he was returning after eight years. It felt more like he had just left for a short trip.
Cha Eui-jae glanced up at Lee Sa-young, who stood beside him. He was genuinely relieved to have Lee Sa-young there— it made him realize more quickly that it had indeed been eight long years.
Lee Sa-young carefully examined the room, empty save for a few essentials. Finally, he turned to meet Cha Eui-jae's gaze, his violet eyes glinting mischievously. A subtle tension hung in the air. Cha Eui-jae took a deep breath. He reminded himself not to lose focus— he had come here for a reason. He needed to test it, before Lee Sa-young slipped out of "Lee Sa-young's" influence. Before he returned to normal.
Both of them had to fall asleep. Together.
With a surprisingly gentle tone, Cha Eui-jae called out to him.
"Sa-young."
"Yes, Hyung?"
Cha Eui-jae slowly removed the watch from his wrist. The violet eyes followed the movement intently, as if swallowing every detail. After inhaling deeply, Cha Eui-jae spoke decisively.
"Let's sleep."
Lee Sa-young's violet eyes widened in shock, filled with disbelief.