PBWY - 9

A Stranger

Beep-beep—beep-beep.

The repetitive noise echoed. Junghoon lay on the bed where the morning sunlight filtered in, slowly opening his eyes. He hadn’t woken up to the alarm. His eyes were closed, but he had spent the early morning hours restlessly, unable to sleep.

A hazy confusion floated in his mind. The voices that had relentlessly haunted him throughout the night tormented him unbearably.

“We should break up. I don’t want to be with you, Team Leader.”

One sentence from her, the words she had said after throwing away the gift he had given her, rejecting him as well.

“I’m not crying because I lost someone as great and handsome as you. I’m crying because my precious and noble love was trampled by someone like you.”

Two sentences that, despite her sorrow and tearful confession, she had still turned her back on him.

“You want me to come back? You were never really by my side.”

And the final words, as she turned away without any hesitation, completely shutting him out.

“......”

Junghoon stared blankly at the white ceiling before irritably rubbing his face and slowly sitting up. He quietly watched the alarm clock, which was still loudly ringing.

Bang!

The alarm clock in his hand was harshly slammed into the wall. The shattered pieces of the clock scattered to the floor. With an expressionless face, Junghoon got up and passed by the scattered remnants.

His head felt heavy. The fatigue that had built up over the days clung to him like a thick weight.

The house was different from usual. The place that was normally neat and tidy was now a mess, scattered with liquor bottles and clothes. He had even sent the usual cleaning assistant away, which only made things worse.

Pressing his throbbing head, Junghoon entered the bathroom. While showering and brushing his teeth, he noticed a light green toothbrush. It wasn’t his.

He stared at the newly opened, grass-green toothbrush, then, with a deep breath, gripped the sink. He didn’t even know what kind of emotion was rising in him anymore.

Looking up, his sharply refined face appeared in the mirror. The unique calmness he once had was long gone.

“Hoo...”

He couldn’t suppress the unfamiliar emotion. It felt as though he had swallowed a burning hot lump of coal. That fire seemed to circle within him, stabbing and digging at him with each passing second, every minute.

He felt a violent urge, as if he could grab someone by the collar and throw a punch if they were standing in front of him. After staring blankly at the marble sink for a long while, he left the bathroom.

He entered the dressing room and roughly grabbed a suit. On the floor, clothes that had been thrown there for days were piled up messily.

Although he was usually obsessively tidy, his nerves were so focused on one person that he couldn’t even pay attention to this disorder.

He put on a neatly pressed suit and combed through his disheveled hair. Staring at himself in the full-length mirror, he still saw the usual “Team Leader Min Junghoon”—neat and immaculate as always.

But then, something familiar caught his eye beyond the mirror.

Slowly turning around, he saw a brown cardigan hanging on one side of the wardrobe.

Like a sleepwalker, Junghoon moved closer and absently picked up the cardigan.

He remembered the person who had worn this, sitting on his sofa. He remembered the smile that came when he called her name, the gentle embrace as she smiled at his kiss.

The warmth he had once held, which always seemed to embrace him, coloring his cold world with warmth, was something he now longed for deeply.

The fabric, now devoid of its owner, was cold yet soft. Junghoon gripped the cardigan tightly, his veins bulging as he held it in his hand. He stayed like that for a while, before roughly lifting it as if to throw it on the floor.

“......”

But he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. Instead, he held it gently once more.

Under the light, his gaze darkened with an inscrutable emotion.

It was as if he were hypnotized, slowly raising the cardigan. Then, he rubbed his cheek against the fabric, inhaling its scent.

The familiar fragrance brushed his nostrils, and he felt as though the endless abyss beneath him was pulling him in from the feet up.

He muttered a faint curse and closed his eyes.

Time passed quickly. Yeonhee went to work as usual and threw herself into her work, obsessively typing away. It was better to be busy. When she was caught up in her tasks, she could erase the lingering afterimage of him that clung to her relentlessly.

She was hammering away at the keyboard when scattered greetings came from behind.

“Good morning, Team Leader.”

“Team Leader, you’re here!”

It seemed Junghoon had arrived late. Yeonhee stiffened her posture and turned her head. He was walking through the office with a blank expression on his face.

He seemed a bit thinner, and his face looked more irritable than usual. His eyes were filled with a cold sharpness.

He had changed a lot recently.

The easygoing and relaxed Team Leader Min had disappeared, replaced by someone who was now easily agitated. Small mistakes at work that he would have laughed off before were now mercilessly picked apart, like a hyena tearing into its prey. As a result, everyone just silently avoided his gaze.

“Good morning, Team Leader.”

Yeonhee casually greeted him as he passed by. At the same time, his steps came to an abrupt stop.

His gaze seemed to fixate on her, as though it had rooted itself to her.

