EX Ch 6

Thinking back, it was like that even when we were dating. Because Yoon Hyeonjo didn’t particularly like using designated drivers, we rarely drank during evening dates. He said something about how he could only feel at ease if he saw me going into my house with his own eyes, or whatever. Anyway… he was a bit peculiar. At first, I liked it, but as time went on, Yoon Hyeonjo’s overprotective behavior became a bit tiring.

While I was lost in thought, Yoon Hyeonjo moved toward his car parked on the roadside without a word. Suddenly struck by the fear that he might just leave me behind, I hurriedly chased after him.

“Hey, wake up. Ah, this bastard. He really drank like shit.”

“Ugh… ugh.”

Finally opening the car door, Yoon Hyeonjo roughly shoved Woosik—who was no different from a piece of luggage—into the back seat. However, given the weight, it didn’t look easy. To make matters worse, a completely wasted Woosik clung to Yoon Hyeonjo. With the car door open, the two of them engaged in a heavy physical struggle for quite a while. I just stood there blankly, watching the spectacle.

“Ah, fuck. This guy really…”

Eventually, with his clothes disheveled, Yoon Hyeonjo took off the leather jacket he was wearing and tossed it into the car. Then, grabbing Woosik by the scruff of the neck, he began to shove him into the car without ceremony. It was at that moment, as Yoon Hyeonjo leaned deep into the back seat.

“Hey, just get in. Huh?”

The streetlight glowed down onto his white T-shirt. And a tattoo drawn across Yoon Hyeonjo’s back faintly revealed itself. Looking closely, a tattoo that looked like a woman’s face showed through the thin T-shirt. Without realizing it, I knit my brows to look closer, and a somewhat familiar face caught my eye.

“Uh…”

Huh? That looks like my face… It was the moment I took a step forward from an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. Having finally shoved Kim Woosik completely into the back seat, Yoon Hyeonjo kicked the car door shut and straightened up. I quickly turned my body and feigned innocence as if I hadn’t seen anything. Yoon Hyeonjo, having no way of knowing what I had seen, casually brushed off his hands and spoke to me.

“Where’s your house.”

“I’m still at that…”

“Isu Station?”

Nod, nod. As soon as I moved my head, Yoon Hyeonjo moved toward the driver’s seat. I guess that means he’s giving me a ride? I promptly opened the passenger door and sat in the seat next to him. Yoon Hyeonjo gave the lying Kim Woosik in the back seat a pathetic look, and then, without further word, started the engine. With this, the taxi fare was saved.

I buckled my seatbelt, feeling happy without Yoon Hyeonjo knowing. As the car started, Yoon Hyeonjo turned on music as was his habit and drove leisurely over the empty road.

Listening to the sound of Woosik’s snoring coming from behind me and the calm music, I casually tapped my feet to the rhythm. Thump, thump. Of course, it wasn’t the kind of behavior one should exhibit next to a lover they had heartlessly dumped. Perhaps that behavior bothered him. Yoon Hyeonjo, who had been driving while looking only ahead, started picking a fight with me.

“Are you excited? Very much so.”

“No, it’s not that I’m excited…”

I quickly gathered my legs neatly and killed the excitement. Yoon Hyeonjo, who looked at me as if I were an immature brat, leaned one arm against the window after a moment and tossed out a question.

“Since when did you start seeing Kim Woosik, three months ago?”

“…Yes, three months ago.”

“Fuck, you sure are fast.”

His tone was thick with sarcasm. It seemed he was getting angry again. Keeping an eye on Yoon Hyeonjo’s mood, I needlessly gripped the seatbelt crossing my chest.

“After you broke up with me, didn’t you meet some old guy too?”

How does he know my dating history so thoroughly? I looked at Yoon Hyeonjo with a somewhat surprised expression and then soon opened my mouth honestly.

“Yes, but I broke up with that person after meeting for two months.”

“Why.”

