# Chapter 115
After spending a night with Kwon Dojin, I realized that when a person is determined to cling, they can stick to you endlessly.
When sitting, when going to get water, even when eating—thanks to Dojin clinging to me, I couldn’t get a moment alone. Actually, it was quite similar during the semester too, so I didn’t need to adjust. I mean it was too familiar.
“Can’t you stay just one more day?”
Dojin, with his eyes moistened, firmly held my hand. Though I was tempted by the desperation I felt in his fingertips, I couldn’t stay any longer since I’d come over without much preparation. I didn’t have any of my study materials with me.
“We’re meeting tomorrow, right?”
“Still…”
My heart softened at the sight of Dojin looking forlorn as if he had committed a sin. But since we’d already agreed to meet tomorrow, I closed my eyes tight and stepped back, and he let go of my hand.
Fortunately, he released me—as if reading my mind—when holding on would have been troublesome. I waved to Dojin one last time, and he waved back.
“Bye.”
“Take care.”
It felt like we stood there exchanging goodbyes for about five minutes. Feeling that I might end up staying at Dojin’s place again if I lingered any longer, I turned around.
“I’ll text you. You’ll respond, right?”
I nodded with a smile at his playfully drawn-out question, and then stepped out the door. Though I felt lingering regret, we had plenty of time ahead.
As I was leaving the apartment complex after taking the elevator down, my phone rang. Suspecting it was Dojin and checking, indeed it was him. His inability to wait even that short time made me smile.
“You—”
I was busily moving my fingers to reply when I heard a familiar voice and looked up.
“…Ji Haecheon?”
Why is he here?
The moment I faced the person responsible for injuring Dojin’s face, my expression contorted. Ji Haecheon’s brow furrowed just the same.
“Why are you here?”
“That’s my line, isn’t it?”
Why on earth would someone who isn’t close to Dojin, and doesn’t even live nearby, be here? Moreover, this was inside a residential complex, not even on a main road.
“I heard you hadn’t seen Kwon Dojin in a while.”
“…That can happen during vacation.”
How did he know that Dojin and I hadn’t been meeting for a while? What, did he have someone monitoring us? What business is it of his to check on such things?
Puzzled by his inexplicable knowledge, I discreetly stepped back. I also didn’t want to be around Ji Haecheon because nothing good had ever come from getting involved with him.
“I thought you had broken up.”
“Why would you say something so unpleasant?”
I couldn’t help but get angry at Ji Haecheon’s muttering. We had just started dating yesterday with much difficulty, and he’s talking about breaking up. There couldn’t be a worse jinx than that.
“Tsk.”
When I raised my eyes sharply and glared at him, Ji Haecheon clicked his tongue ostentatiously. When he raised his arm to brush his hair back, I noticed that part of his forearm was slightly yellowish.
His face was completely fine without any injuries, so I had thought he wasn’t hurt, but it seems he was injured too. My mood improved slightly knowing that Dojin had also landed a hit on Ji Haecheon. At least he hadn’t just been on the receiving end.
“Did you come to see Kwon Dojin?”
Wondering if he came to vent his anger, I narrowed my eyes at him. In response, Ji Haecheon nodded slightly and smirked.
“What’s it to you? Are you going to say you’re asking as a friend again?”
It wouldn’t be strange to ask as a friend, but Ji Haecheon’s mockery thoroughly ruined my mood.
“I’m asking as his boyfriend, why?”
Normally I wouldn’t have said it like that, but his sneering annoyed me, and I blurted it out in the heat of the moment. The moment he heard my answer, his expression contorted incomparably more than a moment ago.
“Dating? You and Kwon Dojin?”
“What’s with that reaction, like me dating Kwon Dojin is wrong?”
This time, I was the one whose expression contorted. Ji Haecheon is really too unpleasant.
“And you two insisted you were just friends.”
“That—”
I was momentarily at a loss for words. Technically, Dojin hadn’t insisted, but I had been the one adamantly claiming we were friends. Hearing such words even from him made me realize anew how much I had frustrated Dojin.
Feeling awkward, I ran my fingers through my hair and looked away. It seemed unlikely that continuing this conversation would benefit me, so I decided to end it.
“Since we’re not close enough for a long conversation, I’ll be going now.”
I turned to leave the apartment complex. It felt like I’d just wasted time. I would’ve been better off staying with Dojin.
“Wait.”
A hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. It happened so suddenly that I couldn’t resist. As a result, I was forced to face him again and sighed.
