He knew it wasn’t romantic feelings, but rather compassion and friendship for a pitiful child he had known since childhood. Still, it felt good.
The fact that there was at least one person in this world who genuinely worried about him and knew all of his ugly inner self.
“I don’t like you much. Fix your taste.”
“I know.”
“I’m not joking. Meet someone nice. Not people like me or Jeonghoo.”
“I’ll think about it. It’s cold, so go inside. Don’t catch a cold.”
“I’m healthier than you.”
“But you get really sick once in a while. Now that I can’t take care of you when you’re sick, I hope you don’t get ill.”
Like a mother looking after her child, he properly fixed Junghyun’s hood that had slipped off and tightened the strings. With his hands in his pockets, Junghyun responded petulantly like a disobedient child.
“Don’t worry. I have a partner now.”
“Yes. That’s a relief. You won’t have to suffer alone when you’re sick, and if you can’t get up, someone will wake you.”
“Unnecessary worry.”
“My family has always been worriers. So cut back on the alcohol a bit.”
Hearing the constant preaching about quitting alcohol lately, Junghyun obediently agreed this time.
“I said I will.”
“Go.”
After their final goodbye, Seojun turned and left first. Junghyun watched his retreating back, then pulled his hood tight and headed back to the restaurant he had just left. With his head ducked against the increasingly strong wind, he was approaching the entrance when suddenly his steps halted.
Jaehyuk was standing in front of the restaurant.
As if waiting for him.
“…Ex-boyfriend?”
Without any complicated words, that question alone made it clear that he had seen everything. Practical and efficient.
“You recognized him well?”
“I saw his photo.”
He remembered well a photo he had only seen once, briefly, at Junghyun’s house three weeks ago.
Yet he couldn’t remember Junghyun despite meeting him multiple times.
“…So you don’t have face blindness after all…”
Jaehyuk didn’t seem to hear Junghyun’s incredulous mutter and asked, “What?”
“…I said you recognized him well from just seeing his photo once.”
“I recognize people well. I just don’t remember people I’m not interested in.”
“Ah…”
Looking at it that way, it made sense. He might not remember someone he met multiple times if they weren’t worth his attention, but if he judged someone as a person he should remember, even from just a glance at a photo, he would remember them.
That’s exactly what Junghyun had been to him. A child not worth remembering, not worth the effort.
There was nothing to be upset about, but it still felt a bit hurtful.
“Oh, right. The lawyer hyung said to turn on your phone sound. He tried to contact you about the friends coming, but neither of you answered, so he was angry. And he said he tried to stop them. But they didn’t listen, so it’s not his fault, he wanted me to tell you.”
“I see… But why was that friend here?”
At the question of why he was here, Junghyun seemed a bit troubled as he chose his words.
“I think he came to relax.”
“Alone?”
“He came with his girlfriend… but I think she’ll join him later.”
“You two seemed quite affectionate for someone who just broke up with their ex on a trip with their current partner?”
“He’s affectionate with all of humanity by nature. Not just humans, but all living things and even inanimate objects. I don’t know if he’s kind or just stupid.”
“A kind person wouldn’t break up over jajangmyeon, would they? There’s etiquette even in breakups.”
Hearing the slightly thorny tone in his voice, Junghyun unconsciously began making excuses.
“The jajangmyeon part surprised me too… but he’s really a nice guy. He wanted to feed me until the end… Though I don’t understand why he still worries about me after breaking up.”
It was clearly an excuse.
Somehow feeling like he was pleading to Jaehyuk, Junghyun felt uncomfortable and kicked at the ground. Jaehyuk gave him a pointed look.
That gaze was somehow uncomfortable.
It seemed like he had a lot to say, so Junghyun quickly changed the subject.
“Why did you come out, hyung?”
“Because you didn’t come back in.”
“Let’s go in, then.”
Not wanting to be alone with him right now, Junghyun quickly opened the restaurant door and was met with a rush of warm air.
He hadn’t realized how cold it was outside, but now that he was inside the restaurant, he felt truly cold.
Come to think of it, he was actually feeling chilly, so he hurried back to their table and put his hands near the grill where they were cooking shrimp and scallops.
As Junghyun hunched his shoulders and rubbed his hands together, one of the people sitting across asked, “That was a long call. What did Junyoung say?”
“He said to be careful because the hyungs are coming?”
“Why?”
“He said Jaehyuk hyung wouldn’t like it. He claims he tried his best to stop them… I’m curious, how did you lose their trust so badly?”
“People who crash their friend’s honeymoon can’t be in their right minds.”
