Clues and Conscience

[Synchronization has increased by 0.1%!] [Synchronization has increased by 0.2%!] [Synchronization has increased by 0.3%!]

Abandoned dogs, undernourished children, children’s foundations, international relief…

I donated to every single one I could find. Raising the amounts little by little to find the optimal efficiency was a bonus.

‘Helping others and helping myself. How great is that?’

I fiddled with my phone for quite a while. I set the donor’s name as Baek Seohan without giving it much thought.

Looking at the accumulating transfer records made me feel a bit proud. In my previous life, I was too busy living for myself to ever pay attention to things like this.

[Synchronization 10% achieved ٩( ᐢ-ᐢ )u!]

And finally, Seohan reached 10% synchronization. The system’s fanfare rang like tinnitus, and a surge of emotion filled his chest.

It hadn’t even been a week since he possessed Baek Seohan’s body. Yet, he had already achieved this much synchronization! The murky future finally seemed to clear up a bit. At this rate, he would soon be able to resolve the issue of his body being suddenly taken over.

[A gift from System R for the user who safely navigated the trials!] [Check your gift box right now (∩˃ω˂∩)!]

That wasn’t the only news. System R, boldly using a mobile ad tagline seen everywhere, made one side of the system window sparkle. A section labeled “Gift Box” emitted an intense light as if demanding to be pressed.

“……You didn’t have this before.”

[|ω´･;)]

As always, it was incredibly self-centered, but how could I refuse a gift? Seohan pressed it, pretending to be reluctant.

[A clue regarding Extra No. 328 has arrived.]

Instantly, his eyes flashed. His gaze, practically glowing, burned with fury.

“Which b*stard is it?”

The guy who cut in line for my spot!

As he tapped the system window at a terrifying speed, the so-called “clue” began to appear after a brief loading period. Seohan read them without blinking once.

[1. He is a celebrity. 2. He is a man. 3. He is taller than you. 4. ‘He’ has a somewhat fragile personality. 5. He likes spicy food.]

That was it.

Seohan stared at the text for a while in silence. He read it, and read it again. He repeated the action like someone who couldn’t accept the situation at all…

Then, he went to find a baseball bat.

“You’re giving me this as a clue? This kind of trash? To me?”

Now I know what it feels like for your vision to go white with rage. This is exactly that feeling. It was a realization I never wanted to have.

He swung the bat before the system could say a word, but the system window dodged nimbly as if teasing him. Seohan, learning for the first time that the window could move so vividly, gritted his teeth.

[I’m scared, User ( ˃̣̣o˂̣̣ )!]

“Then give me a real clue.”

[……]

“Get rid of the ellipsis.”

He had raised synchronization to 10%, only to be given useless information as a “gift.” He didn’t care about the guy’s food preferences or personality; he just wanted some useful information.

[It’s impossible (っ◞‸◟c)……]

“Why?”

[Access is difficult because of the ‘protection’ he is receiving.]

Protection? Seohan muttered blankly.

What protection? Who was he being protected by? He had so many more questions, but the window turned black and vanished instantly. Even when he called it back, it didn’t appear. He even promised not to swing the bat, but it didn’t show its face. In the end, all Seohan gained was useless trivia.

Trying to calm his anger, he wrote the clues on a piece of paper. The interesting parts were the mention of a celebrity in No. 1… and the single quotation marks around ‘He’ in No. 4.

“Is ‘He’ the original owner of the body?”

The fact that it was given single quotes, unlike the other numbers, meant that “he” and “He” were different. He wasn’t sure about No. 5, but the lack of quotes on the other points probably meant those facts remained true regardless of the possession.

…Unfortunately, that was the extent of what he could figure out from such meager clues.

“I need more clues.”

He would never find the guy with just this. If he was a celebrity, he could be an idol, a chaebol like Baek Seohan, or a politician… there were thousands of people like that. It was impossible to find him with this alone.

In that case, his only option was to raise synchronization quickly. Since a clue was given at 10%, maybe better info would come at 20%. He was angry, but since the system was the only source of information, he had to rely on it.

