Ch.139139. Chameleon

Hana was the one who firmly grabbed Suhyeok’s wrist as he was about to follow Juyeon.

Suhyeok’s movement was forcibly restricted.

“Lee Suhyeok.”

“Huh?”

“What are you going to do by following her?”

“But her wallet…”

“Do you think she wants to see your face right now?”

Hana didn’t like the look on Suhyeok’s face.

Even though Juyeon was her friend, it was extremely unpleasant to see her boyfriend making such an expression because of another woman.

“Give me the wallet.”

“…Okay.”

Suhyeok didn’t insist further.

Hana took Juyeon’s black leather wallet.

“I’ll give this to Juyeon myself.”

She’d rather deliver it herself than let Suhyeok and Juyeon meet alone.

Or perhaps having Seo-eun deliver it wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

“I’ll buy this.”

Hana pulled out the box of condoms she had been fiddling with earlier.

“You’re buying two?”

“Yes. We’ll use them all.”

While Suhyeok enjoyed making love with Hana, there was something about her right now that seemed…

After finishing the purchase, Hana returned to Suhyeok’s place with a sullen face.

“Honey. Are you angry…?”

Hana sat on Suhyeok’s bed.

Her expression wasn’t particularly pleasant.

“Juyeon.”

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t contact each other privately anymore.”

There were various reasons, but ultimately, there was nothing good about them having personal conversations anymore.

Since he wasn’t going to give his heart to Juyeon, giving her false hope would be cruel, and from Hana’s perspective as his girlfriend, such contact was completely unacceptable.

Suhyeok looked down at the floor with a bitter expression.

“…She doesn’t even contact me anymore.”

“Still, don’t do it from now on.”

Hana’s hand caressed Suhyeok’s cheek.

“I’m your girlfriend.”

Lover. Sweetheart. Girlfriend.

There were certainly rights that came with being someone’s beloved.

“That’s right.”

Suhyeok nodded as if he understood.

But Juyeon’s face still remained vividly in his mind.

Juyeon discovering him standing arm in arm with Hana.

Her widely dilated pupils.

Her trembling fingers.

The distinctive distortion of someone who’s been hurt was still making Suhyeok’s heart ache.

“Honey.”

Hana’s fingertips applied pressure.

It forced Suhyeok to turn his head.

Suhyeok and Hana made eye contact.

Hana gently closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Suhyeok’s.

“Hold me.”

Suhyeok’s arms embraced Hana’s shoulders.

“Tighter.”

It was an attempt to confirm his feelings.

In truth, Hana knew.

That Suhyeok didn’t dislike Juyeon.

That he cherished her.

She understood well that it was unreasonable to ask him to erase all memories of someone who shared the same memories of Spirit with him.

That’s why she didn’t excessively question or pressure him.

She just tried to be better for him.

So that he wouldn’t even think about Juyeon.

So that she could appear more attractive, making Suhyeok look only at her.

Hana’s hand slipped inside Suhyeok’s t-shirt.

“…I want you.”

“…Alright.”

The two mixed their bodies to hide their tumultuous feelings.

Having become quite familiar with each other’s bodies, Hana and Suhyeok stimulated each other’s sensitive areas more boldly than usual.

“Haa… haa… haa… hnngh…!”

Hana’s upper body collapsed onto Suhyeok.

He gently stroked her hair.

Beads of sweat remained on his forehead.

“…Suhyeok.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.”

“Tell me I’m pretty.”

“You know you’re pretty without me saying it.”

“I still want to hear it.”

“You’re pretty, Hana.”

The two remained motionless in their exhausted state.

Overcome by fatigue, they fell asleep.

Their body heat was the best sleeping pill for them.

Later, when Suhyeok opened his eyes, it was in the deep autumn dawn.

* * *

The park where children came during the day.

Since it was late at night, there were no children.

Juyeon was sitting in her usual spot, getting some fresh air.

She couldn’t sleep.

She might not be able to sleep at all.

Are Suhyeok and Hana… a couple now…?

They probably are.

Because Suhyeok wouldn’t do such things with someone he didn’t like.

So in the end…

I couldn’t become the girl Suhyeok likes…

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

She had to accept it.

