WANL Ch 14 – Main Story End

Nanyeong slowly blinked, looking at Jihoon. His excited face, as if anticipating the happiness to come, appeared to move in slow motion. Nanyeong parted his dry lips, trying to mechanically offer congratulations. But strangely, no sound came out at first.

“…Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

The voice that finally emerged, fortunately, betrayed no hint of turmoil. Of course, it was the same performance he’d been giving for 15 years. Though he wore the usual mask-like smile, something deep within him was silently collapsing.

“…It’s surprising. You’ve never really talked about marriage while dating before.”

“True.”

“So, why now?”

“I guess I just feel like it’s the right time. And I also think I’ll never meet someone like her again.”

“That’s a surprisingly realistic answer for you.”

“What kind of answer were you expecting?”

“Something cliché, like ‘I love her so much, I want to spend the rest of my life with her’… you know, that kind of stuff.”

“Is that so?”

“You’ve always been good at saying those dreamy, idealistic things.”

Jihoon awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and replied, “Well, you know, as you live, practical thoughts start creeping in. And anyway, I can’t avoid public attention…”

“Someone who hates attention sure admitted to dating pretty quickly, didn’t they?”

“There are people it’s okay to reveal, and people it’s not. With her, I had a certain confidence that it would be fine to show her to the world.”

For some reason, Jihoon’s words grated on Nanyeong’s nerves. Perhaps it was because he was seeing a different side of his friend, who he thought knew what real love was. The same friend who urged him to find someone he truly liked, only to now admit he’d chosen his partner after factoring in everything—wealth, career, timing, public appeal…

“Is that how you love someone? By measuring their status?”

The bitter words slipped out before Nanyeong could stop them. Jihoon stared at him silently.

When their eyes met, Jihoon, expressionless as if puzzled, finally spoke.

“Nanyeong. I learned all of this from you.”

“…”

“Wasn’t that the reason you kept your girlfriend out of sight?”

Nanyeong was at a loss for words.

“‘There’s a status to the people you date.’” Jihoon was likely referring to something Nanyeong had said in the past.

As silence fell between them, Jihoon smiled and said, “I’m joking, just joking.”

“…”

“Maybe we were like that when we were younger, but as I get older, I think you were right.”

“…”

“No one can completely ignore reality. Being mindful of it to some extent is the smart thing to do.”

For some reason, Hyunjae’s face flashed through Nanyeong’s mind—the face that had confessed, “I love you.” Those foolish eyes that ignored all reality and focused solely on the emotion of love.

Nanyeong tried hard to push that face away. It was a relationship that had already ended. Thinking about it further wouldn’t change anything.

As the car entered Jihoon’s neighborhood, Jihoon, gazing out the window, suddenly spoke as if he’d just remembered something.

“Oh, right. I meant to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Some guy sent me a weird message recently. Have you ever leaked a photo like this anywhere?”

With that, Jihoon opened his Instagram app.

“This photo. I was going to ignore it, but it seems like something I’ve never seen before. I thought maybe it was a photo you’d shared with your girlfriend or something. I know you’re probably being careful, but watch your surroundings. You and I both tend to attract strange people.”

Looking at the screen Jihoon showed him, Nanyeong felt as though he couldn’t breathe.

On the screen was a picture of himself.

“This is…”

A face I had never seen before, peacefully asleep with closed eyes. The angle made it look as if someone had taken the photo secretly while their partner was asleep. Nanyeong immediately knew who had taken the photo.

There was only one person who could do something like this: Jung Hyunjae.

Ꮺ

I shouldn’t have trusted this kind of relationship.

As soon as he returned home, Nanyeong immediately called Hyunjae. But Hyunjae didn’t answer. Like someone who had lost their mind, Nanyeong called dozens of times and left countless messages.

[Are you crazy? What’s your game here?]

[This is a crime.]

[What the hell are you thinking?]

[Pick up the phone. Don’t ignore me.]

[Hyunjae, please pick up.]

[Call me when you see this.]