Seohan recalled the synchronization increase notifications.

“I don’t think donations are effective anymore…”

Initially, the value rose by 0.3% at a time, but the increase narrowed with every repetition. Eventually, even significantly raising the donation amount only yielded a 0.1% increase.

Donating occasionally was a good way to raise the score, but if he spent money like water every day, even Baek Seohan might end up a beggar. He needed a different approach.

The fact that ‘helping people’ was effective was clear. Seohan, who had been sitting and thinking, suddenly stood up.

“Let’s use my body.”

This time, he would move in person.

Seohan decided to do “volunteer work” instead of just donating. Physically moving to help others—he thought it was a pretty good method.

But before that.

Seohan had some business with the resident downstairs.

‘Relationship improvement is essential, regardless.’

Whether he raised synchronization or not, he needed to improve his relationship with Lee Dohun for a peaceful life later.

It was incredibly embarrassing that his last memory was getting his tongue bitten during a kiss, but Seohan forced himself to be thick-skinned. He brainwashed himself into thinking he’d have to be shameless often from now on.

The basement door swung open.

“It’s been a while.”

A completely changed scenery greeted him.

During their last meeting, he had been too distracted by the tragic fact that his body and first kiss were stolen. He only realized later with horror that the room Lee Dohun was staying in was so barren it could be called a dungeon. A space with only a bed and a toilet was the perfect place to drive someone mad.

So, Seohan had ordered Secretary Choi to fill it with furniture. A top-tier bed, a plush sofa, books and a TV to kill boredom, and even a painting to soothe the mind were placed in the room.

Thanks to that, the place Lee Dohun stayed in had become so luxurious it could pass for a high-end hotel. He had just picked the most expensive things when he couldn’t decide on the furniture, but now looking at it, he felt a little—just a little—that it was excessive.

“Finally showing your face.”

Lee Dohun, sitting on the edge of the bed, sneered. Seohan tried his best to ignore the remark. His body hadn’t been snatched yet, so he planned to just state his business and leave. Without fighting.

“I came because there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Release me right now.”

“I destroyed the contract.”

“……What?”

“The contract to buy you. I destroyed it.”

There was no need to mention that the counterparty’s company had completely collapsed.

He thought he would get a decent reaction. But when he glanced at Lee Dohun’s face, it was crumpled in a scowl. He seemed extremely offended.

What did I do wrong?

Seohan hurriedly retraced his words.

“How can I believe that? Who knows if you kept a copy?”

“There are no copies.”

“Then let me see for myself. Release me.”

The handcuffs clattered. Seeing those strangely shimmering eyes, Seohan only thought that he absolutely should not release him. An overwhelming anxiety that he might die if he did so crept in.

“That’s a bit much.”

“I knew it. You just want to see me in despair.”

Wait, this isn’t right.

Seohan stared at him blankly, mouth agape. As he observed the state, Lee Dohun suddenly lowered his head.

The sight of him bowing his head while wearing handcuffs and shackles in that wide space… it triggered guilt, even though it wasn’t Seohan who had done it. Of course, he couldn’t release him, but wasn’t that because he feared for his life?

‘If I let him go, he’ll definitely break my head.’

Just look at those thick, solid forearms. He certainly wouldn’t die a peaceful death.

To make matters worse, when Dohun lifted his head slightly, Seohan flinched visibly. His eyes were usually so blunt that they seemed incapable of shedding a single tear, yet they now looked moist.

When those sharp eyes drooped slightly, he looked so pitiful. Seohan couldn’t take his eyes off his face, feeling as if he were possessed.

‘Did I… did I do something wrong?’

He suddenly felt like a heinous criminal. His heart wavered. He knew for sure nothing good would happen if he released him, but his conscience pricked him for keeping him locked up.

He wished Baek Seohan would just pop out at times like this and turn his back without hesitation. Unfortunately, that wish didn’t come true. It was irritating how the guy only poked his head out when he wasn’t wanted.