Lost

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. I kept doubting his intentions, but then I’d see that innocent look on his face, and it made me second-guess myself.

“Call me later. I’ll come pick you up,” Jung Woojin said with a gentle smile, causing me to narrow my eyes. This didn’t add up. The Jung Woojin I knew would beg me not to go, and if that didn’t work, he’d whine like a child or get upset. Especially since I was going to meet Gapdol, a name that made him growl like a raging beast.

“…What are you going to do?” I asked, still feeling uncertain. Jung Woojin kept smiling warmly, his expression unchanged.

“I’m going to visit my parents. We’re having lunch together,” he replied.

“Your parents?” I vaguely remembered that Jung Woojin didn’t have the best relationship with his parents, which made me feel uneasy. Was something wrong? Had they found out he was living with me? If I were his parents, I’d be upset if he was freeloading off an older schoolmate.

“You won’t stay too long, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ll just talk with them for a bit. When will you be back? It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, so just having a meal and leaving might feel a bit…”

“Call me later. I’ll pick you up,” he repeated the same line, even though he had no idea when I’d be calling.

“Are you sure you can go alone?” I asked.

“I’m just going to the café right in front of the house.”

“Oh, that place,” he replied immediately, which made me narrow my eyes again. Something was off. His calmness was strange, and the fact that he hadn’t thrown a fit was even stranger. I stared at him for a moment before asking, half-jokingly but also somewhat seriously,

“You’re not pretending to meet your parents and secretly following me, are you?”

There was no way Jung Woojin would be this relaxed. He hated even the idea of me texting or talking to Gapdol, let alone meeting him in person. But now he seemed completely unfazed. It was unsettling.

“Do you like it when I secretly follow you?” he teased.

“You want to die?” I snapped, glaring at him. Jung Woojin just laughed.

“I’m really going to have lunch with my parents. If you don’t believe me, I’ll send you a photo later. Or we can video call if you want.”

I couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious, so I almost nodded but stopped. Something didn’t feel right. It was starting to seem like I was interrogating him because I didn’t trust him. Having him send a photo or doing a video call seemed… weird. There was a nagging feeling I couldn’t quite define, but it wouldn’t go away. Seeing my troubled expression, Jung Woojin asked again,

“Do you still not believe me?”

“…No, don’t send me any photos, and don’t video call me.”

“Why not?”

Why? Wasn’t it obvious? Confused, I shook my head lightly and cleared my throat awkwardly.

“Anyway, I’m leaving.”

“What about lunch?”

“I don’t know, I’ll figure it out when I’m out.”

As I was about to slip on my sneakers, bending the heels, Jung Woojin knelt down naturally on the cold floor and straightened them out. Then, he tied the loose laces neatly, like it was the most normal thing in the world. He did it so smoothly that I didn’t even think to stop him.

“You’re meeting a friend after a long time. Don’t you think you should at least have a meal together?” he asked.

“…”

“Don’t go to the café right away. Have lunch first, then get coffee. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach will upset you,” he said, standing up after tying my shoes. I hadn’t realized my mouth was hanging open. Noticing my stunned expression, Jung Woojin leaned down and slid his tongue into my open mouth for just a second. He quickly licked my lips and kissed me with a smacking sound before turning me around and pushing me out the door. Smiling brightly like a wife seeing her husband off to work, he waved and said,

“Be careful and don’t follow anyone who offers you food. Call me later for sure.”

“…”

“And make sure you reply if I text you.”

Unable to say anything, I just nodded, completely bewildered. Satisfied, Jung Woojin smiled, stepped out barefoot, and gave me another quick kiss on the lips.

He kissed me. Worried someone might have seen, I quickly glanced around, but thankfully, no one was there.

As I watched the door close and slowly walked down the path, something still felt off.

“….”

Did he eat something strange? Or was he acting cautiously because of what happened yesterday? Maybe he was afraid I’d get mad again? All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind. Frowning, I kept walking until I saw the café where I was supposed to meet Gapdol. I stopped and stared at the sign for a moment before turning around quickly. I looked behind me, then ahead, and even to the sides, but there was no sign of Jung Woojin. I took out my phone from my pocket.

Since it hadn’t been long since I left, there were no messages yet. No, this was really strange. Normally, Jung Woojin would have already sent ten texts by now, even if I had just left. After some hesitation, I sent him a message.