After speaking curtly as if he wouldn’t even acknowledge them after dinner, Jaehyuk immediately raised his hand to call over a staff member.
“Could we have a blanket, please?”
When the staff quickly brought a blanket at Jaehyuk’s request, he draped it over Junghyun’s shoulders.
“You came out wearing clothes that are too thin. Pack better starting tomorrow.”
“I didn’t bring any. I didn’t know it would be this cold.”
“Haven’t you done winter surfing often?”
“October is my limit. I’ve been busy, and I mostly surf indoors anyway.”
As Junghyun was wrapping the blanket around himself while talking with Jaehyuk, another friend suddenly cut in.
“Where do you surf indoors?”
“Ice Wave.”
“Is it good there?”
“It’s decent. They give strong waves when there aren’t many people.”
“Really? Should we switch to that place then? I want to go somewhere that gives stronger waves.”
“If you time it right on weekdays, sometimes you can get big barrels.”
“Oh, that sounds good. Let’s surf together sometime.”
“Sure, why not. The waves were pretty high today too, but I want to ride something stronger.”
Jaehyuk looked at Junghyun with confusion at this completely different answer from earlier when he had said he didn’t ride big waves. But Junghyun ignored his gaze and continued chatting amicably with Jaehyuk’s friends.
“I thought it was strange how quickly he rushed into marriage, but now I see why. You two are a good match. Junyoung said you went well together, and it’s true—both in looks and personality, you really suit each other. I like how straightforward you are. Want to have a drink after dinner to celebrate? At the hotel lounge. Oh, we’ll pay for the drinks.”
“No, I’m trying not to drink for a while.”
“For surfing?”
“Everyone’s been scolding me for drinking too much, so I’m trying to cut back.”
“Oh, you must drink a lot?”
“I’ve never been drunk. I probably drink as much as Jaehyuk hyung? Maybe?”
As Junghyun peeled and ate a shrimp while asking for agreement, Jaehyuk casually changed the direction of the conversation.
“If you’re done eating, let’s go.”
“Huh? Shrimp…”
After putting the peeled shrimp in his mouth, he noticed the grill was empty. They had already eaten everything.
“Still not enough.”
“Order room service. Let’s go.”
“Well, if you insist…”
After wiping his hands with a wet tissue, Junghyun got up from his seat, returned the blanket he had been wearing, pulled his hood back up, and left the restaurant.
The sky was now completely dark, with a soft moonlight flowing. The dark sea rippled gently.
As he stared blankly at the calm sea with lower waves than during the day, Jeonghoo, who hadn’t spoken a word since they met, followed right behind him and quietly spoke.
“Looks like you handled it well? Lucky you?”
“…”
“The way you quickly sent him away, it seems you didn’t want Jaehyuk to find out?”
His tone was clearly provocative, but unfortunately, Junghyun didn’t even feel angry now.
He was tired of dealing with him, and right now, he had neither the energy nor the composure to do so.
So as he ignored him without responding, Jeonghoo grabbed his arm impatiently.
“You think you have the whole world now, don’t you?”
Junghyun clicked his tongue in annoyance at Jeonghoo’s reaction, which revealed his unfiltered inferiority complex.
“I don’t need any of it, so you can have it all. I’m not in the mood to fight with you today, so get lost. Don’t get beaten up in front of your friends like last time.”
“Go ahead. It won’t just be me who gets humiliated; you will too.”
“Why should I care? I can just never see you again.”
“What about Jaehyuk?”
Junghyun’s shoulders stiffened slightly at the sudden mention of that name.
He couldn’t readily answer that. Just a few days ago, he would have said divorce would be the end of it, but that wasn’t possible now.
No, they would get divorced, but their relationship had become complicated in many ways.
It seemed like he had developed the emotion he despised the most.
In just those few days.
“Chihuahua.”
As they were talking, Jaehyuk, who had finished paying, came out and called for Junghyun, who silently approached him.
“Just Chihuahua now?”
“Chihuahua suits you perfectly. Everyone, have fun on your own and go back on your own. Let’s go.”
With his still dismissive attitude, Jaehyuk put his arm around Junghyun’s shoulders and turned away. Junghyun, in turn, wrapped his arm around Jaehyuk’s waist and nestled into his embrace, as if to show off.
He could feel Jeonghoo’s shocked gaze from behind, but he didn’t look back.
Those emotions were something Jeonghoo had to deal with on his own.
Whether he spit them out or swallowed them.
It was no longer Junghyun’s concern.
So he decided not to care anymore. Or rather, he had no room to care.
All of his attention was now directed toward one person.
It was a quiet, cold night, but somehow it felt like it would be difficult to fall asleep easily.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