“...Team Leader?”

Yeonhee asked, looking up at him as he stared at her with an intense, piercing look.

Junghoon ignored her question, continuing on his way without a word. The scent of his cologne lingered in the air as he passed.

Yeonhee rubbed her nose and returned her focus to the monitor. She felt uneasy for some reason.

Fragrances were strange like that—memories would resurface sharply, memories that had never even crossed her mind when she faced him. The scent of his cologne now reminded her of a time when she had been wrapped in his embrace.

The sound of his heartbeat when her face rested against his chest, the lazy laughter that had rung above her head, and the pleasant scent that had enveloped her.

‘...Stop. Stop thinking about it.’

Yeonhee bit her lip tightly.

As she continued typing distractedly, Yoo-jeong, who sat to her left, leaned toward her and whispered.

“Senior, do you think something’s going on with the Team Leader lately?”

“Mm... I don’t know. Probably...”

Yeonhee shrugged lightly.

She briefly wondered if it had anything to do with her, but quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way she was significant enough to cause such a drastic change in him. Even if that were the case, it was no longer her concern.

It was like the dog he had been playing with had chewed through its leash and run away. He was probably just flustered by the rejection he had never experienced before, a rejection he didn’t know how to handle.

It didn’t matter anymore. Their relationship was already over. She didn’t care to understand his frustration.

Yoo-jeong muttered playfully as she looked at the blinds covering the Team Leader’s office window.

“By the way, Team Leader... I think he looks even more handsome these days. There’s this sharp, languid decadence to him...”

Yeonhee just chuckled lightly.

Yes, he was a handsome man. He had been so incredible that she had once scoffed at him, saying he was out of her league. To think that she had once wanted him... It made her feel foolish now.

“Well, I’ll head out first!”

Yeonhee waved goodbye to Assistant Manager Kwon, who was still at his desk.

Looking at the clock, it was already 9 p.m. Her eyes were sore after staring at the monitor all day, trying to figure out the cause of the drop in traffic mentioned by the MD department.

“Go home. Good work today.”

“Assistant Manager, you should go soon too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just need to finish this up.”

She waved goodbye again to Assistant Manager Kwon, who was brushing her off, and slowly made her way out of the office. The lights in the office were off in every corner except for the planning department, meaning most people had already left.

She gathered her bag strap that had slipped down and stood by the elevator, when someone followed her.

She glanced over her shoulder... It was Min Junghoon. She had been wondering why he wasn’t leaving yet, and now it seemed he was leaving at the same time as her by coincidence.

She looked at the elevator’s display as it went up, briefly debating whether to let him go in first or to enter together. She wanted to avoid him but didn’t want to seem like she was intentionally avoiding him, so she stepped into the open elevator door first.

Ding. The elevator doors soon closed. Yeonhee tried to appear calm, staring at the doors. Junghoon leaned against the elevator wall, standing there like a picture.

Suddenly, his low voice came from behind her.

“You said you loved me.”

The words came out suddenly, like an accident.

What was he saying? Yeonhee couldn’t even ask before she turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. Junghoon was staring at her silently, his eyes full of resentment.

“Shit, what’s the problem? What’s so...!”

His rough anger was thrown at her like a violent storm. Inside the descending elevator, his enraged voice echoed loudly.

Yeonhee didn’t know how to respond, her eyes just blinking rapidly. She couldn’t understand what was happening.

He seemed to be trying to control himself, lowering his head for a moment before taking several deep breaths. Afterward, he lifted his face again and, in a completely different, soft voice, whispered with difficulty.

“No, I wasn’t trying to get angry...”

“...”

“...I’m sorry for getting angry.”

Yeonhee’s eyes widened. This was the first apology she had ever heard from him. Junghoon continued, as if it was the first time in his life he had ever apologized.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Yeonhee.”

His voice sounded like it was being squeezed out painfully.

At that point, Yeonhee wondered if she was dreaming. But Junghoon, looking at her with shaky eyes and speaking from his heart, was painfully real.

Once again, his desperate voice continued, struggling to come out.

“I’ll apologize. It’s all my fault. So...”

Junghoon couldn’t finish his sentence and let out a rough sigh. His expression was contorted in pain, something Yeonhee had never seen before.

Before long, the elevator reached the first floor. The doors opened, but Yeonhee couldn’t bring herself to step out. The elevator remained stationary, with no one else entering.

The elevator doors closed again.

Trapped in the narrow box, Yeonhee calmly spoke.

“Don’t apologize. Please don’t, Team Leader.”

“...”

“Team Leader, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that I misunderstood, I had false hopes, and that’s why things ended up like this. It’s all my fault. So... please, don’t apologize.”

