Facing – 2

Please read the author’s note in this episode.

“Your language is harsh.”

Maria, not forgetting her place, quietly pointed out Heavenly Demon’s language.

“It’s better to be honest than to pretend to be clean on the outside.”

Heavenly Demon sneered, scanning Maria up and down as if she were beneath him.

Maria’s half-closed eyes opened, revealing her mysterious blue and green eyes, but unfortunately, the other five gathered at the table were of such illustrious origins that they wouldn’t be intimidated by such a small threat.

“If you’re going to fight, could you please do it outside? I can’t hear the conversation.”

Kim Sung-ah, feigning politeness, rebuked them, and Heavenly Demon and Maria broke their standoff and turned their heads back to Kang In-ho.

Kang In-ho had closed his mouth after his last words, and his ‘ex’ lover in front of him also maintained silence.

The main point popped out from the roundabout story. Lee Mina speculated that they might think it was disadvantageous to rashly bring up the next words in a situation where the purpose was revealed.

“According to big data, the probability of a frustrating development is 50%.”

It was Isis who broke the somewhat boring silence.

“A frustrating development? What is that?”

When Chunhyang tilted her head, Isis brought her finger to her forehead.

“It refers to a flow that makes the viewer feel frustrated.”

“Are you saying that my husband will listen to that woman’s request?”

“Master is weak to affection. Even though they broke up, if there are still feelings left, there is a possibility of making an irrational choice.”

“That’s not the story I want to hear.”

Chunhyang crossed her arms and leaned back on the backrest, making her chest stand out.

Kim Sung-ah, noticing the sight, mercilessly stabbed her iced Americano with a straw.

“Say something.”

It was Kang In-ho’s opposite who raised his hand to the silence.

Ironically, Kang In-ho recalled the memory of the day they broke up from those words.

Night, in front of the company, a windy day.

He and she broke up.

There were several reasons. Like any other couple, there were complicated circumstances to pick just one.

He disappointed her several times to keep the rules he had set himself.

Even so, he was always wary. If she seemed even a little upset, he would roll his eyes, looking for a way to overcome it.

She was angry at that sight. She was annoyed by his strict adherence to the rules, but his lack of confidence.

Unlike him, who got a job and worked stably at the company, she always had to fight on the job search front.

She was slowly getting tired because she was always falling short of the threshold of a full-time employee.

She became sensitive and often argued with people who were easily emotional.

The two fought over trivial things.

Around that time, she began to regret dating.

To be exact, she regretted dating him.

So she said goodbye.

If you summarize the complex, secret, and subtle intersection of emotions, it could be said to be a difference in personality.

“I haven’t even seen you working, so I can’t say anything good.”

Kang In-ho said cautiously, stroking his pounding heart with his palm.

“Oppa… you’re still the same.”

The man couldn’t easily read the emotions in her voice.

It was like the scales of a balance were moving between relief and emptiness.

“…Sorry, I can’t give you the answer you want.”

“No, actually… I didn’t expect it. I just sent you a message with the feeling of grabbing at straws.”

The woman rubbed her face dry and ruffled her hair.

“I guess this is why we broke up… I think.”

There was a commotion at a distant table at the woman’s muttering, but no one in the cafe noticed.

Kang In-ho saw a glimpse of resentment and regret in his ex-lover’s eyes.

The thought ‘So, it’s my fault?’ came to mind, but he suppressed it.

He would have slammed the table and got angry in the past, but strangely, he wasn’t that angry.

Kang In-ho drank the drink in front of him.

Only ice remained in the reduced glass, clashing against each other and making a rattling sound.

“Yeah, that’s why we broke up.”

He showed a bitter smile.

“……..”

The woman didn’t say anything.

He drank the drink again, and all the drink that filled the glass went down his throat.

“But, we just broke up because we didn’t fit. It’s not anyone’s fault.”

He said, giving strength to each word.

The woman’s eyes widened.

“Remember? I chased you around and you dated me. So, I was always anxious?”

“Suddenly, an old story?”

The returning reaction wasn’t good, but he continued to speak.

