* * *
Their words overlapped, and Jihoon, not catching what Yeongdeok said, begged him to repeat it.
But Yeongdeok had no intention of saying it twice.
Jihoon complained about how unfair it was, but such protests didn’t faze Yeongdeok.
“Well then, goodnight. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
“Yeah. Sweet dreams.”
The call ended there. Even after lying down on his bed, Yeongdeok scrolled through Jihoon’s photos that now filled their chat.
In every shot, Jihoon wore a foolish expression.
Among them, the image of high school Jihoon with his rebellious gaze lingered in Yeongdeok’s mind.
He set it as his profile picture before drifting off to sleep.
That night, he dreamed of Jihoon from those school days.
Despite the sharpness in his eyes, Jihoon smiled at Yeongdeok with disarming sweetness.
☘
The next morning, waking up in the heat caused by the air conditioner shutting off, Yeongdeok checked his phone.
Hoping for a message from Jihoon, he instead found one from Seonwoo.
[Baek Seonwoo: Cha Yeongdeok.]
[Baek Seonwoo: Are you free today?]
[Baek Seonwoo: Let me know when you see this.]
The messages were sent around 6 a.m.
Checking the time, Yeongdeok replied:
[What’s this about?]
Though he had responded after an hour, Seonwoo, as if waiting, read the message immediately.
[Baek Seonwoo: I wanted to see if you’re doing okay.]
[Baek Seonwoo: There’s also something I want to talk about.]
Something to talk about?
He had already rejected Seonwoo’s confession.
What else could there be?
[I don’t have anything else to say about that matter.]
[Baek Seonwoo: It’s not about that. Just meet me.]
[Baek Seonwoo: As for the time and place…]
Without waiting for Yeongdeok’s agreement, Seonwoo sent him the details.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Yeongdeok muttered about how pushy Seonwoo could be.
[Baek Seonwoo: This will probably be the last time we meet. So please come.]
At the word “last,” Yeongdeok recalled rejecting Seonwoo’s confession over the phone.
Deciding it was best to end things face-to-face, he agreed.
[Alright.]
As he got out of bed, his phone buzzed again—this time, a message from Jihoon, the one he’d been waiting for.
[Seo Jihoon: Did you sleep well?]
[Seo Jihoon: Good morning.]
[Good morning.]
[Seo Jihoon: If you’re free today, want to check out my place?]
[Seo Jihoon: I live with my older brother, but he’s out during the weekdays.]
[Sure.]
Yeongdeok mentally planned his day.
First, he’d meet Seonwoo, then Jihoon. Heading to the bathroom, he began getting ready to leave.
Seonwoo adjusted the time unilaterally, and Yeongdeok arrived punctually at the appointed place, stepping into the café and scanning the surroundings.
Seonwoo, with his strikingly dyed hair, was easy to spot. Yeongdeok walked toward him.
“Baek Seonwoo.”
“…….”
Yeongdeok stopped beside him, but Seonwoo neither looked up nor responded.
Sensing that this would be a long conversation, Yeongdeok pulled out a chair and sat across from him. Still, Seonwoo remained silent.
Yeongdeok didn’t press him.
Instead, he waited patiently, observing Seonwoo and giving him the time to sort out his thoughts before speaking.
Noticing the absence of crutches nearby, he figured Seonwoo’s condition must have improved significantly.
Relieved by this thought, he was interrupted when Seonwoo finally broke the heavy silence.
“I saw your profile picture had changed.”
“…….”
“Are you dating him? Seo Jihoon?”
Yeongdeok saw no reason to hide the truth or lie to Seonwoo. With a calm demeanor, he answered.
“Yes, I am.”
“Why not me? Why Seo Jihoon? That’s what I wanted to know. That’s why I asked to meet one last time. Otherwise… I don’t think I’ll be able to let this go.”
Seonwoo’s voice trembled with anguish, and his vulnerability struck Yeongdeok deeply, making him feel as though he was somehow at fault.
But Yeongdeok had decided to bring everything to a clear resolution today.
Dragging things out or leaving them ambiguous would only hurt Seonwoo further.
“You know the reason better than anyone else, don’t you?”
