“Mom.”
“….”
“It’s not a crime for a son to tell his mom he loves her, you know. Why are you so embarrassed about it, huh!”
“You little brat…”
“I’m going to say it often from now on, so just get used to it. Well then, I’m going to sleep.”
With that silent bomb, Hyewon slammed the door shut.
The dumbfounded expressions of the mother and son were so funny that a laugh burst out.
“Our aunt must feel great today, hearing ‘I love you‘ from her cold, aloof son.”
Muttering to herself, Hyewon lazily walked over to the bed and sprawled out, staring up at the ceiling.
I’d have no more wishes if our Jaeha was just a little more like Joong-won. Who did he take after to be so quiet?
Even Aunt Misook sometimes envied Han Joong-won. It was baffling how she found his ridiculous antics so adorable.
Well, considering Jaeha’s past behavior, it’s not like Aunt Misook’s reaction was completely unjustified.
“This kind of thing wouldn’t change the future or anything, right?”
‘You can only change minor mistakes at best.’
Yeah, something like this probably wouldn’t matter. It was just making the bond between mother and son a little stronger. Nothing big.
Hyewon’s eyes blinked slowly as she stared at the ceiling. She wasn’t planning to sleep, but lying there like this was making her really drowsy. She let out a big yawn, turned over, and pulled the blanket up to her chest.
Who knows how much time passed like that.
“…Hey. Hyewon.”
Someone was shaking her shoulder. Gasping, Hyewon woke up, and immediately screamed at the sight in front of her.
“Ahh!”
It was as if she’d seen a ghost.
“What? What’s wrong?”
Her own self was talking to her. Was she still dreaming? But it was too vivid for a dream, and too interactive to be a hallucination.
Then suddenly, Hyewon realized—the version of herself in front of her looked so young and cute. Like a flash of lightning through the fog, it hit her.
“…Yoon Jaeha?”
“What’s the matter? Did you have a bad dream?”
“You’re really Jaeha, right?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay, Hyewon? You remember we died and came back, right? We’re nineteen now.”
“You and I… we switched bodies.”
Her own face—Yoon Jaeha—nodded. Even so, Hye-won frantically ran her hands over her own body.
Both her sight and touch confirmed it—her current body was male.
A long, deep sigh slipped out between Hye-won’s teeth.
Haa…
It felt like she’d just downed a cocktail made of all the worst emotions.
Seriously, of all the possible mistakes—
“Hye-won.”
Did her expression look that terrible? At Jaeha’s cautious voice, she looked up to see him gazing down at her with worried eyes.
Come to think of it, he must’ve gone home and changed.
He was now wearing shorts and a white T-shirt with a cartoon character on it, his hair neatly tied up in a ponytail.
Even now, looking like this, he still looked pretty. She must really be a narcissist.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. How long did I sleep?”
Looking out the window behind Jaeha, she could tell it was still bright outside. No way she’d fallen into such a deep sleep in this ridiculous situation.
“Five hours. I kept checking, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t wake you.”
Her mom always said she’d never seen a kid as laid-back as Hye-won. Once she fell asleep, not even carrying her off would wake her.
“Mom said dinner’s ready soon. She asked me to wake you.”
“Okay, I’ll get up.”
Hye-won tossed the blanket aside and swung her legs over the bed. The feet that touched the floor were huge—size 300mm sneakers. Were her feet this big because she was good at running?
Her unpleasant feelings from earlier quickly disappeared as she became distracted, staring at her large feet.
Mom was right. Hye-won’s such an easygoing kid.
“Hye-won, we’ll go back to normal in forty-nine days.”
“…Huh?”
While Hye-won was still studying her big, clumsy feet, she looked up at Jaeha’s words. Sitting beside her, his face was filled with concern.
“So… since it’s like this, why don’t we make the most of it and have fun until we switch back?”
Jaeha’s deliberately bright voice somehow tugged at her heart. He didn’t even realize she’d already moved past her irritation, still trying to change the mood for her sake. For some reason, seeing him like that made her chest ache.
The weak always try to please the strong.
Right now, Jaeha—who had just made a heartfelt confession—was in the weaker position. Watching him try to read her mood and act carefully, Hye-won saw her old self reflected in him.
“Sure, let’s do that. And Jaeha.”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me like that. I was just disoriented because I’d just woken up. I’m not that sensitive.”
“Okay.”
“And just because you like me doesn’t mean you have to constantly cater to me. I want you to act like your normal self.”
She meant it. She wasn’t petty or childish enough to exploit Jaeha’s feelings for some cheap revenge.
She understood now. Jaeha had suffered just as much as she had. No, maybe he’d had it even harder than her, who knew nothing back then.
“Hye-won.”
“Yeah.”
“But this is who I am.”
“Huh?”
“I just want to always match you, do the things you like, and make sure you’re always happy.”
“…”
“That’s who I am.”
At his quiet confession, all the noise in her ears seemed to settle.
Well, if that’s how you normally are, what can I do?
But Jaeha… this time, I don’t want to let you go.
