EX Ch 8

Thwack! Whether Yoon Hyeonjo called out to me or not, I slammed the car door hard for him to see and headed toward the officetel with angry strides. Behind my back, I heard Yoon Hyeonjo let out a hollow laugh. Sure, he must find it absurd. But I find it absurd too. Who told him to just show up suddenly without warning?

Blaming the innocent Yoon Hyeonjo, I began to climb the stairs of the darkened officetel one by one. Throughout every step, I felt so uncomfortable I thought I might go crazy. No, I mean, was that watch really that expensive? I just did a rough search and sold it.

I went back into Karrot Market and searched through the chat list, but the trader had long since deleted their account. Letting out a small sigh, I stepped into the house with slow feet. No, the watch was one thing, but there was something else weighing heavily on my mind. It was Yoon Hyeonjo, who was acting like he was more sincere than I thought.

‘Hey, then what about me.’

‘……’

‘Why was it so easy with me?’

Did Yoon Hyeonjo really like me that much? I thought he did back then. But what use is that now? Now, Yoon Hyeonjo probably can’t stand the sight of me.

With bitter thoughts, I took off the coat I was wearing and hung it on a hanger. It was the moment I threw the window open out of habit. My eyes met Yoon Hyeonjo’s; he still hadn’t left his spot and was looking up at my place. As I stared at him blankly, the guy, who exhaled cigarette smoke into the air, lightly mouthed words toward me.

‘What are you looking at.’

He was picking a fight for no reason. Not knowing how to answer, I just let my eyes wander here and there, and Yoon Hyeonjo, having flicked the cigarette held in his fingers to the ground, eventually got into the car as if nothing had happened.

Watching that, I just stood there blankly as if nailed to the spot. When we were dating, he used to always stand there and blow hearts at me, but today he just blew cigarette smoke with a grumpy face. Somehow, it felt strange. I wondered if I had ruined a perfectly good relationship for nothing.

Leaning halfway against the window frame, I fell into thought. By the way, what was the identity of that tattoo engraved on his back? Is it really my face? What if it is, and what if it isn’t? Oh, come on, there’s no way he’d still have my face engraved on his back. It’s already been half a year since we broke up. Besides, this is Yoon Hyeonjo, who shudders at the thought of me.

‘You really won’t do.’

‘……’

‘Someone like you is really…’

Recalling Yoon Hyeonjo’s voice, which had been filled with resignation and disappointment, I firmly closed the opened window.

⭑.ᐟ

It didn’t take very long to meet Yoon Hyeonjo again. I sat alone in a cafe near Gangnam Station that we used to frequent, anxiously waiting for Yoon Hyeonjo to arrive. Why did he ask to meet? Obviously, it must be to get the money for the watch.

I swallowed hard and took my wallet out of the bag I had placed on the chair. Naturally, not a single paper bill was to be found. And as for cards? The only things I had were one check card with a pink peach character drawn on it and my resident registration card. This was nowhere near enough to pay back Yoon Hyeonjo’s eighty million won.

I should have listened when Yoon Hyeonjo told me to use the allowance ledger diligently. While looking at my empty wallet with belated regret, the table shook slightly and someone stood opposite me.

“Does money come out if you stare into your wallet?”

“Uh…”

It was none other than Yoon Hyeonjo. I quickly hid the wallet I had been staring at endlessly into my bag and looked up at Yoon Hyeonjo with a blank face. With his disheveled brown hair, a slightly rebellious aura, and a flashy souvenir jacket draped over a white T-shirt, Yoon Hyeonjo looked like he had just popped out of a romance manga. Feeling that I wasn’t the only one who noticed, I could sense people glancing at him from all over.

Yoon Hyeonjo didn’t care about those gazes at all and sat down sloppily across from me. Tap. On his naturally revealed wrist, a different watch from yesterday was glittering. Look at that, he has so many watches, he could just forgive me… While I was looking at the sparkling watch with selfish thoughts, the guy who felt my gaze lightly shook his wrist where the bone stood out and spoke.