Why, indeed. I wasn’t originally the style to date someone persistently. I’d never liked anyone deeply, either. Yoon Hyeonjo probably wouldn’t believe it, but if I told him that among the boyfriends I’d dated, the relationship with Yoon Hyeonjo was the longest, would he actually believe me? He’d probably laugh. Anyway, because I’d get lonely quickly if no one was by my side, and because I was often short on money whenever there was a gap, I’d date men at the drop of a hat, but I was never particularly sincere about dating.

“Just, because he was whatever…”

“……”

“And I didn’t know if we were a good match.”

I roughly trailed off and turned my head toward the window. It was then. Taking advantage of a red light while driving, Yoon Hyeonjo brought the car to a rough halt. Screeeech!

“Do you break up just because they’re whatever?”

“…Huh?”

“Is that how you are?”

Startled by the sudden confrontation, I turned my head to see Yoon Hyeonjo glaring at me with a face full of anger. Why, why… As I just blinked my mouth, not knowing what to say, he immediately continued speaking.

“Even if a partner is whatever, you should know how to adjust to each other, talk, and wait.”

“No, I mean…”

“You date because you like them when you’re dating. But if you throw everything away just because you don’t like them for a moment, what kind of relationship is that. Is that how your dating goes?”

I just stayed still like a person whose lips were glued shut. Because there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Yoon Hyeonjo said. The mature dating I learned from books was like that too. Understanding each other and adjusting. But it’s easier said than done; does it ever go as planned?

“Dating is damn easy for you, isn’t it, just dating and breaking up. Like you’re throwing away trash. You do it without much thought, right?”

“……”

“But that’s not how you date. It’s person to person.”

Yoon Hyeonjo acted like someone who had a deep-seated grudge against me. Was the shock of being dumped by me that big? Or did he really like me a lot? No. If he liked me a lot, he wouldn’t treat me this heartlessly.

Perhaps the fact that his watch was stolen was more shocking than being dumped. Because if I were Yoon Hyeonjo, I think the sense of betrayal would have been greater. Back then, I was desperate for tuition, so I just grabbed whatever was in sight and left, but thinking about it now, I was only just realizing it was such immature behavior. My shoulders shrinking back out of guilt, I moved my lips in a voice as small as an ant’s.

“…Well, if you speak so logically, there’s nothing I can say.”

“……”

“But a person’s heart doesn’t always go the way they want it to. You know, a side dish that was delicious yesterday might become unappetizing this morning, and a song you liked might suddenly become unpleasant to hear. A-A person’s heart is originally like that…”

At my words, Yoon Hyeonjo, who was gripping the steering wheel, made a hollow expression. Was my analogy bad? I thought it was pretty cool in its own way. As I sat there with a discouraged face and pouted lips, Yoon Hyeonjo shook his head as if his insides were burning black.

“Is that the end of your excuse?”

“……”

“Forget it.”

Then, as if he had nothing more to say to me, he heartlessly turned his head away. It seems comparing an ex-lover to a side dish was a mistake. I quietly held my breath, covering my endlessly light mouth with one hand. I figured I had to stay as quiet as possible to avoid upsetting Yoon Hyeonjo’s mood and arrive home safely.

Anyway, it was just as I was about to turn my gaze back to the window. Yoon Hyeonjo, who was waiting for the light to change while tapping the steering wheel with his long fingers, spoke out of the blue.

“Hey, then putting the breakup aside.”

“……”

“Why did you really do that with my watch? Did you see it and just crave it?”

Hic. At the sudden mention of the watch, my chest felt tight as if a piece of rice cake were stuck there. I just cast my eyes down and wore a guilty expression.

“I thought it was strange how you spent the allowance I gave you without a thought. But I didn’t expect you to steal a watch.”

That’s right. When I was dating Yoon Hyeonjo, I lived on an allowance I received from him. It’s not that I specifically asked for it, but since Yoon Hyeonjo gave it, I just took it and spent it recklessly. I ordered delivery and bought clothes from online malls… Of course, later, after realizing my spending habits were much more lavish than he thought, Yoon Hyeonjo even managed an allowance ledger for me himself. Though even that ended up shoved into a drawer before long.