Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 71

Chapter 71

“Cha Yeowoon! Stop!”

I hurriedly shouted, unsure if my voice could be heard over the distance and the sounds of cars.

Cha Yeowoon was holding the assailant by the collar. I was anxious because it seemed like a punch could be thrown at any moment.

Finally, the traffic signal that had stopped changed. As soon as it did, I sprinted as if my life depended on it.

After crossing the street, I was already out of breath. I approached Cha Yeowoon, who was shouting incomprehensible words as if cursing, from behind and pulled him away. All the eyes around us were already fixed on us.

“Let go!”

Cha Yeowoon shouted in a cracked voice, pulling the collar he held. His fist was tense. The assailant, who had been dangling like a limp puppet, recoiled in fright when Cha Yeowoon released his grip, shuffling backward.

The assailant immediately stood up and ran away again.

“Cha Yeowoon, Yeowoon!”

I grabbed Cha Yeowoon, who was about to chase after the assailant. Perhaps because he was an athlete, his strength was brutishly strong, and I found myself being dragged along. Dust rose from the ground as sweat broke out from my body.

Although he seemed frustrated and displeased with me, he didn’t shake me off. As we reached a distance where the assailant couldn’t be seen with the naked eye any longer, I gradually loosened my grip.

Cha Yeowoon seemed to be resisting the impulse to immediately chase after the assailant. His tense neck was firm, and his eyes were strained. Not only his forearms but also the veins on his neck were visible.

“Why did you stop me?”

Cha Yeowoon asked, his molars ground in agitation, causing the end of his words to shake grimly.

“Are you really asking me that? How can I just turn a blind eye and let a child beat someone?”

“You could have let me.”

I was amazed by the way Cha Yeowoon stood his ground while looking straight at me. My arm that was holding him became stiff.

“Isn’t it enough? You can’t just hit people.”

“Senior saw it. He pushed you.”

Of course, I knew why Cha Yeowoon was angry.

The usually carefree person was now furious because of what had happened to me.

“If I hadn’t followed, you might have been hurt.”

“I wasn’t hurt. You caught me.”

“What if I hadn’t?”

Cha Yeowoon didn’t calm down even after I explained. He turned his head toward the direction where the assailant had escaped.

“Still, didn’t you consider the consequences of swinging your fists in such a crowded place? Someone might have recognized you. You have an upcoming international competition.”

Someone might have recognized Cha Yeowoon. It bothered me further as I said it out loud. I tried to pull him away from the main road toward the alley, but he shook away my hand.

“Is that important now?!”

I was startled by the sudden shout. The back of my hand, which had been rejected, was stinging.

“What’s so important about my competition? What would I have done if senior had been seriously injured? Don’t you think about yourself?”

Cha Yeowoon’s voice continued to be high. His agitation had risen again.

There were people stopping and staring. I forcibly pushed him into a gap between the buildings.

The space between the buildings, with an outdoor AC unit installed, was littered with cigarette butts. The air felt stuffy, and it was so narrow that we were only one step away from each other.

I led Cha Yeowoon into a secluded spot and pressed his shoulders down. He looked at me with a face filled with confusion and anger.

“Cool your head. Even if I really got hurt, it doesn’t give you the right to throw punches in the streets. To put it bluntly, what good does beating up that person do? Are you going to start throwing your fists whenever you’re angry?”

When I reprimanded Cha Yeowoon, his lips shook as if he wanted to immediately refute. The corners of his lips were so strained that his canine teeth were visible.

“Do you think I would be grateful if you assaulted someone and couldn’t enter the competition, all because of me?”

“…”

Cha Yeowoon’s head dropped. His slouched shoulders trembled. Despite his futile attempt to hide his face, his expression was clearly conveyed.

“Don’t cry, Yeowoon.”

Despite Cha Yeowoon’s silence, his agitation had subsided. It wasn’t that his tears had stopped, but rather that he was suppressing them.

While listening to his sniffling, it occurred to me that it might have been better if the assailant had received a beating.

Approaching Cha Yeowoon and cupping his cheek, he didn’t resist and gave me his head. Damp flesh curled around my palm and a warm heat spread.

“I…”

Cha Yeowoon’s trembling lips brushed against my wrist. His words reverberated through my flesh. His hot and humid breath was palpable.

“What if I missed it earlier, and arrived a little late…Just thinking, if something had happened, to senior now…It feels, like I would go crazy, senior…”

Cha Yeowoon’s words were intermittently interrupted by his tears. Seeing his tearful expression, my mind quickly softened.

“I’m sorry.”

I felt like I should apologize. Cha Yeowoon narrowed his eyes thinly. The tears that had pooled in his eyes glinted sharply.

“You’re not sorry.”

“I’m sorry I made you cry.”

How should I comfort Cha Yeowoon? Anxious, I was about to press my lips against his wet cheek. When I tried to kiss him, he turned his head and avoided it.

