PIA 96

The drinks they ordered were placed in front of them one by one. Red watermelon ade was set before Seo Ji-hyuk and Ji-an, while a dark iced Americano was placed in front of Woo-seok. After the part-timer left, Woo-seok cleared his throat and switched glasses with Seo Ji-hyuk.

Seo Ji-hyuk looked Woo-seok up and down with a displeased expression.

“What kind of conversation did you think we’d have that you brought a third party to a place like this?”

“We’re close enough that he knows my bank account password, so don’t worry and just speak.” 

Ji-an answered through clenched teeth. 

Woo-seok simply sipped his watermelon ade, acting indifferent.

“…”

“…”

A moment of scrutiny passed between them. Seo Ji-hyuk, seemingly parched, emptied his glass in one go. On the other hand, Ji-an couldn’t swallow the drink that was usually so sweet to her; it now tasted like cardboard. It could’ve been because Jeong Hee-seo wasn’t there, because of Woo-seok’s overpowering pheromones, or maybe it was Seo Ji-hyuk’s piercing gaze.

Ji-an thought about taking out Jeong Hee-seo’s handkerchief from her pocket but decided against it. She had no appetite anyway.

“I heard… you’re dating General Manager Jeong Hee-seo?” 

Seo Ji-hyuk asked, breaking off his sentence at an odd point.

“Yes, I am. Feel free to speak casually with me; I’m much younger than you anyway.”

“…Why would someone like him be with you?”

From his tone to the question with impure intentions, Woo-seok’s pheromones suddenly spiked, as if he was getting worked up. Ji-an nudged the agitated bear with his elbow and forced a smile.

“Don’t unnecessarily pry into my personal life. Let’s start with why you invited me to your engagement party.”

“Ah.”

Seo Ji-hyuk smirked and crossed his arms.

“I thought maybe Ji-an was using the General Manager to get Han-joo’s attention again.”

“Hyung-nim—General Manager Jeong isn’t the kind of person who would fall for something like that, is he?”

“You call him hyung-nim? What a weird relationship.”

Ji-an nearly bit his tongue trying to force a laugh. It was getting harder to keep lowering himself for something he hadn’t even done; his thin patience was quickly running out. He wanted to respond as calmly as possible, partly because the voice had warned him not to provoke Seo Ji-hyuk too much, but the malice he was directing at him was too sharp.

As Ji-an’s expression subtly changed, Seo Ji-hyuk sat up straight. He furrowed his brow as if recalling something and then spoke.

“Do you remember? All those times you called Han-joo, day and night. The endless gifts, letters…”

The more Seo Ji-hyuk talked, the redder Ji-an’s face grew. He glanced at Woo-seok, who was biting his lip, trying to hold back laughter.

Ah, Seo Ji-an, why on earth did you do all that? So embarrassing…

Yes, I know it’s embarrassing.

Ji-an was having a silent conversation with Woo-seok when he suddenly chuckled. It was due to a sudden realization.

In the original world, there was a time when Ji-an had tormented himself, wondering why he’d never been able to stand up to his brother, or why he’d never confessed to Jeong Han-joo. Would anything have changed if he had? He used to agonize over these questions.

Now, seeing how brazenly villain Seo Ji-an expressed his emotions, Ji-an felt a strange mix of satisfaction and envy.

But coming this far, he realized that if nothing had changed despite all that struggling, then Jeong Han-joo and Seo Ji-an were not meant to be together. This gave Ji-an a subtle sense of satisfaction.

Maybe Jeong Hee-seo and him were destined for each other?

Seo Ji-hyuk, who had been rambling on, suddenly hardened his expression.

“Why are you smiling like that? It’s irritating. Do you find this funny? To you, this is all just a joke, isn’t it?”

“Oh, no, not at all. Ahem…”

Ji-an’s embarrassed smile faded as he realized he had been caught daydreaming. Thinking about his hyung-nim always made it hard to control his facial expressions. Seo Ji-hyuk, noticing Ji-an’s thoughts were elsewhere, glared at him with a fierce look.

“Looking back, it’s kind of cute, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“…”

“I know Han-joo is very charming and that you were desperately in love with him… And you did apologize last time. I’m not here to dig up what was right or wrong.”

“Then why on earth?”

“Well, I think I want Ji-an to prove it to me personally.”

“…”

“I want to see you face reality by coming to the engagement ceremony, watching Han-joo and me take our vows, cut the cake, and all that.”

In other words, Seo Ji-hyuk wanted him to watch the happy couple bask in their radiant joy and maybe even shed a tear in secret.

It was a truly Seo Ji-hyuk-like idea, wanting to see Ji-an bitterly acknowledge his miserable state right up close. It reminded Ji-an of his brother, who insisted he be his assistant at his own wedding.

Ji-an tilted his head slightly, feeling a bit of resentment bubbling up, when Seo Ji-hyuk added another remark.

“You and I have a bad history, don’t we? Cutting it off deserves at least that much effort. When I think about you, I still get so angry that I spring up in bed in the middle of the night. Show me at least that much sincerity. You know I’m being very considerate by not asking you to give a congratulatory speech, right?”

