TTOA Chapter 35

#35

“By the way, Jae-jin, you’re answering me well now. Not ignoring me.”

“Yeah, well.”

“Then, can I ask you a few things I’m curious about?”

“What is it?”

“Four years later, what did you like about me?”

Seo Eui-woo hugged Jae-jin and spun him around. He didn’t move his body; he used his ability. They circled above the sea like ornaments moving on a music box.

It was like two people dancing in the air. Rotating slowly, enjoying the moment.

“Do I change a lot from how I am now in four years?”

This was another unexpected question.

What Seo Eui-woo said was mostly strange, amazing, and ridiculous. Jae-jin answered carefully.

“That’s right… It’s quite different from ‘now’.”

“Ah, saying it like that makes me want to check. Should I have read you more deeply back then… Can I see inside Jae-jin’s head again? Properly this time.”

“No. I won’t allow it again.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

“I said no. And it’s not like you can do anything by seeing it, so what’s the point?”

“You’re so stingy. I can just want to know, can’t I? This and that. Jae-jin already knows most of my information. All I know about Kwon Jae-jin right now is that he dies after being swept away by a Gate.”

“……”

“Those soft limbs all scattered… It was cruel, very?”

Seo Eui-woo buried his chin on Jae-jin’s shoulder. He hugged him tightly, as if protecting him with his body.

“This time, I’ll never let you die so painfully. I’ll protect you properly, so let me see more inside you.”

Jae-jin gulped down coffee repeatedly.

His throat was dry.

It was fortunate that Seo Eui-woo was clinging to him so closely. At least this way, his expression wouldn’t be seen.

“…Still, is there really a need to look inside my head? If there’s something you want to know, you can just ask me.”

“It’s because there are so many things I’m curious about.”

“Do it one at a time. Start with the simple things, the easy things to answer.”

Seo Eui-woo paused for a moment to think, then soon began to ask questions.

“Jae-jin, how old are you?”

“Thirt… No, I’m twenty-six now.”

“You’re six years older than me.”

“I was thirty before regressing, so if you only calculate mental age, I’m ten years older.”

Right now, Seo Eui-woo is just a twenty-year-old kid. So, Kwon Jae-jin, who is thirty, has to raise a child, what else can he do?

“That kind of calculation is a bit petty. Then, what did you do in the 6th Residential District?”

“I worked at a company, like everyone else. It was a financial company.”

“Then, what are your hobbies? I heard you used to rock climb.”

“Ah… I liked exercising. Running and working out.”

“What about cooking? Why are you so good at cooking?”

“Ha, cooking is entirely Seo Eui-woo’s fault. I was stuck inside the house for four years, preparing three meals a day with my own hands, so how could my skills not improve? If you want, Seo Eui-woo can cook something.”

“What, was that it? It was because of me… I see. I’ll learn to cook now, even if it’s late.”

“…It’s okay, why suddenly now…”

“No, I’ll learn. I want to.”

“……”

“And what else? Didn’t you have any complaints about the future me? Tell me everything.”

“Haa…”

Kwon Jae-jin let out a deep sigh.

He didn’t really want to talk about the 1st timeline Seo Eui-woo, but he also didn’t want to hide anything from the 2nd timeline Seo Eui-woo.

So, after a brief hesitation, he answered honestly, telling the truth as it was.

“Seo Eui-woo… cried too much.”

“What did you say?”

“Crying and wailing, clinging and begging, really… Why did you kneel so often?”

“I did that…? Me?”

“It was like you knew I was weak to that kind of thing, you did it so many times… I was really embarrassed and troubled every time Seo Eui-woo did that.”

“……”

“When someone says they need time, it doesn’t mean anything else, it truly means they need time, but Seo Eui-woo couldn’t stand that short time and kept poking at me, so I… Haa, in the end, I had no choice but to give in to Seo Eui-woo’s demands.”

“That’s impossible.”

Seo Eui-woo tilted his head in disbelief, his eyes wide like a rabbit’s. Seeing that face, Kwon Jae-jin swallowed a hollow laugh.

Although it’s an impossible situation, wouldn’t it be fun to have a three-way meeting? To gather the 1st timeline Seo Eui-woo and the 2nd timeline Seo Eui-woo in one place and have them sit side by side.

“That’s what I’m saying. It doesn’t make sense. Seo Eui-woo always did that nonsense.”

“……”

“Do you want to hear more?”

