DI Ch 61

[19:05] If I ask you to do something, will you do it?

I’ll listen to whatever you want [19:05]

[19:05] Hyung, but isn’t this something you should figure out on your own?

[19:05] Reflect on it and set up the room to my liking.

Even though the number 1 disappeared and there weren’t any specific words, for some reason, I felt like he might be smiling too.

Right [19:06]

You showed consideration for the kidnapper. I need to reflect on this [19:06]

I felt proud of myself when I looked at his text message that he accepted my joke casually.  I thought I would keep falling for his pranks forever, but now I was starting to fight back.

“My jaw is going to rip. My jaw.”

I quickly flipped my phone over at the sudden voice. When I looked up, there was Park Kang-woo standing there with his hands full of food.

“I’ve been here a few times and I get all the services.”

He muttered with a disappointed voice as he placed the food on the table. Just then, the phone in my hand suddenly vibrated. I hurriedly checked the KakaoTalk message while keeping an eye on Park Kang-woo, who had been incessantly complaining, as he turned around to bring soju.

If you’re going to drink, drink moderately [19:09]

1 [19:12] It’s okay. I can handle my alcohol.

I quickly replied and was about to put my phone away, but I checked it again when I felt the vibration.

I said moderately [19:12]

I unknowingly flinched and shrugged my shoulders. It’s just text, but I got the impression he was annoyed, so I felt horrible. Tae Seong-je occasionally curses with his eyes when he finds something annoying, but somehow it felt like I could even see that.

I knew that he had sent the original message quite coldly, but I couldn’t help but feel very sad in a corner of my heart every time I received a text like this. I couldn’t say anything about it because I wasn’t in a position to complain, so the sadness that accumulated increased.

The vacant table was suddenly filled with food thanks to Park Kang-woo’s continuous work alone with the employees. It dawned on me that simply sitting still wasn’t proper etiquette and that I wasn’t in a position to be served right now. So, just as I was ready to leave my seat, Park Kang-woo approached and stopped me.

“Ah, customer don’t move around.”

Anyone hearing that would think he’s the owner here. It was ridiculous, but I just sat down and took a sip of water. And then I got lost in the incoming messages again.

Use the card [19:14]

Despite the abrupt text, I managed to keep my cool. Other people probably experience this kind of thing too. I couldn’t complain that I wasn’t being treated specially. I reached into my wallet and pulled out Tae Seong-je’s card.

A few months ago, he lent it to me and said to use it for a while. I hadn’t really thought about taking it. Honestly, I had no reason to use his money. I wasn’t short on funds right now, and I hadn’t lost my own card.

So, I was in a bit of a dilemma, but it also made my heart flutter. It felt like he didn’t mind spending money on me, regardless of the reason.

“Hey, this really good. I always eat this bibimmyeon whenever I come here.”

Park Kang-woo returned to his seat, picked up his chopsticks, and dived into his bibimmyeon with a big smile. He took care of his physical and mental health by eating well, but enjoying food was a different matter. So, it was a relief to see Park Kang-woo eating heartily, unlike me.

“I’ll pay today, so eat a lot.”

I put away Tae Seong-je’s card that I had been fiddling with and placed my own card on the table before saying this. He responded with a sly smile and danced his shoulders.

“Hey, you seem to get a lot of pocket money. I hope you haven’t forgotten how much we eat.”

“You guys still eat like that…”

I mumbled with a tired expression. Whether it was Park Kang-woo or the others, they would eat two or three meals before I even finished one. They would even pile up snacks to eat later. Judging by the way he was talking, it seemed like Kwon Jung-hyuk was still as sturdy as ever.

“I worked part-time and got paid quite a bit.”

“Part-time? Wait, you did that kind of thing? What if you collapse again?”

“I won’t faint anymore, I’ll be fully alert from now on, so it’s okay.”

“Are you crazy? If that were a solution that could be achieved through effort, you wouldn’t have fainted in the first place, right? Don’t talk nonsense.”

Damn it, that’s it. I knew that this might sound insane to people who don’t know my situation, but when that guy said that, I wanted to snap back at him. However, if I said, ‘My body hurts according to negative emotions,’ he would probably tell me not to talk such crazy stuff and chew gum like a dog, so I couldn’t help but keep my mouth shut.

