Correction Chapter 36

Hyung, what are you doing?

Me? Studying at a cafe right now.

Wow, hardcore.

I have an exam soon. You should study too.

Should I come to the cafe?

Not today. Let’s study at the library tomorrow.

Jungmin sighs, staring at the finished messenger conversation. Shinwoo is probably meeting Youngmin at that cafe. He’s always felt uncomfortable and uneasy about them meeting, but today, he’s also anxious. Why did Shinwoo want to see him? And why did he bring up the MT?

Since that day, Shinwoo hasn’t mentioned the MT to Jungmin. Just once, when they were finalizing the receipts and settling the expenses, he said, “Good work,” and patted Jungmin’s shoulder. That was all. Jungmin thought it would just pass like that, as if nothing had happened.

“Why…”

He wants to follow Youngmin without Shinwoo knowing, but he stops himself, thinking it’s too much. But now he regrets it. Should he have followed them? Should he go now…?

Jungmin jumps up and gets dressed. Thinking he can catch up to Youngmin since it hasn’t been long since he left, he’s about to leave the room when he suddenly stops, clutching his phone tightly.

He needs to think calmly. It could be something else. Shinwoo might be asking Youngmin to get back together…

“Either way, it’s the worst.”

But strangely, he feels that it would be better if Shinwoo was asking Youngmin to get back together. That’s how much Jungmin believes Shinwoo can’t know the truth. Because he thinks he knows what Shinwoo would do the moment he finds out.

“It’ll be nothing.”

He must be overthinking it. Jungmin takes off his jacket and changes into his workout clothes. He goes down to the weight room in the basement and starts exercising. There’s nothing like exercise to spend time mindlessly.

How much time has passed? Youngmin, who left around lunchtime, hasn’t returned even as evening approaches. His parents are on a trip, so he eats the meal prepared by the housekeeper and sees her off as she leaves for the day, but Youngmin still hasn’t come back.

“Phew…”

He feels relieved that Youngmin hasn’t returned even this late. If Youngmin knew the truth, he wouldn’t stay quiet.

Jungmin steps out of the house for some fresh air, stands in the garden, and takes out a cigarette. Just then, he hears a car pull up in front of the gate, followed by the slam of a car door closing hard.

“Hyung, are you crazy?!”

It’s Youngmin’s voice. His voice, echoing loudly through the quiet neighborhood at this late hour, jolts Jungmin awake. He puts the cigarette back in his pocket and slowly walks toward the gate.

“Youngmin!!”

Shinwoo-hyung is there too.

“I’m telling you it’s not true!”

His heart is pounding wildly. Not from longing and love for his hyung, but from a heavy, uncomfortable throbbing born of anxiety.

“Youngmin, listen to me. It really was you. You might not remember.”

“No, look. Even if I were completely out of my mind–”

“What’s going on with you two?”

Jungmin opens the gate and asks casually. Youngmin runs to him with a terrified look and hides behind him.

“Jungmin, I think he’s lost it. He has to be crazy to–”

Youngmin hesitates, then glares at Shinwoo before continuing.

“He keeps saying I slept with him that day at the MT. I was kicked out by you and took a car back to Seoul!”

Jungmin suddenly feels the world go dark.

‘Oh my god.’

Time seems to stop. He wants to disappear. He looks at Shinwoo. Shinwoo’s gaze is serious. He’s certain of it, of the truth. There’s no hesitation.

“So, Jungmin, tell him. You know since you sent me away. Just say something! Make him stop! I’m going crazy because he won’t listen to reason.”

He doesn’t know what to do. He can’t bring himself to go in front of Shinwoo. Frustrated by Jungmin’s inaction, Youngmin pushes him towards Shinwoo.

“Jungmin, I’m sorry, but this is something we have to do. So, let us talk alone.”

“I don’t want to!!! It wasn’t me!! How dare he sleep with someone else and then yell at me!!”

