2. Let’s Save the Main Couple! : Age 11

<Lee Sa-eon>

I’ve been possessed.

And of all people, I ended up in the body of a sub male lead in an Omegaverse BL novel with a multi-Gong, single-Su setup.

Time, ever inconsiderate, kept marching on whether I was in denial or not. It’s already been two weeks since I started living this unbelievable reality.

And to make things worse, I caused an accident on my way to school today. I was so out of it, spacing out in the middle of the street, that I wiped out spectacularly — hard enough that passersby stopped to check on me with concern. So there I was, dragging my bleeding knees, still in a daze, all the way to elementary school.

Now, I’ve been sent to the nurse’s office by my homeroom teacher, who couldn’t bear to look at my pitiful state any longer. I know that thinking about all this won’t help at all.

I know, I really do… and yet, even after all this time, I can’t stop wondering — maybe this is all just a dream?

I refused to look at my burning, scraped knees, as if avoiding them would help me deny this reality a little longer.

Sitting blankly on the nurse’s office chair, I slowly turned my head to the side. The school nurse, who had been gently dabbing at the wound on my knee with disinfectant-soaked cotton, looked at me with kind eyes and spoke softly.

“Sa-eon, does it hurt a lot? Once I finish disinfecting it, it won’t hurt anymore, so just hang in there a little longer, okay?”

Sa-eon. Lee Sa-eon.
That was the name I received — the name that became mine the moment I possessed this body a few days ago.

Not knowing how to respond, I only parted my lips slightly before giving a small nod.

Seeing that, the school nurse gently patted my head a couple of times, as if praising me.

Feeling weird about it, I pressed down on my head with my palm where it had been patted, and just then, a bell rang from somewhere.

It must’ve been the nurse’s phone. As he threw away the used cotton in the trash, he glanced at his phone and, with an apologetic face, asked if I could wait just a little while.

I had no reason to say no, so I nodded quietly. The nurse smiled like he was grateful.

“You’re such a good kid. Alright, I’ll just take this call real quick and be right back. Wait here, okay? Oh, and if any other kids or teachers come in, could you tell them I’ll be back soon?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks. I’ll be as quick as I can.”

I nodded in reply. As I did, the sight of the tiny slippers on my feet suddenly made me realize all over again that I was in a child’s body. It felt… weird.

Honestly, the fact that I’d been possessed into a BL novel — sure, fine. That much, I could weirdly accept. It was beyond anything I ever imagined, so I had no choice but to accept it. I clenched my mouth shut as I went over the absurd truth again.

The real issue was… I’m not Lee Sa-eon. I’m not him — so how the hell am I supposed to live his life like it’s nothing?

Everyone thinks I’m Sa-eon, who just turned eleven two weeks ago, and they treat me accordingly. But inside, I’m a guy in his mid-to-late twenties. It’s enough to drive me insane.

Whether it’s lucky or unfortunate, I don’t know, but… Sa-eon’s parents are the type who don’t pay much attention to their kid. That helped ease my guilt a little.

If they were the super loving, doting kind, I would’ve broken down crying. Worse, I probably would’ve blurted out, “Actually, there’s a fully grown, 27-year-old army veteran inside your son’s body right now, so please—start an exorcism or something, immediately.”

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is…
I feel like if I could just tell someone I’ve been possessed, it’d take a huge weight off my chest. But if I told anyone, all I’d get is locked up in a psych ward — or a real exorcism — so I can’t tell anyone, and it’s driving me crazy.

While staring into space with empty eyes, the infirmary door suddenly burst open.

A kid about the same age as my current body walked in. He had a small frame and was dressed in gym clothes — probably just came from PE. The name tag on his chest read ‘Kim Juyoon.’

Without a word, he quietly closed the infirmary door. His face was flushed, and tears streamed silently down his cheeks. I watched him, startled by the sudden sight, and our eyes met.

It seemed he hadn’t expected anyone else to be in here. His already big eyes went even wider in shock when he saw me.

With those huge eyes that looked like a light tap to the back of his head would send him rolling away, he stared at me — then suddenly started hiccupping.

Crying, startled, and now hiccupping too.

