"Park Moondae!"
"You…"
"Are you okay?"
As soon as Seon Ahyeon and I entered the dorm, we received a warm welcome from our cohabitants.
Of course, it was understandable if they were to shout, "You bastard, are you crazy?"
"I'm sorry. I went out to collect my thoughts, but I didn't realize I had left my phone behind."
"Ah…"
"Th-that's right."
My face looked quite intact, and there was an atmosphere of relief for a moment.
Cha Eugene, who was drinking coke, responded cheerfully.
"OK~ Tell us next time!"
"What do you mean, 'OK'?! We were worried because he suddenly disappeared!"
Thank you for caring.
Bae Sejin looked back at Seon Ahyeon with a flushed face.
"You also! You shouldn't have left without telling us first… Seon Ahyeon?"
"…"
"Hey…"
"Y-yes! I'm sorry. R-recklessly leaving without saying a word… I'm sorry."
"Um, alright. That… you've worked hard."
Seon Ahyeon entered the living room of the dorm with a bewildered expression. He sat on the sofa.
It seemed like a big shock.
It was because I told him, 'I'll tell you the whole story properly'
Let's see this guy's reaction again after I said that.
-Th-that… Moo-Moondae…
- You said you would listen well to anything.
-… No, that's right.
His words were affirmative, but his face said 'this isn't it'.
Of course, that was why I threw in some bait.
-And no matter how the conclusion comes out this time, I will go to get therapy.
-…!
- It's okay if you want to record this.
-N-no…! Yes, th-thank you… Thank you, Moondae…!
The one who was desperately shouting fell into a state of complete confusion when we arrived at the dorm, wondering if he had properly conveyed all his expectations and worries. That was it.
I rubbed my neck.
'It won't last long.'
We had time off our schedules, so I had to do it right now.
I couldn't do more damage to the people involved.
'Excluding three days of activity, how much revenue are we giving up?'
In terms of settlement revenue, it was already an amount to start paying attention to.
Besides, speed battles were essential to silence those who would raise rumors about our condition.
'Hmm.'
Just in time, someone spoke up.
"Did you two talk well?"
I looked at Ryu Chungwoo and nodded.
"Yes. You must have been surprised. I'm sorry."
Ryu Chungwoo smiled.
"Yes. That's right."
"In the morning, an alarm went off, but the owner of the phone was not there. Everyone was three or four times more surprised than when Eugene disappeared."
"Yes."
It was embarrassing.
I was silent for a moment, remembering the words I had said when Cha Eugene was gone. Ryu Chungwoo patted me on the back.
"Great job."
"Yes."
This was to be expected. I endured thinking of my karma.
'And the next guy…'
Keun Sejin.
He was writing something with his smartphone next to Ryu Chungwoo.
When I came in earlier, he didn't say anything, and he still wasn't looking up.
"… What are you doing?"
The guy muttered when he put the phone down.
"… Well, I'm uploading a post."
Ah.
I checked SNS. A new post had been posted on the TeStar account.
---------------------==
ㅠㅠ It seems like we're getting colds because of the weather… We're really sorry. We'll get better soon and find you. Don't worry, Loviewers, we're taking medicine and crushing it!
---------------------==
It was a quick response.
"… Thanks."
"What?"
He grinned and slapped me on the shoulder.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes."
Actually, what he wanted to ask was not that, but what happened to Seon Ahyeon, and what the hell I did when I was out at dawn.
'But he doesn't have the shame to ask.'
This wasn't some kind of Joseon Dynasty court, so why were there so many bastards who said it was their fault?
'I'm glad I was able to ask for a helping hand.'
I held my breath and got to the point.
"However… I need your help."
"Hm?"
"Chungwoo hyung too."
"Hmm? Me?"
"Yes."
Shall we start by pushing the quantity?
• * *
Seon Ahyeon took a deep breath.
His roommate shouted 'I hope you rest peacefully!' and packed up his electronics and went to Bae Sejin and Cha Eugene's room.
However, Seon Ahyeon's head could not rest. In his head, he kept repeating his decision.
'This time, I need to react properly.'
Yes. Maybe this was an opportunity. A chance to alleviate the shock Moondae may have received due to his wrong reaction.
"Whew."
'First of all, thank you so much for talking to me seriously… …'
After checking his reaction to the end in his head several times, Seon Ahyeon was scheduled to visit Park Moondae's room at the time promised to talk with him.
But he didn't.
Knock, knock.
"I'm coming in."
"…!"
Even before the appointed time, Park Moondae came first.
And he went straight to the point.
"I came a little early because I had something to set up. I asked for Raebin's computer."
