Speak of The Devil

Now it’s just funny.My emotions, actions, hopes, and desires… and Jung Yiyeon, everything.As I lay on the ground, I didn’t turn into a broken lump of meat. The impact of the fall seemed to disappear, and I simply stood on my two feet as if nothing had happened.“Let’s go home.”In an oddly indifferent manner, I comforted the crying Jaeoh. A wry smile appeared on my face at the sight of him, who detached himself from my arms. His expression, away from my embrace, was quite perplexed. He seemed puzzled about how I could be so nonchalant and was reluctant to ask what had happened. Yet, at the same time, he seemed to pity me.Even after being disappointed and unable to sever the attachment, I had become such a pitiful being, indulging in foolishness. This newfound realization made me feel increasingly disheartened.“I’ll drive.”“I… I…”“I’ll drive. Go wash up and get some sleep. What’s this situation, two guys like this?”Because Seo Jaeoh suddenly hugged me while holding the umbrella, I couldn’t properly use the umbrella, leaving both him and me looking like drowned rats. Two guys doing something awkward in the middle of the night, not filming a movie or anything, was embarrassing.I lifted Jaeoh into the car and took the driver’s seat. Despite my apparent indifference, Jaeoh, with his eyes red from crying, looked so miserable. The car headed toward our home.“Jaeoh.”“Why?”“I’m thinking of going on a trip. Maybe for a week?”Jaeoh looked at me with eyes soaked in anxiety. His gaze seemed to reveal a hint of fear, as if he thought I might be contemplating suicide.“I… I…”“Just to clear my head a bit. Don’t worry too much.”“….”“I’ll be back, me.”And after arriving home, I took a shower and immediately lay down on the bed. Fatigue overwhelmed me.I took a short nap, and after receiving a call from Jung Yiyeon, I rushed to the residence, and having sex seemed to have taken a toll on my body. Maybe it was the fatigue from falling asleep and waking up several times after that, all within ten hours.When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was change my phone number. After that, there was nothing to hesitate about. Fortunately, I quickly booked a flight departing for Japan and boarded the plane the next day.***Even though it was an unplanned trip to Japan, I could enjoy pleasant and delightful moments. It was so enjoyable that, contrary to my initial plan of one week, I ended up staying for more than a month.Because it was the peak season for travel, it cost me a lot, but I spent it generously. The money I exchanged was used up in just a few days, so I withdrew yen from the local ATMs during my trip. Even that was not enough, and toward the end of the trip, I used my friend’s credit card at times, but I had no regrets. I made friends with other travelers, roamed around together, had fun at clubs, and enjoyed eating and drinking. It was a very fulfilling month.Returning to Seoul on a limousine bus, almost reaching my apartment, I received a call from Jaeoh. I had contacted him upon arrival at the airport, but there was no response, and it seemed he had some free time now.– Did you have a good trip?“Yeah, I had a great time. Why worry so much?”Jaeoh was extremely worried about me during my trip. He kept checking in on me, making sure I was alive, eating properly, and sleeping well. Occasionally, he even called me, making me report what I did all day. It was as if he was worried that I, like a delinquent teenager, would stray down the wrong path or something…“What time do you finish work?”I asked as I rode the elevator. Even though the probation period had ended, and it was time to start the three-shift rotation, why was he only working during the day? Of course, even with daytime work, lately, it seemed that he almost never finished on time.– It might be late again today….“Let’s have dinner together. If it doesn’t work out tonight, how about tomorrow?”“Tomorrow too… I got assigned to a VIP client, and they told me to be on standby even at night until the guest leaves.”Although I worked as the secretary to the hotel CEO in the hotel back office, I didn’t know exactly about the front office’s operations. Still, exploiting a concierge to that extent? Sometimes VIP customers demand a dedicated 24-hour concierge, but Jaeoh was just a rookie who had barely removed the trainee label. Unless some insane VIP specifically marked Jaeoh and insisted on having him, it was hard to understand why he was treated so poorly.Anyway, one thing was certain: Jaeoh was in a pretty shitty situation.“Hang in there as best you can.”