With those words, Yeonhee pressed the elevator button again. The heavy doors opened slowly with a deep sound. Bright light from the first-floor lobby flooded in.

Yeonhee stepped toward the light and offered her final words.

“I’ll be going now.”

Junghoon just watched her as she disappeared.

“Yeonhee... Yeonhee...”

The name he couldn’t bring himself to say kept swirling in his mind. She never looked back.

The doors that had opened closed again.

Alone in the elevator, Junghoon leaned silently against the cold metal wall. He pressed his hand to his chest, listening to the faint sound of his own breath.

Junghoon’s head slowly drooped. His gaze wavered, faint and blurred.

His eyes were like those of a dead tree, locked in emptiness—just like he had been years ago.

“Hasn’t your mom called?”

Ju-nae asked as she chewed on an olive from her martini. Yeonhee pushed the cocktail, which she hadn’t even finished, to the side and smiled faintly.

“She has. She’s been nagging me to come home soon.”

“Sounds like she regrets you leaving.”

“I don’t know. She was mad, saying I cut off living expenses just because I left... Maybe she’s not missing me, but the money.”

At Yeonhee’s bitter words, Ju-nae scrunched up his face and gave a wry smile. They were currently at a trendy cocktail bar, chatting.

Earlier, when Ju-nae had offered to pay for dinner and the hotel room, she refused, and he told her to just buy a drink. That’s how they ended up here.

“Should we order some cheese? Pick whatever you want, Ju-nae.”

Yeonhee boldly held the stiff menu. Ju-nae, watching her profile, took a sip of his martini and suddenly asked a question.

“So, what’s going on with that guy?”

“Who?”

Yeonhee looked up with a short response. She knew who he meant, but she was caught off guard and couldn’t respond properly. Junghoon was still a wound that hadn’t healed in her heart.

She turned her gaze back to the menu and answered vaguely.

“It’s over.”

“Over? Did you fight?”

“Well... not exactly fought, more like I just got yelled at... At the time, I wasn’t even in a position to argue.”

Yeonhee muttered as if speaking about someone else, lowering the menu. She ordered a set of crackers and cheese from the server, then looked up again, only to find Ju-nae asking her seriously.

“Did you fight because of me?”

“No. He did get mad about that, but we were already off track before that. It wasn’t really about that, so don’t worry.”

It had been a flawed relationship from the start. The first thread had been twisted wrong from the very beginning, with their relationship built on a foundation of deception. She had tried to hold on, tried to make it work, but it was inevitable. It was a relationship that had been built on falsehoods, so it wasn’t surprising that it collapsed.

Even if it hadn’t been for Ju-nae, it would have ended eventually.

“I told you I’m not gay, and we were never like that. Didn’t my being with you only lead to more misunderstandings?”

“No. He wouldn’t have cared whether you were gay or not. It was the fact that he couldn’t stand being disrespected by me.”

Her words trailed off faintly. Occasionally, when she thought of him, there was a faint sting behind the relief. What could be done? He had been her first love, and she had loved him with all her heart. If things had been fine, that would have been the odd part.

What was important now was that she had decided to stop hurting herself, and that she mustn’t waver.

“So, you’ve cut off both your mom and that guy, right?”

“Yeah. Both of them.”

Ju-nae, who had already popped a piece of cheese into his mouth, declared with a resolute expression, “Good job! This is the most impressive Yeonhee I know!”

“Thanks.”

She answered lightly, also nibbling on a peanut-shaped cracker.

“By the way, don’t you see him at work every day? That must be awkward.”

“Not really.”

Is it awkward? Uncomfortable?

Yeonhee fell into vague reflection. Whenever she happened to see him at work, her heart felt strange. It wasn’t so much awkward as just bizarre. Not long ago, she had been in his car, going to his house, and mixing bodies with him. Now, they were farther apart than anyone else.

It was such a strange thing...

Yeonhee drank her piña colada in silence. The cocktail, half-melted, tasted a bit bland. The droplets on the glass surface made her palm feel cold.

Since breaking up with him, she had always felt like this. Her daily life was bland, and her heart always felt cold, as though it had frozen. The aftermath was unsettling.

She had pushed him away first, yet she was still desperately holding on in her heart.

‘I hope time passes quickly.’

She had gotten better since they first broke up, so perhaps, with more time, she would feel even better. Yeonhee smiled faintly at the thought and directed her gaze toward Ju-nae.

At the same time, Junghoon was drinking with a group of people. He usually avoided such gatherings, but for some reason, he had taken a seat, and now everyone was trying to engage him in conversation.

This wasn’t a place Junghoon had chosen for himself. Recently, he had appeared uncharacteristically unstable, so Chan-gyeong had dragged him here, insisting that it would be bad if he drank alone.

