I Didn’t Reject His Confession… But Someone Else Is About to Ruin Everything

Looking at Haeyoon, who was facing him directly without averting his gaze, the cowardly feelings that had wanted to turn away vanished instantly, replaced by a new fervor.

Feelings, like living creatures, can grow, and Baek Jeongha’s sincerity, having just emerged into the world for the first time, rapidly swelled.

When he hadn’t said anything, he could endure it, but once spoken, it felt as if all the thirst he had been suppressing came rushing at once.

In the end, even knowing Haeyoon would be troubled, Jeongha couldn’t help his overwhelming feelings and opened his mouth.

“…I like you.”

“…….”

“Sorry.

But I really… really like you.

I like you.”

Once the dam was broken, nothing could stop it.

Jeongha just desperately hoped Seo Haeyoon would take pity on him as he poured out his heart.

“Jeongha….”

After listening quietly to Jeongha’s confession for a long time, Haeyoon finally spoke in a trembling voice.

His lips were quivering.

Not because he was surprised.

It was just that he had been feeling Jeongha’s heart all along, even if it wasn’t expressed in words.

What surprised Haeyoon more was his own heart, which didn’t want to run away even after hearing that confession.

The feeling he had felt the moment he opened his eyes in the morning and saw Jeongha’s sleeping face came back vividly.

The feeling of not wanting to give up the happiness Baek Jeongha gave him.

When people started to get enthusiastic about his paintings posted on SNS, Haeyoon had stopped his habitual job preparation and focused on his art.

When he saw a path to making a living through his beloved paintings, Haeyoon did not hesitate to take it.

He knew it wouldn’t be an easy path.

He didn’t have confidence he would succeed.

He just thought he would be happy if he could live by painting, and if so, he should try anything when the opportunity came.

Even failure was okay.

Because he would learn something from it and could move forward from there.

Haeyoon had always been someone who didn’t hesitate to move forward.

And right here, another opportunity came to Haeyoon, who had been trying to give up on loving someone.

The area around Haeyoon’s heart began to tingle in a way it never had before.

“You don’t have to answer.

That’s not why I said it.”

Then, Jeongha smiled casually and quietly pulled Haeyoon into an embrace.

There was no tension in Jeongha’s voice, but Haeyoon could tell from their touching skin that he was trembling.

“I just couldn’t hold it in anymore… I couldn’t help it either.”

“…….”

“I like you.

You probably already know, but I wanted to say it directly at least once.”

Baek Jeongha had probably wanted to say ‘I love you’ many times.

Yet, even at the moment he finally managed to spit out the confession he had held back, Jeongha first worried about Haeyoon, who would be troubled by those feelings.

Baek Jeongha’s love was of that form.

“Don’t forget that I’m always by your side.”

Jeongha whispered, holding Haeyoon tightly in his arms.

Feeling Jeongha’s rapidly beating heart with his entire body, Haeyoon silently held his waist in return.

“…Thank you, Jeongha.”

At Haeyoon’s answer, finally given after a long time, Jeongha gasped.

Though he tried not to show it, his happiness was evident.

Even though it wasn’t a confession of the same feelings, and was practically a declaration that he would continue to use him, Baek Jeongha was simply happy that it wasn’t a rejection.

Engraving all of Jeongha’s nonverbal affection deep in his heart, Haeyoon closed his eyes.

An answer like this wasn’t enough.

Jeongha deserved better treatment than this.

What exactly was the future he desired?

How did he want Baek Jeongha to remain by his side?

If he lost Baek Jeongha like this, could he calmly forget him, thinking it was just as well he hadn’t loved him?

Resolving to face the feelings he had been cowardly avoiding until now, Haeyoon closed his eyes.

Before he knew it, Haeyoon’s heart was beating in sync with Jeongha’s.

* * * *

“Is there anything else you need?”

Hayoung, the exhibition manager, asked Haeyoon after checking the additional items he had noted.

Haeyoon nodded.

“No.

Just take care of what I mentioned earlier, everything else is fine.

You’ve really worked hard.”

“Oh, you’re the one who did all the hard work, artist-nim.

Are you heading back now?”

“I’ll look around one more time and then go.

You go ahead.”

“Ah, okay.

I have things to prepare, so I’ll go first.”

Hayoung bowed his head slightly in greeting, a pleased smile on his face.

The energy and excitement of a rookie artist before their first exhibition often reminded him of when he had first planned one.

Especially an artist who had worked as joyfully as Haeyoon.

