Chapter 192

“So, what’s the reason you cut off contact and came back here first? If you have something to say, you could just message me.”

“Are you trying to take the doll?”

Is he insane?

“You said you’d give it to me.”

“Still, after thinking about it again, it feels wasteful…? Ah, I’m joking! I’m joking! Don’t kick me in the shins!”

“You need to be hit a little.”

Anyway, I had just left it abandoned in a corner since bringing it back. It felt like a useless hassle to manage? Of course, there were times I would lie down next to it and cuddle it while sleeping. It was fluffy after all.

“If you’re going to take it, take it quickly.”

“I said I was joking. I just came here to… um, I wanted to reconcile. I didn’t have bad intentions.”

“Wait a minute.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you casually dropping the formalities?”

“Um….”

“You were using formal speech with Mira the whole time.”

“I guess it’s because of how I look….”

I kicked Ji Kang-hyeon’s shins again.

“Ah, seriously! If I end up getting hurt, it’s not good!… You know? We have a shoot coming up!… You know?”

“A shoot?”

“I had an audition. The results aren’t out yet though.”

“If it’s not out yet, then you probably failed.”

“Why are you cursing so naturally?”

Somehow, the conversation kept going off course. It was more amusing than fun; it was ridiculous, but I needed to get to the point. Fortunately, Mira, who had been watching us, took it upon herself to organize things.

“Wait a minute. Both of you, stop with the useless talk and let’s get to the point.”

“Uh… okay.”

“This Ji Kang-hyeon here is the one who caused someone to get embroiled in a scandal, didn’t provide any compensation, cut off contact on his own, and now wants to reconcile, right?”

“If you put it that way, I sound like a total jerk…”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah….”

Under Mira’s intense gaze, Ji Kang-hyeon ultimately admitted defeat. Honestly, it felt refreshing. It was definitely Mira. She was very sharp. Mira sent a knowing glance to Ji Kang-hyeon, who was admitting to it.

“So what’s the reason? It seems sudden, doesn’t it?”

I was curious too. It was a bit abrupt to come suddenly like this. But the reason Ji Kang-hyeon gave was beyond my imagination.

“I saw photos posted on the community and thought maybe he wasn’t paying much attention to the news, so I just came by.”

Mira shook her head. I was at a loss for words. In conclusion, it turned out he had come by… without any thought at all. Did this guy even have a brain?

“What are you going to do if another dating rumor pops up like this?”

“Which side?”

“You want to die?”

Why would he be looking at Mira?

“Either way, I honestly wouldn’t mind if it’s about my image.”

“Formal speech.”

“Hay.”

Just as I was about to punch him, I held back. Kicking him twice in the shins was safe, but if I hit him any more, he might really get mad. He looked like it hurt earlier.

“And in the case of noona, she’s an ordinary person, so if dating rumors come out, her identity won’t be revealed. Hmm… and with an older man like me, he’s already in a rush to file lawsuits, so everyone will probably keep it quiet.”

“Um, just having dating rumors would probably make me feel bad, though.”

“We were good together, noona.”

Ugh. I genuinely felt nauseous at Ji Kang-hyeon’s act of charm. Fortunately, after shattering the illusion once, Mira didn’t fall for it again this time. She looked like she was wavering a bit, though.

“How did you know I was filing a lawsuit?”

“I heard it while lazing around at my mom’s company.”

“You knew I was filing a lawsuit, but how on earth did you conclude that I wouldn’t care about the news?”

“Ah, good question?”

“Is this a concept for you?”

If it wasn’t a concept, then there was no way he could live like this without thinking. But I couldn’t read any lies in Ji Kang-hyeon’s eyes. In reality, there was nothing to read. They felt empty.

It felt less like a feeling of emptiness and more like an empty warehouse.

Hah, does he really have no ulterior motives? This guy wasn’t someone who originally thought too deeply. Although I hadn’t known him for long, I could tell that much. Even back when we did L.O.I, he wasn’t exactly thoughtful. He was always the kind of guy who lived impulsively, so what could I expect?

I decided to let it go after thinking about it for a while.

In the end, it wasn’t entirely Ji Kang-hyeon’s fault. Of course, the mistake came from him calling me thoughtlessly, but it wasn’t an intentional mistake, so it couldn’t be considered a wrongdoing. The fact that he cut off contact unilaterally was also the agency’s policy, so there wasn’t anything Ji Kang-hyeon could do.

Thus, I didn’t particularly hate Ji Kang-hyeon. Every time I saw him on TV, I’d just think, “Oh, he’s grown up.”

In fact, it was much better that he came to apologize later than most people did.

“Okay, I’ll accept your apology. Let’s reconcile.”

