Kwon Sungha
Kang Sehyun broke up with his girlfriend.
And I just found out about it. Through someone else’s mouth at that.
“They really broke up?”
“That’s what I’m saying. This time Sehyun said let’s break up.”
“When?”
“That day we played bowling and drank before the semester started.”
This damn bastard.
No wonder he was talking about ideal types and stuff unlike usual, so I thought something was strange, but I just thought it was because things weren’t good with his girlfriend. I should have asked if something was wrong.
“What, that was two weeks ago. And he didn’t say anything until now? Sungha, did you know?”
“No.”
“How unusual that you didn’t know, Sungha? He didn’t tell you either?”
Even though it was a fact I’d find out eventually, when I heard it through other people, an unnecessary hurt washed over me. It was the same even though the people delivering the news were close hyungs. Because now I was the person closest to Kang Sehyun, to the point where the hyungs would ask me for news first.
If it was two weeks ago, how much time there was to say something.
During the week, except for days I worked, I spent time at Kang Sehyun’s place studying or watching movies, and I even drank with him every weekend. I thought he just wasn’t going to New York on weekends because he was busy after the semester started, but I never thought they’d broken up.
Am I an idiot?
“Hey, maybe he didn’t say anything thinking they’d get back together? They always did until now. Just because Sehyun said let’s break up, what’s different? He’s accepted her back until now anyway.”
“Hmm…… Yeah, that could be it.”
It absolutely wouldn’t be.
It’s true that Kang Sehyun had broken up and gotten back together with his girlfriend several times, but he’d never once been the one to announce the breakup. And if it’s the Kang Sehyun I know, he would never take back words he’d said himself, so this time it was really a breakup.
While the hyungs, excited that it was Friday, continued talking about the dorm party, I put down the sandwich I was eating and sent a text.
Me: [Did you break up with your girlfriend?]
A few seconds later, a reply came.
Kang Sehyun: [Yeah]
It was an annoyingly short and concise reply.
Me: [Why didn’t you tell me]
Kang Sehyun: [What’s such a big deal about it]
I knew it. Breaking up with someone you dated for almost 5 years couldn’t be nothing, but I knew Kang Sehyun would definitely say something like that.
Me: [Let’s meet later and talk first]
Kang Sehyun: [You said you’re not coming this week]
Ah. Right.
Even I thought we’d been meeting too often lately, so I’d said I just wanted to rest at home doing nothing this weekend. But now thinking back, I understood why Kang Sehyun wanted to meet even on weekends.
I felt sorry for canceling weekend plans with the excuse of being tired. Still, I’m Kang Sehyun’s one and only friend right now.
Me: [I changed my mind]
Me: [So prepare some alcohol]
Kang Sehyun: [What kind]
Me: [Anything]
Me: [I’ll bring snacks]
Kang Sehyun: [Got it]
Even though the messages were the same as usual, they suddenly felt different somehow. He’d clearly be tapping the screen with a blank face, but I kept imagining Kang Sehyun looking at his phone with a deflated expression in my head.
That night, before going to Kang Sehyun’s place, I worried about various things.
Whoever said let’s break up, after breaking up with a longtime lover, that empty space would be big, so I thought for a long time about what kind of comfort I should give such a person. Then I realized all I could do anyway was drink with him, and resolved to at least not make any slip of the tongue.
Drrrr- Drrrr- Click.
– ……Yeah.
“Were you sleeping?”
– No, exercising.
“At this hour?”
– Yeah.
Originally Kang Sehyun likes exercise. But I was concerned about why he was suddenly exercising even if it was nothing special.
For instance, because he had too many thoughts so he couldn’t sleep, or he had thoughts he wanted to shake off. Everything connected to the breakup.
– Are you done?
“Yeah. I’m leaving now.”
– Got it.
“Are you okay?”
– What?
“Ah, is it okay if I come now? I’m wondering if you’re tired.”
– Why are you suddenly checking that? You’ve been coming just fine until now.
“That’s true, but your voice sounds tired, so I’m asking.”
– I’m not tired, I exercised. Don’t worry and come carefully.
About 35 minutes from the shop. I arrived at Kang Sehyun’s officetel.
When I arrived in front of the now very familiar building, the manager who would normally block the entrance opened the door for me. They used to check for guests every time I came, but at some point they just opened the door.