Hye-won swallowed her feelings and smiled. He smiled softly back at her.
As they smiled at each other, the sound of a bell jolted them back to reality. With their aunt’s yelling to hurry up, they quickly left the house.
And then… there it was. Samgyeopsal sizzling on the grill.
As they flipped the pork belly, the crackling sound filled the air. The savory smell wafted up to their noses, but what truly tormented Hye-won right now wasn’t the meat.
Without realizing, she gulped. When Joong-won, sitting across from her, tilted his head back, Hyewon’s chin instinctively followed.
“Ahh… this is the life. Samgyeopsal and soju—nothing beats that combo.”
Joong-won wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning with satisfaction. Watching him, Hye-won’s mouth was practically flooding.
“Is it good?”
Hye-won asked, and Joong-won smugly replied with a proud smile.
“You poor high schoolers… you just don’t know this taste yet.”
I know it. I know it all too well, it’s driving me crazy.
Samgyeopsal and soju, chicken and beer—the sacred truths every adult in Korea knows. As if Hye-won didn’t know them.
Maybe I shouldn’t have come back to my senior year. For just a single shot of soju…
“Little brothers, you know, this soju—it’s like life. You guys don’t get it yet, but society is just as bitter as this soju.”
“Totally, totally. Big bro, you’re so right.”
Hye-won played along as she prepared a lettuce wrap. Han Joong-won’s bizarre speech patterns had been around for twenty-seven years now—they were just a part of daily life.
According to her mom, he wasn’t like this at first. Apparently, he changed after their dad passed away, feeling the burden of being the only man in the house.
“Big bro, ah…”
Hye-won handed the freshly made lettuce wrap to Joong-won.
“Is our little Jaeha giving me a snack?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve always thought you were such a good kid, Jaeha. Unlike that selfish brat Hyewon, who’d guard her rice bowl while I was drinking.”
Joong-won stuffed the wrap into his mouth while casually insulting Hye-won. Hye-won quickly fetched an extra soju glass from the cupboard.
“Big bro, just one shot for me too.”
“Jaeha, you know I’m warm and kind, but I don’t walk the wrong path.”
“Come on, just one.”
“Ssshh… this aegyo! Jaeha, if you keep flirting like this, you’ll be in big trouble when you get to college.”
What the hell is he saying?
“Ah, just one! I’ll be legal in a few months anyway.”
“Ahem, you’re still wet behind the ears!”
Seriously, was a two-year age gap something to brag about? Hye-won glared at him, then suddenly turned around and shouted toward the living room.
“Auntie! Joong-won just said I’m wet behind the ears!”
Joong-won flinched and tried to stop her, but it was too late.
“Han Joong-won! Why are you cursing at your younger siblings!”
Kim Hyo-sook, the mother of Han Joong-won and Hye-won, immediately scolded him from the living room where she was drinking with Aunt Misook.
She’d always doted on Yoon Jaeha like her own son.
“Cursing? Mom, you’ve got it wrong. I’m the victim here! Jaeha’s the one bullying me!”
“That’s not true! He’s lying! Hye-won, you heard it too, right?”
Hye-won dragged poor Jaeha into it. Two pairs of eyes pressured him to side with them.
“Yes, I heard. He—uh, I mean—oppa just cursed.”
‘I want to do everything you like, always match you, always make you smile.’
As if proving his own words, Jaeha sided with Hye-won without a moment’s hesitation.
Grinning triumphantly, Hye-won looked at Joong-won, whose expression now resembled Caesar betrayed by Brutus.
“Han Joong-won! Why are you giving the kids such a hard time when Jaeha just barely got a break after the early admissions rush!”
“Sorry, Mom. I’m terribly wronged, but I’ll follow your orders.”
“Enough! Just eat! And quit drinking so much!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
See? You should’ve just given me that drink when I asked the first time.
Smiling slyly, Hye-won watched Joong-won slam the table silently in frustration as he downed his soju.
But this time, there was no satisfied exclamation.
“Jaeha, eat a lot! Before Joong-won finishes everything, okay?”
“Yes, Auntie.”
Brightly answering Kim Hyo-sook, Hye-won began preparing another lettuce wrap.
After repeating the same process, she turned to Jaeha sitting next to her.
“Hey, you eat it.”
“Huh? Me?”
Jaeha’s eyes widened in surprise.
A king must always reward his loyal vassal.
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”
Jaeha’s cheeks flushed as he accepted the wrap.
Why’s he blushing over something like this?
Just then—
“Hyewon, I heard a new sauna opened at the intersection nearby. I’m going with Aunt Misook tomorrow. Do you want to come too?”
At the sound of Kim Hyo-sook’s voice from the living room, Hye-won’s face immediately turned pale. She was sure Jaeha wouldn’t go, but just the thought was terrifying.
As Hye-won shook her head furiously, Jaeha replied.
“No, I’m good.”
Of course. As Hye-won let out a breath of relief, his next words made her blood run cold.
“I just showered a little while ago.”
Jaeha’s cheeks flushed bright red. Even the sunset outside the veranda couldn’t compare.
