TAF Ch 17

The next day.

Contrary to his worries, Yeonwoo slept soundly for a full day in the shabby room. He hadn’t slept the night before due to the emergency room visit, and the day before that, he was up late catering to Chahyun, leaving him sleep-deprived.

He vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and getting something to eat at a convenience store due to intense hunger, but the memories weren’t clear. After filling his stomach with convenience store food, he collapsed back into sleep.

“How many hours did I sleep?”

Yeonwoo mumbled, his voice raspy.

As soon as he was somewhat awake, he washed up and went outside. The poor shower facilities solidified his resolve to find a different place to stay as soon as possible.

Reaching a busy area a bit away from his current lodgings, Yeonwoo turned on his phone. A barrage of notifications flooded in.

The majority, of course, were from Chahyun.

Ignoring his missed calls and texts for now, Yeonwoo first checked the messages from his part-time worker at NeoBell.

He’d sent a quick message after escaping the apartment the day before, saying he might be out of contact for a few days, and he was curious if anything had happened in the meantime.

[Boss! Moonki and I handled closing up today] 

[(photo)] 

[(photo)] 

[Kitchen and hall cleaning complete!]

[Get some good rest!!]

Since Yeonwoo had been effectively confined to his apartment, he hadn’t been going to work anyway, so the cafe was running smoothly on its own.

Walking through a crowded street, Yeonwoo entered a large cafe, ordered a drink, and sat down.

Now. Time to think about what to do next.

First, he needed to get rid of the apartment. It was Chahyun’s gift, and now that they had broken up, it felt uncomfortable to continue living there. He didn’t know when Chahyun might show up. Staying away from that place until Chahyun’s rut cycle was over was the right thing to do.

And then there was the cafe. He’d have to sort that out as well, even if not immediately. The cafe was essentially Chahyun’s investment, from its location to its opening. If he continued working there, he’d have to keep seeing Chahyun….

Would Chahyun really let him continue working there after marrying someone else? Not only would it be uncomfortable for Yeonwoo, but there was a high probability that Chahyun wouldn’t allow it.

In the worst-case scenario, he might get caught and confined again. Either way, it wouldn’t end well.

Fortunately, Yeonwoo had more money than most people his age. Not a vast amount, but he’d benefited from living with Chahyun.

He’d received the apartment and a car, and the cafe’s rent was extremely low. After a long argument with Chahyun at the opening, who had offered to let him run the business rent-free, they’d reached a compromise on the current amount, which was less than half the market price. It was practically free.

He hadn’t really paid for living expenses either. He’d always used Chahyun’s card.

The money he’d saved was enough to live in hiding for a while and prepare to find a new job or start something else.

Given some time, Chahyun would gradually lose interest in him. The abnormal obsession over the past few days was likely due to the breakup coinciding with the approaching rut. The timing was terrible.

‘About that person.’

‘Who.’

‘The woman you’re going to marry. What’s her name?’

‘Why do you want to know?’

‘I’m curious.’

‘You wouldn’t know her even if I told you.’

‘What about kids?’

‘I don’t know. Not interested.’

Once the rut passed and wedding preparations began in earnest, Chahyun would be too busy to even remember looking for him. Yeonwoo was certain.

Because that’s how deep Chahyun’s feelings were—or rather, weren’t—that he didn’t want to marry him.

If Chahyun loved him as much as he loved Chahyun, he would never have chosen to marry someone else.

So, Chahyun was bound to forget him eventually.

If, after the rut and the passage of time, Chahyun still refused to let him go, then he could try asking Chahyun’s mother for help.

After all, she wanted him to stay away from Chahyun. She’d even offered money to make it happen. Once she realized how crazy her son was acting, she would at least pretend to intervene.

Yeonwoo instinctively checked his pocket to make sure he still had Chahyun’s mother’s business card.

Just hide out and endure for a while.

✧✧✧

After eating lunch out, Yeonwoo spent the afternoon searching for better accommodations than his current one. However, decent places strictly required identification, making the search difficult.

Returning to his room empty-handed despite his efforts, Yeonwoo massaged his stiff shoulders. The mattress was so worn out that his body ached.

As he entered the building, the owner, who was watching TV at the counter, called out to him.

“Hey, come here for a second.”

“Yes? Is something the matter?”

“What’s your name?”

“Why are you suddenly asking for my name…?”

Yeonwoo subtly checked the owner’s expression. The owner nonchalantly scratched his neck.

“Well, there was a break-in at a boarding house in the next neighborhood today.”

“Ah.”

“Just checking, you know. You know we’re supposed to check IDs at check-in, right? Show me your ID if you have it.”

“I left my ID at work.”

Yeonwoo lied, swallowing hard.

“You have a job?”

“Yes. I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

“Alright, then. So, what’s your name?”

Something felt off.

While the owner acted casual, his demeanor towards Yeonwoo was subtly different from yesterday.

Yeonwoo instinctively sensed danger.

He had a feeling he needed to get out of there right away.

“Kim Jun-young.”

“Okay, Mr. Kim Jun-young. Bring your ID tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t leave important things like that at work, young man.”

Concluding the conversation, Yeonwoo maintained his composure and entered his room.

And as soon as the door closed, he started packing his things again. There wasn’t much to pack, really. Just a few clothes, his cards, an envelope with cash, and his ID.

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Yeonwoo pulled his hat low, just like when he first arrived, and stepped out into the hallway. He planned to leave as if he were casually going out for dinner.

Then, he saw a familiar figure at the counter.

“Shit.”

It was Chahyun.

How did he find him so quickly? A curse slipped out.

“He says his name is Kim Jun-young? Did I come to the wrong place?”

As Yeonwoo quietly backed away, Chahyun, with his animal-like instincts, suddenly turned his head.

“…….”

Yeonwoo, with a burst of speed he didn’t know he possessed, managed to hide around the corner just in time.

Fortunately, Chahyun hadn’t seen him and continued talking to the owner.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yeonwoo ran in the opposite direction.

Luckily, this place had a back door. Opening the back door, which led to the rooftop, revealed a narrow staircase leading down.

Yeonwoo carefully opened the door and descended, gripping the railing of the steep, narrow staircase. Normally, he would have been afraid of losing his footing, but now he felt nothing but the urgent need to escape.

Then, he heard the rusty door creak open behind him. Startled, Yeonwoo flinched and turned his head.

“Gasp.”

Chahyun had caught on and followed him.

Unable to see Yeonwoo, who was already descending the stairs, Chahyun scanned the rooftop access.

In that brief moment, Yeonwoo reached the ground floor.

“Hong Yeonwoo! Get back here!”

Chahyun, finally spotting Yeonwoo, shouted from above. Unlike Yeonwoo, he took the steep stairs three or four at a time.

Yeonwoo started running through the alleyways.

Having spent a day at the lodging, he was somewhat familiar with the area. He ran towards the most crowded areas. That way, it would be harder for Chahyun to find him in the crowd.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Excuse me.”

Running frantically, he found himself in the heart of the busy district. He apologized to a passerby he’d bumped into without realizing and caught his breath.

The streets, where signs were beginning to light up as dusk approached, were bustling with people heading out for dinner. It was the perfect place to hide.

He planned to blend in with the crowd and duck into any cafe he could find.

Relieved to have escaped Chahyun, Yeonwoo’s pace slowed.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He had only just noticed the call that had been ringing for a while. The caller ID, of course, was Chahyun.