I watched the kid, amazed by how much he had going on by himself, and suddenly remembered what the nurse asked me to do. I opened my mouth.

“The nurse stepped out for a phone call. He’ll be back soon. Just sit over there and wait.”

I pointed to the chair near the door with my finger. But instead of sitting in the chair I kindly indicated, the kid—whose hiccups had mysteriously vanished—started shuffling slowly toward me.

After two weeks of living like this, I’d learned the hard way that kids this age, while sometimes cute, are mostly exhausting little gremlins that test every shred of patience you have. Reflexively, I flinched.

At that, the kid stopped mid-step, hands behind his back, approaching like someone trying to pet a stray cat. He hesitated and started watching me carefully, clearly wondering if he should back off—but not quite bold enough to ask.

Maybe it was his soft brown hair, like freshly baked bread, or those rare hazel eyes… but something about him reminded me of a timid little animal. Feeling oddly awkward, I stood up from my chair.

“…Uhm, wanna sit here?”

“I can? Then I will.”

With his tear-streaked face now smiling brightly, the kid plopped himself down into the chair I’d just vacated.

Sitting politely, swinging his legs, he glanced down at my knees a moment later, finally noticing the mess.

“Whoa, your knees are really banged up. Shouldn’t you be the one sitting?”

“I’m fine. Just stay there.”

The kid nodded, his face still fresh and innocent, then swung his legs in the air. His slipper, barely hanging on, slid off with a soft thud. Left staring at his sock-covered foot, I finally lifted my gaze at his next question.

“So, how’d you hurt yourself like that?”

I glanced down at my knees, confirming the damage he’d been staring at with such concern.

“I tripped and fell.”

“Really? That must’ve hurt so bad…”

Even though I was the one who got hurt, the kid trembled like he was the injured one.

I wondered — was the original Sa-eon like this too?

But after I possessed him, my attitude definitely changed. Still, seeing how his parents didn’t seem to care about the shift made me think maybe the real Sa-eon wasn’t all that different from me after all.

Even though he’s the sub male lead in the novel, the story doesn’t actually begin until the characters are adults, so I have no idea what Sa-eon’s childhood personality was supposed to be like.

At least no one’s commented on how I seem more mature or different. But that just leaves me wondering — who was Sa-eon really? It’s a weird feeling.

Like always since I got here, as soon as I get a second to breathe, the thoughts start piling up.

Just as I was about to really dive into overthinking, the kid suddenly popped his face right in front of mine, scattering all my thoughts like leaves in the wind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmm, I just realized I don’t know your name. So, uh… what’s your name, friend?”

The kid wrinkled his reddened nose and smiled shyly as he spoke.

For a moment, I was entranced, thinking how cute he looked — until I noticed something odd. Even considering he’d been crying, his nose was way too red. And then, just like that, a bright red stream of blood trickled from his nose.

“Shit—”

I muttered under my breath, stunned, then quickly reached out and pinched his nose.

He squirmed, whining in protest at the sudden hold on his nose, but I ignored him and reached for the drawer where the cotton and bandages were stored. I snatched a clean cotton ball.

The moment he saw the blood on my hand, he must’ve realized he was having a nosebleed, because he immediately quieted down. Stuffing the cotton gently into his nose, I let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh.

“What the hell did you do to get a nosebleed? Did someone hit you?”

“Oh, yeah. I got hit in the face by a ball. It hurt a bit, but I didn’t think I’d get a nosebleed.”

“You forgot you got hit?”

“…I was playing with you…”

I seriously doubted we’d done anything intense enough to call it “playing,” but I kept that thought to myself as I wiped the kid’s face with a wet tissue.

After tossing the used wipe into the trash, I blinked — just in time to see the infirmary door slowly slide open.

The school nurse entered and immediately froze, eyes fixed on the blood smeared across my hand. His face paled.

“Oh my god, Sa-eon! Your hand—wait, what happened?!”

Just as I opened my mouth to explain that it was no big deal, that I was helping a kid with a nosebleed, I heard a completely unrelated comment from beside me.

“So you’re Sa-eon? Sa-eon… That’s a pretty name! Is ‘Sa’ your family name?”