I stared at the screen. Since I didn’t touch anything, the screen quickly went dark. I couldn’t believe it. No matter how late his replies were, he always responded within ten seconds.

“…Is he really sick or something?”

It had been exactly one minute, and still no reply.

Feeling uneasy, I kept staring at my phone as I reached the café. I found a seat in a corner, didn’t even bother ordering coffee, and just kept looking at my phone until it vibrated. I hurriedly checked the message.

So, that’s why. Just as I was about to respond, I sensed someone approaching. I looked up to see Gapdol, wearing a cap pulled low over his face, plopping down in front of me.

“Did you quit smoking?” were the first words out of his mouth as soon as he arrived. I frowned, and Gapdol quickly said, “Oh, right. Since you lost your memory, you might as well quit. I need a smoke.”

With a troubled expression, Gapdol got up and headed to the smoking room. Through the glass wall, I could see him smoking, looking serious. Watching him for a moment, I stood up and followed him into the smoking room.

“Give me one too.”

I hadn’t expected to be a smoker, but I figured maybe a cigarette would help jog my memory, even if it was a long shot. I put one in my mouth, and just as I was about to light it, Gapdol exhaled a cloud of smoke and asked,

“So, you’ve been living with Jung Woojin ever since you lost your memory?”

“Yeah, he was the first person I saw when I woke up in the hospital.”

“When was that?”

When was it, exactly? I thought hard as I sucked on the filter. The feeling of the smoke sliding down my throat was vivid. Tense, I exhaled again, but my throat didn’t burn, and I didn’t gag. Holding the cigarette awkwardly between my fingers, I wedged the filter between my knuckles. That felt more comfortable.

“Not too long ago. It’s been about a month.”

“What were you doing before you lost your memory? Why are you two living together?”

Gapdol kept asking questions with a serious look on his face, like he was interrogating me. I had no idea what to say. I couldn’t exactly tell him that Jung Woojin had kept me locked up on some isolated island near Jeju. I just looked at him for a moment before shaking my head.

“There were… reasons.”

“What reasons, you bastard? How am I supposed to know if you don’t tell me? Why’d you even call me out here?”

There he goes cursing again. I stubbed out my cigarette, which had burned down to the filter, and asked,

“And why the hell do you keep calling me a bastard? Am I your friend?”

“Then are you my dad, you son of a bitch?”

“…How close were we?”

“What, you and me?”

“Yeah.”

“You were a total outcast, you loser.”

Gapdol said it with a straight face. I almost told him to stop spouting nonsense but decided to keep my mouth shut. If I really had any close friends, wouldn’t they have reached out to me by now? Given that no one had contacted me, what he said actually seemed plausible. I nodded without saying much, and Gapdol spoke with a sour expression.

“Sangpil reached out.”

Sangpil? I opened my eyes wide and asked,

“Choi Sangpil?”

“Do you remember him? When I told him you lost your memory, he said he’d hit you over the head with a hammer if you two met.”

“Why the hell would he do that? Does he want me dead or something?”

“He thinks if you take a hit to the head, your memory might come back.”

What a bunch of lunatics. Seeing the horror on my face, Gapdol sighed heavily and rubbed his face with his hands.

“So how did you end up losing your memory?”

“I don’t know.”

“What about living with Jung Woojin? Yesterday, when I saw that guy…”

The phone vibrated. It was Jung Woojin. I glanced at Gapdol before answering.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Just now.”

“Yeah.”

Hearing the frustration in his voice, I could easily imagine the expression Jung Woojin was making. Sighing, I stood up from my chair.

“I was just about to go eat.”

While still on the phone, I used my free hand to pull Gapdol up. He quickly grabbed his cigarette and lighter, looking at me in confusion.

“Why?”

“Let’s eat first.”

“I already ate before I came.”

“Just eat again.”

As Gapdol and I bickered, I noticed that Jung Woojin had gone unusually quiet. I let go of Gapdol’s arm and asked,

“Did you hang up?”

“What?”

Before I could respond, the call ended. I stared blankly at the phone screen in disbelief. Jung Woojin had hung up first. He had never, not once, hung up on me before—let alone even mentioned needing to end a call.

“What the hell is up with him?”

Now, it wasn’t just unease—I was starting to get irritated.

I suddenly lost my appetite and, forgetting about food, I went back into the café. I left the ordering to Gapdol and kept my eyes glued to my phone.