“So I was always wary. ‘I think you’ll hate it if I do this?’, ‘Huh? Aren’t you angry now?’ Like this. I paid attention to every single one of your reactions.”

“Is it my fault?”

“That’s not it. Listen.”

Kang In-ho shook his head. He habitually tilted the cup that contained only ice.

“The reason I was so wary was because I liked you, but also because I wasn’t confident in myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seemed like if I lost you, I wouldn’t be able to meet anyone else. I don’t have outstanding looks, my personality is fiery, I get angry often, and I don’t have a lot of money at home. I thought, who would like me?”

That thought became even worse after I entered the company.

He added.

“So, I even thought about this at some point. I just want to be loved to death by someone of the opposite sex. I wish people who love me would just flock to me without any effort. Like this. It’s a bit nerdy, right?”

He showed a smile.

“But, I’ve realized something recently. I’ve been through a lot of things recently…”

He pressed the water that flowed from the glass with his finger.

“There are people somewhere who see me in a good light.”

As if his cloudy eyes were clearing, he recalled the memory.

“There are people who really love me.”

He turned his head for a moment. He stared clearly at the empty table where no one was.

He turned his head again with a slightly softer face.

“There are people who are lacking, but who gradually cut each other’s appearances to fit the shape.”

He had a bright smile on his face, as if he had made an outstanding invention.

His ex-lover felt very unfamiliar with his brightly smiling face.

[We were definitely in a relationship where we liked each other, but we didn’t develop each other. So we broke up.]

Company dinner, round 2. Kang In-ho recalled the conversation at the cafe.

“It’s embarrassing.”

Recalling what he said under the influence of the atmosphere, he only drank alcohol.

“Hey, why are you drinking so much today?”

The senior next to him asked in surprise, but he silently drank alcohol.

Of course, he got so drunk that he lost consciousness.

“Everyone, go in carefully.”

“Yes, go in.”

“But can Inho go home?”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“I have to catch a taxi….”

The members of the second round of the company dinner scattered, saying their own words.

Now that even the senior he trusted had disappeared in a taxi, Lee Mina and Kim Sung-ah, the main characters of today’s company dinner, remained by his side.

“Shall we take you home?”

Lee Mina asked, and

“If you just tell me the address, I’ll call a taxi.”

Kim Sung-ah received.

“It’s okay. Go first. I have somewhere to go.”

Kang In-ho pushed the two away, breathing roughly. They looked back repeatedly as they left, worried about him.

Left alone, he sat on a convenience store chair, eating Melona to get rid of his drunkenness.

Since he had already drunk a lot, the dizziness didn’t disappear, but he was still able to support his body.

“…Should I just take a vacation tomorrow?”

He got up, seriously considering it, realizing that today was Thursday.

The convenience store employee, who had been waiting for the drunk to get up, quickly came out and started cleaning the chair.

He walked unsteadily.

Late at night, the cars on the road are sparse.

It was an unfamiliar sight for the streets of Seoul.

He waited at the intersection for the traffic light to turn green.

“…Home is really far.”

He thought home was far away today.

His legs were heavy,

The green light came on.

An empty street with no one, a crosswalk like a piano keyboard.

Suddenly, he thought he wanted to go somewhere other than home.

Ddiriri-

Before he knew it, the green light started flashing and making a sound.

He-

“It will be over soon.”

Perhaps Gabriel felt a change in the flow, he said.

“Did you choose?”

Athena asked.

“Soon.”

Gabriel’s jade-like face was still expressionless.

“What choice will he make?”

Athena asked.

“Well. He might have gone home because he wanted to rest after getting drunk. If not, he might want to fill his regretful stomach. Or he might go to the park because he wants to feel the night air a little more. He might go to the company or near the company, where he spends more time than at home, because he’s drunk. Or he might want to see the night view because he’s feeling sentimental.”

Athena became frustrated with the riddle-like words.

“Gabriel… can’t you know what choice he will make?”

“Athena. As I said, reading fate should be like dealing with a story. I have read his fate, but I will not tell you.”

Gabriel said with an expressionless face.