You wanna talk about names right now?
I shot the kid a baffled look, but the sweet, innocent face staring up at me caught me off guard. The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them.

“N-No, my surname’s Lee. My name’s Sa-eon.”

“Lee Sa-eon? Lee Sa-eon… Then I’m gonna call you Un! Is that okay?”

I wanted to ask why he’d drop a perfectly good name just to call me “Un,” but his face was so soft and happy that I reflexively nodded a few times.

“H-Huh? Uh, yeah… sure, if you want. Uh… Juyoon?”

“Really? Thanks! But Juyoon? That’s not my name.”

“What? Your nametag says Kim Juyoon.”

“Ohhh, I borrowed this from a friend. My name’s Ha-eun. Call me Eun, okay?”

“Got it. Eun… Eun? Eun? Ha-eun?”

Reality, which had drifted far away thanks to being charmed by that kid’s face, came slamming back all at once — loud enough to drown out even the nurse’s voice.

As if wondering what was wrong, the kid met my dazed eyes with a calm and curious gaze. I stared at him closely again.

Pale skin, light brown hair, hazel eyes. And most importantly… that name — Ha-eun.

“So you’re Eun. Ha-eun. …God, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore — I let out a hollow laugh and muttered a curse under my breath.

The kid sitting in front of me wasn’t just anyone. He was Ha-eun, the main Su of the very novel I’d been possessed into.

It felt like reality, which I’d been keeping at arm’s length, suddenly came crashing right into my face. For the first time in a while, the fact that I’d been possessed into a BL novel felt painfully real.

Not knowing what to do, I just sat there, frozen. When Ha-eun — no, Eun — asked if something was wrong, I quickly shook my head to say it was nothing.

God, my head’s a mess. Sure, part of it’s because meeting the main Su confirmed again that I really am living inside a novel… but more than that — if Ha-eun is here like this, then the main Gong, Choi Hee-jun, must be somewhere nearby too.

And right around now, he’d be getting abused by his father — for reasons that could never be justified.

The sheer shock of being possessed into Sa-eon’s body must’ve blocked out the memory at first, but now it all came rushing back, overwhelming me.
Since I got here, I’d been too busy trying to adjust, too disoriented to think about the “original story” properly — until now.

「“Since it’s been a while, should we hang out near the old neighborhood?”

After a brief silence, Hee-jun replied calmly,
“Honestly, I hate going anywhere near there. It always makes me feel like I’m being abused again.”」

That was the conversation, and in the novel, Hee-jun had been abused by his father throughout his childhood.

Sure, he gets rescued by his aunt not long after his fifteenth winter break begins. After that, he lives in the best environment of the three.

But that doesn’t mean I can take this lightly. Right now, this is reality, and there are still over four years left before that rescue happens.

Just imagining a kid, the same age as the one in front of me, getting beaten somewhere out of sight — it made it hard to breathe.

What I once brushed off as fictional tragedy crafted for a reader’s enjoyment was now my reality.

Between me and Hee-jun, there were no longer printed words — only this very real world. I wiped my face with my hand, chewing on that undeniable truth.

I didn’t care about not wanting to get involved with the main couple, or how losing my mind from being possessed — all that faded into silence in this moment.

A kid’s getting hit at home, not even properly cared for by his own father. How could I just sit back and do nothing?

If I knew nothing, maybe I’d act differently. But I did know — I read Hee-jun’s misery for fun, remember every word of it. So I can’t just turn away now.

Imagining a kid with a bright face like Eun’s, hiding bruises and pain, I let out a frustrated breath.

Worst part is, I also got hit at this age — by my older brother. So no matter how much I try to block it out, I can’t. This isn’t some light sympathy or “he reminds me of my younger self.” Forget all that. Right now, I need to focus and figure out how to save this kid.

But how the hell am I supposed to get Hee-jun out of that house in this body? Just thinking about it felt overwhelming.

As I sat there, feeling stuck, Eun tilted his head, watching me curiously — like he couldn’t figure me out. Our eyes met.

He looked so sweet, so perfect, that it felt like something out of a movie or drama — too good to be real. Before I realized it, I was smiling.

“Huh? Un, why are you smiling?”

