Nice to See You — Chapter 15

NO...!

HYUNG...

I NEED TO SEE IT TO PUT OINTMENT ON IT, OR WHATEVER.

NO... YOU'LL SAY IT'S GROSS. I KNOW YOU WILL...

YOU'LL THINK IT'S GROSS TOO, JAEYI...

EVEN MY OWN MOM...

...COULDN'T STAND LOOKING AT IT. IT'S JUST A HIDEOUS, CURSED-

NO, IT'S NOT.

GASP

N-NO...!

I SAID NO...!

GROSS? IT'S REALLY NOT...

LOOK, IT'S JUST SUPER RED.

HNGH L-LIAR...!

YOU THINK IT'S DISGUSTING... YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING YOU CAN'T SLEEP WITH ME ANYMORE-

HUH? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

HNGH

NO...

S-STOP... HNGH

IN YOUR NOVELS, THEY SAY LICKING IT MAKES IT HEAL.

I'M TELLING YOU, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME AT ALL.

NGH

IT'S A SURGERY SCAR, NOT AN INJURY, RIGHT?

I ACTUALLY KNOW SOMEONE...

...WHO WAS REALLY SICK A LONG TIME AGO AND HAD TO GET SURGERY...

...BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ALWAYS GOT ATTENTION AND OPPORTUNITIES SO EASILY...

...EVEN TAKING WHAT BELONGED TO OTHERS.

THAT PERSON THINKS THEY'RE ENTITLED TO IT AND BRAGS ABOUT IT LIKE IT'S SOME SUCCESS STORY...

...AND PEOPLE JUST PRAISE THEM FOR OVERCOMING IT AND CALL THEM AMAZING...

...SO WHAT'S SO GROSS ABOUT YOURS THAT YOU HAVE TO HIDE IT, HYUNG?

YOU ACHIEVED EVERYTHING ALL ON YOUR OWN.

THE STORIES YOU WANT TO WRITE... THE SEX YOU WANTED TO HAVE SO BADLY... YOU CAN DO ALL OF THAT NOW THANKS TO THIS SCAR, RIGHT?

I THINK IT'S PRETTY AMAZING. HONESTLY.

LIAR...

YOUR LOSS IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME.

YOU WERE REALLY SICK BACK THEN, HUH? DO YOU NEED MORE MEDICINE? WANNA GO TO THE HOSPITAL?

JUST STAY HERE, I'LL GO BUY SOME OINTMENT.

Jaeyi My class got canceled today. Are you home? Are you free?

Jaeyi You're not answering... 4:52 PM

Jaeyi Did something happen? 6:56 PM

SNIFFLE

MOM...

...I'M SORRY.

IT'S OKAY, IDEUM.

MAYBE MOM WAS ALWAYS WAITING FOR THAT MOMENT...

...THE MOMENT I APOLOGIZE, IT TRULY BECOMES MY FAULT, AND THEN SHE CAN HATE ME WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY...

...MISERY COMES FROM DENIAL.

YOUR LOSS IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME.

I JUST WANTED TO HEAR, EVEN JUST ONCE, THAT IT WASN'T MY FAULT...

...THAT THEY WERE JUST RELIEVED I'D GROWN UP HEALTHY...

Ko Ideum Hurry back, Jaeyi...

...AND THAT WAS ENOUGH.

DUDE, WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO WORK OUT? I SAID LET'S GET DRINKS.

YOU DRINK. I'LL MAKE SURE YOUR GLASS STAYS FULL.

YOU'RE NOT EVEN COMPETING, SO WHY ARE YOU GOING SO HARD AGAIN?

AH... SOMEONE SAID IT HELPS THEM DESCRIBE BODIES BETTER WHEN THEY WRITE...

WHO?

IDEUM HYUNG.

AHA... THE GUY YOU KEPT CALLING A PERVERT, BUT OOPS?! SUDDENLY YOU WAKE UP AND YOU'RE FUCKBUDDIES?

BECAUSE OF HIM, YOU BAILED ON THE BLIND DATE, LEAVING ME TO GET CHEWED OUT AND LOSE OUT ON MY SHOES-

UGH... SHUT IT!

HEY, WHO BOUGHT YOU THAT ZIP-UP YOU'RE WEARING RIGHT NOW?

