The Probability of Meeting My Ex in a Heterosexual Dating Program

Chapter 25

“…This sucks.”

Cha Yoon muttered softly. It was exactly as he said. He felt really shitty.

As Cha Yoon nervously ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes fell on the medicine bag. Seeing the neatly placed bag, his teeth clenched. The memory of himself wandering the streets late at night, searching for a 24-hour pharmacy, came vividly to mind. Why had he done something so out of character?

Cha Yoon’s face flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t just leave the medicine bag there, the root of his shame.

The medicine bag fell into the empty trash can with a thud, crumpled by Cha Yoon. He then left the room.

But he went back and closed the door tightly. Even in this situation, the thought that someone might accidentally see Ki Seo-jung’s body like he did made him angry. Cha Yoon’s sigh was tinged with fury.

Soon after, Seo-jung came out of the bathroom, lightly drying his wet hair with a towel. The bruised area had turned more bluish as time passed. Clicking his tongue, Seo-jung walked to the bedside table.

It was then that he felt something was off. Seo-jung furrowed his brows. The table top was completely empty. As he looked around, he noticed the trash can was now full, unlike before.

“…”

The medicine bag, mercilessly crumpled and shoved in there. Seo-jung stared at the trash can for a while, running his tongue inside his mouth. So he couldn’t even stand the sight of me applying the medicine? The meaning was so clear it made him laugh bitterly.

He hadn’t expected Cha Yoon to buy medicine for him. But was this really necessary?

Somehow, it made him feel defiant. Seo-jung picked up the medicine bag from the trash, took out the ointment, and excessively applied it to the injured area.

Knock knock. As Seo-jung was looking at his glistening wrist, he raised his head at the sound of knocking. Shortly after, the door opened.

“Seo-jung, come out for dinner.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out.”

It was Jung Soo-ho who peeked his face in. Seo-jung lowered his rolled-up sleeve and left the room.

Dinner was no different from usual. People laughing and chatting, and Cha Yoon openly showing his bad mood in the midst of it all.

Even those who were on edge watching Cha Yoon on the first day now seemed used to it and left him alone. Seo-jung had also joined that group. Despite the persistent gaze on the side of his face, Seo-jung stubbornly kept looking forward.

As dinner was wrapping up, Min-wook clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Shall we have some dessert now?”

“Sounds good! Anyone want coffee?”

“I’ll have alcohol instead of coffee. I can’t sleep if I have caffeine in the evening.”

“I’ll have champagne too. It’d be lonely if Sae-young drinks alone.”

Joo-ah responded to Sae-young’s words with a wink. Coffee cups and wine glasses replaced the cleared dishes. Min-wook placed macarons on the table.

Seo-jung stared blankly at the bag full of macarons. The memory of his impulsive stop at the store flashed through his mind. Why had he bought these? What was he expecting? Was it because of the vibrant colors? Somehow, the macarons in the bag seemed even more pitiful now. His wrist, which had been bothering him all along, started to ache again.

As he was rubbing his wrist over his clothes, Min-ha tapped Seo-jung.

“Seo-jung, hurry and eat some too.”

“Ah, I will. Thank you.”

Seo-jung curled up the corners of his mouth and took the macaron Min-ha handed him. As he took a bite, the vanilla flavor spread in his mouth. Seo-jung chewed mechanically.

The once-plentiful macarons were now almost gone. Until then, Cha Yoon hadn’t touched the macarons Seo-jung had bought. I guess he doesn’t even want to eat what I brought. Seeing Cha Yoon like this, even though he was eating macarons so sweet they made his tongue tingle, there was a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Ah, right.”

Just a moment. Ji-yoon, who had been laughing and chatting, clapped her hands and stood up. She disappeared somewhere and returned with a shopping bag in her hand. She placed what was inside the bag on the table. It was a large rectangular box, the chocolates Seo-jung had gifted.

“These are from Seo-jung, and there’s more than I expected. I thought it would be nice to share.”

Ji-yoon looked at Seo-jung and asked, “Is that okay, Seo-jung?” How could it not be? It was never meant to be more or less than a token of gratitude. Seo-jung smiled and nodded.