But, was this another mistake? Chan-gyeong sighed deeply as he watched one of their friends, oblivious to Junghoon’s mood, approach him. Junghoon was drinking silently, and no one knew when he might suddenly snap and do something reckless, so Chan-gyeong was on edge.

“Hey, Junghoon. So, you really aren’t interested? That girl is really pretty in person. You saw her, didn’t you?”

Choi Yun-do, whose neck was flushed red, asked Junghoon. He was asking if Junghoon had any intention of meeting the celebrity, Ju Han-byeol, whom they had encountered at his birthday party.

Ju Han-byeol was a model who had recently transitioned into acting and started gaining recognition. It seemed like she had asked Choi Yun-do to introduce her to Junghoon as both a lover and sponsor.

“...”

Junghoon, resting his chin on his hand, blankly stared at the table. It seemed he wasn’t interested in such matters and didn’t think they were worth engaging with. Seeing this, Chan-gyeong sighed again and answered on Junghoon’s behalf.

“Hey. You know Junghoon doesn’t like that kind of thing... Why don’t you do it instead?”

“Why not? You just have to treat her nicely, buy her some gifts. No strings attached, no hassle. It’s perfect.”

At those words, Junghoon’s gaze shifted slightly. He had been absentmindedly staring at the table, holding his drink, but his hand froze as his thoughts wandered.

Treat her nicely, buy her gifts. He had once said something similar. Not to a celebrity seeking sponsorship, but to a woman who had looked at him earnestly. To Jeong-yeon-hee.

Suddenly, his temples throbbed, and he pressed his fingers against his temples. While Choi Yun-do continued to talk about Ju Han-byeol’s beauty, he leaned toward Junghoon again to engage him in conversation.

“By the way, do you have a girlfriend? Is that why you’re acting like this? It’s okay. Hanbyeol doesn’t care about that stuff. She’s really cool.”

Choi Yun-do laughed softly, and Junghoon slowly lifted his gaze. Afterward, he scanned Chan-gyeong with a cold look, who had started checking his expression nervously.

The fact that Junghoon was seeing someone was something only Chan-gyeong knew—because they had run into each other at a traditional Korean restaurant. But since Choi Yun-do also knew, it was clear that Chan-gyeong had been running his mouth about it to others.

Chan-gyeong waved his hands defensively as he sensed Junghoon’s glare.

“No! I didn’t bring it up on purpose! Yun-do kept pushing me to talk about it, so I just mentioned that I’m seeing someone!”

Chan-gyeong said with a defensive tone. The intense glare Junghoon gave him made him feel a cold chill running down his spine. Junghoon then looked away with an irritated expression, and Chan-gyeong muttered to himself.

“I didn’t even say anything untrue, but why’s he staring at me like that… Scary...”

Hearing Chan-gyeong, Choi Yun-do blinked and then grinned at Junghoon.

“Who is she? Is she a celebrity? She must be pretty, right?”

This time, instead of Junghoon, Chan-gyeong answered.

“She’s not a celebrity... She’s pretty, but kind of plain... Anyway, stop asking. Have some sense. Don’t you get it? Junghoon’s not in the mood right now… Can’t you tell?”

It was clear that Junghoon was in a bad mood and probably just wanted to be left alone, as he seemed to have broken up with her. Chan-gyeong hoped Yun-do would pick up on that.

But Yun-do, already drunk, didn’t understand moderation. Normally, he would have been more cautious and kept his mouth shut, but he was now laughing and crossing the line.

“Did you break up? Is that why you’re acting like this? If Junghoon was dating someone like you, she must be really great... In that case, pass her over to me. I’ve been into girls like that lately. Simple, not too polished, and still untouched—”

Before Yun-do could finish his sentence, a crystal glass flew through the air. Junghoon, furious, had thrown the heavy glass straight into Yun-do’s face.

“Ugh!”

“Who the hell are you passing to, you son of a bitch...”

Junghoon sprang up from his seat, stomping toward Yun-do. He grabbed Yun-do by the collar, his hand tightening around his neck as he let out a low growl of anger.

“Say that again, you bastard. What did you just say?”

Yun-do couldn’t respond, his lips just trembling. The pressure around his throat and the threatening tone of Junghoon’s voice made him more afraid than the pain in his nose. Blood poured from his nostrils, but he was frozen, unable to do anything.

Gasping for air, Yun-do grabbed Junghoon’s wrist. Seeing this, Chan-gyeong, pale and panicked, rushed to stop Junghoon.

“Hey, hey. Calm down. This is outside. Come on.”

Although it was a private room and no one else was around, making a scene could cause unnecessary trouble. If this went too far, it wouldn’t just be a bloody nose—things could get messy.

