LM 74

In reality, only a minority of those in this industry remained faithful after marriage. Having a lover was as common as an overused drama trope. Even if Woo Hyunse got married, he wouldn’t necessarily have to part ways with Kwon Siyul. In Seohee had even bought a new house to keep her lover there.

Woo Taeju smiled bitterly without Kwon Siyul noticing. He had to admit it. He had spoken unnecessarily out of petty jealousy. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to defend himself if someone pointed out he was acting petty and narrow-minded right then.

Kwon Siyul hung his head low. Woo Taeju’s tongue, usually quick to tease others, felt stiff in front of Kwon Siyul. He couldn’t even offer common words of comfort. Woo Taeju simply put his arm around Kwon Siyul’s shoulders and patted him on the back. It was like giving medicine after causing illness, but the medicine had no effect this time.

He wished Kwon Siyul would move on from this.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Woo Taeju looked up. A stranger was walking straight toward them, stopping a couple of steps away. Kwon Siyul looked up at the man in surprise. Before he could ask who it was, the man ignored Woo Taeju and focused solely on Kwon Siyul.

“I’m here to pick you up.”

Kwon Siyul’s eyes shifted uncomfortably. He seemed to know the person. As Woo Taeju tried to block the man, Kwon Siyul grabbed his sleeve.

“I’ll go in a little bit.”

“I was told to bring you back immediately.”

Woo Taeju belatedly realized who this person was associated with. He held Kwon Siyul’s arm, saying there was no need to go. Kwon Siyul smiled bitterly and removed his arm from Woo Taeju’s grasp.

“I’ll have to buy you a drink another time.”

“Siyul hyung, tonight just stay with me…”

Kwon Siyul slowly shook his head. It was time to back off. Woo Taeju withdrew his outstretched hand and stared at the man with tightly pressed lips. Despite the rather hostile gaze, the man seemed unaffected, giving Woo Taeju a slight bow before turning away.

The back he saw seemed smaller and colder than usual today. Suppressing the urge to take Kwon Siyul away somewhere right now, Woo Taeju could only clench his empty fist tightly.

Though Kwon Siyul had acted mature in front of Woo Taeju, when he actually arrived in front of the house, his legs felt heavy as if his feet were glued to the ground. During the car ride back, Kwon Siyul sat with his hands in his pockets, slumped in the car seat, staring blankly out the window. The driver’s voice saying “We’ve arrived” barely registered.

He didn’t want to go in.

He wanted to run away.

He didn’t want to see Woo Hyunse.

On the way, he had thought of many things. What to say first when he met Woo Hyunse. Whether to get angry, curse at him for not telling, or discuss with him what the status of their relationship had been.

Was it due to a lack of imagination? He couldn’t guess at all how Woo Hyunse would react to his actions. The face he could usually picture clearly even with his eyes closed now seemed blurry as if its features had been smudged.

Kwon Siyul dawdled in the car for a long time. He knew the driver was watching him through the rearview mirror, but pretended not to notice. After a silent standoff, the man sighed lightly and got out of the car first. He walked around and opened the back door where Kwon Siyul was sitting. His expression suggested he found this as annoying as watching a child he had no relation to throwing a tantrum.

Feeling like he would be dragged out if he didn’t make a move, Kwon Siyul reluctantly got out of the car. The man followed closely behind, monitoring to ensure Kwon Siyul didn’t run away. Though he wasn’t an animal being led to slaughter, Kwon Siyul’s steps kept slowing, and his eyes, which he had tried hard to dry in the park, were heating up again.

He hoped the elevator would stop midway, but the numbers climbed faster than usual. When the arrival chime sounded, he felt dizzy, as if all the blood had drained from his body.

“Go in.”

The man seemed intent on pushing Kwon Siyul through the door. Kwon Siyul looked up at him, silently pleading if he could go somewhere else even now. Seeing irritation in the man’s downward gaze, Kwon Siyul dropped his head powerlessly and grasped the doorknob.

The familiar code opened the door with a click. The slowly opening entrance felt like one step away from an abyss. Kwon Siyul stood outside with his head lowered, then, unable to keep waiting forever, he squeezed his eyes shut and went inside. The sound of the door closing behind him felt as heavy as a prison gate shutting.

Kwon Siyul held his breath with a gasp. As if holding his breath could help him avoid this. A scent similar to the one from the concert hall lobby seemed to wrap around Kwon Siyul’s nape, like a dark, deep sea hiding something unknown beneath a black curtain. It wasn’t the usual quiet, calm forest scent.

