## Chapter 128
“Don’t overthink it. Just take care of one thing at a time. If you focus on the commercial shoot and MiTube for now, things might naturally work themselves out.”
“Ah, they mentioned a commercial shoot at the end of this month, but why haven’t I heard anything? I should call the manager.”
With only three days left until the end of the month, Ban Hajun grabbed his phone and cigarettes and went outside. Feeling like he should do something rather than just sitting around, Mo Eunje was about to get up to run the washing machine when his phone rang. It was a call from Manager Yoon Hyesu.
“Yes, Manager Yoon. Hello.”
“Hello, Novelist. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Of course. Please speak freely.”
Since his contract would expire in August, he knew what this was about without having to ask. With July approaching, it was an awkward time to delay the decision about whether to terminate or extend the contract.
“Have you reviewed the proposal I sent by email?”
“Yes. I looked it over carefully, but it seems a bit overwhelming and I don’t think it’s the right place for me. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
“It’s a shame to miss such an opportunity, but I understand. I’ll take care of it. Also, about the dinner with the CEO I mentioned before—when would be a good time for you?”
Manager Yoon Hyesu first addressed the casting proposal before bringing up her main point. Despite her casual tone, there was considerable weight behind her words.
“Manager, I still haven’t made a decision. I’m really sorry, but could you give me a few more days?”
“Hmm… Would it be alright if we plan for after the ‘Book of the Month’ livestream in July?”
“Oh, has the ‘Book of the Month’ schedule been released?”
“Yes. I just heard from the writer in charge. The livestream is on Friday, July 8th, and the guest will be Author Lee Choyoung.”
Author Lee Choyoung had made a splendid debut by creating an SF boom with her unique subject matter, and now had a large fandom. She had debuted the same year as Mo Eunje, but had already released six works including short story collections, showing remarkable skill and passion as she worked tirelessly.
Mo Eunje and Author Lee Choyoung were with the same agency, and they had often seen each other at various literary events, which had helped them build a friendship during company dinners. They became close quickly as they were the same age, but since the author was so busy with frequent publications and external activities, they’d never had a chance to meet privately and only exchanged messages whenever they thought of each other.
“What’s the release schedule for Lee Choyoung’s new work?”
“It was published yesterday and is now available in bookstores nationwide. You should receive the livestream script around the beginning of the month.”
“I’ll buy the book myself then. And please bear with me a little longer regarding dinner with the CEO.”
There was a printer in the large room that Ban Hajun used as an acting practice space, but since the book had been published, there was no need to print and bind it. It was more convenient to buy the book, and ordering from an online bookstore meant it would arrive the next day without having to go out.
“Please think about it positively. The CEO really values you, so I hope you appreciate that.”
“I’m very grateful for the CEO’s consistent support, both material and otherwise.”
“Yes, I’ll contact you again when the livestream script is available.”
They exchanged the customary pleasantries and ended the call. Although Mo Eunje lived forgetting what day or date it was, the monthly ‘Book of the Month’ livestream schedule helped him realize when a new month had begun.
Unlike his expectation that he would stay at Ban Hajun’s officetel for a week at most, time had mercilessly passed by, and it had already been ten days. He’d told Tae Igyeol to sort out his feelings and then contact him, but even though Tae Igyeol had said he couldn’t sort out those feelings, the continued silence left Mo Eunje feeling uneasy and impatient. If Tae Igyeol would just say he’d sorted his feelings, even if it was a lie, Mo Eunje would pretend not to know and work on restoring their relationship, but Tae Igyeol wasn’t even doing that.
However, doing so would be like playing peek-a-boo, maintaining only the appearance of friendship without substance—a stopgap measure that would inevitably lead to the same problem surfacing again. It would be like filling a broken glass cup with water after taping it—it would leak silently before breaking again.
Mo Eunje stared at his phone, biting his nails and shaking his legs nervously. He grew increasingly anxious about potentially growing distant from Tae Igyeol forever. He tried to think of an excuse to contact him but couldn’t come up with anything suitable. In this situation, kindly asking if his cast had been removed might be misinterpreted, and playfully asking if he’d watched Ban Hajun’s MiTube seemed ridiculous. In the end, the only way was a direct approach. Having made up his mind, Mo Eunje sent a message.
