#40
“What flavor do you like, Sanho? Salt? Caramel?”
“Salt. But why popcorn?”
“It’s a screening. Other people’s failed love stories are always the most entertaining.”
Even when he seems kind and gentle, at times like this he really seems… peculiar.
The warm popcorn that had just been popped smelled savory. As I took it while occupying one side of the sofa, Han Jiwon naturally settled down next to me.
“How was your date?”
“Good. It was fun. How was yours, hyung?”
Han Jiwon smiled brightly.
“It was educational.”
“Who uses that kind of expression for a date……”
“But it really was.”
An Lei, sitting across from us, was chatting quietly with Kim Sehyeong. When I wondered what they were talking about, it was about the national art exhibition they had visited today.
‘So that’s why he said it was educational.’
A few minutes before exactly 10 o’clock, Bae Taeseong, who had just arrived at the dormitory, also came up to the second floor. He was with production staff who occasionally adjusted the dormitory cameras or handled face-to-face guidance.
“If everyone’s seated, we’ll play the video for you.”
After struggling with the beam projector for a while, a video soon appeared in the darkened living room.
[Q. When did you first fall in love?]
Choi Eungi: ……I missed them even when they weren’t in front of me. I think I acknowledged it then.
[Q. How did you end up breaking up?]
Hwang Yeonwoo: I didn’t know we’d break up. We fought too often. I said let’s break up a lot, and each time hyung would tell me to cool my head and cut off the conversation.
But one day when I said let’s break up, he said okay. That was our last time.
[Q. What do you think it would be like to meet your X again?]
Kim Sehyeong: I don’t really know. I thought I’d forgotten everything…… but after deciding to appear, they started appearing in my dreams. I wondered if it would be okay when there are unresolved knots left between us. I think I’ll have to meet them to know.
Familiar faces of the dormitory members being interviewed passed by one by one, and soon the first couple was revealed.
As everyone expected, the first people revealed were Lee Chan and me. I heard that the X reveal screening, which was scheduled for next week, had been hastily moved up…….
‘It must be because of me.’
I wondered how it would come out on the broadcast later. I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Not only Bae Taeseong and Han Jiwon, who already knew, but also Hwang Yeonwoo and Kim Sehyeong were calm. They said it was already obvious from my expression. However, they looked somewhat surprised that we had dated for over 10 years.
“They say even mountains and rivers change in 10 years……”
“It’s really weird when the dormitory’s youngest uses expressions like that, Yeonwoo.”
Choi Eungi, who was sitting next to Hwang Yeonwoo, asked.
“How long has it been since you broke up?”
It was asked to Lee Chan, but when he shrugged his shoulders, I answered.
When I answered that it had been about half a year, An Lei tilted his head. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, and also seemed to be suspicious of something.
After that, Han Jiwon and Bae Taeseong’s interviews followed side by side, and when it was revealed that the two had been lovers for about 7 years, An Lei jumped up.
“Like this… it was you two?”
He looked back and forth between Han Jiwon and Hwang Yeonwoo.
“I thought it was these two!”
“Ta-da. It wasn’t.”
“Then is it like this?!”
An Lei’s finger pointed at Hwang Yeonwoo and Choi Eungi simultaneously.
Then Kim Sehyeong, who had been quietly eating caramel popcorn, smoothly turned the finger pointing at Choi Eungi to point at himself.
“It’s me.”
[Hwang Yeonwoo (23) ♡ Kim Sehyeong (25) / 2 years 6 months dating]
[Q. It’s not common for people of the same trait to meet, so how did it happen?]
Hwang Yeonwoo: I manifested first, and about a year later, hyung manifested as an Omega. I thought there was absolutely no need to break up because of traits. We were a Beta and Omega couple even before we met anyway.
Kim Sehyeong: The reason we broke up has nothing to do with traits either. (When asked what the cause of the breakup was) ……I was wrong. I unilaterally announced the breakup and then cut off contact. I didn’t have the capacity to care about anything more. It’s probably an excuse. So if we meet again…… I thought I’d have to face what I turned away from then.
Hwang Yeonwoo’s expression changed as he had been playfully hitting shoulders with Bae Taeseong. He looked at Kim Sehyeong on the screen with a subtle expression for a long time, then slightly lowered his head.
