IPSTDS Chapter 37

Chapter 37

But once again, what reached Seo Dowoong’s ear was a recorded message saying the call could not be completed.

As he listened to that emotionless voice, Yoon Noah’s playful tone suddenly came to mind.

‘Woong~!’

Not “Seo Dowoong,” not even “Dowoong,” just “Woong.” Not even his parents called him that.

And yet, that ridiculous little nickname somehow sounded better than this cold machine voice. The fact that he wanted to hear it again…

Seo Dowoong tossed the now-useless phone onto the sofa.

“This is insane. Wanting to hear that again?”

He must’ve lost his mind lately with everything on his plate.

Work at the company, the fight with Kim Daon, the situation with Park Sangcheol… not a single topic that didn’t irritate him.

Why did everything feel so suffocating and frustrating?

He lay down on the sofa. In this lifeless, unfeeling space, the silence hanging thick around him made him feel—somehow—deeply alone.

---

The next day, there was still no word from Yoon Noah. Surely he’d seen the missed calls.

It was as if he was making a point—that two calls weren’t enough to heal a wounded heart.

Come to think of it, things like this had happened before.

Back when they were kids—back when he and Noah got along well.

The memories were too old to recall in detail, but one thing he did remember clearly was how long Noah’s sulking used to last.

Back then, when their relationship was still good, Dowoong always tried to cheer Noah up unconditionally.

In fact, at first, he would seriously fret over it, thinking, How do I make him feel better? But it wasn’t long before Seo Dowoong figured out the trick to softening Noah’s heart.

It was his smile.

He would flash a big grin and call Noah’s name gently.

Then, if he followed it up with a kind word urging him to let it go, a smile would always find its way onto Noah’s face too.

‘Youuu… If you mess with me again, I’m seriously gonna get mad, got it?’

Even when Noah tried to sound threatening, Dowoong couldn’t stop teasing him.

He’d mess with him, apologize when Noah sulked, and then mess with him again… It had become a routine.

He probably kept bothering him because he genuinely liked the way Noah looked when he was sulking, cheeks puffed out in a pout.

There was something irresistibly fun about pinching those puffed-up cheeks and watching the indignant expression that followed.

‘Yeah… there was a time like that.’

A memory from long ago. One he hadn’t even tried to recall in years.

Was Noah still ignoring his calls with puffed-up cheeks, just like back then?

Seo Dowoong, thinking of how deeply Noah must still be sulking, sent him one more message. Talk about generosity.

– If you want an apology, contact me.

He’d done more than enough now. Noah wouldn’t be able to resist replying. That guy always wanted his apology so badly.

Seo Dowoong waited calmly for Noah’s response, curious to see what kind of reply he would get.

---

At that moment, Nahyuk was staring at the message from Seo Dowoong, lost in thought.

“‘If you want an apology, contact me’…?”

It was a message dripping with arrogance.

The kind of message that made you hesitate before replying.

When Nahyuk saw the missed calls from the night before, he had guessed Seo Dowoong must’ve learned the truth.

He hadn’t answered at the time because he was already fast asleep.

He thought about calling him back in the morning, but got caught up spending the day with Kim Daon and Lee Kangil, who had both stayed the night at his place. The call simply slipped his mind.

Daon and Kangil had only left later that afternoon.

And now, today, a message had arrived from Seo Dowoong.

‘What should I do?’

Of course, he deserved an apology.

But the tone of that message made it obvious—Seo Dowoong might admit to misunderstanding him, but he’d still act haughty about it.

Even getting an apology might feel unpleasant.

‘If only I were as good with words as Kim Daon or Lee Kangil.’ It was a frustrating thought.

Just as Nahyuk sat there fidgeting with his phone, lost in indecision, it buzzed again.

He thought it might be another message from Seo Dowoong, but instead, a surprising alert appeared on his screen:

「A Flower Blooms Even in Ruins – Chapter 75 is now live!」

A new chapter of the original novel had been uploaded.

Without hesitation, Nahyuk tapped the notification to read it. He remembered that Chapter 74 had ended with Daon’s accident—the very incident he had prevented in reality.

Thankfully, in the novel, Kim Daon wasn’t seriously injured. No major fractures, just some scrapes and bruises.

Even so, Seo Dowoong had been furious, vowing to find out who caused the accident.