“If senior gets hurt, it’s all because of me.”

Cha Yeowoon closed his eyes tightly after speaking.

“Why would it be because of you? Don’t say anything weird.”

“That person from earlier. He’s the guy who was stalking me last year.”

Someone who knew Cha Yeowoon, the recent anonymous email, and a person harboring a grudge against me. In fact, even with just a few clues, I could guess who it might be. I understood why Cha Yeowoon had lost his mind earlier.

“It’s bad enough that they followed a high school kid around, but to go to such lengths today, this person must be insane. It’s not your fault.”

That was a fact. No matter how I saw it, Cha Yeowoon wasn’t at fault. The stalker was more dangerous than I expected, so I was going to have to resolve it as soon as possible.

Cha Yeowoon leaned against the wall as if exhausted.

“Only bad things happen to the people around me.”

A mutter pierced my lungs.

“Don’t say such things.”

I wished Cha Yeowoon wouldn’t think that way.

What kind of affection was it that I didn’t want him to go through what I had gone through? I occasionally wondered.

“I want to protect senior at all costs.”

I wasn’t sure of the answer, but I knew Cha Yeowoon had a similar thought right now.

Although it was commendable and I felt grateful when he said he would protect me, I couldn’t feel pleased, now knowing the dangers ahead.

It was astonishing the lengths he was willing to go to protect me.

“Don’t say such things. It’s bleak.”

“I mean it.”

“If you mean it, then don’t say it even more. It’s scary.”

“I only have senior.”

“…”

“There’s no one else but senior.”

The alley blocked by cement walls felt narrower than before. Just a little further out, people would be passing by on the main road, but in this narrow space, it was just the two of us.

I had been feeling lonely because Cha Yeowoon seemed to be drifting away. Surprised by the discovery in the depth of my wicked heart, I hurriedly buried it.

“You have things you’re good at, you have friends, and there are people who support you.”

Cha Yeowoon’s life was improving. With many people to lean on, he wouldn’t have to risk his life for just one. That was why I hoped he would continue his studies while exercising, just like me in my 20s when I was working.

“If I agree with senior, will we break up?”

“What?”

“I asked if I say I’m okay without senior, will we break up? Senior doesn’t like me.”

After Cha Yeowoon finished speaking, a rumble sounded from above. A swarm of gray clouds was passing through the sky.

“What are you talking about again?”

“Do you like me the same way I do you? It’s not, isn’t it?”

Although I knew it had to be denied, I couldn’t. As clouds covered the sun, shadows fell, cutting across Cha Yeowoon diagonally.

I had always been counting the days until the day I would break up with Cha Yeowoon. He seemed to know that fact.

“The competition, I’m saying to not act impulsively just because you’re angry and to think about your future.”

“If there is no senior, I don’t need a future. The competition? I don’t care.”

[ A system error has occurred. ]

Somewhere, there was a flash of light. Following lightning was thunder.

I missed Cha Yeowoon’s words while reading the ominous message.

“Where are you looking?”

Cha Yeowoon grabbed my hand.

“Is senior okay?”

There was a fire resembling lightning in Cha Yeowoon’s eyes that came close.

“You almost died because of what happened, so how can you be okay? You’ve been trembling since earlier.”

“When did I…”

After pulling my hand away from Cha Yeowoon, I noticed my fingertips trembling faintly. I hadn’t known at all.

Cha Yeowoon carefully held my hand again.

[ Starting new operation to stabilize the server. ]

There was a new message.

“Senior is right. I shouldn’t have rushed in blindly earlier. I should have handled it more maturely. But when senior, almost got hurt, I was out of my mind.”

I could feel Cha Yeowoon struggling to choose his words. To avoid being caught glancing elsewhere, I didn’t lift my head.

“I’m sorry. I’ll become someone senior can rely on more.”

[ !Emergency Mission triggered. ]

“Don’t hate me.”

[ Maintain a favorability below 66 until the server stabilizes. ]

My hand holding Cha Yeowoon’s became tense. I meaninglessly counted the crumpled cigarette butts on the asphalt. A nauseous feeling rose.

Why was I not someone who belonged in Cha Yeowoon’s world?

“…Let’s end it here today.”

Cha Yeowoon flinched so much that I could feel it through the hand I was holding.

“Go home and cool your head.”

“Senior.”

“You asked me not to treat you like a child. Can you say you don’t care what your future holds?”

“…”

“Go. I’ll take care of what happened today.”

There should be CCTVs near the crosswalk, which would be helpful when reporting today’s incident. Though, there was no real harm done, so I was unsure what the punishment might be. At the very least, it could be included when a case of stalking was reported. Purposefully focusing on other thoughts, I released Cha Yeowoon’s hand and exited the alley.

The sky was mottled as if it might rain at any moment. The number of people walking on the sidewalks had decreased compared to earlier.

Cha Yeowoon stood in front of me and blocked my path.