5:03 PM [Are you really going to be like this?]
Anxiously fixing his gaze on the screen, wondering what would happen if Tae Igyeol didn’t read it, he saw the read receipt appear immediately, followed by a reply.
Tae Igyeol [My feelings won’t change]
Tae Igyeol [You accepting me would be faster] 5:03 PM
[Say something that makes sense]
5:03 PM [Why are you making assumptions without even trying?]
Tae Igyeol [Do you think I haven’t tried for over 10 years?]
Tae Igyeol [I confessed because nothing worked] 5:04 PM
Neither of them was willing to back down. In certain areas, Tae Igyeol could be tenacious, and Mo Eunje tended to be stubborn. It wasn’t an issue where either could easily give in, but realistically, it was Tae Igyeol who needed to yield.
Yet Tae Igyeol was serious in his own way, and Mo Eunje felt guilty thinking about both sets of parents. He wanted to disregard the ten years Tae Igyeol had persevered. When Mo Eunje showed no reaction, about three minutes passed before Tae Igyeol sent another message.
Tae Igyeol [Eunje]
Tae Igyeol [I miss you] 5:07 PM
“This crazy bastard, really…”
Mo Eunje closed the chat with Tae Igyeol, flustered as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have. If this had been before Tae Igyeol’s confession, he would have playfully replied with something like “How much?” and would have been satisfied and happy with that kind of response.
So Tae Igyeol should have been satisfied with their quasi-romantic play, but instead, he insisted on being greedy and ruining their entire relationship. Mo Eunje regretted contacting him, as it only made his ears and neck burn and his heart more unsettled.
“Selfish bastard…”
But then it occurred to him that perhaps he was the terribly selfish one, unable to accept Tae Igyeol’s confession yet not wanting to lose him.
Mo Eunje also couldn’t help but miss Tae Igyeol.
&
It had been exactly two weeks since Mo Eunje had left Tae Igyeol’s house, and summer had fully arrived. Gye Minho, who had planned to start daily serialization from June, had been too busy dating to build up a stable buffer of content, so he began daily serialization today, the first day of July. Ban Hajun had back-to-back commercial photoshoot schedules and had been out since yesterday. “The Taste of Falling for Ban Hajun” had shown remarkable growth, exceeding 5,000 subscribers in less than a week. The reason for this rapid increase in subscribers remained a mystery.
And Mo Eunje was reaching his limit, his patience nearly exhausted. Continuing to wait and watch while wasting time seemed likely to leave him in limbo. If Tae Igyeol continued to insist on his feelings, it might be better for them to spend some time apart, despite the pain and sense of loss. It wouldn’t be much different from now since they weren’t seeing each other anyway. He didn’t know if it would take months or years, but he tried to remain hopeful that as time passed, they might look back on the present as a memory and meet again with smiles.
But he wondered if he could really get by for months or years without Tae Igyeol. The longest period they had gone without contact was a month after a physical fight when they were eighteen, but even then, they had at least seen each other at school, and though they didn’t talk, they were intensely aware of each other.
“…”
Fear came first because there hadn’t been a single moment in his 26 years of life without Tae Igyeol. He would still breathe and eat without Tae Igyeol, but even now, each day felt boring, dull, and meaningless—honestly, what was the point of living? In a way, his life without Tae Igyeol would be like kimchi stew without kimchi, steamed eggs without eggs, bean sprout soup without bean sprouts, chicken without the chicken, or braised tofu without tofu—he didn’t have confidence he could endure it.
He even considered consulting his grandmother and made a video call, but seeing her gentle face, he couldn’t bring himself to worry her. Nothing had changed since the moment he’d left Tae Igyeol’s house, yet time continued to pass relentlessly.
Embracing an unsolved problem doesn’t solve it. Tae Igyeol had incredible willpower, and when it came to endurance, Mo Eunje could never win against him, even if he died and came back to life. Knowing this, he decided to leave the problem aside for now and focus on what he could do. He’d spent enough time—more than enough—cowering away.
Thus, after agonizing over a problem with no solution until his patience ran out, Mo Eunje, who had fled from Tae Igyeol’s house two weeks ago, was the first to wave the white flag and headed toward Ritz Ville. He told himself that whatever the outcome, this would all eventually pass as a trial, and his life wouldn’t fall apart.
