Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

When did I? I tried to rebut when our eyes met, but Cha Yeowoon was smiling so beautifully to the point that I was disorientated. It was my defeat.

“Hmm, hmm. See you tomorrow evening at the park where we met yesterday.”

[Cha Yeowoon] : 7 o’clock tomorrow at the park near our lodging?

[Tae Myeongha] : Yes

This time, I replied through a private message as well. After I sent an emoji, Cha Yeowoon looked at me with half-closed eyes.

Another thing I had discovered recently was that when he was in a good mood, his eyes would bend into a half-moon. It was incredibly cute.

“You said you wouldn’t reply.”

“That’s why I sent one word.”

“Just one word isn’t a reply?”

“Don’t nitpick.”

“Senior is so cute.”

“Yeowoon, I’m older than you.”

Despite pointing out that fact, which Cha Yeowoon seemed to have forgotten, he didn’t even blink.

“This is the first reply I’ve received from senior.”

Instead, Cha Yeowoon happily caressed his phone screen. Sending just one word felt somewhat burdensome now.

It was also somewhat plain, so I impulsively tapped my fingers on the private message window.

[Tae Myeongha] : Replyy

“What’s this?”

“I felt like I replied too simply, so I sent more letters.”

Did I overdo it? Unlike me, who felt embarrassed after sending the message, Cha Yeowoon had fallen over and was wholeheartedly laughing.

“I’ll cherish this forever. Never delete the account.”

“How long is never?”

“Until senior becomes a grandfather.”

“Social media will probably disappear before that, Yeowoon.”

Cha Yeowoon smiled even as he returned to his lodging. In contrast to his frosty demeanor in the past, he now appeared soft as though he would melt at the slightest touch.

“Cha Yeowoon. Let me know if anyone bothers you. Brother will do something about it.”

The reason why Cha Yeowoon was hesitant to create a social media account was likely due to the troubles people had caused him in the past. It was pitiful and upsetting when I thought that far.

“You said if I ever decide to quit track and field to let you know. Is senior some kind of problem solver?”

I understood what Cha Yeowoon was saying. It might feel like I was being overprotective.

“Me too, senior.”

Cha Yeowoon, holding onto the heavy entrance door of the lodging, said earnestly while waiting for me to step out.

“If there’s anything senior needs, I’ll do something about it.”

As Cha Yeowoon and I left the lodging, a warm breeze greeted us. He, using the hand that had been supporting the door, grabbed onto me.

“Because I like you.”

Was this the satisfaction that came from having raised a child well?

Watching Cha Yeowoon’s reassuring figure, I couldn’t help but to feel the pride of a parent. I waved at him as he crossed the road, thinking that he would have hated it if he had known.

As I saw him off, I looked around the dimly lit surroundings, blurred by the shadows of the night. It was a quiet road with no one else in sight.

I didn’t take my eyes off Cha Yeowoon until his figure completely disappeared. I stared at his back for a long time, perhaps wishing for his safety.

Oh, how I wished watching could guarantee protection.

Volume 5: Eighteen, Adulthood

[ Favorability: 66 ]

Cha Yeowoon recalled.

The joy at the moment the gold medal was placed around his neck. The intense delight that he didn’t even feel when stepping onto the podium.

Tae Myeongha’s hands that passed him the medal and the face that looked directly at him.

He liked Tae Myeongha to the point it hurt.

The engraved medal also reminded him of the injury during the spring track and field competition.

His life before meeting Tae Myeongha.

As he was passing through the alley on his way home, he stopped.

When he turned around, someone who had been following him at a certain interval faltered.

Although he had left school early to go see his grandmother, who was frequently hospitalized, the surroundings seemed dark. Gloomy shadows coiled around the walls like vines.

Approaching the person behind him, clouds moved so quickly that it seemed surreal.

The scene stopped abruptly and then continued. Even at the moment when a police officer in a fluorescent vest approached, the person held onto him so tightly that it hurt as they shouted.

“It’s because I like you.”

Cha Yeowoon was bewildered by the shout that seemed to want to explain. If the person liked him, they wouldn’t have done this.

“Hey, I know you’re grateful. Don’t pretend to be expensive.”

He also remembered his confusion when curses were thrown at him.

If this was love, he didn’t need it.

Whether someone liked or disliked him, they all hurt him indiscriminately.

That wasn’t what he wanted.

He woke up in an unpleasant mood.

Although he usually woke up early in the morning, it was unusually difficult today. His head felt heavy.

Maybe it was because of the bad dream. Frowning, he picked up his phone. The vibration continued because of a morning call.

“Turn it off before I kill someone…”

Cheon Sangwon, sharing the same room as Cha Yeowoon, muttered. Cha Yeowoon, who was frowning and looking at Cheon Sangwon, declined the morning call.

[Cha Yeowoon] : Senior

[Cha Yeowoon] : ㄸpleaseresply

Cha Yeowoon tried to send a message to Tae Myeongha, but the letters seemed to have been jumbled due to his drowsiness.

He sat up straight, intending to write properly, but the door suddenly opened.

“Coach wants us out for morning workout.”

Tak Junho, in charge of wake-up duty, looked timidly at Cha Yeowoon and Cheon Sangwon.

“Argh!”

Cheon Sangwon rolled around, kicking off his blanket. Tak Junho, who was surprised, immediately closed the door and left.

“Ah! Fuck. Why are we running as soon as we wake up? I’m going to kill someone…”

“I’ll use the bathroom first.”

“Haa…Damn it. Why did I join the track and field team…It’s all because of you, Cha Yeowoon…”

Cheon Sangwon, still buried in his blanket, continued to grumble. Cha Yeowoon also wondered why Cheon Sangwon had joined the track and field team. He looked pitifully at him wrapped in a blanket before leaving to wash up.

