TL | Chapter 9 | ‘Ha Seowon’ is Dead

Seowon had a lot on his mind. The fact that Iden was a mafia heir hadn’t changed. If he’d moved to the United States back in high school, then it was likely he held that position more firmly than Seowon remembered. So, was there no one currently after his life?

No, that couldn’t be right.

“I won’t ever let him stand in front of me to protect me again.”

He’d said those words—something about stepping forward to protect him and taking a bullet to the chest.

Still, the Seowon here managed to protect Iden well enough. Ironically, he was relieved. Despite knowing he was supposedly dead, he was thankful it wasn’t Iden who had died…

“So, someone’s still after your life, huh?”

Seowon could guess why he hadn’t returned to the United States.

“Well, it’s nothing new.”

Iden was more composed than he’d expected. Perhaps that was natural if he’d been raised as a mafia boss’s heir since his teenage years. It was only logical that he was different from Seowon, who’d been shocked and horrified by a sudden shooting, and different from the Iden who had been his lover back then.

The more he noticed these differences, the more he felt a lingering bitterness.

Either way, he understood that the Iden in front of him wouldn’t so much as blink, even if someone were after his life.

“I’ll make sure to find the one who shot you. Until then, I’m just choosing somewhere a bit safer.”

Iden’s gaze sharpened to the point of being almost terrifying. Not only was he unafraid, but he seemed determined to hunt down the perpetrator.

Watching him in silence, Seowon took a long, quiet breath. He was beginning to understand what he needed to do. In the end, he only wanted one thing.

He never wanted to see Iden die in front of him again.

Even if this Iden was different from the one he loved, he was still Iden. He wanted to protect him.

“I have a favor.”

With his mind made up, he felt his thoughts clear.

“Anything.”

Iden answered readily, exuding a relaxed confidence, as if willing to grant any wish he had.

“Set up a place for me to stay.”

Here, Ha Seowon was considered a dead person. That, too, from a month ago. So, visiting his parents was out of the question. They’d probably be overwhelmed if they saw their supposedly dead son return, and there was no telling if the parents here were even the same as the ones he remembered. Above all, it was unclear how long he could stay here. So, it seemed better not to get entangled with people if he could avoid it.

Since he was officially dead, nothing was left for him. His home had already been sold, which left him at a loss.

“You can stay here.”

Iden replied as if it were obvious. That answer was neither surprising nor unsettling. The fact that he had such a proper, even overly spacious house to live in alone meant it had been prepared to share with “Ha Seowon.”

Staying under the same roof with Iden was a bit problematic. They were marked partners. After all, he’d already reacted to his pheromones and ended up in quite a situation. There was no guarantee that wouldn’t happen again. Even if he didn’t want it, he could be swept along whenever Iden wanted.

He was Iden, but he wasn’t his lover. The idea of sleeping with him felt wrong, and he felt guilty toward the Iden he’d loved. He didn’t want to make the same mistake.

While biting down on his lower lip in silence, Iden, who’d been watching him, reached out and held Seowon’s cheek. The touch made his body tense up with nervousness.

“I told you not to hurt yourself. That’s one habit you just can’t break.”

Looking up at his face, Seowon saw a bitter smile. He had a habit of chewing his lip when he felt uneasy, when nothing seemed to make sense, and no other options were in sight. Iden was calling him out on that habit.

“Are you that afraid of staying with me? Afraid you’ll beg to be held again?”

Iden teased with a mischievous smile. It wasn’t exactly fear… but he wasn’t sure. Sometimes Iden felt like an illusion, so close that he wondered if it was all a dream, but at the same time, distant and unfamiliar. He was still confused about how to keep his distance.

It couldn’t be the same as before, yet it wasn’t entirely different either. At the very least, Iden had no sense of distance with Seowon. It was as if he were dealing with a longtime lover… huh, maybe it wasn’t so different.

“I’m not the ‘Ha Seowon’ you knew.”

Seowon pushed Iden’s hand away from his cheek and spoke firmly. He needed to draw a line. If there was confusion, then both he and Iden needed to recognize they weren’t the same people they’d known.

Iden stared at him intently and raised the corner of his lips into a faint smile.

