The Probability of Meeting Your Ex on a Straight Dating Show – Chapter 5

Author: nicotine

While he hesitated, Cha Yoon, who had brought his carrier, spoke to him. Seojeong twisted his body to make space to pass, but Cha Yoon stayed where he was. As if he had a separate purpose.

“Go in first.”

“…”

“Because your face looks like you want to run away any second now.”

As soon as their eyes met, Cha Yoon added that. Seojeong tightened his grip hard on the carrier handle.

“Why would I run away, Mr. Cha Yoon.”

Contrary to his hand, which was full of strength, Seojeong’s voice was calm.

“Exactly.”

“…”

“I’m curious too. Why would you want to run away.”

Do you have something to feel guilty about? Cha Yoon, who had shrugged his shoulders, gestured with his chin toward the open door. Seojeong, who had been about to say something again, soon gave up. The moment he retorted, it was obvious the situation would escalate.

Drawing the character for patience, Seojeong wordlessly moved his feet. Cha Yoon, who had been taking in that retreating figure, followed suit.

Click. At the sound of the door closing, Seojeong turned around. As he looked alternately at the closed door and Cha Yoon, Cha Yoon raised one eyebrow.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, nothing at all.”

“I thought, the way you were looking at me with those strange eyes, maybe you were expecting something.”

At the sneering tone, Seojeong deeply closed and opened his eyes. It was the second character for patience.

“If you have something you want to say, can you say it straight? Without beating around the bush.”

“If you didn’t understand it, then let it go.”

Cha Yoon opened his carrier beside the bed. He went about his business as if nothing had happened. After watching his back for a moment, Seojeong took a spot a little distance away. They were silently organizing their carriers together when it happened.

“Ah.”

Cha Yoon, who seemed to have already finished organizing and had gotten up to change his clothes, suddenly made a sound. He wanted to ignore it, but he couldn’t. Because of the low voice calling, Hey there. Having swallowed a sigh, Seojeong turned his eyes toward Cha Yoon.

“Talk to me.”

“There’s no reason I have to go into the bathroom and change my clothes or something, right?”

“…”

“We’re both guys here.”

The sneering began again. Feeling the emotions he had barely suppressed begin to boil, Seojeong drew the final character for patience. But Cha Yoon, who had no way of knowing Seojeong’s state, didn’t know when to stop.

Ah, Cha Yoon made a small sound and pulled up one corner of his mouth.

“No, wait, could it be a problem?”

“…”

“What should I do? I’ll do whatever you want.”

Cha Yoon acted as if he were offering tremendous consideration, but in reality, it was an extension of the sneering.

A closed door, a space with just the two of them and no one else. There was no reason to hold back any longer.

“Mr. Cha Yoon, it seems you are quite lacking in common sense.”

“…What did you just say? Common sense?”

“Yes, common sense.”

The words that came from Seojeong’s mouth, having put on a good-natured smile, were unexpected. With that softly drawn smile at his lips, Cha Yoon thought for a moment that his ears must be mistaken. But with the reply that followed, Cha Yoon realized there was nothing wrong with his hearing.

“Wow, who are you to say that to…!”

“Did you not hear that there are cameras installed in the rooms as well?”

Even at Cha Yoon’s expression, twisted as if he found it absurd, Seojeong didn’t flinch. He pointed to the camera installed on one side of the room.

“No matter how much ‘it’s just guys,’ isn’t it a bit off to strip down where there are cameras?”

“…”

“And why should you do as I tell you. Mr. Cha Yoon isn’t a baby. If you’re an adult, you should decide that kind of thing yourself.”

Seojeong shrugged his shoulders. Contrary to his calm tone, inside, Seojeong was anything but.

The shock of seeing Cha Yoon here had at some point turned into anger. He couldn’t understand why Cha Yoon was picking a fight to this extent. He understood being flustered from meeting in an unexpected place. But he also hadn’t wished for a reunion in this manner.

