Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Reunited with Hyorin
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Minji and Jungeun burst into tears.
No matter how much we tried to console them, whether it was the alcohol or something else, their tears just wouldn't stop.
Only after we finally calmed them down and sent them back inside did things quiet down a bit.
"Whew, it's finally peaceful."
At my words, Hyorin looked at me and asked,
"You're not all that shocked, huh?"
I glanced at Hyorin and replied,
"It is shocking."
"Yeah? I thought you weren't fazed at all since you weren't reacting."
How could it not be shocking?
She was leaving for overseas right after graduation.
No, actually, it was the opposite.
It was so shocking that I couldn't say a word.
"But it's shocking, sure, but it feels a bit too much."
"What does?"
"If she's talking about studying abroad, that means she's been thinking about it for a while. She could've said something earlier."
I spoke with a hint of resentment, and Hyorin replied,
"Hmm, I thought about telling you, but I figured I wouldn't go if I did."
"Why?"
"Because I felt like my resolve would waver."
Hyorin's heart.
Even now, it seemed that way.
Jungeun and Minji had such extreme reactions—anyone else would too.
If I'd known ahead of time, I might have tried to persuade her otherwise.
Of course, I still wanted to stop her...
But looking at Hyorin's expression now, she was dead set on going.
"So you think you won't waver now?"
"Yeah, luckily, my desire to go is still stronger."
That's when a sudden question popped into my head.
"But what if I tried to stop you?"
Hyorin looked me straight in the eye and asked,
"That's why—are you going to?"
"......"
Seeing that look on her face, I couldn't say anything.
Did I even have the right to try to stop Hyorin's choice?
What if I did, and it left her heart in turmoil?
And if she ended up deciding not to go because of me, would that mean she'd given up her dream for my sake?
A flurry of thoughts raced through my mind.
"Tell me. Are you going to try to stop me?"
I hardened my expression and asked,
"If I did, would you not go?"
"Hmm, I'd hesitate a little, but... I'd probably still go."
Jeez.
"You're already set on going, so what's the point of keep asking?"
"Because I'm curious about how you feel."
"My feelings?"
That's when I remembered something Hyorin had said—words I'd never forget for the rest of my life.
"Yeah. If it were me, I think I'd try to stop you."
"Why?"
"Because... I like you."
That day, I couldn't say a word.
No, I wanted to say something, but with that, Hyorin fled home like she was escaping.
She didn't pick up my calls, vanishing like a mirage.
Over the next three months, I just sat there in a daze, painting.
Scritch, scritch.
"Ah......"
No, I tried to paint, but nothing came out.
Part of it was my tangled emotions, but it felt like Hyorin's absence—someone who'd always been by my side—was the real issue.
Plop.
I gave up on painting.
I needed to keep at it for the solo exhibition six months from now.
But I couldn't focus at all.
And yet, I couldn't stop either.
Whenever I sat down to paint, I'd hear Hyorin's voice like an illusion.
Maybe that's how I wanted to keep remembering her.
I was wasting away another meaningless day like that when—
"Ugh, is this a studio or a dumpster?"
Jungeun showed up at my basement workshop.
"You're here."
"Hey, you okay?"
He brushed the trash off a chair with his hand and sat down.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
"Hmm, you don't look fine at all."
Was he here just to tease me?
Too drained to fight back, I stared blankly at what barely qualified as a painting and asked,
"How about you?"
"Me?"
"Didn't you get hired as the art club reporter?"
Recently, on the professor's recommendation, Jungeun had joined as an art club journalist.
I'd heard he'd gone to the professor first and asked for it himself.
I didn't know what he was thinking, but...
"Well, it kinda suits me. Meeting artists and stuff is fun."
It was good to see him working hard.
And if he liked it, who was I—a third party—to complain?
"Good for you."
At that, Jungeun asked me,
"So, you got your solo exhibition lined up—how's the prep going?"
"Hmm, as you can see."
He frowned deeply at my state and asked,
"You're not seriously planning to show this garbage at the exhibition, right?"
"Trash? That's harsh."
"Dude, snap out of it. What the hell happened that day to turn you into this?"
Jungeun hadn't heard Hyorin's story—he'd gone into the bar crying with Minji.
It was natural he'd be curious.
But I didn't tell him what she'd said.
I didn't want to.
"Nothing much."
"The guy saying 'nothing much' is living like a shut-in?"
"I'm doing fine, in my own way."
"Fine, my ass."
Then he pulled a long, foil-wrapped bundle from his bag and held it out to me.
"Looking at you, I bet you haven't been eating right. Here, eat this."
"What's this?"
