The floor was damp with the blood and tears I had shed. The room was in disarray as I searched for my phone.
In the midst of that chaotic scene, I stood alone, staring blankly at the drawer I had opened.
A rope, unnecessarily long and thick for a typical household, sturdy enough to look like it was meant for something serious. It was more than sufficient for hanging a person there didn't seem to be any other purpose for it.
Next to it lay a single sheet of A4 paper with only the word "Will" written on it, nothing else. The paper was crumpled, as if it had been soaked with droplets and dried in patches.
The wrinkled paper, likely drenched in tears from overwhelming emotions, the rope that seemed perfectly suited for its grim purpose, and a white envelope filled with antidepressants in the drawer it was obvious to anyone what this person had been planning.
I let out a heavy sigh as my strength drained away.
"…You were going to kill yourself, huh."
I reached out and touched the paper that looked like a will. Its originally pristine white surface was now stained red with my blood. As I lifted it, I noticed a photo underneath.
A couple, each holding one arm of a child. In the backdrop of snow-covered, exotic buildings, a handsome man with black hair and a beautiful woman with blonde hair were smiling brightly, their child between them.
The child, whose arms were held by both parents, had a sulky expression, but somehow it suited them perfectly.
A child with black hair, snow clinging to it, and golden eyes shining brightly.
The boy looked cute despite his grumpy face, and I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
As soon as I saw it, I knew the boy in the photo was me as a child or rather, the original owner of this body.
Mesmerized, I took the photo and walked to the bathroom. The mirror was cracked in the center, making it hard to see my reflection clearly.
"Damn… I smashed it so bad I can barely see my face."
I tilted my body this way and that, looking at the photo and then at the mirror, comparing the two.
As expected, it was me or rather, the childhood version of this body's original owner.
I stepped away from the shattered mirror and looked at a larger, intact section of it, taking in my upper body.
Broad shoulders, toned but moderate chest muscles, and six sharply defined abs—this robust body didn't seem like it could belong to the tiny child in the photo. It was hard to believe that small frame had grown into this.
I'd always had muscles optimized for fighting, so this body, seemingly crafted for aesthetics, felt a bit unfamiliar but undeniably impressive.
"Height's about the same as mine… the only differences are the face and leg length."
Well, not just a little different a lot different.
Still, being mixed-race definitely showed; the long legs typical of Westerners caught my eye immediately.
"My original legs weren't this long… were they?"
I glanced down at the track pants I was wearing and roughly estimated their length.
These long pants fit my legs perfectly. If it were my old body, they'd have been way too long.
At first, I thought only "Ryu Sehwa" had changed, since the clothes I was wearing and the house seemed the same.
"But this is too weird. What's with the immigration stuff, and who's this 'aunt'?"
I left the bathroom with the photo and went to check my phone again, which I'd placed on the drawer.
The phone, one I'd bought for its cool design but had cracked on the back from rough use, was now pristine.
There's no way a broken phone could fix itself.
Just to be sure, I rummaged through other places where my belongings should've been. Among them were items I'd bought, but they had traces of use by someone else, not me.
…I finally accepted it. My entire life had changed. Only now did I realize none of my "real" belongings were here.
It wasn't that this person stole my body I was the one who'd taken theirs.
No matter how much evidence piled up, I decided to stop denying it and whining.
If you ask about the track pants and black tank top that were exactly the same as mine… well, that was just this guy's taste.
The same name as me? The fact that even the convenience store nearby was in the exact same location as my old place? I don't know, damn it.
It's just fate mine and this guy's. There's no other explanation. The idea that we could be so similar in such major ways defied common sense.
I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. The venom in my eyes had faded, and the rage that had consumed me had long since burned out, leaving only ashes. I started to think.
How am I supposed to live from now on? I don't even know where my parents disappeared to, and all I have left is this stranger's body and a life I know nothing about.
Is this what it feels like to be stranded alone on a deserted island? I wished someone would just tell me the right answer.
As I sat there staring at the innocent wall in front of me, I realized I was still holding the family photo.
Why was I still clutching it?
I didn't know, but looking at the happy family in the picture made me envious.
So painfully envious.
Looking at it, feelings of longing and regret welled up, spilling out as tears.
Maybe I was projecting my parents, who could no longer smile because of me, onto the happy couple in the photo. Or maybe this body was crying because it missed its own parents I didn't know.
It just… felt like the child between that couple was my childhood self.
In that moment, I became a child again.
I sat there, sobbing uncontrollably, mourning the parents I'd never see again and begging for the forgiveness I should've sought long ago.
I apologized for being the only one left, for not being able to go back not because I hated them, but because I loved them too much.
I let the emotions bottled up inside me flow out through my tears until my tear ducts ran dry.
Then, I pulled out the nail of regret that had been lodged deep in my heart and stood up.
Now, I could truly feel it.
The sensation of standing on this floor with both feet. The pain from my torn hands. The sting around my eyes from crying too much.
All of it came from this body I now possessed.
I gritted my teeth, walked to the mirror, and stared into my own eyes. Though my reflection was split by the cracked mirror, I didn't care. I spoke to the original owner of this body, who might still be lingering somewhere.
"Honestly… I really hated you. I thought you stole my life to live happily. But… you're not that kind of person. Your parents are gone, and yeah, everything's tough, but does that mean you can just give up and die? Don't you think they might be watching over you, worried?"
It sounded like I was scolding a child, but I was also talking to myself chastising my own foolish actions and vowing never to repeat them.
Hoping that my parents could watch me live happily and no longer cry.
"I didn't choose this either. I'm sorry for taking your body, but since you were going to throw this life away… I'm taking it. If you want it back, come and take it from me right now. If you don't, I'm going to live it to the fullest and make it mine. I'm going to cherish it and make something amazing out of it. So if you show up later crying and begging, I'm not giving it back."
I issued my final ultimatum, closed my eyes, and waited in silence. Minutes passed, and nothing happened.
As I opened my eyes, a tear rolled down my right cheek, trailing over the lettering etched there and reaching my lips.
Is this body's tear duct broken or something? The tears just keep coming on their own.
A smile I didn't intend spread across my face. In the mirror, I saw myself crying and smiling at the same time. Those tears and that expression weren't mine.
Hah.
This cute little bastard.
And so, from that day forward, I began my new life as Ryu Sehwa.
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Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id
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