The Probability of Meeting My Ex in a Heterosexual Dating Program

Chapter 20

Ki Seo-jung nodded and spoke in a completely different tone from before. Cha Yoon raised one eyebrow.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means exactly what you heard. I’m going to send the message to Joo-ah today.”

Seo-jung spoke precisely, enunciating each word. It was the opposite of what Cha Yoon wanted to hear. He no longer wanted to say things that Cha Yoon wanted to hear. He was sick of having his insides eaten away.

Cha Yoon let out a hollow laugh at the unexpected response. He rubbed the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

“What’s wrong with your head?”

“That’s not possible.”

Cha Yoon pointed at his own head with his index finger. Seo-jung shrugged and lightly countered. His nonchalant response immediately stripped Cha Yoon of the control he had been maintaining over the atmosphere.

“Damn it, stop joking around.”

“Joking? Does this look like a joke to you?”

Strange. It’s not at all, why did you think that? Seo-jung muttered as he picked up the phone he was holding. Soon, Seo-jung’s fingers moved across the screen. Realizing the meaning of this action, Cha Yoon spoke urgently.

“What are you doing now!”

“You thought I was joking.”

Seo-jung, having finished typing the message, held up his phone just as Cha Yoon had done earlier. Unlike Cha Yoon’s, the content of the message on the screen was clearly visible.

To: Song Joo-ah

Let’s have a fun date.22.gif

The cursor blinked on the screen where the input had just finished. As Cha Yoon blinked along with the cursor movement, his face gradually twisted into a scowl.

“So you’re really going to send it to Song Joo-ah?”

“Yes.”

“Are you really crazy?”

“If I were crazy, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

If that were the case, he wouldn’t have stopped at this level. So Cha Yoon should have been grateful that he was still holding onto his last thread of reason. Of course, unaware of this, Cha Yoon was just cursing at the situation not going his way.

After staring at Cha Yoon for a moment, Seo-jung spoke.

“Are you afraid you’ll lose to me?”

“……”

“Then instead of doing this here with me, go to Song Joo-ah.”

With those final words, Seo-jung pressed the ‘Send’ button. The screen soon showed a message confirming that the transmission was complete. Having finished everything he needed to do, Seo-jung looked up. He wore a smile that seemed painted on his face.

“You look like you’ve gotten quite heated. I’ll move out of the way, so cool down before you come in.”

Having said his piece, Seo-jung turned his back on Cha Yoon. As he walked towards the X House, Seo-jung’s expression hardened as if nothing had happened.

Left alone, Cha Yoon, with the tips of his ears red, watched Seo-jung’s receding back. Nothing was going the way he wanted. This wasn’t why he came here, but he was always the one being swayed. He couldn’t even figure out where things had gone wrong.

The message had already been sent to Song Joo-ah’s inbox, and nothing was going to change, but he couldn’t end the conversation like this. As soon as this thought crossed his mind, his body moved.

Catching up to Seo-jung with his long strides, Cha Yoon reached out his hand. Just as his hand was about to grab Seo-jung, Cha Yoon’s eyes caught sight of Seo-jung’s wrist, red and swollen.

Cha Yoon momentarily halted all action. The image of Seo-jung rubbing his wrist flashed before his eyes.

Thanks to this, Seo-jung safely crossed the garden and arrived at the entrance. Shortly after, the sound of the X House front door opening and closing was heard.

Cha Yoon remained in that spot for a long time, his fist clenched.

***

As he changed his shoes in the entryway, Seo-jung relaxed his tightened lips. There were two cast members who knew that he and Cha Yoon had talked. He couldn’t risk causing unnecessary misunderstandings by failing to manage his expression.

Having finished his preparations, Seo-jung stepped into the living room. Contrary to his expectations, the house was quiet. Everyone seemed to have gone to their rooms. Considering it a blessing in disguise, he let his forced smile fade.

Seo-jung habitually pressed on his stiff eyes. The later it got, the worse his condition became. He wanted to go to his room right away, but he didn’t have the confidence to face Cha Yoon, who would soon be coming in.

After standing still for a moment as if contemplating, Seo-jung passed through the first-floor living room and headed for the terrace. The sound of the terrace door opening and closing was heard. He took a seat in one of the chairs there.

Seo-jung picked up the phone he had been holding all along. When the screen lit up, traces of what he had just done remained.

To: Song Joo-ah

Let’s have a fun date.

After reading the message he had sent, Seo-jung bit his lower lip.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

As his excitement subsided, reality set in. It was a major incident. After promising himself not to do it, he had once again acted on momentary emotions. If only he had held out a little longer… Self-loathing washed over him for doing the same thing as a 22-year-old kid, unable to control himself.

Seo-jung put down his phone and rubbed his face dry. It was then, as he continued to berate himself. Amidst the quiet terrace where only the chirping of crickets could be heard, a discordant creaking sound was heard. Seo-jung quickly lowered his hands and looked towards the door. It was out of worry that it might be Cha Yoon.

“Oh! Seo-jung, you were here.”

“…Ah, Ji-yoon.”

