Unrequited Love Obsession Diary - Chapter 68

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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 68

Dohan remained in his seat for a while.

* * *

Dohan, who had little interest in socializing with people during his childhood, gradually changed as he spent time with Hyeonoh.

Until then, Dohan had thought the word “friend” was an overly emotional expression.

But after meeting Hyeonoh, he finally understood. The mere fact of having someone nearby with whom you could open your heart at any time brought a sense of relief.

A relationship that worked without explanation, that wouldn’t break even without constant confirmation.

However, as one grows older, the importance of friends tends to fade.

That empty space was naturally filled by romantic partners.

As an adult, Dohan didn’t stop women who came to him or chase after those who left, and he dated quite consistently.

But he had never dated anyone for very long. The reasons for breaking up were always similar.

“Dohan, it seems like you don’t really like me that much. Even when I’m with you, I feel like I’m alone. It’s so lonely.”

Just looking at the phrase “it seems like you don’t really like me,” it was the same as Hyeonoh’s reason for breaking up.

But while Hyeonoh heard such things due to a lack of sincerity, appearing insincere, Dohan’s case was a bit different.

Because he really didn’t like them that much.

He truly had little interest in romance.

I don’t understand why they like me…

A decent face. A decent height. A decent educational background.

Dohan dismissed everything as just “decent,” but to others, these were qualities that reached the ceiling.

Perhaps because he was a pretty plausible ornament to be with?

In the end, what those people loved wasn’t really him, was it?

It didn’t matter anyway.

Dohan dated because he disliked being lonely.

Being human, Dohan sometimes felt that living without relying on anyone was lonely. For Dohan, who rarely depended on others, girlfriends were decent companions to whom he could at least open his heart.

He thought it was a fairly reasonable trade if he could reduce his loneliness in exchange for being a decent ornament for them.

It seemed only Dohan alone had this thought. They said they still didn’t understand Dohan well even after spending a long time together.

As a result, the longer they spent time together, the more they faced one question.

It seems like you don’t really like me that much.

* * *

The custody issue between his parents was ultimately settled according to his mother’s wishes. She no longer had to raise a child she didn’t want.

Of course, his mother also had visitation rights, but during Dohan’s upbringing, those rights were never actually exercised.

The first contact from his mother after the divorce came when Dohan was accepted to university.

“Son, congratulations.”

Now Dohan was her junior at the same school.

She, being a lawyer, suggested that Dohan consider going to law school.

Only then did she see him as a useful child.

Dohan knew that her words were more of a confirmation than an expectation.

A confirmation that he had finally lived a life that didn’t fail to meet his mother’s standards, and had become a child worthy of contact.

Dohan said he understood and hung up the phone.

He disliked others’ expectations. They were all bothersome.

But he also disliked straying too far from expectations. It led to similarly troublesome situations.

Just enough not to be an embarrassing child to his parents. But not enough to receive excessive attachment and attention.

Maintaining exactly that level was sufficient.

So Dohan lived as others did.

Handsome appearance. Tall height. Decent background. Coming to university, there were more people, and the advantages that Dohan’s qualities provided became greater.

For such reasons, he stood out and was invited to various places, but that was all.

In reality, Dohan didn’t want to become someone who stood out conspicuously.

He didn’t skip invitations because he didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble, but he didn’t actively seek them out either.

Dohan studied moderately and lived his school life moderately.

He dated moderately and broke up moderately.

He was indifferent to everyone. After all, others were similarly trivial.

That was until he met Yeon-jae, who would light up and not know what to do with herself whenever she saw him.

* * *

Shin Yeon-jae.

Korean Literature Department.

There was quite a difference in their student numbers.

This was information he had remembered when attendance was called.

And someone who obviously liked him.

Even if Dohan didn’t know, everyone came to tell him.

“That girl is looking at you again.”

“She really likes you, doesn’t she?”

“Did she even cut her hair? Isn’t she a stalker?”

“She’s not even from the Department of Business Administration.”

