Chapter 164: A Face That Shouldn’t Exist
"Ryusei…" Keiko murmured again, her voice trembling like she couldn’t believe her own eyes.
I froze too. My breath caught in my chest as my gaze locked on the figure standing just beyond the park’s edge. The man… the man had my face.
No—more than just my face. It was my body. My posture. Everything.
It was me.
The realization snapped something in me, and without thinking I sprinted toward him. Keiko gasped behind me, then hurried after.
“W-wait!” I shouted, reaching desperately as he moved toward the bus stop. “Stop!”
My lungs burned, legs screaming, but I pushed myself harder. Just before he stepped up to the bus, I grabbed the hem of his coat. “Gotcha,” I panted out, relief flooding through me.
But when the man turned, confusion flashing across his unfamiliar eyes, I realized I had the wrong person.
“Ah—sorry! I’m sorry!” I blurted, bowing quickly, still gasping for air. The stranger looked at me like I was crazy before disappearing into the bus.
I turned back—and froze all over again.
Because there, just a few feet away, he was.
The real one. My real body. Standing right in front of Keiko, who was doubled over, breathless from the run. He smiled faintly at her and said something I couldn’t hear.
Keiko froze, her whole body stiff. Her eyes widened like she was staring at a ghost.
“No—Keiko!” I shouted, dashing back to her. My chest felt like it would explode. I stood protectively in front of her, shielding her from him. My fists clenched. “Who are you?”
The man tilted his head, smirk curling across my—his—lips. “Hmm? Aren’t you the ones who followed me? Who are you?” His tone was playful, mocking.
My throat tightened. Why was my voice trembling? Why was my heart hammering like this? “…Stop pretending. I was the owner of that body. You must be the one who took it from me.” I pointed at him, my hand shaking.
The smirk widened. “Are you insane? What are you even talking about?” He turned toward Keiko. “Hey, miss, is your friend right in the head?”
Keiko’s lips parted, her face pale. “Who… are you?” she whispered again.
“Who do you think I am?” he chuckled. “Tch. I don’t have time for this.” He turned to leave.
“W-wait!” I grabbed his arm, refusing to let him slip away again.
He snapped, his voice suddenly sharp. “What’s wrong with you?!”
People nearby started watching. A mother tugged her child away from the scene, a few teens pointed curiously. The air grew heavy, suffocating.
“I just want to know… why. How this happened!” I said, my words breaking, voice trembling with desperation. “Are you telling me you know nothing? About what happened to us?”
The man’s smirk returned—slow, cruel. It made my stomach turn. “Who knows?”
My patience snapped. I grabbed his collar, yanking him closer. “Stop playing with me!”
“Ryusei!” Keiko’s voice cut through, sharp and trembling. She reached for my arm, her eyes wide with fear.
The man chuckled lowly, repeating the name. “Ryusei?” His eyes flicked toward Keiko, gleaming. He pointed at her. “So you’re Keiko, huh?”
We both froze.
And then he leaned in slightly, eyes locked on hers. “How does it feel… to see me again? Your husband?”
The words struck like lightning.
My stomach dropped. My knees weakened. Keiko’s entire face drained of color, her lips trembling as if she couldn’t breathe.
“…What?” I whispered, horrified.
Her husband.
But the way he said it… like he knew. He knew everything.
“How…?” My voice shook violently, barely leaving my throat.
He only smirked wider, his gaze gleaming like a predator toying with prey. “Didn’t you wish for this?”
My heart stopped.
Wish.
I had wished. That night, when everything felt unbearable, I had wished desperately for another chance. A different life. A way to make things right.
“…You…”
Keiko blinked in confusion, still pale. “Wish? What do you mean?”
He turned to her, that same playful menace curling on his lips. “You didn’t know? Interesting.”
I shook my head, panic rising. “Don’t—don’t tell her—”
“Just enjoy what you wished for,” he said smoothly, ignoring me. “I wished too. And I got this body.” He ran his hand along my cheek, tracing it like a trophy. “Handsome, huh? I like it.”
It should’ve been flattering. But hearing it from him made my skin crawl.
“Give it back,” I demanded through clenched teeth.
He shrugged casually. “No. Never. I like my new life with this body.”
“Give it back to me!” My voice cracked, louder now, trembling with fury.
He tilted his head like a cat with a trapped mouse. “Why don’t we ask Keiko first?” He circled his finger around his face. “This face… didn’t it give her a lot of trauma? Or…” his smirk sharpened, “…does she still love me more?”
Keiko’s eyes shook. Her hands trembled at her sides. She opened her mouth but no words came out.
He stepped closer, reaching for her hand. “I’d welcome you back anytime, Keiko. If you want me.”
“Stop it!” I shoved between them, grabbing his wrist and forcing it away from her. “Don’t touch her!”
He leaned in, his breath brushing my ear. “Stop pretending you’re her protector now. I know what happened between you two.”
I pushed him back, my heart pounding. “How?!”
He smirked, eyes glinting with sick amusement. “Because I am you.”
The words slammed into me, dizzying, nauseating.
My head throbbed. “You’re lying!” I shouted.
He only laughed. The sound made my skin crawl.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said suddenly, stepping back. “Bye, kids.”
“W-wait! I’m not finished yet!” I grabbed his wrist desperately.
With a swift twist, he wrenched my hand back. Pain shot through my arm. “Arghh!”
He leaned down close, his grin sharper than ever. “You’re really dumb, Ryusei. If you keep chasing me…” His eyes flicked to Keiko, who flinched back instinctively. “…I’ll take her from you.”
I froze. My breath caught, my chest caving in.
He knew. He knew exactly how to break me.
Smirking like a victor, he patted my cheek mockingly. “Be a good girl, won’t you? Until we meet again.”
And then he pulled free, darted into the bus, and disappeared as the doors shut.
I stood there, frozen. My hand throbbed. My chest felt hollow.
Keiko stood just behind me, her lips parted, face pale, eyes locked on where the bus had gone. She looked… terrified.
Neither of us moved. Neither of us breathed.
The world kept going around us—cars passing, snow drifting, people murmuring—but we were stuck, rooted in that moment.
Because we had just faced something impossible.
And worst of all—
He had looked at Keiko like she belonged to him.