Lee Juwon found Han Hyeonseok, who was treating him condescendingly now, unfamiliar. Of course, the recent Han Hyeonseok who looked at him like some kind of enemy or treated him as insignificant was also unfamiliar, but more than that, Han Hyeonseok giving him fear was incomparably more unfamiliar. He couldn’t understand where the one who had followed him even when told not to, who had clung to him even when told not to cling, who had given unconditional affection, had gone, leaving only someone who threatened him.
Han Hyeonseok was trash acknowledged by himself and others. He acted as if that was some kind of set value. He acted as if he was born to be that way. True to being trash, he was violent and had a fucking awful personality. I wondered if he wasn’t crazy. No one dared to stand up to him. The only ones who could match him were those bastards who followed me around.
The reason Lee Juwon, who had only strong pride but no strength, who was weak, could treat Han Hyeonseok as if he were a subordinate was purely because Han Hyeonseok always let him win, as if he was born just to love him. Because he loved him beyond any doubt. That’s why even when he lost his memory and acted differently from usual, Lee Juwon had no reason to change his own behavior. He had confidence. That Han Hyeonseok would love him whether he had lost his memory or not.
No matter how roughly he treated him, it would only be temporary; he thought that soon he would fall in love with him again and give him his liver and gallbladder and everything. This was merely a simple trial with an obvious answer.
Even if he wandered around having lost his memory for a bit, even if his memory ultimately didn’t return, he would surely fall for Lee Juwon once more and regain his memory. A trial designed so that after regaining his memory, he would bitterly regret his actions during the time he lost his memory and crave Lee Juwon’s love more, cherishing it more preciously.
Since there’s no story without trials, this must be one of the trials he had to go through.
So there was nothing to be anxious about. This was undoubtedly an adversity meant to make Han Taeseok desire Lee Juwon more desperately. If you asked how he could be so certain, it would be fine to answer that it was just natural. It was like the principle that morning comes when the sun rises and night comes when the sun sets, and it was common sense in this world, so there was nothing to be anxious about. Of course, it wasn’t that his heart didn’t ache, but if it was to build a more perfect relationship, he could endure as much as needed.
But a Han Hyeonseok who looked down on Lee Juwon? A Han Hyeonseok who threatened Lee Juwon? It was Han Hyeonseok who had acted as if he was born to love Lee Juwon. A Han Hyeonseok who seemed to dislike Lee Juwon?
Lee Juwon’s values, which hadn’t wavered no matter how roughly Han Hyeonseok treated him, began to waver for the first time. He put strength in his eyes, wondering if the one before him was truly Han Hyeonseok. But what was before his eyes was indeed Han Hyeonseok’s appearance, at least.
“Are you carrying your head around as decoration?”
“…What…?”
Lee Hyeonseok called Lee Juwon and paused for a long while, then suddenly started hurling personal insults. It seemed like he would beat him down right away, but surprisingly, he seemed to have strong patience. Unlike my expectations, I was inwardly impressed by his quite patient behavior, but unlike me, Lee Juwon seemed quite shocked. He seemed to have a hard time accepting it. Well, that makes sense.
“What are you relying on to keep acting up towards me?”
“……”
Lee Juwon couldn’t say anything. It seemed he had finally realized that Han Hyeonseok had no favorable feelings towards Lee Juwon. If this were media or a novel, this trashy melodrama would be a situation where you couldn’t help but be intrigued while eating popcorn.
However, right now this wasn’t fiction, but an actual situation unfolding before my eyes. Even the thought of eating popcorn made me feel like I’d get indigestion. I really wished they would talk without me. I couldn’t bear this awkward and difficult atmosphere. To exaggerate a bit more, it was so painful I couldn’t breathe. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the hobby of giggling at others’ misfortune, so this situation was unbearably uncomfortable.
“Ah. Is it because I lack credibility?”
“?”
For Lee Juwon, faced with completely incomprehensible words, he seemed to be trying to understand while just furrowing his brows tensely. It seemed like he understood with his head, but he still seemed to find it hard to accept. If he doesn’t like you anymore, then he just doesn’t, but I couldn’t understand why he was struggling so much with something so simple. Maybe he doesn’t know yet, being young, that there’s no such thing as love that lasts a lifetime.
Noticing the atmosphere where they were now focused only on each other, I cautiously stepped backward. If they have no intention of talking without me, then I should disappear, what else can I do? If you don’t like the temple, the monk must leave.
Without even thinking of looking at the terrifying-faced Lee Hyeonseok, I slowly turned around without making a sound. I was planning to run away without looking back. I was worried about Lee Juwon, but Lee Juwon was the protagonist, and Lee Hyeonseok, when all was said and done, hadn’t hit him, so it would be fine. I tried to run away while running that hopeful circuit.
