Lately, I'd been lost in the same old thoughts. About why I was even here. So engrossed that I forgot who was in front of me. Just… what went wrong?
"…Yeoul."
Lost in thought about the cause of my possession, I was snapped back to reality when a handsome guy tapped my dazed cheek.
"Yeoul, what are you thinking so hard about?"
"…Huh…?"
"Yeoul-ah, Ha Yeoul."
Ha Yeoul, That was the name of the guy I’d possessed. In this romance novel, he was the sickly, insignificant friend who was hopelessly in love with the heroine—in other words, just one of the male leads’ tag-alongs. A walking cough.
And this guy in front of me… who was he again?
"Cough, cough!"
Just then, a fit of coughs erupted, turning my face red. I coughed as if trying to cough up a lung, and the man sitting right in front of me widened his eyes.
"Are you okay? Why isn't that cough getting better? Should I get you some warm water, Yeoul-ah?"
I managed a nod, wiping around my lips. I glanced around, wondering if I'd splattered him with spit, and tried to recall the name of the man I couldn't remember.
"Um… what… was it."
My voice was raspy from the coughing fit.
"Huh?"
"Your name’s meaning, I mean.”
"Ah… Tae as in great, Hee as in joy. What's with the sudden question? You're so random sometimes, Yeoul-ah."
Ah, right. Taehee, Mo Taehee.
Mo Taehee had a gentle way of speaking, unlike his bear-like build. Oh, and his actions too.
Um… for example, he called my name very sweetly, "Yeoul-ah." Sometimes he'd shorten it to "Yeoul." And unlike his appearance, he was the youngest child, so he was very comfortable with skinship.
When he sat next to me, he'd pull me into a hug, put his nose to my neck, and inhale. Whispering sweet nothings. Saying things like I smelled nice, or I was soft. And he'd touch my cheeks, face, and body without hesitation.
Mo Taehee looked at my face with worried eyes as I coughed like I was going to throw up. He was the kindest of the three, so this was expected, but it was still a little much to be looked at so closely, so I leaned back.
"Why?"
Mo Taehee moved closer as I moved away. I was practically screaming that I was uncomfortable, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.
I shook my head slightly, as if it was nothing. "Water, please," I mumbled, and only then did Mo Taehee move back.
"Wait here."
Mo Taehee ran his needlessly large hand through my hair. He rubbed my forehead with his thumb, then smiled at me with a gentle look. Annoying.
I smiled weakly. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, probably because Mo Taehee's hand was warm.
Mo Taehee slowly got up and turned around to look at me as he walked away from the couch. I flinched as if I'd done something wrong, then gave him an awkward smile.
I felt like I could hear the words that all three of them had been saying lately, "Yeoul's been acting strange lately," "Don't you think Ha Yeoul's been acting strange lately?" echoing in my head.
I watched Mo Taehee walk away, then sank back into thought. What kind of character was Ha Yeoul again…? He didn't appear much in the novel, so I didn't really remember any specific episodes. So, of course, I probably knew the least about his personality.
"Sigh…"
How great would it have been if I had possessed Nam Kangwoo or Mo Taehee, or even Seo Jaehoon. I could have had a hot romance with the female lead.
I sighed without realizing it.
In the meantime, Mo Taehee, who had filled a cup with warm water, handed it to me and asked, "What's wrong?"
Was he always this worried…? I knew he was kind, but it was a little… ticklish that he was so kind to his friends, regardless of gender. It was also a little creepy.
"Nothing… it's nothing."
I brought the cup to my lips and took a few sips of warm water, then glanced around.
I was sitting on the couch, and this house was a villa where the three male leads and Ha Yeoul lived together. It was probably the house of someone with a lot of money… who was it again…? Was it Nam Kangwoo, or… was it Mo Taehee's house?
I glanced around cautiously and slowly got up. Mo Taehee's head followed my movements in a smooth arc.
"Where are you going, Yeoul-ah?"
"To my room… I'm tired."
"I wish you'd stay a little longer."
