OMLM | Chapter 24

“No, absolutely not, never!”

Ah, the bus is here. I have to hang up. Sorry for blabbering! Without really listening to what Cha Hyuk was saying, Kang Yebon abruptly ended the call.

The bus stop was still far away, but Yebon stood in the middle of the street, his face looking like it was about to explode as he gasped for breath.

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“Crazy.”

What just happened?

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It was so shocking that he almost doubted whether the incident a few seconds ago was real or just a figment of his imagination.

His eyes, widened in disbelief, stared into space as if his soul had left his body. Before Yebon could regain his senses, his phone, still tightly clutched in his hand, began to ring shrilly.

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His hand trembled, whether from the vibration or from real shaking, as he lifted the phone, his wrist quivering.

The screen displayed “Cha Hyuk hyung” in large letters.

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At that name, Yebon panicked and turned the power off. His steps towards the bus stop were reckless.

Did I really act in a way that made him think that? Did I really act in a way that made him think that? Did I really act in a way…

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His voice, full of panic, annoyingly buzzed in his ears. Now, even Cha Hyuk’s unseen face came to mind, likely as dumbfounded or incredulous as his voice suggested.

“Kang Yebon, you crazy!”

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He really had no clue, did he! Yebon wanted to curse himself for being so sure of his own assumptions just a few minutes ago.

It would have been less embarrassing if he had just said ‘I’m not nice because I like you’ or ‘No, I don’t like you.’

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His question had been met with a reaction that suggested, “Are you delusional?” and Yebon felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest from embarrassment.

By the time he reached the bus stop, which was usually a 10-minute walk, in just 4 minutes, sweat was already trickling down his forehead.

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With ragged breaths, Yebon glared at the bus timetable display. There were about 5 minutes until the bus would arrive. Yebon rubbed his face with both hands.

He had firmly believed that Cha Hyuk liked him. Once the embarrassment subsided, shock took its place.

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The realization that Cha Hyuk did not like him at all, given such a denial, was staggering.

What about all those behaviors, those words, those expressions! Were they all just nothing more than him being a friendly younger brother, nothing more and nothing less?

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Yebon looked down at the sidewalk with his mouth slightly open.

“He likes cute things. That’s why he looks at them intently.”

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“There’s no one but you.”

“I think I have a romantic side.”

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“It means I’m comfortable. I want to keep you close.”

“A number exchanged only between very close people.”

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“You haven’t contacted me even once with the number I gave you. You always carry your phone as if you’d die without it.”

Recalling what Cha Hyuk had said, some remarks seemed like things that could easily be said between close friends.

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Yet, depending on the expression, tone, and circumstances, the meaning of words can vary greatly.

Honestly, some of those words were misleading enough for anyone to misunderstand!

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Had Yebon misunderstood all those things he felt? In many ways, Yebon found it hard to muster any energy.

He got on the bus that arrived just in time and didn’t turn on his phone until he reached his destination.

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Certainly, if it were Cha Hyuk, he would try to comfort him, knowing how embarrassed he was, but that would only make Yebon feel worse.

What was I thinking, believing that ahjusshi liked me?

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Lost in thought, Yebon suddenly realized he was entering his house’s front door.

“Kang Yebon! What have you been doing that you’re just getting here now!”

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As soon as he entered, his mother’s scolding made Yebon flinch. His mother’s face was twisted with anger as she approached him rapidly.

Glancing at the clock next to the entrance, Yebon saw it was past 6 o’clock.

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It was later than usual, and only then did Yebon realize he hadn’t contacted his mother.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to call ahead.”

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“Why is your phone off again! Tell me honestly, what have you been doing until now!”

His mother gripped both his wrists tightly, her mental state completely scattered.

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Her expression must have conveyed a different meaning to his mother because her eyes began to redden, looking like she was about to cry.

“No, mom, it’s not that. The phone battery died. That’s why, and I’m late because I missed the bus. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”

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“If you’re lying right now, mom really might die, you know? Really, there’s really nothing wrong?”

“Yes, yes. Really, there’s nothing wrong. I’m fine. You know I never do such things, and there’s no reason for it. You know how well I manage.”

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He comforted his mother, who had collapsed at the entrance without even taking off her shoes. Watching her, Yebon wanted to cry too, but he held back his tears.

