Chapter 132
“I’m sorry, but I can’t eat any more… I don’t have to force myself, right?”
The food smell that had seemed fine suddenly felt nauseating. If he took even one more bite, he felt like he would vomit, his solar plexus churning uncomfortably.
“I don’t mean you should stay at home like before. If you want, you can continue working as an actor like now.”
Do-heon said as he grabbed Cheong-yeon’s wrist when he tried to get up from his seat.
“You don’t need to attend gatherings you don’t want to. You don’t have to pick out my clothes every week, or have breakfast with me every morning. Wear what you want, eat what you want, say what you want. I won’t force anything on you. So come back home, Yoo Cheong-yeon.”
“Let go. It’s uncomfortable.”
Cheong-yeon shook his arm to free his hand. But despite being told to let go, Do-heon didn’t loosen his grip.
“You’re scaring me.”
Only when Cheong-yeon’s face turned pale with fear did Do-heon finally release his hand.
“…I’ve delivered the items, so I should get going now. I have acting classes tomorrow.”
“Did I answer incorrectly?”
Cheong-yeon stood up, rubbing the wrist that had been gripped. Unlike his own emotional turmoil, Do-heon remained infinitely calm. As if he still didn’t understand what was wrong.
Once, Cheong-yeon had loved even that indifference, but now…
“In this situation, saying you love me too much and that’s why you want me back would have been more convincing, even if it was a lie. Then I might have wavered, just for a moment.”
He was grateful that Do-heon didn’t try to shake his resolve.
“Make sure to say that when you meet someone else.”
Cheong-yeon murmured with a faint smile and turned around without hesitation.
*
Only after leaving Do-heon’s house and arriving at his officetel did the tears finally come.
When would he be able to remain detached? He felt pathetic for being unable to let go of unnecessary expectations, getting hurt by Do-heon and crying each time. Wasn’t being swayed for a full three years enough?
Cheong-yeon threw his outerwear on the floor and headed straight for the bed. Then he began punching the plump pillow.
“That bastard. Who asked him to say something special?”
With teary eyes, Cheong-yeon pounded his fists into the pillow, imagining it was Moon Do-heon.
“A jerk who seduces! me to live! together! What? Pity? Convenience?”
Go ahead and say that all you want. As if I’d go back to him. Never, even if I die. Never.
“Haah…, haah…”
After pummeling the pillow for several minutes, he was completely out of breath. The uncontrollable anger had largely subsided, but the misery remained.
At least this time, he hadn’t cried in front of Do-heon. Unlike before when he would always sob while lashing out, he seemed to have calmly said everything he needed to say. In a way, it felt cathartic.
“Phew, yes. That was, hic, a mature response. Hng.”
Cheong-yeon patted the pillow, which now had feathers poking out from his relentless punching, while reassuring himself. Tears that hadn’t yet stopped fell in drops onto it.
Wiping his eyes carelessly with the back of his hand, Cheong-yeon collapsed onto the bed.
Perhaps because he had moved so intensely in such a short time, his head felt a bit dizzy.
It was always like this after meeting Moon Do-heon. The emotional drain was severe. Even though he desperately wanted to escape from Do-heon’s shadow, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
Cheong-yeon steadied his breathing and sluggishly crawled under the blanket. When he closed his eyes, Do-heon’s face appeared in his mind.
But it didn’t hurt as much as before, with his heart feeling like it was being torn apart. He had been quite composed in front of Do-heon today, so perhaps with more time, a day might come when he truly wouldn’t care at all.
Perhaps because all the strength had drained from his body, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Forgetting to turn off the lights, Cheong-yeon fell into a deep sleep as he relaxed.
*
The next day. An alarm began ringing in the quiet officetel. Despite trying to ignore it by covering his ears with a pillow, the sound was loud enough to make his eardrums sting.
Cheong-yeon fumbled for his phone somewhere on the bed and turned off the sound. He tried to get up immediately, but drowsiness wouldn’t clear easily, causing him to toss and turn in bed for several minutes.
“Ngggh…”
A moan escaped involuntarily. He had to attend acting classes almost daily for the foreseeable future, so if he didn’t wash up and get ready now, he would be late.
Getting up on time had been particularly challenging lately. Even after a full night’s sleep, he didn’t feel as refreshed as he used to.
