Ch.114114. The Truth of the Labyrinth

Even if they wanted to drink and party all night, they couldn’t.

The 23rd batch, kicked out of the restaurant at 11 PM, had no choice but to return to their lodgings with lingering regret.

“So, shall we meet tomorrow at 10? Or 11?”

The performance was scheduled to start at 11.

“Let’s make it 10. It’s not like we’ll have anything special to do in our rooms.”

“Alright then. We’ll meet on the first floor at 10.”

After parting ways with the girls, Suhyeok and Choegang entered their room.

“I’m showering first!”

Choegang, apparently uncomfortable from sweating, went inside without waiting for Suhyeok’s response.

Left alone, Suhyeok lay on the bed, fiddling with his phone.

Fatigue washed over him.

Being out for so long was exhausting, just as he had expected.

But it had been incredibly fun.

Watching favorite bands together with favorite members was enjoyable enough on its own.

“Ah… I shouldn’t fall asleep before showering…”

His eyes closed involuntarily.

Suhyeok seemed to drift off to sleep without even washing up.

About an hour later.

“Come here, Park Juyeon.”

Hana and Juyeon ended up sharing the same bed.

Seoeun, the last one, had gone in to shower.

Juyeon, freshly showered and fluffy, was in her pajamas.

Hana was wearing only her underwear.

“What?”

Juyeon tried to break free from Hana’s arm, looking uncomfortable.

“Learn guitar from me. I’ll teach you well, okay?”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Ah, seriously, Park Juyeon. Do you like Lee Suhyeok that much? Enough to abandon me, your friend of two years?”

Though said jokingly, Juyeon took it seriously.

“…Yes.”

Juyeon stared at Hana with cold eyes.

“I really like Suhyeok.”

Hana had expected Juyeon to back down or agree to take lessons from her, but this response caught her off guard.

Hana momentarily lost her breath at this direct hit.

“I… I see.”

Feeling awkward to say anything more, Hana unwrapped her arm from around Juyeon’s waist.

“What about you, Hana?”

Juyeon looked up at her with bright, inquisitive eyes.

A surprise counterattack question.

“M-me?”

“Yes.”

“I… well.”

“How do you feel about Suhyeok?”

Juyeon had thought Hana might say she liked Suhyeok.

After all, she had shown such tendencies several times.

But when it came to the weight of their feelings, Juyeon believed hers was greater.

Who loved Suhyeok more sincerely?

Who could give up more for him?

Who could understand him better?

Of course, judging purely by appearance, Hana would win hands down.

But Juyeon believed relationships weren’t just about that.

To borrow an expression, dating was the process of finding your “soulmate.”

“…I like him too. He’s our band member.”

“…What about as a man?”

This confirmed it.

Juyeon had changed quite a bit.

“As a man… I think he’s fine. Someone like Lee Suhyeok.”

“…Really?”

“He’s kind, isn’t he? Lee Suhyeok.”

She thought her answer was just enough not to seem dismissive, but…

“But Hana, I think you don’t really know Suhyeok.”

Hana had been hoping to change the subject before Seoeun came out.

Her patience cracked wide open.

“I… I don’t know Lee Suhyeok?”

“…Yes. You two don’t seem to match well.”

“Why do you think that? What am I lacking?”

Hana asked in an almost confrontational tone.

“It’s not that you’re lacking… it’s more like… you’re not lacking enough, which is why you don’t match.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Hana, have you ever found it difficult to approach someone?”

At this somewhat random question, Hana shook her head.

“No?”

“Then have you ever agonized over whether to send a birthday message to a friend?”

“Why waste time worrying about that? Just send it. Why even hesitate?”

The more they talked, the more convinced Juyeon became.

Hana could never understand Suhyeok.

It wasn’t that Hana was bad.

If people had textures or wavelengths, Hana and Suhyeok were complete opposites.

They were channels with incompatible frequencies.

“I worry about that a lot.”

“It’s nothing. Why worry about such trivial things?”

“…I envy that about you.”

Juyeon laughed weakly.

“But Suhyeok really empathizes when I talk about these things.”

“He understands what I find difficult, why I worry.”

“The more we share our struggles, the more connected I feel to him.”