Chan-gyeong threw himself in front of Junghoon, hanging onto his solid body like a rock. Finally, Junghoon loosened his grip.

After catching his breath, Junghoon wiped the wild look from his eyes and threw Yun-do roughly to the floor.

“Shit... What a fucking idiot...”

Junghoon kicked the glass that had rolled across the floor and stormed out. Chan-gyeong grabbed a tissue and stuffed it against Yun-do’s nose, trying to stop the bleeding. His hurried attempt at comfort was thrown out quickly.

“You’ll have to understand. That bastard’s been in a bad mood lately. I told him to stop earlier.”

He patted Yun-do’s back, still hunched over, and got up from his seat.

“Anyway, just calm down! I’ll contact you later, okay?”

Chan-gyeong turned quickly and, as he left, shouted back at Yun-do.

“By the way, Yun-do, don’t make a big deal out of this, okay? You’re the one who messed with Junghoon first... If this blows up, you’ll be the only one who loses. I’m really going now! I’ll contact you!”

Yun-do slumped on the sofa, exhausted, as he stared at the red blood staining his shirt.

As Chan-gyeong hurriedly ran to the elevator, he grabbed Junghoon’s arm and dragged him into the opposite room. Junghoon, whether tired or just irritated, didn’t resist and slouched into the seat, grumbling under his breath.

Chan-gyeong let out a deep sigh as he watched Junghoon, his body hunched over and legs crossed.

“Why are you like this lately… I’m so nervous, I can’t even watch.”

Murmuring with concern, Chan-gyeong shook his head. Junghoon didn’t respond, just crossing his arms and glaring at the table. After the fury and madness had faded, he was silent.

Chan-gyeong ordered another round of drinks and leaned in toward Junghoon.

“Is it really because you broke up with her? The girl you never even introduced me to?”

Junghoon didn’t answer. His eyes, once filled with tension, had become distant and unfocused.

Chan-gyeong sighed again and scratched the back of his head. He had suspected it, but now he knew for sure. The mighty Junghoon, the one who had always been strong, had been reduced to this. It was the first time in their ten-year friendship he had seen Junghoon like this.

Although Junghoon’s personality could be rough, he was far better than those who put on a facade while secretly plotting. He had always been the one Chan-gyeong trusted the most, so seeing him like this was both fascinating and worrying.

“I should have known when you took her out for a nice meal.”

Chan-gyeong muttered softly. If he found out Junghoon had taken Yeonhee to his house, he probably wouldn’t be able to believe it, let alone be surprised.

“By the way, I feel like I’ve seen that person somewhere... where was it... Anyway, that’s not the important part...”

“.......”

“I don’t know why you broke up, but you should get over it, okay? Honestly, it’s not like you can’t meet someone else...”

Even as he thought it was a rather futile attempt at comfort, Chankyeong poured whiskey into the glass the staff had left. In the quiet room, with soft music playing, the only sound was the occasional liquid pouring.

He slid the glass toward Junghoon, and as he dropped ice cubes into his own glass, Chankyeong suddenly raised his head. The passing memory that had been bothering him caught his attention.

“By the way, Junghoon. Ah... should I say this... what should I do...”

Junghoon slowly reached for his glass and nonchalantly raised his eyes to look at Chankyeong.

“If you’re going to say something like that, don’t bring it up at all.”

“Ah, really, your personality... Damn it, I’m worried about you!”

Chankyeong shouted, and a few drops of liquor spilled from his glass. As he wiped it with a tissue, he continued speaking.

“Hey. Remember when we ran into each other at that Korean set meal restaurant? When you brought that person with you?”

“...What about it?”

When Chankyeong brought up the time Junghoon met Yeonhee, Junghoon’s expression changed immediately. Avoiding Chankyeong’s sharp gaze, Chankyeong muttered to himself. “Every time I speak, he gets mad. Damn it...”

Chankyeong grumbled under his breath and then mustered the courage to speak again.

“That time, the person you brought with you overheard our conversation. Could it be that they’ve been holding onto that and that’s why things turned out like this?”

“...What are you talking about?”

Junghoon’s expression stiffened. He was recalling what they had talked about, trying to piece it together. He silently loosened a button on his shirt as he struggled to breathe.

“My girlfriend said... she thinks that person heard our conversation that day. You just said something like ‘we’re just friends’... what was it... Anyway, back then, you said you weren’t close with that person, so I didn’t bring it up...”

Chankyeong’s voice trailed off meaninglessly. Junghoon stared at the table, his face drained of color, as if all the blood in his body had gone cold. He looked like a wax figure, pale and lifeless.

Junghoon clenched the steering wheel so hard that his veins were visible on the back of his hands. His twisted face was filled with confusion. As he hit the brake at the traffic light, he muttered curses under his breath.