To Ki Seojeong, Cha Yoon was still the person he loved. There was no way he would have wished for the worst situation—having to wear the label of someone’s ex-boyfriend and watch him become involved with someone else.

“If you want to broadcast your naked body to the whole nation, I won’t stop you, so do as you wish. Don’t ask me, who has nothing to do with it, for no reason.”

You can just strip right over there in front of the camera so everyone can see well. Ki Seojeong even extended the kindness of personally designating a spot.

A string of sarcastic remarks continued. But what got on Cha Yoon’s nerves was none other than Ki Seojeong’s wording of ‘nothing to do with it.’ Cha Yoon, who had been quiet for a moment, crumpled his face as if again provoked.

Nothing to do with it? Whether I take off my clothes or not? Whether other people see me getting caught on camera or not? His train of thought had become somewhat strange, but he didn’t have the presence of mind to recognize it. Anger rising to the top of his head, Cha Yoon couldn’t hold back any longer and charged.

“Do you think I’m a perverted bastard like you?”

Perverted bastard. At that one phrase, strength entered Seojeong’s clenched fist once more. Because it was all too clear what Cha Yoon had in mind when he brought up those words.

‘I dated you? And for 7 years?’

‘…’

‘Does that make any sense? Think about it rationally. How could I date a guy with the same parts as me. I’m not some perverted bastard.’

‘…Yoon.’

‘Fuck, don’t call me that. It gives me the creeps.’

The conversation at the hospital, still vivid even 6 months later, sharply stabbed at Seojeong’s heart. A throbbing pain arose, but Seojeong didn’t even frown once.

“To keep up with Mr. Cha Yoon, who wants to strip in front of the entire nation, I’ve still got a long way to go.”

Watching Seojeong retort without backing down, Cha Yoon let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded. Seojeong closed his carrier, not even half unpacked. Already at his limit, all he wanted was to leave this space.

Seojeong got up from his spot just like that. At the sudden movement, Cha Yoon frowned.

“Whatever you do is your freedom, Mr. Cha Yoon, but I don’t have a hobby of looking at other people’s naked bodies.”

“…”

“I’ll clear the space for you, so finish changing your clothes comfortably and come out.”

Seojeong lightly ignored Cha Yoon, who was staring at him with a crumpled expression, and exited the room. Immediately after, the door opened and closed.

“Wow…”

Cha Yoon stared at the firmly closed door, then suddenly burst out laughing. Irritably sweeping back his bangs, he threw the clothes he’d been holding.

The red light on the camera on the ceiling flickered.

Even after closing the door and stepping out, Seojeong’s steps didn’t stop. Walking like someone being chased, the place he arrived at was the 2nd-floor terrace.

Sitting on a wooden chair, Seojeong took several deep breaths. Only after a long while had passed did his rapidly pounding heart find its pace and his reason gradually return.

And then he realized it. The identity of the sense of déjà vu he’d been feeling all along.

Starting from the unreserved way of speaking, the manner lacking any consideration, the attitude as if he felt no need to hide his emotions, to the temperament of not being satisfied until he got his way.

It was all the image of Cha Yoon from 7 years ago, when they first met.

The back of his head tingled. Why had he thought that the only thing Cha Yoon lost was his memories of him? Surely that wouldn’t be all.

“…”

When he closed his eyes, Cha Yoon’s face from just moments ago surfaced in the dark field of his vision. Only then did he see it. Cha Yoon’s childish face.

So, what stood before him now was not the twenty-nine-year-old Cha Yoon. It was simply the twenty-two-year-old Cha Yoon, untouched by Ki Seojeong’s hands.

His ex-lover had become younger.

By seven whole years, no less.

∞ ∞ ∞

[Other] The official trailer for ‘Please Take Care of My X Returns’ released today

Source: ZVING YouTube channel

Captured in order of interview room appearance from the trailer

The catfish is still unrevealed

(Photo)

Female cast