Computer?
"Let's begin. Ah, Kim Raebin asked me to deliver this."
"Yes."
"Listen while drinking."
Park Moondae, who opened the door and came in, held out the tea he was holding in his hand, and put down a notebook and pen in front of him.
'Notebook… ?'
And without a break, information transmission began.
"I'm going to start with a witness."
"…W-witness… ?"
Park Moondae paused for a moment, then spoke in a slightly strained voice.
"… I didn't say anything before, fearing that you would be more confused, but in fact, I'm not the only person who has returned to the past."
"…??"
It was an unexpected statement.
Seon Ahyeon froze with the tea in his hand.
However, Park Moondae immediately began to bring out the people he invited.
He couldn't have imagined it.
[Hmm.]
VTIC's Cheongryeo. The great sunbaenim he had just met had an openly insincere smile.
[Wouldn't it have been more comfortable if I had just done it when we met earlier?]
"Yes. Things have changed."
[You're moving quickly.]
Even after that, Cheongryeo had a brief conversation with Park Moondae, not knowing if he was being sarcastic or laughing, but soon admitted it.
[That's right. I am a person who knew the future before Moondae-ssi… Moondae-ssi, so Gunwoo-ssi is next.]
"…"
Was this really real?
[Hoobaenim is actually older than me, so he even talks to me informally. Didn't you hear that?]
Just… He thought that they became very close, so it was something that popped out from time to time. He was a little jealous.
[You're having fun using honorifics even though you said you weren't going to record this.]
"Shut up."
[Haha!]
Cheongryeo finished the proper explanation with a nonchalant face.
[There are many things to pay back, hoobaenim.]
"You can leave now."
[Oh, my. You aren't denying it.]
And Cheongryeo disappeared from the screen.
"Hoo."
Park Moondae took a deep breath as if holding back his irritation.
"He's annoying, but anyway… For that reason, I meet him from time to time."
"…"
Then, while operating the computer again with a stiff face, he added with a slightly proud tone.
"There is no editing. You must have seen that it's not my computer, it's someone else's computer, and I didn't touch the storage media."
"…"
"You can go look at it again right now if you want. Hmm, would you like to?"
"N-no."
Seon Ahyeon responded reflexively.
But his head was full of exclamation marks and question marks.
"Then let's move on, and this time the next person going through this strange situation is someone who went back in time after I did."
"Yes…"
"Ah, if you have any questions, feel free to write them down in this notebook. It doesn't matter what they are."
"…"
So… he brought one?
Seon Ahyeon reflexively grabbed the notebook, but his limbs were creaking as if they were broken.
And when another familiar face appeared on the screen, he screamed inside.
[No way, hyung, it's been a while! How have you been?]
Kwon Heeseung.
It was the face of Park Moondae's hoobaenim, whom he secretly referred to as 'Gold 2'.
[I'm talking to Ahyeon hyung this time… Ah, hyung, hello.]
"He-hello."
Seon Ahyeon pinched his thigh for a moment to see if this was real, and it really did hurt.
Kwon Heeseung on the screen excitedly talked about his experiences. He fell down in the Han River after saving people and came back to the past! And he even grumbled at Park Moondae.
[Hyung, aren't you collecting too many colleagues? Wasn't this our little secret organization? Wasn't it like that?]
"If it feels unfair, you can also tell your members."
[That… Our group is not yet in that relationship…]
Kwon Heeseung bitterly said, "I tried to tell my parents, but they slapped me on the back to wake me up," and ended the call with a sigh.
For reference, Seon Ahyeon could not record a single word in his notebook.
"Now, that's why he's the one who came back to the past after me."
"…"
"Actually, from the time that guy came back, the return on the stock he bought was about 15 times. I'll show you proof if you want."
"… Okay."
"By the way, I'm the only one whose body changed during this case. There is a reason for this."
'I didn't ask about that… !'
Seon Ahyeon, on rare occasions, internally refuted Park Moondae, but Park Moondae ran like a runaway locomotive.
"So I called the party again."
Wait a moment.
There was another person?
Seon Ahyeon was mentally panting.
And he asked himself.
Could he justify his own mental health by attracting so many people, so vast?
It was impossible…
'No, no.'
A smart and great person like Park Moondae could do it.
'If I believe in what I'm comfortable with, Moondae…''
Wait.
"… Uh?"
Seon Ahyeon noticed the contradiction.
'Even if I believe him or not… Anyway, Moondae said he would seek therapy no matter what.'
Then… wasn't that fine?
'No matter what I think.'
No matter what Seon Ahyeon thought, Park Moondae would find an expert when he needed help.