HMPH

BUT WAIT, IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM? SINCE WHEN DO YOU DO THINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE?

DON'T BLOW IT OUT OF PROPORTION. I WAS ALREADY WORKING OUT, IT'S JUST A LITTLE EXTRA MOTIVATION.

YOU SAID HE WAS JUST A CASUAL FUCKBUDDY, BUT IF HE MAKES YOU THINK OF JISEONG HYUNG, YOU MUST REALLY CARE ABOUT HIM-

IT'S NOT LIKE THAT...

HE'S THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF KWON JISEONG...

IT'S NOT EVEN HIS FAULT, BUT HE JUST COWERS AWAY AND CUTS HIMSELF OFF FROM THE WORLD. I JUST FEEL SORRY FOR HIM, THAT'S ALL.

YOU? FEELING SORRY FOR SOMEONE?

WHAT? I'M CAPABLE OF FEELING SYMPATHY TOO, YOU KNOW.

YOUR EXES WOULD CRY IF THEY HEARD THAT. BEING TREATED WORSE THAN A FUCKBUDDY...

WOOCHAN. DO YOU WANNA WALK HOME NAKED?

WHATEVER...

HMM...

OUR TOUGH GUY HAS DEFINITELY GOTTEN A BIT SOFT.

"IT'S NOT EASY GIVING UP ON SOMETHING YOU LOVE."

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT TO BE BUTTING IN?"

YOU'RE PRETTY PITIFUL YOURSELF, JAEYI.

I'M STARTING TO WONDER WHAT KIND OF GUY THIS IDEUM HYUNG IS...

HEY, LET ME MEET HIM TOO.

WHAT? WHY WOULD YOU MEET HIM?

JUST 'CAUSE... IT SOUNDS FUN...

WOULDN'T IT BE GOOD FOR IDEUM HYUNG TO MAKE SOME FRIENDS TOO?

HE BARELY EVEN STEPS OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE.

YOU'RE NOT MEETING HIM.

JAEYI, I'M GONNA HEAD OUT FOR A BIT...!

WHAT?!

A PUBLIC BATHHOUSE...! AH, DO YOU THINK IT'LL BE CROWDED SINCE IT'S EVENING? WHAT SHOULD I DO...?!

SERIOUSLY? I'VE JUST BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO FINISH WORK SO WE CAN HAVE SEX-

SWIMMING POOL SCENE?

YEAH, BUT IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE EVEN BEEN IN THE WATER, LET ALONE SWUM, SO I CAN'T REALLY GET A FEEL FOR IT...

A REFORMED GANGSTER SWIMMING INSTRUCTOR DOES IT WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER WHILE THEY'RE SWIMMING. SO LIKE... HE HAS TO PUT IT IN UNDERWATER, YOU KNOW?

WHAT?

...SO YOU'RE GOING TO THE BATHHOUSE TO TRY PUTTING IT IN YOURSELF?

N-NO!

HONESTLY, I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST HIM.

I JUST THOUGHT MAYBE SOAKING IN THE WATER AND IMAGINING IT WOULD HELP ME GET A BETTER FEEL FOR IT...

HMM...

OF COURSE IT HAS TO BE SWIMMING...

FOR NOW, I'LL JUST TRY TO BOOST MY IMAGINATION WITH SOME REFERENCE MATERIALS AND VIDEOS-

I KNOW A PLACE, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE THIS CHANCE TO LEARN?

WHAT?! N-NO THANKS, SECONDHAND EXPERIENCE IS PLENTY...

HYUNG, NOW THAT YOU'VE DONE IT WITH ME, ALL THAT TALK ABOUT YOU BEING A VIRGIN DOESN'T EVEN MATTER ANYMORE, RIGHT?

AND THE SCAR, NOW THAT YOU'VE SHOWN IT, IT'S REALLY NO BIG DEAL, IS IT?

NGH, THAT'S- ONLY WITH YOU, JAEYI...

I'M TELLING YOU, EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING. AH...

...WANNA GO SWIMSUIT SHOPPING TOGETHER WHILE WE'RE AT IT?

...WHAT?

W-WAIT...

...WEREN'T WE HERE TO LOOK AT SWIMSUITS...?!