The Probability of Meeting My Ex in a Heterosexual Dating Program

Chapter 21

In his half-asleep state, Seo-jung read a message expressing concern for him. He naturally thought of someone.

Ah, it’s Yoon.

The drowsiness clouded Ki Seo-jung’s reason. It made him forget reality and finally pulled out the wish he had kept hidden deep inside.

Seo-jung closed his eyes, unable to resist the overwhelming sleepiness. Even with his vision gone, thoughts of Cha Yoon floated around in his head.

I shouldn’t make Yoon worry, Yoon gets upset when I’m hurt. But where did Yoon go? Where is Cha Yoon, who used to stay by my side without leaving for a moment when I was sick?

As these thoughts continued, a sudden sense of discomfort enveloped Seo-jung. And as if reading Seo-jung’s mind, a voice whispered:

Why are you pretending not to know now? Well, you and Cha Yoon are already…

Before the answer to the question could be completed, Seo-jung cut off his thoughts. He instinctively knew that if he went any further, the illusion he had carefully created would shatter, and he would realize the reality.

It was a meaningless act. Just because he stopped thinking didn’t mean his breakup with Cha Yoon never happened. Seo-jung knew better than anyone that when he opened his eyes, the painful reality would return.

But even so, he wanted to deceive himself under the pretext of drowsiness. He wanted to think about Cha Yoon, miss him, and love him without guilt, even if just for a moment. He wanted to do all the things he couldn’t do while awake, even if only like this. That was all.

Seo-jung, who had always prioritized reason, decided to follow his instincts just this once. His throat tightened, but he ignored it and curled up.

Just before crossing the threshold of reality, Seo-jung desperately turned his thoughts to the illusion he had created. He thought about telling Yoon thank you for worrying about him, and hugging him with all his might. Imagining these impossible actions, he drifted back to sleep.

Seo-jung, who had been sleeping, woke up again less than two hours later. As he slowly opened his eyes to the rustling sound, he saw a large silhouette.

The figure seemed quite busy doing something. It was the dead of night, so everything was dark, and his groggy mind still felt like it was wandering in a dream.

That’s why those words slipped out of his mouth.

“…Yoon.”

Dream. The impact of that one word was this enormous.

“…Where did you go and just come back now.”

His voice was lower than usual due to his sore throat, but it was filled with intense affection that made his heart ache. The silhouette stopped moving at that brief sentence.

“Come here.”

Seo-jung moved to make space on the bed. The silhouette still stood there motionless. After looking at Cha Yoon for a moment, Seo-jung patted the empty space.

“Hm? Come quickly.”

Only then did the figure slowly move. When the shadow came close enough to touch, Seo-jung reached out his arm. He interlocked fingers with the silhouette’s hand and pulled. The massive silhouette was helplessly drawn in.

Eventually, the two lay on the same bed. It was an infinitely cramped space for two large men to lie down. Inevitably, their bodies overlapped. Unlike Seo-jung, who naturally pressed his body close, the silhouette, or rather Cha Yoon, was completely stiff. Seo-jung comforted the rigid Cha Yoon.

“…Thank you for worrying about me.”

A ticklish pat-pat sound was heard regularly. Every time Seo-jung’s hand patted his back, Cha Yoon’s body heated up little by little as if the warmth was being transferred.

“Sleep well, Yoon.”

Seo-jung whispered softly with his eyes closed. It was just his name being called, but Cha Yoon couldn’t do anything, as if his whole body was tied up.

Soon after, along with the sound of light breathing, the patting movement on his back stopped. When the patting sound ceased, it was replaced by the sound of Cha Yoon’s heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump.

A much faster and louder sound echoed, filling the empty space to overflowing.

“…Shit, what is this.”

Cha Yoon muttered with a face that had turned bright red. It was hard to accept the situation that had unfolded so suddenly. Why is my heart pounding like this again? Cha Yoon blamed his innocent heart and couldn’t relax his stiffened body for a long time.

***

“Wow…”

In the control room, Hye-yoon, the youngest writer who was watching the preview on the stationary camera screen, took off her headset. The two cast members, who had been considered persons of interest due to their intense conversation on the first day, had caused another incident in just one full day.

Hye-yoon read over Seo-jung’s sleep-talking that she had written down. Yoon. Where did you go and just come back now. Come here. Hm? Come quickly… Hye-yoon closed her eyes, unable to finish reading. Even though she had only read the text, the scene she had just seen vividly appeared before her eyes.

Can this be broadcasted? This is South Korea, not America? Hye-yoon rubbed her forehead with a complicated expression.

“Why, what’s the problem now?”

It was the main writer, Seo Yu-min, who approached and spoke. She scanned Hye-yoon’s laptop screen where the cursor was still blinking, and then understood Hye-yoon’s unusual behavior.