As I grumpily pressed my lips together, he tilted his head as if he were puzzled.

“But what did you do to earn that much?”

“Tutoring, and working part-time at a café.”

Park Kang-woo’s grimace seemed to question how much one could earn through tutoring or café work, but I didn’t bother answering his curiosity. Instead, he seemed to have something he wanted to say.

“Hey. But from now on, if someone asks for help and offers you a lot of money, just tell them to find someone else instead of bothering you.”

“Why?”

“Well, why indeed. What kind of part-time job is it for someone who’s busy taking care of their body?”

He was right. As Park Kang-woo said, why would I do something like part-time work for a few extra bucks? I didn’t really need the money that much, and I had plenty of things to focus on. In fact, if the person proposing the part-time job hadn’t been Woo Ji-min, I would never have agreed.

Woo Ji-min, who had watched the dispute between me and Seo Seung-joon, had observed me for a few days. He had cared for me, saying he would listen if I had something troubling me or that he would go to the hospital with me if needed.

Perhaps it was because of this that I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I could no longer ignore how Kang Moo-hyun, that petty and pathetic guy, secretly followed Woo Ji-min around like a stalker, meddling in everything. It was interfering with the story, and despite the fact that it was an attitude that will keep me from returning to reality, it continued.

I should have left it alone, but seeing Woo Ji-min living his life diligently made me want to change his predetermined fate. However, when I thought about Seo Seung-joon, who had cried miserably, wondering why I was treating him so coldly, it was clear that it was best to put everything back where it belonged.

Just as I needed to go where I belonged, Seo Seung-won also had to come back here.

But to do that, I had to firmly ignore Woo Ji-min’s life, and yet I was struggling with it. It felt like I was lost. It was foolish. I just had to focus on returning to reality, but I couldn’t seem to do that.

“…”

However, maybe it was just my mood, but I didn’t feel as desperate to return to reality as before. Whether my memories were really fading away or not, slowly my own affairs started to feel like someone else’s business.

“Hey. Can you drink tonight? Your face looks really pale, did something happen?”

“…I’m just feeling a bit under the weather.”

“Well, change up that routine of yours.”

Though he clicked his tongue, he still accepted my explanation. I was worried I was going to get another nosebleed because of my throbbing anxiety, so I decided to put all my thoughts and fears aside. However, there was one thing I couldn’t avoid dealing with immediately, I have to meet one of Seo Seung-won’s friends, Kwon Jung-hyuk soon.

There would be nothing better if buying someone a meal could improve our friendship, but human relationships aren’t that simple. I couldn’t tell what Park Kang-woo was thinking on the inside, but he seemed to be acting as though there were no hard feelings. But what about the others?

Even though I hadn’t apologized and hadn’t contacted him, I felt like Lee Hyun-wook would be the type to accept my apology without making a big deal out of it. It seemed absurb, but that’s what I thought. However, I was worried that Kwon Jung-hyuk wouldn’t be so forgiving.

There was a reason why Park Kang-woo had arranged to meet in Daegu, where Kwon Jung-hyuk was. Suddenly, fatigue overwhelmed me and I felt drained. I didn’t plan to meet with them in the first place, let alone apologize, but I felt a little burdened that things turned out this way.

Honestly, I just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen and disappear again. However, if I chose to avoid this, Kwon Jung-hyuk might even want to look at Seo Seung-won’s face again. And I doubted that Park Kang-woo would tolerate it either. In the end, Seo Seung-won’s social life would be destroyed because of me.

I sighed. It would have been easier if I didn’t feel any self-blame or guilt. If I could just treat it like it never happened, that would be great. However, it seemed that my actions were more significant than I thought. I clenched my fist tightly as I looked down at my bruised forearm. It was summer, and I had to stop scratching my bare skin.

After checking the time, I noticed that Park Kang-woo had started to speak.

“Hey. Is it that interesting? You keep glancing at your phone whenever there’s a chance.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh. Isn’t it?”

“No.”

Although my frustration grew as he continued to observe me like a hawk, I couldn’t really complain. Unjust as it might be, I couldn’t deny that I had been doing something else while being with someone. I had no words to defend myself. As soon as I put my phone away, Park Kang-woo rubbed the bottom of his nose and quietly spoke.

“So, what kind of person is he?”