That made sense, since I came and stayed over at least two or three times a week, it was natural to be treated almost like someone who lived there.
[Have you arrived?]
[Hello.]
When I turned on the engine and got out of the car, a manager in a nice uniform approached. It was Michael, the oldest of the three parking managers. He was usually calm, but today somehow he felt flustered.
[Is something wrong? The atmosphere seems a bit chaotic.]
[Ah, there was a small commotion a moment ago.]
A commotion? Did a drunk person show up? At this late hour, the only thing I could think of was an uninvited drunk guest.
[Are you okay? Your expression still doesn’t look good.]
[I’m fine now. A miss got angry when we blocked her entry…… But it was resolved well.]
[That’s a relief. Well then, take care.]
[Yes. I’ll see you later.]
Michael kindly opened the entrance door for me. This was one thing I never got used to no matter when I came.
I entered through the entrance and headed for the elevator inside. The door of the leftmost of the three elevators was closing. I hurriedly pressed the button and fortunately the door of the elevator that was about to go up opened. And I made eye contact with the person inside. For a moment I thought my heart stopped.
Ah, I’m going crazy.
Inside the slowly opening door stood a familiar face. Even if the other person didn’t remember me, it was a face I’d seen dozens of times in photos.
I’d seen the photo on Kang Sehyun’s phone background several times, but indeed the real thing was incomparably impressive. Even though it was a face I’d seen once two years ago, she was still surprisingly pretty and attractive.
Ding-.
While I was spacing out, the elevator arrived at the 24th floor. What do I do now—while I hesitated very briefly, the other person got off the elevator first. Click-clack, the sound of high heels echoed through the hallway.
Obviously…… she came to meet Kang Sehyun? Did she contact him before coming? Surely, she must have contacted him before coming. But why didn’t Kang Sehyun contact me? If he’d said his girlfriend was coming, I wouldn’t have come.
Kang Sehyun’s girlfriend, no, ex-girlfriend, walked with quick steps as if there was something urgent. I followed behind her very slowly, as far away as possible. The person ahead arrived in front of the door and pressed the password.
Beep- Beep- Beep-.
Instead of the cheerful notification sound of the door opening, an error warning sound was heard.
“……Ha. Crazy.”
At the same time, the other person’s angry voice was also heard.
Anyone could see it wasn’t the behavior of someone who’d contacted in advance before coming. Thinking this wasn’t right, I stopped walking, when this time—ding-dong, ding-dong—a noisy doorbell sound rang through the hallway.
Fling-.
“Did you forget the password? Last time—”
Kang Sehyun, who opened the door, stopped speaking. His straight forehead completely crumpled. And his words were utterly cold.
“What, it was you?”
The face of the person who heard those words also crumpled at once. It seemed like tremendous words would come out soon.
“You—”
“Keep in mind it’s late and lower your voice.”
“What?”
“I have no reason to let you into the house, so if you don’t want to get reported for fighting in the hallway, lower your voice.”
Wow. Really…… how rude.
Of course I knew how cold Kang Sehyun was to people he disliked, but I didn’t know he’d be like this to a lover he’d just broken up with not long ago. Moreover, the other person was someone he’d known since childhood.
Even I was surprised, so the person who directly heard those words was more shocked and couldn’t say anything. But Kang Sehyun turned his head with a too-calm expression. Our eyes met.
“You’re here?”
That tone from just now was completely gone.
“If you’re here, come in, why are you doing that?”
“……Ah. Yeah, I should.”
I regretted why I had to be here at a moment like this. I should have left five minutes earlier or later. In a completely unexpected situation, I felt like I was going crazy, unable to do this or that.
“I’ll go smoke a cigarette first and come back.”
“Then let’s go together.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go together.”
“No. I can go alone and come back.”
“I was going to smoke anyway. Let’s go down together.”
I don’t want to, you crazy bastard.
Kang Sehyun pretended not to know even though he clearly knew I was trying to leave the scene. Even though he knew better than anyone that I was doing this on purpose. In the end, I had no choice but to say it directly.
“You hold back and smoke later. And contact me when you’re done talking. It’s okay even if it takes a long time.”
“Never mind. Why should you go? There’s someone else who should leave.”
I felt like the situation that needed to be resolved was getting worse and worse. Sure enough, the gaze that had been glaring at Kang Sehyun as if to kill him turned toward me.
Ha…… How did I end up…
