HWAMB — Chapter 56

Hyun-woo, arms crossed and scowling, stared with dry eyes, while Jin-gyeong sat neatly with a smile—though it was a sharp, cold smile.

‘Damn it…’

The table could seat six, yet it felt suffocating and cramped.

I had thought Hyun-woo simply disliked people in general, so his distaste for Jin-gyeong was just one-sided. But from the look of it now, that wasn’t the case.

‘Do Jin-gyeong… So it wasn’t one-sided. They hate each other equally.’

Mutual hostility. Nothing less.

‘Should’ve just done what Hyun-woo said and left the kid with the staff. Meddling again…’

Still, I couldn’t have just abandoned the boy.

His name was Do Jin-uk, Jin-gyeong’s younger brother.

He was still in kindergarten, and the reason he got lost was, ironically, because of that ugly Se-ri plush.

As it turned out, Jin-uk was an even more obsessive Love Pink fan than I imagined, collecting every piece of merch he could get.

Since he was too young to attend events alone, their parents often sent him along with Jin-gyeong.

‘So that explains why I saw Jin-gyeong at the collaboration café…’

I remembered the handkerchief he had lent me then.

Since entry required buying at least one item, he must have picked something random.

Anyway, Jin-uk was a fan of Love Pink’s most popular member, Rabi. Apparently, he and Jin-gyeong had argued at the claw machines.

No surprise. There was no way a Rabi plush would still be there that late in the day.

Not wanting to see his brother upset, Jin-gyeong had grabbed the only thing left—an ugly Se-ri plush.

But Jin-uk was so disappointed that he cried, called it ugly, and ran off.

‘How did it end up like this…’

I had tried to decline Jin-gyeong’s offer of dinner as thanks for finding his brother, but Hyun-woo unexpectedly accepted.

Normally, the foul-mouthed, ill-tempered Hyun-woo would have said, “Why would I?” or “Stop being a nuisance and get lost.”

But not this time.

Glancing at Hyun-woo nervously, I let out a heavy sigh.

“Thanks, Eun-jae. If not for you, this could’ve been bad.”

“It’s nothing. Hyun-woo helped a lot too…”

“I’ll pay, so don’t hold back. Eat as much as you like.”

The atmosphere was stifling. It felt like being thrown into the middle of winter’s biting wind.

The chill seeped into my skin, making the seat feel like a bed of thorns.

“Here’s your food.”

In the quiet, the only one at peace was the child, munching away happily.

“Enjoy your meal.”

Jin-gyeong smiled warmly at me across the table. I felt like I’d choke before I could eat anything.

“Seems like you and Jin-gyeong have gotten pretty close.”

Hyun-woo grinned at me. His predatory smile looked ready to swallow me whole.

I scrambled, answering vaguely, “Well… we just got a bit friendlier, like anyone would.” Not exactly a lie.

With a sigh, I twirled spaghetti on my fork and shoved it into my mouth. Jin-gyeong chimed in.

“Honestly, Eun-jae, I thought you’d say no. I worried you’d brush it off with a ‘let’s just eat next time.’”

I nearly choked on my spaghetti. Gulping water, I glanced at Hyun-woo.

“…Next time?” he asked, voice suspicious.

“Eun-jae promised to buy me a meal after the hospital… Oh, wait. He hasn’t told you?”

At that, Hyun-woo’s lips curled upward. He grabbed a napkin, his crescent-moon eyes fixed on me.

“…I see.”

He wiped the sauce off my lips and murmured,

“I didn’t know that.”

His deep smile was aimed at me. Before I could explain, Hyun-woo shrugged it off casually.

“Well, it’s just a meal between ‘friends.’ No need to tell me every little thing.”

He deliberately stressed the word “friend” as he shot Jin-gyeong a glare. Slowly, Jin-gyeong’s smile faded.

I slammed my glass down. Both of them looked at me.

“Can’t you two just eat without the drama?”

At my words, they glared at each other for a long moment before quietly picking up their utensils.

“…”

“…”

And until the meal ended, not one of us spoke.

* * *

After getting off the subway and walking home, Hyun-woo stayed silent. No matter how I tried to lighten the mood, all I got were dry, curt answers.

“Hey, Shim Hyun-woo. It’s obvious you’re sulking, you know?”

“I’m not sulking.”

“Go look in a mirror before you say that.”

There was no weight to his words when he said them with his brows furrowed like that.

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah. Totally obvious.”

“….”

Hyun-woo pressed his lips together, rubbing them silently before clamping his mouth shut again.

