I am not a Yandere chapter 43

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In truth, Yeongdeok didn’t understand why Choa was so happy with such a pretty but useless item.

It might seem nice now, but it would definitely become worthless as time passed.

Someday, it would end up as just clutter.

Still, as Yeongdeok watched Choa’s radiant smile, he felt a strange, nameless sensation.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Rose, could you flip it over one more time?”

The cafe members marveled at the snow globe Choa had received.

Seonwoo, who had been staring blankly at the swirling white snow inside the glass, smiled nonchalantly.

“How unexpected. I never thought Cha Yeongdeok would buy such an impractical gift.”

“Stop pretending like you know me.”

Showing his irritation to Seonwoo, Yeongdeok checked his phone.

While mingling with the members, time had flown by, and it was time for him to prepare for work.

“I should get going.”

“Today was really fun. Merry Christmas, Yeongdeok Chicken!”

“Merry Christmas! Good luck with your business today!”

As Yeongdeok stood up and put on his coat, the members smiled and said their goodbyes.

At that moment, Choa poked Seonwoo in the side.

“Oppa, why don’t you walk Yeongdeok Chicken to the station?”

“What? Why me?”

Seonwoo made it obvious he didn’t like the idea.

And it wasn’t just Seonwoo who felt uneasy at Choa’s suggestion.

“What on earth are you saying? Just the thought is dreadful.”

As Yeongdeok recoiled in disgust, Seonwoo, with a contrarian spirit that made him want to do the exact opposite of what was suggested, stood up and grabbed his coat, which had been casually draped over his chair, as if he’d never minded in the first place.

“Since Cha Yeongdeok seems to hate it, I suddenly feel like doing it. Let’s go.”

Seonwoo gestured to Yeongdeok and walked ahead. Yeongdeok, thinking of him as an insufferable character, reluctantly followed.

Outside, it was Christmas Eve, and the streets were packed with people.

Couples and friends strolled together, while Yeongdeok and Seonwoo walked a set distance apart, their expressions devoid of emotion.

As Yeongdeok shoved his hands into his coat pockets, Seonwoo, who had been silent, spoke first.

“It’s cold. It’ll probably get even colder in January, right?”

“If you’re cold, why not return to your sister?”

“What would I do among those kids? I should tactfully step away now.”

Unlike you, I have no intention of playing house with them. Seonwoo added another jab.

“So, what’s your game? I can’t understand why Cha Yeongdeok insists on hanging out with those kids.”

“How could your dumb brain ever grasp what I’m thinking?”

Feeling that talking with Seonwoo was getting nowhere, Yeongdeok quickened his pace, but stopped as he faced a red traffic light.

Seonwoo also stopped beside him.

“You know, Cha Yeongdeok, you’ve been acting a little strange lately, right?”

“I’d appreciate it if you realized that you’ve always been strange.”

Responding calmly, like a shield deflecting every blow, Yeongdeok ignored Seonwoo’s provocation and stared at the red light, waiting for it to change.

But Seonwoo spoke up again.

“I’m meeting Eungyeol tomorrow.”

At those words, Yeongdeok instinctively turned his head.

A cold gust of wind slapped his face as it blew by.

Seonwoo’s white hair and the scarf around his neck floated in the air as if swimming.

“Just the two of us.”

Seonwoo’s eyes narrowed, and a sly grin stretched across his lips, as if he’d said it on purpose to provoke Yeongdeok.

‘I heard that Eungyeol is meeting someone else on Christmas besides you.’

Yeongdeok recalled what Jihoon had told him.

It seemed Seonwoo was the person Eungyeol had planned to meet.

Turning his head back, Yeongdeok gazed ahead.

In the novel, it was clear that Cha Dowon had once loved Lee Eungyeol.

That was how the story of ‘No to obsession’ had been written.

But did Yeongdeok still love him now?

“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”

“What?”

“If you’re interested in Eungyeol, do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me.”

In his efforts to shed the label of being obsessively possessive, Yeongdeok had stopped clinging to Eungyeol.

