24 – Graduation Ceremony (6)

“……After I graduate, I’ll look for another part-time job.”

“…….yes?”

My head hardens.

Song Soo-yeon wanted to believe that the words were a joke.

I stopped moving for a moment and looked down at the jajangmyeon.

I waited for him to finish his prank.

But he didn’t laugh or say anything else. I was just waiting for her response.

“………..”

“………..”

Tired of waiting, Song Soo-yeon had no choice but to ask first.

“…You’re kidding me…?”

“yes?”

Jung-gyeom is embarrassed and asks again. The atmosphere was getting serious.

“….no? I’m serious.”

“…no…?”

I didn’t understand.

I thought I was doing well as usual. Of course, the conversation itself was rough, but it never turned into a serious fight.

We only knew that everything was going well because we were fighting like that and gradually became close.

In the first place, even today he took care of himself. This food was also an extension of that.

It was food made to comfort oneself.

It wasn’t a bad relationship. I believed no.

But I couldn’t figure out why they were telling me to leave.

“……What did I do wrong?”

“yes? What do you mean? What did you do wrong?”

Jeonggyeom continued.

“Now you are at an age where you can write an employment contract. I am free to work anywhere else.”

Song Soo-yeon knew that too. It was also the moment she had been waiting for.

It was a kind of goal to become an adult and do a part-time job where you want.

But I only knew that I had achieved that goal. I thought it would be okay to stay here for a long time.

“So… are you kicking me out?”

Song Su-yeon did not know what she was talking about.

Jung-gyeom reacts in surprise.

“I’m kicking you out…! It’s not like that. You can work elsewhere-”

“-I want to continue working here.”

“……”

A long silence followed. Song Soo-yeon could understand the meaning of this silence.

It was the first time we saw each other’s differences.

It was a moment when I came to think differently. It was a break to calm down the bewildered heart and share a rational story.

However, Song Soo-yeon did not maintain her rationality properly. My chest kept tight, and I couldn’t breathe well.

Emotions accelerated.

Jeonggyeom carefully opened his mouth.

“…..Sooyeon. I also want to keep seeing Su-yeon… but the situation at the store is not good.”

“……Fuck…don’t say anything strange.”

The heat of the heart did not cool down even when realistic issues were brought up. she gritted her teeth.

“As long as there are no customers, it is okay to not have a part-time job. You know Suyeon well.”

“I don’t know. Why do I know that…”

But she knew too well. It’s like there’s no work. So it might have been more convenient.

But that’s not why I didn’t want to stay here. In fact, it was okay even if I didn’t get paid.

“Suyeon-”

“-If it’s that hard, you don’t have to give me that money.”

“yes?”

“…I’ll just do it for free.”

Song Soo-yeon pretends to be a patron and speaks. My heart was just that I didn’t want to leave this place.

He hid his trembling hands under the table. It’s only been a few months since coming to this store, but enough time to become something that sustains her.

I felt a visceral fear of getting out of here.

“…….”

Jeong-gyeom stayed silent for a moment with a confused look on his face.

Song Soo-yeon wanted to quickly conclude this matter and put it aside. I didn’t want him to say that again.

“Is it decided? It’s okay if you don’t pay me from now on, so I’ll stay here-“

“-I’m a little disappointed…”

Jeonggyeom spat out.

When Song Soo-yeon heard those words, her anger rose. Suppressed emotions come out.

And that heart comes out through a rough mouth.

“Ah, damn it…! What is there to be upset about, uncle!”

If you’re upset, I’m not upset.

Song Soo-yeon thinks. What do you mean by that time period?

It wouldn’t be the only one who was happy. It wouldn’t be the only one who was happy. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the person he likes by his side?

Or, are you protesting because you don’t give any heart back? Do you want to do wheat sugar? I hoped it wasn’t such a trivial attempt. In the first place, she had the ability to detect alterations.

From the beginning, I declared that I could not give back the heart I loved. Love was still an unknown field that she was so afraid of.

So, if that’s your intention, I wanted you to stop right now.

“I said I’d work for free now, what’s there to be upset about, man?”

“……”

Jeonggyeom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It seemed as if Song Soo-yeon was waiting for her anger to pass.

After a short time, Jeong-gyeom opens his mouth again.

“……It doesn’t end there, we. Su-yeon, I lent the house to Su-yeon, not gave it to her.”

Song Soo-yeon let out a short breath.

“If you don’t get the money… When are you going to collect the deposit? When are you going to vacate the house?”

Jeong-gyeom said something obvious, but he looked very shy.