If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have felt this anxious. But Jung Woojin wasn’t like other people. His behavior made me uneasy because I couldn’t figure out what he was plotting, what he was thinking, or what he might be planning next. Just staring at my phone, Gapdol sat down across from me.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“About what?”

“You can’t keep living with Jung Woojin forever.”

I looked up at Gapdol and then at the steaming mug in front of me. As I stared at the cup, Gapdol asked,

“Does amnesia mean you don’t remember anything at all?”

“I don’t remember people… and I can’t recall words very well, either. But when I talk or some time passes, things come back pretty quickly.”

“…Hey, is this seriously as bad as it sounds?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t really get it, but isn’t this a pretty big deal?”

It probably was a big deal. But, like Gapdol, I wasn’t fully grasping the gravity of the situation. Maybe it was because I’d lost my memory, but I didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable or find my current life strange. People who knew me might be struggling, but I didn’t feel the same.

“What did the hospital say?”

“They said my memory could come back, or it might not. It’s fifty-fifty.”

“What the hell? Is that all they had to say? Shouldn’t they be doing something to help you remember?”

Gapdol cursed angrily, his expression so serious that I didn’t know how to respond. I just furrowed my brow and stayed quiet until Gapdol spoke again.

“You idiot, how do you manage to lose your memory like this? Seriously, what the hell… So, what are you going to do?”

“It’s not like I lost a leg or an arm. It’s just some memories. They’ll probably come back with time.”

“Listen to yourself. So, what’s Jung Woojin saying? Are you going to keep living with him? You do know he’s younger than you, right? You’re not living like some slave in that house, are you?”

What nonsense was this idiot spouting? As I frowned, Gapdol asked seriously,

“What does Jung Woojin say? He’s not mistreating you, is he?”

“He’s really kind.”

“I mean, yeah, he’s polite and respectful to seniors, but… Why the hell is he so rude to me?”

The last time we met at the university and even yesterday, he did look at Gapdol like he wanted to kill him. But right now, why Jung Woojin had acted that way didn’t seem to matter.

“Jung Woojin told me I’m an orphan. Is that true?”

“What?”

At that moment, Gapdol frowned deeply and asked again. Seeing his expression made me curse under my breath. Damn, could it be that Jung Woojin was lying about me being an orphan? No way…

“How does Jung Woojin know you’re an orphan?”

“…So I really am an orphan?”

“Yeah, you are.”

“Shit, you scared me. Alright, that’s fine then. Anyway, I’m an orphan, no relatives or siblings, right?”

Gapdol nodded reluctantly in response to my question.

“Good, then.”

“…You said the first person you saw when you woke up in the hospital was Jung Woojin, right? Why was he the first person you saw? Do you think losing your memory has anything to do with him? And why the hell are you even living with him…?”

“There were some circumstances.”

I half-expected Gapdol to start yelling at me, asking what those circumstances were, but surprisingly, he stayed quiet. He just stared at me, as if trying to read my thoughts. I averted my gaze. To be honest, I thought that meeting up like this and talking might trigger at least a fragment of memory. But my expectations were completely wrong. I had hoped that just seeing someone would spark something, but… not a single memory returned, and I had nothing to say.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable living with Jung Woojin?”

“Not really. But why do you keep asking me stuff like that?”

“Because it’s fucking weird. That guy supposedly has OCD. Plus, you never talked to him back when we were in school, right? Isn’t that weird?”

“OCD, my ass…”

From what I’d seen, Jung Woojin was the type to eat something I had spit out. The idea of him having OCD was unbelievable.

“Anyway, if you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m heading out.”

“What?”

Gapdol looked at me with a surprised expression as I stood up. To be honest, I hadn’t planned to leave so quickly. But the longer I stayed out, the worse I felt. It wasn’t exactly disgust—it was closer to anxiety. I hadn’t felt this way when I first came out, but now I was feeling nauseous and my vision was starting to spin. I’d never experienced anything like this before, and even the overhead light was getting on my nerves.

If I didn’t keep track of the expressions of everyone walking by outside, I felt a wave of inexplicable anxiety. If my eyes met anyone else’s, my entire body tensed up.

“You’re leaving already? Why?”

“I just feel uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? Here? Then let’s go somewhere else…”

“No, it’s just… I’ve never been outside this long by myself before…”

I trailed off mid-sentence. I just realized something.

