In a world filled with lies and regrets, how horrible could it be to taste one's own betrayal? Daewon didn't have asthma, yet his lungs couldn't gasp for air. His hands trembled like he has seen one of the most prominent heinous crimes ever recorded in history. The veins in his neck popped while he greeted his teeth.
"Are you saying you are Jin Ae? And you are a man who pretended to be a woman all this time?" he asked.
"Yes."
Dong-sun couldn't lift his head as he muttered. Daewon faked a cackle as he heard the worst joke in his lifetime.
"Do I look like a fool to you?"
His face turned ominous. Mee Yoon shrieked when he smashed the vase on the table to the wall.
"Daewon, calm down," he said and gestured his hands to calm him down. But Daewon shoved him away.
"How do I calm down at this moment, huh? Tell me!"
He pounded his chest while his eyes widened like they were going out of his sockets.
"What are you so mad about?" Dong-sun asked.
"Is it because we lied to you? We have a valid reason. If only you're willing to hear us out."
Daewon frizzled as he shook his head.
"You lied to everyone. What's there to explain? You said you're not a traitor. To think you're living with her. Whatever the reasons you have, you took advantage of the situation."
"So this is not only about the lie, but about what you saw. Why are you jealous about it when she's not yours, to begin with?"
Daewon stiffened as he tightened his jaw and punched Dong-sun's cheek. They went on striking one another with a massive blow.
"How dare you trick me."
"You are not the only one who can give in to temptation, but the only difference is I'm perfectly single."
Daewon thrashed his cheeks until some bruises appeared around his face.
"Stop it! Please!"
Mee Yoon held Daewon's arms and pulled him away from Dong-sun.
"Please leave. We'll talk after you cool down."
Daewon panted while glaring at her and pushed her hands away from his shoulders.
"Let's see how Youngsoo will react to this," he threatened.
"Please don't do this," she said while holding his wrist. Her eyes were begging for him to conceal the truth from his brother who would be the most affected by the revelation.
"I can't promise," Daewon said before he left.
Despair and contemplation pulsated in the house. It scarred their faces with uneasiness. Mee Yoon kept biting her nails while Dong-sun messed up his hair.
***
Dong-sun walked back and forth in the living room where he sleeps. He looked much of himself with a man bun, light blue merino wool sweater, and green pants. He stopped hovering and stared at the stuffed panda sitting on the couch that Daewon bought for Mee Yoon.
"Was it my fault? Did I blow my cover? How did your master unlock the door, by the way?"
The panda didn't blink at once.
"How am I going to explain myself to Youngsoo? He'll freak out."
He wiped his face with his hands.
"Who are you talking to?" Mee Yoon asked as he peeped through the door.
"Oh, the spy."
Dong-sun pointed to the clueless panda. She shook her head and proceeded to the bathroom. He sat beside the stuffed toy with knitted brows.
"Look at her. She acts like nothing happened. You saw it, right? She kissed me back."
He pouted.
A few minutes later, Mee Yoon came out of the shower just as Dong-sun was about to get inside. They blocked each other's way and threw some glances until awkwardness devoured the space between them. They avoided eye contact as they bowed their heads and stepped side by side, trying to pass by each other for ten seconds. Finally, she pushed his chest and walked past him. It astounded him for a millisecond, and a grin formed on his lips.
Mee Yoon ordered some soup and a few vegetable side dishes. She ate as fast as she could and left a note on the table. By the time Dong-sun came out of the shower, she was gone. He picked up the sticky note and read it.
"She has eaten already?"
The note said she went to a university as a guest speaker and will come home late.
"I am her assistant. I keep tabs on her. Why didn't she inform me ahead of time? I'm supposed to stick with her."
Then it hit him. He's no longer Jin Ae, the modest woman who walks with propriety. He is Dong-sun, the Webtoon character who landed in the real world, and he can't be with Mee Yoon.
"What am I going to do now in this empty house all by myself?" he asked while lying on the floor and staring at the cantaloupe ceiling.
He turned on the television and danced to the music video of the girl group Black Pink. His waist swayed like an idol trainee.
"Wow, it's my first time watching them, and I became their fan."
He switched to another music video of the girl group Twice and pranced with them. His voice was in its full volume even when it was out of tune.
"I love them too. I can't choose," he said while catching his breath.
After the sing and dance portion, he switched to a Korean drama entitled Itaewon Class. The second episode made him consume a roll of tissue. His eyes were swollen as he wept like a depressed adult.
"Why are you hurting me like this, Park Saeroyi?" he muffled.
When the crying session ended, he tampered with Mee Yoon's art materials and painted something on the white canvas. The paints left some stains on the cobbler apron and on his face.
"I'm sure Mee Yoon will get so emotional when she sees my piece. She'll marry me."
He held his finished art proudly, like a professional, and exposed it to the sun.
It was 8:00 pm when Mee Yoon arrived home. There was stillness. She turned the lights on in a snap.
"What took you so long?"
Dong-sun's booming voice startled her as she leaped. He was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed.
"You're still awake?"
"What's for dinner?"
"Ugh, I had dinner with a friend."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You left me here to starve? And who is that friend? Why didn't you text me?"
"What? Are you a kid? You should cook or buy your own food. Am I your babysitter? And my whereabouts are none of your concern, Dong-sun."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Are you on your period? You're being harsh."
"I am always harsh."
He pressed his lips together as he met her sharp eyes. She held the doorknob of her room and was about to enter when he spoke.
"About what happened yesterday..."
She paused without looking at him.
"It was nothing. Pack up your things and leave as soon as possible," she said and slammed the door.
Dong-sun was dumbstruck, unable to grasp what she said.