DP Side Story Episode 23
by BrieDeep Pivot Side Story, Episode 23
“…How is it? Do you think you remember anything, Yeon-woo?”
Yeon-woo hesitated, unable to answer right away, and looked at Seo-joon with a troubled expression.
“I’m not rushing you, so take it easy. You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”
Swallowing his disappointment, Seo-joon smiled and walked out of the bedroom. He figured Yeon-woo wouldn’t be able to look around freely with him there.
“Look around all you want and come out when you’re done. Let’s eat dinner.”
Calling out toward the bedroom, Seo-joon opened the fridge and checked inside. After sticking close to Cha Yeon-woo for the past ten days, he’d neglected his home—there was nothing decent to eat.
Ah, right. That’s why Cha Yeon-woo had gone to the grocery store.
“……”
They had planned to have rosé pasta for dinner. But the 21-year-old Cha Yeon-woo had vanished, and now, the person in the bedroom was a teenager who had forgotten all their time together.
“Lieutenant.”
Just then, Yeon-woo’s voice came from behind him. Seo-joon turned reflexively and looked at him standing in front of the dining table. Seeing him there like that made it feel like he had truly come back.
“…Lieutenant?”
Confusion spread across Yeon-woo’s face. Plop. Drip. Tears fell from Seo-joon’s eyes and hit the kitchen tile floor. He quietly wiped his eyes with his hand, then looked at his wet palm, startled.
“Why… why are you crying?”
Yeon-woo looked around frantically as he hurried over. He seemed to be looking for tissues or something to wipe the tears, but it was his first time here—there was no way he’d know where anything was.
In the end, unable to find anything, he tugged at his sleeve and tentatively brushed Seo-joon’s cheek.
“Don’t cry, Lieutenant… I’m sorry.”
And with those words, Seo-joon finally broke down. Sorry for what? You didn’t even do anything. You don’t even know anything… You really don’t know anything…
Coming back to the house, everything was Cha Yeon-woo.
The reality he’d been stubbornly avoiding while staying at the center now came crashing in all at once. In this massive house where he didn’t know what he could do or what he should do, Seo-joon was overwhelmed by a crushing sense of helplessness.
What if Cha Yeon-woo never comes back? Then he’d be trapped in this vast sea all alone. All that time when they were everything to each other, when their whole world flipped upside down because they were so desperate for each other—what if all of it vanished…
Uncontrollable tears ran down his chin and streaked all the way to his trembling throat.
“L-Lieutenant, please don’t cry. Ah, what do I do…”
A flustered voice came from in front of him. A hand that had been hovering in the air gently pulled Seo-joon into an embrace. Seo-joon shook his head and tried to push away from his chest.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about…”
But Seo-joon, caught in arms that tightly wrapped around him, eventually placed his hands on Yeon-woo’s back.
“……”
Someday, Cha Yeon-woo would come back. They said it was temporary—so someday, surely… he would come back. He had to.
But right now, Seo-joon missed him so much he couldn’t bear it. If just ten days had driven him this crazy, thinking about the far longer time Yeon-woo had endured made his heart ache terribly.
Taking a short breath and calming himself down, Seo-joon gently patted his back.
“…I’m sorry. For showing you such a pathetic side. I’m fine now, so go on and do what you need to do.”
“……”
As he let go and raised his head, Seo-joon suddenly froze. Plop. Drip, drip. New tears streamed down the red-streaked paths on Yeon-woo’s burning cheeks.
“Yeon-woo…”
The sorrow that had lingered was suddenly swept away by surprise. Seo-joon stared at Yeon-woo, stunned.
“…Why are you crying?”
Sniff… A sob caught in his throat as tears dropped beneath his lowered lashes.
“Because you’re crying, Lieutenant…”
“…What?”
“I really want to remember quickly, but nothing’s coming back and it’s so frustrating… Sniff, but when I see you crying because of me… I just, I can’t help but cry too…”
Sniffle… Between his jumbled words came the sound of wet sobs. Oh no. Seo-joon pulled him into his arms. A crying Cha Yeon-woo was something he was very used to. Reflexively, he kissed his eyes and cheeks to wipe away the tears.
“Don’t cry, Yeon-woo. No need to cry over this. Your memories will come back soon. It’s not something you can force with willpower. I’m sorry. I should’ve taken better care of you like a proper adult…”
Peck. Peck. Whispering between soft kisses to Yeon-woo’s cheek and lips, Seo-joon suddenly pulled back.
