#64
Tick. Tick. Tick.
A rhythmic sound came from the pocket watch in his hand. The man quietly listening to its whisper gently stroked the scratches on the watch’s surface with his large hand.
Bae Taeseong’s expressionless face filled the screen for a moment.
[Q. You often look at your pocket watch – does it have any special meaning?]
Bae Taeseong: I received it as a gift. (Was it a birthday gift?) No. It’s a bit ambiguous to call it commemorative… It was a farewell gift. I was twenty-two, around this time of year. He gave it to me when he said we should break up.
Rather than carrying it around because I remember its meaning, I just keep touching it so much that I’ve gotten used to carrying it around.
[Q. You gave Bae Taeseong-ssi a unique gift. Was there a reason for giving a farewell gift?]
Han Jiwon: Ah, the watch? We had broken up once in the middle. That was the gift I gave then. Rather than breaking up… well, it meant we should take some time.
Back then, both Taeseong and I were in a very sharp period, so we really fought often.
[Q. Since you two usually bicker frequently, I thought you’d be used to fighting.]
Han Jiwon: Ahaha. I can’t deny that. But it was different then. We lacked know-how… I was young too. I was anxious and immature.
At some point I started thinking, why am I fighting with this guy? Because I wanted to express my hurt feelings? Because I wanted comfort? Because I wanted the other person to listen to what I wanted? I’m sure I started fighting because I wanted those things, but as we clashed, at some point my purpose changed to hurting the other person. I wanted you to be as upset as I was hurt, I wanted you to be more wounded than I felt wronged.
But I didn’t like seeing Taeseung getting worn down like that. I wanted to find stability in my own way. Just being together all the time wasn’t the answer. At least I thought that was the case for our relationship.
(Do you know that Taeseong-ssi still carries it around?) I know, I’ve kept seeing him use it since we got back together. He often fidgets with it and looks at it when he’s troubled.
Like how I wanted to take time, when he thinks time is needed. That’s when Taeseong seems to look at that watch a lot. Taeseong probably doesn’t realize it.
After staring silently at the watch for a long time, Bae Taeseong let out a deep sigh and snapped the cover shut. With a small click sound, the ceaselessly moving watch hands disappeared beneath the cover.
The pocket watch that slipped from his grasp fell downward but stopped abruptly in mid-air. The watch chain wound around his wrist became taut, and the round watch swayed back and forth in the air like a pendulum.
A clear face appeared beyond the watch. It was Han Jiwon, who had just come up the stairs.
“You’re not sleeping.”
“…”
“Why are you staying up so late? It’s almost midnight.”
“I know.”
Bae Taeseong answered in a slightly hoarse voice.
“I saw the watch.”
“You’re going to work out tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
“Your shoulder.”
“It’s fine.”
Han Jiwon shrugged his shoulders. His attitude showed he didn’t believe it at all.
“Let me take a look?”
“What are you going to look at when you’ve been out all day? I’ll get treatment tomorrow, so mind your own business.”
“…I know. I got a call from Jung sunbae. He said you have an intensive treatment appointment.”
“Then that’s settled.”
Bae Taeseong, who had been leaning against the stair railing, straightened up.
“I’m going in. You should sleep too.”
Han Jiwon, who had been watching his retreating figure, asked.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Then who else would I be waiting for?”
“…It might not be.”
Bae Taeseong glanced back.
“Do I need to distinguish?”
“Shouldn’t you sometimes?”
“This emotion is what kind, that emotion belongs to whom, how it changes and to what extent – distinguishing each one.”
“…”
“You’re good at that, but I’m not. I hate wasting time on things I’m neither good at nor find interesting.”
His blunt voice continued.
“What I need is certainty, not clarification. It’s always been that way.”
“What’s important to me…”
“Just wasn’t that. That’s probably why we fought so damn much whenever we had the chance. But, Han Jiwon.”
Bae Taeseong said to Han Jiwon, who had hesitated.
“You always want to shake me to get certainty, but there are moments when you just have to believe.”
“That doesn’t really answer what I asked, Taeseong.”
“Think whatever you want.”
* * *
“What do you think?”
Juyeon, who had been concentrating on the screen, answered Han Dajeong’s question a beat late.
“About certainty and clarification?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm… I don’t think either was wrong or right. Both people have their own positions. But if I had to choose one, I empathize a bit more with Taeseong-ssi’s position.”
Mariella chimed in.
“Me too. Actually, if you keep watching, Jiwon-ssi wants to distinguish and recognize emotions precisely. He wants not only himself but others to do the same. It’s probably delicate and accurate?”
“But in life, there are moments when you can’t analyze everything one by one.”
“There’s no need to either. Not every problem in the world comes with a proof box.”
“But you could be curious, right?”
Ari, who had just finished her drink and was switching hers with Kim Yeseok’s, asked.
“The situation is what it is. I think Jiwon-ssi is doing that more on purpose to either sort out his relationship with his ex or reconnect with him.”
“Hmm… this also makes sense. That clarification is more important in special situations.”
Kim Yeseok nodded.
“I think Taeseong-ssi still has some feelings left for Jiwon-ssi. But at the same time, he’s showing interest in Sanho-ssi.”
“That’s right. In that situation, Jiwon-ssi and Sanho-ssi went on a date, and if Taeseong-ssi, who would normally sleep early, stayed up waiting on the 3rd floor… from Jiwon-ssi’s perspective, he might be curious whether he was really waiting for Jiwon-ssi.”