– I don’t want to quit and be dragged to Busan.“Go to Busan? I’ll hire you as my secretary.”– Really? Seriously?? You want to go to Busan with me?His reaction was so intense that I was surprised. I laughed heartily, thinking it was half-joking. Only then did Jaeoh grumble as if he was relieved.– I have to go in now. I’ll call you later. Can I come home at night?“Yeah, sure. Keep in touch.”I still don’t love Jaeoh. However, I was no different from the past when I didn’t love anyone. Therefore, my attitude toward Jaeoh wasn’t significantly different. Just as back then when I pretended not to know his feelings while knowing them, I felt no discomfort up to the point where he didn’t demand affection from me.When Jaeoh hung up, the elevator door opened at the perfect timing. I dragged my suitcase along the corridor of the old-fashioned apartment building, heading home. It was our home, not seen for a month.The place seemed empty, indicating that my brother was still busy. The apartment was still clean as I left it when I cleaned up before leaving. Although the weather outside was extremely hot, I opened the windows, cleaned the floor, and did the best I could. After running the vacuum cleaner, mopping the floor, it was much improved.Afterwards, I immediately opened the suitcase to organize my belongings. I separated clothes to be dry cleaned from those to be washed at home and sorted out various miscellaneous items. Finally, I covered the empty suitcase with its cover and stored it in the storage room. Despite feeling a bit tired from the aftermath of the trip, organizing luggage promptly was a habit.Now, it seemed perfect to shower and sleep. Since Jaeoh said he would come at night, it might be good to sleep until then and have a late-night snack together. Thinking about it, I took a shower with hot water. It was quite a pleasant experience to shower in my own home after a long time.However, just as I came out of the bathroom, the doorbell rang.Our shared home, my brother’s and mine, was in an old apartment building, and we couldn’t confirm visitors through the intercom. I had promised myself to replace it with a new one that showed the outside view someday, but I had just left it alone until now. In the end, to confirm a visitor, there was no choice but to go through the trouble of getting up.It couldn’t be my brother ringing the bell, and it wasn’t the right time for Jaeoh. With a casual thought that it might be someone lightly encouraging religion, I went to the entrance.“Uhm…”However, there was an unexpected man standing in front of the door.“I… called.”He was a tall man, towering over 180cm. His white face, neatly arranged hairstyle, and well-dressed suit were quite impressive. His face was exactly the type I liked. Even his lower-pitched voice, which was lower than usual, was pleasant to hear. It was Jung Yiyeon.“I left messages, and I called…”“I was on a trip. What’s the matter?”Of course, the lack of contact was because I changed my number. Without explicitly mentioning that I changed my number, I cut him off and asked about the business.But then, Jung Yiyeon’s eyes widened, as if he was surprised. As if asking about his business was unusual, as if something was strange about me asking him about the matter.Only then did I notice his lips that were stuck to his eyes. It seemed like he had lost some weight, and the area under his eyes felt tight. I stared at the man who, despite the dryness, was licking his lips as if they might tear apart and bleed at any moment.I couldn’t understand why he was standing in front of me with such a gloomy expression.“…Secretary Lee.”“Yes?”“Uh… right.”Seemingly with great determination, he took a short deep breath. It was as if he was summoning the courage to say something difficult.After hesitating for a while, Jung Yiyeon finally spoke. With a deep sigh, he uttered in a low voice.“I was wrong.”“…”“Let’s date, us.”…Those were honestly words that surprised me greatly. It was such an unexpected story that I momentarily stiffened.These were words I never thought I would hear from Jung Yiyeon. Well, I had never expected it. There were days when I suffered so much because I wished for it too much. Days when I hoped he would say, “Let’s date.” Days when I wanted him to respond positively to my desire to date.But now…“Hey, Jung Yiyeon.”What were those feelings?“What should I do? I have no intention of doing that with you at all.”Even as I looked into his eyes, which widened as if he couldn’t believe it, well, I don’t remember. I can’t recall why I suffered so much, what those emotions were.Sorry, I don’t even remember now.