## Chapter 176 – Reencounter
“…So, the reason I have no memory from the mountain entrance, and why I woke up in Seoul, in Oppa’s room, is because of this little thing?”
“Well… yeah?”
Chaeyoon, just woken up and still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, looks at me while touching her messy hair. I remember going to the mountain entrance, but when I opened my eyes, I was in my own room in Seoul. Explaining this incomprehensible situation to Chaeyoon, who just woke up, she takes the Iria’s soul fragment in my hand and stares blankly at it.
“…And what’s inside this little thing is ‘another me’?”
“Well… that’s also right?”
‘Um, sorry for borrowing your body without permission…’
Iria hesitates and apologizes, her eyes half-closed with sleepiness, as she meets Chaeyoon’s gaze. A strange scene is unfolding on my bed: my past self apologizing to my present self. After a moment of silence, Chaeyoon, who had been rubbing her eyes without a word after hearing the apology, opens her mouth in a hoarse voice.
“…It definitely feels like a presence similar to mine. And it feels strangely familiar. I guess you and I really were the same being?”
‘Ah, um… sorry. I didn’t mean to appear before you like this. I feel like things have gotten complicated… I keep worrying about it…’
An awkward situation continues as Iria repeatedly apologizes to Chaeyoon in a dying voice. Chaeyoon seems quite perplexed as the conversation stalls due to her low posture. Having barely had a proper conversation in over 100 years, Iria is probably finding communication more difficult than even I do.
“I’ll accept your apology. It’s not like you did anything weird even if you borrowed my body, right?”
‘…Thank you. Really.’
Chaeyoon, realizing that the conversation wouldn’t progress if she didn’t stop the apologies, pretends to reluctantly accept the apology and naturally continues the conversation. Iria seems relieved by the casually tossed-off “It’s okay,” and her voice becomes noticeably more comfortable.
“And actually, thanks to you being inside me, I vaguely remembered some ‘old memories’ too.”
“Huh? So you remember everything from when you were ‘Iria’?”
“No, not everything. Just some short, fragmented memories.”
I was surprised to hear Chaeyoon say she remembered the past, but it doesn’t seem like all her memories have returned. She says she only remembers fragments.
“I have a memory of you living happily with a man. You and that man… we were in love. Right?”
‘…Right, that’s why I said sorry. You’re already living a new life, and I was worried that my lingering feelings would bother you.’
The two of them sharing the same memories from the same day. I should probably just stay out of it and get some water.
Chaeyoon’s voice was still hoarse from just waking up, so I quietly got out of bed and headed to the refrigerator in the kitchen, both to give them some space and so they wouldn’t be bothered by me.
“Hehehe, I was wondering what it was, but I don’t care about that at all.”
‘…You don’t care…?’
“Yeah. Of course, I was a little surprised to have other memories in my head, but those aren’t my memories. Even if the past me loved that man, the person I love now is completely different, right? Is there any need to worry about something like that?”
Chaeyoon’s voice coming from the room. Should I wait a little longer?
“So, stop worrying about us for nothing and think about how you’re going to live from now on. Look, you somehow got out of that mountain, but do you have any plans for what you’re going to do?”
‘Ah, no… not yet…’
“Ohohot.”
Chaeyoon starts nagging, mixed with playful teasing, as if asking her child about their future career path, and Iria is flustered and answering seriously, not knowing what to do. Seeing Iria blending in more naturally than before, I grab a glass of water and head back to the room.
I hand Chaeyoon the mug filled with cold water and plop down on the bed.
“Ah, thank you.”
“Iria, if you don’t have any plans yet, why don’t you go meet Sister Iran… Ah, or Lapis? You two used to be close, right? I don’t think she even knows you’re alive.”
‘Oh… is that okay?’
“I don’t have anything to do right now, so I can take you.”
Iria’s voice perks up at the name ‘Lapis’ that came out of my mouth. I couldn’t see Iria’s expression in this small bead form, but I could easily tell she was excited. They must have been really close.
‘Th-then, take me.’
“Okay, then. Chaeyoon, are you going too?”
“…No, I have plans. I’ll head over there when I’m done with everything.”
“Okay, Sister Iran is still staying at Seohee’s house these days, right? Come over there when you’re done.”