“…Just because. Eun, you’re really cute.”

Apparently pleased with my offhand comment, Eun smiled shyly. I watched him with a complicated expression.

Yeah… they say if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it, right? Just because I possessed the sub male lead in a multi-Gong, single-Su BL novel doesn’t mean I have to live according to the original plot.

Since things turned out this way, and going for happiness alone feels kinda hollow…

I didn’t remember every detail of the novel, but I did know most of the events designed purely to fuel the tragic backstories. So, screw it — I’ll erase the misery waiting for these kids in the future, let them fall in love like they’re supposed to, and I’ll go off living the high life as a fabulous solo.

While I was making that vow to myself, the school nurse — who had already sent Eun out — looked at me with a curious, unreadable expression.

And before I could even ask what was up, he suddenly said:

“Sa-eon, do you… by any chance… like Eun?”

It was such a shockingly low-IQ question I felt my brain short-circuit.

I didn’t even bother hiding my reaction. My face screamed what the actual hell, and seeing that, the nurse flinched and quickly apologized.

“Why would you… think that?”

It took a monumental effort not to shove the word ‘disgusting’ between ‘that’ and ‘thought.’

Maybe I was overreacting… No, come on. The soul inside this body is in his mid-to-late twenties, and the man just asked me if I liked an eleven-year-old kid.

Sure, the nurse only asked because, as far as he knows, I am also eleven. But from my perspective, that question made every hair on my body stand on end.

To make it worse, the body I’m in used to date that kid — and ghosted him in the worst way possible — then dropped off the face of the earth. That alone made the question absolutely repulsive.

While I sat there visibly shivering, the nurse scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward smile.

“No, it’s just… you were speaking so kindly to him. Kids your age are usually pretty interested in dating, so I figured maybe…”

I shook my head a couple of times to tell him it was fine when he apologized again, clearly embarrassed.

A quick glance at the clock told me that first period was about to start. I climbed down from the chair I’d been sitting on for treatment and rolled down the gym pants I had hiked up.

Seeing the gym pants reminded me of my uniform pants, soaked through with blood, which I’d need to change into later. Just thinking about it made my chest feel tight.

I wasn’t even tripped — I fell by myself, hard enough to scrape my knees. What kind of spaced-out fool do you have to be to end up like that? Ridiculous.

I’ve already made up my mind to stop being the main lead’s rival and instead take the role of helper or savior to the main couple. So from now on, I need to live with my head on straight — as Lee Sa-eon.

Objectively speaking, going back to my original body is practically impossible. The best thing I can do now is adapt to this situation.

Sure, maybe I’ll suddenly return to my original body, just as randomly as I got possessed.

The problem is… even if I go back, there’s a high chance I won’t be alive in that body.

Because honestly, I’m almost certain I died. My last memory is collapsing suddenly on the way home after days of consecutive overtime shifts. The moment I woke up, I was already in this body.

It’s only natural to assume I died and then possessed someone else. Considering the workload and stress I had, dying from overwork actually makes perfect sense.

So the only choice I have is to live this life — this body’s life — as best I can.

Dying from overwork… kind of tragic, yeah, but it’s a pretty fitting end for a modern person, isn’t it? I let out a bitter laugh at the thought, then turned to the school nurse.

“Goodbye.”

“Alright, but if your knee hurts a lot or the bandage falls off, you must come back, okay?”

“Okay.”

Leaving behind that calm reply, I walked out of the infirmary. The empty hallway — quiet in that way that only exists during class time — stretched ahead of me as I quickly made my way toward the stairs.

I took the steps two at a time, leaping upward, all the while thinking about Hee-jun, the main Gong. Pulling him out of that house right away seemed impossible, but at the very least, I needed to see with my own eyes how he was living.

“…If I can just get some kind of proof, even something the kid says, I should be able to get him out of there, right?”

I knew the easiest, most reliable way to help an abused child is to seek help from adults. But I didn’t even know which house Hee-jun lived in, or what his day-to-day life was really like. Asking for help out of nowhere wouldn’t get me anywhere.

So for now, my job was to find Hee-jun, break through whatever emotional wall he had, then get evidence of the abuse and bring it to a trustworthy adult.