Hana felt an inexplicable sense of defeat as the conversation continued.

“Hey, I can tell what Suhyeok is thinking just by looking at his expression, even if I can’t empathize well.”

This was something Hana was actually quite confident about.

“Really?”

Juyeon was skeptical.

“Then why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Why did you hurt Suhyeok so much?”

Hana didn’t understand.

Suhyeok had never told her about his deep shadows.

“So you really didn’t know.”

“That you were the protagonist of our original song ‘Maze’.”

When Seoeun finished her shower and came out, she found Hana rushing outside, looking mentally shattered.

* * *

She made a call.

To Lee Suhyeok.

She wondered what he was doing as the ringtone stretched on without an answer.

Just as she was about to hang up, thinking he might be asleep:

[…Hello?]

Suhyeok’s hoarse voice.

He had indeed been sleeping.

[Were you sleeping?]

[…Yeah.]

[I miss you.]

Hana expressed her thoughts without filter.

[Hmm?]

Still drowsy, Suhyeok asked, not understanding the context.

[I miss you. Come out. Lee Suhyeok.]

His mind gradually clearing, Suhyeok slowly processed Hana’s words.

Come out? What time is it now?

But why is she so desperately saying she misses me…

[I’m on the first floor. Come quickly.]

At her childlike pleading, Suhyeok gradually opened his eyes.

Snoring sounds came from beside him.

Choegang was passed out, sprawled in a starfish position without even touching the blanket.

[Ah… okay.]

After hanging up, Suhyeok scratched his head.

The clock showed 1 AM.

The owner must have gone to bed too, as there was no sound from the first floor.

Hana, wearing a crop top over dolphin pants and ankle socks, kept nervously biting her nails.

Suhyeok, coming out in the same clothes he had worn earlier, approached her after spotting her.

“What’s going on?”

Though he had heard she missed him, he was sure something must have happened for her to call him out.

“Let’s go outside.”

Suhyeok followed, wondering where they could possibly be going.

The countryside night was dark except for the streetlights.

The sounds of various insects could be heard.

Hana walked from the parking lot to the bus stop before finally stopping.

“…Lee Suhyeok.”

She rubbed the sidewalk with the sole of her shoe.

“Yes?”

“Do I not match well with you?”

“What are you talking about? So suddenly?”

“I’m not asking you to date me, just answer the question.”

It was quite a difficult question to be asked after being called out in the middle of the night.

Did he and Hana match well?

The conclusion was no.

There were many reasons.

But he didn’t think that was the answer Hana wanted to hear.

“Honestly.”

“Yes.”

“I think we do have quite a few differences…”

That was the best he could offer.

“Then what about Juyeon?”

One of Suhyeok’s most uncomfortable conversation topics emerged.

“How do you think it is with Juyeon?”

“What did you talk about with Juyeon?”

“Just answer first.”

“I think we have quite a few similarities.”

It was an answer he would give about anyone, so Suhyeok didn’t add much falsehood.

“Haah… ughhhh!”

After sighing, Hana suddenly let out a shout.

Suhyeok flinched in surprise while observing her.

“I need to hug you.”

“What?”

“I’m going to hug you, okay? Lee Suhyeok?”

Without waiting for an answer, Hana embraced Suhyeok tightly.

What was actually troubling her was the truth about their original song “Maze.”

The fact that he had written those lyrics thinking of her overlapped with things Suhyeok had said recently.

[I don’t know how much you like me.]

[I don’t understand why you like me either.]

So that’s why he withered away.

That’s why he created that song in such agony.

Ah… am I an idiot?

And I said such things to him.

Oh, really.

She thought Juyeon had every right to look down on her.

“H-Hana?”

Not understanding what was happening, Suhyeok awkwardly placed his hands on her back.

“Lee Suhyeok.”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t know you well.”

“Huh?”

“I think your personality is really weird, and sometimes I find you so frustrating I could strangle you.”

Suhyeok didn’t know what expression to make as she said these things while hugging him.

Was this… kindness? Or malice?

“But… I’ll try to understand you better.”

Hana lifted her face from his shoulder.

It might have been his imagination, but her eyes seemed slightly teary.

“That’s how much I like you, Lee Suhyeok.”

It was the moment their lips met once again.