Blonde Tanned Thug (3)
Trash's true nature always reveals itself. No matter how well you dress it up and act cautious, if you let your guard down just a bit, that personality slips right through.
I'd called out to Yuyeong like it was a coincidence, lulled Seonwoo into dropping his guard, then stepped away. So what would Seonwoo do next? Exactly what you'd expect—he'd hit on Yuyeong again, thinking it was his chance.
I'd timed it perfectly for that moment.
"Hey, Seonwoo hyung, you got a thing for Yuyeong or something?"
"Huh?"
The eyes that had turned to me now swung toward Seonwoo. Yuyeong just looked flustered, but Juyeon noona seemed seriously uneasy. Normally, Seonwoo would've shut it down immediately with a firm "misunderstanding," but this time he stayed silent. He wasn't even bothering to hide his displeasure anymore—just glaring at me with a stiff expression.
"Taeyang, Seonwoo oppa was just teaching me how to smash."
It was Yuyeong who jumped in first to clear things up, probably worried it'd spiral out of control. I nodded like I got it.
"Ahaha, right? Yeah, that makes sense. Otherwise, it'd be kinda sad for Juyeon noona."
"Kim Taeyang! What the hell are you saying?!"
Juyeon noona freaked out and yelled right away, shooting me desperate looks to shut up. Even someone as oblivious as Seonwoo couldn't deny her feelings after a setup like this.
Seonwoo kept glaring at me without a word. It was an awkward spot where he couldn't really respond either way.
"Oops, put my foot in my mouth again. Sorry. I just assumed Seonwoo hyung already knew, so I said it like it was obvious."
"What?... Seonwoo knows?"
Juyeon noona froze. Her eyes naturally shifted to Seonwoo.
"Seonwoo, what does that mean?"
"I have no idea what you guys are talking about."
He shook his head. Guess he was planning to play dumb to the end.
"R-really? Haha, well, it's not like there's anything to it anyway."
For a split second, Juyeon noona looked drenched in anxiety. It was almost like she was desperately hoping he hadn't noticed—or rationalizing it away. If Seonwoo had picked up on her feelings this whole time and still acted like that, it meant he had zero interest in her. He wouldn't have sweet-talked other girls or ogled them in swimsuits if he cared about the one who liked him.
But reality's a harsh bitch. And my method might just be shoving that brutal truth right in Juyeon noona's face.
"Back on that trip, you told me it was hard to return Juyeon noona's feelings, remember?"
"Did I say that?"
Seonwoo lied without missing a beat, no sign of fluster. As if that even mattered right now. The point was, he was cornered—he definitely knew about Juyeon noona's crush now, no escaping it.
"Taeyang, Seonwoo says he doesn't know. Cut the joking around."
"Yeah, let's just play some ping-pong."
Juyeon noona was begging me to drop it. Yuyeong, reading the room, came over and handed me a paddle to change the subject. Pushing the conversation in this awkward vibe wasn't easy, especially when it made me look like the bad guy against my will.
Still, I'd chosen to be the necessary evil, so I pushed further.
"Well, since it's out now, why not confess to Seonwoo hyung? You've liked him forever, noona."
"Taeyang, enough already!!"
Juyeon noona finally snapped.
"Why are you suddenly acting like this? What do you care if I confess or not?!"
"And if you just leave it like this, what changes? Seonwoo hyung's gonna chase after some other girl again. You cool with that?"
Juyeon noona's face twisted in anger, her hand shooting up like she might slap me. But her trembling fingers dropped back down. With a guttural scream, she bolted out of the table tennis court.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
Seonwoo finally spoke, his voice ice-cold now that Juyeon was gone and he didn't have to watch his step.
I decided to send Yuyeong away too.
"Yuyeong, go console Juyeon noona, yeah?"
"...Fine, but don't fight, you two."
"We won't. Don't worry."
Yuyeong glanced back at us from the door before leaving. She was coming in clutch today—I'd have to pay her back later.
Now it was just me and Seonwoo.
"I was just helping the two of you out."
"You call this bullshit helping?"
"You can't seriously think this mess is all my fault, right?"
"Then who fucked up the vibe? You did!"
Seonwoo stormed over, pissed as hell, closing the distance between us.
"Why are you lying? You said you couldn't accept Juyeon noona's feelings yet, but you'd sweet-talked her just fine."
"Don't you get the concept of tact?"
"Ignoring her out of 'tact'..."
I couldn't help but snort.
"If you'd just admitted you knew from the start instead of playing dumb, she wouldn't have gotten hurt so much. Right?"
"Don't get cocky."
Seonwoo was right in my face now. Tension thick enough for two hot-blooded guys our age to throw punches.
"Yeees, so scary~ Guess I better go."
I just turned and walked away. Settling it with fists would just leave a bad taste. Seonwoo had enough brains not to swing wildly and deal with the fallout—especially since most of the heroines were already on my side. If he threw the first punch, it'd be thanks to him.
I'd gladly take one hit if it'd speed him toward rock bottom. Starting from the second, though? Nah, I'd hit back.
Instead, I'd corner him another way.