“I’m not sure that’s the right thing for someone who reached their peak under me to say.”

“You said your lover ‘Ha Seowon’ died. Right before your eyes.”

As he said those words, Seowon’s heart ached. It was a statement for Iden, but also for himself. His lover… was dead. Right before his eyes.

Iden’s expression hardened as if the reality check was uncomfortable. Watching his slightly furrowed brow, Seowon steeled himself even more.

“I don’t know why I’m here, but I’m not your ‘Ha Seowon.’ The dead don’t come back to life.”

He emphasized each word, locking eyes with Iden.

The dead don’t return. Hadn’t he known that painfully well?

“If you can promise you’re fully aware of that, then I’ll stay here.”

Even so, he couldn’t let go of his lingering feelings. He was making the choice to stay by ‘Iden’ again.

After all, he had nowhere else to go. In this world, where everything was different, he had only one person he could rely on.

Inwardly, he laughed at himself for making excuses.

Whatever the case, he just wanted to stay with him.

Maybe the answer was very simple.

“Is that all you want?”

Iden asked back, as if he understood what Seowon was asking. Seowon looked him in the eye and took a deep breath.

“Just one more thing.”

Iden raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Let me work as a bodyguard.”

For the first time, Iden’s face contorted in response to his words.

**

Late at night, Iden sat in the study, staring out the window. Though his face showed no emotion, his eyes were deep and brooding.

“Allow me to provide close protection. After all, you want me by your side, don’t you?”

Seowon had known exactly what Iden wanted when he asked to be a bodyguard. But his reasoning was wrong. Iden didn’t want him as a protector; he wanted to keep him close as a lover, someone no one else could touch.

The more he thought about it, the deeper the frown creased his brow. As if the idea of him being a bodyguard was absurd.

“Since the day you saved me, I thought I had to protect myself. I’ve been doing it ever since, so I’m pretty strong.”

After his mother’s death, he’d moved to the United States, which made finding Seowon take time. When he finally did, Seowon was no longer the delicate boy he remembered. Not only had he trained in Taekwondo, but he’d also learned Hapkido and could take down even Iden’s other guards in one blow.

“I want to be your bodyguard. That way, I can always be by your side.”

After learning the truth about Iden, Seowon had thought it over carefully and said he wanted to share in the dangers Iden faced. He was willing to accept him as he was. Instead, he wanted to share in the risks.

Back then, Iden had been touched by his resolve. He’d agreed to let him stay as a bodyguard, convinced he could still protect him as he wished.

Seowon faithfully upheld his promise to protect Iden, even sacrificing himself without a moment’s hesitation at the critical moment.

He’d miraculously regained someone he thought he’d lost forever, only for Seowon to make the same request. Yet he insisted he wasn’t the ‘Ha Seowon’ Iden had known. It was almost laughable, the idea that they were somehow different.

Regardless, Seowon didn’t have anywhere else to go even if he refused. Still, as the initial confusion faded, Seowon had quickly begun assessing the situation with cold clarity. That too, was reminiscent of the Seowon Iden had known. He knew Iden was the only one who could help a man officially declared dead, yet he demanded his terms confidently.

As if he knew Iden couldn’t turn him down.

“Troublesome in so many ways.”

In some respects, he was indeed a bit different. He was more stubborn and resolute than Iden’s ‘Seowon.’ What would he do if Iden refused to let him be a bodyguard? He could only imagine those steadfast eyes, trying to break free from his grip. Seowon’s determined gaze came to mind, and a sigh escaped Iden.

“The dead don’t come back.”

It was as though he was drawing a boundary, pushing Iden outside it with the same face, the same voice.

Iden sighed deeply and called Min.

“Bring some protective equipment for Ha Seowon.”

Min was surprised at the unexpected order and stammered, “Huh?” but Iden simply hung up the phone.

For now, he planned to watch. Keeping Seowon close came first. Whether he’d come back from the dead or was someone entirely different didn’t matter. Seowon might insist he wasn’t the same ‘Seowon,’ but his body reacted to Iden’s pheromones, and he’d begged to be held.

As far as Iden was concerned, he was still Ha Seowon.