* * *
Bzzz. Bzzz.
Jihoon, who had been restless and sleepless all night after being dumped by Yeongdeok, lifted himself from the bed weakly at the sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand.
He wondered who could be making noise so early in the morning, only to see an unexpected message.
[Seo Juwon: Jihoon-ah, it’s been a while. How’ve you been? Did your classes end yet?]
It had been years since Jihoon’s older brother, Juwon, had last reached out.
Three years older than Jihoon, Juwon had spent those years shut away in a study dorm, grinding away to prepare for his job exams.
But here he was, suddenly reaching out with news worthy of congratulations.
[Seo Juwon: I finally landed a job!]
[Seo Juwon: Can we meet up this weekend? I’ll treat you to a meal.]
“Hyung, you got a job.”
Jihoon thought to himself that the saying about good luck following bad luck was right on the money.
Sure, he’d been dumped by Yeongdeok, but here was his brother with some uplifting news.
Jihoon’s thumbs moved swiftly as he typed back.
[Congrats on the job! Where should we meet?]
[Seo Juwon: I’ve already picked the place.]
[Seo Juwon: You’re going to love it.]
Yeah, right, he thought.
His brother was so notoriously frugal that even the stingiest penny-pinchers would weep in defeat.
Still, meeting his brother after so long seemed like a good way to distract himself from the heartbreak.
Jihoon decided to make the reunion the highlight of his week, using it to patch over his pain.
ꔚ
That weekend evening, Jihoon boarded a bus headed to the location where he was set to meet Juwon.
As Jihoon stepped off at the stop near the meeting spot, Juwon was already there, waving both hands energetically to greet him.
He looked paler and thinner than Jihoon remembered, a clear result of his relentless studying.
“Jihoon-ah! Long time no see! How’ve you been, you rascal.”
Juwon beamed at him and ruffled Jihoon’s hair so vigorously it turned into a mess, like he was tousling a puppy’s fur.
“Shit, let go! What are you doing?”
“I’m just happy to see you! Today, your big brother’s treating you properly.”
Despite Juwon’s confident tone, Jihoon’s expectations stayed rock-bottom.
He was certain it would be an all-you-can-eat pork belly joint at best. But then…
Defying Jihoon’s low expectations, Juwon took him to a fine dining restaurant that charged 300,000 won per meal.
Jihoon recalled seeing videos from boastful YouTubers flaunting this exact spot.
“Welcome. What name is the reservation under?”
“Seo Juwon.”
“I’ll guide you to your table.”
Jihoon gaped as he took in the upscale surroundings, glancing around the luxurious décor.
Even the ceiling fixtures looked elegant.
But his curiosity grew: why would Juwon bring him to a place like this?
“Hyung, do you have something to ask me for? I thought you’d just buy me black bean noodles or some pork belly at most.”
“I’m doing this because I’m grateful. You helped out when we suddenly needed money for Mom’s accident. I’m sorry I left you with such a burden.”
Ah, that… Jihoon recalled how he’d managed to solve that crisis quickly, all thanks to Yeongdeok.
As Yeongdeok’s face flashed in his mind, an uncomfortable pang twisted inside him.
“Eat up. A lot.”
“Yeah.”
Lavish dishes, the kind you only get to eat a few times in life, were set on the table one after another.
But Jihoon just picked at his food, taking small, hesitant bites with his fork.
Somehow, he had no appetite.
When the main course—veal steak—arrived, Juwon cut into the perfectly cooked meat and spoke.
“Jihoon-ah.”
“What. If you’re thinking of asking for money, I don’t have any.”
“What do you take me for? I’m looking for a place near my office now that I have a job.”
“And?”
“Wanna live together? Renting alone is expensive, you know.”
Jihoon froze, his fork halted mid-air.
“You’re asking me to give up my place and move in with you?”
“Exactly. I’ll cover the deposit and all living expenses.”
It was an offer that came with no downsides for Jihoon.
Yet he felt a vague sense of dread, as if he were hearing something he shouldn’t.