"Go console Juyeon noona right now. Or I will."
"Who the hell are you? She just ran out because of you."
"Sigh~ You really don't get it."
This guy—then why had he been cockblocking me all this time?
"I'm saying I'm gonna steal Seong Juyeon from you!"
Seonwoo let out a disbelieving scoff.
"You? You were serious about that crap?"
"Yeah. So quit messing with Juyeon noona and stop throwing tantrums. Either accept her confession today or reject her flat-out. Pick one."
Guess his anger rubbed off on me. I spat it out irritably and left the court.
Tears poured out of Seong Juyeon in a flood. It wasn't just because Taeyang had exposed what she'd desperately hidden.
It was because everything he'd said was true.
All this time, she'd been too scared of rejection to show her real feelings to Seonwoo. She hated seeing him with other girls but could only suffer in silence. So naturally, she'd assumed he had no clue. Even when doubts crept in that maybe he knew, she'd brushed them off.
But Taeyang's bombshell made it clear. Seonwoo was lying.
After over ten years together, she could tell when he acted off. He was guilty as hell.
"What do I do now?"
She'd run out blindly and was sobbing on the street when a voice called from behind.
"Unni! Juyeon unni!!"
Without even turning, Juyeon knew it was Yuyeong, who rushed over the moment she spotted her.
"Unni... gasp! You okay?"
Flustered by the crying, Yuyeong glanced around and led her to a bench in the corner of the park.
"I don't know... What should I do..."
"Unni, don't take what Taeyang said to heart."
Yuyeong didn't know the full story but focused on soothing her. After a while, her phone buzzed—texts from Seonwoo and Taeyang. Juyeon wasn't in the mood, so both just asked her location. Had it ended okay? Them texting separately probably meant no.
After replying and waiting a bit, Seonwoo showed up first.
"Ah, oppa."
"...Seonwoo?"
He sighed deeply at her tear-streaked mess.
"Yuyeong, sorry, but can you give us a minute alone?"
"Sure. I'll let Taeyang know too."
Seonwoo grimaced slightly at Taeyang's name but sat next to Juyeon anyway. With Yuyeong gone, the two sat in heavy silence, unsure where to start.
Finally, Juyeon spoke first.
"Seonwoo, be honest with me."
Seonwoo flinched and turned to her. She'd stopped crying, her face set with resolve.
"Did you know I liked you?"
Her serious expression froze the casual denial on his tongue. Instinctively, he nodded. It just felt like she already knew and was testing him.
"Haha."
Juyeon let out a hollow, bitter laugh.
"Yeah, it's not your fault. I should've been honest instead of dragging it out."
"No, it's not your fault."
Seonwoo tried to comfort her. In his mind, the real culprit was Taeyang for stirring shit up.
"Everyone has stuff that's hard to say. I was oblivious too—sorry! I must've seemed so clueless!"
As he bowed his head, Juyeon watched for a long moment before speaking carefully.
"Seonwoo."
"Yeah."
"I like you."
She finally confessed. Seonwoo looked conflicted, pausing before responding.
"Well... honestly, I'm still not sure about my own feelings. So..."
Juyeon smiled brightly and shook her head.
"No, I think I know exactly what your feelings are."
"Huh? You... know?"
As Seonwoo squirmed guiltily, she kept her kind smile.
"Seonwoo, you just don't like me that way."
"......"
She took his roundabout words as a firm rejection.
"That's not—"
"You're a nice guy, so you couldn't say it to spare my feelings, right?"
"W-well, yeah, but..."
Juyeon burst out laughing.
"But you shouldn't have. You knew how I felt and kept fawning over other girls. Guys don't usually do that in front of someone they like."
It was a disaster for Seonwoo. His indifference—assuming he'd already "conquered" her—had backfired spectacularly.
Finally, she drove the nail in.
"I'll get over it gradually, so don't worry. Let's just be good friends from now on."
"......"
"What, friends too much for you?"
"Ah, haha, y-yeah... sure."
"You're not gonna say you're regretting it now, are you?"
Blocking any backpedaling, Juyeon sighed deeply, stretched, and stood.
"What a relief~ I should've cleared it up sooner like Taeyang said."
Kim Taeyang...
Seonwoo's gut boiled with rage. That guy had cost him a heroine he didn't even have to lose. If it weren't for that damn blonde tanned thug...
Seonwoo's hatred for Kim Taeyang burned hotter.
I watched the whole thing from a distance.
"Ends up like this in the end."
I figured Seonwoo would pull his usual vague crap and string Juyeon noona along. In the original game, she'd have reassuringly said she'd wait even if he "wasn't sure about his feelings," letting him torture her with false hope indefinitely.
But now Juyeon noona had caught on. I'd exposed that Seonwoo had no real interest in her. Once she thought back to his behavior on the trip—knowing her feelings and still acting like that—it clicked.
So, our relationship was settled. One down.
Oh, and claiming I'd steal her? Just a threat to rattle Seonwoo. I had no plans to mess with Juyeon noona anymore. Not that he'd believe that.
I grinned at his sour face.
Seonwoo, this is just the beginning.