“The neighborhood behind the school… He lived in a house up some stairs there, right…?”

Hee-jun once said he lived in a house so high up, it felt like you could reach out and touch the moon.

He’d tried to escape his father’s violence, only to trip over his own feet while fleeing. As he struggled to get back up, he remembered seeing the moon — so pointlessly close, so mockingly serene — and that’s when he broke down, crying in frustration.

That scene flashed vividly in my mind.

I clenched my jaw, biting down hard on the inside of my cheek as my brows knit together.
Back when I read it in the novel, that line left me feeling uneasy. Now, it just hurt.

Even just thinking about Hee-jun filled me with a strange, aching sadness. I raised my hand and scrubbed hard at my eyes.

There’s nothing more foolish — or vile — than someone who knows about another person’s despair and suffering, yet chooses to ignore it.
And I’m not going to be that kind of person.

I’m going to do everything I can to make sure those two are happy.

They don’t need tragedy, just because they’re the protagonists.
Because they are the protagonists, happiness alone is more than enough.

* * *

It’s been four days since I decided to find Hee-jun and get close to him.
And for all four of those days, I’ve come up empty. Not once have I managed to find him.

The neighborhood behind the school is steep, full of endless stairs. It’s exhausting, even with a kid’s stamina. And today again, standing in front of another ridiculous flight of stairs, the height alone made me feel dizzy.

My parents get home in the evening, so I need to leave by 4 PM at the latest. But no matter how much I search, Hee-jun hasn’t shown a single hair of his head.

I squinted up at the blindingly sunny sky and let out a long sigh through my lips before dragging myself up the stairs.

Once I’d climbed a fair bit, I sat down on a step, pulled off my backpack, and dropped it beside me. I unzipped it, revealing the inside stuffed with milk, bread, and bandages.

I rummaged through it and pulled out a bread roll and a chocolate milk. I’d bought them that morning — like I did every day — planning to give them to Hee-jun if I saw him. But since I never did, I ended up eating them myself. Again.

“God… I’m gonna grow like a weed at this rate.”

Muttering in frustration, I sipped at the now lSuwarm chocolate milk. I stared blankly into space, killing time, when suddenly I heard footsteps below the stairs.

This was the first time I’d run into anyone in this neighborhood. I froze, holding my breath, eyes wide in anticipation and tension. Slowly, a head of pitch-black hair came into view, followed by a young face speckled with bruises.

I didn’t know his name, so I couldn’t be certain this was Hee-jun. But for some reason, I just… knew it was.

Startled, I nearly jumped up, nearly threw the milk I was holding in my shock.

But based on my own experience, I knew no one wants to approach someone who reacts loudly the moment they see them. That kind of attention would only make him wary, maybe even push him away.

So I forced myself to act calm, gulping down mouthfuls of chocolate milk, though my stomach felt like it was on fire.

If this kid really is Hee-jun, then seriously, what the hell was the author thinking, putting him through all this?
Then again… I read those words too, didn’t I? Read his past like it was just printed lines on a page. And there’s no way the author imagined their story world would actually come to life.

No point blaming the author now.

The sweetness of the chocolate milk turned cloying in my mouth, irritating me further. I crushed the empty carton with a snap and pulled a water bottle from my bag. As I twisted the cap open to take a drink—

Grrrgle.

A loud rumble echoed from just in front of me.

Startled, I turned my head. The kid was now standing just a step away, his face flushed red and his hands clutching his stomach, looking ready to burst if anyone so much as poked him.

Should I tell him to eat the milk and bread? But if I just offer it, he’ll probably refuse out of pride…

The embarrassment had already wiped away his earlier surprise, and now all that remained on his face was shame.
People tend to get sensitive when they’ve got nothing — that’s just human nature.

In the novel, Hee-jun was the calm, cynical type — didn’t pay others much mind. Based on that character, even if we’re younger now, he’d probably ignore me rather than snap.

But this kid might not be Hee-jun. And even if he is, people change as they grow. He might still react sharply.

As I hesitated, trying to find the right words to offer him food without hurting his pride, his stomach let out another loud growl.

