Hirvan was perplexed as to what to do to not hurt the older woman's feelings. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't eat that meal. The reason for his aversion was psychological, and regardless of which body he was in, his reaction would be the same.
Not having experienced being raised by a mother, Hirvan was at a loss. Although he was 40, he had a deep sense of envy towards those who had parents. So when she said she cooked his favourite food, he was happy.
' I have to eat it! I can do it!'
Hirvan encouraged himself and offered a smile to Mrs Smith.
" Here you go, sweetheart"
A big piece of pork chop was placed in front of him.
'It's chicken, the large one! Simply cut it and swallow it!'
Hirvan's hands were shaking as he tried to cut it. However, the churching of bile in his stomach got worse and worse.
Cold sweat was dripping from his forehead.
Anna Smith realized that his son did not touch the food, and his face turned pale.
" Hirvan, What is wrong With you?"
" Sorry, I think I ate something bad in the city. If you excuse me…"
Hirvan dashed toward the bathroom, feeling nauseous.
Memories he did not want came crashing into his mind.
Throwing up into the toilet, His hand began to tremble, and tears welled up in his eyes.
' God, no… not again…'
Knock, bang, bang.
" Hirvan, sweetheart, Are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?"
Mrs. Smith's anxious voice was heard behind the door.
Hirvan took deep breaths, like a fish out of the water, his mouth opened wide.
' Keep it together!'
A distant voice triggered his muddy head.
' Van, my love, you have to be strong! Promise me that you will live a good life!'
Hirvan broke into tears, suppressing his outcry.
He leaned against the wall, agonizing over why he was still trapped in the past.
" Please. Somebody help me…"
It had been his wish for a long time.
As the knocking on the door intensified, it became more urgent and aggressive. Hirvan collected himself and stood up.
He washed his face with cold water and then opened the door.
" Sorry for worrying you. I am fine."
Mrs. Smith's worried eyes watched his face and saw that he evaded her gaze.
As she hugged her son, she spoke.
" come on, let's go to bed. I will cook some porridge for you. I'll check if we have any stomach medication, and I'll bring it to you."
Mrs. Smith pulled Hirvan into his bed and gently wiped his sweaty forehead with a napkin.
" Call me if you need anything."
After saying that, she left the room.
Hirvan appreciated that she did not probe further into the reason for his ugly expression.
' Ah, you fool. You had a wonderful mother who knew when to be stern and when to be caring.'
Hirvan scolded the original owner in his mind.
After some time, he felt much better. However, He had slept too much in the afternoon and was wide awake. Turning and tossing in the bed, he was annoyed.
' should I ask for a sleeping pill?'
He was afraid that his mind would wander again in those dark memories.
As he sat on his bed, he grabbed his phone and began browsing the text messages and photo gallery stored there.
" let's gather more information about this family."
After a while, his head began to throb.
" What the heck!"
In irritation, he threw the phone aside.
There was not one family picture on the phone. His gallery and social media accounts were overflowing with images of men sitting alongside the original owner or hugging him.
The worst part was the text messages.
His mother's page was filled with one-sided text worrying about him.
The rest were full of flirting text messages with persons named Handsome Man Number 1 to 10. He even did not store their names!
How on earth would he know who is who? Sure, he had some memories of them, but that was it!
He had no idea with whom he had a peaceful breakup and with whom the worst! If he saw them tomorrow, he wouldn't know how he should react.
In frustration, Hirvan pulled his hair.
" This won't do. Let's be positive. Oh, right, school!"
The start of winter marked his death, and now, after two months, the original owner is required to attend the final year of high school. He was grateful that it happened before the college entrance exam, otherwise, he would have regretted missing it twice, which would have resulted in him not being able to attend the university.
Hirvan felt a bit of excitement.
"Let's check when can I go to school. And how is it the original owner's performance?"
Searching for middle-term reports, Hirvan walked to a computer desk and opened the drawer.
" What are you Looking for? Are you feeling better now?"
Upon entering the room, Mrs Smith questioned him from behind as she placed a bowl of unsweetened porridge on a bedside table.
Hirvan flinched, mulling over why he did not sense her approach.
'Am I losing my touch? How could that be? How many times did someone sneak up on me? Perhaps this body is too weak!'
Hirvan added to his to-do list training his body.
" I was wondering when should I go back to school. Do you have any idea where I keep my classroom notes and reports?"
Mrs Smith halted her movement and stared at Hirvan.
' what is this? Did I say something wrong?' Going to school is something he has in his memories.
Hirvan panicked from her reaction and fidgeted with his hands nervously.
This was his mother whom he yearned for all his life. If she suspected that he wasn't her son and shunned him, he'd be sad.
" Oh, that's good! You never go wrong with education! Shall I help you find them?"
Anna Smith clapped her hands with a soft smile.
Hirvan sighed in relief and smiled back.
" Yes. Thank you."
" I have checked with your doctor. You can continue with your daily routine, but avoid engaging in excessive sports. So I think you can go to school next Monday."
While tidying his room, Mrs Smith elaborated more about things related to school.
"Your classmates and homeroom teacher visited you when you were in a coma, but after waking up, I told them that you needed a quiet environment and refused their visit. They were all worried about you."
Hirvan rolled his eyes in his head when he heard this, recalling the cold and disdainful behaviour of other students towards the original owner.
"Really? I think they were more interested in mocking me after that accident. You don't need to shield me from their remarks. I am not a fragile person."
Mrs Smith paused and looked straight at Hirvan.
" When will you call me Mum?"
Hirvan's body trembled in shock.
" I know you are still mad at me. But I believe I have nothing to be ashamed of. At first, I kept my pregnancy hidden when I met your father, but I revealed the truth before marrying him. He knew, but yet, he loved you like his own son. Because he was concerned for you, he moved to the countryside, far away from Astra City. Do you want to repay his sacrifice by ruining your life?
Hirvan, I was young and stupid. At the time he married, your biological father was not aware of your existence. He did not abandon us."
Taking a deep breath, She continued.
"While I won't be involved in his life, I think it's best for all of us that you live with him."
Mrs Smith stated with a serious tone.
Hirvan received such a large amount of information that his mind short-circuited and felt like smoke was coming out of his head.
' Whaaaaaatttttt?'