I Don’t Want This Reincarnation

As the sharp wind blew, the leaves that were barely hanging from the branches fell off. Looking at the withered tree with only a few twisted leaves, I turned my attention to the sound of footsteps getting closer.

“Are you bored?”

“I’m not.”

His long, ribbed fingers pulled out a white cigarette. Responding simply, I took out a lighter from my pocket in accordance with his actions. The man quietly stared at me as I lit a cigarette on his smooth lips. Immediately, he inhaled the smoke deeply until his cheeks spit, then spat it out straight into my face.

“……”

I wanted to disperse the pungent smell and the hazy smoke that obscured my vision right away with my hands, but I persevered. When I came here, the man’s mood was always the worst. It wasn’t a day or two like this anyway.

“What were you watching?”

“You are curious about everything.”

Even so, I had no intention to flatter his mood. As soon as I replied bluntly, the man smiled and handed me a cigarette that was more than half of it left. (그의 기분에 맞춰 알랑댈 마음은 없었다)

“Let’s go.”

As expected, it was a cigarette that was taken out with a grumpy heart. I crumpled up the cigarette and followed him as he walked ahead. After passing through the long garden and coming out of the front door, the driver who was waiting opened the back door of the car.

“Kwon Se-hyun.”

Looking back at me, who was no longer following from a certain distance, the man curled his eyebrows and smiled.

“Get in.”

“Director, I…”

“Don’t argue with me.”

Contrary to his face, his voice was unbearably cold. The expression of the driver looking at the man and me alternately was subtle.

That was quite annoying, but if I insisted here, I was sure it would only look bad. Eventually, I sighed and got into the car first.

After confirming that I and the man were riding, the last driver in the driver’s seat immediately started the car.

The car was running smoothly on the road and it was quiet without saying a word. The man who was looking out the window with his legs crossed suddenly grabbed my hand.

“……”

The palms touched and the fingers intertwined. As slippery and cold as a snake, I inadvertently frowned and my eyes met the driver who was driving through the rearview mirror.

The driver, who was embarrassed by the man’s gesture of fiddling with my hand, immediately spat out a small cough filled with discomfort in my gaze.

It had been less than a month since the driver changed, so I expected what kind of expression he would make whenever I met him from now on.

Barely suppressing the rising irritation, I tried to pull out my hand, but a stronger force pressed my palm down. Sure, yes. Clicking my tongue, I turned my head towards the window to hide my distorted face.

After running for a while, the car arrived at the mansion and stopped. The man who hadn’t let go of my hand even then got off first. As I was going out afterwards, the cell phone I had in my suit jacket’s inside pocket vibrated briefly.

‘What?’

I followed the man and went inside, quickly taking out my cell phone to check the notification so as not to be noticed.

「I‘m going to the parent’s house on Sunday. Would you like to go with me?」 (일요일에 본가 빈다는데)

It was Yeon Seon-woo who sent the message. It was Sunday. If it was daytime, I thought it would be fine to leave for two or three hours.

I thought I’d call him later, so I put my cell phone back in. With good timing, the man looked back at that moment.

“I just remembered.”

“Yes?”

“The new liquor. Bring it.”

The man ordered, taking off his coat and throwing it roughly on the sofa in the living room.

Liquor (양주라). I couldn’t go back early.

I loosened a tie and a couple of buttons that had been holding my neck. As I walked inside, putting my suit jacket on the table, the caretaker greeted me with an eye greeting.

“He asked for a new one a week ago.”

“Ah, yes. I will prepare it for you.”

“I will pick it.”

While the caretaker was preparing the table, I took out my cell phone again and called Yeon Seon-woo. It was annoying to reply by typing text one by one.

[Hyungnim?]

“How long are you going to keep calling that Hyungnim?” (그 형님 소리 언제까지 하게)

[It matches you, Hyung.] (형 맞잖아요)

I shook my head at the cleverly added words and walked out of the kitchen to the living room. The night view of the Han River could be seen from the large window that filled the living room wall.

“What time is it on Sunday?”

[When it’s convenient for Hyungnim. Neither of my parents will be here, so feel free to come.]

“Then I will go during the day. I think I will know the exact time only on Saturday.”

[I don’t care. I will leave all the time free on Sunday.]

I was a little burdened by the added comments. After a moment’s hesitation, I opened my mouth.

“You don’t have to do that.”

[I want to do that though? And you need the pictures.] (그리고 사진 필요하잖아요)

“I don’t need it in a hurry.”

[Still. Since you come, let’s eat together.]

“What nonsense are you talking about.” (밥 같은 소리 한다)

Even if I tried not to do so at his innocent words, I smiled. The guy who quickly noticed that my hard voice had loosened up a little bit answered softly.

[Then I will call you on Saturday.]

“Okay.”

Shortly after finishing the call and looking at the night view, the caretaker dragged out the serving cart. I was handed a serving cart filled with drinks and headed to the very innermost part of the first floor.

It was a more personal space for the man than the second-floor bedroom where he only slept. Entering deep and looking down the hallway once more, this room was in a corner and there were no windows, so it felt dark even when the lights were turned on.

I moved the tray on the serving cart to the table next to the large bed.

