#78
“Hmm…”
Jin Woohyeon, who had been carefully mulling over Lee Chan’s words, made a contemplative sound. His attitude was quite serious. Unable to overcome my anxious heart, sweat slickly seeped into my tightly clenched fist.
“That’s not wrong.”
Jin Woohyeon calmly agreed.
“I admit it. I started easily. If you ask whether it stemmed from shallow emotions, yes. I can’t say it didn’t.”
“…”
“That competitive spirit you mentioned? I have it. I like it because it’s a mountain I haven’t climbed yet… Well, I’m not sure about that. But I would think it’d be better if I climbed that mountain instead of hyung.”
Lee Chan laughed shortly as if he had expected this. He also looked at me with a “see, I told you so” gaze.
I opened my clenched hand and blinked. My stomach no longer stung, but that didn’t mean it was okay. The cold sensation uncomfortably pooling around my solar plexus surprisingly resembled disappointment.
“Ten years as lovers, and ten years as friends, you said. Breaking up wouldn’t have been easy either, but becoming strangers would be even harder.”
His voice sounded not just calm but almost emotionless. That made me feel even stranger.
I had never mistaken Jin Woohyeon’s feelings for me as desperate love. I had never wanted him to like me so seriously, heavily, tremendously either.
But wasn’t acting like that ultimately the same as agreeing with Lee Chan’s casually thrown words about momentary curiosity and competitive spirit?
But before I could feel dejected, I made eye contact with Jin Woohyeon. His sharply hardened eyes softened gently as if nothing had happened. It was such a brief change that I wondered if I had seen it wrong.
“So you treat him so carelessly because he’s someone who won’t become a stranger even after breaking up?”
“…”
“The units of time are different, and you know each other so obviously well. But why do you treat him worse than someone who approaches with fickle, shallow feelings?”
He tilted his head and asked in a small voice.
“Your words are serious but your attitude isn’t at all, so it’s strange. Do you enjoy humiliating someone who tears up every time saying they like you?”
“Hey.”
“I understand keeping distance because you’re not getting back together. But the method is too shabby. It’s not like you’re toying with someone…”
Jin Woohyeon, who had been trailing off, soon asked mockingly.
“Ah, is this perhaps some kind of preview that I didn’t know about?”
Flustered, I stared intently at Jin Woohyeon’s face. He was silently moving his mouth, forming some word. Rounded, then slightly elongated horizontally, then rounded again.
Shopping mall.
The fact that Lee Chan and An Lei were already dating, and that they came on pretending not to know for the sake of promoting their shopping mall…
‘You knew too?’
While I had Gam Seonghan to tell me the news, how did Jin Woohyeon, who had only met briefly and barely stayed in contact, know? I wondered if An Lei had told him directly, then thought that couldn’t be it.
I looked at Lee Chan with anxious eyes. He too seemed to have understood what Jin Woohyeon had subtly said, his complexion turning slightly pale. Only Hwang Yeonwoo, who hadn’t caught the muted signal, was squinting his eyes.
“There should be courtesy even in breaking up. Hearts don’t grow calluses from being trampled on, so why do you live hurting others like that? How much do you plan to get back later?”
If I endure it, it’ll get better. But the fact that it still hurts is probably just because I’m slow and lacking in everything. It felt like he was answering what I had been secretly thinking.
That it’s not like that. That’s just a delusion. There’s no such thing as wounds that heal if you just endure them.
Those words that stabbed Lee Chan sharply with their harsh truth were, strangely, a peculiar comfort to me.
So… the fact that I hadn’t gotten better all this time, that I had been healing very slowly, didn’t seem to be entirely my fault. It felt like something that had to happen.
“And then who’s criticizing whom? Let’s not date like children. Okay?”
“What?”
Lee Chan, who had been suppressing his rising irritation, asked back.
“What did you just say?”
Realizing the situation was flowing ominously, I shook my head and shook off Hwang Yeonwoo’s hand.
This can’t go any further. I need to intervene soon. Because…
“Did you just call me a little kid?”
What Jin Woohyeon had just touched was Lee Chan’s reverse scale.
Because of memories from childhood when he was often treated coldly as a child who wouldn’t help his career, Lee Chan hated being treated like a kid.
“That’s not wrong either. Why?”
“This bastard, fuck. I’ve been watching and watching.”