As cold water was splashed on his face, he finally woke up. The feeling of the cold water flowing down his neck gave him goosebumps.

What kind of dream was that just now?

The content didn’t come to mind and only discomfort remained. Suppressing the uncomfortable feeling, he wiped his face.

On the sink, his phone vibrated briefly. Although he immediately checked in anticipation of the reply, what arrived was different from what he expected.

[♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]

It was a private message full of hearts. The familiar username that had requested to follow him caught his eyes.

Memories flooded like a low tide. Unpleasant days.

Bang, Bang, Bang!

The sound of a knock on the door broke his concentration.

“Cha Yeowoon, did you fall to your death inside? Should I leave without washing my face?”

Cha Yeowoon looked at the door without answering. He was able to recollect the bad dream.

* * *

[Cha Yeowoon] : Senior

[Cha Yeowoon] : ㄸpleaseresply

“Crazy. Cute.”

Cha Yeowoon’s message, seen as soon as I woke up, made me pound my pillow. If the consonants were out of place and the sentence was a mess but it still looked cute, was I wrong then?

[Tae Myeongha] : Replyyy

This time, I extended it by one letter.

“…”

I sent it off proudly, but when I checked it, I felt like I was trying too hard to be cute. Especially the ‘yyy’ part.

Was this why Ahn Gyeonghun used to write all kinds of strange things to his lover…? Wasn’t it just a matter of time before I called Cha Yeowoon honey?

More weight was placed on my fists that were pressed into my pillow. The fluffy pillow became deformed.

“Myeongha, are you…angry?”

When a question was asked from the neighboring bed, I brushed away the pillow that I had just been using.

I tried to answer that I wasn’t angry, but I couldn’t help but to be surprised.

“Who are you?”

Why was there a stranger next to me?

Although the disheveled hair seemed similar to the person who had slept in that bed yesterday, the moist eyeballs and vivid facial features felt completely different.

The unfamiliar beauty sitting on the bed next to me hurriedly put on his glasses. The large eyes shrank dramatically, turning into a face I recognized.

Ahn Sia had said that Ahn Gyeonghun looked completely different when he took off his glasses, but even after seeing it myself, I couldn’t believe it.

As I held onto the temple of his glasses and took them off, his eyes grew bigger again. Put them back on and they became smaller. Bigger, smaller…

“M-Myeongha, I feel dizzy.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“I-It’s okay.”

Ahn Gyeonghun was similar to Ahn Sia, but maybe because of his facial expression, he looked much gentler.

Anyway, Ahn Gyeonghun was kind and cute and there was nothing wrong with him calling his lover honey.

What about me?

I asked myself that. Even while going out to eat breakfast, I was caught up in philosophical thoughts.

“Big brother, what do you want to eat? I want Tonkatsu Kimbap.”

“Sundubu-jjigae.”

We were taken in Choi Jinseo’s car to a snack shop that opened in the morning. While eating Sundubu-jjigae, I continued my self-reflection.

Cha Yeowoon kept telling me I was pretty and cute, but exactly where?

There were plenty of cute and youthful peers around him, so why did he like me of all people? Of course, in terms of outer appearance, I was also his peer. If I put myself in his shoes, what type would I be…

“I’m pissed off.”

Ahn Sia, who had been eating kimbap and looking at her phone, suddenly put down her chopsticks.

“Why are you suddenly upset?”

“Look at this.”

Ahn Sia extended her phone, showing me her private message window.

[Break up with Cha Yeowoon]

[Don’t pretend to be prettyㅋㅋ]

[You pig]

“Have you ever seen such a cute pig? Big brother, have you? Isn’t this pig very pretty?”

Ahn Sia’s eyelashes fluttered as she poked her cheeks.

“Anyway, I get these often, right? It happened after I followed Cheon Sangwon, but the more I think about it, the more absurd it is. Dog Sangwon and Cha Yeowoon are following brother around, so why are people attacking me?”

As if Ahn Sia had never blinked innocently, she spat fire again. There was no time to respond. Ahn Gyeonghun, perhaps familiar with her pace, quickly nodded.

“It’s strange.”

Choi Jinseo, who had been listening, lowered her hand from her chin.

“It’s really strange. Cha Yeowoon didn’t follow me back! Sia isn’t just saying empty words; she’s just naturally pretty. Throw some insults that at least make sense.”

“That’s true, but it’s strange that there’s already someone polarized enough to do something like this.”

“Really? Aren’t all fans like that?”

“Fans usually don’t go that far. It’s also strange because Cha Yeowoon isn’t a celebrity with a big fandom. It hasn’t been long since he debuted, so it’s weird that there’s already a wicked person attached.”

“Come to think of it…”

Recalling something, I took out my phone. In a recently created folder, files were neatly stored.

I brought up a comment from a community post.

[ ㅋㅋㅋ??What’s handsome about him…Was this posted by Cha Yeowoon? ]

What was handsome about Cha Yeowoon? It would be faster to find someone who didn’t have as attractive of eyes, nose, and mouth.

[ New Leafㅊㅇㅇ??ㅋㅋ In middle school…I’m holding back because I’m afraid if I write any more, I’ll be sued. ]

Was the person talking about the same Cha Yeowoon? Cha Yeowoon, who lived with his grandmother, had no friends in middle school and only ran?

These were at least worth reading. There were many unpleasant and vulgar contents that I wished I hadn’t seen.

“These comments keep appearing. Even if they’re anonymous, if they can be identified, we can sue them, right?”

“Did you save all of this?”

Naturally, not all comments would be positive when something became a hot topic. I had expected that there would definitely be people talking nonsense.

However, I was to blame for subjecting a child who didn’t care about fame to people’s attacks. I decided to study defamation law during summer vacation.

“But it looks like almost all of this was written by one person.”