“Anyway, why do you and that guy hate each other so much? Anyone would think you’re mortal enemies.”

“….”

“What? No way… Is it actually true?”

I asked again, half-joking but half-serious, wondering if it could really be the case. But Hyun-woo didn’t answer.

After a long silence, his lips moved hesitantly, and then, almost grumbling, he finally spoke.

“…Don’t be nice to him.”

“…To Do Jin-gyeong? I don’t think I’ve ever been particularly nice to him…”

“You always answer him politely whenever he talks to you. That’s being nice.”

“Hyun-woo, that’s what most people call basic manners.”

He glared at me at that.

“Do you even realize how he looks at you?”

“What are you talking about now?”

“What if he actually likes you?”

His growling words left me speechless.

Do Jin-gyeong? Liking me? That couldn’t be. I mean…

“He already told me he likes someone else…”

If he really liked me, wouldn’t he have confided in me directly at some point? Surely not.

“I don’t think so… Anyway, he and I are just friends. Same as Sang-soo or Young-ho.”

“….”

“I’m serious. Don’t you trust me?”

Hyun-woo narrowed his eyes, his expression unsettled.

“…Then why’d you make a plan to meet him alone?”

“That was just me wanting to treat him to a meal for helping me last time. My brother, my uncles, even you said he helped, remember? So…”

“We already paid him back enough. You don’t need to do anything.”

“What?”

When I asked again, Hyun-woo replied without blinking.

“It’s already settled. You don’t need to.”

“….”

Something about it didn’t sit right.

It had been my experience, my situation. But the way he put it, it felt like I was completely left out of the matter—that they had wrapped everything up without me.

It felt like I was being denied.

Like he was telling me not to get involved anymore because it was already finished.

Am I not even allowed to express how I feel about what happened to me?

If you say it’s over, then it’s over?

What about me? My thoughts?

Of course, I knew Hyun-woo didn’t mean it like that. I knew… but hearing the words out loud still stung, and anger bubbled up inside me.

“Why do you say things like that?”

My voice trembled—not from sadness, but from forcing myself to hold back my anger.

As night fell, the streetlights flickered on one by one.

I looked him straight in the eye.

“If you say it’s over, does that mean it really is? This is my business too.”

“….”

A cold wind brushed my tired cheek. Maybe it was because I was worked up, but emotions spilled out before I could stop them.

“Hearing that from you, of all people—it really pisses me off.”

“That’s not what I meant… sigh…”

At my sharp words, Hyun-woo rubbed his forehead. His lips moved like he was about to explain but hesitated, then ended it with a long sigh.

We were both overheated. Hyun-woo, me—we were both the same.

And I hated myself for letting something so small, just a few words, shake me this much.

With my head lowered, I said quietly,

“…You don’t have to walk me all the way home. Just take care heading back.”

Hyun-woo’s head shot up, his eyes on me.

“Eun-jae.”

“…We both need to cool off today.”

“….”

I walked past him, leading the way.

After a moment, I heard footsteps trailing softly behind me. Cautious, hesitant steps.

I stopped and exhaled faintly.

“Just so you know, if you follow me now, I’ll really get angry.”

After that, the footsteps stopped.

Afraid I’d weaken if I looked back, I kept walking without turning around—straight home.

As soon as I finished washing up, I lay down on my bed. It felt like my body would just melt into the soft mattress.

“Haa…”

My heavy eyelids blinked slowly. Every time the smooth blanket brushed against my cheek, the tangled mess of feelings inside me unraveled a little.

‘Shim Hyun-woo, you idiot, moron, sea cucumber, sea anemone.’

My heart felt unsettled.

“I guess it does bother me, just walking away without even looking at him…”

I knew what he meant when he said those things to me.

I knew, but hearing it directly made me so angry I couldn’t see straight.

“He could’ve at least said it nicely.”

Ugh, that damn mouth of his.

Muttering, I smacked my pillow with my fist. Every punch left a dent in the soft cushion, only for it to bounce back into shape.

‘Come to think of it, Do Jin-gyeong was picking fights with Hyun-woo all day too.’

Not that Hyun-woo handled himself well either, but still.

He’d never acted like that at school, so I didn’t know, but watching him today, it was clear he had a temper.

I let out a sigh deep enough to sink the earth, then flopped back onto the bed. Turning my head to the side, I saw the new tablet I had won earlier.

It was still tucked neatly inside the shopping bag. A wave of weakness crept back into my chest.

“….”

With my thoughts in a bad place, I kept fiddling with my phone.