Vol 1 Ch 83

Side 1.

1. Revenge

 

Inseop had a bizarre experience.

 

Two days ago, on his way to the supermarket to buy oranges, he ran into Fred. The bad memories of his past surfaced as he contemplated whether to change direction. Fred’s reaction was completely unexpected. With a face as pale as if he had seen a ghost, he suddenly started walking in the opposite direction.

 

“Did I see something wrong? Did I see something else?” Inseop tilted his head and dismissed the matter. After all, he thought he had nothing to worry about since he wasn’t someone who clung to good memories.

 

However, when he encountered Melinda that morning while going to church with his father, he found it definitely strange. As soon as she made eye contact with him, she looked startled, like a deer caught in headlights, and quickly left. 

 

“Something is definitely strange,” Inseop thought, feeling uncomfortable but unable to explain it. He decided to just move on. 

 

But when Sandra, Kelly, and Rachel visited the house to tell they wanted to apologize to Jenny but needed to know where the cemetery was, Inseop knew something had happened. As they listened to the explanation about the cemetery’s location, they wore terrified expressions and couldn’t even make eye contact with him. 

 

As soon as Inseop finished speaking, Rachel jabbed Sandra in the side, and the three of them shouted, “Forgive us!” in unison before disappearing. 

 

“That’s really weird. I mean, it’s just strange,” Inseop muttered as he walked to the restaurant where he and Lee Wooyeon were supposed to have dinner.

 

If this had happened not once but three times, something was definitely going on.

 

When he arrived at the front of the restaurant, the waiter asked if there was anyone there. Inseop provided Lee Wooyeon’s English name. The waiter led him to a terrace seat where Lee Wooyeon was already sitting and reading a book. He looked as if he had walked out of a picture, with his dark hair contrasting sharply against his white shirt. His eyes were slightly downcast, exuding deep emotions.

 

The women sitting nearby cast open glances at him.

 

“I’m sorry for being late,” Inseop said.

 

When he spoke, Lee Wooyeon looked up and smiled—a beautiful smile.

 

“I just arrived, too,” he replied, closing the book he was reading. Inseop glanced at the title and asked, “You’ve been reading a lot of this author’s books lately… is everything okay?”

 

“There were some things I didn’t understand before, but reading them again feels new,” Lee Wooyeon said.

 

“That’s true,” Inseop agreed. The book Lee Wooyeon was reading was titled *Why I Love You* by Alain de Botton. 

 

Inseop sat down, thinking he would pick up a copy to read later.

 

“I ordered some wine. A glass of wine would be fine, right?” Lee Wooyeon asked.

 

“Yes, that’s fine.”

 

“What would you like for dinner?”

 

“I’m not familiar with the menu, so I’d appreciate it if you could order,” Inseop replied.

 

“Okay.” 

 

When Lee Wooyeon gestured, the waiter approached to take their order. Lee Wooyeon pointed at items on the menu board while placing his order. As his soft voice resonated, the number of women glancing over began to increase.

 

“The food here is good. I used to come here often,” Lee Wooyeon remarked.

 

“That’s right,” Inseop agreed, recalling that it was a place he had come to with a woman he had dated. As his expression turned somber, Lee Wooyeon asked, “Why?”

 

“…I thought you wouldn’t come here alone,” Inseop admitted.

 

Lee Wooyeon nodded.

 

“I was indifferent. I apologize.”

 

When Lee Wooyeon offered the apology politely, Inseop felt relieved.

 

“It’s surprising. I thought Inseop wasn’t a jealous person.”

 

“…I can’t help it.”

 

Lee Wooyeon laughed happily.

 

“You can be as jealous as you want. But I don’t care too much about what happened in the past anyway.”

 

His expression conveyed that the past was just that—the past. Inseop felt a streak of suspicion rise again in his mind.

 

“Lee Wooyeon, I have a question for you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

The waiter arrived and began pouring wine into their glasses. Inseop wanted to speak comfortably since no one would understand anyway, so he started.

 

“I met Fred a while ago.”

 

“Ah, that pig-like bastard.”

 

Lee Wooyeon smiled gracefully as he spoke, cursing without hesitation. Not long ago, while the two of them had been reading a book together in bed, Lee Wooyeon had suddenly asked him a question.

 

“Was there anyone who bullied you in school?” Inseop had replied casually, “Yes, but it wasn’t a big deal.” 

 

Had he known that Lee Wooyeon would persistently ask him to name the person until dawn, he would have never answered so casually. After a series of questions, he finally mentioned Fred’s name. 

 

Following that, Lee Wooyeon had visited Inseop’s house and looked through school albums to see what Fred looked like.

 

“What did they say?”

 

“…They ran away. After seeing me.”

 

Lee Wooyeon took a sip of wine with a satisfied smile. Inseop, gaining confidence from that, continued to ask about other matters.

 

“What happened to Melinda? …And what about Sandra and her friends?”

 

“Well, I’m not sure either.”

 

“…….”

 

“Maybe they felt guilty about something. Who knows, they might have suddenly wanted to repent.”

 

On the day they visited Jenny’s grave together, they had talked about various things, and eventually, the conversation turned to that party.

 

Lee Wooyeon thought for a moment and nodded as if he vaguely remembered. Then, he persistently questioned Inseop about how he ended up writing the letter, the events of that day, and the people who were there.

 

After listening to Inseop’s explanation, Lee Wooyeon hummed, got lost in thought again, and then suddenly left, saying he had something to do that evening.

 

“Leaving Sandra aside, …why did Melinda do it?”

 

In response to Inseop’s question, Lee Wooyeon slowly closed and reopened his eyes.

 

“Inseop. You said you wrote the letter in Korean, right?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Among the people at the party that day, only Melinda and I could read Korean.”

 

“…….”

 

Inseop had never doubted her. She was kind and sweet, so he had simply assumed she matched well with Phillip at the time.

 

“I’m not saying that Melinda took the letter from my locker and teamed up with Sandra and the others to scheme something, or that they wrote and sent letters among themselves.”

 

“…….”

 

So that’s what it was. …That’s what happened.

 

“Honestly, I don’t even remember. Your friend, I mean. Of course, maybe I was cold because they weren’t my type. But I swear, I didn’t read that letter.”

 

“…I know.”

 

Wooyeon’s reaction to love letters, both then and now, was always one of three: throw it away, tear it up, or burn it.

 

“I’m glad you believe me now. Enough of this topic. The wine is so good, why bring this up?”

 

Lee Wooyeon raised his wine glass. Inseop picked up his own glass and lightly toasted with him.

 

As he took a sip of the wine, the warmth of the alcohol spread through his body.

 

Inseop hiccuped slightly, covering his mouth with his hand, and Lee Wooyeon burst into laughter.

 

“Hahaha, this is killing me.”

 

“…Don’t laugh.”

 

“I want to have s*x with you right now.”

 

“…! Not here… What are you saying….”

 

“Why not? Nobody here understands what we’re saying.”

 

Even though the place was filled with blond Westerners, one of them might still understand Korean.

 

Inseop glared at him, begging him not to say such things.

 

“Please, I beg you. Please.”

 

Every time Lee Wooyeon, with his elegant and dignified face, uttered something vulgar in that soft voice, Inseop squirmed in discomfort.

 

“I purposely said ‘s*x’ instead of something else, so no one would understand.”

 

“…But I understand.”

 

“Of course you should. You need to know what I’m thinking.”

 

“…….”

 

Lee Wooyeon lifted his wine glass, gazing at Inseop with a greedy look in his eyes.

 

“Not today…,” Inseop said. His grandmother was coming home today, so after dinner, he had to return immediately. He had already told Lee Wooyeon about this in advance.

 

“I know. That’s why I suggested meeting outside.”

 

The place where Lee Wooyeon was staying now was a mansion separate from his main house, where he used to host parties. It was a guest house, usually reserved for visitors to the cabins.

 

That evening, after Inseop had casually mentioned that he felt burdened by constantly going to hotels, Lee Wooyeon went to his family home and retrieved the keys. Since then, he had been staying there.

 

“Aren’t you getting any calls from Korea?” Inseop asked.

 

“Nope. Not a single call. Maybe my popularity has plummeted. What should I do now?”

 

Inseop knew very well that those words were a blatant lie. Just two days ago, CEO Kim had called, drunk and crying, and spent a long time venting his frustrations. 

 

Inseop hadn’t been able to hang up first, knowing how difficult it must have been for him to rant drunkenly for over an hour on an international call.

 

“Maybe I should try making it in Hollywood. What do you think? I speak English, my looks are decent enough, and my acting isn’t bad either. I could probably make a living.”

 

At Lee Wooyeon’s joke, Inseop let out a deep sigh.

 

“Why? Did that sound too arrogant?”

 

“…You need to leave now.”

 

It had already been ten days since Lee Wooyeon had come to America with Kate by his side. Inseop knew his schedule better than anyone and was well aware that it was impossible for him to stay any longer.

 

Lee Wooyeon, with a hardened expression, picked up his glass of wine. He, too, knew that he had to return soon.

 

Inseop looked at Lee Wooyeon and spoke.

 

“You have to go. I don’t think this is where you belong. I… I like you as an actor.”

 

Inseop had watched all of Lee Wooyeon’s works to learn more about him. Choi Inseop admired him as an actor.

 

Though he told himself it was just research, there were times when he found himself mesmerized, simply watching Lee Wooyeon on screen.

 

In truth, Inseop couldn’t admit that he still occasionally rewatched the independent films starring Lee Wooyeon.

 

“If I leave, it’ll be hard to come back.”

