Chapter 43
As Hanyaseong had predicted, Choi Yujin figured she'd just call it quits if he started acting like a spoiled kid and digging in his heels. Indulging that kind of babying would never end. So she watched, wondering what he'd do next—and suddenly, he let go of his embrace. His face took on a strangely relieved look.
“That’s enough for me.”
“......Really?”
Just like that? We only meet when I call? You can’t do a damn thing on your own? Those words bubbled up to her throat, but Choi Yujin couldn’t spit them out. Somehow, it stung her pride. Unlike moments ago, Hanyaseong was being way too cool about it.
“But I might not pick up your calls either, sunbae. You’d have to call my house phone.”
“House phone? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t have a cellphone.”
“What?”
He didn’t have a cellphone. Come to think of it, she’d never seen him pull out a smartphone or make a call. She’d caught glimpses of everyone else doing it at least once, but never Hanyaseong. And it was because he didn’t have one...
Choi Yujin felt oddly deflated.
“In this day and age, there are still people without cellphones?”
“Me.”
“Why not? Don’t tell me it’s because you’re broke.”
“Well... I had one in high school, but it broke when I started college, and I never got a new one. No one was calling anyway. I only used it as a clock and alarm—totally useless otherwise.”
“You still need one. How does Eun-a even contact you?”
“She leaves a message on the answering machine at home, then I call her back. That’s how we talk.”
“Guess I’ll have to leave messages on your machine too, then wait for your call back.”
“Yeah.”
The tables had turned. Now she was the one stuck waiting for Hanyaseong’s call. But Choi Yujin quickly thought of another angle.
“I’ve got a spare smartphone lying around. I’ll give it to you—use it.”
“No thanks.”
“Why not?”
“What else would I use it for besides your calls?”
“I’m giving it to you so you can pick up my calls. Isn’t that obvious?”
“I don’t like waiting for that call.”
Looking into Hanyaseong’s calm eyes, Choi Yujin felt a surge of emotion.
“What? You hate taking my calls? Then how the hell are we supposed to stay in touch?”
“Exactly.”
Hanyaseong figured cutting things off with Choi Yujin sunbae right here wasn’t a bad idea. They were worlds apart, with a huge gap between them. Sure, he might be the “eol” in this dynamic, but he didn’t want to get hurt or shortchanged. He had no desire to cling to her desperately, scraping by day by day.
Choi Yujin was pissed too.
“What’s your plan here? You wanna end it just like this?”
“Or would you rather switch?”
“Switch what?”
“I call you, and you wait around not knowing when I’ll show up.”
“......”
Choi Yujin went blank for a moment, at a loss for words. Was that how it worked? Suddenly being on the “eol” side made it crystal clear. This was straight-up mental torture! She’d been too busy playing the boss to consider the underdog’s position. It was a miracle Hanyaseong hadn’t blown up sooner. If it were her, she’d have lost it, thinking he was treating her like a joke.
Only now did her chest ache with genuine guilt toward him.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize...”
“It’s fine. We’re just different, sunbae.”
“Different how?”
“You’re upper class, and I’m working class. Talking about this stuff is weird to begin with.”
It was weird just having this conversation while staring at Choi Yujin sunbae in her underwear. Normally, they wouldn’t even be in the same room, let alone bickering over who calls whom. He was no different from the herbivore guys in the Mystery Club. Yet somehow, he was the only one getting this special treatment from her. He couldn’t resent her for it without seeming ungrateful. She was just acting like the campus queen and elite she was. Picking at every little thing made him the unreasonable one.
Someone else might say, “She calls you—that’s a blessing. Quit whining like you’re too full to eat.” Most guys would be thrilled just to get a text from her. But Hanyaseong was ordinary in life, if not in personality.
“Maybe we should just leave it as a good memory. Once you head to Seoul, we probably won’t see each other anyway. You’ll be busy, I’ll have my own stuff... So let’s end it on a high note.”
“......”
Choi Yujin felt numb. Was she seriously getting dumped? By Hanyaseong? She’d overplayed her hand with the power trip, and now she was paying for it. No, this had never happened before. Guys would wait forever as long as she reached out—they loved it. No one had ever said, “I hate waiting, so let’s call it quits,” like him. Her pride was shattered. He’d touched the queen’s reverse scale.
How dare you dump me? You? She’d never been rejected by a guy in her life. She was always the dumper, never the one getting the “it’s over” notice. And now it was happening—from a first-year guy, a junior rookie no less.
Rage boiled inside her. But at the same time, she felt hurt. Was it really that easy to walk away? They’d spent the whole night enjoying each other, after all. It even felt like he was the one who’d fucked her and was tossing her aside now. Shot his load deep inside and done?
Choi Yujin trembled with fury, but Hanyaseong, oblivious, grabbed his bag and headed to the room to change. Sure, there was some regret, but this was for the best. Choi Yujin sunbae was a woman he could never have anyway. Better to let go quick. He calmly sorted his feelings, finished dressing—and then she stormed in, still in her underwear.
“?”
But from the look on her face, Hanyaseong could tell she was furious. He had no clue why—the guy who’d poked the queen’s reverse scale was clueless.
“Yujin sunbae? What’s wrong?”
Even in her anger, Choi Yujin couldn’t help a disbelieving chuckle. What’s wrong? This guy had no idea...
An innocent first-year—what did he know? He probably didn’t even realize what he’d done. She took a deep breath. Losing her cool here would mean defeat. But the anger kept surging, spilling out anyway.
“You just said we’re done?”
“Uh? Yeah...”
“So I was just a plaything to you? Fucked me good and now you’re over it?”
“No! That’s not—”
“Not what? You got yours, so no need for me anymore, right? You’re scared I won’t put out in Seoul once I’m gone. You want to call me up anytime for a fuck, but if you can’t, you’d rather end it now! That it?”
“......”
Close enough. Only after hearing her say it did he realize the truth. He did want to summon her whenever he felt like it... And since that wouldn’t fly anymore, he’d suggested calling it quits. She’d nailed it right on the head.
“If you were gonna end it, why fuck all night? Shouldn’t have bothered if it was over anyway.”
“I didn’t know then...”
“You just did it? But now it’s different. What the hell do you want, Hanyaseong? Spit it out before we call it.”
Choi Yujin wanted to hear his true feelings. She’d decide whether to end it based on that.
Hanyaseong pondered what he really wanted. Right now, only one thing came to mind.
“What I want is...”
“Yeah, what?”
“I don’t want to say goodbye to you today...”
“......”
Choi Yujin was stunned, words failing her. She’d braced for some big declaration, but this? She stammered a question.
“Th-that’s what you want?”
“Yeah... I think so.”
“You think?”
“Honestly, I haven’t thought much about after Seoul. I just want to spend one more day here...”
“So you can have your way with me that extra day?”
“Hm... Didn’t even cross my mind. I just don’t wanna leave today.”
His answer deflated her completely. The excitement, the anger—all gone. He was so simple. He just wanted one more day with her, nothing more. Talk of Seoul and calls? Distant noise to him. He’d already decided they’d split once she left, so he was skeptical about keeping in touch, hating the wait.
Exhausted, Choi Yujin slumped onto the edge of the bed.
“Ugh... What a headache.”
“Sorry. I can just head to Seoul like this if you want.”
“Be quiet.”
“Okay...”
Hanyaseong shut his mouth. Choi Yujin sat on the bed, arms crossed, one leg over the other, breathing steadily as she thought it over. Ending it here wouldn’t be easy. Neither of them would be satisfied.