112.
-Think carefully about what I just said and what I meant.
Yoo Ji-han’s firm voice kept repeating in his ears.
-This is not fate, Chae Yoo-jeong.
Chae Yoo-jeong, who had been standing alone for a while, let out a helpless laugh. He felt like everything that supported him was falling apart.
‘Hyung, do you think?…………..’
It’s gross?
The words he couldn’t ask because he was scared were scattered in vain.
Chae Yoo-jeong knew very well why it was scary to ask. He’s afraid the answer will be yes...……………
Chae Yoo-jeong blinked slowly and immediately turned his back and walked back to the window. The spring breeze that blew through the crack in the window passed by Chae Yoo-jeong’s tear-stained cheeks.
He could see Yoo Ji-han’s back leaving the hospital building through the light green leaves. Chae Yoo-jeong looked at Yoo Ji-han with an expressionless face that showed no emotion.
‘If it’s going to be like this, I would rather...……………..’
Wouldn’t it be okay to do whatever I want? Anyway, Hyung still hates me.
Take Yoo Ji-han to my house. And what if I put multiple locks on the door so he can never get out again?
No, that’s not enough. Yoo Ji-han’s resistance will not be easy. then………
Should I at least put shackles on his ankles? If I add a cloth to make it less painful... I think it’ll be okay. Make the lines as long as possible so he doesn’t feel stuffy.
Moving house wasn’t a bad idea. Moving to a higher floor is better. We need to make the window bigger so that Yoo Ji-han, who cannot go outside, can look outside at any time.
Yoo Ji-han is popular and has a family, so if he disappears, it will be noisy for a while... If I ask a woman, she will handle it appropriately. Then I can stay with Yoo Ji-han all day without worrying.
The first year or two will be difficult. Still, I will gradually get used to it. That’s how Yoo Ji-han doesn’t go out and just looks at me. Eat the food I give him, wear the clothes… Receive only the affection I give him...……………
“…….”
Chae Yoo-jeong opened his eyes wide. Cold sweat ran down the side of his pale face.
His trembling hand lifted and covered his mouth. His gasps, the rough sound of his breathing as if he was being strangled, came out of his mouth with difficulty. His frantic thoughts were cut off.
“No………………”
He buried his miserably distorted face in his hands.
This wasn’t it. I didn’t love Yoo Ji-han for this reason. I don’t love him.
“Ah………….”
Chae Yoo-jeong’s body briefly swayed as he lowered his head. Cold sweat broke out on his pale face.
Dirty and disgusting guy. What’s the point of washing the outside no matter how much I wash it when the inside is rotten? The stench radiating from inside him made him nauseous.
He knew long ago that his head was not normal. He also knew that his obsession had grown so big that he could no longer handle it.
But I couldn’t even imagine that that obsession would go in this direction toward Yoo Ji-han. I felt so terrible that I had already ruined my relationship with Yoo Ji-han due to my greed and was dreaming of the worst.
It was when Chae Yoo-jeong leaned his upper body against the window frame and gasped for breath that Yoo Gyeong-seok, who returned to the hospital room after talking with Seo Tae-young in the hallway, found Chae Yoo-jeong and came running to him in panic.
“Chae Yoo-jeong! Why are you like this? Does your head hurt?”
“……I’m okay.”
“Like you’re okay, you look like a corpse right now! Wait a minute.”
Chae Yoo-jeong strongly grabbed the arm of Yoo Gyeong-seok, who was about to go to call someone and call a nurse. Chae Yoo-jeong barely raised his head and opened his parched lips.
“I’ll take it.”
“What?”
“Counseling… I’ll take it. I’ll take the medicine again. Please schedule the counseling right away.”
Yoo Gyeong-seok, who was looking at Chae Yoo-jeong in surprise, soon put on a worried expression and grabbed him by the shoulders.
“Are you really okay? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“…… It became necessary.”
Yoo Gyeong-seok, who was looking at Chae Yoo-jeong, who was making incomprehensible noises, let out a deep sigh.
“I’m glad you changed your mind… No, I’ll stop talking. Let’s get counseling first and then talk. You’re in such a bad shape right now.”
“…….”
“But tomorrow will be difficult. First, let’s finish the hospitalization and go get counseling. I’ll make a reservation in advance. Don’t miss the medicine and take it as soon as you get it...………….”
Chae Yoo-jeong closed his eyes while listening to Yoo Gyeong-seok’s words. He felt his heart pounding hard.
Everything around him was losing light at a rapid rate. Just like when he was young, the world became black and white.
In it, Chae Yoo-jeong naturally realized something. Now he has to face the reality that he may never see Yoo Ji-han again...……………
***
Time passed quickly again.
As I entered my fourth year and was about to graduate. Before, I met Chae Yoo-jeong in April, and had been busy dealing with him. Now, I was completely busy preparing for exams scheduled for two months and the graduation exhibition that would begin in November.
I couldn’t rest even during vacation. I almost didn’t have enough time to play games due to job preparation, part-time work, and studying for certifications.
After spending such a hectic day, I would sometimes get so tired that my head would hurt. Then, strangely enough, Chae Yoo-jeong came to mind.
‘I’m sure that he’s doing well.’
Even if he came to mind, there wasn’t a single piece of news about Chae Yoo-jeong that I knew of. I had no intention of finding out either.
