The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace — Chapter 32

IS IT 'CAUSE I'M A GUY?

NO, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF YOU...

IT'S BECAUSE OF ME.

...I'LL MOVE OUT.

WHAT?

ALL OF A SUDDEN?

IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD STAY FOREVER.

WILL DOING THAT PUT YOU AT EASE?

I HAVEN'T SEEN SEO-AN IN A FEW DAYS...

...SINCE WE'VE BEEN AVOIDING EACH OTHER.

MY FEAR OF HAVING TO LET GO MEANT I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE A CHOICE... SO WHY DO I FEEL SO DISAPPOINTED?

...GOOD MORNING.

WHY ARE YOU SO TENSE? I'M THE ONE WHO GOT REJECTED.

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

YES, I CAN VIEW HOUSES THIS WEEKEND.

ONE O'CLOCK SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.

OKAY, SEE YOU THEN.

LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE?

YEAH, I THINK IT'S TIME.

WANT A SMOKE?

JUST ONE...

IS THIS WHY YOU'VE BEEN SPACING OUT LATELY?

I GET IT. LISTEN, I WON'T SAY THIS AGAIN...

...BUT DON'T RUSH, AND FIND YOUR NEXT PLACE CAREFULLY.

HEY, AH-HEE.

YEAH?

WANNA GO FOR A DRINK TONIGHT?

DAMN, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING.

IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE WE LAST DRANK TOGETHER, HUH?

MINSUNG'S GONNA BE JEALOUS. HE'S BEEN DYING TO DRINK WITH YOU, YOU KNOW.

YEAH, THAT'S MY BAD...

DO BETTER, PUNK.

SO, WHY'D YOU INVITE ME FOR DRINKS? SOMETHING BUGGING YOU?

... A FEW DAYS AGO...SOMEONE CONFESSED TO ME.

THAT'S IT? WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

DID YOU REJECT THEM?

...YEAH, I DID.

SO WHY THE LONG FACE?

...I DON'T KNOW.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN? ARE YOU REGRETTING IT?

IT'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED.

WE'RE FROM DIFFERENT WORLDS.

I FELT IT EVEN MORE AFTER LIVING WITH HIM...

HOW DIFFERENT WE REALLY ARE.

WHEN YOU'RE DOWN ON YOUR LUCK, YOU REALIZE A FEW THINGS.

ONE BUS RIDE...

...ONE CUP OF COFFEE...

...ONE SMALL GET-TOGETHER.

THE SIMPLEST THINGS BECOME BURDENS.

BUT THESE PILED UP AND BECAME A PART OF MY LIFE, AND I FOUND MYSELF TAKING IT ALL FOR GRANTED.

THAT'S WHY I WAS TROUBLED BY SEO-AN'S CONFESSION.

BECAUSE IT SHED LIGHT UPON OUR DIFFERENCES.

I WAS AFRAID THAT IF I HAD FEELINGS FOR HIM, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DISCERN IF THEY WERE GENUINE...

...OR A MIRAGE SHAPED BY OUR SITUATION.

DO YOU LIKE THIS PERSON?

...WHAT?

I MEAN, YOU USUALLY DON'T SWEAT OVER THIS STUFF.

WHEN JIMIN CONFESSED TO YOU, YOU TOLD HER YOU WEREN'T LOOKING FOR A RELATIONSHIP, AND THAT WAS THAT.

YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SHE COMPLAINED TO ME AFTER?

OH... SHE DID?

YEAH, YOU JERK.

YOU LIKE THIS PERSON, DON'T YOU?

TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM.

WHEN WE FIRST MET...

I GREW FOND OF THEM BECAUSE I RELATED TO THEIR PAIN.

IT WAS MORE COMFORTING THAN I THOUGHT, AND SPENDING TIME WITH THEM MADE ME FEEL BETTER.

BUT AFTER THEY CONFESSED, REALITY HIT ME.

AS YOU KNOW... I'M NOT IN THE BEST POSITION, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY HELPING ME OUT.

I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF I REALLY LIKE THEM OR NOT.

BUT I HATE TO THINK THAT IF I MOVE OUT NOW, WE'LL NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN.

WE PROBABLY WON'T CROSS PATHS, EVEN BY CHANCE.

WOW, HE'S BEING EARNEST.

HOW'D THIS PERSON BREAK DOWN YOUR WALLS?

HOLD ON - DID HE SAY "MOVE OUT?"

NO MATTER HOW DESPERATE THE SITUATION WAS, HE WOULDN'T STAY WITH A GIRL...

HUH?

HEY. IS THIS PERSON... A MAN?

H-HOW'D YOU KNOW?!

DON'T JUST ADMIT IT, YOU MORON.

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU TALK TO.

YOU'RE NOT WORRIED 'CAUSE HE'S A MAN?

...NO. IF THAT WERE THE CASE, I WOULDN'T BE DWELLING ON IT.

THAT MAKES SENSE. YOU'VE NEVER REFUSED A DUDE'S NUMBER AT WORK, EITHER.

HE'S NOT LIKE THOSE PEOPLE.

UH-HUH, I SEE...

WHAT MAKES HIM DIFFERENT? IS THIS WHAT THEY MEAN BY "IGNORANCE IS BLISS?"

WELL, THEN, ISN'T IT A SHAME? AFTER FRETTING ABOUT HIM THIS MUCH.

IF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE IS THE ONLY THING STOPPING YOU, THEN WHY DON'T YOU GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT?

REMEMBER HOW MINSUNG AND I GOT TO KNOW YOU?

BUT ISN'T IT DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO DATING?

YOUR EXPERIENCE SHAPED YOU.

IT HAPPENED BY CHANCE.

WHEN YOUR MOTHER COLLAPSED, YOU RELIED ON US FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

WE WERE REALLY SURPRISED.

WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR YEARS, BUT YOU ALWAYS PUT UP A WALL. YOU NEVER ASKED FOR FAVORS, NEVER TRIED TO MAKE FRIENDS...

WE PRACTICALLY SQUEEZED OURSELVES THROUGH A CRACK YOU BARELY MADE.

THIS MIGHT BE EASIER FOR ME TO SAY SINCE I DON'T KNOW THE FULL STORY...

BUT YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF TO BE VULNERABLE WITH THIS PERSON, RIGHT? WOULDN'T IT SUCK TO END THINGS HERE?

I MEAN, WHEN WILL YOU EVER FIND SOMEONE THAT WORRIES YOU THIS MUCH AGAIN?

IF IT'S THE FEAR OF GETTING STARTED, THEN HOW ABOUT THIS?

PRETEND IT'S A DRILL. TELL YOURSELF, "THIS IS SIMPLY PRACTICE. IT'S OKAY IF I MESS UP. IT'S OKAY IF I GIVE UP."

YOU'RE JUST PRACTICING RIGHT NOW...

PRACTICING HOW TO REALLY, REALLY LIKE SOMEBODY.

IT'S POURING.

DID HE TAKE AN UMBRELLA?

...OR IS IT NOT MY BUSINESS ANYMORE?

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS, HUH?

Come to the office by 3 p.m. tomorrow.

I WAS JUST USING MY PAIN AS AN EXCUSE TO KEEP HOPING.