Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

– “Seokyeong Forest is next to your school. Are you perhaps fighting with Sangwon? He always picks fights with anyone. Just ignore him.”

It should be a dispute Cha Yeowoon could ignore. He tucked his phone into his pocket and continued running.

Ahn Sia’s home was near the school. It was less than four stops away.

The upscale apartment complex hinted at why it was named Forest. There was a lush garden surrounding the buildings.

Entering the meticulously landscaped park, climbing roses in June could be seen. The scent of lilacs stung his nose. Walking as if being absorbed into the verdant surroundings, he lamented.

He had forgotten to ask for the building and apartment number. The buildings were tall in floors, with considerable distance between them.

When he took out his phone to ask for the address, he realized that the battery had run out. It must have worn out quickly from the constant checking. Despite having stared at it all this time, he hadn’t properly checked how much battery was left; that was how absorbed he was.

He cursed. Of all times, it had to happen now.

Standing beneath a branch spread with green fruits, he scanned the paths leading to the buildings.

At a time like this, if he was Tae Myeongha…

No matter where he was, he could easily find him. If only he could do that too.

Even among a hundred people or just one among a thousand. Even in the most complicated streets, if he could run in the direction where he was.

“Cha Yeowoon!”

Cha Yeowoon’s ears rang.

As that person neared, his heart began to beat at a different pace.

His view spun around.

Life reversed course.

* * *

“Do you really want to die?”

Checking my phone records, I gritted my teeth.

Because of Cha Yeowoon, I haven’t been able to sleep well lately. I couldn’t even get a wink of sleep last night. I was so tired that I dozed off for a moment while waiting at the veterinarian. Truly just for a moment. Not even five minutes.

I shouldn’t have done that with someone whose hobby was to cause trouble and accidents. Who would have thought that someone would do something mischievous with someone else’s phone in that short period of time?

The reason we were having a confrontation in front of the veterinarian with Seulgi, who had just been discharged, was all Cheon Sangwon’s fault.

“Your sleeping face is so cute that I took a picture to show it to him.”

“Bullshit.”

It was clearly nonsense. According to the records, a phone call came from Cha Yeowoon around the time the photo was sent.

“What did you say on the phone?”

“Let’s be friends from now on.”

When I glared at Cheon Sangwon, he covered his forehead.

“I’ll let it go because of Seulgi. Do you have a hobby of repaying kindness with betrayal?”

“I just wanted to be friends with someone in the same situation, really.”

“This ends here.”

I slapped Cheon Sangwon’s forehead with the back of my hand. It must have hurt because he recoiled with a jump. This guy was surprisingly prone to exaggeration.

“Don’t hurt Cha Yeowoon.”

“Wow. You really kick people when they’re down.”

Cheon Sangwon smiled dryly as he loosened his grip. The sound seemed forced. His expression, fully revealed, was far from smiling.

“I told him brother was coming to my place.”

“You…Go home with Seulgi.”

“Cha Yeowoon is coming here, where are you going?”

“It’s fine. I’ll find him first and meet him in the middle.”

“How? He won’t even answer the phone. Just…”

“I don’t have to call. I can find Cha Yeowoon.”

A message window had appeared. But to someone who didn’t know the truth, it sounded like a confession.

Seeing Cheon Sangwon’s distorted face, I realized how much weight my words had.

“Sangwon, I’m sorry for telling you to be sincere. Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

“If you were going to be like this, why did you make me sincere? Is brother really without a conscience?”

“You’re cute, so meet a good guy.”

“Hey, Tae Myeongha.”

“Goodbye, Seulgi.”

Instead of punishing the sudden informal speech, I waved at Seulgi, who was behaving nicely, and walked ahead of Cheon Sangwon.

“Brother, I’m really annoyed! I originally like girls!”

Screaming and anxious whining came from behind me. Yes, like women a lot. I silently cheered him on.

Besides, there was someone I had to go look for.

[ 1km to Love Supremacy Zone. ]

It was about a 10-minute walk. Which way is it?

I ran while walking on the sidewalk that intersected with the road. Similar-looking buildings and trees passed by.

People passed by too, but like the trees, they only served as a background. I could tell right away that it wasn’t him.

[ 10m to Love Supremacy Zone. ]

In retrospect, the cycle at which this notification appeared was also inaccurate. Sometimes it would inform me of the remaining distance, and sometimes it would only appear when I had entered the vicinity.

[ Entering Love Supremacy Zone. ]

What was certain was that there would never be a case where Cha Yeowoon had passed by.

There, he was up ahead.

“Cha Yeowoon!”

Cha Yeowoon looked at me in an instant, as if being pulled by a string, like a piece of metal pulled by magnetism, or as if captured by an intangible hand.

My stomach churned.

Trapped amidst the overwhelming green, he stood out alone. Everything else had become a background.

