Can Love Be Transferred Too? 82

#82

The hectic schedule in Fukuoka was finally coming to an end.

The production team had been very considerate in various ways for us who had completed our schedule in an unfamiliar region. Even though we weren’t appearing for free, I felt a bit self-conscious about enjoying all these perks…

‘Most of them seem used to it.’

Jin Woohyeon, Lee Chan, and An Lei would be familiar with sponsorships due to their job characteristics. Hwang Yeonwoo had also said he often received advertising support while doing internet broadcasting activities. The situation was similar for the others.

So that meant I was the only one earnestly looking around, unfamiliar with the duty-free shop atmosphere. I felt somewhat embarrassed.

I fiddled with the disposable paper cup I had received for sake tasting while glancing around. Still, the alcohol and food sections were somewhat worth browsing, but I couldn’t even begin to approach the fashion or cosmetics corners. Never mind distinguishing which country’s brands they were from – I was even confused about how to pronounce those alphabets.

Having finished shopping early with just a bottle of sake as a gift and a few snacks, I chose to stand alone in a corner waiting for the other members of our group.

“You looked happy until you were picking out alcohol.”

Jin Woohyeon, who had been quietly standing beside me, said with a voice full of laughter.

“I guess the other stuff doesn’t really interest you.”

“What about you?”

Come to think of it, Jin Woohyeon was completely empty-handed. He had just been following me around wherever I went.

“Nothing you’re curious about or want to buy?”

“No, not really.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to duty-free shops. Unless someone asked me to buy something… and there’s nothing like that this time either.”

His attitude seemed rather indifferent.

“You must travel a lot.”

“Not exactly travel, but I’ve had to take long-distance flights fairly often.”

When our eyes met, he smiled and added,

“Still, it’s my first time going from Fukuoka to Jeju Island. I usually enter the country through Incheon.”

Bae Taeseong, who had been wandering around and approaching us, chimed in at those words.

“Right. I didn’t even know there was a direct flight like this.”

“Right?”

“Sanho, was this your first time to Jeju Island too?”

“…Yes.”

I answered while fidgeting with my fingertips.

“It’s full of first-time experiences in many ways.”

Jeju Island was the final filming location for ‘Can Love Be Transferred Too?’. I heard it was a place selected for the final choice filming, but the details were kept secret.

The fact that I had to take two more flights ahead was quite daunting, but since the flight times themselves weren’t long, I decided to somehow endure it.

The three of us were standing in a row having trivial small talk when Kim Sehyeong and Han Jiwon, who had roughly finished their shopping, joined us from afar.

“What? Bae Taeseong. Not shopping?”

Han Jiwon looked at Bae Taeseong with puzzled eyes.

“The guy who used to come back from overseas matches with his suitcase bursting full.”

“There’s nothing I need.”

At Bae Taeseong’s reply as he stood sideways, Han Jiwon tilted his head.

“Since when were you such a pragmatist… You usually buy useless stuff too. Like cute accessories that don’t suit your build.”

Having failed to conjure up an image of Bae Taeseong picking out accessories in my mind, I asked.

“What did you buy?”

Bae Taeseong didn’t answer. I grabbed Han Jiwon’s sleeve and gently shook it as I asked.

“What? What did you buy? Do you know, Jiwon hyung?”

“Two years ago when I was going back and forth about quitting the hospital, this guy came back from Tokyo and bought a full set of owls.”

“A full set of owls?”

“Yeah. Owl figurines, owl handkerchiefs, owl keychains, owl glass cups, owl music boxes. That kind of stuff. And he told me to carry them all around. He kept insisting so earnestly not to give them to anyone else.”

You certainly wouldn’t need that many owls. Thinking of Bae Taeseong seriously packing the owls into his suitcase made me feel somewhat amused.

When I let out a small laugh, Bae Taeseong waved his hands dismissively and moved away.

“Whatever. I’m going to sit in front of the gate.”

I watched Bae Taeseong walking away with shuffling steps and recalled one fact.

Owls symbolize luck and money in Japan.

Since most of the worries people have when quitting their jobs are about livelihood, perhaps he had hoped his problems would be solved even through the power of superstition. Even if he actually didn’t like shopping and didn’t believe in superstitions even a nail’s worth.

“Taeseong hyung must have really liked Jiwon hyung.”

“…I guess.”

I heard Han Jiwon’s subtle voice.

“It seems like he did.”

It was around the time when Choi Eungi holding—more precisely, being helped to carry—something in both hands, the beaming Jeon Yudam, and Hwang Yeonwoo all joined us.

“It’s about time, shall we head to the gate too?”

