When Your Pain Becomes Mine

48. Make A Decision

"You, you..."

Shocked, Gyeonhui could not speak properly. While she was watching him, she started talking weakly.

"... You can't do that, can you? Look at yourself. You can't be changed.

Sun, with a trace of bitterness on her face, stood up after downing the beer at once.

"I'll go first."

"You stop right there!"

He rose up and reached out to catch her. The empty glass on the table fell onto the floor.

'Crash.'

The sound of glass cracking pierced his ears sharply. The other people in the bar were surprised and drew attention to the two. Sun looked silently at the broken glass pieces.

"... It's just like us."

Her eyes shook. She leaned down and picked up the pieces of broken glass and put them in the trash can.

"Hey. Let it be. I'll clean it up." The owner of the bar quickly brought a broom as he spoke.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about this. How's your hand?"

The owner said while looking at Sun's bloody finger.

She might have cut herself on a piece of glass. There was a drop of blood at the end of her thumb.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine."

She wrapped her finger with a napkin. The owner seemed anxious and quickly cleaned the floor without speaking.

"Thank you."

Once the floor was cleaned up, Sun once again thanked the owner.

As the owner moved away, Sun looked at Gyeonhui's face.

"I want you to remember what I just said."

She spoke boldly and turned like she had nothing more to say before exiting the bar.

'Ding, dong.'

With the sound of the doorbell, she disappeared. Gyeonhui couldn't move his body at all. The boisterous and busy area echoed around him, but he held no connection to his surroundings.

At that moment, the only thing he wanted was for this to turn into a dream.

However, the sharp pain at his fingertips showed that this was real.

"Aghh…"

He felt like his whole body was dwindling with each sigh he took.

***

Ari carefully placed a piece of spicy chicken in her mouth and started chewing away.

"Are you really eating at a time like this?" Eunyoung spilled out, seemingly disgusted.

"You said that we should eat. I eat because that's what you said, not because this is really good." Ari continued to chew away.

"Yes. Now, you have to have a drink."

"You guys are disgraceful."

Eunyoung shook her head as she inhaled the soju at once. Labong laid flat on the floor while keeping his gaze in the direction of where Sun disappeared. Seemingly unhappy, Eunwoo sat Labong on his l.a.p.

"Do you want to see Sun too?"

Eunwoo stroked Labong's head, but Labong still didn't move his gaze.

"Nothing's going to happen, right?" Ari asked, seemingly worried about Sun.

"You shouldn't have made that mistake if you're so concerned about Sun that much."

"Who would make a mistake like that on purpose? It's just a mistake."

Ari also responded with a sullen face over Eunyoung's rebuke. Eunwoo, who was watching them, stroked Labong and spoke in a low voice.

"Labong, we're going to have to do something for her."

***

When she came out of the bar, she frantically stepped forward.

Once she could no longer see the bar, she had slowed down her steps. It wasn't easy to step forward with such depression that pushed down her shoulders. Sun leaned against a tree and caught her breathing.

'Let's start over…'

She couldn't believe what he had said. She was surprised, and it hurt her more because it was a word that she had not even hoped to receive.

She felt like her heart had fallen apart at once.

She shook her head hard to come back to reality. However, the feeling of wanting to collapse was winding her body down uncontrollably.

"Hah..."

Her cloudy thoughts came out through her breath as a burst from her mouth. She couldn't move, for her body and mind were both exhausted.

'Bzzz.'

Then her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slowly placed her hand in her pocket and reluctantly checked her phone. It was a text message from Eunwoo, which contained a picture of Labong. He seemed to be lying flat on Enwoo's l.a.p and was about to cry.

'Bzzz.'

Another message then arrived.

'When will my owner finally return?'

"Hah..."

A smile burst across Sun's face as she read the message. Could such a minor thing really save her from all her frustration? That was the only time Sun managed to breathe deeply and exhale.

Then, she remembered the people she had forgotten with Labong. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She felt a little better than before.

'Yes. I can't make people that I care for uncomfortable over this.'

She nodded slowly and stepped back to the restaurant where her friends were.

"I'm sorry I'm so late."

Sun returned to the group and sat down with a smile.

"Ojae? What kind of name is Ojae? That's so funny. Hahaha."

Meanwhile, Ari smiled like she had been drinking quite a bit.

"Why are you making fun of someone else's name?"

Ojae seemed quite drunk, too, as he slurred his speech.

"What's going on here?"

The sight of the two of them made Sun look at Eunyoung and asked, a little surprised. Eunyoung shrugged like she had surrendered and sighed.

"Oh, what about Mr. Woo?"

"... He's gone."

Eunyoung looked at her with sympathy after her awkward answer.

After reading Eunyoung's body language, Sun smiled and gazed at the table.

"What? Have you already eaten them all?"

Sun cried as she looked at the food on the plates that had already been ravaged.

"Do you want to order more? Excuse me…."

"No, I'm fine."

Eunyoung suddenly blocked Ari's mouth.

"You'd better go home."

"What?"

"You're not feeling well today. Just go home and get some rest."

"No. Tomorrow is a Sunday."

"We're going to finish here soon too. We have to send these jerks home."

Eunyoung said like she was persuading Sun.

"I've called a designated driver service, and I'll take them with me."

Eunwoo said as if he had read Eunyoung's thoughts while watching from the side.

"Yes, and your place is in the same direction. Go ahead."

"But, I'm really okay..."

As Sun hesitated, Eunyoung pushed her back. When she was pushed out of her seat, she tried to say goodbye to Ari and Ojae.

"Just go, they won't even remember."

After Sun confirmed that they were out of it just as Eunyoung said, she nodded.

"Thank you."

Sun reluctantly departed and left with Eunwoo.

"Poor thing."

Eunyoung watched Sun as she drifted away.

"But is your real name really Ojae?" A drunk Ari asked again.

"I said it is."

Eunyoung shook her head after hearing the conversation that had already been repeated many times.

"Hahaha. It's really funny. Don't your girlfriend mock your name?" Ari grabbed her stomach and asked.

"... I have no girlfriend."

"I thought so."

"I had one! I just broke up a few days ago."

Ari's disregard made Ojae flee into a rage.

"I thought about marrying her... but she cheated on me."

Ojae poured alcohol into his glass with a grave face.

"Hahahaha. Did you hear that? His girlfriend cheated on him. Cheating... Haha haha, ha, ha. hmm."

Ari smiled and slowly shut her mouth as she understood the words. Although she was drunk, it seemed she could still grasp the situation after a while.

The table became calm again. Eunyoung had been tilting her drink silently until then and slowly started speaking.

"I'm glad that she didn't abandon you after marriage, then."

"Is that really how you chose to console me?"