Can Love Be Transferred Too? 72

#72

“…You want to use the same accommodation as me?”

I asked, understanding his words a beat late.

“Why?”

From what I’ve learned spending these past few weeks, the production team doesn’t spare any investment on us. It seemed to be for creating a romantic atmosphere due to the nature of the program.

So even if it wasn’t an exclusive accommodation, we’d be staying somewhere decent. That meant Lee Chan had no reason to covet the winner’s benefit.

Spending time with An Lei at the shared accommodation would be much more attractive than a night spent with me.

“I have something I want to talk to you about.”

I looked up at Lee Chan blankly, then frowned. The ceiling lighting was dazzling my eyes.

“You’ve been acting mean to me, taking out your anger on me like you said, so you’re avoiding me. It would be fine if I just don’t do that, right?”

It’s not such a neatly cut-and-dried problem though…

I wanted to put some distance between us but couldn’t. It was like being trapped in a cramped space. I let out a deep sigh.

“It’s not like you want to date me again, and you can’t anyway, so why go this far?”

“…”

“If you have something you want to say, say it. I’ll try not to avoid you either.”

His answer came faster than I could ask if that would work.

“…You know.”

“Yeah?”

“There are cameras.”

There are cameras in the exclusive accommodation too. They’d probably film even more enthusiastically than at other accommodations. If it’s for having a conversation where cameras can’t reach, the benefit would never be a good method.

“There are exactly two places cameras can’t enter. Do you know where?”

Lee Chan approached me closely and whispered.

“The changing room and the bathroom.”

I couldn’t escape his sharp gaze. Like I was frozen, I could only stare at him without moving.

“Cameras can’t enter the private bath. Wouldn’t that be convenient for talking? For you, and for me.”

“…”

“I’ve been thinking about it continuously. That day when you cried and raised your voice in front of me. Whether that thing you told me to apologize for was because I occasionally looked elsewhere. If not that, then…”

What had sounded clear at first gradually became unclear. It seemed to be pounding, or maybe buzzing.

“…Let’s go out.”

I bit my lips tightly, then continued.

“Can’t we talk outside?”

No matter how long we hadn’t been together, an alpha was still an alpha. Being pressed together in a place with no room to move couldn’t help but be burdensome.

Reading the fear in my eyes, he let out a “hah” sigh. He seemed displeased, or maybe his pride was hurt.

“You’re always like this. You make people into bad bastards.”

While I was mulling over the stinging words he left behind, there was another click from the lock. Lee Chan, who had pulled the door open and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pressing his body against mine before pulling away, said mockingly.

“I had this thought.”

“…”

“It’s not that I’m not allowed, but that only I’m not allowed.”

He could have misunderstood like that. After the heat cycle ended, I came back soaked in Bae Taeseong’s pheromones, and when I got on the airplane, I fell asleep peacefully in Jin Woohyeon’s pheromones.

I got along fine with the alphas I’d become close with since coming here, yet I was still tense around him, someone I’d known longer than anyone, which seemed to have touched his pride.

“Even in the same situation, you would have fallen for that Jin Woohyeon guy, wouldn’t you?”

Ridiculously, I couldn’t deny it. The thought that it might have been okay if it were Jin Woohyeon had carelessly crossed my mind.

Why was that? I liked you. My desire to overcome my past for you was sincere. But why was it that you were absolutely impossible, no matter what?

The wronged one should have been me, not you. If it weren’t for this problem, we wouldn’t have gone wrong. If I had given you what you so desperately wanted even once, I wouldn’t have regretted this much.

If that had happened, even if we broke up when we broke up, it might not have been so miserable.

“I’ll think about what you said.”

Still, now that the space had opened up, I could breathe. I said while slowly backing away.

“But… I’m not sure. I wonder if there’s really a need to do this now.”

In many ways, there was more to lose than gain. Wouldn’t this be behavior that could cause misunderstandings with Jin Woohyeon, and with An Lei too?

“Why don’t you want to?”

Displeased with my lukewarm attitude, Lee Chan stepped closer.

“You wanted to get a chance to talk with me. That wasn’t 10 years ago, or 1 year ago, but just a month ago.”

“…”

“You said you came out to hold onto me, didn’t you?”

It sounded like he was reproaching me, asking if those feelings had changed, if they were emotions that changed this quickly, if this was all there was to it.

“I know. There’s still talk left between us.”

A knot that needed to be untied. I had held onto that like a thread of hope for half a year.

