DI Ch 44

When I narrowed my eyes, Park Kang-woo quickly rummaged through his bag, took out a box roughly wrapped in wrapping paper, and tossed it toward me.

“I brought you a gift, so don’t be angry.”

I opened the package and straightened my posture, expecting a little from the mischievous guy. As I took out the item from the box and examined it, Park Kang-woo stood up and casually turned off the light.

“If you use this, you can see everything even in the dark. Night vision goggles, cool, right?”

Park Kang-woo claimed to have known because he’d seen it in the games we played at the internet cafe, but I’d never played games with him. However, having followed my friend who loved games in real life, I had played countless games even if I didn’t find them enjoyable, so the green glow in front of me was familiar. My toes lifted slightly. It felt like a rush of excitement suddenly surged within me. With my head turning left and right in excitement, I looked around.

“This… is great. It’s good, I can see everything.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah. I like it… Thank you.”

My eyes lit up again. When he lowered his glasses, Park Kang-woo turned on the light and scratched his head.

“Hmm… I didn’t know you would like it this much. I brought it half-jokingly.”

“No, I really like it. I’m genuinely grateful.”

I meant it. I really needed something like this. If it wasn’t for Park Kang-woo, I might have gotten it someday. When I sincerely thanked him, Park Kang-woo took a deep breath and said,

“If you’re grateful, can I just ask you something?”

“What is it?”

I asked back with a smile on my face that I couldn’t hide. Then Park Kang-woo, on the other hand, asked with no trace of a smile on his face.

“…Are you dying? Are you terminally ill?”

Caught off guard by his serious expression, I was speechless for a moment and then instinctively slapped his forehead.

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m not going to die.”

It’s ridiculous to ask someone who was struggling because he didn’t want to die if he was going to die. Anyway, he was very skilled at tiring people out in a short amount of time. Park Kang-woo, who was holding his forehead in pain, blinked his eyes in surprise. Then, he spread his body wide in this shape (大) and let out a relieved sigh, saying:

“Really? Phew… Wow, I’m so relieved… I thought you were seriously ill and went into hiding.”

I was surprised that after all the times I’d told him that I was healthy even though I didn’t know the cause until graduation, he still misunderstood. Who the heck was dying. I don’t know what kind of expression I had, but Park Kang-woo jumped up and flapped his arms as if I was being unfair.

“No, hey. I’ve seen you stumble and even have your nose bleed in class. How can I so easily believe it? I asked Seung-joon, and he said it wasn’t true, but you might not have told him because he’s young, right? But asking your mother if you’re going to die isn’t possible…”

“Enough about that, why did you come?”

The gift was a gift, and our relationship was our relationship. If I let him keep talking, he would go on endlessly, so I deliberately interrupted and asked coldly. Regardless of what I said, Park Kang-woo wiggled his legs and made an exaggeratedly pained expression.

“No, I asked you if you were avoiding me when I texted you to meet up. If you were really seriously ill, it was really inconsiderate of me to act that way.”

Park Kang-woo was not very considerate, as he stated that he would leave as soon as we met. Despite being a streamer, he lacks sensitivity. Well, he’s just graduated from high school. Even though there was only a one-year age difference between him and me, he seemed like such a child, and a sigh come out from me without realizing it. Not knowing what to do with him, I massaged my stiff neck.

“Did you come here because of that?”

“Yeah. There’s no other friend like me, right? I’m awesome, aren’t I?”

The cheerful tone of his voice was really loud. I asked him to lower his voice since it was late, but he lowered the volume and continued to laugh. The laughter on Park Kang-woo’s face gradually faded as he continued to joke around. He had a face that seemed to have a lot to say, but he didn’t say anything at all.

About five seconds passed in silence, but it was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t bear it. He had been talking so much until now, so why suddenly not say anything? Unable to withstand the silence, I quickly checked the refrigerator.

“Do you want to drink?”

“Uh. Can you have drink?”

“I’m almost better.”

“Really? Then sure.”

As if waiting for that answer, Park Kang-woo replied and gladly took the beer, settling on the floor as if it were his own place. When I brought out some snacks to eat with it, he quickly grabbed them and started devouring them.

“Do you know that I do broadcasts?”

“I know. You don’t know how crazy you are. That’s right, you have over 100,000 subscribers. Congratulations.”

“How do you know? Did you subscribe to me?”

Despite my quick denial to relieve the burden of exaggerated admiration on his face, he still had a bright expression. I just happened to come across it while browsing through things. I haven’t watched a single video properly. I shouldn’t get his hopes up, but Park Kang-woo expressed his ambition to reach one million subscribers with a cheerful smile.

