DP Side Story Episode 19
by BrieDeep Pivot Side Story, Episode 19
It seemed like Hee-min had only explained the parts he thought were important to Yeon-woo. Chances were, Yeon-woo hadn’t understood any of it.
Seo-joon, watching Yeon-woo’s eyes slide sideways and his voice grow smaller, suddenly cut in.
“Yeon-woo, you know who I am.”
Gasp…
A tiny intake of breath. Yeon-woo turned his head the other way, his throat bobbing in a visible gulp.
“N-no. I-I don’t… I’m seeing you for the first time.”
The sigh that escaped Seo-joon’s lips was a storm of emotion. Relief flooded in—then irritation followed hard on its heels.
How could he pretend not to know him? Why?
“Yeon-woo, who saved you from that orphanage?”
Seo-joon aimed the question at Yeon-woo’s turned face.
“It was me. You really forgot your savior?”
Seo-joon saw through the situation faster than anyone.
Yeon-woo lost his memory? Then all they had to do was drag that lost memory back with sheer force, no matter what it took.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know me. I remember now. The first time we met—when you were thirteen.”
Yeon-woo’s head slowly turned to face Seo-joon, and the shock that dropped over his wide eyes was just what Seo-joon expected.
“H-h-how… How did you know?”
Watching his face as if he might stop breathing at any second, Seo-joon said coolly:
“You stalked me, Yeon-woo. Losing your memory doesn’t mean all that never happened.”
“I-I did…? Me…?”
A look of pure devastation swept across Yeon-woo’s face, ten times more intense than earlier. His trembling hands covered his mouth, eyes darting everywhere. The words that followed were closer to a groan than a sentence.
“I really… ended up doing something like that…”
Seo-joon nearly burst out laughing, barely managing to hold it in. What do you mean, ‘ended up’ doing something like that?
“I-I’m so sorry… I’ll never do it again. I don’t know why I did that, or maybe I do, but still—I don’t know what to say. I’m really sorry… I’m sorry…”
Even with his weakened body, Yeon-woo straightened himself up to sit properly, bowing repeatedly in apology. Seo-joon gently placed a pillow behind his back and quickly corrected the misunderstanding.
“I was joking. You never stalked me, Yeon-woo.”
“…What?”
Yeon-woo blinked at him, dazed. Seo-joon bit down hard on his lip. He knew he shouldn’t do this, but whenever he saw those gentle, clueless eyes—he couldn’t help but want to mess with him.
“Actually… I was the one who stalked you, Yeon-woo.”
“…”
This time, Yeon-woo said nothing. He blinked a few times, then quietly pinched the back of his own hand. Seo-joon watched, amused. Cute. So bright-eyed and cute.
It wasn’t exactly a heartwarming situation, but Seo-joon couldn’t help thinking:
If Yeon-woo really was trapped in his high school sophomore mindset… wasn’t this a golden opportunity to tease him endlessly?
After a long silence, Yeon-woo finally spoke, his voice quiet and subdued.
“You… stalked me?”
“Yep.”
“…W-why would you do that?”
Seo-joon was using every ounce of patience he had to keep from laughing. As a result, his face was colder and calmer than ever.
“Because you were too pretty. I was obsessed. I chased you like crazy. Showered you with gifts, threw money at you, begged you to date me.”
“…But I’m eighteen.”
“And now you’re twenty-one. Don’t you remember? I used to visit your school every day in senior year. Right in front of Myeonghyeon High—remember how awful the traffic was there?”
Seo-joon had no problem playing the part of a shameless minor-stalking pervert if it meant getting under Yeon-woo’s skin.
Yeon-woo’s pale blue eyes trembled wildly—back and forth between Seo-joon and thin air.
Then his head whipped around. Seo-joon watched as he secretly pinched the back of his hand again. When Yeon-woo finally turned back to face him, he spoke.
“S-so… right now too? Even now, you…”
“Even now, we’re dating. You and me.”
Seo-joon, overriding Yeon-woo’s hesitant attempt to make sense of the situation, met his eyes with utter seriousness.
“D-dating…” Yeon-woo murmured blankly, repeating the word—and then froze.
“Until your memory comes back, I’ll be the one taking care of you. Everyone at the Center knows we’re a couple.”
