The corners of his mouth that had torn from taking in that ridiculously large thing still hadn’t healed even after three days, constantly stinging. While it was partly his own fault for not applying even a bit of ointment and leaving it alone, every time the corners of his mouth ached, Seo Eunho unconsciously furrowed his brow. Perhaps the burning sensation was worse because he’d picked off the scabs as soon as they formed, finding them annoying.
Seo Eunho let out a small sigh as he fidgeted with his uncomfortable mouth. He had just arrived in front of the shoe store where Kim Junseong worked. Contrary to the forecast that said only a light drizzle would fall briefly, the downpour that had started showed no signs of stopping.
Thanks to that, Seo Eunho was able to leave work a bit early. Construction couldn’t proceed when it rained.
So he had unexpected free time, and after some consideration, Seo Eunho came here. Whether or not to go see Kim Junseong was something he’d been deliberating ever since he’d been led out by Tae Shinwoo’s hand and arrived home.
The message that came just when Kim Junseong’s words about Tae Shinwoo were already weighing on his mind made Seo Eunho move.
[Get home safely. Let’s meet again when there’s a chance.]
No matter how much his head had been slammed into the table. Could someone who’d been endlessly repeating the same words sober up that easily? Would he have had the presence of mind to send a message so carefully, without a single spelling mistake? The minor doubt easily spread into suspicion that someone other than Kim Junseong might have sent the message.
On top of that, the guy who’d been so fed up with Tae Shinwoo didn’t say a single word about him, even though Tae Shinwoo had personally appeared and taken him away. Why Tae Shinwoo had shown up there, why they’d left together. He was the type who would have rushed in like a moth to a flame and asked a hundred times over.
But that message was all Seo Eunho received from Kim Junseong. He didn’t even answer the call Seo Eunho made out of unease. It meant contact had been completely cut off after that message.
Either something had happened. Or he was avoiding him. Or possibly both. Seo Eunho was worried about Kim Junseong. He knew this wasn’t like him. But at the thought that Kim Junseong’s radio silence seemed connected to Tae Shinwoo, he couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
“……”
At least nothing’s happened to him.
Seo Eunho peered into the store from outside. Making his concern that he might not be there seem pointless, Kim Junseong was inside the store diligently organizing something. Then ultimately, it meant he’d deliberately avoided him.
His shoes and clothes were already soaking wet. Ignoring that, Seo Eunho carelessly peeled off his clinging clothes and entered the store. Fortunately, since it was a weekday afternoon and the timing was ambiguous, Kim Junseong seemed to be the only one inside.
“Welcome……”
Kim Junseong, who’d automatically started greeting as soon as the door opened, stiffened his face the moment he saw Seo Eunho. Rather than flustered, he looked startled. Seo Eunho silently walked over and stood in front of Kim Junseong. From the moment he realized he’d simply not answered his calls, he’d expected Kim Junseong wouldn’t welcome him, but he hadn’t expected him to be this shocked.
“Are you busy?”
Seo Eunho acted as if he couldn’t see Kim Junseong’s expression. Kim Junseong’s eyes rolled around. It looked exactly like he was searching for Tae Shinwoo. “I asked if you’re busy,” Seo Eunho asked again, catching Kim Junseong’s gaze. Now Seo Eunho knew too that Tae Shinwoo was following all his movements. He probably wasn’t doing it himself—he would have had his subordinates do it.
So Seo Eunho didn’t have time either. Since he didn’t want to create this situation either, he planned to just say what he needed to say and return quickly. At least before Tae Shinwoo appeared here.
“I’m busy.”
Kim Junseong finally answered. It was a completely different attitude from just a few days ago when he’d been pretending to be so friendly.
“Right, then. Just spare me a little time.”
Seo Eunho tilted his head crookedly. At Seo Eunho paying no heed to his words about being busy, Kim Junseong grimaced. Without even checking his expression, Seo Eunho asked bluntly.
“Did you send me that message that day?”
“……”
“And what you said that day—I don’t know if you remember, but you told me not to contact Tae Shinwoo. Did something happen between you and Tae Shinwoo?”
“……”
“Is it related to me? And what was that about apologizing out of the blue—”
“Eunho-ya. Sorry, but just go.”
Seo Eunho’s questions that had been flowing one after another were abruptly cut off. It was because of Kim Junseong, who’d interrupted while taking a step back from him. He kept glancing outside the store as he spoke to Seo Eunho.
“I don’t know anything. Those were just drunk ramblings. I don’t even remember what I said. So just go. I have nothing to tell you.”
“Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing at all.”
“Kim Junseong.”
“Even if something did, it didn’t. Don’t you understand what I mean?”
Kim Junseong took another step back. Seo Eunho didn’t bother closing the growing distance. To Seo Eunho, who’d lost his words, Kim Junseong added more. In a frightened voice, almost pleading.
“So please don’t ask. And don’t come looking for me either. I made a mistake.”
“……”
“You’re good at pretending not to know things. Just do that this time too.”
Seo Eunho faltered. Facing Kim Junseong, who looked ready to kneel at any moment, the questions he’d wanted to ask didn’t come out again. Seo Eunho’s mouth moved slightly before closing. He couldn’t ask anything, and meanwhile, his insides grew hot. It felt like his mind was becoming a complete mess in a short time.
What are you doing? What do you want from me? Why is Kim Junseong pleading like this?
All the questions he’d had toward Kim Junseong shifted to Tae Shinwoo. Seo Eunho no longer had any reason to talk with Kim Junseong. Seo Eunho immediately turned around. Kim Junseong neither stopped him nor offered a farewell.
The store door opened and Seo Eunho plunged into the pouring rain. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to go back for the umbrella he’d failed to bring. Seo Eunho just quickened his steps. His walking soon turned into running. The questions that had been rising chaotically subsided, and feelings he hadn’t even recognized surfaced and tormented Seo Eunho.
He no longer had curiosity about what had been done to Kim Junseong. The absurdity and fear that came with it were gone too. No, perhaps they’d never existed in the first place.
“Ha……”
Seo Eunho let out a hollow laugh as he stopped in place and swept back his hair. As his damp hair from the pouring rain fell back, his straight forehead was revealed. Laughter kept spilling out. He couldn’t seem to stop it at all.
I abandoned you. Not you, but me. So I thought you were exercising some petty revenge. That this contract started because of that.
Treating people as playthings and trying to hurt them—surely it was because you weren’t okay twelve years ago. So I nodded at your proposal. I believed that. Actually, I wanted to believe it. That the reason I accepted your proposal was something like that. That I thought I should let you have that small revenge because I still liked you.
But that wasn’t it. This uncontrollable elation that was turning his insides and boiling up seemed to constantly whisper that it actually wasn’t, that it wasn’t for Tae Shinwoo.
Right, I didn’t think about you. I just had lingering attachment, so I made time to be with you using all sorts of excuses. The truth is, I was happy that you were trying to confine me. Every time you held me, the glaring lust visible in your eyes, your attitude of wanting to monopolize me as if disgusted—it all made me so willing.
“Crazy bastard……”
Whether then or now, Seo Eunho hadn’t changed. Nothing had changed at all. Ah, I didn’t want to know. It would have been much better not to know that I’d entered the same cycle again. Seo Eunho had already erased his smile and rubbed his face.
“Excuse me, are you okay?”
It was then that an umbrella was held over Seo Eunho’s head. The raindrops that had been falling like blows disappeared. When he turned his head, a woman much smaller in build than him was looking at him with worried eyes. Only then did Seo Eunho smile lightly.
“Thank you.”
“It’s raining so much—where are you going? There’s a convenience store up ahead, should I at least walk you there with the umbrella?”
“……No. I’m fine going that far.”
His eyes slowly closed and opened. Seo Eunho raised the corners of his mouth again.
“I’ll trouble you for just a few seconds.”
“Pardon?”
“Which way are you going?”
Smiling kindly at his flustered companion, Seo Eunho tilted his head slightly. The woman nodded first, her face flushing gently at the gentle voice. The two began walking forward together, matching their steps. But truly not long after, Seo Eunho slipped out from under the umbrella. It was because of someone who roughly grabbed his shoulder.
“Kyaaa!”
The moment Seo Eunho felt the familiar touch grabbing his shoulder, he immediately turned around. Then without a moment’s hesitation, he swung his fist. As if he hadn’t expected it, the other person’s head turned sharply. His frowning face had a fierce look in his eyes. Seo Eunho twisted his lips into a smile.
“I’m indebted to you. Thank you.”
It was a polite greeting that didn’t match the situation. Soon Seo Eunho stared at the other person. It was Tae Shinwoo.
“Sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”
His sarcastic voice reached Tae Shinwoo through the rain. The smile soon disappeared from Seo Eunho’s face.
“Seo Eunho.”
A low, sunken voice called his name. Eyes filled with persistent possessiveness tried to devour him. Seo Eunho was willing. So it was terrible. Seo Eunho had felt this emotion before.
The more Tae Shinwoo was like this, the more Seo Eunho wavered. His expectations inflated like a balloon, then immediately burst. Seo Eunho had entered the same cycle. Completely as Tae Shinwoo intended.
He hated it. This time he really hated it. The heart hidden behind his expression full of mockery ached painfully. Seo Eunho didn’t want to repeat the same situation. But Seo Eunho was in the same situation as twelve years ago. He hadn’t entered it again—he’d never escaped from that relationship in the first place.