“Really? Awesome, then can we take a selfie together?”

“A selfie?”

“To post on Instagram.”

“Get out of my house.”

This guy, seriously.

~

Mira, who had been eagerly watching our antics, checked her watch and spoke up.

“Oh, I have to go soon; it’s almost my part-time job time.”

She said she had three part-time jobs. She’s a student. That’s truly impressive. It would be tough for me to do it if asked. She whined about being tired because of it, but she also did it to relieve stress while lamenting about it to me. Is there another kind-hearted person like her?

At least Seo Eun-a wasn’t one.

“You’re working hard. When do you finish?”

“Around dinner time. I work at a PC bang.”

A PC bang? If an attractive girl works there, people tend to flock in. I still don’t understand that behavior, but it’s definitely a phenomenon that exists. If you’re as pretty as Mira, she could make a considerable hourly wage, so it was a good choice.

“Okay, be careful. If you want anything to eat, feel free to come by anytime.”

“If you say that, it sounds like you’re going to cook for me. You don’t even cook.”

At those words, I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully.

“Ah… I’m learning to cook recently.”

“What?!”

It was the truth. I used to insist that men shouldn’t cook, but I’ve stopped caring about that now. I was getting bored of takeout anyway. Of course, I had just started a few days ago and couldn’t really do anything yet. I was just following along while watching YouTube.

“I can’t rely on delivery forever.”

“That’s a good thought… but it’s really surprising.”

I thought so too. But what could I do?

“I’m only human. I can’t just sit still.”

“Then does that cute bear apron reflect your taste?”

…That was a gift from Han-bom. When I said I was trying to learn to cook, she gave it to me as a present. Since I couldn’t throw away something she gave me and didn’t want to buy a new one, I was using it, but even so, it didn’t seem like it was an adult size.

“…A neighbor gave it to me as a gift. Don’t tease me.”

“Fufu, it looks like it would suit you well.”

Damn Han-bom, I wouldn’t forgive her.

But… since Mira smiled at me, maybe I should forgive her for this once. While thinking that, Ji Kang-hyeon, who had been sitting there, leaned forward and looked at the apron, saying, “The design, wow, it’s hilariously childish. Is it for elementary school students?”

I will never forgive either Han-bom or Ji Kang-hyeon.

Anyway, after the conversation ended, Mira left.

“I’ll come by again later.”

She left a thankful word.

~

After Mira left, only Ji Kang-hyeon and I remained. Even though we had reconciled, it felt a bit awkward now that it was just the two of us again. There was definitely a sense of comfort talking when Mira was there as the mediator.

“By the way, how old is that noona?”

So it was only me thinking that way.

“What does it matter?”

“It’s my taste.”

I threw a cushion from the sofa at him. This guy, seriously.

“Why have you become so violent?!”

“I’ve always been like this. If you mess with Mira, you’re done for.”

“Ah, are you jealous by any chance?”

I threw two cushions.

“So when are you leaving?”

“Uh, do I have to go?”

“What do you think we’re going to do here? It’s not even been 30 minutes since we reconciled, and you expect us to go out and have fun together?”

“Time is just a number.”

“Just your mouth is alive, for real.”

By the way, it’s clear that he’s grown since he’s standing. Before, he was just a little taller than me, so there wasn’t that feeling of looking up at him, but now I had to tilt my head up to meet his eyes like with Hwa-won.

Looking at Ji Kang-hyeon’s body, it was evident that he had really grown up. Maybe he’s a bit shorter than Hwa-won? I think so. He still didn’t have a muscular build; he remained slender, but now he was closer to being handsome rather than cute.

“You’ve grown up well yourself.”

“I do have a decent personality, don’t I?”

“Leave that out.”

Ji Kang-hyeon chuckled. His laughter was annoying.

“Oh, but there’s one more reason I came here.”

“What is it?”

“This is something that can only be addressed now that we’ve reconciled. It’s about the title issue.”

“The title….”

“We never decided what to call each other until the end, did we?”

That was true. We had just vaguely used different terms when addressing each other, but since we parted too soon, we never got to officially decide. That was probably fully Ji Kang-hyeon’s fault, a hundred percent.

It wasn’t a critical issue. But it was, at the same time, important.

Titles define and characterize each other.

“Right. So what do you want to call me?”

“Well, how about I call you noona, even if I have to concede a hundred times?”

It was quite a clear statement intended to tease me. I couldn’t help but smirk. I was no longer young enough to get angry over something like that. I was an adult. Adults have their own methods.

I was simply going to act like an adult.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling your mother.”

“Hyung! Please! Stop!!!”

This is what adult strength looks like, Kang-hyeon.

If you call me noona, you better not provoke me.