#103
“Strange.”
There was no other word to explain it.
The other person was Yoo Sanho. Having known him his whole life, he was so easy and predictable that Lee Chan could figure him out even with his eyes closed. Being always consistent and equally transparent was one of Yoo Sanho’s strengths.
When had such a Yoo Sanho changed? Lee Chan suddenly became curious about the trigger for that change. When he received the offer to appear on Transfer Love? When he revealed his resolve to enter as friends and leave as strangers? When he made an expression Lee Chan had never seen before, saying he was acquainted with someone he didn’t know? Or if not that, when he first showed his back without greeting after leaving the villa?
Whatever the answer was, one thing was certain. Because Yoo Sanho’s change had already taken place, the orbit that had surrounded him was greatly disturbed.
Questions began to raise their heads one by one.
How would you think about this situation? Would you rejoice and cheer, saying it serves me right? Or would you pace around anxiously, or would you let even this matter flow by with that unfamiliar and calm expressionless face like when he last saw him?
Was the number 1 that wouldn’t disappear next to the message your resolve, your choice, or your result?
“So why did you do that?”
An Lei, who spoke in a sulky voice, shook his head at the bartender who approached them.
“Um, no. We don’t need the menu. We’re about to leave.”
“……”
“Did you try contacting Sanho?”
A complicated expression appeared on Lee Chan’s face and then disappeared. An Lei, who caught a glimpse of that, let out a shallow sigh.
“Don’t say you didn’t know things would turn out like this. You should have at least explained properly to Sanho.”
“What would I explain?”
Lee Chan replied with a hollow laugh.
“I broke up with you and met a nice guy, and he’s my business partner. Please go along with us for promotional purposes. Should I have given an explanation like that?”
He didn’t feel the need to tell him. Did he really need to know every truth in the world?
“Did you tell Jin Woohyeon? No, you didn’t.”
“He’s not the type to care about such things. Even if I had told him, he wouldn’t have been interested. We weren’t in a relationship long enough to tell him every little detail anyway. We chose each other as people worth promoting without caring about private matters.”
“But Sanho isn’t like that,” he added, and his words had a sharp edge.
“A 10-year relationship? And you broke up not long ago? Honestly, it’s Sanho’s fault for bringing someone you knew still had lingering feelings. Isn’t that right?”
“Then what was I supposed to do?”
Lee Chan said as if venting his anger while fiddling with his phone.
“Who chose the program, you or me? Who could have imagined in their wildest dreams that appearing on a show would require bringing your ex-lover? You might have been able to pick and choose because you’ve dated many people, but I only had Yoo Sanho.”
“……”
“Are you upset that you didn’t know beforehand? What should I have said to you? Actually, I had a boyfriend I dated for 10 years before you? Isn’t it more pathetic to talk about ex-lovers to someone you’re getting along well with?”
“Chan.”
“Forget it. Do I have to fight with you too at this point? If Yoo Sanho replies, something will work out. What the hell is he doing that he hasn’t looked at people’s messages for days?”
“……You contacted him a few days ago too? But he didn’t reply?”
“Yeah. According to Gam, the restaurant where he works was supposed to open right after filming ended. He’s probably busy with that.”
An Lei looked at Lee Chan with a subtle expression and said, “It’s probably not that he didn’t contact you because he’s busy. He might have blocked you.”
“What……”
“You did it before. Can’t Sanho do the same?”
Standing up, he added in a voice that seemed somewhat hurt, “The fact that things didn’t go well with Sanho, and the employee issue too. Aren’t you handling things too poorly compared to your ambition to open a brand? And when problems arise, you call me over and what you came up with to solve it……”
“Hey, An Lei.”
“What you said, fine. Let’s do that. When we release the second statement, we agreed to call me a collaborating model instead of co-representative. I’ll go along with it.”
An Lei’s voice was coldly frozen due to wounded pride.
“Honestly, my pride is hurt becoming someone who was called ‘representative’ for being treated well despite being just a model. Still, we need to open the brand anyway, so I’m helping. And Chan……”
An Lei, who had been quietly mulling over the conversation, slightly frowned.
“No matter how upset you are, you should choose your words more carefully. Wasn’t there anyone around you to tell you such things?”
“……”
“I’m leaving.”
Lee Chan half-listened to An Lei’s sharp words while looking at his phone screen.
Next to the string of messages, the number 1 that still wouldn’t disappear was attached. And at the very bottom, a new message had been added.
