* * *
“Yeongdeok.”
“What is it?”
“The person you just mentioned… is it Seo Jihoon?”
Knowing that it wouldn’t change anything now, Wonjin still wanted to know who had captured Yeongdeok’s heart.
“How did you know?”
“…So it is Seo Jihoon.”
Wonjin remembered Jihoon, who was always by Yeongdeok’s side whenever he visited the chicken shop.
He could understand why Yeongdeok might have developed feelings for Jihoon.
But something about it felt hard to accept, so, realizing that today might be his last chance, he asked, almost accusingly.
“Why him?”
“What?”
“Seo Jihoon doesn’t seem to match your ideal type at all.”
From what he could tell, Jihoon had a rough demeanor and wasn’t on the same level as Yeongdeok.
Wonjin wanted an explanation he could accept.
It had only been a few minutes since Yeongdeok realized his feelings for Jihoon.
So even if asked why he liked him, he had no ready answer.
As he searched for one, memories of countless moments they’d shared began to swirl through his mind.
“That guy… he caught a cockroach for me.”
“I just did that earlier….”
“When I was brainstorming new menu ideas for the shop, he said my chicken tasted bad but still forced himself to eat it.”
“…….”
“He comforted me when I was rejected by the Beautiful Life members, and he was the first to take care of me when I got sick.”
Once he started listing reasons, there was no end. Yeongdeok’s voice grew increasingly impassioned.
“He showed me things I didn’t know, shared my pain, and even got angry on my behalf.”
At some point, Yeongdeok was picturing Jihoon with immense fondness.
It was strange that he hadn’t realized all these reasons he had to like him until now.
Was it because he had been so focused on PetitRolang, or was it his obsession with staying faithful to the original plot that left him no time to explore his true feelings?
“And… he’s the one who made me feel so emotional, too.”
“…….”
“How could I not like him?”
Yeongdeok laughed as if there were no doubt left.
Realizing how much he had received from Jihoon made his feelings all the more certain.
Watching Yeongdeok’s radiant face—an expression he had never seen before—Wonjin felt a stabbing pain, like someone was repeatedly driving a knife into his heart.
At that moment, Yeongdeok grabbed Wonjin’s shoulder.
“Thanks to you, my feelings are clear now. I’m grateful to you once again.”
Though Yeongdeok’s hand left quickly, Wonjin wanted to keep that brief warmth close, to cling to it, to yearn for more—like that night, when he’d wanted to taste Yeongdeok’s lips.
His whole body felt like it was boiling over, his blood roaring through his veins.
He was on the verge of tears, but Wonjin lifted the corners of his mouth in a faint smile.
A self-deprecating smile directed at his foolish self.
What was this feeling?
That clueless guy had just described it moments ago.
“Yeongdeok.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“Yeongdeok-ah….”
Hearing his name spoken with a familiar call, Yeongdeok’s eyes widened.
While Yeongdeok was momentarily unsettled, Wonjin pressed his face into Yeongdeok’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
The scent from Yeongdeok’s exposed neck was comforting.
It wasn’t anything flashy—almost odorless, yet strangely warm.
Wonjin regretted not fully savoring it the night before, when the alcohol scent had gotten in the way.
Wrapping his arms around Yeongdeok’s back, Wonjin held him tightly, wondering if this might be the last time he ever got to feel this close to him.
Acting childish, unbecoming of his age, he felt a stinging sensation at the tip of his nose.
Once, he had found Yeongdeok insufferable and disliked him.
Memories of days spent by Yeongdeok’s side flooded through Wonjin’s mind like a panorama.
When had he fallen for him?
It was nice to see Yeongdeok start to seem more human.
The more he observed, the more flaws he noticed, and he realized that Yeongdeok, too, was more vulnerable to loneliness than he seemed.
Pity had turned into a desire to stay by his side.
Wonjin let out a bitter laugh.
It was all pointless now, a useless lament.
If only he had realized his feelings sooner.
Acknowledging that it was too late, he slowly lifted his face from Yeongdeok’s shoulder.
“Sorry. I… I lost my mind for a second.”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Expecting Yeongdeok to be angry, Wonjin immediately started to make excuses, but instead of showing any irritation, Yeongdeok simply reached out to check his forehead as if to measure his temperature.
The gentle touch as he brushed aside his bangs made Wonjin’s tears finally well up.
“Yes….”
“Where does it hurt? There should be a hospital nearby….”
As Yeongdeok pulled out his phone to find a hospital, Wonjin grabbed his hand and placed it over his heart.
“It’s… my heart.”
“Your heart?”
“My heart hurts so much.”
Regret pierced Wonjin’s chest.
If not for his inferiority complex blinding him, he might have been Yeongdeok’s only one before he ever met Eungyeol or Jihoon.
A scene from the past flashed through Wonjin’s mind.
Yeongdeok sat at his desk reading documents, and he stood beside him.
In his imagination, he grabbed Yeongdeok’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss him.
Even if it was just a fantasy, he could almost feel the soft sensation of his lips.
Sensing Wonjin’s heart pounding faster, Yeongdeok seriously considered whether he needed to call for an ambulance.
“Yeongdeok, could I… hold your hand, just once?”
“My hand? But if your heart hurts, it could be serious. We need to go to a hospital….”
“No. I think holding your hand will make it better.”
Wonjin’s strong fingers interlaced with Yeongdeok’s, threading between them.
To Yeongdeok, this strange act seemed as nonsensical as pseudoscience.
Still, he remembered how Wonjin had comforted him when he was down.
Thinking he might really be in pain, Yeongdeok quietly held his hand.
“…Thank you.”
“You really are an odd one.”
“Am I?”
Wonjin held onto that hand tightly as if he’d never let go.
Countless confessions swirled in his mouth, but after some thought, he decided to keep them silent.
It was a confession he wouldn’t be able to take back, and he didn’t want to confuse Yeongdeok, who had only just sorted out his feelings.
Wonjin’s nose twitched as he reluctantly released Yeongdeok’s hand.
The urge to hold it again flared up, but he resolved not to be so pitiful.
“…Shall we head back now?”
Wonjin wiped the corners of his eyes and stood up from the bench they’d been sitting on.
Having come straight to Yeongdeok after work, he hadn’t had dinner and was now feeling hungry.
He hoped food could fill the emptiness left in his heart.
“You’ve helped me a lot. I should contact Seo Jihoon right away.”
“It’s good to hear I was helpful.”
“Are you really not going to the hospital…?”
“No. Thanks to you, I feel much better.”
In truth, he didn’t feel any better at all.
But Wonjin chose to accept the ache in his chest as his own burden, something he deserved.
“If our conversation is over… I’ll head in first. You take care getting home, Yeongdeok.”
“Be careful on your way.”
Wonjin got up and walked ahead before Yeongdeok.
He tried to appear composed, shoulders straight, but as soon as he turned his back, his expression crumbled in sorrow.
In that short span, Wonjin realized and then let go of his feelings for Yeongdeok.
* * *
Go to Jihoon quickly
I couldn’t stop smiling as Yeongdeok put all that confusion into heartfelt words. Well done, my boy.
And lol, hey, first person that will kill a flying roach for you is Hella heroic. Wonjin only caught a normal one? Wait now I’m not sure, now I gotta double check…
Woojin went through an entire rollercoaster these past chapters 😭
Thanks!
Thanks