“What’s going on between you two? Giving chocolates separately, it’s suspicious―”

“I just had something to thank Ji-yoon for.”

“That’s right. It’s just because Seo-jung is too kind, so no misunderstandings, please.”

Seo-jung chuckled and drew a line at the subtle question. Ji-yoon also chimed in, reinforcing his words. It was then that it happened.

“Kind? Yeah, right.”

The words were thrown out like cold water. All eyes turned to the source of the scornful voice. Despite being the center of attention, Cha Yoon casually addressed Ji-yoon.

“May I eat some?”

“Ah, yes. Go ahead.”

Ji-yoon nodded, seeming a bit flustered. As if that was the starting signal, Cha Yoon began picking up and eating the chocolates one by one. His hands moved so quickly that even Ji-yoon, the owner, barely had a chance to taste them. The large box was emptied in an instant.

After devouring the last chocolate, Cha Yoon grimaced and gulped down water. It felt like watching a YouTube mukbang video. The other cast members, who had been watching with open mouths, started to speak up one by one, laughing.

“Cha Yoon must really like chocolate.”

“Y-yeah! I’ve never seen anyone eat them so well before.”

“Yes, I love chocolate.”

“Ah, I see…”

You love it, but you made a face like you were eating something awful the whole time… Haha, how strange. Awkward laughter floated over the table. Seo-jung also reacted to those words.

Love it? Yeah, right. The truth was in Cha Yoon’s crumpled expression. Although Cha Yoon liked sweets, he uniquely disliked chocolate. The reason was that he didn’t like the dryness left in his mouth.

Seo-jung, who knew Cha Yoon’s preferences better than anyone, found this situation even more incomprehensible. He didn’t even look at the macarons he usually enjoyed, but he shoved the chocolates into his mouth as if someone was chasing him…

Seo-jung soon shook his head. Well, who could understand that mind of his? He gave up trying to understand Cha Yoon’s strange behavior.

“Ah, I need some fresh air.”

“If you’re going to the terrace, I’ll join you.”

“I’m tired, so I think I’ll go to bed early.”

As the food ran out, people started to leave one by one. Sensing the mood, Seo-jung also quietly stood up.

“Oh, Seo-jung, are you going to bed?”

“Yes, I’m going to rest in my room for a bit.”

I’ll head out first. Seo-jung smiled, said goodbye, and left the table.

Entering the room, Seo-jung stood still for a moment, blinking. He felt fatigue and weariness weighing down on his shoulders. Just as Seo-jung was rubbing his cheeks with his hands.

Without warning, the door burst open. Startled by the loud noise, Seo-jung turned around. He saw Cha Yoon standing there with a sullen expression.

What conflict was he chasing after this time? Seeing Cha Yoon staring at him with a face full of spite, Seo-jung swallowed a sigh. He was tired of being the first to speak. Deciding to ignore him, Seo-jung headed towards his bed.

As Cha Yoon’s eyes followed Seo-jung’s back, he noticed the medicine bag on the table.

“Ha.”

So he dug that out again. I guess it was so precious because a woman gave it to him. He doesn’t even know who actually bought it. Cha Yoon twisted the corner of his mouth.

Although his insides were boiling with indignation, his pride came first. Cha Yoon closed the door and strode over to lie down on his bed.

Silence settled in the room. As the uncomfortable air floated around, there was a sound.

Knock knock-

The knocking sound was clear in the quiet room. Who could it be? Just as curiosity arose, the door opened.

“Are you sleeping?”

A voice full of laughter. The visitor was Song Joo-ah.

“No.”

“That’s good. I came because I wanted to talk.”

Ah… Seo-jung glanced towards Cha Yoon. It was too clear who Song Joo-ah was looking for.

He caught Cha Yoon’s seemingly surprised expression. It was as if he was saying, ‘Why are you here?’ Whatever the case, it seemed best for him to give them space.

“Then, I’ll leave so you two can talk…”

“No.”

Song Joo-ah cut off Seo-jung’s words as he was getting up from the bed. Both men’s gazes fixed on Joo-ah. Joo-ah smiled freshly.

“I was talking to Seo-jung.”

“…”

“Let’s talk, Seo-jung.”