DI Ch 45

“Hey, it reminds me of our math trip when it was raining. Oh, you said you don’t remember, right? Well then, during our graduation trip…”

The chatterbox who had been talking alone for a long time changed the subject at will and started talking again. I ignored it and pretended to sleep, but Park Kang-woo came up on the bed and shook my body.

“Hey. But I seem to have lost some weight, right? Look, look. Ah, right. It’s gone. The weight you fed me is completely gone. Hyun-wook has already gained 10kg, what about you?”

“Who fed you? You’re the one who stole my food.”

Taking care of my own meals during the lunch battle at a boys’ high school was a hectic time. There were no exceptions even for a friend who had lost his memory. I was angry that the guy who stole the most from me was saying that, and when I commented, Park Kang-woo pretended it was not him and chuckled mischievously.

“Hey. Kwon Joong-hyuk said that if you come to Daegu, he can turn you into a pig in 2 nights and 3 days. He can make all the food in his restaurant for you, so come and visit for a while. He said he’s like the boss there. He’s practically living at the restaurant, so he knows how to make everything.”

“…What about school?”

“School? It seemed that it was already in the back of his mind. No, I contacted Uncle before, and he said Joong-hyuk wasn’t going to school because he was excited because the Daegu branch was doing well as well as the main store. He liked looking at the store so much that Uncle thought about leaving the Daegu branch to him. It seems he wants to see Auntie. But I still told Uncle to keep an eye on it for a year or two. Even if he’s like that, it’s unsettling to leave everything to a 20-year-old.”

Even though he was a friend, they were someone else’s parents, so it was surprising that he was discussing greetings and advice. I chuckled at his exaggeration. As I pretended to be asleep and didn’t respond, the room soon fell silent. It seemed that the chatterbox was tired, as he soon began to snore.

The more dark and quiet it became, the more thoughts crowded my mind. As the number of times I couldn’t fall asleep and tossed and turned increased, raindrops poured down on the window as if telling me to rest. The hot summer air that made it hard to breathe was uncomfortable, but I liked the season when it rained frequently. I thought to myself, “It’s almost summer,” and had some meaningless thoughts as I pulled the blanket up to my chin and curled up. I forced myself to sleep, straining my ears to listen to my own breathing. It was a lonely night, even though there were people at home.

I had just dozed off for a while and hadn’t been asleep for long when a dull sound of the door being slammed hit my ears. It was such a heavy sound that it made my eyes open wide. The sound was as loud as thunder and hail falling. In the pitch-dark darkness, my hearing seemed to become sensitive and I moved with heightened senses. My heart raced in surprise. Huck. I quickly covered my mouth. I felt dizzy as if I would vomit because I was so startled. Staggering, I flailed my arms and ended up falling under the bed.

“Whoa, what is that?!”

Park Kang-woo seemed surprised too, as he grabbed me while trembling. I couldn’t hear clearly what he was saying. Trying to regain my composure, I bit my tongue hard. It hurt so much that tears welled up in my eyes.

“Did someone get drunk and come to the wrong house?”

A drunkard. It would be much better than a criminal. Hoping that Park Kang-woo was right, I forgot to turn on the light and barely got up from my seat, and mustered all my strength to get up from my seat, shouting, ‘Who is it?’ Then, the terrifying actions of the uninvited guest abruptly stopped.

The profound silence squeezed my heart, to the point where it wouldn’t be strange even if I had a heart attack. The dampness of my sweat-soaked hair and the trembling of my fingertips, combined with the sound of knocking on the front door constantly ringing in my ears, made me feel uneasy all over.

“Open the door.”

It was a man’s voice, low and eerily insistent. I was struck dumb because I couldn’t understand it all at once due to dizziness, and then there was a loud thumping sound as he forcefully kicked the door.

“Fuck. Seo Seung-won, open it.”

The front door shook violently. That’s when I regained my senses.

“Seong-je hyung?”

I was shocked and quickly opened the door. It was unusual for someone who said he was busy to suddenly show up on a rainy morning. Did something happen? When I opened the door, I saw Tae Seong-je, who was drenched to the point where water was pooling on the floor. Droplets of water fell from his normally neat and stylishly arranged hair.

When I saw him, the excruciating pain went away, but the surprise didn’t. Perhaps it was Tae Seong-je’s fierce gaze that made me feel this way. His gloomy gaze was heavy through the strands of hair stuck to his forehead. I couldn’t help but swallow nervously as his dilated pupils, were even more intense and reminded me of the threatening atmosphere I last saw when we first met.

