MICHAENG : THE STORY UNFOLDS WITH YOU

CHAPTER 38 - PAINFUL LIES

It's been a week since that night, and Mina and Chaeyoung barely talk to each other, which makes the awkwardness between them effortlessly grow. Sometimes they talk because of Hoonie, but each conversation is filled with lumps in their stomachs, tension thick in the air.

Meanwhile, Mina and Bambam are always seeing each other every day, but Bambam seems to give her the cold shoulder. He barely entertains Mina whenever they are together, leaving her feeling ignored by her own boyfriend and aching her heart even more. She continually tells him and tries to convince him that she won't go back to Chaeyoung, but he gives her nothing in return, not until Mina can provide him with solid proof of her words.

Mina finds herself busy in the kitchen tonight, preparing dinner for the three of them. Her mind keeps searching for some idea on how to make Bambam believe her, but at some point, she also questions herself if she's really not into Chaeyoung anymore. However, as they've acted like strangers to each other this week, she tries to convince herself that Chaeyoung and her won't make it together anymore, even a bit part of her disbelief of her thoughts.

After Mina finishing cooking, they all settle themselves around the dining table for the dinner. It's pitch silent between them except for Hoonie's voice, which sometimes causes Mina and Chaeyoung to burst out laughing.

Mina sometimes steals a glance at Chaeyoung, but when Chaeyoung catches her staring, he knows there must be something unsettling in her heart. "Do you have anything to tell me, Mina-yaa?" Chaeyoung casually asks, his eyes fixed on Mina ad he stops eating his meal.

Mina is caught off guard for a moment. She gulps water before turning her attention back to Chaeyoung. "It seems so... If you don't mind, can I have a word with you after putting Hoonie to sleep?" She hesitantly asks, reading Chaeyoung's expression.

Chaeyoung furrows his brows and presses a confused smile. "Sure... anytime. Plus, tomorrow is the weekend, so I think I can stay up listening to whatever you have in store for me," Chaeyoung chuckles as he continues eating.

Mina slowly tiptoes out from Hoonie's room after putting her son to sleep. She makes her way to the living room, finding Chaeyoung lost in thought at the balcony. She pauses for a moment, her gaze fixated on him. As she looks at Chaeyoung's face, hit by the night breeze, she sees glimpses of how he used to be back then.

Staring longer at him, she feels her heart ache at the idea that she might be hurting him now. Despite the distance between them, she can still sense the bond they once shared, and it weighs heavily on her conscience.

But she tries to keep her resolve, reminding herself that this is the best way she could make things work for the three of them. Despite the pain it brings, she knows deep down that it's necessary for their future, even if it means sacrificing their past.

She takes heavy steps to approach Chaeyoung at the balcony. "Chaeng," her soft voice calls out to him, prompting Chaeyoung to turn around to face her.

"Hey, I've been waiting for you," Chaeyoung flashes his usual smile, unknowingly his smile stirring up more of Mina's feelings. "Are you just going to stand there until morning, Mina-yaa?" he chuckles, looking at Mina, who hasn't moved an inch.

Mina snaps back, taking a deep breath, a breath that holds a thousand meanings. It's the breath that will help her face all these things now, the breath that holds promises to herself to pull off the past and embracing the uncertainty of their future.

But before anything Mina pulls out her phone, which she had been clutching in her hand for a while now. Her fingers dance across the screen for a moment before she turns it off again.

Chaeyoung's bewilderment at her sudden actions but he decides not to delve further. Meeting his clueless gaze, Mina clears her throat, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Chaeng, have you ever wondered how we ended up like this? I mean, how did we actually break up?" she hesitantly asks, her eyes fixed on Chaeyoung.