110.
This winter, which had particularly heavy snowfall, came to an end in March.
The temperature rose sharply the day after the rain poured down as if there was a hole in the sky. Spring came with the start of the semester and became more vivid in April.
“The weather is nice~.”
Kim Dae-seok threw the cigarette butt into the trash can and spat out a word with a vain look on his face. Kim Dae-seok, who said he would definitely get a girlfriend this year and go on a spring outing, failed on all three blind dates.
At this point, I was amazed at how the women he met on blind dates returned as close friends rather than lovers.
“Hey, Yoo Ji-han. Aren’t you going to see the flowers?”
“There’s an exam, so how do I go?”
April, when cherry blossoms bloom, meant midterm exams. Just like Kim Dae-seok, I threw the finished cigarette into the trash can and left the smoking room.
“Why don’t you go see flowers instead of playing games? You played Zenoris yesterday too.”
“What the hell are you talking about, didn’t you play yesterday too?”
“Because you abandoned me and missed the cherry blossom event? This Dae-seok is sad.”
”Shut up, you idiot. I had a prior agreement with my guild members, so what am I supposed to do?”
I shook off Kim Dae-seok’s arm which was holding my shoulder and walked to the campus cafe where Eun Hae-seong was waiting. A warm spring breeze blew from the front and cherry blossom petals flew by.
The light pink cherry blossom petals fluttering under the blue sky somehow resembled snowflakes. Snow pouring down into the dark night sky.
“…….”
Three months have passed since that winter day when I last met and talked to Chae Yoo-jeong.
The guy hasn’t contacted me even once. He didn’t log into Zenoris either.
I worked part-time for 3 months and also played Zenoris. Kang Ji-hye, who has known Chae Yoo-jeong for a long time, did not bother to bring up the topic of ‘Yoo Chae’ in front of me.
It was like before I got to know Chae Yoo-jeong, my hectic time returned to how it used to be. Ordinary and peaceful... It was a boring daily life.
After finishing the lecture, I returned home, took a shower, and sat in front of the computer, as was my habit. After checking the time a little after 6 o’clock, I thought about it for a while and turned on the e-sports broadcast, not playing the game.
-This is dangerous! Arus, can you withstand the attack?
-Wait a minute, if you do this, Rhett will get 3 kills! If you fall back...…………….
-Oh, my. Support from the LVS team has arrived. It’s hard to live with this. Yes, the LVS team ended up getting 3 kills!
-Great.
As soon as I turned on the broadcast screen, I heard the commentators shouting. A game screen was replayed showing the opposing team being mercilessly killed.
-Gamgack arrived at a really good time. If you look here... It goes round and round like this?
-Yes! It must not have been easy to make a decision in this situation.
-If you’re not careful, you could miss a kill and endanger your teammates. However, the LVS team took the perfect advantage by spinning around, hiding itself and arriving at the right time.
-When Arus died, the turret was given away. In this way, the gold gap widened further.
At the bottom of the screen, a cam screen of Chae Yoo-jeong competing in real time appeared. Chae Yoo-jeong, who was noticeably thinner than when we met in January, was staring at the monitor with an expressionless face.
I watched the HOL spring season competition held in March whenever I had time. This is the first time in my life that I had been following a HOL match to this degree, but I had no choice as it was the only way to check on Chae Yoo-jeong’s condition.
I was able to see Chae Yoo-jeong taking turns competing with Tenet players about three or four times a month.
Chae Yoo-jeong’s condition, as seen on the cam, worsened day by day. It should be easy for him to forget since three months have passed, but clearly Chae Yoo-jeong still misses him too much.
‘This is not good.’
Chae Yoo-jeong’s lies and Kim Eui-chan’s lies were fundamentally different.
Chae Yoo-jeong’s excessive obsession with me created the lie, so if he didn’t resolve that obsession, there was no point in pointing out the lie.
Chae Yoo-jeong, if he could keep me by his side, he would have used any means possible. This time, what he used was a lie.
So I said that to Chae Yoo-jeong on purpose.
-Unless you change, I can’t have any expectations. but……………….
‘I expected it... Still, it’s a bit bittersweet.’
Chae Yoo-jeong did not change and the situation worsened. He didn’t even seem to understand what I meant. I leaned back on my chair and with mixed feelings, I grabbed the mouse while watching the broadcast.
Does it make sense for me to watch the game? Or am I expecting something too difficult for Chae Yoo-jeong? This was my first time in a situation like this, so I wasn’t sure which choice was the right one.
Meanwhile, the players were caught on camera getting up from their seats after the last game.
-LVS team, it’s scary. Isn’t it all wins to this day?
-You’re right. We are firmly maintaining our first-place position without losing a single game.
-This time, it must not have been easy because the opponent was Team TW, but it’s surprising.
The LVS team players got up from their seats and walked to the opposing team’s seats. After the game was over, the winning team went to the losing team’s booth, shook each other’s hands, and greeted each other in the center of the stadium.
