Melting Point — Chapter 20

WAIT A SECOND.

WHY IS HE SUDDENLY KISSING ME??

'ACK AH... (BACK OFF...)

FUCK, HE WON'T EVEN BUDGE.

I HAVE HALF THE MIND TO WHOOP HIS ASS WITH THIS STICK-

HUH??

NGH...

TWITCH

BUMP

AH!

HEY, WAIT A SECOND!

DON'T TELL ME...

...THAT WAS YOUR FIRST KISS?!

NUMBER 156, ORDER UP.

ABOUT EARLIER, I-

NO.

I SAID WAIT.

I'M STILL PROCESSING ALL THIS.

YOU CAN START EATING IN THE MEANTIME.

HMPH...

WHY DIDN'T I TRY HARDER TO WRIGGLE OUT OF HIS ARMS BEFORE?

I KNEW IN MY BONES THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY... FROM THE MOMENT HE SUGGESTED GOING TO THE RINK.

I KNEW THAT WHATEVER IT WAS THAT HAD BEEN BUILDING UP WAS GOING TO BURST TODAY.

I WAS GOING TO SAY NO.

I MEANT TO TURN HIM DOWN NICELY.

I WAS GOING TO SAY, "THIS IS KOREA. I'M JUST AN ORDINARY GUY WHO WANTS TO STAY ORDINARY."

TURN HIM DOWN? YEAH, RIGHT...

...IT FELT LIKE MY WHOLE BODY WAS TINGLING...

HIS HANDS ON MY WAIST...

...AND ON THE BACK OF MY NECK...

THOSE ROUGH FINGERS OF HIS BRUSHING PAST MY EARS...

I WAS TINGLING ALL OVER LIKE THERE WAS A CURRENT OF ELECTRICITY RUNNING BETWEEN US.

IF IT WEREN'T FOR HIS TERRIBLE KISSING SKILLS...

Like Being Slobbered All Over By A Dog...

...FRANKLY, I MIGHT HAVE JUMPED HIM FIRST.

I GUESS I SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT HE UNWITTINGLY STOPPED ME FROM GOING THERE...

IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF HOCKEY. I JUST GOT CARRIED AWAY BECAUSE I SUNK THAT PUCK.

YOU PAID A HIGH PRICE FOR SHEDDING THOSE TEARS, BAEK EUNSAN.

SUNBAE.

HERE, EAT YOURS TOO.

YOU CAN STILL THINK WHILE YOU EAT, CAN'T YOU?

I DUNNO. I'M NOT SO HUNGRY...

AREN'T YOU GOING TO EAT YOUR NUGGETS AND FRIES?

I CAN'T EAT FRIED FOOD. I'LL GAIN WEIGHT.

...YOU'RE SAYING THAT AFTER SCARFING DOWN THREE BURGERS?

I SEE DROPPING THAT BOMB ON ME HASN'T AFFECTED YOUR APPETITE. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST YOU ATE...

I FORCED MYSELF.

YOU FORCED YOURSELF TO EAT THREE BURGERS...?

HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO WAIT? 10 MINUTES? 20 MINUTES?

ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP. YOU'VE GOT TWO CHOICES.

NUMBER ONE...BOTH OF US FORGET ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TODAY AND GO BACK TO BEING PROFESSIONAL WORK COLLEAGUES.

NATURALLY WE TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN, RIGHT?

NUMBER TWO...IF IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET, WE TERMINATE OUR CONTRACT.

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND-

WERE YOU REALLY THAT MAD AT ME FOR GOING TO CANADA?

...THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. OUT OF THE TWO-

IS THAT WHY YOU IGNORED ME BEFORE I LEFT THE COUNTRY, AFTER WORD GOT OUT THAT I WAS LEAVING?

WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TALK TO ME AND TELL ME HOW YOU FELT THEN?

IT HURT A LOT MORE TO BE IGNORED BY YOU THAN IT DID TO BE BULLIED BY THE WHOLE SCHOOL.

WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? I SPENT A WHOLE YEAR TURNING YOU INTO A PLAYER WHO COULD PULL HIS WEIGHT, AND YOU WERE JUST GOING TO PICK UP AND LEAVE.

SAME GOES FOR THE SCHOOL... WHAT A WASTE OF RESOURCES.

THEN YOU COULD HAVE ASKED ME AT LEAST ONCE WHY I WAS LEAVING.

JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW.

INSTEAD OF SAYING I NEED TO PICK ONE OF TWO CHOICES...

SHOULDN'T YOU BE ASKING ME WHY I KISSED YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!!

HA...NEVER MIND. LET BYGONES BE BYGONES, OKAY? WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT NOW-

VRRR

Seong Junhui mobile

YOU CAN THINK IT OVER WHILE I'M ON THE PHONE.

YEAH, I NEVER MADE IT TO THE CONCERT. SOMETHING CAME UP.

WHAT? RYU IAN NEVER SHOWED UP, EITHER.

ARE YOU WITH HIM NOW?

...NO...

I HEARD THAT COMPANY C, THE SPONSOR, IS MAJORLY PISSED.

THEY'RE THE ONES WHO INVITED HIM.

WHY? WAS IT THAT IMPORTANT TO HAVE HIM THERE?

THE CHAIRMAN BRAGGED AROUND ABOUT IAN ATTENDING, IT SEEMS LIKE.

I MEAN, HE IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST ATHLETES THESE DAYS.

I RECKON HE DOESN'T RELISH BEING MADE A FOOL.

THAT DUMBASS...

HELLO? YOU STILL THERE?

...MAYBE I NEED TO START DATING AGAIN.

I'VE BEEN OUT OF THE GAME TOO LONG. I'VE COMPLETELY LOST MY TOUCH.

WHERE'S ALL THIS COMING FROM?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN? HECK, YURA'S GETTING REMARRIED. A YEAR'S LONG ENOUGH FOR ANYONE TO BE OUT OF COMMISSION.

WHERE ARE YOU NOW? SHOULD I COME?

CAN YOU SET ME UP WITH SOMEONE, JUNHUI?

I KNOW I'M NOT THE BEST CATCH IN THE WORLD. TELL 'EM THEY CAN HAVE ME FOR HALF THE PRICE.

I DON'T CARE ABOUT AGE, JUST ANY-

HELLO? EUNSAN?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I REALLY HATE THE SMELL OF CIGARETTES, ACTUALLY.

I'D LIKE YOU TO QUIT EVENTUALLY. I DON'T LIKE THE TASTE WHEN WE'RE KISSING.

...SO WHAT?

WHO SAYS I'M GOING TO KEEP KISSING YOU?

YOU GOT THE ORDER ALL WRONG, KID.

I MEAN, YOU HAVEN'T EVEN TOLD ME HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT ME AND THEN YOU KISS ME OUT OF THE BLUE LIKE TH-

I'LL TELL YOU NOW, THEN.

I LIKE YOU.

THAT ACTUALLY DOESN'T FULLY DESCRIBE THE... WEIGHT...OF THE FEELINGS THAT I FEEL FOR YOU, BUT...

SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE ORDER OF THINGS...

D-DON'T. I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT YOU.

I JUST GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE--

THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE MISTAKEN, SUNBAE.

DO YOU THINK THAT MOST GUYS WOULD KISS ANOTHER GUY BACK JUST BECAUSE THEY GOT "CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT?"

OR GRAB HIS PENIS TO MAKE HIM STAY, JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE LONELY?

WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF?

I'M GOING BACK TO CANADA IN FOUR MONTHS, SUNBAE.

THINK OF IT AS A FLING. JUST FOR FOUR MONTHS.

I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO LIKE ME BACK.

WE CAN JUST HELP EACH OTHER FEEL GOOD.

AND IN FOUR MONTHS, I'LL WALK RIGHT OUT OF YOUR LIFE AGAIN.

TWITCH

TEACH ME, SUNBAE.

YOU KNOW THAT I'M A GOOD LEARNER.

...OPEN YOUR MOUTH.