Chapter 52

“Have you become unemployed now?”

“That wouldn’t be so bad. If it means I can see you all day like this.”

Haji turned her head as if she hadn’t heard his repeated teasing. His way of twisting words was so clever that she could easily get caught up in it.

“I’ll go home by myself.”

“Alright.”

“I mean, don’t follow me.”

She warned him, putting strength into her voice. He was a man who had been following her around for days, providing unwanted protection.

“I’m just going my own way.”

“Really…!”

The same lie every time.

Even when Haji glared at him, Seojin just shrugged his shoulders. Annoyingly.

In the end, Haji lost the argument again today.

***

Due to the dark weather that seemed like it would rain any moment, people left the café earlier than usual.

Woobae’s expression wasn’t good as he looked at the now quiet café.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you fidgeting like a puppy that needs to poop?”

At Sehee’s accurate observation, Woobae let out a small sigh.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Sehee decided not to tease Woobae, who was usually quiet but seemed even more somber today.

“Did I tease him too much about not having dated?”

Woobae, who had taken off his apron and gone out alone, stood in front of Seojin. The two exchanged a few words and then went outside together.

***

The two stood facing each other at the garbage collection area behind the building.

“I heard from Father.”

“Heard what?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Seojin chuckled as he watched Woobae frown, looking at his left chest.

“So what?”

“So what? Go back to the hospital right now.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“I tried not to care, but I don’t want to call an ambulance.”

It meant he didn’t want to take on more troublesome tasks. Seojin had already given him enough annoying work.

“There’s no need for that.”

“That’s not something someone who had emergency surgery and a reoperation should say.”

Even though he wasn’t knowledgeable about medicine, he had seen and heard enough growing up. Even from his father’s simple explanation, he got the feeling that “this person could have died.”

“You’re rebelling because I gave you a little trouble.”

Seojin spoke lazily, nodding his chin as if looking at a cute nephew. As if to say, go ahead, do more.

“It’s crazy for someone who had a hole in their body to be out every day without being discharged.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve done something crazy.”

You know that, right?

Seojin’s eyes said it all. That he was always like this.

It was true. Even though he was a cousin with quite an age difference, Seojin’s actions were a big issue in the family, known even to him.

“Still, Hyung, I heard the wound reopened recently.”

“I stitched it up again.”

“They said if it opens again, they’ll have to use a pin.”

“What if it doesn’t open…?”

Thud, the sound of something falling made both of them turn their heads.

Scattered on the ground were paper boxes of various sizes, dropped by Haji.

“What do you mean?”

Haji’s face turned pale with disbelief as she blinked.

“What do you mean?”

Seeing Haji demanding an answer with force in her eyes, Seojin, who had been confident a moment ago, was flustered.

“Please, continue.”

Woobae, seeing an opportunity, quickly stepped back and returned to the café.

“Sunbae.”

“Sunbae? That’s not….”

“That’s not what’s important. Don’t change the subject.”

Seojin closed his mouth and observed Haji’s complexion.

He had anticipated this situation, but seeing Haji looking so serious made him feel frustrated.

“I’m fine. It was nothing serious.”

“A hole in your body isn’t serious?”

“The stitching was done well, and I’m getting proper treatment.”

Haji’s fingertips trembled. Her parted lips quivered, momentarily holding her breath.

“Haji.”

As Seojin tried to approach, Haji shook her head.

“Why, why didn’t you tell me…?”

Haji’s pupils, as if lost, scanned Seojin’s chest area. Then, clenching her fist tightly, she opened and closed her eyes in distress.

“I hit you. At that time, I…”

“It didn’t hurt.”

“It reopened because of me!”

Haji’s trembling voice echoed behind the building. The guilt of having hurt someone she loved.

Her ignorance of not knowing the truth.

These emotions tore at her heart, causing her immense pain.

“No, it’s not because of you.”

“Why do you keep saying no? Why do you keep trying to deceive me? Why do you try to cover my eyes and ears?”

Frustrated, Haji pressed down on her chest. She felt nauseous and numb, not knowing what to do.

“I was going to tell you. I was going to tell you after some time.”

“Why does time need to pass? Knowing that I was waiting for you, why?”

With what heart did I wait for you?

If I had known you were in such pain, that you were suffering in the hospital.

“I wouldn’t have hated you.”

Tears welled up in Haji’s eyes. To hide her sobs, she habitually bit her lips and clenched her fists tightly.

“Do you know how hard I tried to hate you? Do you know how difficult and exhausting it is to hate someone?”

Especially someone I love.

“If you knew, you wouldn’t have done this to me.”

You wouldn’t have shattered my heart into pieces.

“Sometimes deception might be better, but not this time. This was wrong.”

This was wrong.

“Are we wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is it wrong for us to be together?”

If we’re causing each other so much pain, isn’t this wrong?

“Don’t say that.”

“What shouldn’t I say? You would have continued to deceive me, and I would have hated you without knowing anything. What kind of conversation should we have?”

She was out of breath. This situation was overwhelming. She wanted to run away.

“I’m really okay. It’s natural for you to hate me. I didn’t contact you, and I made you wait.”

Reading Haji’s mind, Seojin quickly spoke. Saying it was right for her to hate him.

So she could comfortably hate him and do whatever she wanted.

“Is this really love?”

Are we really in love?

Haji’s empty eyes captured Seojin. The end of the confusion left her feeling desolate.

How to define their relationship, whether there was a future.

Her mind was clouded.

Drip, drip, dark clouds gathered overhead, and heavy raindrops began to fall.

One, two. Haji’s feet stepped back.

“Wait, Haji.”

“Don’t follow me.”

“Where are you going?”

Haji’s distancing figure looked precarious. Even as Seojin tried to follow, she shook her head vigorously.

“You’re not fully healed yet. Let’s go inside.”

“I’ll handle it myself. Don’t worry about me. Don’t bother sending porridge or medicine through Woobae.”

I’ll take care of everything myself.

I’ve always handled things myself, alone.

“Don’t make me rely on you. If you’re just going to lie.”

Don’t make me believe.

As Haji turned away from Seojin, the rain poured down. Seojin hurriedly followed Haji as she walked through the blurred rain.

“Don’t follow me!”

Haji’s pace quickened, and as her breath became labored, her weakened body wobbled.

“Haji! Wait!”

By the time Haji reached the main road, her body couldn’t keep up with the heavy rain.

Determined to avoid Seojin, she didn’t stop her legs. At some point, she felt dizzy, and her body didn’t respond as she wanted.

“Haji!”

At the moment when Seojin’s voice sounded as if it were tearing through, bright lights filled her vision.

Screech! Screech!

Slipping from the sidewalk, the headlights loomed over Haji’s body that had moved onto the road.