SWNOVELXO Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Had there ever been a time when leaving work felt so unwelcome? From the moment he arrived at work until now, Ki Seo-jung had been consumed by a single thought.
I don’t want to go back.
Of all times, his day shift meant he was getting off work earlier than usual. Seo-jung sighed as he looked at the sun that had not yet set.
Despite his slowing footsteps, his body was steadily heading towards the X House. However, upon reaching the front gate, instead of entering the house, Ki Seo-jung turned towards the alley on the opposite side.
“What’s this…?”
What stopped Ki Seo-jung’s aimless steps was a cheese-colored cat that had appeared from nowhere.
Seo-jung lowered himself, bending his knees as he looked down at the cat rubbing against his legs. The cat, seemingly unafraid of the stranger, slowly blinked while making eye contact with Seo-jung.
“Hello.”
As if understanding his words, the cat meowed. Seo-jung’s hand naturally touched the cat’s back. The small warmth on his palm felt nice. The cat, apparently not minding Seo-jung’s touch, rolled over and exposed its belly.
“Are you eating well out here?”
Seo-jung’s long eyelashes fluttered gently as he lowered his gaze. You needed a human’s touch too, huh? It reminded him so much of himself – always kind to everyone, readily offering goodwill to avoid being disliked. Seo-jung stroked the cat for a long time.
“Oh?”
With a short exclamation, the cat suddenly got up and quickly disappeared. Seo-jung’s gaze followed to where the cat had vanished into the alley. He felt a bit disappointed, wishing he could have fed it some cat food.
“Oh, it is Ki Seo-jung. What are you doing here?”
“I was on my way home and saw a stray cat.”
It was Song Joo-ah again. Seo-jung forced a smile.
“But what should I do? I think it ran away because of me.”
“It’s not your fault. Are you just getting off work too, Joo-ah?”
“Yes, I left early using my boss privileges.”
“Is that so? It’s not even dinnertime yet. Shall we go in?”
“Sure.”
Song Joo-ah nodded readily. Seo-jung naturally avoided Joo-ah’s gaze as he walked towards the front door.
“Oh, did you two come together?”
“Could it be a d-date? Did you go on one?”
“What’s this, what’s this? Is it true?”
The people gathered in the kitchen and dining area, seemingly preparing an early dinner, called out to the two of them.
“I wish it had been a date, but it’s not. We just ran into each other right outside,” Song Joo-ah responded with a bright smile.
“Is that really true? It’s suspicious.”
Kim Sae-young’s gaze shifted to Seo-jung, who was standing behind Joo-ah.
“It’s true. If it were a date, we wouldn’t have come in already,” Ki Seo-jung joked with a composed face. Even just facing the others felt oppressive, but he couldn’t show it. Always thinking of others before himself was Seo-jung’s way of survival and his nature.
“Interesting.”
The one attacking Seo-jung’s precarious mask was Cha Yoon. Again. One of Cha Yoon’s eyebrows was raised as he looked back and forth between Song Joo-ah and Ki Seo-jung.
An expression that said it wasn’t interesting at all. Only Seo-jung noticed Cha Yoon’s cold expression. Seo-jung swallowed dryly.
“It’s only been two days, dating already would be cheating―”
“You both haven’t had dinner yet, right?”
“Today’s menu is pasta and risotto, is that okay?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t like pasta and risotto? I love it. I’m so excited.”
Amidst the cheerful crowd, the two people’s eyes remained locked for a long time. Seo-jung’s jaw muscles twitched as he clenched his teeth.
Then suddenly, all the tension left his body. He remembered his resolution from the previous day. What good would come from fighting with that kid? Get it together, Ki Seo-jung. Seo-jung was the first to look away.
Cha Yoon frowned as Seo-jung’s gaze, which had been directed at him, disappeared as if it were a lie. He reflexively moved to grab Seo-jung, but Song Joo-ah’s voice stopped him.
“Cha Yoon, they say the pasta is ready.”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
When he remained motionless even after being called, Joo-ah turned her head. Cha Yoon’s eyes were, of course, fixed on Ki Seo-jung.
“Ah, were you trying to go to Seo-jung? Did I interrupt?”
Only then did he turn to look at Joo-ah. Joo-ah was even nodding as if she had expected this. Finally, his senses returned. Cha Yoon brushed his bangs back with a hollow laugh.
“What are you talking about?”
