If We Dated, He’d Go Crazy

Haeyoon’s eyes widened slightly again.
At a glance, he seemed almost expressionless, but upon closer look, subtle reactions were there.
Jeongha added a comment toward the silent Haeyoon.

“Since you plan on not seeing me again if we part ways today.”
“…Yes.”
Haeyoon answered readily without much hesitation.
There was no reason to lie or beat around the bush.
Originally, there was no reason to meet Baek Jeongha again anyway.
If they parted ways like this today, they probably wouldn’t meet again in the future.
There was no further reason to meet, and no need to hide that fact.

But Jeongha spoke as if he didn’t understand Haeyoon’s choice.

“Aren’t you angry?”
“Hmm…”
“You were sincere with both of them, weren’t you? If it were me, I’d be furious and livid, likely to do something crazy.”

Jeongha remembered the way Haeyoon used to look at him.
Whenever they occasionally crossed paths, Haeyoon’s expression clearly showed blame, as if thinking, ‘Where does this piece of shit come from, making my friend suffer?’
It was amusing and interesting how this person, who rarely showed any emotion, couldn’t hide his hostility towards him.
Jeongha found Haeyoon interesting because it was rare for someone to dislike him for reasons other than insecurity.

And now, those very people Haeyoon cherished and loved had blatantly screwed him over.
Even if it were just a one-night mistake, it would be shocking enough, but they were even getting married.
How many people could endure such betrayal and still remain patient?

“But then, why won’t you see me again?”
Jeongha genuinely couldn’t understand Haeyoon’s resolve.
Was this the so-called ‘nice guy complex’ he’d only heard about?

Haeyoon lifted his glass and took a few more sips of beer.
It didn’t seem like he was drinking out of anger or frustration; he just looked calm.
Placing the glass down gently, Haeyoon spoke.

“It’s true I dated Oh Jaeyeol for a long time, but frankly, we weren’t married, nor did I make any great sacrifices for him.”
“……”
“I just don’t think it’s worth spending my time on people who have become trash in my life now.”

“Oh…”
Jeongha unconsciously let out a small exclamation.
Considering what they had done, calling them ‘trash’ was a relatively mild insult, but it was still an unexpected word to hear from Seo Haeyoon in this atmosphere.

Haeyoon continued in a monotone.

“I am angry. I was furious too. That’s why I couldn’t hold back and contacted you, Baek Jeongha-ssi.”
“Hmm…”
“But it doesn’t seem like they’d care if I met you, Baek Jeongha-ssi, and it’s not like meeting you would ruin them either…. Since it doesn’t seem like something that would amount to revenge, it feels like a waste to take up your time too. So I won’t do it.”

At that moment, Baek Jeongha had to admit it.
He had misjudged Seo Haeyoon, and by a lot.
Jeongha had expected Haeyoon to be more dependent on the two.
Someone who considered love everything and cherished friends like life itself.
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
The Haeyoon Jeongha had met definitely had those aspects.
Where Jeongha was mistaken was assuming Seo Haeyoon was a person submerged in those relationships.
His quiet, composed demeanor, which seemed almost boringly placid, wasn’t due to Oh Jaeyeol or Ahn Seonwoo.
He was just a solid person, Seo Haeyoon was.
Solid enough not to break even after something like this.

Jeongha wet his dry lips with his tongue.
He was drinking, yet strangely felt thirsty.
If they parted ways here today, Seo Haeyoon would truly never contact him again.
He was sure of it.
It wouldn’t be a problem even if he didn’t, but he felt a strange sense of impatience.
Straining not to show that impatience, Jeongha opened his mouth.

“I can relate to saying it’s a waste of time… but I don’t think I could not care.”
Haeyoon tilted his head slightly, not fully understanding Jeongha’s meaning.
Jeongha lifted one corner of his mouth in a leisurely smile.

“I don’t know about your ex-lover, but in some ways, I know Ahn Seonwoo better. I’d even bet on it.”
Seo Haeyoon didn’t know how obsessed Ahn Seonwoo was with Baek Jeongha.
He definitely knew nothing about it.
If he knew, he wouldn’t say they wouldn’t care.

“If we were to date…”
Baek Jeongha’s gaze traveled up from Haeyoon’s fingertips to meet his eyes in an instant.
Haeyoon suddenly felt his gaze coil around him like a snake.