"Kimbap. I got it specially in case you starved to death."
Starve to death? Who does he think I am?
Rustle.
I took the kimbap from him, tore open the packaging, and shoved one into my mouth.
Chomp!
"Whoa, this is good."
"Jeez, I knew you'd say that."
He shook his head and started cleaning up the disastrous studio.
Picking up trash, sweeping the floor.
As he tidied the scattered books, he said,
"Eat all that and get ready to go out."
"Huh? Where to?"
"Somewhere you need to be."
"What're you talking about?"
"If I leave you like this, you'll die alone, and it's stressing me out. Come on, let's at least take a walk in the park nearby."
I scowled and shook my head vigorously.
"No way. It's still cold outside."
"Cold...? Dude, spring's long gone—it's early summer! People are in short sleeves. Ugh! If you don't go out today, I'll drag you out by force. Unless you wanna be hauled, get ready now."
Ugh... why was he suddenly showing up and acting like this?
He seemed dead serious about dragging me if I didn't go, so I sighed and gave in.
Not that I was gonna clean up properly or anything.
Swipe.
After throwing on some half-decent clothes, I called out to Jungeun, who was still cleaning.
"I'll be back in a bit."
"Yeah, anything to get you out."
He scooped up the trash at lightning speed, grabbed his bag, and said,
"Let's go."
I nodded instead of answering and followed him outside.
Was it because the studio was in a basement?
Like Jungeun said, it was warmer outside than I expected.
No, hot, maybe?
Lost in that thought, I followed him to the nearby park.
Then, he asked curiously,
"Hey, has Hyorin reached out at all?"
"Nope."
"Figures she won't pick up your calls either."
"Yeah, I tried."
"Oh, the other day at work, she popped into my head, so I called on a whim, but her phone was off."
Ah... so her phone was off.
The last time I'd called was a month ago.
It hadn't been off then, though.
"No one else has heard from her?"
He shook his head.
"Nah, I asked around just in case, but no contact."
"......I see."
He stopped walking at the disappointment in my voice and asked,
"But seriously, I've got something I really wanna know."
"What?"
"Why didn't you try to stop Hyorin back then?"
"Why didn't I?"
"Yeah. No matter how I think about it, you're the last person I expected not to."
The reason I didn't was simple.
"There was no reason to."
"Why not? Even if you don't like her that way, as a friend, you could've tried to talk her out of it. Right?"
You could see it that way, but that's exactly why I couldn't.
"If I said I needed more training in painting and was gonna study abroad, would you stop me?"
"What?"
"You wouldn't. Not you, not anyone. No one stops someone chasing their dream."
"So you didn't stop her for her own sake?"
Nod.
"Exactly."
Jungeun made a strange face—like he got it but didn't.
I walked past him and said,
"Ever think about why she told you on graduation day?"
"Why'd she?"
"I'm not in her head, but I think she wanted your support."
"Support?"
"Yeah, for her decision."
Of course, she might've wanted me to stop her, but I didn't think so.
No, it was the opposite—she was asking me to cheer her on, not hold her back.
"So that's all I did: support her."
As I walked ahead, Jungeun followed and asked,
"So you wanted to stop her too?"
I did. More than anything.
But I couldn't.
I wanted to support the decision she'd made after all that agonizing.
He let out a small sigh as we walked in silence.
"Man, you're something else. How do you not say a single word?"
You think I didn't want to?
I just couldn't.
Not when I didn't even understand my own feelings.
"If you're gonna keep bringing it up, I'm heading back."
He clamped his mouth shut and walked beside me.
We strolled the park silently for about 30 minutes.
Just as my legs started aching—
"Let's head back now."
"Sure."
Only after his dramatic agreement did I turn toward the studio.
Crunch.
The park was still quiet this early.
Crossing it—like my empty heart—toward the studio, that's when...
Far off, I spotted a silhouette.
At first, I didn't think much, but as I got closer...
Thump.
My heart started pounding.
Like a pump jolting a dead heart to life.
Thump! Thump!
It grew fiercer, and...
Gulp.
I recognized the face.
"Hey! Where you going!"
I started running.
Jungeun's voice called from behind, but I ignored it.
Splash!
I ran and ran.
Plop!
There she was.
A beaming smile.
From the one whose voice I'd longed to hear, even as a hallucination.
"Long time no see, Kanghyeok."
Hyorin.
I'd wanted to demand why she'd run off like that.
Why no calls all this time—I wanted to yell...
But no words came out.
I just...
Pulled her into the tightest hug.
Never letting go again.
She laughed and said,
"Thanks for waiting."
That's how I met Hyorin again.