“What?”

Gapdol asked, sounding confused, and I became even more flustered. The reason I was so on edge and anxious was because everything around me felt unfamiliar and terrifying. As soon as I realized I was scared, an overwhelming sense of fear started to creep in. But I couldn’t pinpoint what I was so afraid of. It just felt like everything was attacking me.

“Hey.”

Gapdol noticed something was off and reached out toward me. Cold sweat broke out, soaking my back in an instant. I forced myself to act nonchalant and glared at Gapdol.

“I’ll call you later.”

“Wait, hold on a sec—!”

I wasn’t even sure if I was walking properly. I pushed open the café door and stepped outside, but the air felt heavier. It didn’t make sense, but it felt like I had entered a completely different space. As I took another step, someone grabbed my wrist. I flinched, trembling violently in shock.

“Hey, what the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Jung Woojin…”

“What?”

“Bring Jung Woojin here.”

I was shaking uncontrollably, speaking without even thinking, and my hand started to turn bright red. I quickly looked up and saw Gapdol on the phone with someone. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. I lowered my head again, and blood was gushing from my hand like water from a faucet, soaking the ground. The floor where the blood pooled seemed to ripple with something dark.

I lifted my head to look around, but no matter how hard I focused, my vision wouldn’t clear. Everything was spinning, scattered. The sounds, the sights, and even the ground beneath my feet.

I was falling endlessly.

＊ ＊ ＊

From a distance, I heard a sound. Murmurs, though I couldn’t make out the words, gradually grew closer. When I strained to listen, the murmurs turned into the sound of waves. Then, they morphed into the cries of a child. Just when I thought the ever-changing noise would drive me mad, a familiar voice called out to me, like a beam of light cutting through the darkness.

“Sunbae.”

My eyes snapped open immediately after hearing the voice. I let out a breath that had been stuck in my throat. As I panted and broke out into a cold sweat, Jung Woojin gently stroked my forehead. The coolness of his hand seemed to miraculously ease my headache. I couldn’t move my body, only my eyes darted around, taking in my surroundings. Realizing I was at home, I sighed in relief. I relaxed my body and closed my eyes again, but the hand that had been on my forehead slid down to my cheek. When I opened my eyes, I saw Jung Woojin staring at me with his dark eyes.

“Are you feeling more clear-headed?”

“….”

“Do you know who I am?”

My vision was still a bit blurry. I nodded slightly, and Jung Woojin sighed as if he was upset.

“What happened? All of a sudden… No, let’s talk about it later. For now, just rest a bit more. You’re not feeling uncomfortable anywhere, right?”

I nodded again, but then the memory of what had happened before I passed out came back to me. Frowning, I asked, “When did I get home? Where’s Gapdol? You said you were having dinner with your parents, so when did you get here? What time is it now?”

“I just got here. You don’t remember?”

“What?”

Jung Woojin furrowed his brows and let out a deep sigh. He lowered his head and grasped my hand, sighing repeatedly before speaking softly.

“You woke up briefly when you were at the hospital.”

“Hospital? Who? Me? When?”

“A little while ago.”

“…”

“As soon as you woke up, Sunbae, you grabbed my hand tightly and said you wanted to go home.”

I just stared at Jung Woojin, dumbfounded. How could I not remember something like that, even if I was out of it? I furrowed my brow, trying to recall anything, but nothing came to mind. Seeing this, Jung Woojin rested his cheek on the back of my hand and asked, “Did that guy say something strange?”

“That guy?”

“The doctors said there wasn’t anything physically wrong. But considering there might be a mental issue, they said you might react this way if you were shocked by something…”

Jung Woojin kept talking, but none of it registered. I slowly shook my head.

“It’s not like that. I just got dizzy.”

“What did you two talk about…”

Jung Woojin trailed off mid-sentence and sighed again. He tucked my hand under the blanket and stood up.

“We can talk later. Just rest for now. I’ll bring you something simple to eat.”

He bent down and kissed my forehead. With a slightly sour expression, I asked, “What about dinner with your parents? Did I ruin it for you?”

“It’s fine. We already said everything that needed to be said.”

“Said everything?”

“Yeah. Wait here. I’ll get you something.”