 

Lee Wooyeon muttered in a bitter tone. Inseop, already aware of this, quietly nodded. At that moment, the waiter brought their food to the table.

 

The two began eating in silence. Only a few meaningless conversations were exchanged.

 

As they left the restaurant after paying, Lee Wooyeon asked if they should walk.

 

They walked silently for a long time. The breeze was so soft it was almost sweet. Lee Wooyeon smiled and spoke.

 

“Every morning, CEO Kim books a plane ticket and sends it to me via email.”

 

“…”

 

“Today marks the fifth one.”

 

Clearly, that hour-long drunken rant wasn’t for nothing.

 

“I’ll leave tomorrow morning. For Seoul.”

 

“…”

 

Though he had been the one pushing Lee Wooyeon to go, hearing him say he was leaving still left Inseop feeling sad and disappointed.

 

“Don’t see me off. I won’t be able to leave.”

 

“…”

 

“If I really can’t bear it next time, I’ll break my left leg.”

 

Lee Wooyeon joked, pointing to his leg.

 

“Don’t say things like that… Next time, I’ll go to you.”

 

When Inseop said that, Lee Wooyeon, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped. There was a hint of impatience in his eyes as he turned to look at him.

 

“Inseop, if you come to Korea, I won’t be able to let you go. I can’t.”

 

“…”

 

“Even now, I’m going crazy, trying to hold myself back from taking you with me.”

 

Inseop took a deep breath and gathered his courage.

 

“I want to follow you too… It’s driving me crazy.”

 

“…”

 

“I want to go with you. I want to leave everything behind and go. But I have things that are important to me too… You’re important too, Lee Wooyeon… Please, wait for me.”

 

Inseop lowered his head. The ten days they had spent together felt like a dream to him.

 

They had eaten together, read books in bed, listened to music, taken walks, made love, and fallen asleep in each other’s arms.

 

When they woke up, they would look at each other and, without fail, share a kiss.

 

Though he knew it would end someday, he found himself wishing it wouldn’t.

 

“I’ll call you. I’ll text you. I’ll send emails… letters too. Then, when the day comes that I miss you so much that I can’t stand it, I’ll pack up and come to you.”

 

At that time, Inseop was thinking he might never be able to return here again.

 

Because of this, and out of guilt toward his family, he couldn’t follow Lee Wooyeon to Korea right away.

 

“So… please wait for me.”

 

Inseop spoke from the depths of his heart. He couldn’t tell what expression Lee Wooyeon was making, so he kept his head down, staring at his own feet.

 

“Inseop.”

 

Lee Wooyeon called his name. His voice was gentle, respectful, but filled with affection.

 

“I’ll wait for you,” he said.

 

The echo of his voice sent wide ripples through Inseop’s chest. Just hearing him say he’d wait made his heart flutter and brought tears to his eyes.

 

“I’ll wait, no matter how long.”

 

Lee Wooyeon pulled Inseop into a close embrace. As he kissed the top of his head, he whispered, “Don’t make me wait too long.”

 

Seeing Inseop nod, Lee Wooyeon released him from his arms. The warm spring breeze tousled their hair.

 

Lee Wooyeon gently ran his hand through Inseop’s hair. The thought that he wouldn’t feel that warm touch for a while made tears well up in Inseop’s eyes.

 

He blinked back his tears. Lee Wooyeon extended his hand.

 

“May I hold your hand?”

 

Inseop looked down at the beautiful man’s hand, then reached out and took it.

 

Lee Wooyeon pulled his hand into his pocket and smiled.

 

As he playfully stroked Inseop’s palm with his finger inside the pocket, it tickled, and Inseop burst into laughter.

 

Seeing this, Lee Wooyeon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

 

“You said you came to me to get revenge for your friend, didn’t you?”

 

“…”

 

“Well, you’ve succeeded. Just seeing you smile makes me feel like a fool. That revenge… it’s really something.”

 

Lee Wooyeon’s laughter was carried away by the wind, dispersing into the air.

 

As they walked the quiet night streets, neither spoke. They knew no more words were needed.

 

When they said goodbye in front of the house, they didn’t kiss or embrace. They simply tightened their grip on each other’s hands and exchanged a handshake.

 

As the warmth of his hand began to fade, Inseop looked at Lee Wooyeon with eyes on the verge of tears.

 

When their eyes met, Lee Wooyeon hesitated, extending his hand slightly before clenching it into a fist and lowering it again.

 

“I’ll wait for you,” Lee Wooyeon said, then turned and walked away. He never looked back.

 

Inseop stood there, holding back his tears, until Lee Wooyeon’s figure disappeared.

 

At the end of their dreamy ten days together, Inseop stood firm on the path where he had vanished.

 

The wind shook the petals clinging to the flowering trees, sweeping them into the streets at midnight.

 

In the long night, someone began to wait.

 

—The End