Chacha’s Crayfish 51

‘Of course there will be rumors.’

Today’s incident will definitely become a rumor. Since Kang Juno was sick of rumors, having experienced them to the point of exhaustion, and detested even the letter ‘s’ of rumors, normally he would have tried to handle Ka Jerim somehow by himself. But if he tried to stop Ka Jerim alone.

“I was scared because I thought I was really going to die.”

He was scared that something might go wrong with Ka Jerim.

So, rumors or whatever, before his brain could even think, he threw open the door first. Please, someone help.

“Staff noona, can you contact our manager hyung?”

The staff member who nodded quickly disappeared from in front of him. And the other staff members also read Kang Juno’s mood and avoided the place on their own. Saying that this is why it’s convenient that this is a regular place he comes to often, Kang Juno smiled bitterly and poured the entire bottle of disinfectant.

“You bit me hard.”

Kang Juno, who let out a pained groan as if the wound hurt badly, looked at his deeply gouged finger and recalled what had just happened.

Ka Jerim was so strong that it was questionable where such strength came from in that small body. So even when he grabbed his arm tightly and slapped his cheek telling him to come to his senses, it wasn’t easy to stop him from trying to commit suicide with just his eyes rolled back white.

And when he grabbed his arm tightly to interfere with strangling his neck, he suddenly opened his mouth wide and tried to bite his tongue. If he hadn’t put his finger in, Ka Jerim’s tongue would have already been cut in half. Thinking such thoughts, Kang Juno stared at the blood soaking into the gauze and muttered lowly.

“‘I want to die again’……”

He let out a hollow laugh and stared at his already pitch-black dress shirt becoming even blacker due to his own blood.

“He talks as if he’s died once before.”

Flinch.

Kang Juno, who had been diligently putting gauze over the wound, belatedly opened his eyes wide like someone who only now recognized what he had said.

“……Like someone who’s died once.”

* * *

‘I’ll believe you.’

Kang Juno readily nodded that he would believe Go Yoon’s words. Go Yoon was rather flustered since he hadn’t imagined at all that Kang Juno would readily believe him.

‘You believe me?’

‘Yeah. Who said it? Actually, it’s hard to completely believe, but I’ll try to believe it. You’re not a kid who would joke around with something like this.’

Kang Juno’s face as he said that was actually stiff enough that anyone could notice up close, but Go Yoon, who was happy that Kang Juno believed his words, didn’t notice.

‘Juno, really, thank you.’

‘Instead. I also have one favor to ask.’

When Go Yoon asked what it was, Kang Juno silently went straight into the bathroom and filled it with water. Even while filling the bathtub with water, Go Yoon, who had no way of knowing Kang Juno’s intention, could only wonder what Kang Juno was doing now.

When the water was filled to some extent, it was in an instant that Kang Juno picked up Go Yoon’s phone that was placed on the sink and dropped it into the bathtub.

‘What are you doing right now!’

Startled Go Yoon hurriedly took out the phone, but the phone wasn’t turning on as if it had been water damaged. Knowing that if he cut off contact like this, Cha Hohyeon would worry, it was Kang Juno who grabbed Go Yoon who was hurrying to dry the phone.

‘The other favor I’m asking is don’t contact Ka Je, no…… Cha Hohyeon for a while.’

‘Kang Juno. You just said you believed me—’

‘I believe you. I believe you, but.’

Throughout hearing that story, Kang Juno thought. About a way for Go Yoon to be happy and for the members to be happy too. However, in order to execute that, he first needed to buy time, so he pulled this stunt.

Kang Juno said to Go Yoon, who was so angry at him that he didn’t know what to do.

‘Don’t contact or meet with Cha Hohyeon…… just for 2 weeks.’

‘……’

‘Even for just 2 weeks, look only at us.’

And at Kang Juno’s words, Go Yoon had no choice but to stop getting angry and silently bow his head. Although he naturally got angry seeing the phone that was already wet and dripping with water, it was because he understood this decision too, since Kang Juno had already talked about the state of the members who had become tattered and worn out.

‘……Okay. You’re just saying to go back and forth between the practice room and home for 2 weeks, right?’

‘Yeah. And don’t bring up this Cha Hohyeon story to the members yet.’

When Go Yoon nodded that he understood, Kang Juno took even Go Yoon’s wet phone as if anxious, and watching Kang Juno’s back of the head, he tried hard to hold back the sigh that was escaping. It was because he, who had to spend a lot of talk and time with the members anyway, couldn’t get angry anymore since it was natural for Kang Juno, the leader, to take such measures.

‘Okay. But you also don’t go find Cha Hohyeon out of the blue, go with me.’

‘Okay.’