Moving in with his brother would naturally mean growing distant from Yeongdeok.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“No, I’ll think about it.”
“What’s there to think about? You got a secret lover stashed away in your place or something? You sly dog.”
“Shut up.”
“Hey, you’ll graduate college next year and start job hunting. Your big brother will have your back. Isn’t that reassuring?”
Juwon laughed and resumed eating.
Jihoon, however, found that even the most expensive food felt rough and dry in his mouth.
In the end, Jihoon left the restaurant without touching much of the subsequent dishes.
“Seo Jihoon, be honest. Did you drink too much last night? I splurged for once, and you barely touched anything.”
Juwon grumbled, regretting not just taking Jihoon to a Chinese restaurant instead.
“I didn’t drink too much. I’m just not feeling well.”
“Then grab some hangover medicine from a convenience store. And think over my offer.”
“I didn’t drink….”
Ignoring Jihoon’s denial, Juwon handed him two crisp 50,000 won bills.
Jihoon decided he might as well play along. Free money is free money.
“I’ll call you later.”
“Take care.”
Jihoon watched his brother walk away, then crumpled the gold-tinted bills into his pocket, starting back toward home.
On the way, Jihoon mulled over Juwon’s proposal.
Moving would indeed put distance between him and Yeongdeok.
No longer ‘Cha Yeongdeok’s part-timer’ or even ‘Cha Yeongdeok’s neighbor.’
He’d acted indifferent around Yeongdeok, like being rejected didn’t hurt, but in reality, he was in turmoil.
How many people could be okay after being rejected by someone they loved?
As long as Yeongdeok lived nearby, it would be hard to move on.
“Maybe I should move…”
Maybe cutting ties would be for the best.
If time healed his feelings for Yeongdeok, perhaps they could meet again as friends.
The idea of moving started to take hold in Jihoon’s mind.
But just as he climbed the steps to his apartment, he ran into Yeongdeok coming down.
Jihoon’s heart sank as they faced each other in the narrow stairwell.
Trying to mask his pain, Jihoon forced a smile.
“Where are you off to this late?”
“Just running an errand.”
Jihoon wanted to ask if it was another night out drinking with those friends, but he held back.
Though he didn’t regret confessing, even simple questions felt daunting now, a reminder of how distant they’d grown.
Jihoon swallowed his hurt and forced a casual tone.
“Have fun.”
They passed each other.
Yeongdeok walked straight ahead without a backward glance, while Jihoon couldn’t help but watch him until he disappeared from view.
After rejecting Jihoon and Seonwoo’s confessions, Yeongdeok had shut himself inside his home and hadn’t come out.
His mind was in chaos, overwhelmed with a whirlwind of thoughts that tangled endlessly.
It felt as though his brain cells were all shouting at once.
The world, however, hadn’t changed at all.
PetitRolang seemed to have no intention of changing the novel back to its original story.
Since ruining Yeongdeok’s store, he had simply lived his life, blending into that of a genius web novelist and doing as he pleased.
To lift his spirits, Yeongdeok turned on the TV, but the moment he saw PetitRolang on the screen, his brows furrowed with a cold expression.
PetitRolang was laughing, exchanging silly jokes with the other panelists.
It made Yeongdeok feel unpleasant, as if his very existence meant nothing to PetitRolang.
It was proof that he had no influence on that man at all.
I want to leave even a tiny scratch on that arrogant author.
Wipe that smile off his face. Clinging desperately to that vengeful thought, Yeongdeok unexpectedly remembered Jihoon’s words.
“Hyung, I can see you’re doing things that don’t suit you… things you don’t even want to do.”
“I just… don’t like seeing you push yourself too hard.”
To Yeongdeok, revenge had become the purpose of his life, the very reason to keep going.
Ever since he was abandoned by everything, thanks to PetitRolang, there was nothing else he wanted or desired.
But was that still true now?
Did he still think there was no other reason to live besides revenge?
* * *
I know that this is a novel but even in real life a person shouldn’t cling to negative emotions or feelings.
Thanks!