At that time, Chae Yoo-jeong’s body, who was walking from the second seat to the opposing team’s booth following the person in front, stumbled greatly. Chae Yoo-jeong, who tilted his upper body too far forward, was unable to maintain his balance and fell to the floor.
“……!”
-Uh? Wait… What happened?
- ‘Gamgack’ player? Are you okay, ‘Gamgack’ player?
With the words of the flustered commentator, the inside of the stadium instantly became chaotic. Chae Yoo-jeong was unable to come to his senses even as several staff members rushed to check on his body.
With that, the screen quickly changed to a highlight play video. I was speechless at that shocking sight.
What happened? I was frustrated with the broadcast screen that did not properly inform me of Chae Yoo-jeong’s condition, so I grabbed the monitor roughly with my hand without realizing it.
My mind was tangled in confusion. What condition is Chae Yoo-jeong in? Is he conscious? Is his body so bad that he collapses while walking? I couldn’t figure out anything. I bit my lower lip, feeling my heart pounding unpleasantly.
No. I closed my eyes tightly, feeling myself sinking downwards.
‘If it continues like this………………’
***
Chae Yoo-jeong was transferred to a nearby university hospital, where he was confirmed to be hospitalized for four days.
Over the last 3 months his weight has dropped drastically and every time he eats he vomits, and his throat hurts a lot. He was suffering from insomnia due to severe stress, so he had no choice but to be hospitalized.
“I’m going crazy because of you, really.”
Yoo Gyeong-seok, who came in after talking to the front desk, collapsed on the chair next to the bed in the hospital room and clutched his head.
“What the hell is the problem? Why are you doing this?”
“… … I felt dizzy for a moment. That’s it.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Did you faint for a moment because you were dizzy and couldn’t get up for two hours? Do you think 2 hours is a brief time?”
Despite Yoo Gyeong-seok’s sarcastic remarks, Chae Yoo-jeong only looked at his wrist where the needle was stuck with a somber expression. Seeing no response, Yoo Gyeong-seok, who was tired of struggling, pressed his forehead, which was throbbing from a headache, and asked.
“Why didn’t you take your medicine?”
“…….”
“You’ve been taking it well so far without being nagged, so why are you suddenly not taking it? You’ve never been this bad before.”
“…… Just. I don’t want to take it.”
“Who takes medicine because they want to? You take it because you’re sick. You can’t sleep well right now, so you’re not taking medicine just because you don’t want to? Let’s have counseling again and take medicine. Huh?”
Even though he said it again as if he was pleading, Chae Yoo-jeong did not respond. Since he was young, he had a personality that he wouldn’t do something if he didn’t like it, even if it meant dying, so there was no way he would listen to it now.
If he missed practice because he was sick and couldn’t concentrate during the game, he could have used that as a valid excuse to come out and recuperate, but Chae Yoo-jeong’s practice was perfect and his game was even more perfect. Well, there was no answer to this.
“Ha… I don’t know. Okay, so take a break first. Let’s talk again later.”
Yoo Gyeong-seok scratched the back of his head and eventually declared surrender and left the hospital room. Left alone, Chae Yoo-jeong leaned back against the head of the bed and closed his eyes.
Fortunately, there was still a week left until Chae Yoo-jeong’s next match. Chae Yoo-jeong still refused counseling and medication after a day. He spent most of the day in front of the half-open window.
He has been hospitalized for two days. Just like yesterday he sat in front of the window and rested her chin.
Yoo Gyeong-seok, who was looking at Chae Yoo-jeong, who was sleeping and looking outside, with a worried heart, received a call.
“Yoo-jeong, Tae-young is coming to visit you in the hospital. They just arrived.”
Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyelids trembled slightly when he heard that Seo Tae-young had arrived.
“I’m going to buy drinks for the guests, so please be quiet. okay?”
Even when Yoo Gyeong-seok left the hospital room, Chae Yoo-jeong did not turn his head to see him leave and he still looked out the window. A garden full of spring flowers shone brightly under the warm midday sunlight.
Chae Yoo-jeong’s bangs were slightly swaying in the spring breeze blowing through him. How much time had passed, the hospital room door, which had been closed, opened again with a clicking sound.
Chae Yoo-jeong, who thought that Yoo Gyeong-seok had returned, did not turn his gaze away from him this time either. Cherry blossom petals appeared from nowhere and flew all the way to where he was.
“Chae Yoo-jeong.”
A low, soft voice echoed in the quiet hospital room. When Chae Yoo-jeong heard that, his eyes widened, and he quickly looked behind him.
A man wearing a navy-blue jacket was standing in front of the hospital room door, half bathed in the midday sunlight. The face revealed beneath his jet-black hair was the person Chae Yoo-jeong had missed so much for the past three months.
HM : guess what I was listening to while translating this TwT this song fits YCwwwwww.
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Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx
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MC makes such a good point that the problem isn’t just the lying, it’s the obsession. He would’ve done anything to get into his life. I hope they healthily resolve this because I love them both :(