Will We Stay Friends Forever? — Chapter 22

LEE JUYEONG!

WHAT...?

IT'S LATE AND DANGEROUS, SO I CAME TO PICK YOU UP.

OH...

JUYEONG, YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND?

AND YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T INTERESTED IN ROMANCE...

AH, OF COURSE IN FRONT OF THE WRITER...

IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.

IT SO IS~

HAVE FUN ON YOUR DATE~

IT'S NOT LIKE TH... HA...

SHALL WE GO?

DINNER?

DID A GHOST OBSESSED WITH FOOD POSSESS YOU OR SOMETHING?

WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS HARPING ON ABOUT FOOD?

SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE SURE YOU EAT PROPERLY.

YOU DIDN'T JUST REPLACE A MEAL WITH COFFEE AGAIN, DID YOU?

BULLSEYE.

THERE'S A PLACE NEARBY YOU'LL LIKE, LET'S GO.

JUYEONG.

DON'T OVERTHINK IT.

IT'S NOT LIKE I'M ASKING YOU TO HAVE SOME ORDINARY ROMANCE.

I WON’T PRESSURE YOU OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

DON’T WORRY.

THAT’S WHAT’S PRESSURING ME...

JUYEONG IS A BIT STRANGE.

YOU REALLY ONLY CARE ABOUT YOURSELF.

YOU'RE SO SELFISH.

STOP BEING SO STUBBORN.

WHY ARE YOU SO OBLIVIOUS?

CAN'T YOU JUST MATCH THE MOOD A LITTLE?

DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO SAY IT LIKE THAT?

AS A GIRL, YOU LACK A COMPLIANT CHARM.

YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO ENDURE THINGS SOMETIMES.

WITH THAT ATTITUDE, WHO'S GOING TO LIKE YOU?

LEE DOYEONG.

YOU, FOLLOW ME HERE.

LEE DOYEONG, LISTEN WELL.

I WON'T SAY IT TWICE.

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF DATING YOU.

NO, EVEN IF IT'S NOT YOU,

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF DOING THAT WITH ANYONE.

I'M JUST COMFORTABLE BEING ALONE.

I REALLY DON'T ASK FOR MUCH.

JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WANT...

WE CAN BE TOGETHER...

BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS...

NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EXPECT NOTHING

AND SAY THINGS ARE FINE AS THEY ARE,

IN THE END, A FRIENDSHIP AND A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP CAN’T BE THE SAME, RIGHT?

SINCE YOU’RE HUMAN TOO, YOU’LL DEVELOP DESIRES,

AND I’LL FEEL PRESSURE.

YOU WON’T EVEN BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT TO ME,

AND EVENTUALLY YOU’LL GET TIRED OF TRYING TO MATCH MY PACE...

AND I, IN MY OWN WAY, WILL WORRY ABOUT YOU

TO THE POINT WHERE MOMENTS WILL COME WHEN I WANT TO THROW EVERYTHING AWAY...

I KNOW MYSELF WELL.

THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THIS.

...I

DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU...

IF THINGS ARE FINE JUST LIKE THIS,

CAN'T OUR RELATIONSHIP JUST STAY LIKE THIS TOO?

CAN'T WE JUST...

REMAIN FRIENDS?

Juyeong. Are you home now? Did you get back safely? Pick up the phone. Juyeong. I'm worried, so at least check your messages.

LEE JUYEONG...!

DON'T FOLLOW ME.

OKEY-DOKEY, I'LL GO ORDER.

I READ THE EMAIL.

SORRY FOR NOT REPLYING RIGHT AWAY, THINGS WERE CHAOTIC.

IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN JUST PACK UP AND LEAVE HERE IMMEDIATELY.

I HAVEN'T EVEN DECIDED TO DO THAT YET.

I NEED TIME TO THINK...

WHO IS IT? HYUNG? THE ONE IN GERMANY WITH YOUR DAD?

YEAH...

FOR LONG?

YEAH. SEEMS LIKE HE'S CLASHING WITH HEADQUARTERS WHILE EXPANDING THE BUSINESS.

TELLING ME TO JOIN THE STRATEGY TEAM.

THEY JUST NEED ONE MORE PERSON TO BACK UP THEIR BUSINESS, I GUESS.

SEEING HIM DO THIS WHILE ACTING LIKE HE HATES HIS FAMILY,

HE MUST CARE AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT?

...I CONFESSED TO LEE JUYEONG.

WHAT?! YOU DID...?!

OH DEAR, I'M SORRY;;

SORRY;;

MY, MY... YOU'RE ALL GROWN UP, LEE DOYEONG.

DAD IS PROUD OF YOU...

WANT TO GET HIT ONCE?

YOU ALWAYS SEEMED TO LIVE AIMLESSLY,

WHAT BROUGHT THIS ON ALL OF A SUDDEN?

IT'S PARTLY YOUR FAULT.

WHY ON EARTH DID YOU GIFT SOMETHING LIKE A RING...

AND MAKE JOKES ABOUT GETTING MARRIED...

BUT THAT WASN'T A JOKE.

EVEN NOW, I WANT LEE JUYEONG TO MARRY ME.

WHAT...?

THAT DOESN'T MEAN I THINK OF LEE JUYEONG IN THAT KIND OF WAY,

I JUST THINK WE CAN BE TOGETHER

EVEN IF IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP.

EVEN WITH- OUT ROMANTIC FEELINGS,

CAN'T THERE BE SOMEONE YOU GET ALONG WITH, FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, AND ENJOY BEING WITH,

SO YOU WANT TO KEEP STAYING TOGETHER?

HOW IS IT? SINCE I SAID I DON’T LIKE LEE JUYEONG,

DO YOU FEEL A BIT MORE AT EASE?

NOT REALLY? LEE JUYEONG IS A REALLY FUNNY KID.

...SO

I’M GOING TO MAKE UP MY MIND NOW TOO.

I’VE TRIED AVOIDING IT EVERY WHICH WAY UNTIL I’M SICK OF IT.

SO I'M GOING TO TRY AS FAR AS I POSSIBLY CAN.

AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK, ARE YOU GOING TO RUN AWAY TO GERMANY?

THEY SAY OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND, AFTER ALL...

A RELATIONSHIP ISN'T SOMETHING I CAN HANDLE ALL ON MY OWN...

UNCOOL, RIGHT? SETTING UP A SPARE

AND ACTING LIKE THIS...

MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF BEING "COOL" IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS IS WHAT'S UNCOOL.

SO? WHY DID YOU CALL ME OUT?

OH, RIGHT.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?

DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO YOUR DAD'S GRAVE FOR MEMORIAL SERVICES?

LEE DOYEONG'S SUBSTITUTE~