If she didn’t accept it, even uglier moments would be waiting with their mouths open.

But beyond acceptance, Juyeon had no idea how to deal with this pain.

What could she do to fix it?

What on earth should I do…

She thought she could change into any color if that’s what he wanted.

She thought she could do anything if it meant gaining Suhyeok’s love.

But… was that not enough…

It must not have been enough.

Not enough, so I…

Ended up like this…

I’m just… originally…

Originally that kind of person…

She recalled Hana’s gaze from earlier in the day.

Juyeon could read that distinctive discomfort in her eyes.

Though they were friends, it was now difficult to call her a friend.

Perhaps Hana deeply disliked her.

She hadn’t even experienced love, yet she’d earned hatred.

“Ugh…”

Sorrow leaked through her lips.

She simply couldn’t hold back her tears.

Silent resentment toward Suhyeok continued.

You said you weren’t thinking about dating.

You said you wouldn’t get a girlfriend because of the military.

Then you shouldn’t have said anything.

I got my hopes up for nothing.

Foolishly thinking I might have a chance…

Like an idiot…

Her head hung low.

Tears spread on the ground, moistening the dry earth.

-Thud thud thud thud

Footsteps were heard from a distance.

Juyeon didn’t have the energy to pay attention to passing pedestrians.

The current situation was already too overwhelming.

“…Juyeon?”

Juyeon slowly raised her head.

For a moment, she felt as if she were dreaming.

“Su… hyeok…?”

“…Are you crying?”

“Ah. No.”

She hurriedly tried to wipe her tears with her sleeve, but her face was already a mess.

Suhyeok, who had woken up at an odd hour, had left the sleeping Hana and gone for a walk alone.

Even after sleeping, he still felt unsettled because of the encounter with Juyeon earlier in the day.

He thought he should go for a walk anyway, since Hana was asleep and he didn’t want to make noise doing something else.

Unexpectedly, who he encountered there was.

The protagonist of all his worries.

It was Juyeon.

“I. I. I’ll go.”

Juyeon stood up hastily as if trying to escape.

Suhyeok bit his lip hard.

He shouldn’t stop her.

No matter how much she seemed to be suffering, it wasn’t right for Suhyeok to comfort her.

“…Take care on your way home.”

With clenched fists, Suhyeok tried to pretend he hadn’t seen her.

“…Suhyeok.”

After taking a few steps away.

Juyeon called out to stop him.

Suhyeok turned his back at her call.

The dim moonlight faintly illuminated Juyeon’s face.

“You and Hana… decided to date…?”

Words that wouldn’t easily leave her mouth.

Suhyeok slowly nodded.

It was a moment he had been worried about since the day they had agreed to go public.

It was like a time bomb.

Perhaps it was better to talk about it now.

“…Yeah.”

“…I see.”

Juyeon tried to smile.

You, whom I really like.

Since you’re doing well with someone you like.

“That’s… good…”

Seeing that tearful smile, Suhyeok also felt tears welling up.

“Juyeon…”

“You liked Hana, right? You always sang about wanting to date Hana.”

“That’s…”

He couldn’t comfort her with empty words.

“It’s okay, Suhyeok.”

Juyeon had been anticipating this moment since the very day she started liking Suhyeok.

It wasn’t a particularly shocking or unexpected story.

From the beginning, Juyeon was in the position of a challenger.

“I really…”

To hide her trembling, Juyeon wrapped her arms around herself.

“I’m fine.”

Suhyeok couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

He approached Juyeon and pulled her strongly into his arms.

“Don’t… do this…”

“Juyeon.”

“This is difficult for you… if you do this…”

At those words, where she worried about him before her own pain, Suhyeok finally let his tears fall.

“I’m sorry… Juyeon…”

“No… what do you have to be sorry for?”

“No. It’s all my fault.”

If I had done better.

If I hadn’t joined Spirit in the first place.

When he tried to regret, he didn’t even know to which point in time he should go back.

“Ugh…”

Juyeon’s hand grabbed the hem of Suhyeok’s hoodie.

She was still in love.

I still like you so much.

Even if you’ve become someone else’s lover.

I still.

Will I ever be able to forget you?

Will such a day ever come?

“…Why not me, Suhyeok?”