Only after a while did it occur to him that Hyunjae was returning via cruise, not by plane. The poor signal at sea meant he could be in a zone without reception. Or maybe, after pulling a stunt like this, Hyunjae had thrown his phone somewhere and was leisurely enjoying a night swim on the deck.

The thought was excruciating. Thinking about what other photos Hyunjae might have and the possibility that, even at this moment, he might send them to Jihoon or others with just a few taps made Nanyeong feel like he was losing his mind.

He recalled Hyunjae’s oddly calm and confident demeanor right before leaving on the cruise. Had he begged for love without losing his pride because he already knew how to ruin me?

That bastard.

Nanyeong shuddered with anger.

In hindsight, Hyunjae had always been trouble. He should have been more cautious when he first discovered Hyunjae’s habit of secretly taking photos. But the way Hyunjae acted like a submissive dog had disarmed his guard.

Nanyeong took a sedative to calm himself and tried to sleep, but he didn’t get a wink of rest.

The next 48 hours were a nightmare. Even those around him noticed his poor condition and suggested he take a break. But staying home wouldn’t change anything.

On edge, Nanyeong forced himself to go to work and carry on with his daily routine. But every interaction was tainted with paranoia—he imagined the people around him whispering about him after seeing his photos, dissecting his private life behind his back.

Even that thought alone was enough to break him.

If I had known you were this low, I never would have…

Hyunjae never contacted him. In the end, Nanyeong went to the port at the time Hyunjae’s cruise was scheduled to arrive. He anxiously waited at a small dock along the lower Han River where luxury yachts and small cruises were moored.

Not long after, Hyunjae’s ship appeared. The crew disembarked first, unloading Hyunjae’s modest luggage, and then Hyunjae emerged. He stopped abruptly when he saw Nanyeong waiting, clearly surprised that he had come all the way here.

But Hyunjae quickly composed himself, his face settling into a calm expression, and descended the steps deliberately. Carrying a Boston bag slung over his shoulder, he strode toward Nanyeong.

“Get in.”

“I thought we were done.”

“I have something to say. Get in.”

Hyunjae nonchalantly climbed into Nanyeong’s car. Fuming, Nanyeong slid into the driver’s seat while Hyunjae settled into the passenger seat.

As he leisurely fastened his seatbelt, Hyunjae spoke.

“Did you come here because you’re curious about which photo I’ll send tomorrow?”

Unable to contain his rage, Nanyeong swung his hand at Hyunjae. But before it could land, Hyunjae grabbed his wrist. Trembling with fury, Nanyeong tried to free himself, but Hyunjae, despite looking pale and exhausted, didn’t budge.

“I sent the photo, but there hasn’t been any reaction from him. It’s strange. If he knows, he must’ve seen it. I was thinking of sending more until he reacts.”

“Stop… just stop.”

“There are quite a lot of photos. Not just the ones where you’re asleep—there are ones where your legs are spread open, ones with semen dripping out, ones where I left marks all over your body from biting and sucking. They’re too good to keep to myself.”

“…”

“There’d be so many people who’d love to know the chaebol heir likes getting his ass opened by a guy. Don’t you think?”

Nanyeong turned pale, as if he had no idea how to respond further. Watching his bloodless, trembling lips, Hyunjae continued in a calm voice.

“This is disappointing. If you react exactly as expected, it’s no fun.”

“…Hyunjae.”

“I thought you’d be more confident. Like you were with me.”

“……”

“You’re the type who’s only strong against the weak. It’s such a turn-off.”

A shallow breath escaped between Nanyeong’s dry, trembling lips. He seemed so shocked that he had forgotten how to breathe properly.

Watching his Adam’s apple bob convulsively, Hyunjae finally let go of Nanyeong’s wrist. His hand, marked with the red imprints of Hyunjae’s fingers, fell limply.

“Oh, right. I’m not just sending your photos.”

“……”

“I’ll send some of mine too. People say I look like actor Yoo Jihoon. If I mention that to him, he won’t ignore my photos either, don’t you think?”