Jung Woojin’s voice was flat as he turned to leave. He looked completely drained as he walked toward the living room, as though he’d been really shaken up. I watched his slouched back until he disappeared from sight. Then, I suddenly sat up in bed. My head didn’t hurt at all anymore, and I felt fine—so fine that I was almost embarrassed to have passed out. I got out of bed and went into the living room, where I found Jung Woojin standing by the table, removing the stems from strawberries. He looked gloomy as he did it, but when he saw me, he approached with a strawberry in hand.

“Why did you get up?”

“…”

“Do you need something?”

I silently watched Jung Woojin for a moment before lowering my gaze to the bright red, stemmed strawberry. So, this was what he was doing, all sad like that—just removing strawberry stems. He looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment. When I looked back up, I saw his shiny, tear-filled eyes following mine.

I wanted to apologize for worrying him, but the words wouldn’t come out. After a few attempts to speak, I eventually scratched the back of my neck and asked, “Did you eat?”

“What? Do you want to eat something other than strawberries? I thought you wouldn’t have much of an appetite after just waking up…”

“No, that’s not what I meant… Did you eat?”

“I did, earlier…”

“Earlier? You already ate?”

Jung Woojin paused for a moment, then shook his head.

“No.”

“You’re not hungry?”

“No. What about you, sunbae?”

“Me neither, not really. But hey… even if you’re not hungry, you should eat a little.”

As I stammered through my words, Jung Woojin sighed with a tired expression. He then reached out with the hand holding a strawberry and pulled me into a hug. With his forehead resting on my shoulder, he spoke in a low, barely alive voice.

“My stomach feels weird all of a sudden because I relaxed.”

“……”

“I have no strength left in my body…”

“Were you really that shocked?”

Jung Woojin didn’t answer and just gave a small nod. He kept rubbing his forehead against my shoulder. After standing there awkwardly for a while, I sighed and hugged his back. We stayed like that for a long time before I asked.

“I really didn’t say much.”

“What did you talk about?”

Jung Woojin questioned me as if he had been waiting for the chance.

“I just said that I was an orphan… and they asked why we live together, stuff like that. I really didn’t say much. Gapdoli didn’t say much either… Nothing really happened, but I got dizzy all of a sudden, that’s all.”

Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt like a criminal. As I desperately tried to explain myself, Jung Woojin tightened his arms around me. I couldn’t breathe, but I couldn’t push him away.

“Do you know how shocked I was when I got that call?”

“……”

“From now on, I’m never letting you go out alone. No matter what you say, I’ll never let you go out alone.”

Jung Woojin said firmly, though his voice had a bit of a whine to it. I was about to say something, but I couldn’t find the right words and just felt sorry, so I changed the subject.

“What did you talk about with your parents? It’s been a while since you saw them, right?”

“I don’t know.”

Still holding onto me, Jung Woojin moved forward, pushing me back until I collapsed onto the sofa. He didn’t lift his head or loosen his arms around me. As I stared at the ceiling, I gently ran my fingers through his soft hair and said.

“Sorry.”

At my words, Jung Woojin lifted his head. His dark eyes were moist with tears. I couldn’t help but feel flustered.

“What the—were you crying?”

“……”

“Jeez, you cry at the drop of a hat…”

“……”

“Okay, I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

As I readily admitted my fault, Jung Woojin buried his face in my shoulder again. Then he started mumbling to himself, as if wanting me to know how worried he had been, and how much it had upset him.

“I was really worried.”

“Yeah, I was wrong.”

“I thought you were going to die.”

“I know.”

“I almost got into an accident on the way here.”

“You did?”

“Not this time, but if you worry me again, I’m going to crash into a telephone pole.”

“……”

What did the telephone pole ever do wrong…?

“Don’t go out alone anymore.”

I had no idea what my collapse had to do with going out alone, but I just nodded along to whatever Jung Woojin was saying. Even after he stopped talking, he kept hugging me and rubbing his face against my neck. After coaxing him up, we finally ate.

As I was watching Jung Woojin do the dishes while eating strawberries, I heard a vibrating sound. Jung Woojin frowned, turned his head, and looked at me. I scratched the back of my neck and checked the phone lying on the sofa. It was Gapdoli. I sat back down on the chair and was about to reply to the message asking if I was okay when I noticed that Jung Woojin had stopped doing the dishes and was staring intently at me, his entire body turned in my direction. I showed him the phone and said,

“It’s just a message asking if I’m okay.”

