Chapter 44
After Hyeyun said she wanted to stay as friends, two days passed.
“Team Leader, you’re here.”
“Yes.”
She acted normal, as if nothing had happened. But inside, it was far from normal. It wasn’t comfortable at all.
Hyeyun still treated Jaehoon casually. At work, he was her boss. Outside of work, if they happened to be alone together, she treated him like a close friend. But it felt awkward.
After hearing her words, Jaehoon couldn’t stop thinking about them. Eventually, he brought it up to Dayun.
“She wants to stay friends. What do you think?”
He had said he would follow her opinion, but he couldn’t ignore the brief stiffness in her expression. He noticed it—and regretted asking. He shouldn’t have said anything.
But after thinking for a moment, Dayun said something unexpected.
“She’s a good person, right?”
“Huh?”
She smiled gently, as if to reassure him. Her reaction surprised him, and he asked hesitantly,
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
Dayun’s expression turned slightly serious.
“If I said no, that would be a lie. But she’s a good person. That’s why, right? Even though you broke up, she’s still a really good person.”
All Jaehoon could do was nod. He was deeply grateful.
“I tried putting myself in your shoes. She was someone you relied on and trusted. Even if you break up, you wouldn’t want to lose her. In a way, she’s another friend who knows you well.”
Dayun accepted Hyeyun’s presence as a friend with surprising ease. It made Jaehoon trust Dayun more, not just as a woman but as a person. She trusted him, too.
But even with Dayun’s understanding, Hyeyun still made Jaehoon uncomfortable. No matter how good of a person she was or how great a friend she could be, she was still an ex.
In a quiet, elegant Japanese restaurant, Mi-young sat gracefully. In front of her were neatly arranged sushi and various side dishes, ordered at some unknown time.
Then, with the sound of the sliding door opening,
“Hello.”
Hyeyun’s voice rang out.
“You’re late than I expected. Sit.”
“Yes.”
The atmosphere between the two felt unnatural, like they didn’t belong together.
“So, how’s work?”
“It’s the same as before.”
“What about Jaehoon?”
“He still feels a little awkward, but he’s trying not to show it.”
Mi-young smiled slightly, satisfied with her answer. But today, that smile sent chills down Hyeyun’s spine. Still, she appeared unfazed.
“That’s good. If he still feels awkward, it means he really liked you.”
“…”
“But I was a little surprised.”
Hyeyun looked at her curiously, not understanding.
“Think about it. For someone who supposedly loved so deeply, you seem completely fine. Most people avoid meeting their exes.”
Hearing this, Hyeyun smirked and looked straight at Mi-young.
“It’s not comfortable. He was someone I loved. But that doesn’t mean I have to feel awkward or avoid him.”
“…”
Mi-young found her response intriguing. Even under Mi-young’s piercing gaze, Hyeyun remained unbothered and continued speaking.
“If I wanted to take him back, I could. If I wanted him to be mine again, I could. But I don’t need to.”
“So, what do you plan to do?”
“I’ll be more proactive. The wall has already been broken once. Why not break it again?”
Mi-young stared at her bold words, then suddenly burst into laughter. It was an unsettling, almost eerie laugh. After a long moment of amusement, she finally stopped and spoke while still looking at Hyeyun with interest.
“You never disappoint. The more I see you, the more you remind me of myself.”
It was an unsettling feeling.
The next day, after her dinner with Mi-young, Hyeyun arrived at work as usual. But her expression was different. She seemed deep in thought, like she had a plan.
‘Ding.’
The elevator doors opened. Just as she was about to step inside, she was momentarily startled.
“Oh, hello.”
“Ah… hi.”
Inside was Jaehoon. Since she was running late, the elevator was nearly empty. Just the two of them.
“Hm…”
Jaehoon cleared his throat and took a step to the side, as if feeling awkward. He avoided eye contact, looking elsewhere. She found it amusing.
‘Does he seem more attractive now that he belongs to someone else?’
Hyeyun thought he looked cute. When they were together, her feelings had dulled. It wasn’t love, but familiarity and comfort. He had felt more like a little brother than a boyfriend. But now that he was off-limits, he seemed more desirable. She had an overwhelming urge to take him back.
‘I want him… I want him back.’
Hyeyun wanted everything about Jaehoon. Him, his background, all of it. If she was honest with herself, she had stayed with him because of what he had. His world was too tempting to let go.
Lost in their separate thoughts, the elevator suddenly stopped.
‘Ding.’
As soon as the doors opened, Jaehoon stepped forward, eager to leave. But he couldn’t. Hyeyun grabbed his arm and pressed the button to close the doors.
Jaehoon looked at her in shock, a mix of confusion and disbelief on his face. But she ignored his reaction and pressed the top floor button.
As the elevator started moving again, Jaehoon finally snapped out of it, his expression turning serious.
“What are you doing?”
“Just a quick talk. It won’t take long.”
Jaehoon felt uneasy. He had agreed to stay friends, but he was starting to regret it. He had convinced himself it was fine, but now he wasn’t sure. He worried she was trying to hold onto him again.
“What do you want to talk about?”
When they reached the top, he stepped out, his voice tense with irritation.
“What was so important that you stopped me from going to work?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
Hyeyun responded shamelessly, making Jaehoon stare at her in disbelief. Her faint smile only made her look more amused.
“You just seemed too awkward around me.”
“…”
“Do I still make you that uncomfortable?”
Jaehoon said nothing. He didn’t know how to respond. Everything about this situation was uncomfortable.
“We used to get along so well. We can be good friends.”
Hearing her say it so easily annoyed him. He had accepted staying friends, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. It made him feel guilty toward Dayun. Too many things were on his mind.
“Words are easy. Even if we agreed to stay friends, do you think that can happen instantly? It takes time.”
“Hmm… I see your point.”
“What?”
Jaehoon stared at her, confused.
“I agree. I guess it might feel weird for you.”
“…”
“You’re younger than me, so I guess you’d feel more uncomfortable.”
“Hah.”
What did age have to do with this? He was too stunned to respond.
“Well, then we should work on that. Let’s eat together.”
“…What?”
“Let’s have a meal together. That way, we can get closer.”
With a bright smile, Hyeyun made her suggestion.
