* * *

After running for what felt like forever, Yeongdeok glanced back and realized no one was following them anymore.

“Ha Wonjin, stop.”

Wonjin, who had been sprinting without looking back, halted at the sound of Yeongdeok’s voice and turned around.

“Ah… it looks like we shook them off.”

Seeing Wonjin return to his usual innocent expression gave Yeongdeok a strange feeling.

While it seemed like Wonjin had helped him, Yeongdeok couldn’t help but think that this man was someone he could never fully understand.

Oblivious to Yeongdeok’s distrust, Wonjin busied himself with asking about Yeongdeok’s motives.

“So, what’s this strange behavior about? You don’t believe in religion, let alone superstitions or urban legends.”

“I thought I’d give it a try starting today.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Yeongdeok shrugged, having been half-serious about joining.

Wonjin, feeling like he was babysitting a troublesome child, rubbed his forehead and shook his head.

“Well, looks like I’ve failed to make a friend again.”

Even though Kim Namhoon’s theory about malevolent spirits was unlikely, it stung to face a fifth failure.

“A friend?”

Wonjin’s face twisted at the absurdity of Yeongdeok talking about friendship.

Did he seriously almost join a cult to make friends?

Just like at Chairman Cha Heeseok’s party, despite the time they had spent together, there was still so much Wonjin didn’t know about Yeongdeok.

He seemed indifferent, yet he could get hurt; he didn’t give extravagant gifts, yet he expressed gratitude.

And now… Wonjin sighed softly, letting his thoughts trail off.

“I’ll help you.”

“With what?”

“Making friends. I’ll help you.”

With a hand over his chest, Wonjin earnestly declared his determination.

Yeongdeok, however, narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Sensing Yeongdeok’s doubt, Wonjin insisted that he was sincere in offering his help.

Yeongdeok couldn’t help but wonder about this man’s intentions.

In the original story, he had betrayed him and even admitted to disliking him.

So why was he now suddenly coming around, offering to help with making friends?

“Why?”

“Honestly, I’d rather help you than watch flies gather around you.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

After their encounter at the shopping mall, Yeongdeok had given up on any expectations from Wonjin.

No matter how much the story changed, this rigid man seemed like the one character who would never change.

At Yeongdeok’s cold response, Wonjin fidgeted with his fingers.

Technically, whatever happened to Yeongdeok—whether he joined a cult or faced disaster—had nothing to do with him.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“I don’t know.”

“….”

“That’s why I want to find out. Isn’t that allowed?”

Wonjin’s eyebrows drooped in a pitiful expression, looking genuinely distressed.

Was this face real, or was it an act?

Yeongdeok didn’t want to get too involved with Wonjin, but he was curious about why he was acting this way.

“Fine.”

At Yeongdeok’s reluctant agreement, Wonjin’s sad expression brightened instantly.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then…”

Wonjin nervously extended his phone toward Yeongdeok.

As Yeongdeok looked down at the spotless screen, he glanced back at Wonjin, puzzled as to why he was showing him his phone.

“I still don’t have your number, Yeongdeok. Can you give it to me?”

Though he wasn’t thrilled about it, Yeongdeok entered his number into Wonjin’s phone and handed it back.

Since Wonjin already knew where his shop was, giving him his number didn’t seem like it would change much.

“I’ll be in touch then.”

Yeongdeok didn’t respond.

He simply turned his back to Wonjin and silently walked away.

Wonjin’s classmate, who had been an unnoticed presence between the two, waited until Yeongdeok had walked far enough away before finally speaking up.

“You were totally flustered. Who is that guy?”

“My former boss.”

“The crazy one you quit working for?”

His classmate asked why he was bothering to help someone who was basically just an ex-boss.

As he watched Yeongdeok’s retreating figure, Wonjin mumbled to himself.

“The more I see him, the more he gets under my skin.”

There was something about Yeongdeok’s current state that made it hard for Wonjin to just leave him alone.

It wasn’t just that Yeongdeok was acting recklessly—something about his fragile expression lingered in Wonjin’s mind.

“What a busybody. Anyway, since we didn’t get to finish our drinks, you’re buying dinner.”

“Fine.”

Wonjin glanced one last time in the direction Yeongdeok had disappeared, then turned fully to face his friend with a sheepish grin.

ꔚ

It was a Saturday so beautiful, any compliment would seem insufficient.

On such a golden weekend, Wonjin had called Yeongdeok out under the pretext of helping him make friends.

Now that he was about to dedicate an entire day of his weekend to Yeongdeok, he started wondering why he had even made such a promise.

But with a shake of his head, he brushed aside the regret and focused on the man in front of him.

“So, how exactly are you planning to help me?”

Yeongdeok crossed his legs arrogantly, folding his arms and tilting his chin as if daring Wonjin to show him some kind of solution.

“Well, first, I brought some scripts….”

“Scripts?”

Wonjin pulled a stack of papers out of his large backpack and handed one to Yeongdeok.

On the white A4 paper, there were sentences written at a level a grade-schooler might study.

“Q: What did you eat for breakfast?”

“A: I ate bread.”

Yeongdeok alternated between looking at the paper and Wonjin before tearing the script vertically in half.

After repeating the motion a few times, a mountain of shredded paper formed on the table.

His voice was dripping with annoyance.

“You’re really underestimating me, aren’t you?”

“No, wait. Please, hear me out.”

Sweating nervously, Wonjin began explaining his idea.

To make friends, you first had to understand how people communicate.

His approach was to start by learning the basics of conversation.

However, the more Wonjin explained, the more Yeongdeok’s expression grew colder.

First, Seo Jihoon criticized him for being unsocial, then Baek Seonwoo accused him of lacking communication skills.

Now this guy was outright insulting his language abilities.

It seemed like only rude people could qualify as the lead in this story.

“And, well… I wasn’t sure whether to say this, but…”

“Spit it out.”

Yeongdeok waited, curious to see how far this conversation would go.

Wonjin, aware of Yeongdeok’s rising irritation, looked around nervously for a place to direct his gaze.

“Actually, never mind. It’s better if I don’t say it…”

“Don’t be vague. Just say it.”

You shouldn’t have spoken up in the first place if you had no intention of saying anything.

But now that you’ve said everything, what’s the point of holding back?

At this point, Yeongdeok was determined to hear Wonjin out, no matter what it took.

Perhaps sensing the firm resolve in Yeongdeok’s eyes, which burned coldly, Wonjin’s tightly closed lips parted ever so slightly.

‘I’ve gotten used to the way you speak, but most people aren’t. To them, you probably come off as a bit… no, a lot strange.’

“…”

“If you want to get along with others, you might want to change the way you talk… just a little.”

Wonjin glanced nervously at Yeongdeok, who stood there with his arms crossed, saying nothing.

The looming aftermath scared him.

Yeongdeok stroked his chin, pondering.

But what he was weighing wasn’t whether Wonjin’s words were right or wrong, but whether they could be used to mess with PetitRolang.

* * *