“You’re such an idiot. A damn fool!”

His mind was overwhelmed by a storm of emotions, crumbling and breaking apart. From the start, she must have known. Even before she knew it was me. From that moment on.

From that moment, her heart had started to close off. If only he’d known sooner. No, if he hadn’t acted like such an idiot afterward.

What had Yeonhee’s expression been like back then? When they had gone to that set meal restaurant together. He should have noticed the way her eyes wavered when they entered the private room. She had looked like she was on the verge of tears, but he had brushed it off as her being unwell.

Junghoon took a few deep breaths. His throat felt tight, making it hard to breathe. He needed to see her right now. He had to meet her immediately, but his body was too restless, as if he were losing control.

“Yeonhee. Yeonhee.”

He muttered her name as if half out of his mind and then dialed her number again. It went straight to voicemail, as if she’d blocked him, but he kept dialing, as if hypnotized, refusing to give up.

Impatient, he slammed his fist against the steering wheel, and as the light turned green, he stepped on the accelerator. He had to go to her right now. He had to go to her, the one who was ignoring him, refusing his calls, turning away from everything.

Junghoon was now on his way to Yeonhee’s house, to a place where she was no longer there.

After parting ways with Junjae, Yeonhee had been heading back to the gosiwon when she suddenly decided to go to her mother’s house.

About twenty minutes ago, her mother had called. At first, she didn’t answer, but after several calls and a few messages, she had no choice but to pick up.

When she answered, her mother had shouted urgently.

“Where are you? Did you get into some trouble?”

‘Why? What’s going on all of a sudden?’

Confused, Yeonhee asked, and her mother hastily replied.

“You need to come right now! That team leader person came to the house looking for you!”

‘...What?’

“I told him you weren’t here, but he said he’d wait. Then I told him you don’t live here anymore, but he didn’t believe me and insisted on waiting...”

Yeonhee stopped dead in her tracks. After a moment of thought, she spoke calmly.

“Tell him to wait. When he finds out I’m really not here, he’ll leave.”

“What? Are you saying I should just ignore him? Should I tell him to leave? Do you want me to kick him out?”

‘.......’

“How can I live in this neighborhood with such shame? Come home quickly! You have to take responsibility for your own mess!”

...When her brother caused trouble, her mother took care of everything for him.

Yeonhee was about to say that, but she sighed and could only reply, “Okay.”

And anyway, since this was something that happened because of me, I thought I should go, so I got off the subway. I was about to face Junghoon again, someone I hadn’t personally met in a while.

Yeonhee walked forward with a stiff face. It had been a long time since she had come back home. It used to be her place not long ago, but now, walking through the apartment complex, it felt like it had become someone else’s space. She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

In the distance, near the apartment entrance, someone was pacing anxiously.

It was Min Junghoon.

She had already known he was here from her mother’s call, but seeing him here again in person felt oddly unfamiliar. Unlike the company, this place was intensely personal, a place that only held fond memories with him before things went wrong.

Junghoon, waiting nervously for Yeonhee, spotted her from afar. His face turned pale as he pressed his lips together and began walking toward her with large strides.

His face, completely undone, approached her desperately. Before she could say anything, he abruptly spoke in a low, emotion-filled voice.

“You heard, didn’t you?”

With a twisted face, he swallowed his words as they spilled out.

The apartment complex, shrouded in darkness, was eerily quiet. Only the tiniest sliver of a moon hung in the sky, leaving a faint trace.

Standing in the dim and shadowed place, Junghoon looked as though he might disappear any moment, his face almost unrecognizable.

“You heard it... didn’t you?”

Yeonhee, stunned, looked up at him. She didn’t understand what he meant by that. Was he glaring at her in anger, or gazing at her with longing? His expression was unclear, and he stood there ominously.

Yeonhee looked around and then pulled at his collar, leading him to the pavilion. She was heading to the place where, once upon a time, she had cried alone after a fight with her mother.

That place was also where, on another day, she had found comfort in a conversation with Junghoon. She never imagined that they would end up here together, like this, at this moment.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?” Yeonhee asked calmly.

Junghoon, with a face as if it were burning with bitterness, swallowed his emotions. He needed to speak, but his throat was tight, and the words wouldn’t come. His uncontrolled emotions were spilling out, making it hard for him to even stand.

He managed to get the words out.

“You heard what I said, didn’t you? The things I said with my friend.”

“...Ah.”

Yeonhee finally remembered what he meant by “that day.”

That was the only day he had met with his friend in front of her.

Yeonhee smiled faintly. Even without that conversation, he had already hurt her enough. She couldn’t understand why he was bringing it up now.

“Are you here to apologize? It’s okay. I wasn’t really hurt by it.”

