My Ex-Girlfriend Regrets Dumping Me

25 – Opportunity (2)

Ha-yeon started part-time work after almost two years.

During that time, due to illness and recovery, Ha-yeon couldn’t touch any work at all.

But now that she had regained her health, Ha-yeon couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.

“I want to relieve some of Aunt’s burden, even just a little.”

The financial burden Aunt had to bear because of her was quite significant.

So even if it was just a little, Ha-yeon had a strong desire to earn her own living expenses.

It had been only about a month since she started working after the semester began.

The place where she worked was a PC room near the university campus.

There were still some minor mistakes, but the colleagues who taught her were friendly, so she felt quite comfortable.

Ha-yeon’s working hours were during the busiest weekend afternoons.

Since the store wasn’t that big, this was the only time when two people needed to work together.

They busily served the flurry of customers until the store quieted down for a while.

“It’s tough, isn’t it? The orders suddenly pile up.”

One of her experienced co-workers said as she looked at Ha-yeon slumped in her chair.

Indeed, Ha-yeon was in a state of exhaustion.

She wasn’t particularly strong in terms of stamina, and despite having recovered, her stamina wasn’t what it used to be.

His name was Hyun-jun, if I remember correctly. He also had a tired-looking face.

“Yes, a little. It seems busier today for some reason.”

“Sometimes it gets frantic like this. Ah, so tired.”

Hyun-jun slumped onto his chair with a thud.

Just as they thought it would calm down a bit, they heard the sound of coins jingling again.

Both of them stood up from their seats simultaneously upon hearing the sound and greeted the customers.

“Welcome.”

“Welcome…”

But Ha-yeon froze in her place without finishing her greeting.

He did that because the person who entered through the door was someone she knew.

“Wow, it’s cool.”

“Yeah. Even though it’s not summer yet, they must have turned on the air conditioner.”

A bright brown-haired figure enters with a bright smile.

And it’s Gunyul, responding to her with a smile.

Furthermore, even their hands, clasped like lovers, look affectionate.

All of these elements made Hayeon uncomfortable.

“…Oh my.”

“Hayeon, huh?”

Without saying a word of greeting, Hayeon rushes into the kitchen.

Because she was afraid of running into Gunyul and having to face him.

“After getting drunk and insulting him like that. How can I face him?”

She couldn’t bear to look at him after recalling her actions while drunk.

In hindsight, it was a really stupid thing to do.

Of course, thanks to being drunk, she had the courage to speak sincerely.

But the result seemed to be that he completely despised her.

“…Sigh.”

It was embarrassing and honestly she was afraid to see him.

It felt like he would scowl as soon as he saw her face.

– …Seriously, you’re disgusting. Seo Hayeon. If I knew you were like this, I wouldn’t have dated you.

Those words she heard at that time deeply wounded her heart.

Hayeon tried hard not to recall them, but every night her chest throbbed.

If she were to hear those words face to face with him…

Hayeon couldn’t bear to imagine anything beyond that.

At that time, it was just a phone call and she was in a dazed state, thankfully.

If she had been sober, she probably would have shattered miserably.

“Hayeon, why did you suddenly go to the kitchen?”

“…Ah…Well…”

Hyunjun followed Hayeon to the kitchen, sensing that her behavior was strange, and asked.

And upon observing Hayeon’s gloomy expression, he spoke to her.

“Do you know him? He seems quite unpleasant?”

Ha-yeon didn’t know what to say in response.

It was even more awkward to tell her co-worker that her ex-boyfriend had come looking for her.

“…. Ah, yes. He’s a bit of an uncomfortable person.”

She never thought she would think of him as someone who made her feel uneasy.

Ha-yeon felt depressed even as the words left her mouth.

*

The two sat down at a table not far from the counter. They were close enough that Ha-yeon could see them even while seated at the counter.

The store seemed overly calm as if it had just passed through a busy season.

Ha-yeon tried to ignore them and fiddled with her phone, but eventually found herself glancing over at Gun-yul without realizing it.

“Why is your ranking so low? You play a lot of games.”

“That’s from a long time ago. I used to play a lot back in the day. I really liked games.”

“But you only have Genji. It’s really frustrating. You’re a Genji fanatic.”

