Chapter 151

Soram was hungry.

"Is there anything you want to eat?"

As if on cue, Tae-un asked.

He fell into thought for a moment. Soram wasn't picky about food. But this was a rural village where not even a convenience store, let alone a supermarket, was in sight. He didn't know what Tae-un was planning to offer, but most of what Soram, who had only lived in the city, could think of probably wouldn't be available.

The other person was just a kid, despite trying to act mature. Soram carefully considered what wouldn't elicit the response "We don't have that at home..." from the delicate pubescent boy's mouth.

"I like potatoes."

"Potatoes?"

"I like corn and sweet potatoes too."

"..."

Tae-un scratched his head and stood up. With nothing else to do, Soram followed him.

Opening the back door connected to the kitchen revealed a large container shed. The spacious area, like a garage, contained two old refrigerators, some unidentifiable farm equipment, and boxes covered in dust.

Tae-un, familiar with the place, entered and retrieved frozen corn from the freezer. Then he searched through the lined-up boxes. After passing several boxes full of dried peppers, he found potatoes. Lastly, he opened a jar and took some salt.

Tae-un's arms were suddenly full of procured provisions. Soram followed him back into the house, feeling like he was watching a rural documentary.

A short while after Tae-un stood in the kitchen, a plentiful spread of steaming hot potatoes and corn was laid out before Soram. It was probably more than all the potatoes and corn he had eaten in his past life combined.

"Don't you know how to peel them?"

Tae-un picked up a potato and skillfully peeled it, rolling it in his hands. He left a bit at the bottom, wrapped it in tissue to make a handle, and handed it over.

The sight of a rugged but handsome country boy nonchalantly offering a potato he had personally blown on and peeled... Unaware of Soram's internal admiration, Tae-un shook the potato as if to say 'hurry up and take it'.

Soram's front teeth sank into the white potato flesh. The potato crumbled softly in his mouth. He hadn't expected much, but it was tastier than he thought. Perhaps because it was eaten at the source, even the plain potato without any dip had a sweet taste.

For Soram, meals were usually just something to get over with. Since he mostly sought out convenient processed foods, it had been a really long time since he'd eaten food in its natural form like this.

He was also glad he could preserve the country boy's innocence. It seemed like Tae-un had been thinking of offering some kind of snack, but honestly, what could there be in this countryside?

Just as he was about to peel and eat the corn after the potato, Tae-un rummaged through a black bag placed next to the dining table. What came out was a Moncher cake.

Tae-un rustled open the packaging and ate that himself.

"..."

"...Want one?"

"Why aren't you eating this?"

"I don't like it."

Then he took out a Moncher from the bag and gently pushed it towards Soram. He had given mountains of potatoes and corn, but only one Moncher.

"...It's okay. I prefer this."

The country boy and the Seoul boy finished eating their seemingly swapped snacks.

When they had filled their stomachs to some extent, Tae-un asked.

"Hey, where's your home?"

But now this little one—though not actually small—was using informal speech. It felt more vexing because Soram was used to Tae-un speaking with polite respect.

However, it would also be funny to ask for mutual respect from an 18-year-old kid. Soram just relaxed his speech like Tae-un had.

"I don't have a home."

"Did you run away?"

"Is it running away? Hmm, I'm in the process of moving. I'm planning to go from home to a dormitory."

"Where did you originally live? And where's the dormitory?"

"Seoul. The dormitory is in Seoul too."

"Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to do something I've never done before."

Soram gave the same answer as before.

In that sense, that undisguised dubious reaction was very fresh. Tae-un stared intently at Soram's face and then let out a deep sigh.

"You."

"Yes?"

"When you go back to Seoul, live diligently without pulling scams."

"Scams? What scams?"

"Even if you look alike, you should impersonate someone who's possible. You have no talent for scams."

"Uh... so you're saying I'm impersonating someone? Who?"

Tae-un completely furrowed his brows.

"You're pretending to be Jin Soram who appears on the news."

Oh... This was an unexpected misunderstanding. Soram felt that if he had to choose the freshest moment of this life, it would be now. It was truly an unanticipated reaction.

"But I am..."

"..."

"I really am Jin Soram."

There was nothing else to say in response. Tae-un folded his arms.

"Then show me your ability."

"Ability?"

"Jin Soram uses superpowers and stuff, right?"

Soram put down the corn and looked around. The roof, walls, size of the house. Then he looked down at his palm.

Flinch.

As he tried to use his ability, his fingertips trembled.

The blue mist was pooled inside his body like an enormous overturned bottle. The bottle had grown as large as the accumulated time, and the weight Soram could bear had long since been exceeded. Especially with the body of an eighteen-year-old he had just returned to, control was absolutely impossible.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I can't control it. I might destroy the house."

Soram had spoken the truth, but Tae-un snorted as if mocking someone full of bluster. Still, he couldn't destroy the house.

"Instead, I'll tell you about the future."

"...Do you have fortune-telling skills too?"

His expression became even more like he was looking at a scammer.

"Han Tae-un. You'll awaken in 6 years, no, maybe 5 years this time... Anyway, you'll awaken. As a 1st-grade."

Now he really looked like he was watching someone trying to sell him a bridge.

"Then what's my ability?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"Your ability was slightly different each time. Sometimes it was the same, but strangely, it differed at times."

"...What does that even mean?"

"I don't know what your ability will be this time, but in any case, you'll gain the ability to fly in the sky and become incredibly strong."

"..."

"You don't believe me."

"The idea that you're Jin Soram is more believable than that."