It seemed like he wanted to manage his expression but couldn’t control it. A strange sadness appeared and scattered on his face that still retained some boyish features, the pain of a breakup that had been handled so much its edges had become blunt.
“Hmm. Then the remaining people are……”
Han Jiwon looked back and forth between Choi Eungi and An Lei.
“Like this?”
Kim Sehyeong, who had been glancing at Hwang Yeonwoo’s mood, smiled awkwardly.
“I think this side is the most unexpected. Since we met like this, we expected there would be an Alpha couple, and when we became roommates, I noticed from Taeseong hyung’s expression……”
Then Choi Eungi smiled faintly.
“Let’s continue watching. The screening isn’t over.”
And a little later, after a few photos from when Kim Sehyeong and Hwang Yeonwoo were together passed by.
[??? (22) ♡ Choi Eungi (28) / 1 year 1 month dating]
“Huh?”
Hwang Yeonwoo and Kim Sehyeong both jumped up simultaneously.
“What?”
“What?”
Choi Eungi’s solo interview continued, and the photos were also close-ups showing only Choi Eungi’s face.
And a little later, the screen briefly darkened with a crackling effect.
[Hello!]
When a cheerful voice was heard, everyone was startled and stood up. I was no exception.
Among them, the person who wasn’t surprised was…….
“Taeseong, why aren’t you surprised?”
Bae Taeseong shrugged.
“I saw it earlier.”
[I’m Jeon Yudam, twenty-two years old. I’ve been waiting to join midway as Choi Eungi-ssi’s X. I’m also the person who did anonymous interviews with the Alpha group yesterday!]
A bright, clear smile spread across a face that looked boyish with everything round – face, eyes, small nose, and lips.
[I want to live with you all too. It’s late today, so I’ll visit early tomorrow morning. You’ll welcome me, right? You’ll get along well with me too, right? I’m so excited!]
The pleasant commotion was transmitted from beyond the screen to here. It was a vitality that seemed to brighten people just by watching.
I had been curious about who Choi Eungi had met, but it was really an unexpected combination I never thought of. At such an unexpected appearance, people busily looked back and forth between the screen and Choi Eungi’s face.
“……”
Even though it was just showing a one-sidedly recorded scene, Choi Eungi was wearing a faint smile. As if he was looking forward to tomorrow more than any of us.
“Wow.”
After Choi Eungi’s X reveal, before the commotion had completely died down, the next video continued.
[An Lei (26) ♡ ??? (25) / 6 months dating]
“That seems like the shortest relationship ever.”
“Oh, right.”
An Lei smiled slightly.
“We didn’t really match well. But he’s really a good person. So I thought it would be okay to come out together.”
As with Choi Eungi’s case, interviews and materials were shown focusing only on An Lei.
The background of a photo taken with the two sitting side by side looked strangely familiar, so I looked at the screen with a slightly furrowed brow.
“What’s wrong, Sanho?”
“No, the background looks familiar…… What is it? Where is it?”
An Lei answered.
“It’s the lobby of a hotel nearby. There’s a cafe on the first floor.”
“Ah.”
It was the place where Jin Woohyeon had stayed, where I had been.
Well, I heard it was the best hotel in this area. An Lei was also a fairly well-known fashion model, and from his appearance, he seemed wealthy.
Just as I thought An Lei’s X’s face would be shown now.
[Hello.]
While nothing was visible, a modulated voice flowed out and echoed through the second-floor living room.
[I guess there’s about a week left until we meet. I’m very much looking forward to it in many ways.]
The voice in the lowered audio quality, exactly like a voice through a radio, was strangely familiar.
‘What is it?’
I frowned, but couldn’t clearly identify the reason for that sense of unease.
And the next morning.
“Hello!”
Choi Eungi’s X, Jeon Yudam, appeared at the dormitory.
“You came, Yudam.”
“You’ve arrived.”
“Oh. It’s the person who was on screen. He’s even cuter in person. Was it Jeon Yudam-ssi?”
“Yes yes. Catfish entrance!”
At that voice jumping up and shouting, I had no choice but to shake Han Jiwon next to me and ask.
“……What’s a catfish?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