Ironically, even now, he wasn’t entirely sure what love really was.

The narrative that PetitRolang had given Yeongdeok had ended before he could fully grasp his emotions.

Just then, the red light turned green.

“But you… don’t actually like Eungyeol, do you?”

Yeongdeok knew that Baek Seonwoo was only approaching Eungyeol to provoke him.

Though, later on, Seonwoo would probably develop genuine feelings for Eungyeol.

Either way, there was no reason for Yeongdeok to continue playing along with the storyline PetitRolang had crafted.

Blending into the crowd, Yeongdeok crossed the street, stepping over the white lines of the crosswalk.

Seonwoo didn’t follow him any further.

He stood still on the sidewalk, anxiously fiddling with his fingers as if about to tear at his nails.

“This isn’t right….”

Frustration crept in as Seonwoo realized things weren’t going the way he wanted.

Though usually oblivious outside of work, Yeongdeok had somehow picked up on his petty feelings.

“Cha Yeongdeok….”

Seonwoo, narrowing his eyes, watched only Yeongdeok’s retreating figure among the throngs of people.

Gradually, Yeongdeok disappeared from Seonwoo’s sight.

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After parting with Seonwoo, Yeongdeok returned to his shop and started cleaning to prepare for opening.

He was sweeping the floor when the door opened.

He glanced briefly at Jihoon, who had walked in, then returned to his cleaning.

“When did you get here?”

Jihoon strode over and grabbed the broom from Yeongdeok’s hands before he could say anything.

Though Yeongdeok glared at Jihoon, displeased that he had taken the broom, Jihoon seemed either unaware of his discomfort or chose to ignore it, instead focusing on his own curiosity.

“What did you do with the group today?”

“Why do you care? What’s it to you?”

What Yeongdeok had done today was completely irrelevant to Jihoon’s daily life.

Drawing a clear boundary in their relationship, Yeongdeok’s response made Jihoon’s eyebrows twitch.

“Just… can’t I ask?”

Jihoon’s tone suddenly escalated.

Yeongdeok, thinking his mood swings were intense, briefly covered his ears from the unexpected outburst.

“We went to a karaoke bar. It was loud and exhausting.”

“What? Karaoke? Hey, can we go sometime? I’m curious how you sing.”

“I won’t go back. It was a horrible place I never want to revisit.”

Yeongdeok recalled the dreadful space where colorful lights painfully pierced his eyes and sharp noises assaulted his eardrums.

Just remembering it drained him, and he wearily shook his head.

“More importantly, hand me the broom. We need to clean.”

“I’ll do it. You focus on something else.”

Jihoon began sweeping the floor.

To be more efficient, Yeongdeok grabbed a mop and wiped down the area Jihoon had just swept.

After a long bout of cleaning, Jihoon, having finished sweeping before Yeongdeok, put the broom in the bathroom storage and walked toward him.

Yeongdeok thought he was going to say something, but Jihoon simply hovered around like a duckling following its mother.

Yeongdeok, who had been quietly mopping, eventually sighed.

“Why are you pacing around like a dog that needs to pee? You’re getting in the way.”

“How did the gift I picked out go? Did people like it?”

Yeongdeok thought Jihoon was being nosy.

Why did it matter if the reaction was good or bad?

After all, Jihoon didn’t know the café members personally.

Still, remembering how Choa beamed at the snow globe and how the other members were fascinated, Yeongdeok thought Jihoon deserved some credit for picking a gift they liked.

“They seemed to like it. Though I don’t get why.”

“See? I knew a sentimental gift would work! You should thank me.”

Jihoon grinned with satisfaction and wrapped his arm around Yeongdeok’s neck, pulling him down.

Yeongdeok could tell Jihoon was pleased, but he found his clinginess annoying.

His lips twitched in irritation.

“Could you step back? I can’t mop with you hanging on me.”

When Yeongdeok nudged him away with his elbow, Jihoon finally backed off.

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