Hate Girl — Chapter 26

DATING.

TO ME, IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN AN UNSPOKEN AGREEMENT TO ARTIFICIALLY PROLONG SOMETHING THAT HAD NO FUTURE,

ALL FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING EACH OTHER TIED DOWN.

THAT'S WHY I ONLY EVER DATED ON A WHIM.

NONE OF IT EVER MEANT ANYTHING.

IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A CHILDISH GAME.

I NEVER TURNED ANYONE AWAY, AND I NEVER TRIED TO HOLD ON TO ANYONE WHO LEFT.

I LIKE YOU.

I WAS TERRIFIED THAT IF I RECKLESSLY STARTED SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH YOU,

THE GREAT WALL WE'D SPENT ALL THIS TIME BUILDING TOGETHER WOULD COME CRASHING DOWN.

SINCE WHEN?

WHY?

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE SOMEONE LIKE ME?

DID YOU GET REJECTED?

HOW'D YOU KNOW?

IT'S WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE.

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE, SUNBAE?

...MUST BE NICE, HAVING IT SO EASY.

WHAT? DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING AGAIN?

WHO SAYS MY LIFE'S EASY?

WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW, ANYWAY...?

COME ON, LET'S HURRY. OUR ELECTIVE'S ABOUT TO START.

...YOU PROMISED YOU'D HELP ME WIN BUMSEOK OVER,

BUT THAT WAS ALL A LIE, WASN'T IT?

WHO KNOWS?

IS ANYTHING YOU SAY EVER TRUE?

YOU'RE ALWAYS LYING.

SUCH A BIG, FAT LIAR.

WHAT DID I DO?

I KNOW EVERYTHING.

GOOD FOR YOU. KNOWING SO MUCH.

THOUGH, ABOUT WHY BUMSEOK PUNCHED ME...

WHAT WAS GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND MY SISTER?

THERE WAS NOTHING BETWEEN US.

CUT THE CRAP. ONCE I'VE GOT MY STRENGTH BACK, I'M CHALLENGING YOU TO A FIGHT.

MEET ME ON THE ROOF.

THE ONLY THING I'M BETTER AT THAN JEONG DAJEONG IS TAEKWONDO.

YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

I'M TELLING THE TRUTH. IT REALLY WAS NOTHING.

UGH, I'M EXHAUSTED. I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE ENERGY TO GET ANGRY.

NO BOOZE TODAY? I THOUGHT YOU'D BE CRAVING A DAYTIME DRINK.

FORGET IT. I NEED TO GET MY LIFE TOGETHER AND STUDY.

I'M GOING TO EARN A SCHOLARSHIP.

I WON'T TAKE A SINGLE CENT OF MY SISTER'S MONEY.

IS THAT SO?

THEN I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO TREAT YOU TO FOOD INSTEAD OF DRINKS FROM NOW ON.

DEAL.

BUMSEOK, WHO HAD ALWAYS BEEN IN MY LINE OF SIGHT WHETHER I WANTED HIM THERE OR NOT, DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR DAYS.

THE CALLS THAT USED TO FLOOD MY PHONE STOPPED,

AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET A SIMPLE MESSAGE.

EVEN WHEN WE CROSSED PATHS, ALL HE GAVE ME WAS A PERFUNCTORY NOD.

HE WAS

DEFINITELY AVOIDING ME.

WE DEFINITELY

MADE EYE CONTACT.

EVERY TIME I CONSIDERED CONFESSING MY FEELINGS, I'D IMAGINED THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO COUNTLESS TIMES.

AND MY PREDICTION HAD BEEN RIGHT ON THE MARK.

LOOK AT YOU, COMPLETELY LIFELESS AFTER GETTING DUMPED. YOU'RE BORING.

...THEN TELL ME SOMETHING FUNNY.

WHAT, AM I SUPPOSED TO ENTERTAIN YOU?

A HOLLOW LAUGH ESCAPED ME. IT WAS ALL JUST AS PREDICTABLE AS I'D IMAGINED.

COME ON, LET'S EAT. MY TREAT.

NO. I DON'T FEEL LIKE EATING.

RELIEF CAME, BUT SO DID A WAVE OF EMPTINESS.

YOU'RE TAKING THIS SULKING THING WAY TOO FAR.

HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP THIS UP?

MAYBE THE FEELINGS I'D HELD ON TO SO DESPERATELY HAD MEANT NOTHING AFTER ALL.

JUST...

WHAT IF BEING FULL MAKES ME HAPPY?

A ONE-SIDED CRUSH IS UTTERLY USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO TRULY UNDERSTANDING SOMEONE.

WE CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN.

WH-

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!

YOU'RE PRACTICALLY SKIN AND BONES.

YOU NEED TO EAT SOMETHING, EVEN IF I HAVE TO FORCE-FEED YOU.

EVEN FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, WHOSE GREATEST DILEMMA IN LIFE WAS LOVING YOU,

I SUPPOSE THE TIME HAS COME TO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO PUT MY HEART.

...FINE, I GET IT. JUST PUT ME DOWN.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EAT?

NOTHING BEATS KOREAN FOOD ON AN EMPTY STOMACH, RIGHT?

OR MAYBE JAPANESE FOOD?

OH, LET'S GET SOME GRILLED MACKEREL.

OMEGA-3S. I HEARD THEY'RE GREAT FOR WOMEN.

REALIZING THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SMILE AS I USUALLY DID.

FINE. JUST PUT ME DOWN, PLEASE.

EAT UP. BEFORE I POUNCE ON YOU.

EVEN SO, I SMILED.

THANK YOU, SENIOR.

HAVING SOMEONE PUT FISH ON MY RICE...

IT'S THE FIRST TIME SINCE MY DAD USED TO DO IT WHEN I WAS LITTLE.

IT'S A FIRST FOR ME, TOO.

YOU KNOW, DAHYE.

YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST CRY.

THEN AT LEAST I CAN COMFORT YOU.

STUBBORN AS EVER.

I DIDN'T WANT TO CRY ANYMORE.

I'D COME HOME AND COLLAPSE LIKE A WILTED BEAN SPROUT,

ONLY TO PICK MYSELF BACK UP AND FORCE A SMILE AGAIN, DAY AFTER DAY.

SCHOOL IS GOING WELL.

THE CLUB SENIORS ARE NICE TO ME, AND I'VE MADE FRIENDS IN MY DEPARTMENT.

...MOM.

MY MIDTERM ASSIGNMENTS ARE GOING SMOOTHLY, TOO.

BUT WHEN IT CAME TO SAYING I WAS FINE...

I JUST COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO TELL HER NOT TO WORRY.

MOM, CAN I TAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE?