The Owner of the Body Fights Back

“Ugh… ngh…”

In the pitch-black darkness, I couldn’t breathe.

Like a fish thrown onto a cutting board after being hauled out of the sea, I gasped desperately for air.

No one was choking me, yet it felt like my airway was completely blocked.

Even in the suffocating dark where I couldn’t see an inch ahead, Seong Chanyeong’s voice rang out with eerie clarity.

“You shouldn’t run away. Barging in like a thief and taking over my body—how dare you try to flee?”

What nonsense.

Like I ever chose to possess someone like you.

I’m a victim here too, you bastard.

“Ghk…”

‘Stop…’

I couldn’t even force the words out through my ragged breathing.

Tears streamed down my face inside the nightmare.

Why am I being treated like this?

What did I even do wrong?

I opened my eyes and I was already in this body.

‘Those Alpha bastards keep pestering me, asking if I’m sick. Seo Eunsu’s turned into a completely different person. And now this real-or-fake Seong Chanyeong is coming at me like this…’

Even as my vision blurred, I felt all the stress I’d been bottling up ignite at once.

Do these idiots think I’m some punching bag?

Even a worm writhes when stepped on.

And I’m way more stubborn than a worm—and I’ve been stomped on enough times to feel seriously pissed.

At that point, strength surged back into my weakening body from somewhere.

“…Hey.”

“Hm?”

“You f*cking piece of shit… You wrecked your own body and now you’re lecturing me? If you came to drag me to hell with you, you should’ve at least gotten on your knees first, you psycho.”

The stream of curses poured out without restraint.

For a moment, Seong Chanyeong seemed stunned into silence.

The guy who lived his life like a disaster and disappeared had a lot to say.

Even if his life had been miserable, treating me like some thief who stole it was something I couldn’t accept.

‘Do you have any idea how hard I struggled to survive?’

Unlike you, I wasn’t healthy.

I couldn’t even try the things I wanted to.

Just when I finally got better—just when life felt worth living—I got thrown into your body like a bolt from the blue.

This isn’t my home.

And someone like you, who’d deserve to be fried alive in oil, wouldn’t understand that despair.

“If you want to die, go die alone! I’m going to live.”

“How dare you—!”

At that moment, his face emerged from the darkness.

The entire space was pitch black, yet his face alone stood out—pale as a ghost.

His delicate features twisted into something demonic.

It was a face I had seen countless times in the mirror, yet seeing it like this felt completely alien.

“I’ll kill you.”

Just like in the novel.

That pretty face warped like a vengeful spirit as he reached out a chillingly white hand toward me.

He was trying to strangle me.

‘Huh? …It doesn’t hurt anymore?’

The force that had been binding me weakened.

I could breathe again.

Watching his pale hand slowly approach, I slapped it away with a sharp smack and bolted.

“Get lost! Don’t ever show up in front of me again!”

“Stop right there!”

Yeah right.

Like I’d stand still when some half-dead lunatic is trying to kill me.

I’ve seen enough horror stuff to know—you don’t stop.

You run like hell.

“Hah… hah…”

I didn’t look back.

I had zero interest in facing something worse than Medusa.

I just ran.

And ran.

Eventually, I saw a faint light.

It grew brighter—

until everything lit up.

“Gasp—”

“The patient is awake!”

“Call the guardian!”

‘This is…’

A hospital ceiling.

The same one I’d just seen in my nightmare.

“Chanyeong…!”

“Grandfather?”

Before I could even tell if this was real or still a dream, I was pulled into a large, warm embrace.

“Thank goodness… thank goodness…”

My shoulder grew damp.

Chairman Seong was crying.

‘What is even happening…’

I blinked blankly, then awkwardly patted his back.

‘Why is everyone looking at me like that?’

As if witnessing a miracle.

As if watching a heartfelt reunion.

Everyone around us had teary eyes.

“I’m glad you’re safe, sir.”

“You two must be very close. How touching…”

Amid the warm atmosphere, I was the only one completely lost.

Chairman Seong clung to me, sobbing.

“I thought I lost you… my child… It’s all my fault. I won’t do that again, so please just don’t get hurt.”

“Uh… yeah…”

I was dazed.

I had gone to sleep in my room, and now I was in a hospital bed, wearing a patient gown.

Was it sleep paralysis?

No—

the lingering sensation on my neck told me it was real.

The marks were still there.

Three thick red lines, like I’d been strangled with a rope.

I saw them in the mirror when I went to wash up and nearly jumped.

‘Did I almost die?’

It wasn’t just a dream.

It had affected reality.

But the strangest part—

no one else noticed the marks.

Not Chairman Seong.

Not Baek Dojun.

Not even the doctors.

They only mentioned breathing issues.

‘Good thing I fought back.’

As I mechanically patted Chairman Seong’s back, a voice spoke beside me.

“You… I thought you were really going to die.”

It was Baek Dojun.

His voice trembled badly.

His eyes were red.

‘What’s wrong with him now?’

The way he looked at me—

like some tragic lover—

made me slowly scoot back.

It was way too much.

“You said you weren’t sick, so what was that? You were hiding something like that? Do you know how worried the Chairman was? …And me too. Seriously…”

By the end, even he sounded like he might cry.

More people started looking at me with pity.

Nope.

Not that.

Don’t even say it.

“Your boyfriend was very worried too, sir. We’re glad you woke up safely.”

…Of course.

I knew that misunderstanding was coming.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“That man is not my grandson’s boyfriend. Please refrain from such ridiculous jokes.”

I shut it down immediately.

Chairman Seong backed me up just as hard.

“Ah—my apologies. Since he came as your guardian…”

The staff awkwardly retreated.

“You’re stable now, so you may be discharged.”

“Oh, really? Then I’ll just—”

As I tried to get up, Chairman Seong grabbed my wrist gently.

“Shouldn’t you get checked? I’m still worried…”

“Didn’t I already come to the hospital—…oh.”

I got it.

‘He’s worried about my Omega trait.’

But Baek Dojun already knows.

…Better to pretend I don’t.

“I’m fine, really. It was just a bad dream.”

“In my entire life, I’ve never seen someone nearly die from a nightmare.”

…Fair point.

If this weren’t a novel, I’d probably be calling an exorcist or booking a psych appointment.

‘But I’m literally in a possession situation.’

And if the real Seong Chanyeong could affect reality like this—

that wasn’t a good sign.

‘This could happen again.’

That scared me.

“Next time, I’ll get checked. For now… let’s just go home.”

I tugged lightly at his sleeve.

He sighed.

“…Alright. If that’s what you want.”

“I’m really fine, so please don’t misunderstand.”

“…Alright.”

…Why does that sound like you don’t believe me at all, Grandfather.