Perhaps I could have found him even without the notification.

“Look at how sweaty you are. Did you run all the way here?”

Cha Yeowoon’s sweaty forehead was pitiful, and without realizing it, my hand went to wipe it. He shook his head, unable to answer properly because he was panting.

“Sorry for not answering the phone. I needed some time to clear my thoughts.”

“Were you two together?”

I knew too well why he was asking. Seeing that his eyes had become moist, I couldn’t just give a hasty answer and gloss over this.

Taking out my phone, I enlarged a photo. Behind me as I dozed off, dog food was stacked in layers on the dresser, and on top of it, the name of the veterinarian was written along a cute paw print.

“See. The veterinarian. We went there because of their family dog.”

“Dog?”

“It’s sick. It had surgery, but the discharge got delayed, so it happened to be the weekend.”

“That’s why senior went with him?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Even after hearing the explanation, Cha Yeowoon remained quiet. Despite standing still, he still seemed out of breath.

Instead of speaking, his chest was heaving. His lips kept opening and closing.

I could have told him not to say it. But I just let him, who was staring at me so earnestly, continue.

“I like you.”

Finally, a confession rolled off the tip of his tongue.

Strangely, my stomach tightened upon hearing the overflowing confession. I already knew it, but hearing it directly from him was different.

“I know.”

My throat was dry, and I barely managed to respond.

Cha Yeowoon, having heard the brief response, lowered his eyes.

“Senior doesn’t like me.”

“…”

“But it’s okay.”

“…”

“I still like you.”

What was okay? I hoped for Cha Yeowoon’s feelings to be reciprocated. I wanted him to be loved by the person he liked.

I didn’t want to hurt him, but that was what had happened.

“Yeowoon, like someone else, not me.”

So I could cheer for him. So he wouldn’t be hurt.

He was the kind of person who could genuinely and sincerely like someone. I hoped he would choose a better person.

It was for his sake. In return, I had to witness the moment of his heartbreak.

I wonder if I had ever scrutinized someone’s face so closely. Intense emotions soaked and tore down on a face that always seemed indifferent. Pain emanated from the subtly distorted facial muscles enough to make anyone flinch.

As Cheon Sangwon said, it seemed I had kicked people when they were down even in moments like this.

“Like senior said, let’s try to be friends.”

“Okay.”

Nevertheless, that was the only answer I could give at this moment.

“Contact me, don’t ignore my messages. Don’t avoid me.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

“Don’t distance yourself.”

Instead of answering, I opened my arms and hugged him. I felt a similar heat as when I hugged him in the infirmary.

[ Calculating Cha Yeowoon’s favorability. ]

[ Favorability: 36 ]

Why had Cha Yeowoon become more fond of me even in moments like this?

Neither he nor I intended for this, yet that was what happened.

He hugged me tightly to the point it hurt.

* * *

I rode the bus back with Cha Yeowoon as usual. We didn’t say a word to each other until he got off.

As he disembarked from the bus and glanced toward the window where I was sitting, a message window appeared over his face.

[ Reward Triggered. ]

[ You can see what Cha Yeowoon wanted most in the past. ]

[ Would you like to check now? ]

As if prompting me to do it now, a notification appeared.

I didn’t refuse. Cha Yeowoon’s face beyond the bus window became blurred and took on a more youthful appearance.

The bus handle and the glass melted. Like lowering the curtains, the view outside the bus unveiled an entirely different landscape.

It was in the mountains. The scent of pine needles tickled my nose. Coniferous trees stood tall, and in an artificially made open space, campfires burned. Tents gathered around the flames.

Cha Yeowoon, looking a bit younger than now, mingled among people. Everyone came out of their tents to gaze at the dark blue sky.

His peers stood around, looking up at the stars.

The sky was clear, and there were surprisingly many stars. Despite being coerced into the camping trip by his grandmother, Cha Yeowoon felt it was a fortunate decision to have come at this particular moment.

I felt Cha Yeowoon’s emotions as if I had become him.

“Aren’t you going to make a wish, Yeowoon?”

It was a voice that sounded familiar. It seemed to be the church leader, but I couldn’t see his face clearly.

Perhaps I could see him if I concentrated a little more, yet before I could, Cha Yeowoon turned his head to the night sky.

I couldn’t focus on the blurry face I had just seen anymore.

The sight in front of me was overwhelming.

Shooting stars were raining down. Shining tails drew across the night sky and disappeared in an instant.

Cha Yeowoon gazed quietly at the sparkling night sky. Making a wish on a shooting star. It might have seemed like a foolish thing to do under normal circumstances.

The countless stars burning and falling down were unrealistically beautiful.

With his overwhelmed heart pounding, he quietly made a wish. He whispered the most sincere desire to himself.

“I wish to be happy.”

Words that shouldn’t have been heard by anyone reached me.