“…Don’t. Please don’t.”

“If he finds out that the entire time I pretended to be just a friend, I was using him for my fantasies… What do you think his reaction will be?”

At that moment, tears welled up in Nanyeong’s eyes and spilled over.

So that’s it.

Hyunjae thought.

Yoo Jihoon was clearly Nanyeong’s greatest weakness. Even after finding the answer, Hyunjae felt no satisfaction. He looked at Nanyeong’s beautiful yet anguished face with an expressionless gaze. No matter how much he loved him, the tears weren’t for Hyunjae—they were for himself. That realization left Hyunjae cold.

Nanyeong clung to Hyunjae’s shoulders and arms, pleading desperately.

“What do you want? I’ll give you anything you want. Please…”

“A supercar? A house under my name?”

“I’ll do it!”

“I don’t need that crap. I could’ve had those things before. Is there anything easier or more meaningless to you than money?”

“Then what…?”

Hyunjae looked into Nanyeong’s eyes, which never once said he would stay by his side.

Love me.

That’s all he wanted to say. But that wasn’t something you could control.

Hyunjae wanted Nanyeong’s true feelings. But he knew better than anyone that love couldn’t be demanded.

Love doesn’t come from sheer will.

“What do I want? I want you to feel as crushed as I did.”

“……”

“Did you think you could use people and never face consequences? Pay for what you’ve done.”

Ꮺ

With a cold expression, Hyunjae walked away.

Nanyeong remained slumped over the steering wheel like a dead man, long after the sun had completely set and darkness had enveloped everything around him.

Eventually, he forced himself upright, staggering as he did. Without knowing where he was headed, he stepped on the gas.

He was cornered, quite literally. Everything he valued and cherished in life was on the brink of collapse. Having barely survived the public scrutiny during his divorce, there was no way he could endure a same-sex scandal.

He could already imagine people dredging up his past mistakes and linking them to his sexual preferences. His reputation, entangled with ongoing civil lawsuits from his ex-wife’s company, was fragile enough as it was. The weight of everything he would have to endure felt insurmountable. Worse, he feared disappointing his parents and relatives further, after already failing to meet their expectations with a failed marriage.

But above all, he feared Jihoon’s reaction. His heart burned and his stomach churned at the thought of Jihoon finding out about the feelings he had suppressed for 15 years. The pain and terror were unbearable.

Tears clouded Nanyeong’s vision before he even realized it. Was he afraid of rejection? Mourning the years he had wasted? Or grieving over his own foolishness for never confessing his feelings? He couldn’t tell anymore. He wasn’t even sure if the emotions he had harbored for 15 years were real love.

Rain began to fall. Despite the dangerous wet roads and his growing panic, Nanyeong kept pressing on the accelerator. By the time he reached the edge of the land, where even the GPS lost its way, there were no more headlights from other cars in sight. The road ahead was pitch black, devoid of streetlights, as he drove along an unfinished coastal highway where the river and sea met.

Speeding down the dark road, Nanyeong failed to recognize a curve ahead. Just before crashing into the guardrail, he slammed on the brakes.

Screeech—A sharp, piercing sound echoed as a clear skid mark was left on the road.

The smell of burning rubber, the low rumble of the engine. The relentless, pounding sound of rain mixed with the faint noise of distant waves.

In that eerie stillness, Nanyeong broke into a wailing sob.

It was the first time in his life he had cried out loud. He couldn’t control the sound of air escaping his chest or the breaths pouring out of him. Shaking, unable to regulate his inhalations and exhalations, his shoulders trembled violently.

“Is it… huff, huh, a sin to like someone?”

He had tried to kill this feeling himself because he knew it shouldn’t exist in the world, not even for a moment. But in neglecting it, the monstrous feeling had festered—not into love, but into desire. He should have just let it die. Perhaps this tragedy had been inevitable from the moment he unleashed desire into the world instead of an unfulfilled love.

“I just wanted… to breathe…”

For a long time, Nanyeong couldn’t pull himself together.

