Chapter 82
I felt guilty about just leaving, knowing she had come all this way because of me.
However, all my attention was focused on Ryu Jeong-ha, who had left the bar. Though he said he was going to the bathroom, I knew that if I let him go now, he wouldn’t return.
In this situation, I couldn’t think of anything proper to say to Seo Yu-jung.
“I’ve got to go, sorry.”
I muttered just loud enough for Seo Yu-jung to hear, then immediately left my seat.
Fortunately, I was able to catch up with Ryu Jeong-ha in front of the building.
“Are you leaving?”
Ryu Jeong-ha turned around at my call, hesitated, then nodded.
“Ah, yes.”
An uncomfortable expression… and eyes without any expectation.
That look in Ryu Jeong-ha’s eyes wounded something inside me.
He wasn’t pushing me away or getting angry. But I disliked even more the face that showed no trust in me.
Why am I feeling this way? Ryu Jeong-ha hasn’t even said anything yet.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“…Why you?”
“I was about to leave too.”
Ignoring the stinging in my gut, I insisted on walking Ryu Jeong-ha home. I couldn’t bear to let him go alone, worried that drunk guys might pick a fight like last time. I also had things I wanted to say.
“I’m telling you this so you don’t misunderstand, but there’s nothing between me and Seo Yu-jung.”
After hesitating, I finally blurted it out. I don’t know why it’s so difficult to bring this up first. It’s just words.
Strangely, even trivial things became delicate in front of Ryu Jeong-ha.
At this confession-like murmur, Ryu Jeong-ha finally looked at me properly.
“…Really?”
“Really.”
I answered seriously.
“I don’t lie.”
So can’t you trust me a little? Don’t look at me with such an indifferent expression as if it’s someone else’s business.
Ryu Jeong-ha was silent for a moment. I was anxious, not knowing what words would come from those lips.
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind during the brief time waiting for his answer. My heart was pounding as if I had been running.
My fists clenched at the thought that with Ryu Jeong-ha’s next words, my heart could either sink or race even more wildly than now.
But then, pouting his lips as if sulking, Ryu Jeong-ha said this:
“But why did you lie about being good at pasta…”
“Ah, that.”
I was taken aback by the unexpected topic.
Ah! Really! Today, my reputation was ruined because of that damn pasta.
“Choi Kyung-won, that crazy bastard. He’s making unnecessary comments.”
I gritted my teeth, contemplating how to deal with Choi Kyung-won.
Still, seeing him joke at a time like this, it seems he’s not completely angry. That’s hopeful.
If he hadn’t completely lost interest in me, I was confident I could turn things around. I met Ryu Jeong-ha’s eyes and grinned.
“I’ll practice. Then I’ll be good at it, right?”
Finally, Ryu Jeong-ha smiled too. Seeing his soft, peach-like eye smile, the queasiness from the alcohol completely subsided.
“…Come to my place and eat it then.”
“Okay.”
Just try including Choi Kyung-won, that bastard, when I’m with Ryu Jeong-ha for drinks again. From now on, we’ll definitely hang out just the two of us.
With that resolution, I walked Ryu Jeong-ha home, and while at it, we exchanged numbers. It wasn’t my first time getting someone’s number, but when Ryu Jeong-ha tapped his number into my phone, I thought I was going to die from the tingling in the back of my throat.
I had to grit my teeth to hold back a cough, not wanting to look uncool like I was choking.
Even then, Ryu Jeong-ha still hadn’t given any answer to my confession. The more I looked at him, the more puzzling he became.
He looks really soft, but seeing how he’s not easy to handle, maybe he’s not actually a water peach but a hard peach.
Still, I decided to be satisfied with this for today. There’s plenty of time.
[Yu-jung: Kwon-oh]
[Yu-jung: Did you just leave..?]
When I got home and came out after showering, there was a KakaoTalk message from Seo Yu-jung. I roughly shook my wet hair and typed a reply.
[Me: I was busy so I left without properly saying goodbye]
[Yu-jung: But you knew I came all that way to see you]
[Yu-jung: How could you just leave suddenly]
[Yu-jung: Honestly I’m really hurt…ㅜㅜ..]
[Yu-jung: It’s not like you don’t know how I feel]
I pondered for a few seconds on how to reply. Ah, I really hate situations like this.
Huffing out a long breath, I immediately typed:
[Me: Sorry.]
[Me: But I’d appreciate if you didn’t talk about me to others from now on]
[Me: I like someone, and they wouldn’t like hearing about this]
[Me: Get home safely]
Was I too harsh? After sending the KakaoTalk, I felt uneasy and closed the app before a reply came.
It’s most awkward when I have to be so bluntly unpleasant to a girl. But if I just leave it be, Ryu Jeong-ha might find out later and be disappointed.
No, not disappointed. What scared me most was the possibility of him looking at me again with eyes devoid of any expectation or emotion, like earlier.
Right. It’s better to cut this off completely like this.