“Why? If you want to go, you can go.”
“…”
“Go and bring Seo-jung back.”
Joo-ah shrugged as if to say, what’s the problem? She even gestured for him to go quickly, which made Cha Yoon frown.
“Have you lost your mind? Why would I go to that person? Who does Ki Seo-jung think he is?”
“…”
“Instead of wasting time talking nonsense to me, just go eat.”
Cha Yoon turned around without hesitation. Watching his receding figure, Joo-ah shook her head.
“He just won’t admit it no matter what…”
Since entering the X House, Cha Yoon had shown with his whole body that he was bothered by Ki Seo-jung. Yet he stubbornly insisted he had no feelings, which made him look like a fool in Joo-ah’s eyes.
If it were someone else, she might have just cursed them as an idiot and ignored it, but this was Cha Yoon. Her friend of 20 years, Cha Yoon.
Love him or hate him, he was an old friend, so she couldn’t just dismiss it. Moreover, she felt somewhat responsible for Cha Yoon’s participation in “Please Take Care of My X.”
Joo-ah recalled the conversation she had with Cha Yoon a month ago.
‘I got caught kissing my girlfriend by Elder Seo, and it all got back to my parents. I’m sick of living like I’ve committed a crime when I haven’t, so I told them I’m going abroad and they can act like they don’t have a daughter. They said I can go abroad or die for all they care, just clean up the mess at church before I go.’
‘Then hurry up and clean it up, then leave Korea. Why are you wasting time at someone else’s house?’
‘That’s why I came to you, to clean it up.’
Song Joo-ah carefully explained the proposal she had received from her acquaintance, PD Kim Seo-hyo, and the plan. It’s a heterosexual dating program, so if you appear with me, everything will be resolved as a misunderstanding, and then I can leave Korea as planned, she continued.
‘You know, I don’t even have a boyfriend, let alone any male friends except you. So if you could…’
‘Hey.’
‘…’
‘I have no intention of going on something like that, so go look elsewhere.’
He stood up as if it wasn’t even worth listening to anymore.
‘I’m going to sleep, so see yourself out.’
What made Cha Yoon stop in his tracks as he headed to the bedroom without any lingering attachment was Joo-ah’s single remark.
‘I heard your ex is appearing on that show? You still don’t want to go?’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Ki Seo-jung, your ex. I heard he’s appearing with his ex-girlfriend.’
Dropping Ki Seo-jung’s name was a last-ditch effort. Unlike how easily he had cut ties with his long-term girlfriend, Cha Yoon had shown peculiar behavior over the past six months.
Cha Yoon, who had lost his memories, was disgusted by the traces of life he had left behind over the past seven years. Yet, he stubbornly refused to throw away those traces, piling them up in a corner of the storage room, and despite being uncomfortable with contacts from acquaintances he knew before the accident, he insistently kept using the same phone number he had been using. As if he was waiting for a specific call.
A moment of silence passed, and that day, Song Joo-ah finally got what she wanted.
Of course, the choice was Cha Yoon’s, but it was she who had informed him about Ki Seo-jung’s appearance. She felt too guilty to pretend not to know and ignore it.
She didn’t know how Ki Seo-jung felt, but she hoped that at least Cha Yoon would properly realize his feelings and do something about it.
Just by appearing on this show, she had achieved all of her goals. The remaining time until the end of filming was just bonus time for Joo-ah.
After looking back and forth at the spot where the two had disappeared for a long time, a look of determination settled on Joo-ah’s face.
***
“Haa…”
Only after the door clicked shut could Seo-jung let out a deep sigh. His eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by fatigue. He desperately wanted to sleep for a very long time in a comfortable space.
But there was nowhere Seo-jung could rest comfortably. His gaze, slowly blinking, fell on the full-length mirror on one side of the room.
His figure hiding behind the door looked utterly pathetic.
Ki Seo-jung’s gaze turned to the camera hanging in the corner of the ceiling, looking down at him. This kind of image shouldn’t be captured. He needed to appear as someone kind and affectionate to everyone, healthy in body and mind.
He had already made a big mistake on the first day. So he couldn’t afford any more. He couldn’t let what he had built up over the years crumble like this.
Taking a deep breath, Ki Seo-jung practiced smiling in front of the mirror several times. The smile that had looked somewhat awkward regained its usual form. Seo-jung once again put on the thin, fragile mask that seemed about to break at any moment.