As Shinwoo grabs Jungmin’s shoulder and tries to walk past him, Youngmin screams and runs into the garden.

“Youngmin! Let’s talk!!”

“Talk about what!! I wouldn’t sleep with you even if lightning struck me!! Do you think I’m crazy enough to sleep with you?!”

“That’s impossible. That day, I definitely–”

Jungmin grits his teeth.

“Shinwoo-hyung.”

He grabs Shinwoo’s arm. Shinwoo shakes him off and yells.

“I told you to stay out of this!!”

It’s the first time Jungmin has seen his hyung so desperate and angry at him. He’s truly furious.

“Hyung, let’s talk. Calm down!”

“I need to talk to Youngmin right now!”

“Can’t you see Youngmin is scared?! This isn’t the time to talk! Let’s talk first.”

Shinwoo’s eyes waver. His gaze shifts to Youngmin. Youngmin whimpers, shrinks back, and starts backing away towards the house. He looks truly terrified. As if shocked by this, Shinwoo lowers his head. Feeling the strength drain from his body, Jungmin pulls Shinwoo along.

“Youngmin, Hyung and I will talk. You go inside.”

“O-Okay. But don’t let Shinwoo-hyung in the house. I’m really scared and I don’t want to see him.”

Why add that last part? He doesn’t even think about the person he’s hurting.

Once Youngmin disappears, Jungmin closes the gate. Then he gets into Shinwoo’s car.

“Hyung, let’s talk in the car.”

“I don’t need to talk to you.”

“I’m the one who knows what happened that day. So, you need to talk to me.”

“How would you know? Oh, are you going to say you sent Youngmin back to Seoul?”

“Hyung, just get in.”

Shinwoo sighs and sits in the driver’s seat. There’s a moment of silence. Where and how should he start? How much should he tell his hyung…?

He said he’d talk, but Jungmin’s mind is a mess, driving him crazy. But he knows he needs to stay calm.

He needs to speak as little as possible and listen to Shinwoo’s story. That’s the only way to avoid the worst possible outcome. He can’t lose his hyung.

“Youngmin…”

Shinwoo is the first to speak.

“He didn’t go to Seoul that day. I held him. I held him… preciously.”

“Hyung…”

“You and Youngmin planned this story about him going to Seoul, right? Right? Is Youngmin regretting sleeping with me?”

“Hyung…”

“So… he asked you to keep it a secret?”

“Hyung…”

Shinwoo looks directly at Jungmin and yells, then suddenly, as if in despair, slams his head against the steering wheel and says in a strangled voice, “I’m pathetic. I know. I know I’m pathetic. But… I can’t let go of this sliver of hope. Jungmin. The delusion that he might come back to me won’t disappear. Am I crazy? Is that why I think I held him? Have I finally lost it?”

Shinwoo’s voice cracks, and tears start falling. Like the falling tears, his heart is already shattered. There’s nothing left. In that heart, devoid of water and light, Shinwoo is hurting. He’s hurting himself.

He’s a wonderful man, brighter than any light. Jungmin can’t bear to watch him sink into this darkness. It’s okay if he gets hurt. He doesn’t want to see his hyung in pain and blaming himself. He throws aside all his carefully considered thoughts and chooses Shinwoo.

“I can’t do this. I have to ask Youngmin again. It wasn’t a dream. It definitely wasn’t a dream.”

“Hyung!”

“Did I… rape him? If I raped Youngmin and hurt him, and that’s why he hates me… Oh my god. I have to apologize.”

As Shinwoo reaches for the car door again, Jungmin quickly grabs his arm.

“Let go!”

“It was me.”

“So, what?”

Confusion clouds Shinwoo’s eyes. Jungmin swallows hard. There’s no turning back now.

“It was me… The one who had sex with you. It was me. Not Shin Youngmin, but Shin Jungmin.”

Jungmin speaks calmly. But inside, his heart is withering, tearing apart, and crumbling.

Shinwoo’s face slowly contorts.