“…”
Seo-joon stirred the porridge and scooped up a spoonful, holding it out in front of Yeon-woo. He nudged him to open his mouth with an expectant “Ah,” but Yeon-woo pressed his lips shut and turned his head slightly away.
“…Thank you, but I can eat by myself.”
“Open up.”
Seo-joon calmly repeated himself, spoon still extended, ignoring Yeon-woo’s tiny, reluctant voice. In the end, Yeon-woo unwillingly parted his trembling lips and took in the spoonful.
“You even look pretty when you eat.”
Cough!
Yeon-woo coughed so hard the porridge sputtered out. Seo-joon casually wiped it off, then dabbed the corners of Yeon-woo’s mouth.
“You still look pretty even when you’re drooling like that.”
“…”
“This is why I kept chasing after you, Yeon-woo. You’ll see once your memory comes back—just how much I liked you.”
Unbothered by the way Yeon-woo hung his head and fidgeted anxiously, Seo-joon patiently fed him spoonful after spoonful until the entire bowl was empty.
Yeon-woo grew quieter and quieter. Even when brushing his teeth, Seo-joon followed him around like a shadow. At one point, he even tried to follow him into the bathroom, only to be met with, “I’m really sorry, but I can wash by myself!”—right before the door shut in his face.
…An experience Seo-joon had rarely, if ever, encountered.
Still, he looked after Yeon-woo with complete devotion, regardless of how uncomfortable he made him. He even managed to slip a thermometer into Yeon-woo’s ear despite his shyness, checked his temperature, and gently patted his chest to coax him into lying down.
“Um… I have a question.”
Yeon-woo, lying in bed with his hands neatly folded just as Seo-joon had arranged them, fidgeted slightly as he spoke.
“What should I… call you?”
“…”
Seo-joon looked down at him quietly.
“Jagiya.”
He said it with a straight face, without a hint of hesitation.
“You used to call me jagiya.”
“…What?”
Yeon-woo blinked, stunned, but Seo-joon was unrelenting.
“We’re dating—what else would you have called me?”
He watched Yeon-woo closely, curious. Would Cha Yeon-woo actually go so far as to call him that too? He was dying to find out.
“O-other people… I heard them call you ‘Lieutenant Ji’…”
Yeon-woo stammered.
“For now, I’ll just call you Lieutenant Ji Seo-joon. Just until… my memory comes back.”
As expected—even with amnesia, Cha Yeon-woo was still Cha Yeon-woo.
And somehow, that thought brought Seo-joon a bit of relief. He quietly nodded, swallowing a sigh.
“Alright. Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Um… Lieutenant… I’d like to sleep now.”
“Go ahead.”
“I… I’m really sorry, but… I’d like to be alone.”
It was an unspoken plea—to at least be allowed to rest in peace.
Seo-joon wanted so badly to wrap him up in a hug and make him sleep in his arms, but even he wasn’t shameless enough to cling to an injured lover.
Maybe it’s time I stop teasing him.
He stood and gently brushed back Yeon-woo’s hair.
“Okay, Yeon-woo. I’ll step out. Sleep well.”
Those wide, clear eyes—tinged with fear—looked up at him anxiously. Seo-joon swallowed the ache in his chest and gave him a soft smile.
“I hope your memory comes back soon.”
“…Yes.”
With his eyes lowered, Yeon-woo replied quietly.
“…I’m sorry.”
Unfortunately, Cha Yeon-woo’s memory did not return the next day either.
Seo-joon sighed as he looked at Yeon-woo, who was even quieter than the day before, constantly avoiding his gaze.
What can I do to help him remember?
What if… he never gets it back?
But his worries didn’t last long. Even in his amnesiac state, Yeon-woo had a way of unknowingly poking at Seo-joon’s mischievous, sadistic streak.
“Um… Lieutenant Ji Seo-joon…”
After staying silent all morning, quietly eating the porridge Seo-joon fed him and swallowing the medicine he handed over, Yeon-woo suddenly called out to him.
Seo-joon, having just drawn the curtains to shield the room from the harsh morning sunlight, turned to look at him.
“You said… we’re dating.”
“I did.”
“Then, um…”
The tips of Yeon-woo’s ears slowly turned red. Seo-joon walked over and sat beside him, encouraging him to speak freely.
Turning his head away, Yeon-woo avoided his eyes and began hesitantly.