〈Chapter 6〉 

An Argument with My Ex-Girlfriend

* * *

On the way to the student lounge after my lectures for the day ended.

My thoughts kept circling back to Yerin.

‘While I was dating Chae-yeon… I really neglected her a lot, didn’t I…’

Even if it had been my girlfriend’s request, turning my back on a friend of 15 years wasn’t the right choice.

Honestly, Yerin must’ve been sad about how distant we became—she’d sometimes looked so down.

‘Now that things are back to how they used to be, I should take better care of her from here on out.’

I decided I’d wait for her class to finish so we could head back together. Just as I reached for the lounge door…

“Si-hyeon!”

A familiar voice called out from behind. When I turned, I saw Sohee, slightly out of breath.

“…What.”

Maybe because it wasn’t a welcome encounter, my voice came out colder than I meant it to. At that, Sohee’s shoulders gave a small tremble. She fidgeted with her hands, hesitating, then finally spoke.

“I have something I need to talk to you about for a second… Do you have some time?”

“No.”

It was obvious she’d just repeat the same shit she’d been on about this morning, so I tried to brush her off coldly and leave.

But then…

“P-Please. Just this once is fine, so please just hear me out…”

Sohee grabbed my arm and began to plead with a desperate expression.

How many times had she done this already today?

At this rate, it felt like she’d stick to me until I finally talked to her; I could feel a headache coming on already.

“…Just get to the point.”

Exhausted by Sohee’s persistence, I finally decided to at least listen.

Coincidentally, there was something I wanted to ask about that blind date anyway, so talking wouldn’t hurt.

“Really…? Thank you!”

As soon as I gave the okay, Sohee’s complexion brightened visibly.

When she asked if we could move to a different spot, I nodded, and we ended up at a fountain about five minutes away.

Slide.

As soon as she sat on a nearby bench, she bowed her head deeply toward me.

“First, I want to apologize. Like I said before, I’m the one who dragged Chae-yeon to that blind date. I’m so, so sorry!”

If I forgave her here, she’d probably try to rope me and Chae-yeon back together, so I ignored the apology and went straight to what I wanted to know.

“Why would you bring her there when you knew she was dating me?”

“The friend who was originally supposed to go canceled at the last minute…”

“So you take someone who’s already taken to a place like that? If you were short on people, you should have just postponed the thing.”

“You’re right. I would have done that if it were a normal blind date, but I couldn’t this time.”

“Why the hell not?”

Sohee lifted her head and looked me straight in the eye.

“This blind date… it was a setup I put together to help a friend get with a guy she really likes.”

A friend…

Among the women at the wine bar, I recalled someone other than Chaeyeon and Sohee.

“The short-haired girl who was on your right?”

“Yeah, her. We’d already coordinated with the guys to push her and the date together… Since we were the ones asking for the favor, we couldn’t just bail or postpone it on our end.”

Sohee lowered her gaze again, looking utterly ashamed.

“So, in a desperate rush… I begged Chae-yeon to just fill the empty seat.”

If that’s true, Chaeyeon’s role was basically a placeholder — someone there to fill a seat.

But did that mean she was blameless?

Not a chance.

Aside from the fact that she blatantly ghosted my messages, she had the nerve to lie to my face.

She even turned the tables and branded me the stalker, forcing me to apologize.

If I looked for them, the things she owed me an apology for were practically overflowing.

“Hmm…”

While I was lost in thought, Sohee, who had been watching my reaction, spoke up again.

“Um… Si-hyeon. I know it might be hard to believe, but Chae-yeon didn’t say a single word there. I saw it clearly with my own eyes—whenever the guys tried to talk to her, she rejected them by saying she had a boyfriend…”

I already believed that Chae-yeon hadn’t done anything.

The fact that their stories were consistent, and the truth that Chae-yeon’s attitude toward the guy on the date was cold, made it clear.

“What exactly is your reason for telling me all this?”

“I just felt like your relationship fell apart because of me… I was hoping that this explanation would clear up the misunderstanding so you two could get back together…”

If the reason I broke up with Chae-yeon was simply because of that blind date, Sohee’s explanation might have actually worked.

However, the real reason I ended it was that I was exhausted by Chae-yeon’s selfish mindset and her endless power-tripping.

The blind date incident was merely the catalyst that triggered the breakup.

Scrape.

Since there was no reason to explain all that to Sohee, I simply stood up from my seat.

“Don’t meddle in things that don’t concern you. I’ll take care of my own business.”

“W-Wait a second!”

“What now?”

“Can’t you at least try talking to Chae-yeon?”

“We already talked.”

Sohee clutched her chest and shook her head.

“Back then, Chae-yeon was drunk, and both of you were worked up… You probably didn’t get to say what you really wanted to say to each other…”

“I don’t think talking while sober is going to change anything, though?”

As I kept stone-walling her, I could see Sohee’s eyes trembling.

Suddenly, she stood up, only to slowly begin bending her knees.

“H-hng… hic… I’m begging you…”

Finally, with a desperate voice, she knelt on the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?! Get up, now.”

Even if she was someone I didn’t want to forgive, I didn’t want her groveling like this.