And that accident had become a turning point—one that helped Seo Dowoong realize his own feelings.

「…The moment he thought he might lose Kim Daon, Seo Dowoong was overcome by despair.

He felt like he was falling into a bottomless pit with no way out, a place so dark and hopeless even salvation couldn’t reach.

That’s when Seo Dowoong finally understood just how precious Daon was to him. It wasn’t just affection—he was deeply in love.

Realizing he was in love made it impossible to stay calm whenever he saw Daon’s face.

He hadn’t used to be like this… It was strange.

“Dowoong, why can’t you look me in the eye these days?”

Kim Daon had even begun to wonder aloud.

Seo Dowoong made up his mind. He had to confess properly this time.

And it just so happened that Kim Daon’s birthday was approaching.

Seo Dowoong marked the day for his confession.」

As he finished reading Chapter 75, Ina Hyuk’s expression turned serious.

In the novel, the car accident had strengthened the relationship between Kim Daon and Seo Dowoong. But in reality, it had only made things worse between them.

And the reason was… himself.

“What should I do about Daon…”

Regardless of how he felt about Seo Dowoong, Nahyuk was worried that he might have negatively impacted Kim Daon.

He’d sworn to support their love, after all.

This wouldn’t do. He needed to reach out to Seo Dowoong and meet with him—then tell him to make up with Kim Daon.

Daon hadn’t said so directly, but it seemed clear they hadn’t reconciled yet. Nahyuk had assumed they’d make up on their own…

Still, now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, Dowoong would probably try to make amends. After all, it was because Daon had taken Nahyuk’s side that Dowoong had gotten angry in the first place.

If the two of them reconciled, they could go back to being just like in the novel. No—they had to.

Finally, Nahyuk began writing the reply he’d been putting off.

– If you realize it was your fault, then… do you want to come over?

It felt best to invite him to a place where there were no eyes watching, where things were comfortable and time didn’t matter—his home.

Not long after, Seo Dowoong replied.

– Okay, I’ll come by after work.

Nahyuk sat up from the bed, where he’d been lazing all afternoon.

He didn’t exactly want to welcome him warmly, but since he was inviting someone over, he figured he should at least wash his face.

---

A faint smirk tugged at Seo Dowoong’s lips when he finally received a reply from Yoon Noah.

Despite having once considered blocking him, Dowoong read the message over and over again—as if trying to determine whether it was real.

“He dares invite me to his place? Still as shameless as ever…”

Who said anything about making up? Did he think this was about something else?

With no real reason, Dowoong buttoned his shirt all the way up to the collar and began stamping the documents stacked on his desk.

For some reason, things felt like they were going unusually smoothly. It couldn’t possibly be just because he got a message from Yoon Noah… could it?

It was probably just instinct—his body moving efficiently now that he had evening plans and wanted to finish early.

By the time he wrapped up all his work, it was already well past dinnertime. He hadn’t eaten, but he didn’t really feel hungry.

Throwing on a light coat, Seo Dowoong left the executive office. On his way out of the building, he glanced toward the now-empty secretary’s office where Kim Daon used to sit.

‘Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we left work together.’

No matter how hard or exhausting the day had been, heading home with Kim Daon had always made it feel worth it…

The memory brought a smile to his face, and before he realized it, he picked up his phone. But in the end, he didn’t call Daon.

‘I’m not thinking about later. I’m just dealing with what’s in front of me right now. But you? You look like a lost kid who doesn’t listen to anyone.’

Daon’s words, filled with disappointment and self-blame, echoed in his mind.

Was I really that much of a kid? He had no idea what he should say to Daon or how to approach him now. His hand hovered awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

“Haa…”

With a heavy sigh, Seo Dowoong finally made his way toward Yoon Noah’s house. Right now, meeting with Noah took priority.

As he drove, a dessert shop that had been getting a lot of buzz around the office recently caught his eye.

One of the secretaries had once recommended their macarons, saying they were delicious. Of course, Seo Dowoong had declined—he wasn’t fond of sweets.

But…

‘Yoon Noah. He really liked sweet things.’

They had once been close enough that Dowoong knew his preferences better than anyone else.

He pulled over and walked into the dessert shop. It had been a long time since he bought something with Yoon Noah in mind.