Crazy Match, Crazy Guy - CHAPTER 6 - Part 2

“What?”

“Do you want me to say it twice?”

Eun-ho’s face froze in shock.

Seeing Eun-ho’s reaction, Wooyoung’s face flushed as well. Even though they were close friends who had no secrets, bringing up something like this felt incredibly embarrassing.

For a minute, two minutes, Eun-ho remained silent. He must have been surprised.

“Hey, why are you so shocked about something like that involving Jang Tae Jin? Honestly, I’m not that young anymore.”

Eun-ho’s fists were shaking under the table, but Wooyoung couldn’t see that.

The love he’d been protecting had been taken away from him in an instant, and the feeling of emptiness was indescribable. Everything seemed yellow in front of him. Just when he was about to confess, news came like a thunderbolt out of the blue.

It was incredibly difficult to accept.

“Say something, anything.”

At Wooyoung’s urging, Eun-ho took a sip of his drink. A sense of darkness settled over his heart. He’d had so much time to like her, and to lose it like this.

“Stupid.”

He’s the one who didn’t conveyed his feelings to her, tell her how he felt until things had turned out this way. So this is the result of his own doing. In this moment, he truly couldn’t blame anyone but himself.

“Actually, part of the reason things escalated between me and Jang Tae Jin was because of your misinformation.”

“What?”

“I was trying to find out if he was really gay, so our relationship developed.”

Just then, the staff brought their food. Looking at the oval-shaped plate on the table, Wooyoung picked up her fork.

“Let’s eat.”

Rolling up the noodles, Wooyoung said to Eun-ho, who was still looking at her blankly.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you eating?”

Only after seeing Eun-ho pick up his fork did Wooyoung begin eating. Eun-ho, who had been holding his fork, had hardly touched his food. It was unusual for him, who usually had a good appetite, to barely eat today.

Setting down her fork, Wooyoung picked up her glass of water.

Is me living with Jang Tae Jin really that shocking?

Well, as my friend, Eun-ho must be worried about me.

“Hey, Wooyoung.”

“Yeah?”

“I like you.”

“Cough.”

Wooyoung, who was taking a sip of water, choked. Covering her mouth with one hand, she reached for a napkin with the other, but Eun-ho handed it to her.

Dabbing away the spilled water around her lips, Wooyoung patted her chest.

“Hey, that surprised me.”

“I like you.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I’m serious.”

Wooyoung was dumbfounded.

They had been good friends for so long. Suddenly hearing that he liked her was completely unexpected.

Seeing Wooyoung furrow her brows and shake her head, Eun-ho continued.

“I know it’s weird. But it’s true. I’ve liked you since high school.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Just give me one chance.”

Eun-ho, who had never seen her as a woman, asking for a chance was bewildering. Her mind was in turmoil. She had never thought of Eun-ho as a man before, so his behavior now felt like a burden.

“Let’s just leave now”

“Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung picked up her purse and spoke with a serious expression.

“Let me make it clear right now. I don’t see you as a man. And as you know, I’m living with Jang Tae Jin. What you’re doing isn’t considerate of my situation.”

“I know. I know, but I can’t just keep it to myself without confessing.”

“You’re making me uncomfortable by not letting us stay as friends.”

“It’s not like that.”

“You’re disappointing me.”

Eun-ho clenched his fist.

“I’m disappointed in you too. How can you fall for a guy so easily?”

“What? Are you done talking?”

“I didn’t know you were such an easy girl. And to top it off, it’s not even marriage, just living together. And I’m disappointed in your father for allowing it.”

Eun-ho crossed a line. Wooyoung didn’t want to talk with him anymore.

Wooyoung clenched her pursed tightly and stormed out of the place. As she stood in front of the cashier, ready to present her card, Eun-ho handed his card to the employee.

When two cards were offered simultaneously, the employee looked back and forth between them.

“Please use this for payment.”

Wooyoung waved her card at Eun-ho’s action.

“Please use this one.”

“Ah…”

Seeing the perplexed employee, Eun-ho took back his card.