Kwon Jae-jin quietly reached out and cupped Seo Eui-woo’s cheek. After tapping it lightly, he swept back his black hair, which was being elegantly fluttered by the sea breeze.

“It’s getting cold. Let’s go inside.”

Seo Eui-woo didn’t move. There was no flash of light, and the surrounding scenery didn’t change.

Instead, he raised his hand and, just like Kwon Jae-jin had done, stroked Jae-jin’s cheek. He seemed to gently caress his slightly stiff face, then traced the shapes of his features one by one with his fingertips, as if drawing them.

“I want to see Jae-jin’s face four years from now. I want to take a close look at how it’s changed.”

“……”

“And your face from four years ago too. So… I’m curious about what kind of expression you had when you didn’t know me at all, when we really met for the first time.”

He swept his eyebrow with his index finger, and traced the outline of his face along his cheekbones. He touched his lips lightly, then smiled with an expression that even Kwon Jae-jin had never seen before.

“There are so many Kwon Jae-jins I don’t know. Don’t you think that’s a little… unfair?”

He thought he had seen all of Seo Eui-woo’s faces, but he was surprised that there were still faces he hadn’t seen.

“I’m already six, no, ten years younger.”

“……”

“When will I ever catch up to all of that?”

With those last words, spoken in a languid and heavy voice, light spread in all directions.

They returned to the kitchen of Seo Eui-woo’s mansion, which had been charred black. Their feet slowly lowered to the ground, and settled slowly on the floor from toe to heel.

“Jae-jin, I want to cook. Teach me.”

Seo Eui-woo rolled up his hoodie sleeves and opened the refrigerator door. Kwon Jae-jin stood blankly, watching his back.

*

Seo Eui-woo really seemed to want to learn how to cook. It was absurd and cute that he wanted to be taught even though he wouldn’t eat it himself anyway.

‘Okay. The kid wants me to teach him, so I should teach him… what else can I do?’

It would be breakfast time soon anyway. He should use Seo Eui-woo as his assistant while setting the table. He should teach him the easiest things first. After making his decision, Jae-jin had Seo Eui-woo wash his hands and handed him a glass bowl and raw eggs.

“Crack the eggs into the bowl. Like this.”

Kwon Jae-jin demonstrated first. He held an egg, tapped it on the bowl, and neatly split the shell in half. The bright yellow yolk and clear white fell into the bowl.

“Yes, like this?”

Seo Eui-woo held an egg. As soon as he tapped it on the bowl, the shell crumbled and broke.

“Huh, why is this.”

“Seo Eui-woo needs to learn how to control his strength. That’s right, strength control. If you master that, your body will be more comfortable. Break all the eggs there.”

“……”

From then on, Seo Eui-woo began to fight with the eggs. Kwon Jae-jin watched Seo Eui-woo, who was struggling, with a subtle gaze.

Later, Seo Eui-woo would eat meals too, but he had never come into the kitchen and tried to cook like this. He didn’t know why he was doing this. Still, it was somewhat admirable that he seemed to be trying to do something for Kwon Jae-jin.

“Ah, wait a moment. Seo Eui-woo, let’s do this with an apron on.”

Jae-jin brought a black apron and tied it around Seo Eui-woo’s waist. Putting his hands behind him to tie the apron, it became a position like a back hug. Kwon Jae-jin hesitated.

His gaze fell on his broad back and thick chest. Turning his gaze to the side, his muscular forearms with rolled-up sleeves came into view.

Since regressing, he had mainly seen him in combat uniform or naked, so Seo Eui-woo wearing these casual clothes seemed unfamiliar. Moreover, Seo Eui-woo wearing an apron…

“Jae-jin?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Jae-jin, who had been blankly frozen, regained his senses and moved his hands again. The black apron, folded in half, wrapped neatly around Seo Eui-woo’s waist. Jae-jin tied the knot behind his back and stepped away.

“Look! I succeeded, already.”

Seo Eui-woo mastered strength control after only three eggs. He thought it would take longer, but he was quick to learn and resourceful. Kwon Jae-jin threw in a slight compliment.

“Good job.”

“Yes. Haha.”

“Now, stir it with a whisk. To dissolve the egg mixture.”

“Do I just have to stir it?”

“Yes. Stir in one direction.”

There are many kinds of egg dishes. Rolled omelet, steamed egg, egg soup… But if he thought about what Seo Eui-woo could do, scrambled eggs would be appropriate. Kwon Jae-jin took out milk and cream from the refrigerator.