Maybe it’s a physical stamina issue? Come to think of it, he had been experiencing headaches recently too. Although the headaches would quickly subside, they were oddly concerning.
Anyway, his condition had been a mess in various ways for the past few days.
“Ah, right. I need to take my medication?”
After squirming like a slug buried in the blanket for a while, Cheong-yeon suddenly lifted his head. Despite his firm resolve to take his medicine on time yesterday, he had forgotten again.
Cheong-yeon sat on the bed, pressing his throbbing forehead with his palm.
Where did I put the bag with the medicine?
While trying to retrace his steps, Cheong-yeon casually checked his phone.
—Moon Do-heon Missed Calls (13)
“What the… What is this?”
There were thirteen missed calls from Do-heon.
Since he had changed the settings to silent mode, it seemed no alarms had gone off during the night.
But what could have prompted so many consecutive calls? This was unusual for someone like Do-heon. Did something serious happen?
Cheong-yeon began checking other notifications on his phone with a grave expression.
Not only calls, but there were also text messages from Do-heon.
[Moon Do-heon: (photo)]
[Moon Do-heon: Explain what this is.]
[Moon Do-heon: What the hell are you doing?]
[Moon Do-heon: Answer the phone.]
The photo Do-heon had sent showed Cheong-yeon’s pheromone suppressants and birth control pills.
“Why are they there… Ah!”
After confusedly staring at the picture on the screen, Cheong-yeon suddenly touched his forehead as if remembering something.
Yesterday. When he went to deliver the merchandise, he had left his bag behind. That must be how Do-heon discovered the medicine in his bag.
Why did I leave it at his house of all places?
As he grasped the situation, his heart began to race rapidly.
“This is insane.”
Cheong-yeon muttered to himself as he reviewed the messages from Do-heon once more.
He seems quite angry… How should I explain this?
Judging by the tone, it didn’t seem like Do-heon would let it go quietly if Cheong-yeon ignored the messages.
Cheong-yeon anxiously bit his lower lip.
Strictly speaking, Do-heon had no right to interfere with what medication Cheong-yeon took. But now that he knew, he wouldn’t just sit back and watch.
Although Cheong-yeon had refused several times, Do-heon was still a madman who wanted him to live in his house again like before and even hoped for him to have a child if possible.
Because Cheong-yeon was “pitiful” and “convenient.”
“Ah, the time… First, I need to get ready for class.”
Flustered, Cheong-yeon rambled to himself.
The acting class came first, and contacting Do-heon would come after. It wasn’t Friday, so there was no obligation to reply immediately.
No matter what Do-heon said, Cheong-yeon didn’t need to be shaken. This was none of his business. So stay calm.
Repeating this to himself to organize his thoughts, Cheong-yeon hurriedly prepared to leave.
When he had first opened his eyes to the alarm, his mind had been foggy with lingering sleepiness, but now he was fully alert, as if someone had poured cold water over him.
Cheong-yeon had no time to eat breakfast, so after washing up and getting dressed, he immediately rummaged through his desk to pack his script.
“Ah, my bag.”
But the script was also in the bag he had left at Do-heon’s house yesterday.
Nothing’s going right. Mocking his own predicament, Cheong-yeon finally gave up on the script and started putting on his shoes.
“Mr. Yoo Cheong-yeon.”
As soon as he urgently opened the front door, two men suddenly appeared and blocked his way.
“…Who are you?”
Cheong-yeon instinctively took a step back and looked up at them. The two men in suits bowed their heads to Cheong-yeon in greeting.
“Director Moon Do-heon has sent us to escort you. We need you to come with us now.”
Cheong-yeon, who had been clutching his rapidly beating heart in surprise, soon collected himself and carefully observed the two men.
Both were unfamiliar faces, but judging by their mechanical speech and disciplined movements, they appeared to be security personnel. It was clear that Do-heon had sent them to bring Cheong-yeon because of those damned pills.
Isn’t this excessive? Even if Cheong-yeon hadn’t answered the calls, sending people without even asking for his consent?
On the other hand, Cheong-yeon supposed it was something that they had waited for him to come out on his own rather than breaking in while he was sleeping.
“Why should I?”
“These are Director’s orders.”
Despite Cheong-yeon’s defiant attitude, the man answered politely but firmly. He didn’t seem like he would back down easily even if Cheong-yeon refused.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
