TL | Chapter 17 | A Reason to Hold On

It was an understandable reaction. The Iden here was a mafia heir and had been the cause of Ji-an losing a friend.

“No way…”

Her face twisted in disbelief, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

“You’re not planning to go back to the United States, are you?”

The question hinted at the words she was holding back. From the beginning, it was clear she had opposed Ha Seowon going to the United States.

“Ha Seowon!”

Her eyes widened as I didn’t answer.

“After everything that’s happened, are you still not thinking straight?”

She put down the can of soda she had been holding and grabbed Seowon’s sleeve.

“This isn’t right. Don’t you care about your parents’ worries? Do you know how much they cried at your funeral…?”

As if recalling that day, Ji-an’s eyes began to well up again.

“Why do you have to live like you’re dead? It’s all because of him, isn’t it? It’s still dangerous, isn’t it? Isn’t that why they pretended you were dead? Even so, you should have told your parents properly. How could you leave them with broken hearts…?”

Ji-an seemed truly angry with Iden. Listening to her, I could almost understand how she saw my current existence. She probably thought I hadn’t really died in the U.S. but that Iden had declared me dead for my own protection due to some lingering danger.

“Ha Seowon did die that day.”

No matter how much my parents’ hearts had broken, I couldn’t show myself to them now. The Ha Seowon here had indeed died. I myself didn’t know when or how my fate would change.

Hearing my words, she stared with wide eyes before her expression contorted.

“What are you planning to do, really?”

Ji-an wiped her tears with the back of her hand and asked with a voice full of frustration. It was only natural for her to worry as my friend.

“Let’s pretend we didn’t meet today.”

“Seowon-ah.”

I didn’t intend to drive her crazy with worry, but I had no choice.

“I can’t leave him.”

Even if this Iden wasn’t the Iden I had known, even if his personality was different, leaving him wasn’t an option.

“Is it because of the Mark?”

It seemed that this Ji-an also knew that Iden and I were Marked Partners. Well, given her nature, it wasn’t likely I’d hidden it from anyone. As her brows furrowed, I could tell she understood there was no way to remove the Mark.

“Sure, it might be hard to meet someone else, but you can just take suppressants during the Heat Cycle. If you hold on, maybe someday they’ll discover a way to break the Mark. So think it over again. What if you stay with him and end up actually dying?”

Even though I’d technically already died, she didn’t seem to hear it. Seeing me standing there alive, her reaction was only natural.

“Why did you rush into Marking so early…”

Ji-an looked as though she would die of frustration, which made me chuckle for some reason. Even when I first told her I’d Mark with Iden, she had tried her hardest to talk me out of it. Back then, she said I might feel inseparable now, but who knew what might happen in the future, and I should decide carefully, as if she were making the decision herself.

In the end, she hadn’t stopped me because she, too, liked and trusted Iden. She had no doubt that he would never hurt me and that he would protect me no matter what.

Now, here she was, persuading me to break up with Iden. The difference was Iden’s position. He was no longer the “Iden” who had gone to college with us and become an ordinary office worker.

But Seowon thought this might actually be for the best. Unlike “him,” who had been helpless in the face of danger, Iden knew how to survive. He wouldn’t die pointlessly like “him.” At the very least, he might buy me a little more time to protect him.

“Thanks for worrying about me. But I’m fine.”

“Fine? Really?”

Ji-an’s exasperation flared, but I genuinely meant it. I thought this situation was, if anything, preferable.

“Are you really not going to break up with him? Do you really like him that much?”

Instead of answering, I just gave her a small smile. I couldn’t say I liked him, but I also couldn’t say I planned to leave him, which amounted to the same thing for Ji-an.

“Fine. I won’t tell anyone I saw you, not even your parents. Just give me your number.”

Having given up on convincing me, Ji-an held out her phone, indicating I should save my number in it.

“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll run straight to your parents.”

That would be troublesome. I could dodge questions from others, but not from my parents. I hadn’t planned on seeing them in this world. The moment I decided to die alongside Iden in the original world, I had become a lost child, never to see my parents again. I had no right to face them.

After a moment’s hesitation, I handed her my phone. Realizing I didn’t know my number, I watched as she dialed her phone from mine. When her phone vibrated and the 11-digit number appeared, she handed my phone back.

“I’ll call you occasionally. Just to make sure you’re still alive.”

I thought it was unnecessary interference, but I knew she was genuinely worried, so it didn’t feel annoying.

“I might not answer if I’m working.”

Iden’s security job seemed relatively relaxed for now, but I wanted to let her know just in case.

“If you don’t answer, at least send me a text later. I’ll worry.”

“Got it.”

“And let’s meet up for a meal sometimes, too.”

It was another form of her concern. But I couldn’t answer right away, wondering if we should really meet again.

“If you don’t, I’ll just march right in there.”

She pointed to the Luciano building towering above. Did she even know what kind of place it was? No, she definitely knew. That’s why she had been pushing for me to leave Iden.

I almost told her not to get involved with Luciano but swallowed the words. Given I couldn’t leave Iden’s side, it wasn’t my place to say that.

In the end, I nodded, agreeing to her terms, though I didn’t know if it was really okay for someone in this world to know my existence.
•

Here is the corrected version with consistent male pronouns for Seowon:

After finishing the meeting, Iden’s face tightened as he noticed Seowon was nowhere to be found.

“He stepped out to the convenience store for a bit. Nothing to worry about.”

Min quickly tried to reassure him, but it didn’t work.

“When?”

“Uh…”

Checking his watch, a small frown appeared on Min’s forehead. It had already been thirty minutes. A simple trip to the convenience store shouldn’t have taken so long. Iden clucked his tongue, noticing the time had already slipped away.

He immediately pulled out his phone and activated the tracking app. Among the security devices he had given Seowon, his phone had a tracking chip embedded, just in case.

As he checked his location on the app, he let out a low sigh. He was still in front of the building, meaning he probably did go to the convenience store. But why hadn’t he come back inside?

“Shall I send someone?”

Min asked cautiously.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

Iden gave a brief answer and headed toward the elevator. Seowon’s movements were still unpredictable. It was better to go get him himself.

When he reached the lobby, the staff who recognized him bowed their heads as he passed. Ignoring their greetings, he headed toward the exit. From there, he spotted Seowon sitting on a bench outside. But he wasn’t alone.

“Choi Ji-an.”

Iden muttered, recognizing the person sitting beside Seowon. He must have run into her by chance.

‘Are you sure you can protect Seowon without hurting him? If even a hair on his head gets hurt, I’ll never forgive you.’

Before they left for the United States, Ji-an had come to confront Iden. If her concerns had been even slightly more extreme, he might have suspected she liked Seowon. However, his prior investigation confirmed that they were just friends.

At this moment, Seowon had met Choi Ji-an.

Watching them, Iden’s gaze grew sharper. Perhaps Ji-an could prove useful. She could provide Seowon, who didn’t fully belong here, with another reason to stay by his side forever.

“You have Choi Ji-an’s contact, right?”

He asked Min, who stood a few steps behind him. Min confirmed with a nod.

“Set up a meeting. Without Ha Seowon knowing.”

Following Iden’s instruction, Min bowed in acknowledgment.