It was a scent that amplified anxiety. Kwon Siyul hesitated, unable to move past the entryway. He still didn’t have the courage to face Woo Hyunse. He wasn’t mentally prepared. If only he had a bit more time, he might have been able to face this calmly, but there was no such luxury.

“—Kwon Siyul.”

Though not a thunderclap, the sudden voice felt like a whip. Kwon Siyul flinched and looked toward the living room. Woo Hyunse was sitting on the sofa. Buried in darkness, only his shadowy outline was visible. With his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward as if ready to pounce and bite Kwon Siyul’s neck or anywhere else at the slightest movement.

“Woo Taeju probably isn’t from an orphanage.”

“…”

“Since when?”

Kwon Siyul pressed his lips tightly together. The sunset-colored entryway light above his head flickered black. The house was dark except for the faint night view coming through the windows.

Until now, he had been too caught up in his misery to notice. Woo Hyunse’s interrogating tone made anger rise within him. Woo Hyunse was the one who had deceived him first. If anyone should be asking “since when,” it should be Kwon Siyul himself.

Kwon Siyul clenched his fist tightly. The entryway light, sensing movement, came back on. Just this morning, he had showered Woo Hyunse with countless words of affection under that light. In the other man’s embrace that morning he had been completely unaware of what was to come.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“…”

“Were you ever planning to?”

Woo Hyunse stood up. He walked up to him one step at a time. Kwon Siyul retreated in response. His back touched the cold metal door. It was the same temperature as the undulating scent that seemed ready to devour him. Goosebumps rose on his arms.

Woo Hyunse’s tie was gone. Kwon Siyul had tied it for him this morning. He had worn the tie Kwon Siyul put on him to go on a date with someone else. Kwon Siyul’s lower lip trembled slightly. He looked up at Woo Hyunse, shrinking back. The entryway light died again, plunging Woo Hyunse’s form back into darkness.

“I asked first. Since when have you known Woo Taeju, and what’s your relationship?”

“We’re nothing. We just worked at the same place.”

Woo Hyunse let out a short, derisive laugh. He wiped his mouth and looked down at Kwon Siyul.

“Taeju tells a different story. Explain how you made Taeju fall so hard for you that he’s acting like this.”

“…”

“‘Just worked at the same place,’ huh? There must be more than that?”

“There isn’t.”

“Where did the two of you first meet?”

Though there was nothing between him and Woo Taeju, Kwon Siyul found it hard to proudly reveal that one fact. Even if he was innocent, his motives had been impure.

“You’re quite the liar, Kwon Siyul. Good at deceiving people too.”

By that logic, Woo Hyunse was in the same position. Kwon Siyul turned his head sharply. His eyes felt hot, and tears quickly welled up. He held them back, forcing his eyes wide open.

“Why didn’t you tell me? About getting married?”

“Is that important?”

“Of course, it’s important! Are you saying we should break up now…?”

Though they hadn’t made their relationship official yet, the word that crossed Kwon Siyul’s mind was ‘breakup.’ Even as everything pointed toward an ending, Kwon Siyul didn’t want to say goodbye just yet, fearing that speaking it out loud would make it even more real, completely separating him from Woo Hyunse. He bit his lower lip painfully, then spoke up with difficulty.

“You’re telling me to leave, aren’t you?”

“What are you talking about? Why would that be a reason to break up?”

Kwon Siyul was dumbfounded. He was at a loss for words. Woo Hyunse truly didn’t understand. He seemed to believe that marriage couldn’t be a reason for breaking up. Astonished, Kwon Siyul gaped up at Woo Hyunse.

If Woo Hyunse had apologized for telling him late or made excuses about things progressing quickly, Kwon Siyul might have reluctantly accepted it. But Woo Hyunse treated marriage as if it were just a normal part of daily life.

Kwon Siyul had mentally prepared himself ahead of time. He had come here thinking that at best, he might hear Woo Hyunse say he needed to vacate the house soon due to the upcoming marriage, or perhaps a farewell saying it had been fun while it lasted. Completely unaware of Kwon Siyul’s devastated state of mind, Woo Hyunse looked at him as if he were spouting nonsense.

“How is saying you’re marrying someone else not the same as breaking up?”

“It’s just a formality. I have no feelings for that woman anyway. It’s the same for her.”

Woo Hyunse sighed deeply, as if frustrated. His attitude of treating Kwon Siyul like a pathetic child made anger surge to the tips of Kwon Siyul’s hair.

“That doesn’t matter! It’s marriage! Marriage! You’ll have a wife and a family. Everything will be completely different from now on.”