Looks Like I've Been Forced to Rest (3)
For someone as impatient as Jin Gyeo-wool, a day and a half was far too long.
The next day, she summoned Yu Min-jae in secret, careful not to let Choi Do-yun catch wind of it.
"Sorry, noona. Am I late?"
"No. You're right on time."
"So what's going on all of a sudden?"
Jin Gyeo-wool spent a long moment scanning their surroundings, checking whether anyone had followed Yu Min-jae. Choi Do-yun had to know it was her day off — and with Min-jae stepping out to rest as well, suspicion was only natural.
Fortunately, no matter how thoroughly she looked, there was no sign of Choi Do-yun. Only then did Gyeo-wool relax and turn back to Min-jae.
"Expecting someone else?"
"No. Let's go."
Urgency quickened her steps. Without the slightest consideration for Yu Min-jae trailing behind her, Jin Gyeo-wool broke into a run toward their destination.
The place they reached after covering the short distance was an ordinary pizza buffet. While she was still catching her slightly ragged breath, Min-jae arrived a beat later, panting hard.
"Hey, why the rush?!"
"Nobody followed us, right?"
"After running like that, of cour— ah!"
Jin Gyeo-wool's hand closed around Yu Min-jae's wrist and pulled him straight into the restaurant.
When the server asked how many, she held up her index and middle fingers in answer, then quickly surveyed the room for a seat. Crowded spots were best avoided. Hadn't she already experienced firsthand yesterday how many more people recognized her now?
On top of that, Yu Min-jae's looks were distinctive enough that being seen together would draw twice the attention. Corner seat. They needed the farthest corner possible.
"This looks good."
"Isn't it kind of far from the food?"
"Not at all."
A little walking distance like this is perfect for digestion. Jin Gyeo-wool let out a long breath, then abruptly turned to Min-jae.
"Min-jae."
"Yeah?"
Her expression was deadly serious — the resolute look of someone with only days left to live.
Yu Min-jae swallowed hard. With his pro debut drawing closer, he wondered if she had something important to tell him.
But the words she dropped out of nowhere were nowhere near that grave.
"Did you know Do-yun likes me?"
"……. Huh? Uh. Roughly, yeah?"
After settling the bill for the weekend buffet special through the server who'd come to take their order, Jin Gyeo-wool stared down at the round plate set before her and said,
"Then you should've stopped him. Someone like you would've known."
"…Ah."
Was looking after Do-yun my job too? Yu Min-jae's eyes went wide with fluster.
Still, he couldn't help feeling a little wronged. Hadn't he warned Choi Do-yun that getting too close to Jin Gyeo-wool wouldn't end well? Ignoring that and clinging to her anyway had been entirely Do-yun's choice.
"I… I did try to stop him. I'm sorry, noona. Should I have been clearer about it?"
"…No. What am I even saying to you. It's not like you did anything wrong. Haa."
"No, it is. You're already swamped focusing on the tournament and practice, and I failed to pay attention. That's on me."
"No. No, no. No…."
She'd only wanted somewhere to vent this stifling frustration, and Yu Min-jae had seemed the most reliable option — but even that might not have been the right answer.
Jin Gyeo-wool clutched her head, regretting she'd said anything at all.
"Choi Do-yun — that idiot — he thinks I like him."
Listening to her agitated words, Yu Min-jae let out a stunned breath.
Having been on the same team this whole time, he knew for a fact: Jin Gyeo-wool had never once tried to seduce Choi Do-yun, nor done anything that could reasonably be misread that way.
The absurdity of it slipped out through his lips.
"….How do you even arrive at a misunderstanding like that."
"How should I know?"
Jin Gyeo-wool propped her elbows on the table and tapped her forehead with smooth fingers — tap-tap, tap-tap. Her other hand drummed lightly against the tabletop.
"How do I clear this up without hurting him?"
And yet.
She really was something else.
Even with her own situation so desperately urgent, that desire to look after her teammates no matter what — it was almost tender.