At Jin Woohyeon’s suggestion, I nodded a bit late.

“…Yeah. We should go.”

Seeing my expression full of worry, Han Jiwon asked if I was that concerned about motion sickness.

‘Well, that’s part of it too.’

I fiddled with the stiff edges of my boarding pass and ended up sighing.

On the way back, we all got to ride business class. It was quite different from last time when seats varied according to the nomination results. This was also one of the production team’s considerations for our hard work throughout filming.

The problem was the seating arrangement.

“……”

In the window seat next to where I was supposed to sit, Lee Chan was already seated. When our eyes met, an awkward feeling washed over me.

Of all things, the arrangement had to be based on the X couple. I was already worried about airplane motion sickness, and thinking that Lee Chan would be sitting next to me made me feel stuffy even before takeoff.

Lee Chan looked up at me quietly and was about to say something, opening his mouth slightly, but someone standing behind me spoke first.

“Hyung.”

Jin Woohyeon, who had helped put my bag on the overhead rack, gently grasped my wrist and then placed a small syrup-type medicine in my palm.

“Take this when you sit down. Motion sickness medicine.”

“Thank you.”

“The flight time is shorter than going to Incheon, so don’t worry too much.”

At his gentle whisper, I bobbed my head. As he said, it was a short flight time. Even if it was tough, I just had to endure it.

When they announced we’d be taking off soon, I sent Jin Woohyeon to the seat across the aisle and sat in my seat, feeling Lee Chan looking at me with a disappointed expression, having missed his chance to speak.

“Don’t worry about Woohyeon, Chan.”

I said quietly after fastening my seatbelt.

“He’s not someone you need to worry about.”

“That’s right. As you heard yesterday, he’s also just casually…”

“I mean you don’t have the right to worry about him.”

Since there were no cameras, I could speak comfortably for a moment. I opened my mouth with my eyes downcast.

“You haven’t done anything right, so why are you acting up, Lee Chan? Do you believe what Woohyeon said about being casual or not?”

Of course, I had initially interpreted it as I heard it too. But seeing Jin Woohyeon’s eyes, hearing what he said, and feeling the emotions he conveyed to me with his whole body, I couldn’t help but realize.

He had just said that on purpose. In reality, it wasn’t like that. Emotion was exactly what you felt as much as you believed.

“You think Woohyeon has casual feelings for me, and we absolutely can’t remain friends even if we break up?”

An expression I’d never seen before appeared on Lee Chan’s face. I licked my dry lips and added,

“Because Yoo Sanho can never let go of Lee Chan?”

There was a time when I thought that way too. That I would never let go of you, no matter what. If I could just do that, our relationship might be difficult but wouldn’t disappear. Because pain was better than having nothing, because suffering was better than loneliness. So I would endure it no matter what.

That way, the relationship between you and me would become something that could never be broken.

But as I lived on, I came to know one fact. There was no such thing as “never” in this world.

So…….

“……”

The things I wanted to say were mixed together in disorder, weighing heavily around my solar plexus. It wasn’t easy to figure out what to say first, or how to say it.

– Passengers, our aircraft will be taking off soon. For a safe flight, please check your seatbelts and return your seats to their upright position.

The conversation was interrupted by the timely announcement, but the uncomfortable atmosphere between us didn’t break.

* * *

[Q. What are your feelings toward Yoo Sanho-ssi?]

Lee Chan: I thought I should be firm and clean about it. I felt it was my duty to be that way. I’m not so heartless as to give hope to someone who’s lost and confused.

(How did you feel when Yoo Sanho-ssi showed lingering feelings in the early days of the show?) I believed it would get better with time. I think I thought it was a problem that would be solved once we found balance in our relationship.

(So you were hoping Yoo Sanho-ssi wouldn’t like you?) …Yes, if we’re being precise about it. That way we could become friends.

(It actually seems to be heading that way. Especially after Woohyeon-ssi joined, the atmosphere changed a lot, and Sanho-ssi’s heart seems to be leaning elsewhere.) That’s right. Like the saying that nothing lasts forever, Sanho’s feelings for me are probably gradually getting smaller too. It’s the result I wanted… (Long silence) Maybe it’s because I’ve never experienced this before. Honestly, it feels strange. It’s weird too… I can’t adjust to it.

I suddenly had this thought. Could there come a day when we become strangers after drifting apart like this? If Lee Chan isn’t Yoo Sanho’s number one, then what happens to us?

I might understand if he seemed troubled looking at me, but he acts like it’s nothing. That’s even stranger.

Juyeon, who had been quietly watching such interview footage, criticized.

“That’s selfish.”