But at that moment, a loud smacking sound rang out along with a pained groan of “Agh!” and someone collapsed next to me. It was Lee Juwon. Lee Juwon’s left cheek was red. I saw his right palm positioned at about Han Hyeonseok’s chest level. It seemed he had finally been hit by Han Hyeonseok.
“Then I should give you credibility.”
Han Hyeonseok said, looking down at the collapsed Lee Juwon. Even though Lee Juwon seemed to have been hit with a palm, he was hit so strongly that he immediately fainted and probably didn’t hear those words. I looked at the fainted Lee Juwon with envious eyes. I wished he would knock me out painlessly too.
“Every single one of you must think I’m easy.”
Is it my turn now? Lee Hyeonseok was slowly approaching me, who was frozen solid, unable to speak from fear. His voice overflowed with murderous intent, as if his mood was thoroughly twisted. I had no idea what I had done wrong.
“One acts up towards me, and the other tries to scurry away like a rat in the middle of talking to me.”
Oh dear, I’ve committed a mortal sin. And I didn’t even know it. Even to avoid ending up like Lee Juwon, I should prostrate myself and crawl, but my body absolutely wouldn’t move. Only cold sweat flowed down regardless of my will.
“How should I take this?”
How should you take it? You should take it as me running away because you’re too scary, not because I think you’re easy, shouldn’t you? It seems you don’t even remember my behavior of reading the room and humoring you all this time. I knew I had to say something to Lee Hyeonseok, but my mouth was frozen shut and as if something was blocking my throat, even breathing wasn’t easy.
“Should I take it as you wanting to get beaten?”
Lee Hyeonseok said “Hm?” and tapped my cheek with his palm once more. Unlike the first time, strength was put in, so it even hurt. Still, I thought, ‘Hey, no way, would he really hit me?’ but he was someone who knew how to act on it. Since I was someone who didn’t know self-defense, I took as polite an attitude as possible with all my might.
“No, no…”
Before ‘what if’ killed someone, I moved my frozen mouth with a sense of mission and desperation that I should make excuses or whatever to appease that twisted mood. My trembling voice came out nakedly, but I didn’t care. Rather, I even welcomed it, thinking wouldn’t it feel more sincere.
Fortunately, my trembling voice and frightened appearance seemed to please him, as he raised the corners of his mouth. But, oh my god. That look was like a face that said, from now on I’m going to do some fucking terrible shit. If earlier I was afraid of getting beaten, this time I became afraid not knowing what Lee Hyeonseok might do.
“Excuse me, I really didn’t look down on you, hyung…”
“Didn’t?”
It was a desperate excuse that I couldn’t even finish properly. Unlike that, Lee Hyeonseok very leisurely caught the tail of my words and repeated them. Who was it. Who said that repeating the end of someone’s words makes you look cute? This was just nothing but terrifying.
“Didn’t, and, you two… you two! were talking.”
“Were talking?”
“…so you could talk comfortably… with that feeling…”
“With that feeling?”
“I was clearing… the space…”
I just wished he would understand appropriately, but since he caught and repeated the tail of my words, it felt like I had to say more. Even while my voice trembled, I barely finished my words. Since it seemed like it would never end if I kept trailing off like this, I struggled to finish, and only then did Lee Hyeonseok stop too.
Lee Hyeonseok and I were only exchanging gazes. Unable to directly meet his gaze full of brutality, my pupils swimming hard in the air, unable to stay still, were clumsily receiving his gaze. The moment I wondered if I’d have a heart attack today from my ominous heartbeat, Lee Hyeonseok grabbed my wrist really, very fucking strongly.
“Aaaaagh!”
“I said if I catch you lying, your wrist flies off.”
Even at my loud scream, Lee Hyeonseok didn’t care and only spat out his words. Crazy bastard. Those words came out because he himself didn’t know his own strength. Unlike Lee Hyeonseok’s indifferent face, veins were even bulging on his fist.
“!”
Nausea surged involuntarily from the pain, but the moment I saw Lee Hyeonseok’s fierce gaze, I realized that what should come from my mouth must only be screams, groans, or sounds begging for forgiveness, so I decided to scream diligently.
“Ah, aaagh! My hand, ah!”
“I wonder if you’d quiet down if I stuffed something in your mouth.”
“Hahup.”
I screamed with all my might, partly hoping that Lee Juwon would wake up hearing my screams or that someone would come running… but Lee Hyeonseok threatened me so indifferently that I immediately shut up.
