“Oh, Woojin. How’s your company? Is it a good place to work?”
"It's just... kind of like that. I didn't even know until I got the acceptance letter, but 'that guy' was in our department. If I'd only known, I wouldn't have applied."
"Wow, crazy. That crazy kid? Hey, you want to just quit and come to our academy? There's one math spot left."
“...Is that how it should be?”
Honestly, I don't know. Seeing that bastard Kim Dong-hyun almost every day makes me angry and frustrated, but for some reason, seeing him feels like a necessary part of starting and ending my day on a good note. It's been about five years since we broke up, but I still miss his words, his actions, everything about him. I know I'm being selfish, but I often find myself wishing I could get back together with him. Even though I said we should break up, we ended up like this.
Looking back, I'd been quietly erasing most of Kim Dong-hyun's traces over the past five years, living a new life of my own. But when I started working and met him again, the same sadness and resentment I felt immediately after we broke up surged back up. If I hadn't joined this company, I would still be living a normal, vibrant life, never thinking of him. Why am I spending my days so gloomy and unhappy?
"Oh, right. Do you want to watch a movie? I heard there's something really fun that came out recently. Just to change the mood."
“Sorry, no. I hate movie theaters because they’re so dark.”
“Oh, right. Then do you want to go to the amusement park?”
"There are too many people there. Why don't you just keep hanging out at your place? I like it here—"
"Then let's do that. Oh, but someone I know will be here in about an hour."
"Do you know him?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion. Dae-hwi gave a curt reply, "Jeon Woong." Who was that? After much thought, I finally came up with an answer. Why would Dae-hwi meet Jeon Woong? My face crumpled in an instant. Jeon Woong. Wasn't he the guy who'd been so frustrated with me back in school because he couldn't catch me?
I was bullied by my peers during my school days. I didn't have a single friend. Not only did no one want to be my friend, but I never even thought about making friends.
As a child, I loved reading, so I'd run to the library whenever I had free time. After school, I'd help my mom go to the market. When I came home late at night, I'd have to deal with my drunken father in her place, and by dawn, I'd be busy doing homework.
When I first entered elementary school, I didn't even notice the kids' taunts. But by the time I was in fourth grade, I knew they hated me. A lot. I just kept working hard, finding my own path amidst the taunts. But at some point, the taunts I'd been able to ignore became violence, leaving a direct scar on my face. But that was okay. Wounds heal quickly.
Then, in fifth grade, I met a writer named Jeon Woong. He was brilliant, but arrogant, and every time he opened his mouth—so much so that his expression would naturally crinkle—a torrent of curses would fly out. He was my polar opposite in every way. I hated him. He was a year above me, but he kept coming to my class, picking fights, extorting money from my already meager savings, and stealing my time. I wasted all of it, and I desperately prayed for him to disappear from my life. But I had nothing to make that wish come true. Not wealth, not power, not even the luck that everyone possesses in small doses.
Ever since I met him, I hated my own helplessness. I also hated my father, who, despite having no money, would drink and harass me. Jeon Woong was an opponent I couldn't defeat, no matter what I tried. As a last resort, I chose to work like crazy to solve this problem, but that didn't help me at all.
“Hey, Park Woojin! What are you thinking that you can’t even hear me?”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Jeonwoong will be here soon, so I’ll buy some snacks. You can watch TV.”
“Oh, take care on your way.”
Should I just run away? No, why should I avoid him? But I was still too scared to just meet him. I wanted to live better than Jeon Woong and get revenge. I hadn't even made enough money to flatten his nose. The thought that I was still inferior to him, the thought that I was still comparing myself to him, made me grit my teeth and clench my fists. What on earth had I been doing all this time? I felt so frustrated with myself.
Knock knock—Dae-hwi? No. Dae-hwi would have opened the door and come in, and it hadn't even been ten minutes since he left. So, there was only one person knocking, and that was Jeon Woong. Shaking, I clenched my fists and walked toward the front door, throwing it open.
“...What is it? Hey, isn’t this Dae-hwi’s house?”
“That’s right, I went out for a bit to buy Daehwi snacks.”
“Ah. But who? Is he Dae-hwi’s boyfriend?”
“No, buddy...”
"Oh, really? Then why don't you just stop getting involved in these inconsiderate dates and go home quickly? I want to be alone with Dae-hwi."
Ah- really. I don't know what on earth Dae-hwi was thinking when he met that worthless guy. It seems like Dae-hwi's personality is such that he doesn't like him, but he can't show it and just meets him.
By the way, doesn't he remember me now? After tormenting me like that? I'm the only one enduring trauma because of you, seething with vengeance and burning inside. You feel no guilt, but I do.
“I feel like shit...”
It was just a thought that escaped me, a thought that made me feel so miserable right now, and a feeling of pathetic anxiety about being with Jeon Woong. Honestly, I meant no harm. For about five seconds after I blurted those words out, I didn't think anything was wrong. Perhaps I thought I was just saying it out loud.
Number of characters in this episode: 2921
As expected, tests have the power to overcome even the most difficult writing skills...😖 I even started writing "Anyone Know Me?" last Monday...~
From now on, I will try to write more diligently 🙂