Despite my attempts to pull her up, Sohee stood her ground and spoke through her tears.

“Please… I feel so sorry toward both of you that I haven’t been able to sleep since yesterday…”

Whether that was true or not, below Sohee’s naturally fair eyes, purple dark circles had taken root.

‘I guess her guilt was heavier than I thought…’

If I left her like this, it looked like it might actually interfere with her daily life.

Since she was once one of my close friends, I couldn’t help but feel worried.

“I’m so incredibly sorry… Even if it meant breaking my promise, I should have never brought Chae-yeon with me…!”

As if she deeply regretted her mistake, She begged for forgiveness with such intensity it felt like she might slam her forehead into the ground.

Her desperate voice kept shaking my resolve, and unable to endure it any longer…

“…Fine. I’ll meet with her, so just get up already.”

I offered the last bit of warmth I could manage, if only to alleviate even a fraction of Sohee’s guilt.

“R-Really?”

Sohee looked up at me, her face stained with tear tracks.

“Yeah. So don’t ever do something like this again.”

“Okay…!”

She stood up, her face overcome with emotion as she continued.

“Si-hyeon, thank you so much… I’ll set everything up, so please come to the student lounge in 15 minutes. I’ll tell Chae-yeon to head there around then, too.”

“Got it…”

After bowing and thanking me repeatedly, Sohee sprinted off toward the lounge.

Even though this tragic mess was a result of her own making, seeing her effort to fix it felt… decent.

Creak…

When I entered the student lounge, there was no one there but me.

It looked like people had been in the middle of a board game; paper money was scattered across the long tables, and the power strips nearby were cluttered with unused chargers.

‘There must’ve been a lot of people here… Did she lure them all out with food?’

Given the cheering sounds I’d heard earlier, that seemed highly likely…

Thinking about how much lighter Sohee’s wallet must have gotten just to clear out the room, made this meeting feel unnecessarily burdensome.

‘Chae-yeon should be here soon.’

Whether this opportunity would lead to reconciliation and getting back together, or simply be an extension of yesterday’s fight…

That all depended entirely on her attitude.

“Whew…”

With a heavy heart, I began tidying up the table so nothing would be distracting during the conversation.

Just as I sat down and pulled out my smartphone…

Creak.

Chae-yeon opened the door and walked in.

The moment our eyes met, Chae-yeon’s brow furrowed. It was as if she were looking at something she couldn’t stand the sight of.

‘Does she think I’m here because I want to be?’

I was only here because Sohee had begged and pleaded, but the second I saw Chae-yeon’s glare, I felt a desperate urge to just turn around and leave.

‘Let’s just bear it for a bit.’

If we ended things half-heartedly here, a situation like the one earlier might just repeat itself.

Slide.

Chae-yeon took a seat two spots away from me, diagonally.

As if she had absolutely nothing to say to me, she started tapping her laptop while sipping on her franchise coffee.

Even though she must have heard from Sohee to come here and talk, she showed no intention of opening her mouth.

Fine by me. I’ll just kill time here and leave the second Yerin arrives.

Checking my phone just then, I saw a message from Yerin.

Han Yerin: I’ve got about 20 minutes left until I’m done. Where are you?

Me: The student lounge.

Han Yerin: You waiting for me?

Me: Something like that.

Han Yerin: Aw, what a good boy! ^^ As a reward, I’ll buy you some mint-choco ice cream at Mera.

Me: Toothpaste flavor? No thanks. I wouldn’t eat that even if you gave it to me for free.

Han Yerin: It’s fine. I’m getting a Pints-size, so we can pick three flavors. I’ll get Mint-Choco, you get Dad is an Alien. As for the last one… We’ll choose when we get there.

Me: That works. I’ll be waiting, so come to the lounge when you’re finished.

Han Yerin: Okey-dokey! (Rabbit bowing emoticon)

After finishing the chat, a realization hit me a moment too late.

‘If Yerin comes to the lounge, the atmosphere is going to get incredibly heavy…’

Judging by her reactions so far, Yerin was currently a ticking time bomb of pent-up frustration toward Chae-yeon.

There was no telling what might happen the moment they crossed paths.

Best to get the hell out of here before any unfortunate incidents might occur.

‘It’s not like we have anything left to talk about even if I stay, anyway.’

Deciding to kill time near the lecture hall instead, I threw my bag over my shoulder and stood up.

I tucked my smartphone into my pocket and was just about to head out when…

“…….”

My eyes met Chae-yeon’s. She was staring a hole right through me.

‘How long has she been watching me?’

I had been so distracted by my chat that I only realized she was watching me just now.

It wasn’t just a chance glance; she didn’t even look away.

Since I didn’t avoid her gaze either, a silent war of nerves broke out between us.

The one to break the silence was Chae-yeon, who crossed her arms and legs.

“So, you changed your profile picture?”

She placed her phone on the desk. On the screen was my now-empty profile.

Tap. Tap.

Drumming her fingers against her arm, Chae-yeon continued in a mocking tone.

“The second you break up with me, you’re making a show of hanging around Han Yerin… what exactly are you playing at right now?”