Messages
Yoo Sanho. Did you block me? [1]
* * *
Lee Chan’s love was easy.
Love was being by his side without particularly trying. It was even more so because that’s what Yoo Sanho had given him.
So sometimes it became boring. Yoo Sanho was timid and quiet, and his heart always just pooled in the same place in a constant form.
When old love felt lukewarm, Lee Chan would leave to find new stimulation. He wanted moments that caught his interest and thrillingly heated all his nerves.
But eventually, he would always get tired. The things he chose were usually temporary, and after the hot boiling cooled down, only empty coldness always remained in that place.
At such times, Lee Chan would invariably return to Yoo Sanho. To the side of that pitiful and lukewarm heart who only knew him and chose to settle in that place for life.
Such was Lee Chan’s world that began to change. It was because Yoo Sanho had changed. Those feelings that couldn’t boil greatly but never cruelly cooled had thrown off the heavy time of 10 years and risen up.
He had to admit it. The one who had settled wasn’t Yoo Sanho but Lee Chan. That his love at least wouldn’t change, that something like being deprived of this benefit wouldn’t happen. The days when he had relaxed believing that had been far too long.
Would it be okay without Yoo Sanho? Lee Chan still couldn’t give any answer to that question.
“……”
The day was muggy. Lee Chan, who frowned at the unpleasantly sticky humidity, tapped the floor with his shoe heel. That slow but regular sound rang at exactly the same intervals as the call connection tone.
How long had it been since he waited for someone to answer the phone? He realized anew how he had lived without wanting for anything.
Just when he thought it might hang up soon, the dial tone scattered.
“What is it?”
A voice mixed with sleepiness and irritation settled in his ear.
“What’s with the sudden call at this hour?”
“I have something I’m curious about.”
Gam Seonghan, who yawned languidly, replied bluntly.
“Just state your business briefly. This is my brother’s house, so I can’t be noisy.”
“Yoo Sanho won’t answer the phone.”
He brought up the main point as hoped.
“He won’t reply to my texts either.”
“So what?”
Gam Seonghan groaned and replied.
“Don’t you honestly ignore my texts too? What’s so important about not contacting someone that you’re calling at 2 AM?”
“Sanho isn’t like that.”
Lee Chan said stubbornly.
“He’s never done that to me even once.”
Thinking about it, it really was true. Yoo Sanho had never turned away from Lee Chan’s words. No, he had always spoken first. When he missed him, he showed it, but he had never made Lee Chan miss him.
“So what the hell do you want me to do…? Are you two getting back together?”
“No.”
“Are you going to get back together? You have a girlfriend. Some shopping mall or whatever, there was a fuss about that.”
“That’s not it either.”
“Then that’s settled.”
Gam Seonghan said without hiding his curt manner.
“Stop caring about Yoo Sanho. As you said, you’re not lovers and won’t become lovers, so why are you sending texts?”
“Just because we’re not dating doesn’t mean that’s everything? The time he and I were friends……”
“Friends?”
Strength entered Gam Seonghan’s voice, which had been a bit drawn out from fatigue.
“Friends? Oh my, talking about friends. Did all the friends in the world die?”
“……”
“Yoo Sanho, that crazy bastard finally grew up and decided not to associate with you.”
It was an attitude as if Yoo Sanho clinging to him had been some terrible deed of the century.
“If you’re going to ruin yourself, do it alone. Don’t bother that kid who’s already sick and groaning for days.”
Suddenly, he had such a conviction. Lee Chan, who narrowed his eyes, asked, “Did you tell Sanho about me preparing the shopping mall with Lei?”
Gam Seonghan and Lee Chan weren’t particularly close. Even though they had spent a long time together. They had just spent time together habitually because Yoo Sanho was in between them. It became even more so when Gam Seonghan started acting distant toward Lee Chan at some point.
Gam Seonghan, who usually wasn’t very curious about what Lee Chan was doing, had once called him out to have a drink and asked about his recent situation.
“Then do you think I really asked what you were doing out of curiosity? What’s so pretty about you, bastard? Since Yoo Sanho came to his senses, I’m quitting too. Friends and all that bullshit, go to hell.”
“……Huh.”
“Let me give you one piece of advice while we’re cutting ties.”
After a brief silence, Gam Seonghan said as if driving in a nail.
“Whatever happens to you, don’t feel wronged. It’s all what you get back for living that way.”
“……”
“Don’t live like that.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