She faced the world with a vacant expression, as if she'd already let go of life, and still, behind that dark countenance, she carried a warm heart. That was why everyone who knew her as Winter had still been drawn to the coming spring and joined this team.
Having sorted his thoughts, Yu Min-jae answered carefully.
"You don't have to worry. Just tell him it was a misunderstanding and it'll clear up fast."
"…Really? From what I saw last time, it didn't look like he likes me just a little."
"It's fine. It's not even his first love. He's been through something similar before, so he'll be okay."
He knows a surprising amount about Choi Do-yun. Jin Gyeo-wool muttered under her breath.
Truthfully, Yu Min-jae hadn't particularly wanted to know either — he'd simply ended up finding out. The idiotic stunt Choi Do-yun had pulled at school earlier that year was already famous enough that the entire student body knew about it.
"He had a huge misunderstanding before, too. Someone secretly gifted chocolate to a girl in our class, and she said she didn't feel like eating it and handed it off to Do-yun hyung, who happened to be standing right there. And she was one of the prettiest girls in school… that's when the misunderstanding started."
A beautiful girl had dumped a mystery chocolate she had no interest in eating. Choi Do-yun, receiving it, had flipped on his own green light and spun up the happiness circuit at full speed. The circuit he'd burned through back then wasn't much different from now. A girl this pretty giving me chocolate? She must have feelings, but it'd be hard to just hand it over openly to a regular guy like me, so she's making up some excuse!
The misunderstanding cleared about a month later — thanks to Choi Do-yun confessing to her in front of the entire school.
Ever since he'd started liking Jin Gyeo-wool, the reason Choi Do-yun only circled around without saying anything directly was that he never wanted to relive the mortification he'd felt that day. He intended to hold out and hold out until Jin Gyeo-wool herself said she liked him.
"That's genuinely ridiculous."
"….How do you think I feel, having witnessed the same thing twice. Still, this time the situation's a little better. At least hyung hasn't confessed."
"If he had, my fist would've gone out first."
There wasn't a shred of falsehood in Jin Gyeo-wool's claim that she would have thrown a punch on the spot. Looking at her tightly pressed lips, she genuinely meant to hit him.
"Good thing it didn't blow up."
Yu Min-jae felt relieved that Choi Do-yun's misunderstanding had ended at this level.
However, there was one thing Yu Min-jae needed to confirm as well — the curiosity about who Jin Gyeo-wool liked, something he'd picked up on at the karaoke place not long ago.
"Well, that'll clear up once you tell him, but… noona, do you happen to like someone?"
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason. Just, when we went to karaoke before and you sang that song…. It felt like you were longing for someone you liked, I guess? It was pretty heartbreaking."
He's talking about the song I sang thinking of Bom. Jin Gyeo-wool had to think carefully about her answer. If she casually said she'd been missing her childhood friend, it could spark yet another misunderstanding.
Running through various scenarios, she landed on the perfect reply — one that left the listener no room to expand their own wild theories.
"Ah, that. I was talking about Do-jin oppa. But I don't like him anymore. That's why I sang it. I have absolutely zero intention of dating anyone now."
Even on a second thought, it really was the best possible answer.
Hon Gyeo-wool really had liked Lee Do-jin, and she no longer did. Not only was it the truth, but the song title had been Last Love — so it fit perfectly as a declaration that she wouldn't love anyone else.
Jin Gyeo-wool looked at Yu Min-jae with a triumphant expression.
"Ah… I see."
But those words only stirred pity in Yu Min-jae.
She still likes Player Lee Do-jin… but since she's going to die soon, she has no choice….
He was good at managing his expression, so that pity never reached Jin Gyeo-wool — but the problem came next.
"Yu Min-jae."
"…Huh?"
It was a woman's voice he knew all too well — the voice of someone he'd broken up with about five months ago who still wouldn't let go.
"What. Song Yu-ra, why are you here…?"
"Why? I followed you. What are you gonna do about it."