“What.”
My voice wasn’t polite, but neither I nor Ji Haecheon cared.
“When did you start dating?”
“…Why do you ask?”
What’s he trying to do by asking that? I shook off the hand on my shoulder and stepped back, which made Ji Haecheon raise an eyebrow.
“Answer.”
“So rude—”
I reflexively muttered due to the absurdity, but caught myself midway and shut my mouth. Without Dojin by my side, I felt I was being too forward.
Realizing it was time to be cautious, I glanced at Ji Haecheon, who ran his fingers through his hair with a hollow laugh. The irritation in his gesture made my shoulders twitch.
I might end up getting hit if I’m not careful. Since I didn’t want to get hurt, it seemed better to give him the answer he wanted and go our separate ways. It wasn’t such important information anyway.
“Yesterday.”
“What?”
“I said we started dating yesterday.”
“Ha, are you making fun of me?”
“Me? Of you? Why would I bother doing that?”
My face hardened at his attitude of not believing the truth. If he can’t believe it, why even ask? I was annoyed but sighed and let it go. Whatever his reaction, I’d given him the information he wanted, so our business was done.
“You don’t have anything else to ask now, right? I’m leaving, don’t try to stop me.”
I texted Dojin that Ji Haecheon was in front of his apartment and left the complex. It wasn’t much of a secret that I fled quickly, fearing being detained again.
Right on cue, the bus I needed to take was pulling into the stop. Feeling like it was urging me to hurry, I quickly got on the bus, sat down, and looked out the window.
I was checking if Ji Haecheon had followed me, but not a single strand of his hair was visible. Realizing I had completely escaped, a sigh of relief escaped me. I patted my chest and checked my phone, which had been vibrating constantly.
It was Dojin.
“Hello?”
[Are you hurt anywhere?]
“No. Nothing happened. We just talked briefly, that’s all.”
[That’s a relief—. Next time, don’t even talk to him, just ignore him.]
I would have done so if I could, but unfortunately, it wasn’t possible. Even today I was grabbed. When I told Dojin about that fact, he was outraged.
[Who does he think he is to treat you so rudely?]
“It’s already over, so let it go. More importantly, didn’t he come to see you for something?”
[Well, we’re not close enough to have any business with each other, so I’m not sure.]
“Mm-hmm. If you meet Ji Haecheon, don’t fight this time, just end it with conversation. And especially, be careful with your face.”
No matter how I thought about it, Ji Haecheon seemed to have come to see Dojin. The sound of wind suggested Dojin was also concerned and had gone outside. But I decided to go along with his pretense.
[Sometimes I feel like Habin is meeting me just to see my face.]
“Oh? Didn’t you know? I meet you to see your face.”
I responded to his playful remark in the same manner. I held my breath waiting for Dojin’s reaction, but there was only silence as time passed. Sensing something was off, I checked my phone and saw the call timer was still running.
That meant Dojin wasn’t speaking, so I put the phone back to my ear.
“Hello? Kwon Dojin?”
Given the lack of response even after calling his name, he seemed upset. I had merely played along with his joke, but it must have been a big shock to him.
“Dojin.”
[…Yes.]
Having become familiar with his name after calling it so much overnight, I got a delayed response. The fact that he answered when I called him without his surname amused me, and I smiled faintly.
“You know I’m joking, right?”
[There was so much sincerity in Habin’s voice that I’m not sure.]
“It’s really a joke—. And you asked first, if I meet you just to see your face.”
[In that case, you should have said no.]
“Mmm, well—”
It wasn’t completely wrong since I wouldn’t have fallen for him if not for Dojin’s appearance. That factor definitely played a part.
But knowing he would get upset again if I said this, I swallowed my words and evaded the topic, which wasn’t a good choice. He got even more upset.
[I see—, since Habin meets me for my face, you’ll leave when I get old and ugly.]
I wrinkled my nose at his voice, which anyone could tell was sulking. As I sometimes think, Dojin really gets upset easily.
“I didn’t say that much, did I?”
[No, Habin. I know without you saying it. It’s okay.]
“Mmm, no. You’ve got it wrong.”
After stretching my arm to adjust the direction of the air conditioning, which was too strong, I continued my interrupted sentence.
“You’re going to be handsome even when you’re old, so I won’t leave.”
His already handsome face would only gain a mature charm with age, so I’d probably still enjoy looking at Dojin’s appearance then too.