Who knows how much time had passed? After crying until he was spent, a strange clarity began to creep into his mind.

Eventually, he lifted his tear-streaked face, drenched and raw.

It had been a hard day. No, it had been a hard life. For the first time, he could feel the weight of the life he had been carrying all along.

Had he really had it all?

Was he really lacking nothing…?

No. His life had been one where he could achieve none of the things he truly wanted.

Wiping his tear-soaked cheeks with his palms, Nanyeong let out a deep sigh.

He wasn’t oblivious to his faults. Dragging others into his mess for his own survival had undeniably been his mistake. He understood Hyunjae’s feelings when he demanded that he pay for his sins.

With a blank expression, Nanyeong gazed out at the sea beyond the guardrail. A sudden urge to end it all washed over him. What if he sank into the sea, leaving the filthy disgrace behind on land? That way, he wouldn’t have to face his friend’s betrayed expression anymore. He could ignore Hyunjae’s despair too.

Then, out of nowhere, a memory surfaced.

“What would you do if the world ended tomorrow?”

Jihoon, wearing his high school uniform, had asked him that question. The movie they had just seen, about the end of the world, seemed to have left quite an impression on him.

“Don’t say something cheesy like planting an apple tree. Hmm, I’d run to my girlfriend. Hug her tight, tell her I love her, then go see my family after that…”

As Jihoon listed out his meticulously planned schedule for the remaining hours before doomsday, Nanyeong had silently thought to himself.

You know… If the world were ending tomorrow, I’d confess my feelings to you.

The thought had brought a bright clarity to his heart, as if he had found the perfect answer. The end of the world—it would have been wonderful. If the world ended and everyone died, then he, too, would be allowed to voice his feelings. Then, without hesitation, he could confess.

“Why are you smiling?”

When Jihoon had asked, Nanyeong had simply shaken his head, as if to say, “It’s a secret.”

Why was he recalling that memory now, at this moment…?

It must be because his life was now at its end.

Nanyeong thought sluggishly.

Then maybe I’ll put off dying for just a little while.

His world was already over. All that remained was paying for his sins, just as Hyunjae had said. He had no desire to live a harsh, shame-stained life. He had already endured a life full of burdens and obligations for far too long.

As he restarted the car, Nanyeong began making plans for the near future.

“What would you do if the world ended tomorrow?”

Jihoon’s younger voice echoed in his mind. Silently, Nanyeong rolled his answer around in his mouth.

I’d confess to you. Tell you that I liked you.

I probably can’t make it to your wedding. Sorry I couldn’t celebrate it with you.

“What would you do if the world ended tomorrow, Hyung?”

This time it was Hyunjae asking, his eyes full of love before he had learned the truth.

Why does Hyunjae come to mind even now? Nanyeong wondered, answering only to himself.

I’d spend the whole day having sex with you.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he smirked at his own hopeless thoughts.

Thinking such thoughts seemed to lift his spirits just a little. Should he tell him that, thanks to him, it felt like he could finally catch his breath? Or should he keep it to himself? But now, even if he said something like that, Jung Hyunjae would probably only get angrier.

It was bitter to think that this world was full of people who had no need for his love.

Still, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself for bringing about this situation.

Ꮺ

It was early summer, with soft, warm sunlight streaming through the hospital window. The sunlight tenderly caressed his mother’s profile as Hyunjae looked outside.

The tender, fresh green leaves of the trees sparkled vividly, and small birds flitted about between them.

Pausing his hands briefly to gaze out the window, Hyunjae resumed peeling the fruit. Chamoe, Korean melon, was his mother’s favorite. The room was filled with the quiet sound of peeling and the sweet scent of the fruit.

“I really like that kid these days. So well-mannered, polite to elders, and so lovely,” the caregiver, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the television, remarked. His mother chimed in, nodding in agreement.

“Have some fruit.”

Hyunjae offered the plate of neatly peeled fruit to his mother and the caregiver. Neither of them looked at the plate, their hands reaching out mechanically while their attention remained fixed on the TV.

