“You don’t have to like me. I just want to stay with you even as a friend. ……As for my feelings for you, I’ll just… settle them on my own.”
Jingi looked at his captured hand and slowly replied, “Okay.” He did so even though he knew that pushing him away clearly was the best thing for him. Jingi felt he was doing something bad. If he truly cared for Joo Unyoung, he shouldn’t even stay friends.
Agreeing to his request was hypocrisy. It was something he was doing just to make his own heart feel at ease.
As he tapped the firm, soft ground with his toes, the other guy interlaced their fingers. When Jingi instinctively twisted his wrist, Joo Unyoung gave a bitter smile.
“What’s with that… we used to hold hands like this all the time.”
“Sorry… I was just surprised.”
“Right.”
The interlaced fingers tightened. Holding Joo Unyoung’s hand, he swung. His left arm swayed back and forth, and the skin where they touched felt hot.
At first, he thought he could just avoid Joo Unyoung.
But the story had already progressed to a certain point, and Joo Unyoung liked Choi Jingi. Although not intentional, the guy didn’t know that the person he liked had disappeared, and I was hiding that fact. Joo Unyoung doesn’t know that I came from a different world, not this one.
Even if I told him, it was obvious he wouldn’t believe it.
In the distance, a couple could be seen walking past the playground holding hands. The man, wearing glasses, smiled as he brushed the woman’s hair back, and she grumbled softly that he was messing it up. Even so, it was plain to see they were head over heels for each other.
‘Unyoung must have expected that,’ Jingi thought. In the original story, Joo Unyoung would have begun that kind of special, mutual love where both parties were drawn to each other at once.
“Unyoung.”
“Yeah.”
As the flowers faded and the sky grew dark, the moon announced its time. He felt as if he could hear the school bell ringing—’dang, dang, dang.’ The hours of the day were over; it was time for the small moon to rise and watch over the world.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Jingi offered a sincere apology. And in that moment, he made a resolution: he would help Joo Unyoung so that he wouldn’t have to suffer alone.
“Unyoung.”
“Hmm?”
Jingi swallowed hard.
“I’m going to help you meet someone great.”
He couldn’t be Joo Unyoung’s partner. But he could certainly be a Cupid. After all, weren’t there three—no, two—gay characters in the original work who were interested in Joo Unyoung?
“What?”
“Because you’re pretty—no, wait. Because you’re a kind and good person! It’s okay. You can meet someone wonderful. I’m really going to help you. I mean it.”
The original Choi Jingi would never have said such a thing. But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. It didn’t matter if Unyoung felt he had changed. Jingi grabbed both of Joo Unyoung’s hands firmly. He widened his eyes and stared straight into the other’s surprised gaze.
“You’re pretty. And you’re a kind, good person.”
Jingi squeezed the hands he was holding. He even nodded with intensity in his eyes, as if telling him to just trust him. Joo Unyoung seemed flustered and couldn’t move a muscle.
Let’s set aside the third sub-male lead who hasn’t appeared yet. That leaves Go Yeol and Baek Jaehui. Jingi wanted to help set Joo Unyoung up with one of them.
Since his possession of this body, hadn’t the story already begun to diverge from the original because of his different actions? He could surely avoid at least that one third sub-male lead. He knew the guy was a senior. So, he would just stay close and make sure Unyoung never met him.
As a “possessor,” it was only right to ensure the story didn’t turn into some dark, tragic mess!
“Hey, Joo Unyoung. Just stay still. I’m only here to see Choi Jingi’s face, okay?”
The voice of the third sub-lead—no, the villain—who appeared at the very end tickled his ears. That guy had kidnapped Joo Unyoung and committed acts of violence. He was as powerful as Choi Jingi’s family, and he was a piece of work. He had drugged Joo Unyoung and shaken him by his beautiful blonde hair until it was a mess.
“No, there’s no need for—”
“You! Have some confidence. There are tons of kids who like you. You know that, right? I’ll help things work out with someone good. We can do this!”
‘Yeah, I need to be good to Unyoung from now on. I shouldn’t avoid him; I’ll stay a good friend and find him a new partner.’
His feelings for Jingi wouldn’t vanish instantly. But a new love changes everything. People always pursue the new. So, he would find the perfect match for Joo Unyoung and give this novel a happy ending.
“And you. Watch out for, like, bullies and stuff. Got it?”
“Huh?”
“Kids see you as an easy target. Because you’re pretty.”
“……That’s not true. I’m fine.”
“Be even more careful of the seniors. They’re even worse because they think they’re in charge. If there’s a pretty kid, they’ll tell people to go bring them over.”
At the sudden outburst, Joo Unyoung just smiled and nodded.
That senior was definitely the top dog among delinquents—a bully who ruled the school. Considering how he had hidden his face and how he coveted Joo Unyoung while demanding he “bring Choi Jingi over” to break him… his plan was clear. He intended to destroy Choi Jingi in front of Joo Unyoung so that Unyoung would lose all hope and never be able to leave his side.
‘Other guys are fine, just please don’t let him meet that bastard. Please.’
Jingi mumbled a prayer toward the moon rising in the darkening sky. When he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, Joo Unyoung was watching him.
“I don’t care if I’m not like that to others, as long as I’m pretty in your eyes.”
The blonde head tilted slightly, his hair swaying. His white cheeks, forehead, and long, thin eyebrows glowed under the streetlights that had just flickered on. Joo Unyoung gave a thin, playful smile. The bridge of his high, sharp nose and his smiling lips took on a reddish hue.
For a moment, Jingi felt dazed, as if enchanted by a fox, before quickly snapping out of it. The body’s memory of having been infatuated with this guy was a problem, and Joo Unyoung himself was a problem, but the most dangerous thing was Joo Unyoung’s insanely beautiful face. ‘Damn it.’
“……By the way, you—don’t you play soccer?”
“Me? Only if you go, Jingi.”
“You can meet good people there too. Try going to everything. Love isn’t something you wait to come to you. You have to move.”
A 22-year-old “solo-since-birth.” That was Jingi in his past life. However, he was incredibly good at relationship counseling. He had helped a manager at work with his love life and even hooked up Kim Hyeyeon with the younger guy she was eyeing. That’s why he was confident. He knew exactly when to step back and when to step in. He knew how to help.
Jingi let go of Joo Unyoung’s hands and jumped up. The incident on the bus was already a distant memory.
‘Right, Unyoung will meet someone good, and I’ll find something I want to do.’
He didn’t know what that was yet, but he was at the age where that was allowed.
As long as they didn’t run into the villain, everything would go smoothly.
Jingi smiled brightly and held out a hand to Joo Unyoung.
“The sun’s totally gone. Aren’t you hungry? If you haven’t eaten, want to go with me? You know that new snack bar in front of the school? I heard it’s good.”
Joo Unyoung sat still with a blank expression. Jingi smiled proudly, assuming he was moved by his words. He felt like he was walking on air. When he asked again to hurry him up, Joo Unyoung blinked a few times before his eyelids crinkled into a soft smile.
“Sure, let’s do that. You’re buying, right? To commemorate my heartbreak.”
“Yeah, of course. Add extra eggs, add extra glass noodles. Put in whatever you want.”
“I eat a lot, can you handle it?”
“Yep! I’m rich!”
He had a good feeling. He finally felt settled. The awkwardness of living in someone else’s body for the past few days was over. He had felt like he was drifting alone in a world where he didn’t belong, but not anymore.
Now, there was a path toward an ending where everyone could be happy.
Jingi swung Joo Unyoung’s hand as he led the way with energetic strides.
‘I’ll pick a great guy and pair you up, Unyoung.’
‘Just trust me!’