Listening quietly to these casual remarks, Dohan, being human, couldn’t help but become curious about who this girl was who looked at him like a stalker.

When he turned around, that girl was there.

First impression.

She’s pretty.

As if practicing disguise techniques, half her face was hidden behind glasses.

Nevertheless, the impression that she was pretty struck him immediately.

Usually, pretty girls didn’t have unrequited love often.

Even if they did have unrequited love, they would quickly give up when rejected due to hurt pride, so their persistence was also lacking.

‘And she’s not even acting shy like that.’

He thought she would quickly give up soon enough.

Still, it was rare to see someone have such an obvious unrequited love, so Dohan found himself occasionally turning to look at Yeon-jae.

Yet it wasn’t easy to see her face clearly.

The part of her face not covered by her textbook was completely red.

Dohan thought.

This was probably the first time in his life he’d seen someone like someone else to that extent.

He thought she might approach him someday, but Yeon-jae rarely tried to talk to him.

Whenever Dohan turned his head, Yeon-jae would be staring intently but then hurriedly raise her textbook to cover her face.

Sometimes he even felt like the roles were reversed.

The one with unrequited love was clearly her, but he seemed to be more curious about her face.

Still, Dohan found it quite amusing to watch Yeon-jae fidget restlessly while looking at him.

The way she couldn’t even make eye contact and would flee when he actually looked at her was quite cute too…

That was why.

Although he could have approached her first at least once, he just left her alone.

He thought that if he waited quietly, someday an opportunity to talk would arise.

But the connection occurred in an unexpected place.

One day, Hyeonoh introduced Yeon-jae first.

“I’m supposed to have a meal with her. Speaking of her, well, but what’s your name?”

“It’s Shin Yeon-jae.”

“What’s your major?”

“Department of Korean Literature. Business is my double major.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two.”

After that, Yeon-jae often got entangled with Dohan.

Led by Hyeonoh’s hand, the three of them would go to meals together or drink coffee several times.

At some point, the three of them began sitting side by side during major classes.

The guys who used to chime in with a word or two while looking at Yeon-jae had disappeared at some point. She knew that Hyeonoh had pushed them away with his intimidating atmosphere.

But this is strange…

Of course, Hyeonoh was someone who couldn’t stand seeing anyone look lonely.

But this was university, and Yeon-jae was of the opposite sex.

No matter how long Hyeonoh had lived in Canada, he would have learned Korean society’s standards regarding opposite-sex friends since high school.

Nevertheless, Hyeonoh was paying attention to Yeon-jae quite noticeably.

It was the first time seeing Hyeonoh step forward to such an extent.

* * *

Dohan, who returned from Vancouver and became a middle schooler, didn’t see Hyeonoh for several years.

The two often kept in touch through video calls. Continuously until Hyeonoh finally came to Korea.

After Hyeonoh’s father’s business failed, and even the language institute Dohan attended collapsed one after another, Hyeonoh’s family scattered and lived apart until Hyeonoh eventually came to Korea and graduated from high school—he watched that entire process not very closely, but to some degree.

But Hyeonoh was different from Dohan.

He didn’t seem damaged by past events.

Dohan guessed it was because of some aspect of Hyeonoh’s nature that he could never imitate.

Hyeonoh’s bright side.

There were people who naturally followed him without him having to try, and no matter what difficulties he faced, he always seemed lighter by a step.

Even wounds that would have lasted long for someone else, Hyeonoh would brush off casually as if they were just passing events.

Dohan found such a Hyeonoh fascinating and enviable, and sometimes felt jealous.

Hyeonoh seemed free from the shadows that he himself could never escape.

But the two were friends.

Therefore, Dohan had no reason to lose to Hyeonoh.

They had never faced each other as competitors until now.

At best, it was just games with ice cream at stake or soccer.

But when he realized that Hyeonoh, who had been incredibly indifferent to women, was paying too much attention to Yeon-jae.

“Shin Yeon-jae is cute.”

Watching him casually say things like this without even realizing it himself.

Dohan realized for the first time that Hyeonoh had become his competitor.

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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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