He doesn’t want to make up with me.
While feeling hurt, Jion wasn’t in a hurry to reconcile. Because there was nothing uncomfortable.
Honestly, right after the fight, he was very concerned. We share the same room, so what if it’s awkward to see each other’s faces? Should I ask to switch rooms? Do we have to ignore each other when we keep seeing each other’s faces?
However, ridiculously, even during the time they didn’t reconcile, which was longer than expected, their relationship remained unchanged. Seonwoo Jin just didn’t make the first move to talk, come next to him and cling, or make excessive physical contact like draping his arm over his shoulder and leaning on him, but aside from that, they roughly did everything they used to do.
Just like before, he would continue sitting across from Seonwoo Jin, who ate slowly but didn’t like eating alone, sit next to him when moving by car, receive Seonwoo Jin’s support when going up stairs or when his steps were unsteady, and after Jion washed up, Seonwoo Jin would rewrap the fixation device he’d loosened…….
Not being squeezed together on the cramped bed was awkward at first, but after a few days, it felt subtly spacious and comfortable, so it was okay. Except for the fact that there was almost no conversation, even the members saw them as close to normal, so there was no need to deliberately arrange a situation for them to make up.
However, just because it wasn’t uncomfortable or urgent didn’t mean this situation should continue. After the members’ celebration ended and they left, Seonwoo Jin, confirming the room had become quiet, finally opened the bathroom door and came out.
Did everyone leave…….
The reason Seonwoo Jin avoided that situation wasn’t anything special. If he was there, he would have to offer Jion congratulations too, but he was afraid Jion wouldn’t listen to his congratulations and would ignore him. If Jion didn’t accept his congratulations, he didn’t know what expression to make. So he ran away to the bathroom.
That’s right. Seonwoo Jin was in such a weak state, afraid that Jion had really lost affection for him and was angry, that he couldn’t even speak to him.
“……!”
However, it would have been right to squeeze in and say a word of congratulations when the members were there. When Seonwoo Jin carefully opened the bathroom door and came out, what he faced was Jion sitting on the bed with an extremely hurt expression, looking at him.
“……”
“……”
Their gazes met, and a shallow silence hung in the air. Seonwoo Jin felt that now was the time he had to open his mouth. That if he didn’t say something now, no, if he didn’t say what Jion wanted to hear right now, it would be dangerous.
But Seonwoo Jin wasn’t equipped with the scumbag playboy smooth-talking skills he’d accumulated from excitedly meeting women before regression. The abnormally excessive attachment relationship he had with Jion also made it difficult to speak. It’s a problem if your tongue moves too well, but it’s also a problem when it stutters when it needs to move. In the end, it was Jion who broke the silence first.
“……The other kids all celebrated like it was their own business that Park Homin failed, but not you?”
“……Huh?”
“Aren’t you happy? Is it someone else’s business?”
Jion narrowed his eyes and glared at Seonwoo Jin. It was on the level of scolding a lover who had been waiting for them to contact again after saying they needed time first, asking why they didn’t contact them, but as always, in situations like this, the person on the receiving end becomes dumbfounded, speechless, and becomes the guilty one. Seonwoo Jin stuttered and waved his hands.
“Uh, well, that……”
Of course, Seonwoo Jin was also happy that Park Homin had boarded the train to hell. Because he’d been praying for that bastard to fail ever since he grabbed Jion by the collar. However, there was appropriate timing for everything, and Seonwoo Jin had missed it.
“……Never mind.”
Jion, who had become extremely sulky with Seonwoo Jin, abruptly stood up and limped out of the room. Seonwoo Jin belatedly realized that this had been Jion’s hand of reconciliation extended to him, but with his own foolishness, the opportunity for the two to naturally reconcile had slipped away. Seonwoo Jin stared blankly at the closing door.
Jion, who had stormed out of the room in anger, got even more heated at Seonwoo Jin for not catching him after he stormed out.
“What’s with Seonwoo Jin…… So annoying……”
Jion’s mood plummeted extremely just from the fact that Seonwoo Jin wasn’t as happy about his matter as the other members. So much so that even seeing follow-up articles about Park Homin taking a simple drug test and testing positive didn’t stir any thoughts.
Jion lay on the living room sofa and glared at their room door. He thought if he came out sulking like this, he would follow and say no and act cute, but the door remained quiet. In case their paths would cross if he left the dorm, he deliberately didn’t go far and was waiting in the living room…….