Everyone pretends to be okay, pretending nothing is wrong. Knowing how hard everyone’s life is, we just chose to ignore it.

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We can’t even share each other’s burdens because life is tough. Look, already Yebon found it too much to even share his mother’s distress.

“I thought we were at a point where we could open up to each other.”

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Really? Yebon finally asked this to Lee Seunggu, who had already left.

Today felt longer than usual.

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In less than half a day, several overwhelming events had occurred. In the meantime, how lost his emotions had become.

As he hugged and soothed his mother, the faint color in Yebon’s eyes faded.

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Time never flew as fast as when you begged it not to.

It was already Wednesday.

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Seunggu had seemed the same on the surface, but unlike before, he hadn’t contacted Yebon, nor had he tried to engage him in long conversations.

With Cha Hyuk already too much to handle, adding Seunggu to the mix left Yebon unsure of what to do.

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Even if he apologized to Seunggu, Yebon couldn’t give him what he wanted.

With a slightly chilly wind, Yebon pulled his hood tight and staggered along. Seunggu was put aside for now, as he didn’t feel like going to class. He hoped Cha Hyuk wouldn’t show up either.

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Since that day, Cha Hyuk had called a couple more times, but Yebon hadn’t answered any of them.

Still, continuously ignoring him seemed rude, so he had sent a brief text.

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“I made a foolish mistake… I’m so embarrassed, so you don’t need to worry about me…”

The reply came two hours later: “I see.”

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Yebon read the short response, then slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. He walked into the building entrance slower than usual.

Yeah, it was a mistake. Just act normal, he resolved, but it seemed impossible when it came down to it.

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He hadn’t been rejected after confessing, so why did his mood fluctuate so much?

Might as well, he thought as he deliberately chose a roundabout path.

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And that turned out to be an even worse decision. Yebon looked with blurry eyes at the person he encountered.

“What, why are you here…”

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That was what Yebon wanted to say. It was Kim Junghyun.

Of all people, it had to be him. Yebon wanted to pretend he didn’t know him, but it was too late.

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Even though Kim Junghyun didn’t like him much, he approached Yebon. Yebon couldn’t muster a smile and just stared.

“Do you take classes here?”

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“Yeah.”

“What, I didn’t know. Which floor?”

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“Third floor.”

“Guess I need to take the elevator. But why are you coming this way? Isn’t the elevator on the opposite side?”

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Yebon had only been alone with Kim Junghyun once, back in their first year.

Fortunately, Kim Junghyun had been shy then and hadn’t talked much, and back then, Kim Junghyun didn’t dislike Yebon as much as now.

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They seemed to have a decent relationship at the time, but before he knew it, Kim Junghyun had become increasingly hostile.

“I’m taking the stairs. You go take the elevator. Bye.”

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Yebon stopped and politely waved his hand, but Kim Junghyun seemed discontent.

A bad premonition crept up. Ah, I want to drop out, damn it. If Kim Junghyun picks a fight today, I might just fight back.

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After fighting dirty on the streets with Jung Woochan, Yebon realized that fighting wasn’t as scary as he thought.

As long as he and Kim Junghyun weren’t separated by military service, they were bound to clash.

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And hadn’t Cha Hyuk said,

“You didn’t say you were taking the elevator? You just don’t care about me at all, Kang Yebon.”

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Sometimes it’s better to give in to what your emotions want, before causing trouble elsewhere.

Yebon responded indifferently.

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“Yeah, I don’t care. If you have nothing else to say, just go. Why pretend to be friendly?”

Ah, was that too harsh?

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Before he knew it, Kim Junghyun’s eyes widened in surprise.

Yebon’s heart raced with habitual anxiety and regret.

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Yet, strangely, it also felt somewhat exhilarating.

Kim Junghyun just gaped, either dumbfounded or shocked.

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Yebon quickly turned to walk away, but he could hear rapid footsteps chasing after him.

“Hey, you crazy, crazy! What did you say? Hey! Shit!”

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Yebon didn’t look back and started running.

Fortunately, the hallway wasn’t too crowded, allowing them to move without hindrance, but the few people there looked on in surprise at the two running figures.

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Yebon felt lost about what to do next, but at the same time… he couldn’t help but smirk a bit, maybe because of the urgent footsteps behind him.