“And finding that out more delicately would be important for their relationship.”
“Mmm.”
Mariella smiled softly, her eyes curving gently.
“It’s not something that only becomes clear through asking and answering. Sometimes there are things you can only see by believing.”
After the panelists’ heated discussion, the next morning.
The participants had time to confirm each other’s feelings again through heartfelt messages.
– Lee Chan
✉(1) [I think it’s good that we match well even in small preferences. I hope I can have more new experiences with hyung.]
[Your ex did not choose you.]
– Jin Woohyeon
✉(1) [Let’s definitely go out together next time.]
[Your ex did not choose you.]
– Yoo Sanho
✉(1) [I can protect you from harm to things other than teeth too. haha But it’s a relief that we had fun, right?]
✉(2) [A day without hyung was too long.]
[Your ex did not choose you.]
– Han Jiwon
✉(1) [3rd floor.]
[Your ex chose you.]
[Jin Woohyeon is really no-holds-barred and so good]
└ Really ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ If you go into Jin Woohyeon’s four-way romance gif bot account, it’s all just like romance movie stills ㅠㅠㅋㅋ
└ Mainly where he’s looking and very melodramatic eyes
└└ ㅋㅋ
[I really think the guy who would sit down on the floor just to see Sanho’s face looking down is crazy(+)]
└ He came to flirt as naturally as breathing
└ (Photo) (Photo) (Photo) It’s not that he doesn’t have chemistry with other omegas, but every time you can feel that Jin Woohyeon doesn’t give any room from his side, I get “good feelings”
└└ For real, good feelings, younger top guy, please, I’m all-in on this stock
[I was always frustrated and sick of seeing Lee Chan get “your ex chose you woong waeng” in the message results, but these days’ four-way romance is very refreshing and good]
└ Right, our Sanho who always sent long, earnest messages to his ex and got sad… Now he doesn’t even get sad about not getting messages from his ex and shows such mature and strong behavior ㅠ Sanho, auntie is here ㅠ Let’s only walk on flower paths from now on, please
└└ Right! Choose anyone!!!!! You’re popular! Jin Woohyeon, Bae Taeseong, Han Jiwon, Choi Eungi are all decent guys…! Except Lee Chan, close your eyes and pick anyone!
[Woohyeon and Sanho making eye contact while preparing for morning (Video)]
└ Sweet
└ So sweet that all my teeth fell out hehehe
└ Category: Romance
└ Are you two dating?!!!!!
[When told to send heartfelt messages, Jin Woohyeon sends at light speed and sits across from Yoo Sanho giving hints ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
└ Really holding a ritual asking him to text, holding a ritual
[Person giving hints 2: Jeon Yudam]
└ ㅋㅋ Choi Eungi was going to send to Jeon Yudam from the beginning so he doesn’t even avoid eye contact
└ Does anyone know why Eungi and Yudam broke up ㅠ_ㅠ))) Even in interviews, the story doesn’t unfold enough to drive me crazy… They seem to be doing well, then suddenly they’re awkward again, they seem to still have feelings left, then they don’t seem to want to get back together… What is it… I’m curious, going crazy
[Real talk: 3rd floor]
[Hey CRAZY, he just sends “3rd floor” like that, Bae Taeseong you bastard ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Wow, really short, thick, and strong]
[Pouring oil on the slightly loose Taeseong-Jiwon-Taeseong stock and lighting it up, real top alpha]
[Han Jiwon was so surprised when he got the message that he jumped up ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[Am I the only one who doesn’t understand why “3rd floor”? Looking for someone to explain this….]
└ (20:38) Here Jiwon asked who he was waiting for… But Taeseong asked if he needed to distinguish, and Jiwon asked him to distinguish ↓ continuing
└ I think Jiwon actually wasn’t certain… Taeseong showed interest in Sanho after entering here, and in interviews they said the person closest to Taeseong’s ideal type was Sanho ↓
└ Before, when Woohyeon designated Sanho as his catfish benefit date partner, Taeseong waited in the 1st floor living room until late at night. So Jiwon thought this waiting was also a choice continuing from those emotions ↓
└ Bae Taeseong’s answer that he didn’t give right away came back through the choice of heartfelt message, and through the answer “3rd floor” ↓
└ The expression “3rd floor” is really a compactly shortened phrase. The 3rd floor dorm is the alphas’ rooms ㅇㅇ I think it means Han Jiwon, I waited for you… If he was waiting for Sanho, and if he was waiting for both Sanho and Jiwon, he would have waited on the 1st floor.
[I really think Bae Taeseong’s inner thoughts are the most~~~~~~~~ difficult]
└ 2222 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ But he seems not to know his own feelings either ㅠ Ex whose heart hasn’t completely fallen vs current favorite ideal type but it’s obvious he’s being swayed by the catfish’s infinite dashing from the side
└└ Ugh really, I don’t know how they planned this crazy show or how all these people gathered ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅠ It’s really absurd but I’m curious how far it’ll go so I keep watching
[Guys, DBS YouTube preview clip (Video)]
└ ?
└ ?? Huh
└ ?????
└ Eh?
The thumbnail of a video that was enthusiastically circulating on SNS showed An Lei and Yoo Sanho sitting side by side on a bench.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
the chapters really fly by when you’re having fun TT Can’t wait for the yudamxeungi lore to drop!!
I get a feeling Yudam didn’t leave because he wanted to (obviously) perhaps outside pressure? ahhh this is too much for my poor heart 💜💜💜