With what feelings did I say my final goodbye to him in the hospital room... I just hoped that Chae Yoo-jeong would understand someday.
The summer, which was so hot that it was suffocating for me, passed and autumn came, with fallen leaves fluttering about. Putting the final changes on the graduation work meant I spent six days a week at school.
The graduation exhibition, which took time to prepare, ended safely before the weather got cold in earnest. After the graduation exhibition, which was like the biggest event, ended in December, my schedule became quite free, as if me being busy had been a lie all along.
To begin with, I was in his fourth year, so the number of classes I was taking wasn’t that many, but since I didn’t have to spend time creating works, I had more time than I had before. Of course, I still had to prepare for a job, but it was worth taking a breather for now.
This was the first time I heard about Chae Yu-jeong. It was confirmed through a news article on a portal site that the LVS team won the championship at the HOL World Championships held in Canada.
In the photo included in the article, Chae Yoo-jeong was smiling brightly, looking better than before. When I saw it, I felt both sad and happy.
I smiled bitterly and turned off the portal site where the article was posted.
***
I headed to a cafe to kill time between classes with Kim Dae-seok and Eun Hae-seong, who were both going to school like me. Kim Dae-seok, who had been sitting for a while without even touching his drink for some reason, called me.
“Hey, Yoo Ji-han.”
“What.”
As I answered indifferently without taking my eyes off my phone, Kim Dae-seok, who was watching me, asked me carefully.
“Would you like to be introduced to a date?”
“What’s with the sudden introduction? Are you becoming more like Eun Hae-seong?”
“Eh?”
Eun Hae-seong, who, like me, was concentrating on his cell phone, looked up when his name was mentioned.
“Just once! Can’t you just go back after eating?”
Despite my indifferent attitude, Kim Dae-seok asked me again with an earnest expression, grasping at a straw.
I was a bit surprised because I had never seen Kim Dae-seok, unlike Eun Hae-seong, do something like this before.
“Who is it?”
“You also… know that person well.”
“So who?”
“…… My Noona.”
I looked at Kim Dae-seok with an absurd feeling. Eun Hae-seong, who was sitting next to me and listening to the conversation, had a reaction not much different from mine.
“Are you crazy?”
“I’d rather go crazy.”
“Aaaah,” Kim Dae-seok suddenly let out a scream and held his head with both hands. Why is he like this, this bastard?
“It’s not a date in that sense. No, it’s a date, but… how do I explain it. Can’t you just do it once, just pretend that you’re getting my Noona to buy you an expensive meal?”
“Explain it properly.”
If she was Kim Dae-seok’s older sister, I would have known her well. Unlike Kim Dae-seok, she had a pretty appearance and was also smart, so she was working as a researcher at a large company.
I received a lot of help from Kim Dae-seok’s Noona when we were studying for the college entrance exam ahead of the entrance exam. I haven’t had much time to see her since I entered college.
“Actually, Noona has someone she wants to marry. It’s already been over three years since they started dating.”
Kim Dae-seok let out a deep sigh and slowly began to explain.
It is said that Kim Dae-seok’s parents, who come from a fairly wealthy family, have never liked their daughter’s boyfriend for a long time. They thought they would break up after a while of dating, so she didn’t really interfere, but things changed when marriage came up.
“Because I can’t persuade my parents with words, Noona continues to receive introductions as my parents want. But since she can’t really meet strangers, she’s gathering friends she knows and getting help...………………”
“I guess she’s run out of friends?”
“Uh-huh. She asked me to introduce her to someone... It’s really fucking hard. What friends do I have to just ask for something like that? There is only you.”
“What about me? I absolutely love that kind of thing!”
Eun Hae-seong joined in with a face full of anticipation. Kim Dae-seok, who quickly became haggard as he explained, looked at the excited Eun Hae-seong with wide eyes.
“Please, what should you do with that damn hair? If you are being introduced for the purpose of marriage, does it make sense for the other man to be blonde?”
“What’s wrong with being blonde? Yoo Ji-han also has a bunch of piercings in his ears.”
“Shut up. Anyway, Yoo Ji-han, could you do it just once? My Noona calls me every day and nags me, and I’m really exhausted.”
“Really. You really just have to eat and go back! Noona will buy you food at an expensive hotel.”
“You two will just eat an expensive meal, chat for a while, and then go home.”
I touched my mouth and thought about the earnest appeal.
If I’m just coming to eat, then that’s fine. Since she is Kim Dae-seok’s Noona and not someone else, it doesn’t feel too burdensome.
“Okay. I have a lot of things to be thankful for Da-hee anyway, so I can help you with that.”
“Really? You’ll do it?”
“Uh-huh. I’m not helping you, I’m helping Da-hee.”
“Wow, I lived! I escaped from hell!”
Is it something he would like that much? How much has he suffered?
After drinking the rest of the Americano, I put down the empty glass and said to a delighted Kim Dae-seok.
“Please let me know when the date is set.”
HM: for some reason, after reading YC’s possessive thoughts, I was like I wished MC would do that to YC and give a medicine of his thoughts to him. Wwwww ‘cuz I was a bit angry at YC…wwwwwwww But I have to say obsession is normal. Everyone(I meant everyone) I have seen is obsessed with something in their life, but the level of obsession is different. It’s a bit ironic to say obsession isn’t normal. Obsession is human nature after all. That’s my opinion.
---
Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx
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