I flicked off the annoying hand clinging to my nape with a shudder.
“Please leave. And I would appreciate it if you stay out of my sight for the time being.”
Seo Ui-woo’s expression briefly clouded at the resolute rejection.
“Leave?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean for the time being? How long is that?”
“I don’t know. Just leave.”
“Jae-jin.”
“Oh, get lost, just go away!”
The gentle smile Ui-woo had been barely maintaining broke and his mouth twisted. His thick eyebrows furrowed harshly, and a cold wind swept through his predatory gaze.
Grinding his teeth bitterly, Ui-woo growled.
“Should I, I… apologize to Jae-jin? Beg for your forgiveness?”
His deep grey eyes stormed fiercely and violently.
“Once, I tried to erase Kwon Jae-jin’s memories. It’s true. I can’t deny that I had such an urge.”
“Seo Ui-woo…”
“At that time, that’s how I wanted Jae-jin. I didn’t think it was wrong. Awakeners all erase their memories to live, to fight, to protect themselves, their comrades, and humanity.”
His speech came out ferociously, as if he couldn’t hold it back any longer.
Not suppressing his true feelings, as if he couldn’t bear it.
Just as it was, completely.
“I just wanted Jae-jin to forget the past and be with me. But still, in the end, I didn’t do it.”
“……”
“I didn’t touch Kwon Jae-jin’s memories at all!”
“……”
“Now I get it. If I could go back in time and regress like Jae-jin, I wouldn’t do anything. I wouldn’t drill a hole in the head, and if it was Jae-jin’s, I’d want to know everything. Now, right now, I really feel that way. It wasn’t me who messed with Jae-jin’s head. Those memories, I didn’t tear them away yet if Jae-jin blames me for this… it feels a bit unfair.”
Ui-woo reached out his arms, approaching without force, slow enough that Jae-jin could push him away if he tried.
As always, he embraced Jae-jin’s waist and buried his handsome face in the nape of his neck. The sensation of his high nose bridge pressing against Jae-jin was palpable.
“We were really good together. You and me, seriously… we were good. I’m sorry. I apologize. For trying to erase the memories; I was short-sighted at that time.”
“……”
“I didn’t consider Jae-jin’s position at all. I was only thinking about myself. I won’t do that again. Okay?”
Ui-woo deeply kissed the hollow of Jae-jin’s collarbone. The warmth of his body felt so familiar and natural. He kissed Jae-jin’s chin, cheeks, and lips.
Jae-jin received this desperately clinging man with a breathless and hollow mood.
This Ui-woo…
This Ui-woo is just too…
Ha… pathetic…
“Then.”
As if spitting out a fireball from his throat, Jae-jin spoke with painful effort. His voice was dry and cracked like a strong fortification.
“Restore my memories, please.”
It was just so like Ui-woo not to finish by saying he’ll return Jae-jin’s vanished memories, even while apologizing and declaring he wouldn’t do it again. This bloody bastard… until the very end.
“My family, who they are, what they look like, their names, my childhood! Put everything back with your superb abilities.”
Jae-jin shouted fiercely.
“Yes, I admit it. We were good, Ui-woo and me. It was fun! Whenever there was a chance, we’d cling onto each other, probe here and there, suck and melt away, utterly buffoonishly… If you want to stay with me like that in the future, give back my memories.”
It felt like his blood was rushing in reverse.
The direct culprit who erased Jae-jin’s memories was the first iteration of Seo Ui-woo, someone he could never meet again. However, that didn’t mean the second iteration of Seo Ui-woo could be absolved from blame.
He’s the same at the root.
Conceiving the idea to erase memories, but not to restore them. That’s what makes all iterations of Seo Ui-woo equally detestable to Jae-jin.
Is it because it’s difficult to deal with Jae-jin when he remembers his past?
Because he can’t be simply confined and suppressed anymore?
Because he might want to go back to the Sixth Residential District?
“Seo Ui-woo, you can do anything, right? If you interfered with brainwaves to prevent memories, you can interfere again to make them come back. Now, do it. Do it! Now!”
Jae-jin forcibly grabbed and pulled Ui-woo’s wrist, placing his hand against his forehead and thumped his head.
Seo Ui-woo lowered his eyelids in discomfort.
“Jae-jin. That’s difficult.”
✧˚·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥·̩̩̥͙✧·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥˚·̩̩̥͙✧ 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓉𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓈 ✧˚·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥·̩̩̥͙✧·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥˚·̩̩̥͙✧