Mo Taehee looked at me with a deeply regretful expression. I stared at Mo Taehee's manly face, and without realizing it, I raised my hand and rubbed my chest.
"Why, does your chest hurt?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah… I've been coughing, so it's a little…"
One of the things I realized after living with my housemates for a few days after the sudden possession was that when I said I was sick, they would freak out for some reason. They overreacted to the point of embarrassment. Even Nam Kangwoo, who I hadn't even exchanged a few words with, would nonchalantly put his hand on my forehead when I said I was sick.
I coughed a few more times, my shoulders shaking.
"Cough, cough, hack—"
Mo Taehee instantly got up and stroked my back with his big, warm hand. I was in a slightly awkward position, hugging Mo Taehee's chest. This… shit.
"Are you okay, Yeoul-ah?"
Mo Taehee, who had one arm around my shoulder and the other around my back, lowered his head and carefully checked my face. I'd feel a little better if you got off me. I couldn't bring myself to say that, so I nodded.
"C-can you let go of me?"
I raised my face, which was flushed from the forced coughs, and met Mo Taehee's eyes.
"Mo Taehee."
"…"
Heat filled the eyes of Mo Taehee, who was looking down at my face. I tilted my head, wondering why he was acting like that, and called his name one more time, and only then did the arms that had been wrapped around me fall away.
"I'll take you to your room."
"What do you mean, take me? It's ten steps to my room."
"You couldn't even find your room a few days ago and slept in my room."
"Ah— that's… that…"
I stammered, trying to make excuses with a dumbfounded look, but gave up. I couldn't think of any excuses, and it was the first day of my possession, so I didn't know where my room was, where I was, or who I was.
Seo Jaehoon had made a fuss about taking me to the hospital right away when I didn't respond to the voice calling "Yeoul-ah, Ha Yeoul" and just stared blankly. Like a madman.
Thinking about it again, Seo Jaehoon was like a madman.
I shuddered as I thought of Seo Jaehoon. Seo Jaehoon had called my name about a million times over the course of a few days, give or take a few. When I finally nodded in response to my name being called by that madman, he couldn't contain his joy and hugged me tightly and spun me around.
The memory of that day was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday, even though it had been a long time. That crazy bastard… really.
Lost in other thoughts, I raised my face to Mo Taehee and frowned slightly.
"Yeoul, you were thinking about something else, weren't you."
Mo Taehee smiled as he looked at me frowning. He cupped my cheeks with his hands, which were big enough to cover my face. I quickly met Mo Taehee's eyes at the warm, soft touch on my cheeks.
"No."
Even at my small mumble, Mo Taehee tilted my head up with a playful look in his eyes.
This was the most frustrating thing for me right now. My pale face, as if I hadn't eaten anything, was reflected in his soft, gentle eyes.
"I told you not to think about other guys in front of me, Yeoul-ah."
It felt like our lips would touch if I moved even a little. Please, I want to do something about this damn atmosphere.
Every time I was left alone with this guy, Mo Taehee acted like he was dying to touch me. But I was sure he liked women. No, not just women—he liked Park Min-ah. I was certain of it.
"Um… let… let go…"
I carefully watched Mo Taehee and pulled my head back. Avoiding his heated eyes as much as possible.
"Yeoul-ah."
"…H-Huh?"
"I'm being very."
Mo Taehee's face came closer again.
"I'm being very patient with you."
Mo Taehee murmured in a monotone voice, his lips close to my ear. I held my breath at Mo Taehee's meaningful words.
Mo Taehee chuckled in a voice so soft it was like the sound of wind breaking, as if he sensed my frozen body. My ears, where his soft touch had been, flushed.
"Your ears are red."
His big, warm hand gently grabbed my ear and let go. For some reason, that action sent a chill down my spine.
When I raised my head slightly, Mo Taehee's lips came into view. Mo Taehee, whose lower lip was thicker than his upper lip, smiled, slightly raising the corners of his lips that stretched out coolly.
It was still an ambiguous smile that I didn't quite understand.
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