Breakup formula
W. Manggaejjitteok
each otherWe both cried so hard, hugging each other, that our eyes turned completely black and we couldn't see clearly. Eventually, the female lead went inside, saying she was going to get something to massage her eyes. I sat down behind her, using the wall as support, and covered my head. No matter how sad and heartbreaking it was, I cried without thinking about what was right and wrong, and now I feel a belated wave of shame.
"…it's crazy."
I must have kicked my feet in shame for a long time, berating myself. Then, the front door opened, filled with disposable plastic bags filled with ice. Ice in clear plastic bags. A flash of nostalgia, I burst out laughing. It was a laugh that came back to me when I had absolutely nothing, when I couldn't afford medicine to bring down my fever like that. Things had gotten better now, so I wouldn't have to do this anymore, but seeing them still using it like this made me feel like I'd gone back in time.
“…What, why are you laughing?”
“It reminds me of old times.”
He brought the envelope he'd been handed to his eyes and smiled. At first, the female lead, who had thought he was being teased, blanked out, but then her face brightened. "Yes, we did that," she said, crouching down beside him and holding the envelope to her eyes as she reminisced about the memories that had long since passed.
Memories kept coming back. High school, sneaking out over the fence to avoid after-school activities, and January 1st, the day after the CSAT, when we played hard and ended up late. So, we stayed up late together and wrote reflection papers. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. Looking back, I realize that while studying was important, we also played hard.
"The teacher said that. He's amazed that we can play like that and still maintain our grades."
“That’s right, lol.”Actually, the teacher was wrong. We were studying under the guise of playing. We knew each other's situation so well that we thought studying was the solution, so we played with our textbooks. One person would ask a question, and the other would guess it. If we got it wrong, we'd get a slap. If you ask me, "Was it fun?" Well, I guess it was fun. Studying? No, being together.
"Actually, that's all we had to do. We didn't have money to go anywhere."
"That's right. And when you play like that, you inevitably end up studying. Because that was the best play for us."
Environment shapes a person. I felt this deeply when I first received my university acceptance letter. It was sometimes inconvenient that I couldn't afford to go out and play, but ultimately, I was thankful that I was able to get into university.
“It’s just… I think the situation itself was the worst.”
As she spoke, head down, I instantly understood the "situation" she meant. The year we broke up. We were so exhausted. We had no time to care about each other, we were so worn down by reality that we were about to give up. I smiled bitterly. What can I do? Just because I've matured quickly doesn't mean it's not hard.
“…I mean, I thought I was the most unfortunate one all this time.”
“… …”
"So I guess I secretly thought it was okay. Pretending to be oblivious, being rude. I thought I was worthy of it."
“… …”
"So I acted that way toward you. I thought you'd never leave... I pushed you away, and pushed you away again. I wanted reassurance. That I was the most important person to you..."
You're right. Turning my head to look at Yeoju, my face reflected in her eyes, forming a mirror. No matter how many times I'd been hurt and rolled around on the floor, I would have eventually found my way back to you. A first love so hard to achieve, and even harder to forget. Because that was Yeoju.
“…So, if it’s okay with you…”
“… …”
“Shall we go back to high school?”
I saw the female protagonist's fingers wiggling nervously on her delicate knees. "Let's go back?... To that time?" Just being under the green trees made my heart flutter... Instead of answering, I simply smiled. Sometimes, a single expression could speak louder than a hundred words.
It was the second seventeenth of my life.
“Miss Yeoju, could you please ask Jeongguk to hand over the file?”
"yes!."
Since that day, there hasn't been any talk of dating or meeting again between us. But one thing is certain: progress has begun to be made between us.
“Jungkook, would you like to come to the break room for a moment?”
“Yes, sir.”
We decided to leave it to time. If we met naturally, that too would be fate.
As Jeong-guk entered the break room, I smiled and ran towards him. As soon as the door closed, I linked hands and pulled him towards me. I don't know what our relationship is, but at least I'm not pushing him away anymore. And, the affection that's oozing between us, like any other couple—that's how our relationship has changed.
“But Lee Do-hyun, has he always been that nice to you?”“What? Are you jealous?”
“No, that’s not it… I, I’m a man, so I thought we should keep our distance…”
My embarrassment was clearly visible on my face, but I pretended not to notice. I raised my clasped hands and asked, "Then, should I take this off too? The steam room is also a man's room." As expected, I gripped my clasped hands even tighter. Then, with my ears already red, I pretended nothing was wrong and scratched my head.
“…We are the exception.”
“Why, it’s an exception?”
“…Well, we…”
“We?”
“Uh, we…”
My lips twitched. Anyway, he was cute. I chuckled and gently nudged Jungkook's forehead with my index finger. I thought I knew what he wanted to say. Normally, I would have followed suit, but this time, he was cute, so I wanted to tease him.
"That's okay for now. Are you preparing well for our workshop?"
“Workshop?…”
The pride of Wild Company. The workshop was just around the corner. This workshop, started solely for the welfare of employees, was the envy of neighboring companies. The food was top-notch, the accommodations were top-notch, and the games for employees' enjoyment were top-notch! No wonder all the employees were looking forward to the workshop. Unaware of this, Jungkook approached me as I poured myself coffee, wrapped his arms around my waist, buried his face in my neck, and muttered.
“…It’s just a workshop, right? What do I need to prepare?”Instead of doing workshops, they'd probably just give her a vacation. Then she could have gone on a date at home with Yeo-ju on her day off. Jungkook felt a pang of disappointment at the thought. The workshops he'd taken at his previous company were the worst. He'd considered them an extension of his work, so he hadn't been particularly fond of them.
"Just a workshop? It's a festival that only happens once a year."
"festivities?."
"Yeah. Those who want to hang out with the staff can, and those who want to rest can. Plus, during the workshop, you can use all the resort facilities, right?" I said, taking a sip of warm coffee. However, contrary to my expectations that Jungkook would like it, he seemed to be dissatisfied with something.
“Why, where are you going that day?”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s just…”
"a little?…"
How could you say something so-so to someone who was so excited about the workshop? Jungkook sighed deeply and changed the subject, saying it was nothing special. "Really?" he said, and the two continued to chat, laughing and laughing with coffee. Soon, a staff member came into the breakroom to find Jungkook, and their romantic flirtation ended there... But Jungkook's face was filled with worry as he followed the staff member.
“…Did the female protagonist like to travel?”
Jeongguk was seriously contemplating whether the two of them should go on a trip together..
[Jjintteok's Saddam]
Romance begins…
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