Unhealthy - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21. It’s Not Even Dating

“Hae-yeong, what did you do over the weekend? I kept trying to contact you but couldn’t get through, do you know how worried I was?”

As soon as she entered the classroom, Ji-su grabbed Hae-yeong’s arm with a groan.

“Oh, I… there was something going on at home.”

“Household matters? What kind of business that you wouldn’t even answer calls? Don’t tell me you were planning to run away from home?”

Ji-su narrowed her eyes and examined Hae-yeong’s complexion.

Having a history of childishly telling Ji-su she wanted to leave home, Hae-yeong felt guilty and tried hard to change the subject.

“Run away, what are you talking about. What about Han Chang-hyeon? How did that go?”

“That’s exactly why I was calling you, but I couldn’t talk about it in real time, so you know how frustrated I was.”

“Run away, what nonsense. More importantly, what happened with Han Chang-hyeon? You said you were going to meet him then. Did you meet?”

“…Yeah, I met him. I did meet him, but.”

Ji-su’s voice instantly deflated.

Gone was her earlier energy, and Ji-su rested her chin on the desk, staring blankly into space.

“Did you at least have a proper conversation? You talked on the phone for a really long time when you were drunk that time. Did you hear what you talked about then?”

“It was just casual conversation.”

“Casual conversation… Then what did you talk about more when you met?”

“We did… have a conversation, a deep one.”

Ji-su pouted and added quietly.

“A body conversation.”

Hae-yeong remembered Ji-su’s words about what to do if she ended up sleeping with Chang-hyeon again, but word had already spread that Chang-hyeon had gotten a new girlfriend.

No matter how long the two had dated, they weren’t so irrational as to lose all judgment.

“…Doesn’t Chang-hyeon have a girlfriend?”

“Apparently he dated for four days and got dumped. Well, according to him, they coolly broke up by mutual agreement due to personality differences, but anyone could see he got dumped.”

“When did he swear he’d never meet you again.”

Hae-yeong frowned, feeling Ji-su’s situation hit close to home.

“That’s what I’m saying! I was feeling frustrated too, so after a drink or two I lost my mind. When I came to my senses, I was staring at the ceiling of that motel we always used to go to.”

“So, did you decide to get back together?”

Instead of answering Hae-yeong’s question, Ji-su let out a deep sigh.

“No.”

“You slept together, but why aren’t you dating? What kind of…”

Suddenly, Hae-yeong realized that her own situation strangely resembled Ji-su’s. Uncertain physical conversations, and the ambiguous relationship that followed. All of it was simultaneously Ji-su and Chang-hyeon’s relationship and her own uncertain relationship with Taejun.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying! After having a great time doing this and that. As soon as we left the motel in the morning, he just said goodbye and took off!”

“…That’s really awful.”

Hae-yeong muttered quietly. It was comfort directed at Ji-su, but half of it was resentment toward Taejun.

Hadn’t Taejun also roughly pushed her around all weekend, then turned his back on her colder than a stranger as soon as they returned to the family home?

And still, not a single contact from him.

“And not a single call since then. What the hell, really. Did I get hit and run?”

“No way… You still dated for almost a year.”

Ji-su, who started dating Chang-hyeon since freshman year, had been a couple who dated for over a year despite fighting so fiercely.

Even the day they broke up, they fought bloodily as usual, but when she confided about being troubled by excessive sexual desire, it escalated into a bigger fight.

Ji-su had said it in anger, but when Chang-hyeon reacted coldly instead, she threw a fit demanding they break up, and they finally separated by mutual agreement.

Of course, at the time Ji-su said she wouldn’t even share a meal with Chang-hyeon, but in truth, she couldn’t hide her overflowing lingering feelings.

Chang-hyeon too had quickly started dating another woman after breaking up with Ji-su, but seeing how they broke up in less than four days, he clearly still had feelings left.

“Did you try talking honestly?”

Patting the back of Ji-su, who had laid her head on the classroom desk looking upset, Hae-yeong asked gently.

“No, not yet.”

“Don’t you want to try speaking honestly? If you still have feelings about meeting again.”

“Chang-hyeon is surprisingly stubborn, it probably wouldn’t get through to him.”

“Oh… it’s Chang-hyeon.”

Ji-su startled and buried her face in the desk. Hae-yeong, who had made eye contact with Chang-hyeon entering the classroom, also awkwardly turned her head.

Having failed to properly resolve things with Taejun, she felt self-loathing about worrying over someone else’s love life.

Hae-yeong fidgeted with her silent phone under the desk.

While Taejun had no obligation to contact her, still, given the care he showed preparing meals for her and pulling her close to kiss her several times, couldn’t he at least… leave a short message?

It wasn’t even dating, yet her heart fluttered as if she were in a relationship, which was troubling.

Perhaps last night was just an extension of his sense of responsibility to her. Stemming from his feeling that he needed to protect her.

Hae-yeong just kept fidgeting with her silent phone.

“Oppa, did you get to work safely?”

After brief consideration, Hae-yeong typed a short sentence directed at Taejun. It was the most desperate and earnest courage she could muster.

Meanwhile, Taejun, who had been reviewing meeting materials, lost concentration at the quiet vibration in the silent space and turned his eyes to his phone screen.

While his work phone rang constantly, his personal phone rarely rang during business hours.

Taejun stared intently at the message from Hae-yeong for a long moment, then smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“How cheeky. A one-line greeting.”

Normally, it would have been a face he should have encountered at the breakfast table.

Even when acting willfully, Hae-yeong never missed meals, being mindful of the family’s attention.

Taejun had secretly planned to observe her condition at the breakfast table and, if the situation allowed, even bring up the marriage issue.

Of course, Hae-yeong had desperately pleaded for more time to think, but from Taejun’s perspective, it wasn’t really a matter that needed to be dragged out.

After pondering why she was refusing even things she used to obediently follow, he concluded that she had run away to avoid dealing with their situation.

After rolling around like animals all weekend whenever their eyes met, was marriage supposed to be a separate matter?

“Anyway, kids these days.”

Still, Taejun typed a casual reply of just a few characters into the message window.

“Yeah, you?”

As soon as he sent it, the number ‘1’ next to the speech bubble vanished like smoke.

“I’m sleepy.”

Soon after, Hae-yeong’s reply arrived with a cute puppy emoticon attached. The corners of Taejun’s eyes curved thinly.

“I didn’t sleep much last night.”

Before Taejun could even think of his next response, another line from Hae-yeong arrived.

“Why”

To Taejun’s brief question, Hae-yeong just threw down a meaningless “hehe” laugh and suddenly disappeared without a trace.

“Answer”

Taejun waited and then sent a message, but the number ‘1’ wouldn’t disappear.

“This girl is playing with an adult.”

Where did she learn such bad manners, leaving in the middle of a conversation?

His brow furrowed deeply, but contrary to his thoughts, his gaze fixed on the phone screen didn’t move anywhere else.

“Executive Director, it’s time for the meeting.”

At Secretary Lee’s urging after a brief knock and entrance, Taejun reluctantly got up.

With lingering eyes, Taejun glared once more at the dark screen, then adjusted his glasses on the desk and returned to his cold, dry expression as he headed to the meeting room.

***

Around lunchtime, when Taejun’s name appeared on her phone screen, Hae-yeong nearly dropped the textbook she was holding.

He had contacted her saying he was in front of the school and asking her to spare some time. That Gi Tae-jun.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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