Live with your ex-boyfriend!
Copyright 2022 몬트 All rights reserved
Beep, beep, beep. I frowned at the loud beeping of notifications. Perhaps it was because I hadn't slept well the night before, or perhaps because I had a lot on my mind, but I'd been asleep for quite some time. I barely opened my puffy eyes, washed my face with cold water, and put on a comfortable pair of sweatpants, grabbed my phone, and headed out.
“Boss, I’m here-.”
“Hey, you’re here, miss? Why isn’t the lady who came with me here?”
“I’ll be right back. Two beers, one soju, and a hot soup, as usual, please!”
The owner greeted me with a bright smile as soon as he saw me. I took a seat and ordered something Kang Joo-ah and I often ate and drank. The owner said he understood and brought me the drinks first.
“I’ll make the soup taste good, so just wait a little bit-.”
thank you!It was one of the reasons I frequented this pojangmacha. The drinks, the food, the atmosphere—everything was great, but the best part was the owner's warmth. For some reason, it warmed my heart. Kang Joo-ah was later than I expected, so she opened her bottle first. The delightful sizzle brought a smile to my face.
I poured myself a full glass of beer and gulped it down in one gulp. The refreshing taste and the carbonation of the beer brought some relief to my stuffy stomach.Ugh, I can finally live a little.As I placed the empty beer glass on the table, I saw Kang Joo-ah coming into the pojangmacha.
“Are you drinking it first, lethally?”
“You’re late.”
Kang Joo-ah took off her coat, put down her bag, and sat down across from me. Perhaps feeling a little guilty, she refilled my empty glass without a word. I downed the glass she had filled, slurping it down. Kang Joo-ah looked at me in surprise, shook her head, and filled my glass again.
“Why, what’s going on?”
“……”
“Is it because of that bastard Kim Taehyung?”
Before I knew it, the oden soup in the center of our table was bubbling, steaming away. Kang Joo-ah, the one who started all this, figured she'd know the solution, too. As soon as she mentioned Kim Tae-hyung, I lifted my beer glass to my lips again.Don't ask questions when you already know everything.
“Can I just hit my head like this right now?”
“Is it possible to do something just by hitting the head?”
“Okay, I’ll kneel too.”
“Pay for the drinks today. I didn’t bring my wallet.”
“If you appear a lot, I’ll lower your appearance fee.”
The playful words that flowed back and forth between Kang Joo-ah and me seemed to have made us feel much more comfortable before we could talk about our concerns about Kim Tae-hyung.Hey, why did you bring me and Kim Taehyung together again?
“Hmm… I thought it would be fun?”
“Is he crazy?”
“I feel bad for you, you know.”
My hand, scooping up a spoonful of fish cake soup, stopped. What part of it was it? I placed my spoon still on the table and looked up. It was Kang Joo-ah, taking a sip of the soju she'd placed in front of her and opening her mouth.
“I can see that you still like each other and that you’re still dripping with lingering feelings, but you can’t do anything because of the guilt.”
“… You’ve become more perceptive since you entered the broadcasting station?”
“It’s not that I’m quick-witted, it’s that you guys are showing off to that extent.”
Come to think of it, Kang Joo-ah was famous for being oblivious even in school. She'd be so oblivious that she wouldn't even notice if someone blatantly showed their affection for her. But for her to know... It was as if everyone knew.Was it that obvious?
"That's why I made it, even going so far as to create a program that wasn't even necessary. Please, let go of that guilt and let's meet again."
“……”
"That's why we kept the number of cameras and crews to a minimum for this program. Do you understand now?"
I've finally learned the truth about the reality program Kang Joo-ah created. This program wasn't originally intended for broadcast, but rather to reconnect me and Kim Tae-hyung, and whether filming would continue or not was determined by our choices. Today, I realize once again that Kang Joo-ah is even crazier than I thought.
Even Kang Joo-ah is putting in all this effort to reunite me and Kim Tae-hyung, so why am I still hesitating? Kim Tae-hyung said he won't give up on me. He's determined not to let me fall behind again. If I just open my heart, everything will work out smoothly. Why…
"Kim Yeo-ju, what are you hesitating for? It's not like he hates you, nor has your heart changed. There's nothing wrong with that."
“I know, I know… but it’s so scary.”
"what?"
“I’m afraid that we’ll face reality again like that, and we’ll end up being left behind and abandoned.”
Kang Joo-ah, who had been listening to me silently, sighed deeply. Then, as if frustrated, she drank a few sips of soju from a can and slammed the bottle down on the table.
“Hey, listen carefully. I’m not just saying this as your friend, but as Kim Taehyung’s friend as well.”
“……”
"Let's say we were just freshmen in society back then, struggling with just living, and finding love was a struggle. But now? We're no longer freshmen. We're getting older, earning money, and having junior colleagues. Aren't we a lot more relaxed now than we were back then?"
“That’s right.”
“I honestly don’t understand why you keep being afraid when things have changed.”
It felt like it had been a long time since I'd seen Kang Joo-ah so serious. Perhaps out of the three of us—Kang Joo-ah, Kim Tae-hyung, and me—I was the most naive and foolish. A bitter smile settled on my lips as I realized so much.
"Kim Yeo-ju, you didn't abandon each other; you just let each other go. Everything is hard, so don't let it be your fault. So, let go of that guilt now. Let's love each other to our heart's content while we're still young."
“…Kang Joo-ah, why are you acting so cool?”
“It’s not that I’m pretending to be cool, I was always cool.”
“Shit.”
Kang Joo-ah and I locked eyes at the same time, and we burst out laughing. We laughed for a long time, and I hate to admit it, but thanks to Kang Joo-ah, my thoughts on Kim Tae-hyung have finally been sorted out. I feel like I've finally found the answer to what I should do when I meet Kim Tae-hyung on Monday.
Please leave a comment, and thank you for watching today too💗