“Changing my profile picture is only natural since we broke up. And who I hang out with is none of your damn business.”

As usual, Chae-yeon looked down on me from her position of power, letting out a snort as she replied.

“I guess you’re really, really sulking this time. To think that you—the guy who used to tremble whenever I even mentioned breaking up—is rebelling this much.”

“It just goes to show how fucking sick and tired of you I’ve become.”

Sensing this was going to be a long conversation, I tossed my bag onto a chair.

“I’m sick of even looking at your face now. I have no lingering feelings for you, and I have zero intention of ever getting back together.”

“…Is that so? Then is it because you have ‘no lingering feelings’ that you’re trying to jump ship to Yerin?”

Why does she keep bringing up Yerin?

Wondering why she was so fixated on her, I fired back.

“What’s it to you? I broke up with you like you wanted, so how about you just drop the interest in me already?”

Tap…

The finger that had been drumming against Chae-yeon’s arm stopped.

She stared at me silently.

Before long, she let out a long sigh and spoke to me as if she were doing me a massive favor.

“I’ll forgive you.”

“What…?”

“I’ll forgive the way you swore at me and acted all reckless. So, stop this pointless nonsense and just come back to me.”

Who exactly is forgiving whom right now?

For a split second, her sheer confidence almost made me think I was the one at fault.

When she should’ve been the one on her knees begging for forgiveness, she was still acting selfish to the very end—it made me sick.

As if she had no clue how I felt, Chae-yeon looked at me like she genuinely didn’t understand.

“You love me, don’t you? You were always the one who bowed your head whenever I said we should break up—so why are you making such a fuss now?”

The more we talked, the more my disappointment grew.

Above all else, it was agonizing to realize that the words of “breakup”—words I couldn’t even bring myself to utter—were nothing more than a tool she used to easily manipulate me.

“Do you really think a guy like you, who started hanging around another woman the second we broke up, has any right to judge me for going on a blind date?”

Thud.

Chae-yeon stood up and poked me in the chest with her finger. Then, twirling her finger around, she issued a warning.

“Listen closely. I don’t have much patience, and the more you act like this, the less I’ll feel like forgiving you.”

The finger twirling against my chest began to tear through my emotions.

This selfish bitch, she is incapable of looking back at her own faults.

At her unchanging attitude, something inside my head finally snapped.

“Did I ever ask you to forgive me? I haven’t done a damn thing that requires your forgiveness, so why the hell are you acting out like this on your own?”

My raw emotions started spilling out, completely unfiltered.

“If you have a brain, use it. Look at the two of us—can’t you tell who’s actually in the wrong? It’s because you act like this that I keep getting disappointed in you.”

Taking a step back, she asked in a trembling voice.

“I just don’t get it. You’ve been perfectly fine all this time. So why… why are you acting like this now?”

“I was ‘perfectly fine’? Ha…”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even speak.

“Do you have any idea how much I had to wash myself just to keep that relationship going?”

I was afraid you’d get upset if I showed even a hint of discomfort.

I was afraid you’d threaten to break up again if I showed my true feelings.

Being with you made me happy, but at the same time, it terrified me.

“Every single day I spent with you was nothing but stress for me.”

Chae-yeon’s eyes, which had been glaring at me, began to waver.

Her gaze wandered, unable to meet mine anymore. Opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, she stammered.

“I-If you truly loved me, you should have been able to handle at least that much…”

“It’s the opposite. It’s because I truly loved you that I was able to endure it this long. If it had been anyone else but me, they would’ve broken up with you before the first month was over.”

“But…!”

Chae-yeon bit her lower lip, cutting herself off. Then, she lowered her head and didn’t say another word.

‘Fine. This is better.’

I felt like if we talked any longer, I’d lose the last shred of my sanity.

Turning my back on Chae-yeon, I squeezed out one final remark.

“I’ve done more than enough. So, just leave me the hell alone now.”

I didn’t know what kind of reaction she had to my words.

However, hearing the sound of a bag zipping shut shortly after, it seemed like she was packing her things to leave.

BANG!

“Whoa, you scared me!”

Along with the sound of the door being thrown open violently, a familiar female voice rang out.

I looked back to see Yerin standing in front of Chae-yeon, her face frozen in a look of shock.

For a moment, the two of them just stood there, glaring intensely at each other.

“Move.”

With a chilling warning, Chae-yeon brushed past Yerin, shoulder-checking her as she went.

“Look at that bitch… zero fucking manners.”

Yerin clicked her tongue as she watched Chae-yeon walk away. Then, spotting me inside, her eyes went wide.

“What the… why are the two of you alone in the lounge?”

Whatever she was unhappy about, a frowning Yerin marched over to me with long, purposeful strides.

Then, with a voice that sounded somewhat anxious, she asked me.

“What did you two talk about? You didn’t… reconcile, did you…?”

* * *

TNote: Mera is Likely a fictionalized version of Baskin-Robbins (often called “Be-Ra” in Korea).

 

Dad is an Alien/Puss in Boots is a real, extremely popular Baskin-Robbins flavor in Korea: it’s a mix of dark, milk, and white chocolate with chocolate malt balls.