"No, I mean why did you follow me."
Jin Gyeo-wool blinked at the sudden squabble breaking out between Yu Min-jae and Song Yu-ra.
An ex-girlfriend? The thought crossed her mind, but there was no need to get involved — it was their problem to sort out.
Besides, it was mealtime and she was hungry, and the thing she'd been fretting over had been resolved to her satisfaction. Jin Gyeo-wool rose from her chair with a contented smile.
"Min-jae, I'll go eat first. Looks like you two have things to talk about, so talk."
"…Noona? Noona?!"
Yu Min-jae lunged to snatch her wrist, but she slipped past him with a sly grin and Peak-level physicality, heading straight for the buffet.
It had been four months and a few weeks since she'd broken up with Yu Min-jae. She'd held back and held back, but today she'd finally reached a point she simply could not endure.
Right now, Song Yu-ra was charging at Yu Min-jae with fire in her eyes.
She knew this was stupid obsession.
She knew it was a foolish, pathetic thing to do.
But even knowing that clinging only ruined her own image, what was she supposed to do when she couldn't stand not clinging? To Song Yu-ra, Yu Min-jae had been that rare a boyfriend — the kind you didn't find twice.
He'd always remembered important dates, gone along without complaint whenever she wanted to do something, and though he was blunt, he'd treated her with love. A textbook good boyfriend.
Yu-ra, let's break up.
Why. Why?
I have to go pro by next year, and I don't think I can do it while dating. Even practicing all day is going to be hard enough.
Even when she'd heard that sudden declaration ending their relationship, she'd begged — she'd match anything he wanted. Meeting once every three months was fine, just please don't break up.
I'm sorry. There's no other way. Once I reach my goal, let's meet again then.
Th-then…. How do you know there won't be someone way more amazing than me by your side by then!
Even if there is. If you still like me then. I'll date you again.
How was she supposed to hold on after he said that?
Song Yu-ra had to let Yu Min-jae go with tears in her eyes.
But.
She'd believed that no matter how incredible a woman appeared, as long as Yu Min-jae's heart didn't change, they could get back together.
Unable to beat the anxiety constantly tickling the back of her neck, she'd followed him around and kept watch — and ended up walking in on this scene.
The two of them, cozy at a pizza buffet? Not even with other teammates — just the two of them alone?
And that wasn't all. Yu Min-jae's partner was beautiful enough to turn Song Yu-ra — who ranked among the prettiest girls at school — into a plain zucchini by comparison.
Lush lashes framing sparkling khaki eyes. An alluring gaze and captivating features that drew people in even without a warm smile. Hair holding a natural light brown that gleamed and swayed as if she cared for it every day. Just looking at her, you could almost smell chocolate.
"Yu Min-jae."
"…Huh?"
At this point, Song Yu-ra couldn't just stand by and watch. She'd only recently learned the team had a player this pretty. But if she left this woman alone with Yu Min-jae, she would never get him back. That was how dangerous this girl looked.
"What. Song Yu-ra, why are you here…?"
"Why? I followed you. What are you gonna do about it."
"No, I mean why did you follow me."
Song Yu-ra steeled herself.
She would get a firm answer from Yu Min-jae right here, right now — that he wouldn't date that woman, and that once he reached his goal, he would date her again.
But.
She needed to. And yet.
The gaze of the woman she'd locked eyes with carried an easy composure. On top of that, a smile played at her lips that seemed to find Song Yu-ra faintly ridiculous.
Am I a joke to her? Is she saying someone like me isn't even worth noticing?
"Min-jae, I'll go eat first. Looks like you two have things to talk about, so talk."
"…Noona? Noona?!"
Even that majestic attitude, as if she'd go about her business no matter what happened next.
Enraged by the unexpected assault, Song Yu-ra picked a fight with a dangerous woman she should never have touched.
"Hey!"
Her sharp voice rang through the hall, but Jin Gyeo-wool didn't break her stride.
Those steps were proud, and they were noble.