“Ah, seriously…… This is too much……”
Feeling extremely hurt, Jion just kept scrolling through news articles while lying down. Even reading articles that compiled all the controversies Park Homin had caused until now, along with articles about the 7-year jinx called an unwritten rule in the idol world, Venom’s crisis, and massive penalty fees, didn’t improve his mood.
I guess I’m the only one who wants to make up with him.
The more he thought about it, the more hurt Jion felt toward Seonwoo Jin. The fact that this cold war started with his one-sided scolding of Seonwoo Jin had already disappeared from Jion’s mind.
I’ll forgive him if he comes out now. No, within 3 minutes. I’ll even give him up to 5 minutes. 10 minutes……? That’s a bit long, but okay. I’ll give him up to 10 minutes.
He kept extending the deadline on his own while glaring at the door, but Seonwoo Jin’s weak mental state fallen into frustration didn’t recover, and contrary to that slow recovery speed, Jion’s mood began to rapidly worsen. Eventually, unable to contain his surging irritation, Jion abruptly sat up.
Should I go and talk to him first? Didn’t I talk to him first earlier too? But should I go one more time? My pride is hurt, but I should still talk to him one more time, right? I don’t want to though?
His ego in his thirties and his ego in his twenties, the mindset of an instructor dealing with vocal students and the mindset of an anxious-scolding-type lover—though he still hadn’t even realized his feelings and they weren’t dating yet—had a fierce battle. And in the end, experience won. Actually, it would be funny for the lover ego to win when they weren’t even dating yet. Jion sighed and adjusted his posture.
“……Yeah. Still, I’m the adult. I should be patient.”
It was something that would sound strange to anyone listening since they were the same age on the outside, but it was still better than continuing to maintain an awkward state. Before getting up, Jion briefly pondered his approach method. Should he go in acting cute and pretty like usual and pull off ‘Woojin-ah, Jion is sooo hurt because you didn’t celebrate with me’, or should he calmly say ‘Aren’t you going to eat?’
He hadn’t talked for too long, so he couldn’t get a feel for what approach to take. Neither felt right. The best scenario would be for Seonwoo Jin to open the door and come out right now, not hiding his awkwardness and stammering an apology, saying he was actually really happy but missed the timing to say it…….
“……Idiot.”
The door didn’t open and instead, his phone vibrated unexpectedly. Thinking Seonwoo Jin might have sent a message unable to overcome his embarrassment, he hurriedly checked the screen, but the sender wasn’t a saved name.
No Name
[Is your injured ankle okay?]
[Saw the article and thought of you so I’m contacting you]
[Did seeing that make you feel a bit better?]
Who is this? Jion glared at the unfamiliar number. Looking at how they’re talking, it doesn’t seem like they know me very well originally? But they roughly know about what happened between Park Homin and me? The way they’re subtly speaking casually but not quite—are they older than me?
Combining all these conditions, he felt like someone might come to mind, but wasn’t sure. Jion frowned and glared at the unfamiliar number acting friendly. Something, feels like…….
And as if realizing Jion’s state, the unfamiliar person belatedly revealed their identity.
No Name
[Ah, right. You don’t know my number, do you?]
[I was in a hurry so I jumped straight to the point]
[It’s me, Kim Yoon Hyeok]
[(Photo)]
“……Hm?”
The stranger who suddenly contacted him was Yoon Hyeok from Various, whom he’d met at IAC. Perhaps suspecting it might be an impersonation, he even sent a selfie with a casual mood. But Jion, not letting go of his suspicion, did an image search with that photo, and only after confirming it was a photo that hadn’t been publicly released anywhere yet did he reply.
Me
[Hello, sunbae-nim]
[I’m recovering well]
[Thank you for your concern]
Jion politely and diligently answered only the questions in the first part. Since he still didn’t know what kind of person Yoon Hyeok was, he couldn’t rashly agree with the talk about Park Homin falling into hell. Moreover, there was one more part Jion was concerned about.
“How did he get my number……”
They hadn’t exchanged numbers at IAC. Various’s manager did take him to the hospital, but they didn’t particularly exchange contact information there either…….
And as if eavesdropping on Jion’s muttering, a message from Yoon Hyeok appeared.
No Name
[Ah, I got the number through your manager]
[I asked through our manager]
[Sorry if it made you uncomfortable]
“Haah……”
At the unexpected personal number leak route, Jion dry-washed his face. Manager hyung…….