It seemed that Park Kang-woo still believed that he could be friends with Seo Seung-won. I didn’t want that. I just hoped that Seo Seung-won would come back and they could be friends again. I didn’t want to create something to attach myself to in this place.

The relationship between lovers and friends was clearly different, just as Tae Seong-je and they were different. A lover could end up breaking up with you even though they felt love, but leaving behind people you had grown close to was truly uncomfortable. I was afraid that I would start missing Seo Seung-won’s friends like I missed my younger sister and friends.

“If you came because of your content, I’ll do everything for you, so you can leave after it’s done.”

If a friend who you just met after a long time said something like this, it would hurt my feelings. However, instead of showing annoyance, Park Kang-woo’s fist trembled in frustration.

“Hey! How do you see me…! No, I was just talking about our high school days during my live stream, and I feel a bit sentimental because of the alcohol… You received my message, right? But you ignored me again, which annoyed me… Ah, oops. I left my computer on!”

Did he come here after drinking? In my bewilderment, Park Kang-woo said that he hadn’t drunk that much, and then sniffed his breath. He was so embarrassed that he still smelled like alcohol even after washing up. When I shot him a disgusted look, Park Kang-woo pretended to be pitiful. When I didn’t react, he wiped away fake tears as if to say he was upset. This guy…

“Anyway, I figured out your address and impulsively set off. I didn’t even film anything… Well, that’s a shame. I could have made a video. But at that time, instead of thinking about filming, I just thought, if we couldn’t meet, it would be like a one-day trip…”

Park Kang-woo opened a beer can. With a hiss, he mumbled to himself.

“I’ll have a drink with my friend when we meet, I thought to myself.”

The guy drank beer until his throat was bobbing. Park Kang-woo was good with words. It was so good that I found myself listening attentively without even realizing it.

I tilted my beer and clinked his can. Then Park Kang-woo laughed foolishly till his shoulders shook. For him, Seo Seung-won must be a friend who disappeared right after graduation, and all of my remaining anger disappeared, so I didn’t say anything else.

People evaluate others based on their own standards. Once they’ve set their mind on something, they usually don’t change. That’s why people can be dangerous. In just a few months, I learned what kind of person Park Kang-woo was. He liked to meddle, was naive, and had other flaws… But Park Kang-woo was a caring and good friend. It would have been great if he had just been my friend. That was unfortunate.

“Yaah.”

“Why.”

Park Kang-woo swayed and trailed his words as if he were getting drunk. Suddenly, I noticed Park Kang-woo restlessly fidgeting with his hands, and he called out to me again. But that was all. He seemed to have something to say, but he didn’t say it properly. The look in his eyes when he looked at me seemed a bit confused.

“What’s wrong with you, acting like that towards us?”

“…”

“Why are you doing this to us?”

I couldn’t respond. Resentment lingered in his tone, making it impossible for me to retort. Park Kang-woo nervously bit his lip and fidgeted his legs, then gulped down his beer. He sighed and crushed the empty can. He rolled it aimlessly on his palm but didn’t say anything more. I was the same way.

Park Kang-woo took his damp bag and stood up from his seat.

“Sorry. You have a lecture tomorrow, right? You must be tired. Well, I’ll go now.”

“Where are you going in the middle of the night? Just sleep here.”

It was raining outside, pouring down refreshingly. Was he crazy? I run after him, but Park Kang-woo had already taken a few steps back, wearing his soaked sneakers.

“I booked a room nearby. My stuff is there, and if you have an extra umbrella, lend it to me.”

I do have an unused large umbrella. But can I let him go in this weather? Did he really book a room? I worried that he was telling a lie out of concern for me being uncomfortable.

Park Kang-woo opened the front door and said.

“If you don’t have it, I’ll just buy it at a convenience store.”

“No, no. Don’t go. If you’re going to go to sleep, just sleep here. Even if it’s nearby, how can you get there when it’s raining like that outside?”

“I can take a taxi.”

“Don’t be stubborn and sleep here.”

As I kept holding onto him, Park Kang-woo made a clicking sound with his tongue, and without saying a word, he nodded his head. After winning the late-night struggle between us, I quickly tidied up and spread a blanket on the floor in case he changed his mind.

“Sleep well.”

“Yeah. You too.”

Despite his response, he continued to chatter even after I turned off the light since he was a talkative person. His constant chatter reminded me of the first day I went to school. I felt like an idol trainee when I went to school armed with the fact that I had lost my memory. I remember Park Kang-woo chasing away the curious kids who were surrounding me. There were also memories of him endlessly chatting next to me, making my head spin.