He was clearly overstimulated. The orange light of the entrance hall made Tae Seong-je’s face look even colder. The atmosphere was heavy and dense as if it was infused with a palpable sense of foreboding substance. His wet shirt clinging to his solid chest repeatedly rose and fell tightly. The person who always presented himself neatly was a complete mess.

As the one who woke me up, I should have felt resentment and annoyance toward him, but strangely, I didn’t. Even though he had awakened me in such a scary way, my first concern was for him. If a person who always had a high body temperature became so cold like this, it must have been from being caught in the rain for a long time.

My heart sank at the thought of him standing outside in the rain until I woke up. Where did he leave the umbrella to return completely soaked? My heart sank with worry before I could ask what had happened.

“Why did you get soaked in the rain… Wait a moment, I’ll get a towel.”

I turned away from him, thinking I should dry him off first. I couldn’t move forward because my body pulled before I could take a step.

“What’s wrong?”

When I asked in bewilderment, Tae Seong-je held my arms tightly and looked at me with narrowed eyes. A person who was relaxed in each tone and gesture gritted his teeth and picked up a tangled breath. Water droplets dripped down Tae Seong-je’s hair and chin. I raised my hand and wiped his cheek.

What if he catches a cold?

When I imagined him trembling with his large build, I felt sorry for him. I wanted to wash him in warm water, wrap him in a blanket, and put him in bed with hot honey water. However, Tae Seong-je refused to let me go even though he was cold from the rain. I frowned at the strength of his grip, which appeared to leave large red handprints on my arms.

“Hyung, why are you acting like this?”

“…You’re right.”

“What?”

“Why am I like this?”

Tae Seong-je’s eyes, which had been filled with anger just moments earlier, seemed to waver. He hesitated, not responding. I waited patiently for him to speak while wiping his wet face with my sleeve. He looked at me for a moment before averting his gaze. Park Kang-woo must have turned on the lights in the living room at the same time because the room brightened.

“Seo Seung-won, did you… bring a man home?”

Simultaneously, Tae Seong-je’s gaze turned ominous again as he glared at me. He came to me so suddenly, and the first thing he said was… What? A man? What man? Perplexed, I furrowed my brows while looking at him. Park Kang-woo? Is he talking about Park Kang-woo? Why?

But wait, huh?

How did he know? Seriously, how did he know?

Did he let someone follow me? Otherwise, he wouldn’t behave like this. Even before seeing Park Kang-woo’s shoes, he seemed to be fully aware that there was someone else in this house right now. Since when… how long has he been watching? My arm, which was tightly grasped by his large hand, became damp with moisture.

No, wait. Did he come because of that?

What… He should have come to see me sooner if he could come like this… My posture unconsciously stiffened. What kind of person is he, rushing here in one step as if only to smack me in the back of the head? Does he think that even if he gets hit by rain and everything, I’ll be in a good mood if he comes now? It would have been better if he had arrived when the sun was up, even if it still would made me uncomfortable. Even though he clearly knew that if he caught a cold, he would be the only one who suffer.

I felt a lump in my throat, but I couldn’t argue, so I kept my mouth shut and glared back at Tae Seong-je without losing my composure. He scrunched his forehead even more in response as if to say, “Look at this audacity.” It no longer frightened me. I was afraid of him at first because I didn’t know him, but now that I know more about him and have learned more about him, I no longer felt fear towards him.

When I learned in Part 2 that Tae Seong-je had someone follow Seo Seung-won, I had no fear or uneasiness that he might have also had someone follow me. After all, it was just his work, and he’s the type of person who doubts his own people, so I just felt a little hurt. So, I spoke in a confrontational tone without realizing it.

“Do you know how long it’s been since we last met?”

“Forget it, just answer my question.”

Despite his ferocious words, I felt sad rather than scared. No, if he showed up at this hour, it means he could have come at any time. It seemed unfair that I had to wait for his call indefinitely, so I thought I should have studied for the TOEIC during that time instead.

This guy seemed to think I’d grown accustomed to meeting men because I’m dating him. Did he think men who looked like him were everywhere? I couldn’t help but feel humiliated and ridiculous that he could think such a thing about me, but at the same time, disappointed that he had come just to say it.

He didn’t come because he wanted to see me, but because he was annoyed at the thought of me laughing and joking around with someone else behind his back.

I suspected that he was jealous for a moment, but decided that it couldn’t be. This was his habitual attitude. It was a daily routine for him to doubt and suspect his own people.

“First, let’s wash up. We’ll talk after. If you catch a cold, it will only be a loss for you.”