Contrary to his concern, it was Yeo Ji-yoon who opened the door and came in. Seo-jung relaxed his shoulders, which had tensed up with nervousness. Ji-yoon, having discovered Seo-jung, approached and asked.

“Why are you out here?”

“I came out to get some fresh air for a moment.”

“Ah, me too.”

I haven’t sent this yet. Ji-yoon smiled, holding her phone in one hand. Although she spoke in a playful tone, she couldn’t hide her complex expression. It seemed best to vacate the space so she could organize her thoughts.

As Seo-jung stood up, Ji-yoon, who had been rubbing her exposed forearms, looked up.

“Are you going in now?”

“I think I should go to sleep if I’m going to work tomorrow.”

Seo-jung replied with a smile and looked around. He was looking for something to give to Ji-yoon, who was feeling cold. But looking around, there was nothing suitable to cover Ji-yoon’s shoulders. What should I do? After a moment’s thought, Seo-jung took off the cardigan he was wearing.

“Wear this.”

“You don’t have to…”

Ji-yoon awkwardly scratched her cheek as she looked at the cardigan being handed to her.

“It gets chilly at night, you’ll catch a cold like that.”

“Thank you. I’ll wear it carefully and return it.”

“It’s okay if it gets dirty, wear it comfortably.”

Ji-yoon thanked Seo-jung again as she draped his cardigan over her shoulders.

“I’ll wear it well.”

“Yes, then rest and come in when you’re ready.”

“Oh?”

It was when Seo-jung was about to slowly turn around. Ji-yoon’s eyes widened as if she had discovered something. At that sound, Seo-jung also stopped.

“Seo-jung, why is this like this?”

Ji-yoon pointed at Seo-jung’s wrist. Looking down, he saw that bruises were starting to form where it had only been red before. It was a predicament. Although it had been sore, he hadn’t thought bruises would form like this…

As he looked at the bruised wrist, Seo-jung’s mind raced quickly. There were already two cast members who knew he had talked with Cha Yoon. It would be troublesome if unnecessary rumors spread. Seo-jung came up with a plausible excuse.

“I bumped into the front door quite hard earlier, I must have hurt it then.”

“It looks bruised… that must hurt. How did that happen?”

“I know, right?”

Seeing Ji-yoon’s worried expression, Seo-jung smiled while hiding his wrist. It was a sign that he was fine. Yet his thoughts continued to race. The longer the conversation went on, the bigger the lie would become. It was right to leave as soon as possible.

“Well then, I’ll head in now.”

“Okay, thanks for the cardigan, Seo-jung. Oh! There’s a first-aid kit in the house, look for some ointment for bruises and apply it, Seo-jung.”

“I will. Thanks for worrying about me. Rest well.”

Seo-jung bowed his head slightly in greeting and left the terrace. Only after the terrace door was completely closed did he raise his arm. In the bright living room, the condition of his wrist looked even worse. It looked perfect for causing misunderstandings, as if he had been tied up somewhere.

Concluding that he would have to wear long sleeves even inside the house for a while, Seo-jung climbed the stairs. Arriving in front of his room door, he stood there like a statue, staring at the doorknob. The desire not to go in had tied Seo-jung’s feet.

Ah, I really don’t want to go in. The suffocating air he would face when he opened the door, Cha Yoon’s cold gaze, his chilly voice. He hated it all. After standing there sighing for a while, Seo-jung reluctantly grabbed the doorknob. As he pulled it with force, the door opened with a soft sound.

“……”

What greeted Seo-jung through the open door was a space without any sign of life. None of the numerous scenes he had imagined in front of the door had become reality.

Seo-jung carefully entered the room. Just in case, he turned his head towards the bathroom, but the pitch-black light once again announced Cha Yoon’s absence.

When it was confirmed that Cha Yoon was nowhere to be found, the tension in his clenched fist suddenly released.

Along with relief, a question mark arose. Where was Cha Yoon? Seo-jung checked the clock. It had been 30 minutes since he had returned to the house, leaving Cha Yoon at the entrance. Could he still be there? Seo-jung reflexively turned his eyes towards the window. Not content with that, he even flinched as if he wanted to look outside right away.

“…Ki Seo-jung, what on earth are you trying to do?”

Seo-jung muttered to himself and let out a hollow laugh. Just until now, he had been wandering around the house not wanting to run into Cha Yoon, but now that Cha Yoon wasn’t in the room, his body was heated with worry and couldn’t stay still.

Seo-jung consciously turned his body and went to his bed. It wasn’t his concern what Cha Yoon was doing or where he was. He just needed to go to bed. That was all.

Seo-jung climbed onto the bed and lay down. Even as he tossed and turned as if uncomfortable in bed, his eyes kept going to Cha Yoon’s empty bed. He inevitably turned on his side, his back to Cha Yoon’s bed. Unable to control it with willpower, he completely blocked his line of sight. Seo-jung forcibly closed his eyes tight.

Bzzt-

What woke Seo-jung, who had fallen asleep for a moment, was the vibration sound at his bedside. Seo-jung barely read the message with eyes that wouldn’t open easily.

Make sure to apply medicine to the injured area.