“I see our lucky charms have finally caused some trouble.”

There was definitely something between those two. Yu-min muttered to herself and nodded as if agreeing with her own words. Hye-yoon, watching Yu-min, was simply on pins and needles. She was worried about the reactions of Seo Yu-min and PD Kim Seo-hyo, who were broadcasters to the bone.

“Um, main writer, I think this shouldn’t be…”

“What, you think it shouldn’t be aired?”

Hye-yoon carefully answered “Yes” to her senior’s question, which was asked with a smirk.

“After all, this is Korea. For the protection of the cast members…”

“Right.”

“Yes, I know ratings are important, but… What?”

“Let’s keep it for now and not air it right away.”

“Oh, really?”

Hye-yoon, who had expected to hear that it definitely couldn’t be aired, opened her eyes wide in surprise at the unexpected answer.

“Why, did you think I would insist on airing it no matter what?”

“Well, not exactly, but…”

“Don’t worry. No matter how crazy PD Kim Seo-hyo and I are about broadcasting, we’re not low enough to ruin someone else’s life.”

That’s not what I meant… Hye-yoon bowed her head apologetically. Seo Yu-min patted Hye-yoon’s slightly drooping shoulders and said playfully,

“Hye-yoon, don’t throw away the preview though, write it down properly.”

“What?”

“You never know? They might end up becoming the final couple and we could use this as behind-the-scenes material.”

“Yes, I will… What? Final couple?”

‘Final couple’ was the abbreviated term for the couple that ends up together at the end of the show. Surprised, Hye-yoon urgently asked Yu-min, who had stood up,

“Writer, could we have a final couple of two men?!”

“Why not? As long as the broadcast is entertaining, anything goes.”

Seo Yu-min grinned as if it was obvious. It was the typical mindset of TV people.

***

The buzzing sound reflexively made the sleeping Seo-jung reach out and grab his phone. What woke Seo-jung was the alarm he had set the day before. Ki Seo-jung, who turned off the ringing alarm, sat up.

Maybe it was because fatigue had built up. Despite thinking he would have trouble sleeping, he felt refreshed as if he had slept deeply. He seemed to have had a pleasant dream too, but try as he might, he couldn’t remember it.

Seo-jung, massaging his stiff eyes, glanced to the side. His gaze naturally stopped at Cha Yoon’s bed. The bedding, tidied up no differently from the night before, looked as if no one had lain in it.

Seo-jung slightly furrowed his brow. Surely he hadn’t stayed out of the room all night? As he was making his own assumptions, something unfamiliar caught his eye.

He picked up the plastic bag placed on the bedside table. The bag labeled ’24-hour Pharmacy’ was full of various items from ointment for bruises to pain patches and bandages.

“…”

The medicine bag that someone had definitely left behind. Someone who knew he was hurt. Seo-jung thought of Cha Yoon. At the same time, his hand holding the bag tightened. The bag made a crinkling sound as it crumpled.

Many emotions mixed on Seo-jung’s face. Why on earth… As he was struggling with indescribable emotions, what pulled Seo-jung back to reality was another vibration from his phone. At this hour, the only place that would contact him was his workplace.

Seo-jung, who had carefully put down the bag as if it were a precious object, picked up his phone.

“…Huh?”

Seo-jung, who was about to check his colleague’s message right away, couldn’t help but pause. It was because of the screen that appeared as soon as he turned on his phone.

Make sure to apply medicine to the injured area.

Your X did not choose you.

Had he checked it while half-asleep? The “Please Take Care of My X” app was open on the screen. As Seo-jung read the message, trying to recall something he couldn’t remember, his expression gradually hardened.

It was because he realized the meaning the message conveyed.

One fact he had momentarily forgotten came to mind. The name of another person who knew he was hurt.

‘It looks bruised… it must hurt. What happened?’

‘There was a first aid kit at home, see if there’s any medicine for bruises and apply that at least, Seo-jung.’

Yeo Ji-yoon’s voice from the terrace the day before flashed through his mind. Suddenly, Seo-jung burst into laughter. His expression didn’t look happy at all. The heart that had been imbued with expectation was instantly dragged down into the mire.

Come to think of it, it was an assumption that didn’t make sense from the beginning. It was Cha Yoon, of all people. He might have doubled the disease, but he wasn’t someone who knew how to take care of medicine. Not to him, who had no feelings and was nothing more than a past he wanted to erase, unlike others.

Knowing that, it was ridiculous how he had tried to nurture his desire based on a small clue. Seo-jung looked down at the medicine bag sitting alone on the bed. Apart from gratitude, the medicine bag no longer held any meaning for Seo-jung. Just because the person who had given it had changed.

Seo-jung poured out all the medicine inside. Looking at the ointment that had spilled out, he soon mechanically moved his hand.