Chapter 42
“Let’s break up.”
After saying those words, Jaehoon couldn’t bring himself to look straight into Hyeyun’s eyes.
“…Huh? What… What did you just say?”
Her eyes trembled so much that it was obvious she was in shock from his sudden words. Her expression seemed to scream, “I can’t believe this. I don’t want to believe this. How could you do this to me?”
“I must have misheard, right? Right? There’s no way you’d say something like that to me. That doesn’t make any sense…”
She desperately denied his words.
She convinced herself that she had misheard, that something must be wrong. She tried to calm her shaking heart and refused to accept the truth. But…
“I’m sorry.”
Jaehoon didn’t give her even a sliver of hope.
With a single apology, sharper than any blade, he shattered Hyeyun’s heart into pieces. The regret in his voice meant nothing. In this moment, all she could feel was unbearable pain.
After the breakup, Jaehoon returned to the office with a heavy heart.
“Oh? Team leader, you’re a bit late today.”
“Ah… Yeah… I had something to take care of.”
“I see. Well, go ahead.”
“Thanks.”
He tried to hide his emotions and walk inside. But…
“By the way, why isn’t Hyeyun here?”
“Yeah, lunch break ended a while ago… Do you think something happened?”
“Something happened?”
The murmuring employees made him uneasy. No—he already felt uneasy.
[Flashback]
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”
Jaehoon couldn’t lift his head. He kept repeating the same words over and over.
Hyeyun, staring blankly as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, finally spoke.
“Look into my eyes.”
Her voice was sharp and cold—so unlike her usual self that she almost seemed like a different person.
“Look at me! Look me in the eyes and say it again.”
At her words, Jaehoon had no choice but to lift his head. She felt unfamiliar, but he didn’t want to humiliate her any further.
“Are you really saying we should break up? That it’s over between us?”
“I’m sorry… I know it’s selfish, but I have no choice.”
“No choice? What do you mean?! What’s the problem?!”
“I’m sorry.”
But contrary to his hopes…
“…Is it because you’re married? If that’s it, I told you I don’t care. I understand! You said it yourself—it wasn’t a marriage you wanted. In the beginning, you told me that as long as I was okay with it, nothing else mattered!”
“…”
“Why? Do you suddenly feel guilty? Do you feel sorry for her?”
The more he apologized, the more pathetic she felt. It broke Jaehoon’s heart to see her like this. And he regretted everything. He realized that this was all his fault.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to Dayun, and I’m sorry to you.”
“…”
“I never should have started this. No matter how much you said it was okay, I shouldn’t have let it begin.”
Hyeyun’s eyes filled with betrayal and anger.
“Ha… So you’re saying…”
She looked at him with fury in her eyes.
“Are you saying we should have broken up back then?”
“…”
“How does that make sense? We were together first! She was the one who came between us! You and I loved each other first!”
Her voice was filled with pain and resentment.
Jaehoon felt guilty. Deeply guilty. But that didn’t mean he was going to change his mind.
“Maybe it was never love.”
“What…?”
“We were just used to being together. It felt so natural that I mistook it for love.”
Because now, more than anyone, he knew that what he felt wasn’t love.
“Are you saying you never loved me?”
Hyeyun’s face turned pale in shock. She had already sensed that his feelings had changed. But she never imagined he would say it out loud. She never thought he would look her in the eyes and say it wasn’t love.
“No, I did love you. Very much.”
Jaehoon had loved Hyeyun. When he first saw her, his heart raced. He had wanted her desperately. He had loved her passionately and had been so happy. But as time passed, those feelings faded. He just hadn’t realized it. He had mistaken guilt and obligation for love.
Meanwhile, Hyeyun felt utterly humiliated.
He didn’t say “I love you.” He said, “I loved you.”
That past tense crushed her. It made her desperate.
“Jaehoon, can’t we try again? I still love you…”
But his response was cold and firm.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, but… I don’t love you anymore.”
As if to say it was truly over.
After their breakup, Hyeyun never returned to work. While the employees whispered about what might have happened, Jaehoon simply told them it was a personal matter. Only after everything was settled did he finally head home.
His mind was a mess, guilt gnawed at him, and he felt overwhelmed with responsibility as a team leader. His head throbbed.
“You’re home.”
Dayun greeted him with a bright smile, unaware of anything.
Seeing her made Jaehoon feel a little better. Her warm smile and gentle touch seemed to comfort him, as if telling him he had done well, that today must have been tough.
Was that why…?
“Huh…? S-Sunbae…?”
As soon as he stepped inside, Jaehoon buried his face in Dayun’s shoulder. Like a lost kitten seeking comfort.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Dayun’s face filled with concern. He had never done this before.
“Sunbae?”
Her curiosity grew, but when Jaehoon finally spoke, she didn’t ask anything more. Instead, she silently reached out and stroked his back.
“Today… I told her we should break up.”
She could only comfort him in silence, letting him know he had been through enough.
Days passed uneventfully.
There was no news, no word from Hyeyun. She hadn’t returned to work. Feeling guilty, Jaehoon covered for her absence. But deep inside, he hoped she wouldn’t come back. He knew it was selfish, but the more guilty he felt, the more he didn’t want to face her.
“Team leader, good morning.”
“Yes, good morning.”
But…
“Oh, by the way, did you know Hyeyun is back today?”
His wish didn’t come true.
As soon as the employee finished speaking, Hyeyun entered the office, laughing with a colleague.
“Ah…”
The moment their eyes met, her smile briefly faltered, and her expression stiffened. But in the next instant, she smiled brightly again and said…
“Oh? Team leader, you’re here.”
As if nothing had ever happened.
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