Pfft. Woo-seok let out an involuntary snort beside him.

Ji-an swallowed hard as something hot surged up his throat. He knew he had to hold back, but it wasn’t easy.

To me, you are the worst kind of bad blood in my life.

Ji-an had nothing to do with the creation of someone like Seo Ji-hyuk, but he had suffered every possible consequence. His mother, for whatever reason, had raised him with care while being cold to her own child.

Who in this world doesn’t have a story? Most people lead their lives despite their twisted circumstances. It’s only those with a particularly rotten character who hold a grudge against their own family like some kind of psycho and write makjang dramas are the ones with exceptionally bad personalities.

“Honestly, I can’t shake the thought that you ruined Han-joo completely.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not true.”

Woo-seok, who had been quietly listening, couldn’t hold back anymore and interjected.

“If someone becomes shit just because they got splashed with some sewage, then they were shit to begin with. How is that Ji-an’s fault?”

“…Hey.”

Ji-an forgot his anger for a moment and shot Woo-seok a look.

“My analogy is spot on, isn’t it? …Right?”

Unintentionally turned into ‘sewage,’ Ji-an bit his dry lips before turning to Seo Ji-hyuk. It suddenly occurred to him that this might be an opportunity. If he planned to continue living here, it would be a good idea to shed the weak guilt he had been carrying around.

After all, to live life, regardless of being a protagonist or a supporting character, one must clear up bad relationships.

“Hyung, if I’m not mistaken, it seems like you’ve had a change of heart too.”

“…”

“Maybe you just want to blame someone.”

It seemed he shouldn’t have said that last part. Seo Ji-hyuk threw the coffee in front of him at Ji-an. It happened so fast he couldn’t even dodge. The cold liquid snapped Ji-an back to his senses as the strong smell of coffee filled his nostrils.

Woo-seok hurriedly tried to wipe his face with napkins, but it was a mess with everything sticking to his skin. Ji-an pushed Woo-seok’s hand away somewhat irritably.

As Ji-an wiped the water dripping down his neck, he locked eyes with Seo Ji-hyuk, who met his gaze without backing down.

“…Anyway, since you want it, I’ll attend. I can even give a congratulatory speech. I already told you last time that I wanted to sever ties with you, but if you’re feeling insecure, well, there’s nothing I can do.”

Having water splashed on his face, it seemed like he was following the classic path of the makjang drama. Oddly enough, taking a direct hit like this cleared his mind. If he just wanted to vent his dirty anger rather than plotting some grand scheme, Ji-an could take it as much as he wanted.

‘Still, I can’t get sick.’

Ji-an touched his lower abdomen protectively as he stood up. As long as his baby was safe, this level of trouble was just a mild itch. He blew softly to remove a napkin that was stuck to his cheek.

“But Hyung, are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Seo Ji-hyuk glared up at Ji-an with eyes full of fury. Ji-an grinned.

“That day, you’re supposed to be the main character, right? Are you really okay with me walking in with Hee-seo hyung, side by side?”

“…”

“We’ll be dressed up nicely, you know.”

* * *

Even after Ji-an and Woo-seok left, Seo Ji-hyuk sat still for quite a while. His hand, gripping the armrest of his chair, trembled. When he tried to think about why he was so angry, the answer was simple.

Ji-an’s very existence irritated him.

While he was struggling to survive, he resented him for taking his place so naturally, with a face that seemed to know nothing. It angered him that he was wedging himself in as a supposed acquaintance, when there was no room to spare next to Jeong Han-joo.

While he was barely managing to balance work, life, and his relationship with Han-joo, he loathed that innocent face that seemed to have no worries.

No, it was better when Ji-an was clingy.

Things started to go wrong after Ji-an suddenly changed one day. That’s when it began. When Han-joo started acting like a child whose toy had been taken away.

At first, he thought it was just some ridiculous change in strategy and was tense, but when he realized it wasn’t, Seo Ji-hyuk was quite flustered.

Moreover, when he heard rumors that Ji-an had won over Jeong Hee-seo, it felt like his mind went blank. After Ji-an discarded Jeong Han-joo, the man he had coveted so much didn’t even seem like a gem anymore.

As he leaned on the table and stared at the empty glass in front of him, a pair of black shoes caught his eye. Seo Ji-hyuk looked up without much thought, but his eyes widened in surprise.

“I saw something interesting.”

Jeong Hee-seo slowly pulled out the chair where Ji-an had been sitting and sat down. He leaned back deeply, then picked up the watermelon ade Ji-an had left behind and took a sip without hesitation. Then he tilted his head.

All these actions were so slow that Seo Ji-hyuk unknowingly tensed his entire body. The man across from him didn’t even look at him, too busy examining the drink on the table.

It was unsettling. For Seo Ji-hyuk, who was preparing for a successful marriage with Jeong Han-joo, Jeong Hee-seo was the most challenging opponent. As Seo Ji-hyuk bit his lip, Jeong Hee-seo finished observing the drink and looked up.

“What’s going on here? Care to explain?”

He crossed his long legs and sat back, as if ready to listen. It was strange how his clasped hands on his knee seemed so large.