Hyunjae glanced at the screen. The face of an actor who had recently made headlines with his wedding announcement appeared.

“If I had a son like that, I wouldn’t have any more wishes. That’s what I envy most about you, Madam. You’re blessed with such a handsome son.”

“Oh, stop it,” his mother replied modestly.

“Come to think of it, he does resemble him a little,” the caregiver said, looking at Hyunjae.

Hyunjae responded with a silent smile. His untrimmed hair, no longer styled at a salon, now fell naturally across his forehead. Even so, his inherently handsome features remained undiminished.

Hyunjae quietly fixed his gaze on the TV screen.

These days, the actor Yoo Jihoon seemed to be the talk of the town everywhere. It was no wonder—his pairing with another national treasure-level actor was a sensational story. People were already speculating about their future children and flooding them with congratulatory messages. Variety shows, eager to capitalize on the buzz, were scrambling to invite Yoo Jihoon as a guest. As a result, his face was on television constantly.

Even Hyunjae’s mother and the caregiver were fans. Whenever Yoo Jihoon appeared on TV, they would stop flipping channels and remain glued to the screen.

Growing up without the habit of watching TV, Hyunjae had only realized in the hospital how many channels there were. With endless reruns airing around the clock, Yoo Jihoon’s face was bound to appear somewhere.

Within just a day of watching TV, Hyunjae learned everything about the couple’s love story: their first meeting, the playful flirting on set, the secret dates they had while avoiding scandal, the moment they went public after being exposed, and even what led them to decide on marriage. Their story was so sweet and endearing that it made even the audience’s hearts flutter.

TV programs would likely keep replaying their romance until everyone knew their story inside and out, and the buzz had fully died down.

― You were confessed to by a friend?

The playful voice of the host came through the speakers.

― And it was a guy?

The caregiver clapped her hands, exclaiming in surprise. Caught off guard by the unexpected story, Hyunjae also turned his attention to the screen.

― It’s not something to laugh about. He was completely serious.

Despite his words, Yoo Jihoon chuckled as he spoke.

― We’d been friends for a long time, someone I trusted and relied on. And this happened while I was preparing for my wedding, no less.

He let out a heavy sigh, his expression alone prompting laughter from the audience. Overlaid with CGI rain pouring dramatically over his despairing gesture, the host and other guests laughed along, nodding and sympathizing with his story.

Meanwhile, Hyunjae’s expression hardened as he listened.

― Don’t get me wrong. I fully support same-sex relationships. They have the right to find love and happiness just like anyone else. But, to have it happen to me personally…

Yoo Jihoon trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. His reaction brought another round of uproarious laughter from the audience.

Hyunjae didn’t laugh.

He knew who Yoo Jihoon’s “friend” was.

In this narrative, Yoo Jihoon was cast as the victim. Meanwhile, his anonymous gay friend would undoubtedly face an avalanche of criticism from countless people.

An oblivious, shameless gay bastard.

Preparing for a wedding yet making such a brazen move.

If I were Yoo Jihoon’s friend, I’d be grateful and spend my whole life keeping it a secret, staying just friends.

That program was a rerun. The reactions to it were already all over the internet.

With a hardened expression, Hyunjae kept watching the screen.

He couldn’t believe that his own push had given Nanyeong the courage to confess. He never thought that cunning, selfish man would make a genuine confession. Foolishly, he hadn’t expected him to act purely out of love.

Why did you confess?

Look at your situation. You’re nothing more than a story being consumed as entertainment on a variety show.

You’re smart—did you actually hold onto some foolish hope?

Even though Nanyeong had rejected him countless times, Hyunjae still felt a dull ache in his chest. Maybe it was because he realized that, even to the very end, he hadn’t been chosen by him.

Hyunjae lowered his head. The whole world might be laughing at Nanyeong, but he didn’t want to laugh along. He just thought the man was incredibly foolish.

A stupid fool.

What could Nanyeong be thinking right now, having become the laughingstock of the world?