Sister Iran has been living at Seohee’s house ever since she obtained a human body. It’s a quick subway ride from my place, so I change into some cool clothes, ask Chaeyoon about her schedule, but she says she has a prior appointment.
I tell her to meet us at Seohee’s house later and grab Iria’s fragment to leave the room, but…
“Wait a minute.”
I turn around at Chaeyoon’s voice suddenly calling out to me.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s not that, but since you’re meeting a friend after so long, why don’t you surprise her?”
‘…Surprise…? What’s that?’
“It means to give her a surprise.”
I sigh and explain to Iria, who isn’t yet familiar with modern terms. Anyway, a surprise all of a sudden? What is she planning…?
“…It’s nothing weird. I just mean, like, a surprise party…”
Chaeyoon starts making excuses before I can even say anything, as if she’s feeling guilty just seeing my expression, even though I haven’t said anything out loud. I’m a little suspicious, but…
“You can’t go looking like that when you’re meeting a friend after so long. You should dress up all pretty and then reveal your identity, saying, ‘I’m Iria.'”
“Wait. You’re not planning anything weird, are you?”
“…Have I ever said something like that and then done something weird?”
“I think you need to take a look at yourself…”
‘….Dress up…’
I decided to hear her out, but Chaeyoon’s expression as she lays out her plan is suspicious, so I cut her off and start bickering with her, heads together, when I hear Iria’s voice. She’s already hooked on the idea of ‘dressing up pretty’ and is showing interest.
“…I guess I have no choice… But how are you going to dress her up? Are you going to sprinkle glitter on her or something?”
“Eyy, no. It’s time to use the ‘toys’ I made for times like these.”
Chaeyoon retorts to my nitpicking and starts making a phone call.
“…Hello? It’s me. Come to the address I’m sending you right now.”
Chaeyoon speaks in a cold voice and tone, only stating the necessary information before immediately hanging up. …If it’s a toy, it must be one of the humans Chaeyoon brainwashed, but surely…
“Iria is a woman too, and she can’t stay in the form of a stone forever, right? I called the one I think has the most outstanding appearance out of the toys I made, so from now on, Iria can use that human’s body. Hehehe…♡”
‘Huh? No… wait a minute… I don’t really want to possess a human body just to have one…’
“…Wow, you’re so kind that I wonder if you’re really the same being as me. Don’t worry about that. The original human’s personality has already disappeared due to excessive brainwashing. So, she’s just a doll that moves according to what I’ve programmed. Would you rather let her live like that forever? Or would you rather give that poor doll a new will?”
Chaeyoon is right. The two are so different that it’s hard to believe they were born from the same root. Chaeyoon looks like a devil as she tempts Iria in a low voice.
And Iria is being swayed by the devil’s temptation.
‘…Okay. Then, I’m sorry to that human, but I’ll borrow that body.’
“You’ve made a good choice. You can’t live as a stone forever, after all. She’ll be here soon, so live in that body for a while. I have an appointment, so I’ll head out first. See you later, Oppa♡”
Chaeyoon smiles at Iria’s choice, gets up from the bed, changes her clothes, and packs her bag. Then, as if it’s not an important appointment, she puts on comfortable clothes, pulls down her hat, and leaves the house.
‘…The me who was reborn in modern times is scary… Are ‘Seohee’ and ‘Sua’ similar?’
“Seohee will be scary in a different way, and Sua will be scary in yet another way.”
‘…What on earth happened to the ‘other me’s’…’
Iria, having seen the dark side of Chaeyoon, another version of herself living in the modern era, asks me in a slightly nervous voice, wondering about Seohee and Sua, who can be said to be other versions of herself, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer.
As Iria, frozen by my ambiguous answer, bitterly feels the horror of the modern world, the doorbell rings in the house. Did the toy Chaeyoon called already arrive?
“…Yes, I’m coming.”
Seriously, how much did she mess with that human’s head to make her come this fast? I grumble and put Iria in my shirt’s front pocket as I head to the front door. I was about to open the door and quickly bring her inside, sensing a presence right outside the door, but…
“…You…”
“Long time no see, Master! Your Master’s anal onahole, ‘Seorin,’ greets you♡”
…Indeed, it’s the doll Chaeyoon cherishes the most out of the toys she made, the head of the design department who has already lost her original personality due to excessive brainwashing, Seorin, politely bowing her head to me in front of the door.