Ah. I screwed up.
“……”
Yeon-woo, still tear-streaked, froze. His blue eyes wavered side to side in confusion. Seo-joon took a step back and apologized.
“I’m sorry… I did it without thinking. It’s just a habit.”
Yeon-woo took a step forward.
“…Did you always comfort me like that when I cried?”
Seo-joon, feeling an odd sense of panic, stepped back twice and nodded hesitantly.
“Well, we were… in a relationship.”
But despite Seo-joon’s wariness, Yeon-woo didn’t step any closer. Lowering his head slightly, he wiped his own tears and mumbled softly, almost to himself.
“…I must’ve been really happy.”
—Ah, Lieutenant… Stop recording already.
—Yeon-woo, show me your face. Do you know how pretty you look right now?
—I’m seriously embarrassed.
From the phone speaker came the sounds of Seo-joon and Yeon-woo’s laughter-laced voices. Because of the strong seaside wind, most of Yeon-woo’s protests were drowned out.
“Yeon-woo, take your medicine.”
Seo-joon had hastily ordered some ingredients and clumsily made pasta. It was far inferior to what the 21-year-old Cha Yeon-woo used to make, but the 18-year-old Cha Yeon-woo ate it happily, saying it was delicious.
After managing to feed him dinner like that, Seo-joon quietly let Yeon-woo look through the photo album on his phone, which was full of memories of the two of them. He stared at the videos and photos he’d already watched several times in the hospital.
“…Lieutenant.”
Yeon-woo called him quietly as he accepted the medicine from Seo-joon. With a gentle expression, Seo-joon stroked his hair as if telling him to go on and speak.
“If I never get my memory back… does that mean I won’t get to do things like that with you again?”
Seo-joon felt that uncomfortable stab in his chest all over again, the one that had been there all evening.
“I must’ve been really happy.”
The way Yeon-woo had said that hours ago still lingered too deeply in his heart. Like a fool. He wasn’t supposed to waver. He should never have made Yeon-woo feel uneasy.
“Why wouldn’t we? I’m not going to give up on you, Yeon-woo.”
“Even if I stay like this for a long, long time?”
“You’ll be an adult in two years anyway.”
With a faint smile, Seo-joon gently continued stroking Yeon-woo’s hair.
“I’ll raise you well for the next two years and then we’ll get married. In society, they call this grooming or something… But you’re the exception. You’ll never escape me. You might not know it, but we made a promise. You and I, when you were an adult, we already agreed to all of this.”
As Seo-joon watched those earnest eyes listening seriously all the way through his ridiculous speech, he added:
“First, we’ll get you back to high school. Get you to graduate properly. …And after that, we’ll start dating officially.”
“…What?”
Yeon-woo’s previously smooth brow furrowed. He repeated the question, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“You’re… sending me back to school?”
“Of course. You’re in your second year now, right?”
Seo-joon looked at his stunned face with a touch of amusement. Yeon-woo, who had been quietly enjoying the hair stroking, pulled away and grew serious.
“I already graduated last year, though?”
Oh really? Seo-joon looked at him, dumbfounded.
“And who do you think earned that diploma?”
“Me, o-of course I did.”
What nonsense. That diploma had been earned by the 20-year-old Cha Yeon-woo. Even while working on-site at gates, he had diligently gone to class. Seo-joon didn’t bother saying all that, but asked seriously:
“Do you know how to do calculus, Yeon-woo? Adults who graduate high school all know calculus. But you’re still learning it. How can you call yourself an adult?”
“…Do you even know how to do calculus, Lieutenant?”
“Of course I do. Calculus is basic for adults.”
A brief silence fell between them. Seo-joon had to resist the urge to immediately take a picture of Yeon-woo’s current expression. Yeon-woo stared at him, brows furrowing again.
“Wait… are you teasing me right now?”
Finally, Seo-joon burst into laughter. Lieutenant, you’re kind of weird… Yeon-woo pouted and turned away from him sharply.
“But I meant it when I said I won’t give up on you.”
Seo-joon wrapped both arms around Yeon-woo’s turned back and spoke slowly and clearly.
“Because I really, really love you.”
“……”
“So don’t be scared, and go ahead and do everything you want. I’ll be here watching over you the whole time.”
“…Everything I want to do?”
“Anything at all. You’ve got money now, no more debt. You can do whatever you want. No need to worry about what anyone else thinks.”