* * *
When Yeongdeok opened his eyes, his head felt heavy and his mind hazy.
His stomach, upset from all the alcohol, twisted and throbbed painfully, a sharp reminder of the previous night.
“…I drank way too much.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples and looked around.
The room was decorated in black—walls, bed, and even the desk.
Books lined a large bookshelf in perfect order.
Scratching the back of his neck, which felt oddly itchy, Yeongdeok tried to get his bearings and stepped out of the room.
In the living room, Wonjin was sipping coffee while looking at his phone.
This had to be Wonjin’s house.
Noticing Yeongdeok’s presence, Wonjin looked up.
He seemed far more alert than someone who had spent the entire night drinking.
“You’re up, Yeongdeok?”
“…You’re already having coffee after all that drinking.”
Either Wonjin had two stomachs or he had a death wish.
“Should I order something to help with the hangover? Though it’s morning, so delivery might be tricky… Or we could go out and eat instead.”
Wonjin mentioned a place nearby that had good hangover soup.
“Hangover soup?”
“Yes, it really helps settle your stomach. It’d be a good idea to get some.”
Wonjin was already getting ready to leave.
Since he couldn’t stay in Wonjin’s house alone, Yeongdeok had no choice but to follow.
Leaving Wonjin’s apartment complex, they walked to a small hangover soup restaurant.
The place had a quaint, old-fashioned charm, though it also looked quite worn out.
Yeongdeok looked at the large menu posted on the wall.
Surprisingly, he didn’t recognize any of the dishes.
“Intestine soup…? Whose intestines are we eating?”
“Probably beef. Want to try it?”
Intestines. Beef intestines, no less.
Yeongdeok felt a bit apprehensive but was sure it was something the obsessive man wouldn’t eat.
“I…”
He could endure eating something as strange as intestines if it meant getting back at PetitRolang, but he felt unmotivated.
Was it because of what Seo Jihoon had said in the past?
“I don’t feel like it.”
“Then how about bean sprout hangover soup? It’s the specialty here.”
“Let’s go with that.”
Wonjin ordered two bowls of bean sprout hangover soup.
As they waited, he set the utensils on the table and called out to Yeongdeok.
“Yeongdeok.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember what you said to me before you passed out at the bar?”
Yeongdeok vaguely recalled mumbling something embarrassing, but he couldn’t remember.
He only felt mortified about causing a scene in front of Ha Wonjin.
“What did I say?”
“Then do you remember what happened when we got back to my place?”
“I don’t remember anything. Didn’t I just pass out?”
Wonjin gave a subtle smile that seemed oddly intriguing, and Yeongdeok had a sudden, sinking realization.
“Did I do something weird?”
‘Please don’t tell me I was singing or yelling.’
Though Yeongdeok didn’t believe he’d do something like that, Wonjin’s silence left him worried.
“No, you just slept peacefully.”
“Don’t lie to me. The way you’re hesitating tells me something happened.”
Wonjin brushed it off as nothing, but he couldn’t fool Yeongdeok’s keen eyes.
If it were truly nothing, there was no way Wonjin would make such a meaningful remark.
“It’s better that you don’t know. For both you and me.”
“……”
“Let’s just pretend it never happened.”
Doesn’t that kind of comment only make one more curious?
Yeongdeok tried to think about what might be in the injection.
At that moment, an elderly man brought over two bowls of steaming bean sprout soup in black earthenware pots.
As Yeongdeok stared intently at the soup, Wonjin warned him to be careful since it was hot.
“How presumptuous. I know without you telling me.”
“Of course. You’re not a kid, Yeongdeok.”
Despite his words, Wonjin’s eyes looked as if he were watching over a child left by the riverside.
“I don’t appreciate that look. It feels like I’m being belittled.”
“Let’s just eat! Here, have some kimchi, too.”
At Yeongdeok’s rebuke, Wonjin clumsily changed the topic, pushing the dish of kimchi toward him.
Yeongdeok, unfamiliar with the food, cautiously stirred a drop of broth into it, but after tasting it once, he didn’t hesitate with his spoon any longer.
“This is good. It really feels refreshing.”
His eyes sparkled like a scientist making a groundbreaking discovery.
“Thanks to you, I’ve discovered a new dish.”
Yeongdeok said this with a gentle smile, but the expression on Wonjin’s face dimmed.
It reminded him of something Yeongdeok had said when drunk.
Wonjin couldn’t help but get lost in thought for a moment.
‘Ha Wonjin…’
‘Yes?’
‘Don’t betray me…’
‘……’
‘Please, don’t. Don’t betray me…’
Yeongdeok had spoken those words as if he’d actually been deeply betrayed by Wonjin.
‘Was it still impossible for him to trust me?’
Wonjin felt a strange discomfort.
“What are you staring at? Hurry up and eat.”
With Yeongdeok’s prodding, Wonjin nodded and picked up his spoon.
“Alright. Thank you for the meal.”
Wonjin expressed his thanks and began eating.
The sound of their utensils clinking was the only noise at the table.
It was quite a peaceful start to the morning.
ꔚ
By mid-July, Yeongdeok was still maintaining a strained relationship with Jihoon.
Even when they crossed paths while throwing out food scraps or going for walks, they barely exchanged short greetings before moving on.
As for Seonwoo… he hadn’t contacted him even once since then.
Not long after being rejected by Yeongdeok, Seonwoo left the “Beautiful Life” chat room without a word.
As soon as he left, Gwakdupal and Buljumeok added their comments.
- Seonwoo has left the chat room.
[Gwakdupal: Oh dear…]
[DaerimdongFist: Even without saying anything, you can pretty much guess what happened, right…?]
[Natsuyama Soseki: ???]
Yeongdeok felt an ongoing sense of discomfort, like facing an unsolvable math problem.
He spent the day feeling restless, and then, he heard the sound of machinery and people bustling about outside.
“Bring the TV this way!”
What on earth was happening to make so much noise?
With a mind to complain, Yeongdeok opened the front door and stepped outside.
“What are you—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence.
Movers from a relocation service were carrying things in and out of Jihoon’s place.
Noticing him standing in the hallway, Jihoon awkwardly smiled.
“Sorry. Is it too loud?”
Yeongdeok stared blankly at the moving truck below.
Given the obvious situation, asking what was going on seemed foolish.
“This is sudden. You never mentioned you were moving.”
“There never seemed to be a good time to bring it up.”
“……”
“Is that just an excuse? Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
Jihoon offered a faint smile of apology.
For some reason, Yeongdeok found that expression irritating today.
Why does he act like it’s nothing? And why am I so annoyed?
“Thank you for everything. For lending me money, for sticking up for me… At first, I thought you were a nuisance, but in the end, all I have left are good memories.”
Jihoon thanked him again and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Once I move, we probably won’t see each other as often, right?”
“……”
“From the look on your face, it feels like we might never see each other again.”
Jihoon awkwardly laughed at the unusually cold expression on Yeongdeok’s face.
For some reason, Yeongdeok couldn’t bring himself to smile back or take Jihoon’s outstretched hand.
Though he knew he should say something, the words wouldn’t come.
Jihoon awkwardly scratched the back of his neck when his outstretched hand wasn’t accepted.
“If you ever think of me, even once, feel free to reach out. I’ll always be waiting for your call.”
For a moment, words heavy with lingering feelings welled up in Yeongdeok’s throat.
Though he usually spoke without hesitation, he couldn’t get any words out, as if his throat were clogged with a heavy stone.
At a loss for words, Yeongdeok retreated back into his home.
* * *
Thanks
Ahhhh
Awww baby get some courage!!
Thanks