Hayoung started walking toward the exit, then paused and turned back to look at Haeyoon.

He was standing in front of the main piece of the exhibition, staring at the canvas draped in a universe.

He was beautiful.

Both the painting and the person.

Hayoung’s heart pounded.

This exhibition would definitely succeed.

That strong premonition made him incredibly excited.

Gripping his notebook tightly, Hayoung took a deep breath and walked on.

There was much to prepare until the very end for a successful exhibition.

“Oh no….”

Meanwhile, Haeyoon, looking around the main exhibition hall for the last time after Hayoung left, clasped his hands together tightly as a sudden wave of tension washed over him.

Until now, the fact that an exhibition bearing his name was happening hadn’t felt real, so the tension was less, but seeing his works filling the exhibition hall brought an enormous sense of pressure.

“I’m crazy, really….”

An uncharacteristically rough curse slipped out.

How had he had the nerve to so readily agree to hold an exhibition?

Suddenly, he felt chills and his whole body began to tremble.

The exhibition was one thing, but thinking about meeting the visitors made him even more tense.

When he was offered it, he had been captivated by the words that fans would love it and said he would do his best, but looking back, he worried he might actually ruin the fans’ experience.

“Hoo….”

But it was too late to say he couldn’t do it now.

Just as he was feeling overwhelmed rather than excited, his phone rang.

A smile appeared on Haeyoon’s face as he checked his phone.

His expression had softened, as if he had never been frozen.

Haeyoon answered the call without hesitation.

“Yeah, Jeongha.”

– Hyung, I just arrived.

Are you done?

A gentle voice pushed away all the anxious noise and warmly filled Haeyoon’s ears.

“Yeah, I’m done.

I’ll be right out.”

– Ah, then I’ll park right in front of the exit.

Come carefully.

It was funny to be told to come carefully when the exit was barely any distance from inside the hall.

Being cherished this much might normally feel burdensome, but he didn’t feel that at all.

Rather, Haeyoon often found himself getting used to Jeongha’s care lately.

He even had the playful worry that he might become someone who couldn’t do anything without Baek Jeongha.

After the short call with Jeongha, Haeyoon looked again at the main piece before him.

The tension and anxiety that had been weighing down his heart just moments ago had already disappeared.

The painting filling the large canvas made his heart swell anew.

The light called Baek Jeongha, which had suddenly flown into his life one day, was still shining so brilliantly on his life.

Even after Haeyoon had only managed an answer like ‘thank you’ to his sincere confession, Jeongha remained by his side with an unchanged attitude.

He didn’t show any hint of being hurt, nor did he press for a different answer.

Just as he had said that day—don’t like me, don’t trust me, it’s okay if you give me nothing, just let me stay by your side—Jeongha remained consistent.

Thanks to that, Haeyoon could focus on preparing for the exhibition until the very end.

And now, Haeyoon’s universe awaited a new end.

Haeyoon quietly gazed at the only light in the painting, filled with dark, heavy colors, then turned away.

There was no hesitation in his steps as he walked toward the door.

When he opened the door and stepped outside, he saw Jeongha leaning against his car parked right in front, greeting him.

Just that alone made him feel like he could do anything, and Haeyoon ran straight to Jeongha without any sense of confusion.

The exhibition was now just a day away.

Baek Jeongha did not yet know that Haeyoon had made this exhibition a new starting point.

* * * *

Seonwoo looked at himself in the mirror with a determined expression.

Dressed only in the most expensive and finest things he owned, even he thought he looked quite beautiful.

“Seo Haeyoon is the main character?”

Ahn Seonwoo scoffed.

The only reason Seo Haeyoon could be the main character was because Ahn Seonwoo wasn’t by his side.

It had always been that way.

In places where Ahn Seonwoo was present, Haeyoon was merely a supporting character who made Seonwoo shine brighter; he had never been the main character.

Wasn’t that why Oh Jaeyeol had chosen Seonwoo in the end?

Seonwoo habitually fiddled with his ring and curled his lips sardonically.

The shameless face of Haeyoon, daring to bring Baek Jeongha to his wedding, flickered before his eyes.

Seo Haeyoon, knowing better than anyone how passionately he had loved Baek Jeongha, how deep a wound he had left in his heart, had tried to ruin his wedding using him.

And then, he had the audacity to send an invitation not only to him but also to Oh Jaeyeol—it made his teeth grind.

“Let’s see just how great this exhibition is.”

And also see just how deep Seo Haeyoon’s delusion is.