“I don’t like him.”

“…Gapdol is your friend, isn’t he?”

I asked, somewhat incredulously, and Jung Woojin glared at me.

“I really don’t like that guy.”

Do you even like anyone? I almost asked, but I was afraid he’d cling to me again, so I just sighed. I replied to Gapdoli’s message, telling him I was fine.

“Earlier, you said it was only right to have a meal with a friend you hadn’t seen in a while.”

Jung Woojin turned back and finished washing the dishes. After he removed his rubber gloves and washed his hands, he dried them with a towel and approached me. He sat lightly on the edge of the table and took my phone. I could tell he was checking the messages.

“I got a new job.”

“What? Really? Where?”

Jung Woojin, who had been silently looking at the screen, said nothing for a moment before putting the phone back on the table.

“I think I’m going to start modeling again. My mom wants me to work in that field.”

“Really? That’s good. When do you start?”

“Probably early next year.”

“Next year? So there’s still about four months left.”

Could he have met his parents to talk about his job? Now that I thought about it, I vaguely recalled hearing that the modeling agency Jung Woojin worked for was his mom’s company. As I was thinking about this, my phone vibrated. The moment it did, Jung Woojin checked it. It was probably a message from Gapdol, but Jung Woojin didn’t show it to me. He just turned off the screen and placed the phone back on the table. I looked at him curiously, then reached for the phone, but Jung Woojin placed his hand over mine.

“Kim Jeongsu works at my dad’s company.”

Kim Jeongsu? The unfamiliar name made me tilt my head in confusion, and Jung Woojin smiled as he continued.

“Your friend’s dad.”

“…Gapdol?”

“Yeah. He just got promoted and is being transferred abroad.”

“What?”

“My dad’s company has great benefits. They take care of not just the employees but also their families.”

I couldn’t make sense of what Jung Woojin was saying. I just stared at him, confused, unable to respond. Then, all of a sudden, he lowered his head and kissed me on the lips, making a soft smacking sound. After pulling away, he spoke right in front of me.

“Even though it’s a promotion, the transfer was so sudden that the company will support them a lot. Like helping with the move, or if the situation allows, even immigration. And whether they move or immigrate, your friend will be going abroad for school as soon as this semester ends.”

Jung Woojin kept talking after that, explaining everything in detail as if he was trying to make me understand, but I only caught about half of it. I looked at him and furrowed my brows before asking.

“Wait, so you’re saying Gapdol’s dad works at your dad’s company, and now that he got promoted… Gapdol’s whole family is moving abroad?”

“Something like that.”

“……”

“Actually, I asked them to look into study abroad opportunities for him. From what I found out, Kim Gapjin has been thinking about working in IT and prepared to study abroad a few years ago. I’m not sure why he didn’t end up going, though.”

“……”

“It’s not certain, but it might’ve been a financial issue…”

I reached out and grabbed Jung Woojin’s wrist. He stopped talking, closed his mouth, and looked down at my hand holding his wrist. I felt dizzy and couldn’t organize my thoughts. Seeing me like that, Jung Woojin tilted his head and asked, completely calm.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Was this the thing you were talking about with your parents? Gapdol’s study abroad? Or his dad’s promotion…?”

“Yeah, why?”

“…What? Why? How can you say that like it’s nothing…?”

Even though I knew he didn’t like Gapdol, how could he send him abroad like this? It seemed like he was determined to make sure we never met again. Normally, I’d be angry, but I was so baffled that I couldn’t even get mad. His earlier comment about having a meal with a friend suddenly made sense now. I had wondered why he said that… Jung Woojin watched my bewildered expression before he spoke again.

“Do you hate it?”

“What?”

“If you really don’t want him to go abroad, I’ll talk to my dad again. I promised my mom and even signed a contract to start modeling again, even though I don’t want to, just because of this. But if you say you don’t like it, I guess I have no choice.”

“……”

“Should I call him again?”

Just try calling him, I thought, glaring at him as he reached for his phone. Watching him, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of family this was. How was any of this even possible? I sighed and asked,

“What if Gapdol doesn’t want to study abroad?”

This wasn’t just moving to another school—it was leaving the country entirely… It didn’t make sense, no matter how many times I thought about it. I knew that Jung Woojin didn’t like me seeing Gapdol, but I never imagined he’d go this far.