It was a lie. She had been deeply hurt, almost to the point of death. But what would change by recalling those feelings now? She didn’t want to relive them or express them.

Junghoon clenched his fists. The doubts that had painfully lingered in him now felt like truths. His heart was pounding, almost as though it would explode. He staggered closer to Yeonhee with a contorted face.

“Even after hearing those words from me, you pretended not to know. Even though I hurt you, you still smiled at me because you liked me.”

“.......”

“Even before you knew who I was, you loved me enough to understand everything about me, didn’t you?”

His voice scraped the ground, as if swallowing boiling blood. His face was twisted with rage and self-loathing, releasing all the painful emotions within him.

Yeonhee had loved him from the very beginning. She had swallowed her pain and embraced him with warmth.

He hadn’t realized the painful truth. No, even though he knew how she felt, he had acted as though he didn’t.

A fool who had never known real love, he hadn’t understood how precious the love in his arms was. He had pushed her to the edge of the cliff.

He hadn’t even known what love was. He had only driven himself and her into a corner. He had deceived her, presenting a relationship filled with lies, and in the end, had trampled on her feelings.

From start to finish. From head to toe. He had only hurt the person who had embraced every part of his twisted inner self, every bit of his malice.

The resentment toward himself dug into his heart like poison.

“How can I... get you to come back?”

He asked through labored breaths, filled with agony.

“I did everything wrong. I hurt you. I was selfish. It was all my fault.”

Throwing away all his pride, he spoke desperately. His words were strained, as if he were trying to crush the despair that weighed on him.

“I was the one who messed everything up. So please, tell me, Yeonhee. What do I need to do...?”

Yeonhee furrowed her brow and shook her head.

“Why are you doing this, Team Leader? You’re not this kind of person.”

This wasn’t the person she knew. Recently, he had become tense, and his apologies had become more frequent. It felt strange, unfamiliar.

Junghoon urgently grabbed Yeonhee as she turned to leave. Then, he began pleading with her.

“What kind of person am I? What kind of person do you want me to be? I can be that. I’ll become that. Just tell me. That’s all.”

“It’s not about that. You know it. Team Leader, you can never be the person I want.”

At those words, Junghoon finally collapsed. It felt as if the blood in his body had frozen, a chill rushing through him. His pale face was now filled with despair—a sadness mixed with grief.

Yeonhee turned away from him and pushed the man who had grabbed onto her arm.

“I’m leaving now, Team Leader. I don’t live here anymore, so please don’t come looking for me again. It’s unpleasant.”

Without even looking at his face, she turned and began walking away quickly.

Yeonhee, walking briskly, suddenly started running with all her might. As soon as she exited the apartment complex, she hailed a taxi. She wanted to hide away in her own space.

On the way to the goshiwon, the streetlights outside the taxi window flickered hazily. Yeonhee stared blankly out of the window, lost in thought, not sure whether it was the passing scenery or her own emotions that were flowing by.

After a while, the taxi stopped in front of a building. Yeonhee paid the fare and stepped out. The area, at the far end of a street lined with restaurants and cafes, was noisy, probably due to drunk people, as it was late.

Walking toward the entrance with a vacant expression, Yeonhee felt the presence of someone. Junghoon had parked his car by the curb and was walking toward her with long strides. It seemed he had followed her after their parting.

Junghoon grabbed the glass door and asked,

“Why? Why are you going here?”

She hadn’t expected him to follow her this far. Yeonhee sighed but swallowed it down, staring blankly at the door. The glass door had a large sign for the women’s-only goshiwon, with the edges of stickers peeling off.

“Team Leader, I’m tired. I just want to go up now.”

“Do you live here? What about your house? What happened?”

“I had to leave because of some issues.”

“Is that why you’ve been gone every time I looked for you? Why didn’t you tell me? If you had, I...”

Yeonhee sighed deeply and grabbed his wrist. It seemed he wasn’t about to let her go easily. Instead of causing a scene in front of the glass door, where people were passing by and staring, she thought it would be better to have a clean conversation and let him go afterward.

She pulled him toward a narrow alley next to the goshiwon building. A torn poster was half hanging off a corner. It was a narrow, unkempt street. On that desolate road stood a well-dressed man with a stiff face, looking out of place.

It reminded her of how she and Junghoon had always been. Though they had been together, they could never truly blend with each other, an alien atmosphere between them. She should have wanted the things she desired, but instead, she had ended up in a place like this, foolishly longing for someone like him.

Junghoon struggled to speak.

“Why did you leave your house? What happened?”

It seemed pointless to ask such a question now that they had broken up, but Yeonhee answered wearily.

“My mom kept asking for money, and when I said I didn’t have any, we fought, and I was kicked out.”

Seeing Junghoon look at her without a word, Yeonhee smiled bitterly.