“…Ahn Seonwoo, he’d probably go insane?”
Suddenly, the image of Ahn Seonwoo, crying and saying he’d die without Baek Jeongha, surfaced.
Despite having drunk alcohol, a chill ran down Haeyoon’s spine.

* * * *

The drinking session didn’t last long.
Unless Haeyoon changed his mind, there wasn’t much to talk about between the two.
After Haeyoon steadily, diligently finished his one glass of beer, they rose from their seats.

Stepping outside, they exchanged awkward goodbyes.
Even then, Seo Haeyoon bowed his head politely, kkeubuk, which made Jeongha smile a little.

“You really won’t contact me again?”
Haeyoon didn’t answer immediately.
It was clearly different from his resolute attitude earlier.
There was still room.
Jeongha adjusted his tone to not be too burdensome and continued.

“Are you having second thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“Then think a little more and get in touch. I’ll wait.”
At that, Haeyoon looked up and stared directly at Jeongha.
He made no effort to hide the suspicion in his eyes.
Is he usually the type to let others scrutinize him like this? As Jeongha pondered, Haeyoon spoke this time.

“What is your reason, Jeongha-ssi?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Anyway, my reason for contacting you is clear. But why did you, Baek Jeongha-ssi… agree to a request you could have just ignored?”
“Hmm…”
“Could it be… you still have lingering feelings for Seonwoo…?”
“Pfft…!”

Jeongha burst out laughing at the absurdity.
It was such an unexpected thing to say that he laughed without warning.
Jeongha looked directly at Haeyoon, slightly squinting one eye.

“I’ve never been interested in Ahn Seonwoo, not even once.”
“……”
“Didn’t you know? That’s why you disliked me, wasn’t it?”
“…I didn’t dislike you.”
Haeyoon answered, slightly avoiding eye contact.
Of course, he had thought about punching him before, but it was just a momentary dislike, not a deep-seated emotion worth calling hatred.
An excuse, if it was one.

Jeongha continued his answer with an attitude that seemed not to care whether Haeyoon disliked him or not.

“Anyway, to answer… Just, because it seemed fun?”
“Ah…”
“I’m not usually the type to think deeply and act. I just happened to get caught up in this complicated situation, and since I’m already in it, I thought it would be more fun to meddle a little further.”

Finishing his words, Jeongha smiled brightly, ha-a.
He had a mischievous face.
After a brief silence, Haeyoon let out a light laugh in response.
He wasn’t sure if he should laugh, but it just burst out, unstoppable.
In a way, it was an answer that could be offensive.
To Haeyoon, it was a deep wound, still an important matter, yet he was saying he just wanted to meddle for fun.

But strangely, Haeyoon felt a little relieved by that lightness.
Light was right.
It wasn’t some grand revenge drama, just a minor event.
It wouldn’t significantly impact anyone’s life, nor was it a cruel betrayal of someone cherished, nor would it ruin the relationship between Oh Jaeyeol and Ahn Seonwoo.
It was just Seo Haeyoon, who had to endure everything alone, having one final venting session—just that much.
Before completely withdrawing from their lives, wouldn’t it be okay to do this much?

Haeyoon, who had unknowingly formed a smile at the corner of his mouth, answered calmly.

“Then, as you said, I’ll think about it a little more. Until then, you think about it again too, Jeongha-ssi. Your mind might change.”
“Sounds good. You’ll contact me no matter what you decide, right?”
“Yes. I will.”
“And if we do meet again… then please speak casually to me.”
“…I’ll try. Take care on your way home.”

Haeyoon bowed his head slightly again in farewell, then stared intently at Jeongha.
He seemed to be waiting for Jeongha to turn and leave first.
While thinking it unnecessary to be this polite, Jeongha also found that aspect enjoyable.
Not dragging it out further, he gave a casual ‘Take care,’ and turned to leave first.

‘I’ll try.’
It was funny that speaking casually to someone who, albeit from a different department, was a junior from the same university, required ‘trying.’
Probably, beneath that answer lay the intent to seriously consider whether to meet him again.

What choice will Seo Haeyoon ultimately make?
How much will he ‘try’?
If he does meet me again, I guarantee he’ll have an unimaginably incredible experience.
Just how much will Seo Haeyoon be able to accept?

Humming a tune, Jeongha walked toward an approaching taxi in the distance.
It had been a while since a future event, not even yet unfolded, felt this exciting.