After that day’s conversation ended like that, Go Yoon spent a lot of time with Lee Robi, Moon Hamoon, and Kang Juno as promised with Kang Juno. Although Cha Hohyeon occasionally came to mind, he endured the time that flowed particularly slowly, determined to first take care of the members who were currently taking medicine. Believing that if he endured just 2 weeks, everyone could be happy, he practiced hard and also went to eat delicious things with the members.

And when about a week of the deadline had passed, buying the cake that Cha Hohyeon liked at a bakery he happened to see on the way back after finishing practice alone was an action done purely on impulse.

“What should I do?”

Why did he buy something he can’t even give to Cha Hohyeon? Thinking such thoughts, Go Yoon stared intently at the cake and finally turned the car as if he had made up his mind.

‘It’ll be just for a moment.’

He’ll meet very briefly, give him the cake, and tell him not to worry about him. And thinking that he’ll properly contact him after a week, that he’ll definitely come to meet him with good news then, Go Yoon smiled, already imagining Cha Hohyeon receiving the cake and smiling.

“I miss you.”

He waited for Cha Hohyeon in the car in front of Abyss’s dorm. However, even as the sun set and the other members finished practice and entered the dorm, only Cha Hohyeon didn’t return, so he nervously tapped the car body with his finger and narrowed his eyes.

“That’s strange……”

Since he knew well that he usually returned home with the members, it felt particularly strange. Saying that variables are bound to occur in any situation, he shook his head trying to erase the bad thoughts that kept rising in his mind and just quietly stared at the entrance where Cha Hohyeon would enter.

He waited.

He waited and waited.

Eventually Go Yoon dozed off, and when he opened his eyes, he drew an arc on his lips at the sight of a familiar back of the head just then.

“He’s here.”

Since he had waited for Cha Hohyeon in an uncomfortable position for a long time, his stiff body screamed with creaking sounds. Go Yoon, regardless, quickly grabbed the cake and got out of the car to stand in front of Cha Hohyeon.

“Hohyeon-ah.”

Despite Go Yoon’s sudden appearance, Cha Hohyeon didn’t show any reaction as if he was someone who knew. He just stood still as if frozen and bowed his head.

“Cha Hohyeon?”

It is Cha Hohyeon, it definitely must be, so why isn’t he giving him any answer? Even if Cha Hohyeon was Ka Jerim in another person’s body, even wearing a hat and mask, Go Yoon could tell that he was Cha Hohyeon.

But today the feeling was strange. As Go Yoon tilted his head thinking it was strange at Cha Hohyeon standing silently still and was about to put his hand on his shoulder.

Tak—

“Wait, a moment.”

Cha Hohyeon pushed his hand away as if defending. Go Yoon was shocked for a moment at Cha Hohyeon’s appearance like that, but there was something even stranger than that, so he didn’t have time to care about the pushed-away hand.

“Why is your voice like that?”

Cha Hohyeon’s voice was hoarse beyond being just hoarse, it was cracked.

“Because of a cold.”

“Is it really bad?”

“……Yes.”

He wondered how bad it must be for his voice to be that hoarse. However, his worry was brief, and Go Yoon felt frustrated because he couldn’t see Cha Hohyeon’s face, which was tightly wrapped with a mask and hat. Wondering how unwell he must be to not even be able to show his face.

“We’re seeing each other after a long time, won’t you even show me your face?”

However, Go Yoon didn’t want to show his frustration and disappointment, so instead he deliberately spoke to Cha Hohyeon in a playful tone. But the strange thing continued. If it had been the usual Cha Hohyeon, he would have given some reaction, but he was particularly quiet.

“Are you angry because I couldn’t be contacted?”

Was it because of the phone call that was suddenly cut off last time? But he knew that Cha Hohyeon, with his personality, wasn’t a kid who would get angry over something like this, but he might have gotten angry about it just in case. Hoping his anger would subside, he hurriedly apologized to Cha Hohyeon.

“I’m sorry. There was a situation at that time.”

“……”

“I’ll slowly explain that matter later when we have a lot of time. So stop being angry now, and can’t we just talk a little before going in? I have to go in now……”

“In the future.”

Go Yoon, who was speaking soothingly, stopped talking and brightened up at Cha Hohyeon finally opening his mouth, then gradually erased his expression at the content that followed.

“Don’t come looking for me.”

Because it was a completely unexpected thing to say.

“Don’t come looking for me silently like this, don’t contact me, and anymore……”

“Hohyeon-ah.”

“Don’t call me Cha Hohyeon either.”

It was the first time in his life he’d heard Cha Hohyeon’s words as sharp as if he had a knife in his mouth. Was it because of the very hoarse voice? Was it because it was a voice made with Ka Jerim’s body, different from Cha Hohyeon? All kinds of thoughts swept through Go Yoon’s mind, but the reactions he could make immediately were limited.

“Something happened, right? Right?”

Go Yoon urgently grabbed Cha Hohyeon’s shoulder, but Cha Hohyeon stepped back and avoided Go Yoon’s touch.

“Don’t touch me.”