As the employee finished the transaction using Wooyoung’s card, she walked out of the store without a second thought.

Standing by Wooyoung’s side at the pedestrian crossing, Eun-ho spoke.

“I’m sorry I said that.”

Wooyoung didn’t respond, disappointed that Eun-ho had only considered his own feelings and hadn’t taken her perspective into account.

While it was true that she had impulsively entered into a relationship with Jang Tae Jin, Wooyoung saw no reason to be subjected to Eun-ho’s judgment, she didn’t deserve to hear those harsh words from him. Her emotions and choices were her own, and there was no reason for others to criticize them.

“Wooyoung, I apologize.”

At that moment, the traffic light changed. Wooyoung walked forward, ignoring Eun-ho, who walked closely behind her. Just before entering the office building, Eun-ho grabbed her arm.

“Wooyoung.”

“Let go.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Let go. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

With Eun-ho’s grip still tight on her arm, Wooyoung entered the building forcefully.

Why should she be blamed for this?

When a man and a woman meet and have feelings for each other, they can become physically involved. Besides, she has genuine feelings for Jang Tae Jin. Living together is something she wouldn’t have done if she didn’t want to.

Arriving at her office, Wooyoung poured herself a cup of coffee and sat back down. She flipped through the materials she’d prepared earlier in the morning.

Ring. Her phone rang, and the moment she saw the name Jang Tae Jin on the screen, her heart skipped a beat. She felt strangely pleased even though she hadn’t been waiting for his call.

“Hello?”

• It’s me.

“Yes, I know.”

• Have you had lunch?

“Yep. How about you?”

• I’m about to have lunch now.

“Why are you eating so late?”

• I had a meeting with an external company.

“You should eat on time. Skipping meals is bad for your health.”

Saying it out loud was amusing. She should be worried about her health, herself too.

A soft chuckle reaches her ear over the receiver.

“Why are you laughing?”

• Just because I find these ordinary things pleasing.

“Mm-hmm.”

As she cleared her throat, his words flew by.

• At 6 o’clock, let’s meet in front of the company.

“I might be late. Let’s see each other at home.”

• Let’s have dinner and then go. What do you like?”

Perhaps it was because she had spaghetti for lunch that she was craving of something spicy.

“How about some braised spicy monkfish?”

• I don’t really mind, as long as you like it.

“I know a place.”

• Okay, I’ll call you later.”

As they hung up the call, a satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Wooyoung’s mouth.

She wonders if it was the kind of feeling that couples in love experience. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s a slightly cheesy feeling that wasn’t unpleasant.

The more she got to know Jang Tae Jin, the more he seemed like a good man. With a man like him, wouldn’t it be okay to consider marriage? But, Wooyoung quickly shook her head.

Marriage was a reality. How could she be sure that Jang Tae Jin wouldn’t change after getting married? Just looking at Min Seok, who Sungkyung married, that had became different after marriage, was enough evidence. As you go through the ups and downs of raising children, the fluttering emotions of love become hard to find. Because she knew this well, marriage was somewhat daunting.

But maybe Jang Tae Jin could be different.

“Team leader, why do you have such a bright expression on your face?”

“Huh?”

One of her team members, Hyun Joo, approached and spoke.

“You’re smiling to yourself.”

“Oh… I’m just in a good mood.”

“Well, Team Leader Yeom, I mean, Mr. Yeom Sang-hoon, since he wasn’t around anymore, everyone’s saying that things are better. It hasn’t been a joke dealing with him all this time.”

Wooyoung fully understood that sentiment.

She knew well enough, because the stress she received from Sang-hoon was enough to send her flying through the sky and into space.

But that didn’t stop Wooyoung, their team leader now, from sympathizing with her employees. She only managed a faint smile in response.

“Oh, Team Leader, I’ve come up with a design concept. Can you take a look?”

“Bring it over.”

“Yes!”

Watching Hyun Joo excitedly rush back to her seat, Wooyoung cleared Jang Tae Jin from her mind. Thinking about a man during work somehow felt like a distraction.