They're both true though... However, he didn't feel like explaining further. He didn't think much of the misunderstanding about being a scammer either.

"I'm not going to kick you out just because you're a scammer, so finish eating."

"Ah, okay."

Soram picked up the corn again and nibbled on it. This too boasted quite a natural taste. It was chewy and nutty. Watching Soram, Tae-un's mouth twitched as if he had more to say. Then he opened his mouth.

"Stay the night. The buses have stopped running, how would you get back at this hour?"

He's letting me stay even though he thinks I'm a scammer. Soram nodded obediently and answered.

"Okay."

***

At first, Tae-un laid out a single bedding mat next to the bed. There were plenty of blankets available since children would come to this separate building when relatives gathered for holidays.

But the mat that had comfortably accommodated his cousins looked a bit hard. Tae-un recalled the slender, thin body and fair face.

In the end, he laid out one more layer on top. It didn't seem to make much difference. When he added another layer on top of that, it looked a bit better. In the midst of this, he noticed a thick, large winter blanket stored at the bottom of the wardrobe. He folded it in half and laid it on top of the mat as a final layer, making the bedding very soft and fluffy.

"Wow, this is nice."

The scammer impersonating Jin Soram flopped down on top of it. And he fell asleep instantly. Before Tae-un could turn off the lights or ask if the bedding was okay. He called out "Hey" several times, but only the boy's shoulders rose and fell quietly.

Tae-un finally turned off the lights and returned to lie down on the bed.

Winter in the countryside is quiet, with even the insect sounds gone. Today, an unfamiliar breathing sound was mixed in. This was Tae-un's greatest deviation in life. To bring home and let a stranger sleep over.

But... although suspicious, he didn't seem particularly dangerous. He seemed too naive to try anything.

Small and thin.

And pretty...

At this thought, Tae-un sat up abruptly without realizing it. The person lying next to him continued to sleep soundly, snoring softly, unaffected by the noise. This time, Tae-un lay down carefully to avoid making a sound.

He repeated closing and opening his eyes in that position until morning came.

Tae-un put on his school uniform with a face that had stayed up all night. The scammer was still sleeping. He showed no signs of waking even until Tae-un returned from the main house with rice and side dishes, having made various excuses to eat in the separate building. By now, the sounds of washing and footsteps should have been quite noisy.

Clatter.

Tae-un carefully set out the breakfast for one person he had brought on the table, while he himself munched on the cold potatoes he had made the day before.

After finishing his preparations, he entered the bedroom. The bedding on the floor was still raised, and the boy's posture hadn't changed since he left. He was sleeping soundly, curled up like a shrimp with the blanket covering up to his ears.

"Jin So-"

Tae-un was about to reach out his hand when he suddenly hesitated. But, if he's not Jin Soram, what should I call him?

"...Hey."

In the end, he called out like that and shook the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, open your eyes for a moment."

"Mmm..."

"I'm going to school."

"Chief Han quit, didn't he..."

What are you talking about?

"It's vacation supplementary classes, so I'll be back soon. I've set out breakfast, so eat when you wake up. If it's cold, use the microwave."

"Mmm."

"...Do you know how to use the microwave?"

"I know..."

"How do you turn it on?"

"Beep beep beep beep."

Soram stuck out only his fingers from under the blanket and mimicked pressing buttons. He probably does know how to use it.

...He'll eat what's set out on his own, right? Even if it's cold rice.

Thinking this, Tae-un was about to leave but ended up taking out a post-it note.

[Open door, cover slightly ajar, 1 minute for rice, 30 seconds for side dishes]

[1 minute is pressing the 30-second button twice]

Then he remembered how the boy couldn't even peel potatoes yesterday.

[When taking out dishes, wrap your hand with your sleeve]

The dining table became crowded with post-it notes.

Lastly, he raised the boiler temperature 5 degrees higher than his standard, which was already set for someone who didn't feel the cold much. Even then, he didn't feel at ease, but he had to leave now to catch the bus to school.

Tae-un turned back about five times just at the entrance before departing.

He regretted signing up for the vacation supplementary classes. He had applied because he didn't want to study at home watching online lectures with nothing else to do, but the class content all went in one ear and out the other.

Usually, he would have stayed in the self-study room after classes and even played a game of basketball before going home. But today, as soon as classes ended, Tae-un put on his backpack and ran not to the self-study room but to the school gate.

His foot tapped the floor impatiently inside the slow-moving village bus. Getting off at the stop as if rolling, his feet that had been striding along the path between rice fields eventually broke into a run. The spot where that boy had been sitting yesterday flashed by.

Even for someone as fit as him, the path between the rice fields was long and endless. The cold winter wind entering his lungs left a fishy taste in his mouth. Yet he couldn't help but run. Towards the house that had only been boring until now, he ran, gasping for breath.

From the moment he entered the front door, he looked for the boy's figure. The meal set out in the kitchen had disappeared. The dishes were also cleaned neatly. There was quite a bit of water splashed around the sink, though. And there was one broken plate secretly hidden in the trash can...

He ate.

The corners of Tae-un's mouth, still catching his breath, twitched.

'But where is he?'

Tae-un looked around the house, which showed little change from when he left. It felt exactly like playing hide-and-seek. Though there weren't many places to hide in this house.

It must be here. Tae-un stood in front of the bedroom where he and the boy had slept yesterday. As he grabbed the doorknob, his heartbeat grew louder.

"Hey, I'm back..."

The door opened, and the smile that had been playing on Tae-un's lips disappeared.

The place where the boy had slept was now piled with neatly folded blankets stacked crookedly against the wall. The scammer boy was not there.