But now it feels exactly like overdue homework. Just as he said, not 10 years or 1 year, but in just a month, my heart had changed this much.

“If you’re really concerned about cameras, we can meet privately after leaving the show.”

I looked at him steadily and said.

“You just have to not block me.”

“That won’t work.”

“…Are you going to block me again?”

“No, not that.”

Lee Chan’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. Because he put so much strength into his grip, a throbbing pain arose.

“That time won’t work. After leaving the show, after that, there’s almost no time.”

“Why… ah.”

Somehow I seemed to know the reason he didn’t even say.

Probably after leaving the show, he’d get into full-scale shopping mall opening preparations. He’d need to do it to some extent to enjoy promotional effects when the edited version airs a few months later, timed accordingly.

‘Should I call this consistency…’

I answered with a grimace-smile.

“Anyway, I’ll think about it like I said before. But, Chan.”

I hesitated, then added.

“Don’t expect anything.”

Because expectations disappoint people.

“And… will you let go? My wrist hurts.”

Then Lee Chan clicked his tongue and let me go. It seemed he hadn’t been aware he was holding on.

Even after his hand fell away, the tingling sensation still clung to me. I shook my wrist unnecessarily and hurried out. Too much time had passed talking with Lee Chan, so people were probably waiting.

When I hurried back, An Lei, who spotted me, asked.

“What about Chan hyung?”

“Huh?”

“He followed you as soon as you left earlier.”

He probably said he was going to the bathroom too and left, and it seemed he thought that was an excuse to follow me. It was an accurate guess.

What should I answer? That he’s right? That we finished talking and I came out first? Somehow it would sound very strange.

As I hesitated in confusion for a moment, a cheerful voice rang out with perfect timing.

“Hurry up and gather for rock-paper-scissors! We need to decide dinner date partners!”

Jeon Yudam popped out and grabbed mine and An Lei’s wrists with both hands, then pulled us along.

“…Ow.”

When I made a pained sound because the part that had been grabbed earlier seemed bruised, Jin Woohyeon, who had been standing at a distance, approached.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I think it got caught on my clothes.”

“Ah, sorry!”

Jeon Yudam, who had let go of my hand, linked arms and pulled.

“They say we’ll do group rock-paper-scissors and nominate partners in order of winning. Regardless of tendencies! We can eat dinner in pairs and walk around until bedtime. Sanho hyung, are you good at rock-paper-scissors?”

“…No. I always lose. Especially the first round, I definitely lose.”

It’s not like any great strategy is needed, but I was particularly bad at rock-paper-scissors.

“Aw. You’re just throwing out one of rock, paper, or scissors though?”

Jeon Yudam cheerfully exclaimed.

“Still, don’t worry too much. When ten people play rock-paper-scissors, unless it gets split up, there are really a lot of ties, right?”

“True. With so many people, it probably won’t be that easy to lose?”

Saying that, I got on the bus…

“…I really lost.”

I lost cleanly in the first round.

I looked down at my fully extended hand with a dumbfounded expression. I didn’t know I’d lose as soon as I threw paper. No, more than that, I didn’t know the first round would decide victory and defeat like this.

Han Jiwon, who had thrown the same thing as me and lost together, laughed.

“Bae Taeseong improved? He always used to throw rock first.”

“I couldn’t lose to you this time.”

Bae Taeseong smiled confidently and pretended to loosen his hands.

“Those who got crushed in the first round should sit quietly.”

“…Yes.”

“Not you, Yoo Sanho.”

Bae Taeseong, who approached rock-paper-scissors with an enthusiastic attitude, secured the quite advantageous result of 2nd place. Jin Woohyeon, who narrowly became 3rd place, shook his head.

“Hmm. Considering our hyung’s popularity, 3rd place isn’t enough.”

“That’s right.”

Bae Taeseong grinned and patted Jin Woohyeon’s shoulder.

“Too bad? You can’t eat dinner with Sanho.”

“Ah, really.”

But Bae Taeseong’s joy didn’t last long.

“1st place, Jeon Yudam! I nominate Sanho hyung as today’s dinner date partner!”

Because Jeon Yudam raised his small hand high and declared firmly.

Not only Choi Eungi, who had been secretly hoping, but also Bae Taeseong, and even me as the person involved, turned our heads in confusion.

“Huh?”

“…Huh?”

Jeon Yudam, who had raised his hand and stuck up his thumb, said.