“Have you thought about it?”

“A-About what?”

“Whether you’re going to break up with Kim Woosik or not.”

The moment he finished speaking, I stealthily looked down at the ring on my ring finger. The brand-new ring I had received as a gift from Kim Woosik just yesterday was sparkling with a brilliant light. This is next semester’s rent; you want me to give this back? I couldn’t do that. Then I’d have to go find a part-time job. How could I earn rent money in just fifteen days? It’s impossible.

When I couldn’t say anything and just kept my mouth shut, Yoon Hyeonjo, sitting opposite me, lightly kicked the table leg and spoke once more.

“Hey, are you breaking up or not.”

“…I, I’m not breaking up.”

“……”

“I can’t break up.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words that I had to pay rent. Because I felt like Yoon Hyeonjo would look at me like a bug again if I did. While I was hiding the shiny gold ring with one hand and whimpering like a puppy that needed to go, Yoon Hyeonjo, who gave a hollow laugh as if it were absurd, tossed a random question at me.

“Do you love Kim Woosik?”

“Wh-What?”

I was speechless at the unexpected question. Do I love him? I don’t even really know what love is yet, and besides, those kinds of words are so serious they just give me goosebumps. It’s just that if no one is by my side I get lonely, so I pick a decent person and keep them there. And… and. While I was lost in thought, Yoon Hyeonjo, who had wiped his face with his hand, let out a sigh with a face that looked damn pissed off.

“…Wow, I guess you love him.”

“……”

“Hey, but I’m better than that bastard!”

For a moment, Yoon Hyeonjo, who looked like he was about to pour something out in a fit of rage, suddenly pressed his hand to his forehead. I could only stare at that sight blankly. For a while, the guy, who was panting as if suppressing his anger, soon moved his lips as if mocking me, waving his hand as if it were all useless.

“By the way, you threw me away like a piece of trash, but I guess you can’t throw that guy away?”

“……”

“True love, is it something like that? It’s damn touching. Really.”

It’s not particularly that. But if I said that, I felt like Yoon Hyeonjo would get furious again, asking why my love is so easy and such a joke, so I couldn’t get the words out at all.

“I’m really sorry about the watch. While being sorry to you for the rest of my life…”

I had been hanging my head low for a while due to an inexplicable sense of guilt and apology, and it was the moment I finally opened my lips. Yoon Hyeonjo snapped at me in a cold voice as if telling me not to be ridiculous.

“Just saying it is meaningless. If you beat a person’s heart to death and then say you’re sorry with your mouth, is that an apology and reflection?”

What do I do, he’s so scary. Just as I was fidgeting, wanting to run away, Yoon Hyeonjo suddenly stretched out his legs to block my path, as if he had noticed my feelings.

“Throw all that away and give me the money. Or go buy the watch back.”

“What?”

“Because your economic sense is trashed, you think eighty million won just comes out if you dig in the ground?”

“……”

“Don’t talk bullshit, Danyeong.”

Bullshit. I froze in shock at Yoon Hyeonjo’s words. Give him the money? Buy the watch back? Either way was nonsense. While I was blinking with a face that was nothing but stupid, Yoon Hyeonjo pressed his hand to his forehead as if frustrated. Then, with a low sigh, he moved his lips.

“Since you don’t seem to understand, I’ll put it damn simply for you.”

“……”

“You just pay me back five hundred thousand every month. How about it, simple, right?”

Hic, five hundred thousand. My mouth hung wide open at the amount, which was larger than I expected. I looked at Yoon Hyeonjo with a flustered face and began to scramble for excuses.

“That’s impossible, five hundred thousand is too much! Where am I going to get five hundred thousand all of a sudden? Besides, paying back every month. Where does that happen? I, where would I have money. You know too. That I don’t even have a savings account.”

“……”

“R-Really, I can’t. Hyeonjo. If I pay it back like this, I might die just from working!”

“Without even trying?”