Captivated (24) His Circumstances
I used to mostly eat alone at the lab, but these days, I often get together with Jung Ho-seok and Ji-ho. The more I got to know Jung Ho-seok, the more I realized he was a bright kid. While he could be a bit harsh when it came to his work, he was generally positive and cheerful. Thanks to that, I became a comfortable lunchmate with Ji-ho, who I'd only recently met on a blind date with.
When I used to eat alone, lunchtime was a time when I had plenty of time, but these days, my lunchtime has become busy because of Jiho, who always has to get coffee after Hoseok's chat time is over.Ah, this kind of popular lunch... I don't want to get used to it...I put aside the discomfort deep in my heart and was dragged around by the two people again today.
Today, too, I was eating lunch with Hoseok and Jiho.
"Mr. Haejoo, I think I'll be free this weekend. What time would you like?"
Jiho-sunbae hasn't had a proper date with me since our last blind date, so he seems to have been counting down the days we could meet outside the lab. I feel a little bad for Jungkook, but I have to make plans. Come to think of it, we're not even dating....I wonder what I have to feel guilty about, but anyway, I feel a little sorry towards Jeongguk.
By the way, this weekend was the hunting festival. It's so hard to wrap up a busy day like this... This only makes my suspicions stronger. Sigh... My heart feels heavy.
"This weekend is a bit...
I have a prior engagement, so let's meet next weekend.
"Should I reserve tickets for a movie? I don't really know much about movies... If there's something that interests you, Jiho, let's watch it together."
Jiho's expression darkened slightly at my words, then brightened again. Jiho seemed delighted by my suggestion of watching a movie, and he returned to the lab, his face beaming. I parted ways with Jiho, and was returning to the lab with Hoseok. Hoseok, who had something to tell me, stopped me.
"Senior, I actually thought that Senior Haejoo was a bad person because he was a bad person."
"No, why..?"
"Just...
All the badgers I've met have been bad-tempered and unfriendly.
There are also many evil raccoons.
But now I know that there are some raccoons who are not like that."
I was a bit embarrassed by Hoseok's untimely confession.
"Mr. Ho-seok, I live hiding my temper, so I guess I'm a bad-tempered badger, but what can I do about it..?"
"That's not it... Most of the badgers I've met were really evil.
Because he was a villain...
What should I say about Senior Haejoo?
I don't think he's a bad person.
I feel like I'm trying to live in a positive way in the world.."
"Thank you~ for thinking of me favorably.. haha
I will try to live more positively in the future.."
I laughed at the somewhat bitter confession. Then I suddenly remembered the weekend when Jung Ho-seok chased me. Now was the perfect time to ask.
"Come to think of it,
Didn't you happen to chase me around one weekend...?
"Ah... that... that..."
As soon as he heard my words, Jeong Ho-seok's face turned pale.
"I'm sorry, senior! I misunderstood you back then...."
Jeong Ho-seok suddenly knelt down and apologized.
"At that time, there were unavoidable circumstances..."
Looking closely, it didn't seem like a conversation worthy of discussion in the lab hallway, so I took Hoseok to a bench outside the building. Fortunately, lunchtime was already over, so there was no one outside.
"So, what was the misunderstanding? I'm fine, so just talk to me..."
"Um... Senior, don't misunderstand...
When I was young, I was kidnapped by a badger... ㅜㅠ So I was trying to figure out what happened and the background to it..
Then I found out that the raccoons were having a meeting, and I misunderstood, thinking that my senior was also involved.
I was going to that meeting and I saw a senior... So I followed him, but somehow it felt like we had the same destination... So I think I kept following him.
Then, my senior disappeared into the alley... and I saw his friend supporting him. And later I found out that he was not feeling well at the time. You even took sick leave at the time, right?
I'm sorry I thought you didn't know I was chasing you back then...
I'm really sorry....."
It was a gathering of badgers... I found myself frowning as I listened to the story.How much does he know..?
"Ah, Jeon Jungkook...? He wasn't feeling well at the time and collapsed...
By the way, what do you mean by investigating the background of the kidnapping?"
After talking, I was surprised to find out that Hoseok knew Jinsoo.
Ho-seok, who was a senior and junior at the same school as Jin-su, who was a badger, became suspicious of Jin-su after he made a slip of the tongue during a drinking party. Ho-seok, who is also quite good at computers, said that he hacked Jin-su's email. And he found out about a secret gathering like a hunting festival.
It's a good thing Jinsu never sent me an email... If he had contacted me, what would have happened now...? Thinking about it, isn't he really a scary kid? My mind was spinning.
Hoseok asked me, who was close to Jinsu, if I knew anything about him, and I pretended not to know anything, saying that I was surprised and that I knew nothing about him.
"I haven't been able to meet Jinsu at all these days...
“I can’t even contact you…”
"I would have been caught by the police... I... reported it..."
Hoseok's face became very dark and lonely.
"Good job.. Report..
You shouldn't try to solve this problem yourself.That's too dangerous. Don't try to handle it yourself. Leave it to the police."They are trustworthy people."
"I think that's what I should do...
When I try to suspect someone, I end up suspecting them endlessly...
I think it was really hard for a while.
I feel sorry for that to you too, senior. I was suspicious of you... Anyway... Thank you for forgiving me, senior."
"Yeah, you had a hard time too."
As I patted Hoseok on the shoulder, a sudden pang of sadness struck me. Hoseok had been kidnapped before... He was a survivor, after all... I felt compelled to break up this gathering once more.
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*All stories come from the author's head.
Unauthorized distribution and reproduction are prohibited.
©️ Earthquake in My Head (2023)