Thinking that, I took a drink from the fridge and my phone rang. Could it be Seo Yu-jung? As I checked my phone while holding the drink bottle, it was the brunch café manager.
“Hello.”
—Oh, Kwon-oh. Good thing you’re not asleep yet. Want to work on Sunday?
Ah. Here we go again, paired with Jung Han-min. Tsk tsk.
Just because I’ve become a familiar face, this guy keeps harping on about part-time work every chance he gets. It’s amazing how the brunch café that’s always recruiting part-timers manages to run properly.
“Sunday is the day after tomorrow. You’re calling at night to say this?”
—The weekend part-timer suddenly quit, so that’s why. Can’t you do it?
I was about to refuse outright, but then I remembered the pasta I ate at the brunch café.
Right. Pasta.
“Hmm. I’ll consider it if you tell me the tomato pasta recipe you use at the store.”
—Recipe? Ask Gyu-young about that.
“You’re the manager, aren’t you?”
—Fine. Then come on Sunday and learn it.
“Okay.”
—By the way, are you really not interested in working part-time at our store? I’ll pay double hourly wage even if you only come on weekends.
He’s really persistent.
“No thanks. I’m too busy with school to come that often. Anyway, you’re giving me the recipe when I come the day after tomorrow. No excuses.”
—But why do you suddenly need the recipe? Ah, I get it. You rascal, trying to impress a girl?
The manager spoke in a knowing, sly voice.
“Why would I make pasta alone?”
—Your method is old-fashioned. You youth. But the person you’re making pasta for isn’t one of our part-timers, right?
“What are you talking about?”
—It’s not? I heard there’s a part-timer who’s been eyeing you. What about them?
“How would I know about that? Anyway, I’m hanging up.”
—Alright, sleep well.
Recipe secured, at least.
By the way, why does everyone bring up women as soon as they see me? Was I that obsessed with dating? I never refused when someone approached me first, but I wasn’t particularly aggressive in pursuing anyone either.
The person I actually want to pursue is someone else, but everyone’s barking up the wrong tree.
If this keeps up, I felt like Ryu Jeong-ha might run away in disgust. It seemed necessary to clean things up around me before such a disaster occurred.
After talking with the brunch café manager, whatever alcohol buzz remained completely dissipated.
I thought about contacting Ryu Jeong-ha before bed, but decided against it, thinking he’d probably gone to sleep early.
I want to see his face. Even though I just saw him, being apart makes me thirsty for him right away.
Even if I go to his Instagram feed, there’s only one lousy low-quality group photo of Ryu Jeong-ha, so I can’t see his face.
“Ah, damn.”
He’s really not easy to handle.
Giving up on finding photos, I turned off the lights and flopped onto the bed.
If I start dating Ryu Jeong-ha, I’ll definitely take photos first thing. I’ll take four perfect shots where his face shows clearly and keep them in my wallet. That’s my bucket list starting today.
*
The phone rang early in the morning. I was fast asleep and frowned, tossing and turning at the annoying vibration.
I picked up the phone from my bedside, intending to turn it off completely, when unexpected text appeared on the screen.
—Water Peach
“Huh?”
Why is Ryu Jeong-ha calling at this hour?
Worried the call might disconnect, I hurriedly pressed the answer button, even though I wasn’t fully awake.
“Yes, Jeong-ha?”
But once I answered, I could only hear breathing sounds, with no reply.
Did something happen?
“Ryu Jeong-ha? Hello?”
I sat up straight and pressed the phone closer to my ear.
—I, I saw it.
His voice seemed to tremble a bit. Feeling suddenly wide awake, I roughly ran my hand through my hair.
“Saw what?”
—What you wrote in the notebook…
Ah.
He saw the notebook?
I quickly organized my thoughts. So, he’s saying he just now saw the confession?
Ryu Jeong-ha’s voice, slightly filled with excitement, completely evaporated any remaining sleepiness.
This is crazy. He just saw it now? Then all this time, I’ve been making a fuss waiting for an answer from Ryu Jeong-ha who really didn’t know anything?
“You just saw it now?”
—Yes.
“So. What’s your answer?”
—I…
“No, let’s talk face to face. Not over the phone.”
I quickly cut off Ryu Jeong-ha’s words coming through the receiver. Then I hurriedly started getting dressed.
I had been regretting not being able to confess verbally and writing it down instead. This time, I wanted to say it directly.
“I’ll come to your place.”
Face to face.
—R-right now?
Ryu Jeong-ha seemed flustered, but at that moment, I wasn’t in the state of mind to care about such trivial details.
Ryu Jeong-ha saw the confession I wrote. He knows how I feel.
So the only thought filling my mind was that I needed to meet him right away.
“Yes, now. Wait, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Weekend morning. With my shoes hastily crammed on, I rushed out and sprinted to Ryu Jeong-ha’s house like a madman.
My heart was pounding so much I couldn’t tell if it was from running or from nervousness.
Flower petals hanging on to the last bit of spring brushed against my cheeks as they rode the wind. And I kept running without stopping.