He probably didn’t understand this situation. A mother asking for money, a daughter yelling she didn’t have any. He might be curious about how little money they were arguing over. If she told him it was less than the amount her watch cost, would he be surprised?

As she thought these things to herself, Junghoon asked again.

“...When did you leave?”

“Do you remember that day we bumped into each other at the hotel? That was the day I got kicked out of my house.”

“Then why were you with that guy at the hotel...?”

“I told you, he’s just a friend. He bought me food because I was kicked out and couldn’t even eat. He felt sorry for me.”

“....”

“As you said, if we were more than just friends, I would have asked that rich friend of mine to get me a nice one-room apartment, not a goshiwon.”

At Yeonhee’s self-deprecating words, Junghoon’s eyes wavered.

The pieces of the puzzle that had been out of place started to fit together quickly. The reason she hadn’t answered his calls. Why she had been at the hotel. All of it... he hadn’t understood any of it.

Suddenly, the cruel words he had thrown at her replayed in his mind as if it had happened just yesterday. What had he said? What harsh words had he spat out, swept up in uncontrollable jealousy? How had he treated her roughly?

“Was it okay as long as the person had money? I didn’t know. I never thought about it since you don’t even use my card.”

He had treated her like a prostitute, using cruel words even though he knew better. It was as if he had deliberately spoken to hurt her, raising his thorns and stabbing the person who had protected her.

“You said you liked me. You said you loved me. I didn’t know that confession was so cheap.”

He had treated her love like trash, throwing her pride aside and cruelly laughing at it.

That was what he had done.

He had aggressively pushed her just because she hadn’t responded to his messages. Without asking her why she was crying, without caring about her situation, he had crushed her heart.

It was all his fault.

He hadn’t even tried to understand, had only been angry and driven her away. He should have comforted her pain, but instead, he had dug deeper into her wounds.

That was him.

Even though he knew her heart, even though he knew the truth, what had he said to her?

“Just like before, we’ll eat together, watch a movie, and then have sex. I’ll play the fool of a team leader, and you’ll smile. It’s easy.”

Her trembling hands as she grabbed his collar, and he had shoved her away, saying...

“You don’t even know your place.”

The words he had thrown at her came back, striking him like a dagger.

It was he who had been out of place. He hadn’t known the value of her love, hadn’t understood how great love was. It was something so precious that he shouldn’t have treated it lightly or mocked it, but that’s exactly what he had done.

Regret, sadness, anger, and despair toward himself filled him up, and it felt as if his chest would burst.

Junghoon weakly leaned his back against the wall. The coldness from the wall slowly seeped into him. His dazed, tearful eyes fell on Yeonhee, who was staring at him silently.

Now, her eyes were empty of emotion, appearing as cold and distant as a stranger’s gaze.

Junghoon struggled to piece together broken words.

“It’s a busy area… There are a lot of drunk people… This isn’t a place for you to live alone. So...”

“…”

“Come to my house. Okay? It’s dangerous here.”

He was speaking without even realizing what he was saying, his words spilling out without filter.

He wanted to hold onto her somehow, to bring her back, but her eyes, which stared at him with no emotion, made his head feel empty. His desperate attempt to hold onto her felt meaningless, like trying to grasp at intangible air.

The late regret seemed futile, and it made his heart feel as though it had died inside.

Yeonhee didn’t respond at all. She just stared at him blankly, as if questioning what he was saying.

“Why? Why are you doing this to me…?”

Yeonhee began to speak but shook her head and stopped mid-sentence. She turned around without saying anything more.

Her part was done. There was no need to continue talking. She had answered everything he had wanted to know. Now, all she wanted was to go up and rest. She felt as though her entire heart had been consumed by him.

As she turned away, Junghoon hurriedly called out to her.

“I’ll leave. If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll go somewhere else. Just come, please.”

“Please, stop!”

Yeonhee finally shouted loudly. Fortunately, the area was busy, so her angry voice was drowned out by the sounds of drunk people.

Yeonhee clenched her fists tightly, shouting with resentment.

“Am I that pathetic? Do you feel sorry for me, so you suddenly want to show some pity? How far do you plan on being selfish, Team Leader?”

“It’s not like that, Yeonhee.”

“Do you see it? The trash that’s scattered at your feet? This is who I was next to you, Team Leader. You and I were never meant to mix. Please don’t make me feel this miserable.”

Junghoon shook his head and tried to respond, but Yeonhee cut him off, glaring at him as she spoke decisively.

“I don’t like you anymore, Team Leader. I don’t love you.”

With those words, Yeonhee left the alley.

The dark, dim alley, where no lights reached, left Junghoon standing alone. He felt like he was being consumed by the chilling darkness, as though it were creeping up from his feet.