“Hey. Do you know how much Genji costs? You don’t know anything.”

They bickered back and forth, but they both continued to laugh together.

Seeing them, Ha-yeon felt her heart squeeze painfully.

It was annoying watching the other girl beside him smile like a fox.

Why was she acting like she belonged beside Gun-yul?

Despite knowing she had no right to, Ha-yeon wanted the girl to disappear from his side.

“Stop playing games and hang out with me.”

“Ha-yeon, just a little longer. One more game, please.”

And then she remembered their past.

Ha-yeon had never enjoyed gaming, always refused Gun-yul’s offers, urging him to go do something else when he sat in front of his computer.

She regretted even the little things now that things had turned out this way.

Seeing how happy he was talking about games made her slightly guilty.

Of course, it was just meaningless regret.

Now, even playing games with him was impossible for her.

“What kind of relationship do they have? Are they already dating?”

What worried her even more was their relationship.

From the moment they entered the store, they were holding hands, and if they were together alone in the PC room, they were not just friends.

Seeing the neat appearance of the two, it seemed that they were also aware of each other’s gaze.

Moreover, it wasn’t the first time Hayeon had seen them.

She had witnessed them hugging each other at a crosswalk last time.

“Maybe they are just some. Or maybe it’s something more.”

As she thought so, she felt a numbness in her hands and feet as if hurting.

Her chest became stuffy like it was submerged in water.

All she did was watch her ex-boyfriend be with another girl.

She couldn’t understand why her heart was hurting so much.

“What are they doing really? Me.”

Without realizing it, she looked over them across the monitor screen, trying not to get caught.

She looked so pathetic, not sitting at this counter seat, but the seat next to him where the short-haired girl sat.

“Jia.”

“Yes?”

“Could you turn your face to this side for a moment?”

Suddenly, Gunyul called Jia who was concentrating on the screen.

Jia turned her head to Gunyul with a puzzled look, and Gunyul gently adjusted her bangs with his finger.

“It pokes your eyes. Your bangs.”

Gunyul spoke kindly to Jia with a sweet tone, making her smile.

Hayeon’s heart sank at the sight.

“… You used to only do that for me. Yul-ah.”

It was a habit that Gunyul always did for her.

Sometimes, when Hayeon’s hair was long enough to reach her eyes, he would gently touch her hair with a smile.

That was Hayeon’s favorite thing.

My heart raced every time I saw his face, smiling and gently touching his own hair.

Therefore, sometimes I intentionally let my bangs down and walk around like that.

“Ah… Thank you. Oppa.”

Jia blushed and giggled shyly.

Seeing her expression, an irrational impulse to ruin it bubbled up inside me.

Such wicked thoughts of wanting to ruin that girl’s expression.

Ha-yeon was slightly surprised at herself for having such thoughts.

But as soon as she saw the two people looking happy again, those thoughts disappeared completely.

It was just a feeling of anger boiling up in her heart, wanting to scream somewhere.

“Stay away. Just stay away. Please.”

It felt like that girl was taking everything she had.

The words and skinship that were only reserved for her.

And that girl enjoying all of it instead.

With the title of his lover.

Just thinking about it was dreadful.

She barely held back the urge to retch rising up in her chest.

Unconsciously, Ha-yeon bit her lips hard.

Her hand clenching too tightly, her fingernails digging into her flesh, causing pain.

“Um… Ha-yeon-ssi. Are you angry, by any chance?”

“…Yes?”

Hyun-jun, who was sitting next to her, playing with his phone, spoke to her.

He briefly glanced at Ha-yeon.

“No. It’s nothing. Since that customer came in, your expression has become really hostile. Or perhaps, are you feeling unwell?”

Ha-yeon couldn’t see her own face, so she didn’t know how she had changed.

She quickly apologized to Hyun-jun.

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

“Then please relax your expression. I almost got scared for a moment and almost cried.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

The phone that she was holding suddenly had a black screen, reflecting her own face.

Looking at herself in the screen, Ha-yeon was slightly surprised.

Honestly, there were times when I thought Hyun-joon was being pretentious, but he wasn’t. … That was because her face was like that of a jealous witch in a fairy tale.