Instead of offering a straightforward explanation, Yeongdeok’s words seemed to chide him gently, as if to make him reflect.
Seonwoo recalled their serious conversation after watching a movie together not long ago.
‘What changed you so much? Was it Seo Jihoon?’
‘Maybe it was.’
‘…….’
‘I used to hate emotional outbursts, but maybe some of his foolishness rubbed off on me.’
“I’m sorry, but I’ve never felt anything for you.”
In that moment, Seonwoo thought, ‘So this is what it feels like to be handed a death sentence.’
His chest ached unbearably, and he clenched his fists tightly, his nails pressing painfully into his palms as he tried to hold himself together.
Yeongdeok wondered if things might have turned out differently had Seonwoo been honest from the beginning.
But such thoughts were meaningless now.
Besides, Seonwoo’s personality was fundamentally incompatible with his own.
Seonwoo was too delicate, too easily hurt by even the sharpest of Yeongdeok’s words.
“I’m grateful for your feelings, but I can’t reciprocate them.”
Seonwoo’s face contorted with pain, as though he might cry at any moment.
Though he looked ready to break, he surprised Yeongdeok by letting out a hollow laugh instead of tears.
“Seo Jihoon is so lucky… What did he even do to win over someone as cold-blooded as you?”
“…….”
“It was never going to work for me, was it?”
Seonwoo brushed his reddened eyes with the back of his hand and took a deep breath, meeting Yeongdeok’s gaze once more.
“I’m leaving for Germany this winter.”
“Germany?”
“There’s an international piano competition next year. A teacher I deeply respect lives there, so I’m planning to stay and learn from him.”
“I see.”
“Maybe being far away from you will make these feelings fade.”
Seonwoo’s bittersweet smile looked as though it might shatter at any moment.
The sight weighed heavily on Yeongdeok’s heart, but he resolved not to let himself be swayed.
He needed to be honest.
“Wherever you are, whatever you do, I’ll support you. As your childhood friend.”
The word friend coming from Yeongdeok for the first time made Seonwoo’s eyes well up with tears.
To hear it now, in such a situation, felt brutally cruel.
It was as though Yeongdeok had firmly branded him as nothing more than a friend.
“You might even meet someone better than me over there.”
“Probably. You’re rude, inconsiderate, and barely socialized—”
Seonwoo’s voice cracked as his emotions overtook him.
Unable to hold back any longer, he finally burst into tears.
Droplets streamed down his cheeks, and he muttered through sobs, “From the beginning, I was way out of your league… wasn’t I?”
“That’s not something I can just let slide. I’m the one out of your league.”
Offering a tissue, Yeongdeok added a teasing remark to lighten the mood.
Seonwoo, wiping his tears, responded with a hoarse voice.
“Still… if Seo Jihoon ever screws up or makes you unhappy, come to me. I’ll always be waiting.”
“Not something you should say to someone who just started dating.”
The almost spiteful remark made Yeongdeok feel a strange mix of emotions.
“I’ll support you, too. As a childhood friend.”
Seonwoo extended a hand for a handshake, and Yeongdeok didn’t refuse.
Their hands, clasped briefly, parted as if signaling the end of something unspoken.
While Yeongdeok let go without hesitation, Seonwoo felt the cold emptiness of his now-empty hand acutely.
Resisting the urge to cling to Yeongdeok, he pretended to feel unburdened.
“Well, crying did make me feel better.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Remember—if Seo Jihoon messes up, come to me.”
“That’s not likely to happen.”
Seonwoo chuckled bitterly at Yeongdeok’s unyielding response.
It was clear now—there had never been room for him in Yeongdeok’s heart.
“I’ll be going now. Let’s grab a drink before I leave for Germany. Bring Seo Jihoon along.”
With a sharp smile, Seonwoo stood and left, making his way out of the café.
Despite resisting the urge to look back, he broke into quiet sobs after walking just a few steps.
“Cha Yeongdeok… you jerk.”
As he stared up at the clear, cruelly beautiful sky, Seonwoo resolved not to shed any more tears over Cha Yeongdeok.
* * *
Thanks
It’s sad but i am still prefer jihoon