“…I don’t want anything in return…I can sleep here all the time…but it’s sad that they don’t think of me.”

At that moment, the cold winter wind shook the store door.

Song Soo-yeon realizes the temperature inside the cold store. It was here that he slept for her. It’s been several months already.

She couldn’t find anything to say. He was right.

If he doesn’t raise money, he can’t even return his studio. He says that he must shiver in this cold every night.

She wasn’t thinking of him either. Rather, I think of him every night. I just stuttered for a moment, buried in the thought of wanting to stay in the store.

He’s right.

If you thought of him, you shouldn’t have said that.

For his sake, you have to leave the store.

You need to get your money together and clear your house.

Even after realizing this, Song Soo-yeon never said that she knew.

There was only one word she could utter.

“……Betrayal…that’s it.”

Inside, I swallowed many words again.

I only knew that each other would be each other’s support. I thought you liked being together. The two who were loners met and thought they had finally formed a group.

I thought you would be on my side completely. But why are you pushing it? don’t you like yourself

i like it here

……This is a betrayal.

“Soo-yeon, it hurts me too when you say that…… Huh…?”

“……”

“……Are you crying?”

“….uh?”

When I came to my senses, tears fell.

Tears flowed quickly enough to embarrass her. As soon as the tears fell, a pain in my chest that I hadn’t felt came.

She has been holding back tears all her life.

I have never had any luck in front of my parents or in front of my classmates.

But only in front of him was already the second time.

Jeong-gyeom hurriedly gets up, approaches her, and gets down on one knee. He grabbed her by the shoulder and looked at her with a worried expression.

Song Soo-yeon turns her head away to hide her expression. But he was persistent in trying to see his own face.

Even in the midst of this pain, Song Soo-yeon could not understand why she felt a little joy in his actions.

“….. Traista cubs …”

Song Soo-yeon repeated the words again.

Jeonggyeom frowned.

“…I don’t know.”

He said. It looked like he was more worried than ever. There was no stupid, harmless expression he had always seen, just one person who was as sick as he was.

“…I don’t know why Su-yeon is crying… She’s not crying because she doesn’t want to be separated from me. He doesn’t even like me that much…”

Song Soo-yeon also thought so in her head. So I didn’t understand why the tears came out. It was only certain that it hurt so much.

I was very reluctant to go anywhere else.

“Is it because you’re afraid to go out into society? Are you afraid you won’t get my help?”

Song Soo-yeon now tried to turn her body around. He tried to express his anger through his whole body. However, it was impossible because Jeong-gyeom grabbed both of his shoulders.

I wanted him to know what he didn’t know.

Jeonggyeom continues to speak.

“…….Even if you go somewhere else, you can keep in touch and be close. I will continue to support you. If you have any difficulties, I will listen to you.”

That wasn’t enough. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like that either.

“I’m not trying to cut ties either… I don’t like that either…”

“……”

Her eyes flashed as she lost her gun.

Song Soo-yeon couldn’t help but stick to what he said he didn’t like.

The moment you reveal your weakness, you should ask. That’s what I learned through years of bullying.

Before that, there was one thing to check.

“…Do you like me?”

Song Soo-yeon asks. At the same time, I felt a strange power being activated.

The sound of his heart echoed.

‘I like.’

“I like.”

Song Soo-yeon needed that.

She jumped up from her seat.

Yes, in fact there was no need for her to beg anywhere. I shouldn’t have forgotten who was in the position of Gap.

she wiped away the tears

“….I see. I’ll find a new part-time job.”

“…..yes? really…..? No…so suddenly-”

And glared at him with burning eyes.

“-But, then I know I will never see you again.”

Jeonggyeom’s face hardened in surprise.

Song Soo-yeon feels an uncomfortable sense of victory.

yes you love me what to do

She didn’t know the feeling of love, but she knew that others risked their lives for it.

The bridge of his nose twitched, but he couldn’t say anything else. It seemed that this was not the case. I couldn’t understand why I was so reckless.

Soon, Jeong-gyeom’s expression, which was startled, turned to bewilderment.

“uh…..? No…that’s…”

“That’s Okay. I’ll go. Thank you for the time.”

Then, coldly and coldly, he ran out of the store.

“Sooyeon!!”

Jeong-gyeom’s cry echoed behind her. Song Soo-yeon did not look back.

I knew that it would be more effective if I made it harder.

It was kind of fishing.

I had to wait for him to bite the bait.

…And with the answer from before, she was convinced.

That he’ll get caught.