…Forget it. I’m not some adult — I’m just a kid like him. He’s not going to put his guard up that much, right?

And even if he does lash out, getting scratched by his pride is better than leaving him like this.
Determined, I reached into my bag, pulled out the bread and milk, took a couple of deep breaths, and asked in the brightest voice I could manage:

“Hey, you hungry? Want some?”

“Wanna eat this?”

“……”

“It’s too much for me to eat alone, and it’d be a waste to throw it away, so let’s share. I got it from the part-timer at the convenience store I go to often — he just gave it to me since it’s close to expiring.”

“…Even if it’s a little past the expiration date, it’s still fine to eat.”

“Ohhh, really? I didn’t know that. You’re super smart.”

I didn’t let it show, but I was surprised at how cracked his voice sounded — like someone who hardly ever spoke. I just acted all dramatic on purpose and patted the spot beside me.

“You don’t have to eat, but come sit here. You’re too tall, it’s tiring having to look up at you.”

He made a face like, What even is this?, but still quietly stepped closer.

Maybe it was pride or something, but he didn’t sit. Just stood right next to me. I let out a small laugh at that and opened the bag of bread. A sweet scent wafted out immediately.

Noticing his body instinctively lean toward me, I tore off a piece of bread and popped it into my mouth. After a few bites, about half the bread was left.

He stared at the bread going into my mouth like he was hypnotized, so I shoved the rest into his mouth and quickly pulled out a new one, sneaking a glance at him.

He flinched hard for a second, but the moment the bread hit his mouth, his eyes went round and he dove into eating like there was no tomorrow.

I’d been ready to take a punch if he got mad, but turns out, he’d probably gone without food way more than I’d guessed.

Watching his nonstop chewing with a weird sense of pride, I ate a bit of the new bread, then stuffed the rest into his mouth too. After we polished off around four pieces of bread and he drained a strawberry milk with zero hesitation, he finally seemed to come to his senses, staring at me with a confused expression.

“Why… did you give me the bread?”

“It’s way too much for me to eat alone, but if we share, I can try different kinds without leaving any behind. They say if you waste food, you go to hell and have to eat it all mixed together. I really don’t want that. Why? Did you not like it?”

I asked casually on the outside, but inside, I was a ball of nerves.

He looked so hungry that I just fed him right away, but now that a bit of time had passed, I started worrying — what if he ends up hating me for this?

But my worry was totally pointless. He shook his head calmly, more than I expected. His long hair swayed so much I almost thought it’d poke his eyes.

Only then did I finally relax, letting out a soft “phew” and pulling the leftover milk and bread from my bag.

“This is a bribe! I got to try all the flavors I wanted thanks to you, so I’m giving you this. And later, if I bring food again, it means I want to share it with you, okay? I can’t finish it alone and end up wasting it all the time — I’ve missed out on so much good stuff because of that. And I don’t even have any friends… But if I eat with you, I feel like I can finish everything. So let’s keep eating together whenever I bring something, yeah?”

Trying to ignore how embarrassed I was, I rambled like any kid my age would. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded.

“Really? It’s a promise!”

When I held out my hand with my pinky finger up, the boy looked at me with confused eyes. I shook my hand a couple of times, like, What are you waiting for? Hurry and link fingers. Only then did he reach out his pale hand and hook his finger with mine.

I quietly stared at his hand, covered in small scars, then smiled like I hadn’t seen a thing and tightened the grip around his finger.

“Promise, stamp, signature, copy, lamination! You can’t break it. Got it? I’m gonna bring delicious stuff every day, so we’re eating together every day. Since there are two of us, I can buy lots of food, right? That’s just awesome!”

I pushed my fingers between his, leaning my face in close. Maybe uncomfortable with my face being right there, he slowly leaned back. I backed off too and said,

“You promised, so we’re eating together, okay? Yeah?”

The boy nodded, as if to say he understood. Satisfied, I rummaged in my bag and pulled out some band-aids and ointment.

Seeing the sudden items in my hands, the boy’s face — which had softened thanks to all those carbs — turned cold again.

“What’s that for.”

“Oh, I actually scraped my knee a few days ago when I fell. Look.”