'That… That's right.'
Seon Ahyeon took a deep breath as he felt the stuff in his throat slowly sinking.
The fear of making the wrong choice melted away.
The fixed conclusion played its role as Park Moondae's goal.
Besides, all of this was something… Something… that was not the direction Seon Ahyeon predicted and prepared for.
'That… A deeper conversation.'
He knew how to do it, but this was like collecting data when working at the songwriting camp!
"…"
The funny thing was, even in the midst of panic and confusion, Seon Ahyeon's reason began to exercise judgment.
To the natural evidence submission like flowing water.
This was a job, not a consultation.
[Hello, Ahyeon-nim… !]
"Now, Ryu Gunwoo, who was originally Park Moondae, is now in a state where he and I have switched bodies."
"…"
"By the way, Chungwoo hyung was my paternal cousin."
But what happened next… It was a supernatural proof that even Seon Ahyeon had not thought of.
After arranging a light greeting, Park Moondae suddenly asked a sharp question to Seon Ahyeon.
"I think the fact that I was seeing a hologram was what bothered you the most, wasn't it?"
"…"
"You thought I was hallucinating. It's serious."
Park Moondae laughed when he saw Seon Ahyeon's face darken.
"Then, before going into details, let's prove that this isn't an illusion."
"…"
"You have questions written in your notebook."
"Y-yes."
"Show me. But before that…"
Park Moondae stood up and turned the computer back.
"If I do this, 'Ryu Gunwoo' on the screen won't be able to see your notes. Yes?"
"Th-that's right…"
"No, wait. Give me a second."
Park Moondae turned off the monitor altogether.
"…!"
"In this case, only the speaker is alive. No tricks. It's not even my computer in the first place."
"…"
Seon Ahyeon had no idea what Park Moondae was doing.
But Park Moondae did not stop.
"Now, show me the notes."
"… … Yes."
Seon Ahyeon did not go against him, and quietly, with trembling hands, turned the notebook around and showed it to Park Moondae.
There was elegant handwriting.
-Why did Moondae and Ryu Gunwoo switch bodies?
It was a question that Park Moondae would soon explain.
Exactly… Park Moondae easily guessed that it would have been close to 'Why did they switch bodies?'.
Keundal began speaking.
[I got a lot of help from Gunwoo hyung… I wished for my hyung's happiness, but things got twisted badly!]
"…!!"
Seon Ahyeon doubted his ears.
The monitor was turned off.
The speaker was next to it.
[Of course, I think the results are okay. Watching hyung promote as an idol is really cool, right?]
A soft, gentle male voice flowed out.
[Well, by the way, the subject here is hyung, right? Or is it me? Anyway, the answer doesn't change much… …]
"…"
It was the answer to the question written in the notebook.
Click.
The notebook fell to the floor.
Seon Ahyeon looked down at the note, feeling his blood run cold… He raised his head to Moondae.
Park Moondae nodded his head naturally.
"We're connected through the hologram window."
He got goosebumps.
"Just write something and show it. It will be delivered with this."
Seon Ahyeon gritted his teeth and picked up the note.
And he wrote down any random thoughts he had. Something that could never be guessed.
Foreign language.
- Pas de deux
And the sound rang out.
[I'm sorry… I don't know what that means. Pas de deux?]
"…"
[Ah, ah, that's a ballet term. Yes. Ahyeon-nim originally did ballet!]
This… This?
Seon Ahyeon grabbed the table. The eyes in his head began to spin.
Common sense… was being destroyed.
It was his own room. He knew that there was no device, and Park Moondae also did not have any spare time to install something separately.
Even Park Moondae said so.
Park Moondae, wearing white short-sleeves and pajama pants without pockets, jumped lightly from his seat.
"It's impossible to hide a small camera under my clothes right now, but… Still, I'll borrow your camera detector for now."
"…"
Then, on his own, he picked up the camera detector placed in the corner of Seon Ahyeon's desk and turned it around his body and the table.
Of course, there was no response.
'Ah.'
Seon Ahyeon blinked.
'If so..'
But before drawing a logical conclusion…
"But, as expected, this might not be enough for you to completely believe me."
"…??"
Seon Ahyeon lifted his head.
Park Moondae nodded seriously.
"Now, let's get someone else involved. I'll call Chungwoo hyung and Lee Sejin now."
"...."
"Besides that, if you have any doubts, tell me right away."
Park Moondae laughed.
"Because we have plenty of time until tomorrow."
The starting stage of the plan was to thoroughly empirically provide proof before solving the story.
In this way, Park Moondae's proof continued until the sun went down