Reunion pt.2

“We didn’t break up though, did we?”

In-woo’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Didn’t break up? Is that something someone who arbitrarily disappeared for over a year should say? Every single word was so precious that he didn’t know where to start or end with refuting them.

Unlike Kim In-woo who couldn’t go find Radel, Radel could have come to Kim In-woo anytime but ignored him. Though it was himself who wanted to abandon, he had lived the entire past year feeling as if he had been abandoned…

The more he mulled over Radel’s words, the deeper his anger colored.

If we didn’t break up, why did you ignore my messages for a year?

He wanted to ask that. But instead of questioning him, In-woo held back his trembling lips and curiosity. He didn’t want to honestly show his emotions and ask because it might make it seem like he had been waiting desperately for him. Though of course, it might already seem that way enough…

In-woo squeezed his eyes shut. Thinking of the past year made him not want to even look at the bastard.

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have, but we broke up. Since you came, just erase my memories and get lost.”

Radel didn’t answer. In-woo also didn’t think he would simply agree.

A warm sensation touched In-woo’s tightly closed eyelids. Startled, he opened his eyes to find Radel’s hand caressing around his eyes. Before he could escape, Radel firmly grabbed In-woo’s cheeks.

In-woo was instantly trapped between the sofa and Radel. Held in place by the strong grip, In-woo met Radel’s piercing gaze straight on.

“Kim In-woo.”

“…”

“Do you really think you’ll be able to live well if I erase your memories?”

The voice devoid of emotional temperature brought back memories of that time. Though In-woo’s body stiffened, Radel’s attitude remained unchanged.

Even while feeling his palms getting damp with sweat, In-woo couldn’t take his eyes off Radel, specifically Radel’s eyes. Worried that his eyes might sparkle golden again, that he might look into his mind so casually like before…

But Radel’s eye color didn’t change. Radel’s attitude was neither the gentle Lee Sun-ho nor the forceful Radel, but somewhere in between. As the stalemate continued, the fear that had been pushing In-woo to his limits gradually became manageable.

In-woo pushed Radel away with all his might. Radel backed away more easily than expected. And instead of returning to his spot, he knelt down on the floor. In-woo glared fiercely at Radel, whose gaze was now lower than his own.

“What makes this bastard so great that he shows up with such a shameless face talking back so precisely…”

“Is it my attitude that’s the problem?”

“There are other problems too, but for now, yes.”

“Then should I cry again?”

“…”

“The crying didn’t work anyway, you actually hated it.”

In-woo clicked his tongue, dumbfounded by the excessively honest attitude.

“If it doesn’t work, you don’t cry?”

“There’s no particular need to cry.”

“Then try something else.”

“You wouldn’t accept an apology anyway.”

“At least show some sincerity!”

“It’s inefficient. A waste of effort.”

“If you’re talking about efficiency, you being here like this is already pointless. Wouldn’t it be better to stick with your noble kind rather than indulging your perverted desires with an inferior being on a backward planet?”

Radel shut his mouth. Seeing those tightly closed lips felt slightly satisfying yet simultaneously made In-woo’s stomach turn from the misery brought on by self-deprecation.

“…If that’s what you want.”

Radel spoke haltingly.

“If you want to see it, I can cry, or I can beg.”

“…”

“For a lifetime if you want.”

He says this so well with a face that probably wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed with a knife. But it was clearly felt that these were sincere words.

Because Radel loves Kim In-woo.

Because he had come to love Kim In-woo enough to stalk him for a year, rush to a backward planet, and kneel before an inferior being.

Kim In-woo knew this well too. He couldn’t accept it at all a year ago, but after repeatedly mulling it over for a year, he finally acknowledged it.

But it wasn’t a situation where he could fully accept that affection. Though he clearly liked him, he also hated him intensely. He had wanted to see him right away, but now that he appeared before his eyes, he wanted to get rid of him. These contradicting opposites severely provoked Kim In-woo.

He wanted to scratch Radel, wanted to hurt him, wanted to make him shed tears of blood more than himself. Just once, he wanted to see that face become miserable. He wanted to confirm his affection and repentance through Radel’s body, not through some text translated by others’ hands. Though he wasn’t sure if that was even possible.

Kim In-woo reached out his hand. When In-woo’s hand touched Radel of his own will, Radel shuddered as if electrocuted. Pretending not to notice, In-woo gently and tenderly caressed Radel’s face.

Radel’s stiff expression crumbled ever so slightly. Looking coldly down at Radel’s face, softened with affection and relief, In-woo raised his hand and slapped his cheek.

With a loud smack, Radel’s cheek turned red.

In-woo twisted up the corner of his lips and roughly grabbed Radel’s cheek. Radel’s slightly dazed eyes, as if woken from a dream, were quite amusing.

“You want to stick around that badly? So desperately?”

“Yes.”

Radel answered promptly. The briefly surprised look had already disappeared cleanly, replaced by an extremely shameless face.

“Is it wrong to try hard to look good? You’re my lover after all.”

Finding it absurd, In-woo raised his hand again. He was about to slap Radel’s cheek again, but this time his wrist was firmly caught. Radel pulled In-woo’s struggling hand, kissed the back of it, and then let it go as if nothing had happened. In-woo wiped the back of his hand in disgust.

“I told you I’m not your lover. And you’re fine with making someone fall for a form that’s not even your true self?”

“Wearing masks in relationships is basic. Especially humans, who are more prone to that. You have a nasty personality but pretended to be nice in front of me too.”

In-woo couldn’t believe his ears hearing these words flow out so smoothly.

“Who are you saying has a nasty personality?”

“You.”

“…”

“It’s not good, objectively speaking.”

This was the most absurd thing Kim In-woo had heard in his entire life.