There was a large screen on the other side of the bed and there were sound equipment that looked expensive at a glance. I looked at the DVD case that filled the display case then turned the glass upside down and put ice in it. It had been about half an hour since the man went to wash up, so he should come out soon.

“You have a good eye.”

As soon as I finished thinking, I heard a voice behind me. Speak of the devil (양반은 못 되겠군). I put the ice I was holding with the tongs into the glass and turned around.

The man with his wet hair and a white robe approached. Maybe it was because he had just washed it, his skin looked unusually pale. I was mesmerized by the silver-grey eyes that were half-hidden under the long eyelashes and then the tongs were taken away.

“Are you going to drink?”

“I don’t drink.”

“Okay.”

In response, the man turned over another glass and began to add ice. It was so natural that I was misunderstood for saying that I would drink in a moment.

“Director.”

“Sleep here.”

“……”

The man who had filled a glass with ice and liquor, forcibly held the glass in my hand and moved to the showcase.

“Let’s watch a movie together. Is there anything you like? Or you can charge separately.” (아니면 따로 결제해도되고)

“…it doesn’t matter.”

I answered quietly, swallowing sighs over and over again. Whatever he said, I would do whatever he wanted.

“That’s lame.”

He touched the corner of his mouth and thought about it, then pulled out an old Hong Kong movie.

The man would sometimes look for old things like that. Things like movies, books, and songs that no one cared about anymore. Somehow, a corner of my chest became complicated and I took a sip of the drink.

“Don’t just standing, sit down.”

The man who made eye contact with me tilted his head slightly.

“Or you can lie down.”

“I haven’t washed up.”

“I don’t care.”

I calmly accepted the cold gaze that didn’t even look like a smile.

“I will go back after checking that you’re sleeping.”

“What… do whatever you like. If you can.”

I avoided looking at the meaningful answer first. Clatter. The ice collided with the man’s lightly shaking the glass.

* * *

I frowned at the sensation of touching the cheek and eye area.

“Uh…”

Was there a bug flying around? I was so exhausted that I couldn’t sleep at all. After shaking my head, I eventually opened my eyes.

“……”

Pii.

I thought it was a bug, but it was much bigger than that. An animal with a pure white body and sparkling black eyes. It was the fox I met when I first came here. The sky was just flying. (하늘도 막 날아다니던)

“What. How did you get in?”

Piii.

As I staggered and raised my upper body, the guy who had just rubbed the tip of his nose against my face ran away. I watched where it was hiding and then disappeared behind Elohim who opened the door.

“Oh, my.”

Recognizing the fox just like me, Elohim smiled softly and entered the room.

“Did you sleep well?”

“It’s so-so.”

“This is warm water. Drink it.”

I took the glass of water from Elohim with gratitude and drenched my dry throat.

“I was worried about how you would feel, but luckily, it doesn’t look bad.”

“Um, well. Yes. It wasn’t a bad past.”

To be honest, it was a very light dream compared to what I was nervous about.

“Although the dream was too realistic.”

The flavour of the liquor I drank back then seemed to linger in my mouth even now. I drank all the drink the man gave me and went home almost crawling. If I had woken up a little later, I thought I would have had a headache as if I was drunk even after waking up.

“I hope you don’t have hard dreams while you get used to it.”

I nodded my head in sympathy with Elohim and found the fox walking around the open door. I thought it had run away, but it wasn’t.

“Aa.”

Elohim, who followed my gaze and turned around, noticed the fox and said in a cute tone.

“He seems very curious. He’s originally a curious kid.”

“When I first came, I had already met him once. After that, I couldn’t even see his nose…”

“Ha Tae-heon, who was by your side, must have been scared him. The SS-rank energy will feel pretty sharp to that kid.”

Elohim, who had been rolling his eyes for a while, added it like a joke.

“Ha Tae-heon isn’t in an atmosphere that kid will like.”

That’s true.

The fox, who ran and jumped under the bed several times, eventually flew into the air and climbed up on the bed. I looked at his rustling tail and asked Elohim.

“What is his name?”

“Well. I didn’t really name it. They are all the same kids to me.”

Pii.

The fox sitting with his legs folded looked at me and cried a little. Then what should I call it? Should I call him kid too?

“It would be nice if you could give him a name right now.”

“Can I do that?”

“It’s not going to happen. Of course, if he doesn’t like the name, he won’t come even if you call him.”

What’s that. I wondered if he was joking, but Elohim’s expression was the same as usual.

Named it. I couldn’t have such a sense of naming him. I touched the nape of my neck and answered awkwardly.

“I will think about it.”

“Sure.”

“…it’s not an ordinary animal, is it?”

“Umm.”

Elohim, who tapped my shoulder with a gentle hand, opened his mouth.

“I brought a ghost-type monster from the gate that was initially created for research, and one day she gave birth to a child. Then she died. Leave those children behind.”

“A, a child?”

“It’s called a monster, but it’s actually a creature from another world. Most of them will have children to preserve the species.”

“Is it the rabbit or the cat?”

“All white-looking children are siblings.”

Piii.

As if knowing it was his own story, the fox got up and cried a little.

“Being born and growing up here, they absorbed a lot of the power of me and Elahah, so now they are closer to us than monsters.”

I expected it to be not an ordinary animal, but… I sighed as I looked at the fox looking at me with his bright eyes.