“Whoa, whoa. Lee Chan hyung. Why are you so angry? Woohyeon hyung didn’t speak nicely, that’s true, but did he really speak that badly?”
Hwang Yeonwoo, who had noticed the seriousness, also began looking for timing to mediate. But the two, who had already become uninhibited about showing hostility, barely listened to Hwang Yeonwoo’s words.
“If he’s taking it that badly over there, is there a need to hold back? Yes. You’re like a little kid. There’s a limit to how much you can act up when things don’t go your way.”
“Woohyeon hyung, stop it now too. Other people should be coming back soon.”
The coldly cooled atmosphere suddenly boiled up. Lee Chan bared his teeth and approached Jin Woohyeon closely. This time, he really had a menacing energy as if he would actually hit him.
“You talk like such a fucking asshole? Mr. Actor Jin?”
“I don’t usually act like this. But I thought I should act similarly for you to really feel it. Isn’t that right, CEO?”
“This bastard, really.”
“Stop!”
Since I could hear murmuring sounds quietly, it seemed like the group was really coming.
I couldn’t delay any longer. I squeezed my eyes shut and reached out my arms. I hugged the one standing tall like a barrier.
“Woohyeon.”
“…”
“Stop it now. Okay?”
Worried that he might push me away and even get into a physical fight with Lee Chan, I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and even clasped my hands together firmly.
“…Hyuuung.”
Jin Woohyeon, who looked back at me, drew out his words in a slightly softened voice. It was such a gentle tone that it was impossible to believe this was the same person who had been sneering just moments ago.
“Why are you stopping me?”
“Because you…”
I pressed my forehead firmly against his back and answered.
“Because I don’t like you getting upset.”
I don’t like your heart, your time being gnawed away by bad things. And when you think of me later, I’m afraid those bad memories will naturally follow.
And I’m afraid that, tired from all that, you might like me even a little bit less.
“Don’t get angry because of me.”
Ah, it’s fortunate that I’m hugging him from behind. Being able to not show my expression to anyone was truly fortunate.
“You always make me smile, but if you get angry because of me, I won’t have the face to look at you.”
“Sanho hyung.”
“…I want to look good to you.”
Just then, the group approached very close. Jeon Yudam slipped in and spoke to Lee Chan.
“Hyung, you were here? Lei hyung was looking for you.”
Only after Lee Chan moved away did the taut tension ease a little. Jin Woohyeon, who had taken a deep breath and slowly exhaled it in parts, called me in a quiet voice.
“Hyung.”
His palm overlapped onto the back of my hand, which was trembling with more than just strength.
“Sanho hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“I won’t get angry. Sorry.”
“Yeah…”
“It’s just, I knew he was being unreasonably spiteful but I couldn’t just let it pass. Will you forgive me just this once?”
“…Yeah.”
When I nodded while still burying my head against his back, Jin Woohyeon burst into laughter. Ticklish vibrations were transmitted to my forehead and nose tip.
“Are you going to keep hugging me like this?”
“…”
“You’re not saying ‘yeah’ to this one.”
“Stop teasing…”
I quietly let him go and checked his expression. Since he grinned as soon as our eyes met, it seemed like his anger had dissipated from what was just a brief quarrel.
I don’t hope for Lee Chan and Jin Woohyeon to have a good relationship. Getting along well with everyone – even kindergarten children couldn’t achieve such peace.
I just didn’t want Jin Woohyeon to be left with a hateful or mean image to anyone because of quarrels with him. Since he’s an actor and not some other profession, I especially hoped he’d be seen as a good person by even one more person.
‘Fortunately, he seems to have the personality to handle such situations well.’
When it was time to move, people moved to the bus one by one. Jin Woohyeon also extended his hand to me, saying let’s take that missed walk later.
I placed my hand on his and whispered small enough for only him to hear.
“Thank you.”
“For taking my side, and for bringing me water.”
A slightly puzzled gaze flew over as if he hadn’t expected me to say that. I smiled awkwardly and added.
“You stood up for me thinking of me. I don’t like when things happen that would hurt your feelings, but that still made me a bit happy.”
“…”
“Is that too contradictory?”
“No. That doesn’t matter.”
Jin Woohyeon pulled our clasped hands and smiled like a boy.
“Then give me a reward, hyung.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
